Written and edited by Jim Walker
-- December, 2011
A publication of the Keeper Club
Written and edited by Jim Walker
DECEMBER TRAINING
Calendar for keeper training at Dyess Park in December:
1--Regular goalkeeper training, 5:30pm
Junior Keepers, 6:45pm
5--Regular goalkeeper training, 7pm
8--Regular goalkeeper training, 5:30pm
Junior Keepers, 6:45pm
12--Regular goalkeeper training, 7pm
15--Goalkeeper training for all ages, 5-6pm
Keeper Christmas party, all keepers, 6-7:30pm
All goalkeeper training will be off until Thursday, January 5, and will continue on Thursdays at 5:30pm (regular keeper training) and 6:45pm (Junior Keepers), and Mondays at 7pm regular keeper training (note time change from 8 o’clock). Regular keeper training is open to boys and girls 10 years and older; Junior Keeper is open to beginning keepers 10 years and younger. Roland Sikinger conducts training on Mondays; Jim Walker on Thursdays. Fee for regular training is $50 per ten-week package ($100 if not playing for the Cy-Fair Youth Soccer Club or the Dynamos). Fee for Junior Keepers is $25 per ten-week package. Spring packages are: Jan. 5 through March 15, and March 19 through May 24. Please make check payable to “Keeper Club” and mail to: Dynamos, attn: Loree, 10924 Grant Rd., #224, Houston 77070
KEEPER KWIZ
Winner of this month’s puzzler is Wyatt Fredrickson, a Junior Keeper whose reply that the white elephants complained about their name being used at the annual Christmas party made him eligible for the drawing. Wyatt wins a new soccer ball with a Houston Dynamo logo on it. For this month’s prize of a
$25 gift certificate to the dining experience of your choice, please complete the following sentence: “Do not become a cheerleader or a _________.”
Answer is elsewhere in this newsletter. Send to Jwalker332@aol.com. All readers of this newsletter are eligible to enter.
KEEPERS, LET’S PARTY!
Keeper! Club training for 2011 comes to an end on Thurs., Dec. 15, but that means it’s time for the annual Keeper! Club Christmas party! Training for all keepers (including Junior Keepers) begins that day at 5pm, followed at 6 o’clock by the opportunity for pizza, Powerade, and presents at the Far Pavilion (concession stand at the north end of Dyess Park). If there is bad weather, the party will be held in the building located adjacent to the double stop signs near the entrance to the soccer facility. Admission to the party is a wrapped “gift,” which can be something found around the house the family no longer wants to keep, or something purchased for less than $10. In a numbered random drawing, keepers will select a gift, which they will keep or lose. Donations of dessert will be accepted, and several parents have volunteered to help out on the night of the party.
KICK KIDS CANCER CAMP
Here’s a chance for holiday fun and at the same time to help raise funds for children’s cancer research! It’s the three-day Fiesta Kick Kids Cancer Camp at Dyess Park Dec. 16, 17 and 18 during convenient evening hours (see below).
Professional players who have already committed themselves to this year’s camp program are Geoff Cameron, Mike Chabala, Corey Ashe, Davey Arnaud, Josh Gardner, and Colin Clark and some of them will be attending the Dyess Park camp. Also donating their time are Director of Training Olivier Finidori and the Dynamos training staff will direct the camp’s daily activities. Cost is $55 per child for ages seven through 18; $25 for Soccer Tots (ages two through six). Space is limited to 150 campers at each location, so register now at www.cccfund.org. You can find that link also on the Dynamos home page. Sign up now!
Date: Dec. 16-18
Time: Friday, Dec.16, 6-8pm; Sat. Dec. 17, 4-6pm; Sunday Dec. 18, 4-6pm.
Ages: Youth, 7-18, male and female, special soccer tots ages 2-6 at select locations.
Staff: Top youth and college coaches, appearances by professional players at all camps.
Cost: $55. . .includes t-shirt; all proceeds to 501C Charity CCCFUND.org and Nick's Team.
