Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Some Soccer Talk
So here's the set-up. 4 weeks ago we (Aidan's team, which I coach)
lost a game. That meant that with 3 weeks to go in Provincials
qualifying, we were 9 points out of the 2nd (and last) spot for the
city. The team of us only had 2 games in Provincials qualifying in that
stretch, since they played an out of town team one night. We had 3
games. The first week we were monsters, and won 7-0. The second game
should have been an easy lock: Only 8 boys for them (indoor season is
half field, 8 a side) and 3 were call-ups from a younger age group. And
yet they held us to a 1-1 draw for almost the whole game. And what can
you say, except that it was final exams week, and the hearts and minds
of 15-year-old boys can be fickle things. But with about 1 minute left
we got a corner kick, and I threw everyone up; only a win would keep us
in striking distance, as it counts for 3 points, and a draw only for 1.
Sure enough, Josh dropped in an amazingly sweet corner, and Arsh, my
leading scorer, got his head on the ball and it dropped into the corner,
and after that we hung on for a very nervous few seconds.
Cue tonight's game. As can only be presented in cheesy Disney movies, we were now three points behind SUSC, and they were the team we were playing. We'd beaten them in the preseason, in a game that didn't count towards anything. But during the season, we'd taken a 3-0 lead into the half and had badly fallen apart, losing 4-3. All this meant that if we beat them tonight, we would be tied on points, and also tied head to head, with each team having won one and lost one. Which meant that it would have to go (at least) to the next level of tie breaker, which was total goals against in direct play with the other team. Which meant that we had to beat them by at least 2.
The night was filled with unlikely heroes and some of the nicest work I've seen these boys do. Another excellent corner by Josh and a run by Arsh resulted in a header for 1-0. Then later, a hard cross somehow found Nimish (not exactly my best player, but a hard worker) and he drove in a smoking hot volley from just inches out.
In the second half, another great corner from Josh found Collin's head, and he smashed it just inside the post and then slammed his body off that post and then another that was further off the field. A little later Collin again, this time being sprung free by a sublime pass across the middle, and he smoked it into the opposite corner.
Did I mention Collin is awaiting knee surgery, and I have to use him sparingly?
Then, closer to the end, Arsh somehow kept a ball in that everyone was sure was going out over the goal line, took one step out, and found Nimish (again!) standing all alone in front of the net. A great solid pass along the ground and it was in, 5-0.
Now, of course, is when the boys let their collecting boot off the gas pedal. SUSC scored a nice goal, somehow splitting our defense and catching the keeper wrong-footed. And then, a little later, Aidan and Arsh had for some reason traded positions, and a cross hit one of our boys and went in for an own goal. I think Arsh may have been trying to set Aidan up for a goal (Aidan is my central defender), and indeed he did break loose but couldn't get a good enough shot away, and the keeper parried it. There keeper actually saved their bacon many times. In the end, the score probably could have been 8 or 9-2.
But 5-2 is how it ended. I was spitting nails as I walked off the pitch, because my math skills had failed me. But one of my assistant coaches told me I was talking with my head up my butt, and indeed, our math shows that we lead the second tie-breaker 8-6. So now I await word from the league, confirmation that we did indeed make it.
But in the meantime, colour me relieved. The boys have sucked it up very nicely, which, considering the remarkable talent on this team, is pretty much expected. I'm proud to be their coach, and pleased with their hard work, especially tonight.
Cue tonight's game. As can only be presented in cheesy Disney movies, we were now three points behind SUSC, and they were the team we were playing. We'd beaten them in the preseason, in a game that didn't count towards anything. But during the season, we'd taken a 3-0 lead into the half and had badly fallen apart, losing 4-3. All this meant that if we beat them tonight, we would be tied on points, and also tied head to head, with each team having won one and lost one. Which meant that it would have to go (at least) to the next level of tie breaker, which was total goals against in direct play with the other team. Which meant that we had to beat them by at least 2.
