Dynamos Soccer - KEEPER! Vol. 23, No. 1

Written and edited by Jim Walker

A publication of the Keeper! Club

Written and edited by Jim Walker

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

TRAINING IN JANUARY

Keeper Club training resumes January 11, 2016, continuing 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.

TO JOIN: 2016 fees remain same: for Junior Keepers $50 (thru late May); $100 for all other Dynamos/Cy-Fair Youth Soccer Club players; $200 if not a Dynamos/CFYSC player. 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.

Calendar for keeper training at Dyess Park in January:

11—5:30pm, Junior Keepers (10 and under); 6:30pm—Intermediates (14 and under)

14—6:30pm, Seniors (14 and over)

18—5:30pm, Juniors, 6:30pm Intermediates

21—6:30pm, Seniors

25—5:30pm: Juniors; 6:30pm—Intermediates

KEEPER! BEGINS 23rd YEAR

The publication you are reading was launched in 1993, shortly after goalkeepers from the Cy-Fair Youth Soccer Club, Dynamos, and sometimes neighboring soccer clubs, began gathering at Matzke Soccer Complex to learn and practice skills. We urge all goalkeepers, parents, and coaches to read this newsletter, which attempts to provide scheduling, cover what its members are doing, suggest tips, and bring wider news of the keeper’s world. If you have news or notes, photos, or anecdotes for the Keeper newsletter, please send to jwalker@dynamossoccer.com.

BYOK SET FOR FEB. 21

It’s free and fun! Tips for coaches and parents on working with your goalkeeper will be the topic of the Keeper Club's free Bring Your Own Keeper (BYOK) workshop Sun., Feb. 21 at 3:30pm at DyessPark. Coaches and parents are invited to bring one or more players of all skill levels and join Dynamos goalkeeper trainer Jim Walker in exercises that will assist in game preparation. It's a great opportunity to learn effective ways to warm up keepers prior to games, to help them deal with successes and failures, and to help boys and girls grow in the position. There is no charge for the clinic, but you are requested to register by emailing jwalker@dynamossoccer.com with names and ages of keepers you will bring. Keeper Club members are urged to attend as assistants for this event.

PARTY CLOSES OUT 2015

Thirteen goalkeepers, plus a player from the summer training program, attended the Keeper Club's annual Christmas party Dec. 14 at Dyess Park. After a free-wheeling training session that produced atypical squealing and ended in darkness, the keepers dined on Papa John's, Powerade, and delicious desserts. An commonly- mild Krazy Keeper gift exchange followed—no cold-blooded stealing of gifts, fisticuffs, or crying occurred! Receiving awards for highest attendance over the 12 months of 2015 were Steven Franke, Claire Juenke, Samantha Nichols, and Daniel Bridges (and Zac Cannon, who missed this one but not many others). Isobel Herrod was recipient of the Keeper Club Starter Kit, awarded each year to a member for special contributions (see below). MVP (Most Valuable Pizzadeliverer) award for the second straight year went to Samantha’s mom Karen, and DeNiece Herrod snapped photos. Others attending training and adding to the merriment were Emma Bell, David Graham, Payton Salinas, Grace Ehrenfeld, Ethan Urrutia, Caitlyn Burrell, and Alexander Nichols. Thanks to Karen Nichols, Kimberly Burrell, DeNiece Herrod, and Stephanie Bell for making sure the party ran smoothly, and to Dyess Park Ranger David Urrutia for his assistance the entire evening.

Starter Kit to Isobel

A special presentation at the Christmas party was Coach Walker’s annual “Starter Kit Award” to longtime member Isobel Herrod, recognizing her excellence at the position, leadership, attendance, dedication, and willingness to help younger keepers over a year or more. Past winners of this award have been Brandon Renken, Heather Koudelka, Patty Walrath, Kacie Paine, Kaylee Barrett, and Steven Franke. Coach Walker pointed out that the priceless Starter Kit items are available at your neighborhood Dollar Tree:

1. Gloves (two super large oven mitts, in alarming red)

2. Super Glue (guaranteed to solve fumbling problems)

3. Spiderman Power Punch shampoo (for squeaky clean catches and extra reach)

4. MonstersUniversity Jumbo eraser (for rubbing out mistakes)

5. Magic towel (for those out-of-this-world saves)

6. Magnet horse shoe (attaches to goal post, for luck)

7. Three-hand clapper (for self-applause if crowd fails to recognize a great save)

8. Two-way glasses (star-shaped for after victory; big enough for disguise after loss).

U14 Dynamos Gold goalkeeper Isobel Herrod receives the annual Starter Kit Award from Jim Walker at the Keeper Christmas Party.

