Next Week...

Here's the lineup for next week, guys:

**Monday: Home game vs. Wayland...Parent Night (we'll line up at the BEGINNING of our 20 minute game field warm-up with parents to be announced and have pictures taken)...dress up for school...black shirts for warm-ups. WE'LL MEET IN MY ROOM AT 315 PM FOR SNACKS, BEVERAGES, AND A TALK.

**Tuesday: practice from 3-515 PM...gold shirts

**Wednesday: Game AT Rogers (first round of conference tournament)...VARSITY WILL PLAY FIRST AT 4 PM...bus leaves right after school. If we win, we'll most likely play AT Unity on Monday in the second round. If we lose, we'll play at home that day most likely vs. Byron Center.

**Thursday: practice from 3-515 PM

**Friday: NO PRACTICE...Homecoming Parade.

It's another big week, guys, and we don't have too many of them left! Let's keep playing hard...

Proud...

...is what we should be for our overall effort tonight vs. H.C., fellas. Again, I despise "moral victories"...to me, a win is a win and a loss is a loss...and I personally LOVE to win. But THIS occasion, i'll allow for one, because as I mentioned after the game, tonight was probably the best effort of the season all around. And perhaps Coach Ayres was right in saying it was the best we've seen at Hamilton in a long time...possibly ever.

The 3-0 final score certainly wasn't indicative of the competitiveness of the game. I think we'd all agree on that.

Positives to take away from tonight's game and to carry into the near future:

1.) TEAM play
2.) PHYSICAL/FEARLESS play
3.) FAST play
4.) SMART play
5.) VARIED play

Way to go, guys. Now, let's actually WIN one of these! :)

Tough OT loss to Rogers...

Gentlemen, there should be absolutely NO shame in your overall effort today. The first half was its oen sub-par entity, but the second half and OT were MUCH better. And again to the shooters and goalie in the shootout, my hat's off to you for taking on the pressure AND DOING YOUR VERY BEST!! We all support you fully.

Now it's a HUGE game at H.C. on Wednesday...a gigantic challenge...but one that we CAN HANDLE. It's up to all of us collectively how we proceed from here.

Let's get back to work, guys, and keep pushing!

Next Week...

What an important week we've got coming up, gentlemen. Let's make something POSITIVE happen and truly PERFORM--each and every one of us!!

Reminders/Updates:

**Monday: game vs. Wyoming Rogers...we'll wear anything Hamilton soccer-related for school, wear gold shirts for warm-ups, and meet in my room at 3:15 for snacks/drinks/talk...A.K. and Zach, be ready as ball boys that day.

**Tuesday: practice from 3-515 PM...team dinner at Connor's at 6:30 PM...see handout for details.

**Wednesday: game at Holland Christian...bus leaves at 4 PM.

**Thursday/Friday: practice from 3-515 PM.

NOTE: PARENT NIGHT IS ON MONDAY, OCT. 4 FOR OUR GAME AT HOME VS. WAYLAND AT 5:30-ISH PM. I HOPE ALL PARENTS CAN MAKE IT!

Rest up and get re-focused this weekend, guys, and let's prepare for success!

2-1 Wyo. Park Loss...

Overall, guys, it just wasn't a good effort last night in a crucial conference game. Increased expectations HAVE to lead to increased focus, intensity, and performance. We simply cannot just "stay the same" as players and as a team. But, hey, there's a lot of season left to be played, and it's best we keep a healthy perspective on this.

We NEED to get back into gear, and it starts with IMPROVEMENT in PRACTICE. Let's get going, everyone!

PS. Our first "grade check" will happen either today or tomorrow. Make sure your classes are your FIRST priority, everyone.

Updates/Reminders...

...for tomorrow's game vs. Wyo. Park:

**We'll wear white jerseys in school.

**We'll meet in my room at 315 PM for snacks/beverages/talk...spread the word since it was not mentioned at the end of practice today.

**Connor and Schreur, be ready for ball boy duty.

**I'm looking for a volunteer to videotape the first half the JV game PLEASE! Let me know.

Let's take care of business (again) tomorrow vs. a dangerous Park team!

3-2 Byron Center WIN

Guys, way to step up today (especially in the second half) to win a game in a semi-adverse situation...job well done. We certainly "took care of business", although it certainly wasn't always pretty.

Either way, you all deserve a CONGRATS for already meeting an important team goal with many games still remaining!

Let's keep this thing going...

Next Week...

Gentlemen, next week is KEY in terms of "handling business" and making sure we are IMPROVING every single day. Let's keep this positive roll going!

Reminders/Updates:

1.) We will dress up for school on Monday.

2.) The bus leaves directly after school for Byron Center on Monday...hustle to get on!

3.) We'll wear black warm-up shirts and full warm-ups if necessary.

4.) Tuesday/Thursday/Friday = practice from 3-515 PM

5.) Wednesday is a home game vs. Wyo. Park...ball boys (Connor,Schreur), be ready!