Registration: cccfund.org
KEEPERTALK
Steven Franke’s regular team practice Nov. 17 was cancelled, so he remained after regular keeper training to assist with Junior Keepers, setting a brisk pace for Isabelle Tullier and twins Bryce and Wyatt Fredrickson. . .Ethan Brasher, Noah Schroer and the Stonebraker brothers, Brady and Dylan, had a bundle of fun with the speed ladder and crazy ball catch at Rolie the Goalie’s final pre-Thanksgiving session on Nov. 21. . .Roland Sikinger’s daughter, Kelley, quite a goalkeeper herself, graduates this month from Sam Houston State University. Rolie the Goalie is a proud papa!. . .Ethan Brasher and Noah Schroer both attended six training sessions (of a possible seven) during November. Noah also was present for a half-dozen workouts in September. . .Added bonus for former Keeper Club regular Patty Walrath after her keeper shutouts for Houston Baptist University in the collegiate championship quarter-and-semi finals in New Jersey: a reunion with a close friend she hadn’t seen since third grade when Patty lived there. Patty emerged from her almost two seasons perch on the bench to win five straight games for HBU, then she went 100 minutes in the title game in a 2-1 loss by the Huskies. . .Calvin Anderson points out that nothing is impossible, “the word itself says ‘I’m possible!”. . .The man behind the Kick Kids Cancer Camp is Glenn Davis, Houston’s multi-media soccer personality who continues to put forth maximum effort for our sport. Glenn came to Houston in 1984 to play for the Dynamos professional team and since has become a television and radio broadcaster and newspaper columnist. When you see him at Dyess Park, shake his hand--he’s a real star!. . .Please send items of interest for Keeper! or for KeeperTalk, to jwalker332@aol.com.
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Patty Walrath, making her mark in College Soccer
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TRAINING LOG
Names of keepers who attended keeper training during November:
3--Allyson Crouch, Mia Posey, Kenzie Peterson, Noah Schroer, Jack Sorensen, Riley O‘Kielen, Aaron Austin Junior Keepers: Wyatt Fredrickson, Bryce Fredrickson, Isabelle Tullier, Jason Marsh.
7--Ethan Brasher, Kaylee Barrett, Kacie Paine, Mallory Majewski, Kelsey Cottrell, and Aaron Austin.
10--Allyson Crouch, Noah Schroer, Mia Posey, Maddie Saucedo, Steven Franke, Ethan Brasher, Riley O’Kielen, Nate Buckley. Junior Keepers: Isabelle Tullier, Bryce Fredrickson, Wyatt Fredrickson, Colby McAlister, Noah Marsh, Jason Marsh.
14--Aaron Austin Kelsey Cottrell, Kacie Paine, Mallory Majewski, Ethan Brasher, Brady Stonebraker, and Noah Schroer.
17--Allyson Crouch, Mia Posey, Noah Schroer, Steve Franke, Riley O’Kielen, Nate Buckley, Ethan Brasher. Junior Keepers: Isabelle Tullier, Bryce Fredrickson, Wyatt Fredrickson. Assisting: Steven Franke.
21--Ethan Brasher, Brady Stonebraker, Noah Schroer, Dylan Stonebraker.
24--Tommy Turkey, Lumpy Tators, Crandall Barry, Pumpsie Pye
28--Mallory Majewski, Kacie Paine, Kaylee Barrett, Brady Stonebraker, Ethan Brasher, Aaron Austin, Noah Schroer.
QUOTABLE
Patty Walrath spoke for most student-keepers with this Facebook entry:
“Christmas... Best time of the year =)
Finals... Worst time of the year =(
Why would people put these two so close together?”
TIP OF THE MONTH
Most soccer players who are good athletes can do a good job in goal at younger ages and even into their teens, to a point. In their eagerness to show courage and do things they’ve seen more advanced keepers perform, though, beginners to the position or untrained keepers often fail the A, B, C’s that come with training. This leads to mistakes that prove costly to the keeper and the team. Catching the ball seems a given, but when boys and girls ignore the “contour W” technique, the ball will go through their hands; if they fail to cushion the catch, it will pop back into play; if they do not get their legs and feet behind the ball, a grounder may slip through both hands and legs and go into the goal. Decisions on whether or not to dive often are often wrong. The repetitive action of training prevents these things from occurring.
KEEPING SECRETS
“Organize the defense with short and precise instructions and information. Do not become a cheerleader or blabber mouth.”--Longtime Goalkeeper Guru Joe Machnik