Kick Cancer Camp

SPECIAL DAY FOR KIDS

Aspiring soccer players received the unique opportunity to wear Major League Soccer championship rings at the Kick Cancer Camp December 20 when Eddie Robinson, whose professional career spanned 10 seasons and four MLS Cup championships, brought all his rings to Dyess Park. More than 70 campers signed up for the annual camp, from which every dollar goes directly to the Curing Children’s Cancer fund. Eddie not only displayed his rings, but all campers had the opportunity to try them on! Special guests, in addition to camp founder Glenn Davis and Robinson, were Schreiner women's head coach Nick Morrison, Dynamos alum and Texas State University star Lynsey Curry, and cancer-survivors Freddy Reyes, Eileen Dowd, and Kylie Austin, all with compelling messages for the young campers.

KeeperTalk

At the Keeper Christmas party Dec. 14, Krysten Rhodes and Victoria Finidori tied for first in the annual Candy Jar Contest and in lieu of a shootout, Krysten and Zizou (Victoria) graciously agreed to split the prize: Zizou got the candy (Hershey’s and Reese’s) and Krysten accepted the jar, a discarded cracker container adorned with soccer player cards. . .No one was more awestruck by former Houston Dynamo great Eddie Robinson’s four MLS Cup rings than Coach Walker, who told Eddie “I was this far (fingers spread two inches apart) from receiving a Super Bowl ring.” Back in 1969, he was publicity director for the Baltimore Colts, heavily-favored to win Super Bowl III but coming up short to the New York Jets. “I was informed beforehand I wouldn’t receive a cut of Super Bowl money, but would get a ring if the Colts won. They didn’t.” His job consisted of, among other things, advancing the team, coordinating travel arrangements, and serving national media at the event. “Ringless, but happy now,” he told Eddie. . .Paul Kennedy reports in Soccer America that Jesse Gonzalez, the brilliant young goalkeeper for FC Dallas, will accept an invitation to the United States national team camp in January and file necessary paperwork to switch his allegiance from Mexico to the USA. Gonzalez was born in North Carolina to Mexican parents and raised in Dallas, where he debuted for the FC Dallas academy in 2010 at the age of 15. The 6-4 Gonzalez compiled a 7-1-3 record with a goals against average of 0.91 and five shutouts after winning the starting job for FC Dallas. . .Mike Woitalla tells of under-14 goalkeeper Guillermo Centurion who, during a game between Uruguyan rivals Nacional and Penarol, “snagged a corner kick in overtime and raced all the way downfield to score Nacional's third goal in a 3-1 victory” Guillermo caught the high corner in a crowd, immediately eluding all defenders except one, who he beat at midfield and struck an accurate grounder into goal. . .Samantha Nichols, whose ‘letter D’ was the answer to the question “in addition to Christmas, what else does December have that no other month does?” is the winner of a $25 gift certificate in the monthly Keeper newsletter drawing. This month’s quiz question: what year did the Keeper newsletter you are reading begin? Answer can be found elsewhere in this newsletter. Email your answer to jwalker@dynamossoccer.com to be entered in the December drawing.

KEEPER LOG

Goalkeepers who attended Keeper Club training during December:

3—Steven Franke, Autumn Driskell, Krysten Rhodes, Casey Jones, Payton Salinas, Ethan Urrutia

7—Junior Keepers: Victoria Finidori, Emma Bell; Intermediates: Grace Ehrenfeld, Leah Payte,Alli Thompson, Claire Juenke, Samantha Nichols, Amber Zlatich, David Graham

10—Steven Franke, Casey Jones, Matthew Shaw, Krysten Rhodes, Autumn Driskell, and Payton Salinas.

14—Ethan Urrutia, Krysten Rhodes, Steve Franke, Isobel Herrod, Payton Salinas, Samantha Nichols, Claire Juenke, Grace Ehrenfeld, Daniel Bridges, Victoria Finidori, Caitlyn Burrell, David Graham, Emma Bell, Alexander Nichols

QUOTABLE

"Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength."—Charles Spurgeon

TIP OF THE MONTH

"The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said."--Peter F. Drucker.

KEEPING SECRETS

One of the main things Keeper Club teaches young goalkeepers is to warm up properly before games. Too often we see a team’s players lining up to drill shots at the goal with little regard to the keeper’s needs. Suggested is that an assistant coach or parent take the keeper(s) aside and provide as many touches as possible to build confidence. The keeper’s frame of mind going into the game may be the difference in stopping or dropping key shots.

Note: If you wish to be removed from the current list receiving Keeper! via e-mail, please email JWalker332@dynamossoccer.com with the word “Unsubscribe".

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015 (2418 reads)