Written and edited by Jim Walker
--
December 2015
A publication of the Keeper! Club
Written and edited by Jim Walker
TRAINING IN DECEMBER
Calendar for keeper training at Dyess Park in December:
3—Senior keepers, 6:30pm
7—Junior Keepers, 5:30pm; Intermediates 6:30pm
10—Seniors, 6:30pm
14—Training for all keepers, 5pm
Party for all keepers, 6pm-7:30pm
*NO TRAINING AFTER DEC. 14 IN OBSERVANCE OF CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S*
Keeper Club training resumes Monday, January 11, 2016, and will continue on Mondays with Jim Walker at 5:30pm for Junior Keepers (10 years and younger), and 6:30pm for Intermediates (10 years and older) and Thursdays with Roland Sikinger at 6:30pm for Seniors. Fees will remain the same in 2016: for Junior Keepers $50 for both Spring sessions (thru late May) and $100 for all other Dynamos and Cy-Fair Youth Soccer Club players; $200 if not a Dynamos or CFYSC player. Please make check payable to “Keeper Club” and mail to: DeNiece Herrod, 5827 Pinellas PK, Spring TX 77379. For information, email jwalker@dynamossoccer.com or dherrod@me.com, or phone 281-217-1612,
Kick Cancer Camp
PRO KEEPER VISITS DYESS
Forecast: 100 per cent chance for fun!
Don’t miss the opportunity to greet and get tips from Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric when he appears at Dyess Park Sun., Dec. 13, 2-5pm, ,as a guest trainer for the annual Kick Cancer Camp. You can register for the camp on the home page of this web site. Tyler, along with Dynamo teammate Ricardo Clark, will join Olivier Finidori’s training staff for the camp. He’s a home-grown lad from Spring who attended Klein HS. Fee for the camp, which runs from 2pm until 5pm, is $55, with ALL proceeds going for pediatric cancer research. Other special guests include Glenn Davis, Houston soccer broadcaster who founded the Kick Cancer Camps; former Dynamos players and current collegiate stars Lynsey Curry, Kyli Harvey, and Lindsey Fitz, and a return visit from Freddy Reyes, former Cy Ridge HS keeper who has beaten several skirmishes with cancer. When Freddy visited Dyess Park last year, he thanked the campers seated before him:“Because of boys and girls like you, I have beaten cancer.” His insightful and touching message obviously reached the ears of his young audience as he received resounding applause when he finished.
PARTY TIME FOR KEEPERS!
What: Keeper! Club’s annual Christmas party
When: Mon., Dec. 14, training at 5pm, party at 6 o’clock
Where: Dyess Park, Far Pavilion (north concession stand). If weather intrudes, the softball building at the double stop signs.
Who: All goalkeepers, present and past, of all ages, are invited to enjoy training games, pizza, desserts, drinks, gifts, and drawings.
Cost: One wrapped gift, costing no more than $10, for the gift exchange.
Donations: Dessert plates will be welcome. Also, for the “treasure or trash table,” any slightly used-keeper gear that no longer fits.
A Little Party History. . .
Begun in 1993, it was for years called the “White Elephant” gift exchange, hoping to attract nice elephants to our party. We tried everything over the years--held it outside, inside, in the rain, in the cold--but the pachyderms, white, gray, black, or blue, never showed. To make matters worse, the elephants advised through attorneys they no longer wanted their name associated with this event. So we changed it to the “Krazy Keeper” gift exchange, and you know what? The white elephants continue to stay away and lots of keepers show up. Keepers, crazy or no, are so much more fun than elephants, anyway.
We Get Questions
“Is the party at 6 o’clock in the morning?” one maybe-crazy keeper asked. Answer: No, it is an evening event.
“What if I’m not crazy?” inquired another worried keeper, “can I still get a gift?” A: Certainly. We can use a little sanity at the party anyway.
Q. “Do I have to bring something?” was another question. A: Glad you asked! The only requirement for admission is something wrapped, a useless item you would prefer to be in somebody else’s possession by party’s end, or something purchased for less than $10.
Q. One last question. . .In addition to Christmas, what else does December have that no other month does? A. The letter “D.”
Also, keepers and/or their parents are welcome (read that “urged”) to bring desserts to decorate the food table.
LOOKING BACK
2006—The December, 2006, issue of Keeper! Is the final one to be distributed by snail mail. It will continue monthly online at www.dynamossoccer.com. As in the past 13 years, Keeper! Will carry goalkeeper news and tips, and special features about goalkeepers at all levels.
2010--Kevin Hobart, who keeps goal for the U14 Dynamos, managed to get in extra running in preparation for tryouts when he chased Coach Walker’s car to ask him a question. “I was driving away from training,” said the coach, “and waved goodbye to another trainer, who was frantically waving and pointing toward something behind me. I looked in the rear view mirror and there was Kev in a full-out, never-give-up chase. I sped up a little to see if he would surrender. He didn’t, and caught me at a stop sign!” (Editor’s note: Kevin is now a Dynamos Future Stars trainer and a student at Lone Star College!)