Have a good weekend, everyone! Take care of yourselves...mentally and physically. And by the way, if you haven't noticed, we have the chance on Monday to meet one of our team goals...let's do it!

Zeeland East thoughts...

Gentlemen, what a great job by EVERYONE tonight. And I mean EVERYONE. I know not everyone actually played game minutes, but tonight was a total team effort. In other words, players on the field played their hearts out, and the guys on the bench "supported their hearts out", if that makes sense. I loved the focus all-around. It was just a great sight to witness: a quality soccer game that was won by the better, more deserving team on the night. If we all don't gain a huge handful of confidence from this one, I don't know what will...

Way to go, everybody!

Now, it's time to keep the foot on the pedal...especially now that the conference schedule gets just a bit lighter in the near future (Byron Center and Wyo Park next week). Let's take care of business, fellas. We will NOT settle for mediocrity!

Oh, and by the way...we just matched our overall win total from last season...nice!

Tomorrow:

**we wear black

**practice is from 3-515 on the upper field.

**get to the trainer quickly if you need it!

**practice the next two days needs to be AT GAME PACE and with 100% effort...let's keep pushing to get better every day!

Reminders...

...for tomorrow (Wednesday):

1.) Varsity wears anything Hamilton soccer-related to school...JV = dress up.

2.) Varsity will meet in my room at 330 PM tomorrow for snacks, beverages, and a brief team meeting.

3.) The bus leaves the school at 4 PM...be on time!

4.) JV starts its game at 5 PM and Varsity is slated to follow at 645 PM.

5.) There is a chance of rain/thunderstorms tomorrow evening..."be prepared for rain!"

Let's bounce back tomorrow, everyone, in another important conference game!

UNITY aftermath...

Guys, it's best we let this one go as soon as possible. I honestly thought that overall, the effort was there, but we were simply overwhelmed by the skill and pace of play. Let this be a lesson that we need to a.) play with much more pace IN PRACTICE in order to get better as a team and play with the "faster" teams and b.) take it to every team PHYSICALLY.

We'll see you out for practice tomorrow on the practice field with black t-shirts.

Hudsonville recap and more...

Guys, our game the other night was a good effort, but we didn't seem to be on the same page and lacked a bit of that "gusto" that we had the night before in the win over ZW. We've GOT to recapture that spark for our two important conference games vs. Unity and ZE. Keep in mind our TEAM GOALS and WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE STANDING FOR AS A TEAM!!

That brings us to our THEME for the upcoming week: TOUGHNESS...and in this case, PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS. I meant what I said yesterday at the end of practice in our talk: the only way we have a chance to knock off Unity (and ZE for that matter) is if we OUT-TOUGH the opponent. In other words, we simply cannot back down to any given "fight" in the course of play....50/50's, sacrificing our bodies, whatever. We've got to be scrappy and simply out-will the opponent to have a chance. And again, that's the thing: THERE'S ALWAYS A CHANCE IN THE GAME OF SOCCER!! BELIEVE! ALL OF US!!

Reminders/Changes for next week:

**School wear on Monday...JV= gold jerseys (remember to wear your WHITE socks for the game) and Varsity = white jerseys.

**Meeting times on Monday...JV= dressed and ready to warm up by 3 PM on the game field (wear gold t-shirts for warm-ups) and VARSITY = MEET IN MY ROOM DIRECTLY AFTER SCHOOL (NO NEED TO BE DRESSED FOR THE GAME) FOR A BRIEF MEETING AND SNACK. We'll wear gold t-shirts for warm-ups as well.

**Tuesday = practice from 3-515 PM. We all wear black.

**Wednesday = game at Zeeland East...bus time TBD.

**Thursday/Friday = practice from 3-515 PM

Let me know if you have any questions, comments, and/or concerns! Have a good, restful weekend, guys. Get ready for a great day on Monday!

PS. I sent a few emails out already this weekend, guys, so check your accounts if you have one just in case. Check on Sunday as well.

Big 4-0 ZW win...

Guys, GREAT job tonight. I was proud of the WHOLE SOCCER PROGRAM really. Everyone, of all ages, put up a true Hawkeye effort, and it was fun to watch.

Conference play is so important and to get off to a 1-0 start is a very encouraging sign. That said, Hudsonville will be a quality opponent tomorrow, so let's remember what got us to success tonight: possession, 50/50's, positioning, and finishing ability!

Way to go, gentlemen...enjoy it tonight and be ready tomorrow.

Reminders:

**The bus leaves at 330 PM tomorrow.

**We'll wear black jerseys to school.

**Wear gold practice shirts to the game just in case it's warm enough.

Updates/Change

**Varsity players will meet tomorrow (Wednesday) in the HS cafeteria after school for the pre-game snacks and beverages. Be sure to clean up after yourselves, guys! And, of course, be respectful and represent the program well.

