To Pumas We Will Come!!

After a number of tryouts and some patience, My kids finally decide to join the Pumas! I hope this will be the right decision for the kids. Jerri and Derrick practiced with their respective teams and they seem to enjoy it. To me that's a good indication.

We're Back!!!

After two years of inactivity on this blog, We're finally back. There's a long story to tell, so I won't even get into it, suffice it to say that after a long series of distractions, me and my kids are back to our soccer ways. Some things have changed... My little girl, Jerri May, is now eleven years old and almost as tall as her mom. My boy Derrick is now eight and doing well in school. In addition to that, I now have a three month old baby boy we named Ferrin who will soon be kickin ball as soon as he gets out of the crib (I'll make sure of that.) Jerri May is currently practicing with the Chula Vista YSL, who call themselves The Pumas, and Derrick is still up in the air, either with the Oranje Voetball Club or The Pumas. I'm excited for the two kids; they'll be playing indoors somewhere in La Mesa. I heard it's a beautiful indoor stadium, complete with artificial turf and everything else. I'll be posting more stuff here, but for now, I'm just happy we're back. Soccer on!!!

Spring Valley YSC Kicks Off Its Youth Soccer Program!

On January 30, 2006, Spring Valley YSC based in San Diego, California will kick off its Youth Soccer Developmental Program aimed towards getting soccer ever closer to the kids of Spring Valley. We have a program that is well thought-out and we believe it will teach the game of soccer effectively. Tryouts will also be announced at a later time to create the club's competitive teams in at least four age divisions for both boys and girls. For more information about this, visit the Spring Valley YSC web site. Click here.

Registration is ongoing! You may even "walk-in" to register every Monday starting January 30. Please call 619-957-9218 for more information or visit our web site.

Seasons Greeting!

My sincerest greetings to all my friends and players who have spent the year with me playing soccer and indulging our kids! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope next year will be even better!

AYSO Fall Season 2005 - The Air Benders - U-8 Division

Our soccer adventures end under the AYSO with heartbreaking results. I knew this would happen somehow; Having a young team, six 6-year-old players and two 7-year-olds competing in the U-8 division was no easy task for me. We found ourselves in a mismatch in at least five of the ten games on our schedule. Having only eight players playing 7x7 for forty minutes, my kids were out of steam halfway down the second half as I've observed on all the games we played. That's when our defenses fall significantly and our opponents exploit our weakness. My kids would slowly pick up from that halfway slump for a "second wind", increasing the pressure on the other team and doubling up on the attack. This "second wind" would never be enough though, as we would run out of time to close the deficit. Deep inside me, I know if we were given more time, we could defeat those teams... I truly believed that.
We were never scoreless on all the games except for one. In that game, we were able to shut the other team down as well for a 0-0 tie. After that particular game, the other coach approached me and told me that our match was, to them, the most exciting one they've ever played! I was a bit delighted by his comment but found it odd that I agreed with him despite a scoreless match. If he hadn't made that comment, I would have felt differently about it. This is when I realized, as I looked at my young players; all sweated up, gulping aggressively all the water in their water bottles, and despite their thirst and tiredness I can see that warm satisfying smile in their faces; that despite the losses this season, the experience was well worth its weight in gold. Soccer is truly a beautiful game.

NYS Spring Season 2005 - The Cheetahs, 4-5 Yr. Old Age Group

On March 21, 2005, The Cheetahs showed up for their first practice. I was happy to see that the new kids were a bit taller and bigger than the Tigers. Or maybe it's just because 4 and 5 yr. olds are growing at alarming rates! I figured, if the Tigers managed a no-loss last season, these Cheetahs should be able to do better.

Four kids from the Tigers moved to the Cheetahs for this season. Derrick, my son, and two of his best friends and classmates Mario Garcia, and Odrigo Rivas. All three were Mid-fielders ( or at least, what I want to think of them! ). The other one is Marshaun Davis, a Tigers Defender, who is showing great perseverance in his game.

First day of practice was great! The new-comers Stephen, Ashley, Steven, and Jake immediately showed enthusiasm; they're just so eager to learn and get it on right away! Signs of impatience started showing up nearing the end of practice when everybody wanted to play the game right then and there. So I decided to pair them up for a one-on-one. The result was impressive. Immediately, I recognized each new player's potential and recorded it in my brain. Next practice, I'll be giving them their positions and explain their responsibilities in the team.

NYS Winter Season 2005 - The Tigers - 4-5 yrs. old

This season, the weather in San diego was not so cooperative. We cancelled a number of games. Despite this, I myself as the coach for the Tigers had a good time. I saw a marked improvement among the kids. It seems like all that practice paid off. I was also proud of the kids and how they handled themselves; good discipline and hard work. The parents were very supportive, and generally, I think everybody still had a great time.

Some highlights:

• Tara Kine scored 3 points in a single game! That's commendable!
• Odrigo Rivas was a big surprise. Scored a point each in two games. I can see his perseverance.
• Derrick is showing maturity in his games. He's very team-oriented. He tells me he tries his best to score for the team. He tries to pass whenever he can.
• Everybody showed some marked improvement with ball- handling, teamwork, and knowing their positions. That's a big "hurrah" for everyone.

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