The night was filled with unlikely heroes and some of the nicest work I've seen these boys do. Another excellent corner by Josh and a run by Arsh resulted in a header for 1-0. Then later, a hard cross somehow found Nimish (not exactly my best player, but a hard worker) and he drove in a smoking hot volley from just inches out.
In the second half, another great corner from Josh found Collin's head, and he smashed it just inside the post and then slammed his body off that post and then another that was further off the field. A little later Collin again, this time being sprung free by a sublime pass across the middle, and he smoked it into the opposite corner.
Did I mention Collin is awaiting knee surgery, and I have to use him sparingly?
Then, closer to the end, Arsh somehow kept a ball in that everyone was sure was going out over the goal line, took one step out, and found Nimish (again!) standing all alone in front of the net. A great solid pass along the ground and it was in, 5-0.
Now, of course, is when the boys let their collecting boot off the gas pedal. SUSC scored a nice goal, somehow splitting our defense and catching the keeper wrong-footed. And then, a little later, Aidan and Arsh had for some reason traded positions, and a cross hit one of our boys and went in for an own goal. I think Arsh may have been trying to set Aidan up for a goal (Aidan is my central defender), and indeed he did break loose but couldn't get a good enough shot away, and the keeper parried it. There keeper actually saved their bacon many times. In the end, the score probably could have been 8 or 9-2.
But 5-2 is how it ended. I was spitting nails as I walked off the pitch, because my math skills had failed me. But one of my assistant coaches told me I was talking with my head up my butt, and indeed, our math shows that we lead the second tie-breaker 8-6. So now I await word from the league, confirmation that we did indeed make it.
But in the meantime, colour me relieved. The boys have sucked it up very nicely, which, considering the remarkable talent on this team, is pretty much expected. I'm proud to be their coach, and pleased with their hard work, especially tonight.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
My Letter to the School Board
My son attends the AcTal program at Greystone (grade 7), and they are
off on a curling field trip next week. We have been informed that the
kids are going to be required to wear helmets for this, and that this
requirement is a school board policy.
My wife and I are at a loss on this. Our son is going to be 13 in a month, and, while he has only curled once before, he has managed to play outside in the schoolyard all winter long without once falling and hitting his head (I note that this is not meant to be taken facetiously: walking on school fields before the recent snow has been monumentally treacherous this winter, due to all the ice). We also note that one of his classmates is an experienced curler and will also be required to wear a helmet.
We are raising a generation of (to use the phrase so recently picked up by a new TV program) Bubble Wrap Kids. I see nothing wrong with setting the rules and doing so firmly, letting the kids know that with the first sign of roughhousing, on the ice or even off, and they get to sit out the remainder of the field trip. But, unless there has been a rash of severe injuries involving this sport, a number that shows some sort of statistical significance, then we don't see how this makes any sense. And here let me add that a study by Monash University finds that most curling injuries involve shoulder, knee, and back pain, which comes as no surprise.
It is right and proper that we should teach our children to be safe, and I believe that the responsibility for this task falls on the shoulders of all caregivers: parents, teachers, other family members, and beyond. But we also need to teach our children that we trust them, especially when they are already under direct supervision. As they get older, children take bigger steps, remove themselves more from our obsessive need to control every little thing they do, and that's a good thing. By insisting they wear helmets for a slow-moving sport, we are showing these children that we do not trust them, nor do we trust the previous lessons involving their safety that were made by their caregivers.
If this sort of decision is made to ensure that the school board and all schools and teachers are not liable for any accident, then by all means send a release form, and we will gladly sign it. If not, then as parents we obviously will have to make our own decision about whether or not he takes part. And that strikes me as ironic, that parents might pull children out of events not because of safety concerns, but because so many of us are too afraid that some nebulous thing might happen.
Sincerely,
Derryl Murphy
My wife and I are at a loss on this. Our son is going to be 13 in a month, and, while he has only curled once before, he has managed to play outside in the schoolyard all winter long without once falling and hitting his head (I note that this is not meant to be taken facetiously: walking on school fields before the recent snow has been monumentally treacherous this winter, due to all the ice). We also note that one of his classmates is an experienced curler and will also be required to wear a helmet.