KeeperTalk
David Graham
Keeper Club’s David Graham competed in the mid-November LaPorte By the Bay Half-Marathon, running across the sky-high Fred Hartman Bridge which traverses the Houston Ship Channel, finishing first in his age group (14 and under), and 28th overall among nearly two thousand runners. David’s older sister, Lauren, also finished first in her 15 to 19-year-old age group. . .Claire (Bear) Juenke rolled her ankle during a keeper game Nov. 16 and painfully, but bravely, withdrew for immediate icing, then further ICE treatment—ice, compression and elevation--at home. Two days later she was back on the field, with no pain, and soon after off on a Thanksgiving family vacation!. . .National Soccer Hall of Fame goalkeeper Tony Meola has been named head coach of the North American Soccer League's Jacksonville Armada. A veteran of three U.S. World Cup squads (1990, 1994, 2002) Tony takes over a team that finished last in the NASL, despite spending more on players than any team in the league except the champion New York Cosmos. . .Grace Ehrenfeld, who reported that Erin McLeod, who has played for the Houston Dash and Canadian women’s national team, is her favorite goalkeeper, walks off with the $25 gift card for entering and winning the November Keeper Kwiz drawing. Other goalkeepers mentioned as favorites were American Tim Howard, Germany’s Manuel Neuer, former Dynamo Tally Hall, and current Dynamo keeper Tyler Deric. This month’s Kwiz question: In addition to Christmas, what else does December have that no other month does? Answer can be found elsewhere in this newsletter. Email your answer to jwalker@dynamossoccer.com to be entered in the December drawing. . .If you have news or notes, photos, or anecdotes for the Keeper newsletter please send to jwalker@dynamossoccer.com.
KEEPER LOG
Goalkeepers who attended Keeper Club training during November:
2—Junior Keepers: Zac Cannon, Daniel Bridges, Olivia Webb, Victoria Finidori; Intermediates: Matt Shaw, Isobel Herrod, Grace Ehrenfeld, Leah Payte, Steven Franke, Samantha Nichols, Claire Juenke, David Graham, Emma Bell
5—Autumn Driskell, Krysten Rhodes, Payton Salinas, Casey Jones, Lauren Marder, Matthew Shaw, Ethan Rimbey, Ethan Urrutia, Anthony Macotto.
9—Junior Keepers: Daniel Bridges, Victoria Finidori, Andrew Nelson, Zac Cannon; Intermediates: Matt Shaw, Isobel Herrod, Samantha Nichols, Claire Juenke, Amber Zlatich, Emma Bell, Alli Thompson, Grace Ehrenfeld
12--Steven Franke, Matthew Shaw, Krysten Rhodes, Lauren Marder, Ethan Urrutia, Casey Jones
16—Junior Keepers: Victoria Finidori, Daniel Bridges, Zac Cannon, Andrew Nelson; Intermediates: Samantha Nichols, Claire Juenke, Grace Ehrenfeld, Emma Bell, Alli Thompson, Amber Zlatich, Steven Franke,
19-- Steven Franke, Matthew Shaw, Krysten Rhodes, Lauren Marder, Ethan Urrutia, Casey Jones
23—Junior Keepers: Daniel Bridges, Victorie Finidori, Sophie Wilkinson; Intermediates: Grace Ehrenfeld, Alli Thompson, Samantha Nichols, David Graham, Steven Franke.
26—Tom Turkey
30--Steven Franke, Grace Ehrenfeld, Isobel Herrod, Samantha Nichols, David Graham
QUOTABLE
The more you sweat the luckier you get--Ray Kroc
TIP OF THE MONTH
“We worked (November 3) on getting to the ball line quickly, down the ball line, closing the angle, and getting set as the shot is taken. Too many keepers move in goal in a set position. The quickest way from point A to B is a straight line, not a bent or curved line. To be yourfastest, run naturally, slowing down or coming down the ball line before getting set as shot is taken. It is better to make a save being set properly out of position than being in a good position and not getting set properly for the shot. On breakaways, too many keepers' feet are still moving when the shot is taken resulting in goals because you can't react with one foot on the ground. Keepers need a strong solid base with both feet on the ground.”--Roland Sikinger
KEEPING SECRETS
What should goalkeepers do when they're on break, such as over the winter holidays? Stay active, but you can step away from the game, and that's healthy. Sometimes kids get too locked in to just playing soccer. You can jump in and play basketball or racquetball, which are great correlations to goalkeeping--eye-hand coordination, quick reactions, footwork. Skipping rope also helps. . .plyometrics--the ability to get off the ground quickly, coordination, agility. Throwing a ball off the wall and catching it--using a tennis ball, a soccer ball, all different types of balls--improves your catching. Mixing it up allows you to get fresh again, so you can look forward to getting back to playing soccer. If you do play small-sided or pickup soccer over the break, I recommend goalkeepers jump in as a field player. Don't play in goal at all. Playing on the field is a great way to increase your knowledge in reading the game, because you start to think like a field player. And you certainly get to work on improving your touch with your feet, which keepers need to master.--Goalkeeper guruTim Mulqueen
Read more http://dynamossoccer.com/KeeperClub/Keeper/tabid/375/newsid744/1380/Keeper-Vol-22-No-12/Default.aspx