**JV players, be dressed and ready to go for warm-ups tomorrow (Wednesday) on the game field at 3 PM sharp.

**Ball boys for tomorrow (A.I., Smitty, Luke, and Trevor), be ready!

**Our bus leaves at 330 PM on Thursday for the game at Hudsonville.

Next Week...

Here's the daily lineup, guys, for a very important upcoming week (school, conference season, etc.):

**Monday: Labor Day...off.

**Tuesday: 3-515 practice (wear gold)...best "communicator" will be chosen (Smitty, please bring your captain band)...team dinner at the Guillozet's at 630 PM.

**Wednesday: first day of school (we'll determine what to wear to school on Tuesday)...home game (and first conference game of the season) vs. Zeeland West...we'll meet in my room at 315 for snacks, talk, etc...ball boys, be ready. Note: food and/or beverages can be either brought to me or given to Connie at school today and tomorrow.

**Thursday: away game vs. Hudsonville...bus leaves at a yet to be determined time but it is a later game (645 varsity) than usual.

**Friday: 3-515 practice...end of the first week of school!

I hope you are all enjoying the long holiday weekend. Let's get geared up for this important next week!

Otsego Reflections...

Let's learn from a game like last night and realize that we simply are NOT the type of team that can dig ourselves a hole and easily climb out of it. The first half was, simply put, not good soccer in all areas on our part. The second half was better but a little bit of "too little, too late", especially with our inability to finish on net.

Either way, i'm excited to see how we face the heart of the season coming up next week. It's conference play time (vs. Zeeland West) and then another tough non-conference game at Hudsonville soon thereafter.

What is this team really made of, guys?!! We'll see soon enough...

Reminders:

**We wear black tomorrow for our last 10-noon practice.

**Please keep in mind the team dinner at the Guillozet's next Tuesday evening and your food/beverage responsibilities.

**To clarify, we do NOT have practice on Labor Day next Monday. And practice on Tuesday is from 3-515ish...we'll wear gold that day and meet on the game field.

**Keep in mind our THEME for this week: COMMUNICATION...on the field and off. We can ALL be better communicators (myself included)!

Hopkins reflections...

The 6-0 win today was a true all-around effort, guys...a lot of players contributed to team success and we seemed to pay attention to a lot of the DETAILS that are so important to heed...job well done. This sets us up nicely for a rematch with an Otsego team that ultimately handled us this past season 3-1. It's time for a bit of redemption! Let's not let complacency set in...

Reminders:

**We meet in my room at 315 PM tomorrow before the JV game.

**Bring the snacks and drinks to my room.

**We wear black practice shirts and the rest all white.

**Ball boys, be ready to run for the JV game and HAVE BACK-UPS READY FOR THE SECOND HALF WHILE WE WARM UP.

**Be prepared for possible rain and/or thunderstorms.

See you soon!

Bus time for Hopkins...

The bus will leave the HS at 330 PM tomorrow (Tuesday) for the game at Hopkins. Remember, the JV does NOT have a game, so it'll just be us. Be on time!

"Bounce-back" at Allegan...

Guys, overall I was really proud of the effort last night vs. Allegan in the gutty 1-0 win. The ADVERSITY that we faced being short-handed really brought out the best, especially during the second half. Plus, after having a game (and a loss) the night before, it could have been easy to just go through the motions with tired legs and all...you certainly didn't do that...and you should be proud. Let's keep the ball rolling!

Reminders for Monday/next week:

1.) We practice from 10-noon on Monday and we'll meet on the GAME FIELD.

2.) We'll wear BLACK tops on Monday.

3.) Please take care of yourselves this weekend and get/stay healthy! We need everyone's help.

4.) We play at Hopkins on Tuesday at 4:30 PM with a bus arrival yet to be determined.

5.) We play at home against Otsego at 530 PM (meet in my room 315 PM that day for food/video/talk) on Wednesday...BALL BOYS be ready!

6.) Practice on Thursday and Friday is from 10-noon.

7.) Keep in mind our theme for the week: DETAILS! Pay attention to them in your everyday life and strive for the small things because that leads to success in the BIG things!

8.) Enjoy your last full week of summer freedom!

See you guys soon enough....

Thoughts on Grandville...

Gentlemen, I meant it when I said after the game last night that I really don't think that we got mentally out-toughed in general...so consider that a mini-win and carry it on into our next game vs. Allegan. Plus, you guys all played hard until the final whistle and without any finger-pointing. That's not always easy to do in that game context, so nice work with that as well.

Let's be honest though: we really let a golden opportunity to continue an undefeated season slip away vs. Grandville. That was a winnable game...and with a just a few lapses, bang, all of a sudden it's an ugly 4-2 loss. Let's learn from this one, guys!

Check out the "game recap" link to the left if you so choose....

And also, re-read the "reminders" below in preparation for the Allegan match.

Let's bounce back, guys!