We are raising a generation of (to use the phrase so recently picked up by a new TV program) Bubble Wrap Kids. I see nothing wrong with setting the rules and doing so firmly, letting the kids know that with the first sign of roughhousing, on the ice or even off, and they get to sit out the remainder of the field trip. But, unless there has been a rash of severe injuries involving this sport, a number that shows some sort of statistical significance, then we don't see how this makes any sense. And here let me add that a study by Monash University finds that most curling injuries involve shoulder, knee, and back pain, which comes as no surprise.
It is right and proper that we should teach our children to be safe, and I believe that the responsibility for this task falls on the shoulders of all caregivers: parents, teachers, other family members, and beyond. But we also need to teach our children that we trust them, especially when they are already under direct supervision. As they get older, children take bigger steps, remove themselves more from our obsessive need to control every little thing they do, and that's a good thing. By insisting they wear helmets for a slow-moving sport, we are showing these children that we do not trust them, nor do we trust the previous lessons involving their safety that were made by their caregivers.
If this sort of decision is made to ensure that the school board and all schools and teachers are not liable for any accident, then by all means send a release form, and we will gladly sign it. If not, then as parents we obviously will have to make our own decision about whether or not he takes part. And that strikes me as ironic, that parents might pull children out of events not because of safety concerns, but because so many of us are too afraid that some nebulous thing might happen.
Sincerely,
Derryl Murphy
Labels: Brennan, idiots, school, sports
Sunday, December 19, 2010
The Pressure We Put On Our Kids
We may as well consider this to be a placeholder post, as I have plenty of thoughts bouncing around in my thick skull right now but no time to let them all loose in a sensible fashion until after an assignment is done, but I wanted to point out this article from the UK about what is happening with kids who just want to play football (soccer) for fun, and then I wanted to point to the Canadian Soccer Association's page about their new program called Wellness to World Cup, which attempts to deal with some of these very issues.
More soon. I'd been thinking about these very things (among others) before I read this, but it brings it all to the forefront for me.
More soon. I'd been thinking about these very things (among others) before I read this, but it brings it all to the forefront for me.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
There and Here
An interesting confluence of news stories today, combined with the varying reactions to them. In the UK, Gareth Thomas, a rugby great now in the declining years of a wonderful career, has finally come out of the closet and publicly admitted that he is gay (although I note here that teammates and coaches have known this for some time).
In Canada, MP Scott Brison, who is the first ever gay MP to marry his partner, sent out a Christmas card with a photo of him, his husband, and their dog.
The troglodytes are out because of this, but surprisingly few of them are British rugby fans. In fact, according to the Globe & Mail, the "overwhelming number of hateful and homophobic remarks" caused them to disable commenting on the online article. All because Brison has the temerity to be standing in a field with his husband, Maxime St. Pierre.
Good on the Brits on this one, but there is one other aspect of this story that stands out for me. The key word? Moderation. For some reason, the people at the Globe seem unable to manage their commenters, and even if people wish to say something positive or interesting (even if negative), in this article they don't have that option. Whereas at the Guardian website, comments that are deemed to break the rules are removed by the moderator. No muss, no fuss. We're still told the idiots posted something, but needn't be bothered with putting up with the BS.
Good for the Globe for recognizing there was a problem. Bad for the Globe for not recognizing that there are better ways to deal with this. And shame on all the bigoted assholes who will always be so shit-scared of anyone who is different than them that they feel the need to insult and threaten.
In Canada, MP Scott Brison, who is the first ever gay MP to marry his partner, sent out a Christmas card with a photo of him, his husband, and their dog.
The troglodytes are out because of this, but surprisingly few of them are British rugby fans. In fact, according to the Globe & Mail, the "overwhelming number of hateful and homophobic remarks" caused them to disable commenting on the online article. All because Brison has the temerity to be standing in a field with his husband, Maxime St. Pierre.
Good on the Brits on this one, but there is one other aspect of this story that stands out for me. The key word? Moderation. For some reason, the people at the Globe seem unable to manage their commenters, and even if people wish to say something positive or interesting (even if negative), in this article they don't have that option. Whereas at the Guardian website, comments that are deemed to break the rules are removed by the moderator. No muss, no fuss. We're still told the idiots posted something, but needn't be bothered with putting up with the BS.
Good for the Globe for recognizing there was a problem. Bad for the Globe for not recognizing that there are better ways to deal with this. And shame on all the bigoted assholes who will always be so shit-scared of anyone who is different than them that they feel the need to insult and threaten.
Labels: bigotry, homosexuality, news, sports
Friday, June 06, 2008
The Boys at Track and Field Day
Brennan competed in relays and triple jump, Aidan in relays, 100m and long jump. Brennan got 1st in the triple and 3rd in relays, Aidan 1st in relays and long jump and 3rd in 100m. But the story gets, in my opinion, better when the day is pretty much done.
Triple jump had been my "specialty" when I was in school, and so I've spent the past few weeks coaching Brennan on technique, as well as giving Aidan as much input as I can on long jump. Therefore, it came as no surprise to me when Aidan won his competition with a jump of 3.53m, 11cm longer than 2nd, and Brennan won with a jump of 6.11m, which was a whopping 53cm longer than his closest follower. What did surprise me was that Brennan's jump was shorter than what he'd been managing in our backyard, without a sand pit to jump into.
Later in the day, I was helping two of Aidan's classmates with their jumping, and one of them had chosen to start his jump from a board that was further from the pit than what the teacher in charge was recommending. This made sense to me, as the closer board was so close that any child who knew how to stretch out the step part of the hop, step and jump would end up stepping into the pit (or at least right to the very edge) and would therefore have a shorter jump. But both boys managed jumps long enough to put them into 2nd and 3rd (with 7.08 and 7.00m), but they had to wait for one more boy who was just coming over from the 100m final (where he beat Aidan). That boy managed to reel off a 7.21m jump, and once it was settled they all headed off for their ribbons.
I asked the teacher in charge if Brennan could try one more time, just for fun, from the further board. He said yes, and so Brennan tried another jump, which wasn't so good, and then Aidan ran in with another long jump. And then they both tried again, and here's where it gets good. Aidan's long jump was 3.6m, which meant a personal best and another 7cm on top of what he'd done earlier in the day.
And then Brennan jumped. The teacher made the measurement, then muttered "That can't be right" and turned the tape measure over and looked to make sure that the start of it was at the board. I asked what it said, and his answer almost made my eyes pop out: 7.60m. A 9-year-old in grade 3 had jumped almost 40cm further than the best grade 6 competitor, and well over a meter further than I had thought he was capable.
We'll find a track and field club when we move to Saskatoon.
Labels: Aidan, Brennan, sports
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Three Baskets, One Helper
That's Aidan with the ball, wearing the Away jersey since they ran out of Home uniforms. His team is not really a team, but rather a collection of grade 6 kids who got impatient with the fact that only the grade 7s get to play, so they whined and fussed and cajoled and wheeled and dealed and convinced their gym teacher to let them form a practice team, and one the dads and one of the moms actually do the coaching.
Then, still not satisfied, they put on the pressure again and got themselves an exhibition game with a school from down the road. So the other school pulls up with 7 boys and sees that Aidan's team has 8 boys and 6 girls, and they all get to play. Lots of subs, and a surprising amount of skill. We won, 42-29, I think, and all the kids had fun. As noted, Aidan got 6 points, and since basketball really isn't his game, that was nice to see. Plus, even though soccer is still in my blood, it was nice to see him play another sport.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Who's That Guy With the Bumpy Forehead on the Back Nine?
Is there a target audience for this sort of thing? With every ball sunk, do you have to say "Make it so"?
Is there a target audience for this sort of thing? With every ball sunk, do you have to say "Make it so"?
Friday, November 16, 2007
Picture Them Naked
Because, as enjoyable as an event like this must be to watch, why not make it even more interesting?
Because, as enjoyable as an event like this must be to watch, why not make it even more interesting?
Labels: photography, sports
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