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1 Kenmore Soccer News Volume 7, Number 3 Kenmore/Tonawanda, New York April 2013 Summer Schedules Posted for Under 10 through Under 14 Teams The training and league schedules for our Under 10 through Under 14 teams have been posted to the Club web site at www.kenmoresoccer.com through links on the Teams and Schedules page. Schedules for the age groups at U-15 and above will be released and posted in late April. Outdoor training will begin the week of April 14th, weather and field conditions permitting. The Club will notify coaches of field closures if they are wet or unsafe. Coaches will then notify players of required training schedule changes. Game play begins the week of April 29th. Games can only be canceled by the League, or by the referee on game day. Unless notified of a cancellation, players must assume that games will be played as scheduled regardless of the weather. In general, games are only can- celled if fields are unplayable or there is thunder and lightning. In the event of thunderstorms, the referee will suspend play and must wait 30 minutes after the last lightning strike before restarting play. Players must take shelter, but not leave the field location until play resumes or the referee cancels the match. Games are official once the 2nd half begins. Based on feedback from last year, we have intentionally kept rosters under the maximum size for many of our younger teams so that we can maximize playing experience. With that comes the need for commitment and attendance at matches. We know we can count on our parents to support that and help teach our youth the meaning of the commitment their child has made to their fellow team members.

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Page 1: Kenmore Soccer News - bsbproduction.s3.amazonaws.com 2013.pdfKenmore Soccer News Volume 7, Number 3 Kenmore/Tonawanda, New York April 2013 ... The relationship has continuously generated

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Kenmore Soccer News Volume 7, Number 3 Kenmore/Tonawanda, New York April 2013

Summer Schedules Posted

for Under 10 through Under 14 Teams

The training and league schedules for our Under 10 through Under 14 teams have been posted to the Club web site at www.kenmoresoccer.com through links on the Teams and Schedules page. Schedules for the age groups at U-15 and above will be released and posted in late April. Outdoor training will begin the week of April 14th, weather and field conditions permitting. The Club will notify coaches of field closures if they are wet or unsafe. Coaches will then notify players of required training schedule changes. Game play begins the week of April 29th. Games can only be canceled by the League, or by the referee on game day. Unless notified of a cancellation, players must assume that games will be played as scheduled regardless of the weather. In general, games are only can-celled if fields are unplayable or there is thunder and lightning. In the event of thunderstorms, the referee will suspend play and must wait 30 minutes after the last lightning strike before restarting play. Players must take shelter, but not leave the field location until play resumes or the referee cancels the match. Games are official once the 2nd half begins. Based on feedback from last year, we have intentionally kept rosters under the maximum size for many of our younger teams so that we can maximize playing experience. With that comes the need for commitment and attendance at matches. We know we can count on our parents to support that and help teach our youth the meaning of the commitment their child has made to their fellow team members.

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Sign Up for Kenmore Soccer Summer Camp

Once again, Kenmore Soccer is pleased to present the community’s only soccer camp led by local college coaches, with assistance by local college players. The 2013 Kenmore Summer Soccer Camp will be held at Hamilton Elementary School from 9:00am to Noon, starting Monday June 24th and ending Friday June 28th. Led by Nick DeMarsh, the Kenmore Soccer Director of Coaching and Head Women's Soccer Coach at Buffalo State College, and assisted by members of the Kenmore Soccer staff, the camp will provide instruction on dribbling, passing, shooting, and receiving in a fun environment that combines skill development with games. As in past years, we will finish camp with a pizza party on Friday. Sponsored by the Community Education Department of the Ken-Ton School District, registration can be done through two methods: 1. Register on-line through www.kenmoresoccer.com, with a direct link at

www.kenmoresoccer.com/camp_registration.

2. Register through Ken-Ton Community education using their paper registration form, on-line registration process, or in person registration at the Philip Sheridan building. If you register through this process, you can utilize a credit card, and if eligible, Independent Health Flex-Fit may be utilized.

When? Monday 6/24-Friday 6/28 from 9:00am to Noon Where? Hamilton Elementary School field at 44 Westfall Drive Cost? $65 per participant

Trivia Question

(answer on page 11)

Name the countries that the U.S. Men’s team

has played but never defeated or tied.

Hint: there are 8 of them

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KidsPlay—The Best Place to Start

a Youth Sports Activity

Shortly after the formation of the Kenmore Soccer Club, we established a working partnership with KidsPlay. The relationship has continuously generated positive re-sults for both groups. Every year, KidsPlay sends a new generation of strong players and great parents that form the nucleus of our youngest Kenmore Soccer travel teams. KidsPlay takes great comfort in the ability to direct its “travel ready” players to a club that shares its values, standards, and dedication to excellent training. If you are the parent of a young soccer player age 3-8— or an older player who isn’t interested in playing for a travel team yet— KidsPlay has our highest recommenda-tion. Like Kenmore Soccer, KidsPlay believes that learning, building skills and having fun playing soccer are the most important elements of a healthy soccer program. Their professional coaches provide a positive environment for players of all abilities to reach their full potential. An average KidsPlay session is comprised of roughly 30% work on fundamental ball skills, 30% instructional games that relate to skills and tactics, and 40% game-scrimmage time. All training and games are designed to be fun and challenging for both veteran and inexperienced players. KidsPlay has high expectations of its coaches and parents. Once they join the ranks of KidsPlay coaches, each member must pass the NYS fingerprinting requirement and become First Aid-CPR-AED certified. Inappropriate sideline behavior or negative pres-sure from parents is not tolerated in any KidsPlay program. Every adult is expected to support every player on the field. Registration is now being accepted for the following Spring and Summer 2013 Kids-Play Soccer programs: PC Soccer (Ages 3-4 + Parent), Soccer Level I (Ages 4-6), Blue Division Instructional League (Ages 6-8), and Red Division Instructional League (Ages 12-Under). A full schedule, locations, and fees for Kenmore-Tonawanda KidsPlay programs can be found at www.kidsplaywny.com or by contacting Tim Hirschbeck at 873-2353 or [email protected]. We strongly encourage you to enroll your younger children in KidsPlay activities, and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same. Kids-Play and Kenmore Soccer—the best choices for any caring parent and young child.

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Under 11 Bandits Capture Sahlen’s League Title

The Under 11 Girls Kenmore Bandits captured the Winter B league title at Sahlen’s Sports Park, and are currently in 1st place in the Winter C session.

Under 10 Boys Strikers

Capture Genesee County Tournament

The Under 10 Boys Kenmore Strikers traveled to Byron-Bergen on March 24th to participate in an indoor tournament. It was their first competitive playing experience, and their 3-0-1 record made them the tournament champions.

Kenmore Ambush Captures

Sahlen’s Women’s League Championship

Kenmore Soccer added another indoor championship when the Kenmore Ambush women’s team captured the Winter B session championship at Sahlen’s Sports Park. The team is cur-rently undefeated in the Winter C session, competing against teams from the local colleges.

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Winning, Losing, and Learning

by Doug Abrams

I begin by acknowledging what every athlete and parent already knows – winning is preferable to losing. Like

the professional game, youth sports depends on competitors who each want to win within the rules because

teams unconcerned about the score do not give an honest performance. Youth sports also depends on par-

ents and coaches who want their children to win within the rules, and who support the players from week to

week. Adults serve the children best, however, by also teaching lessons that emerge from losing, an outcome

that is destined to happen every season because few teams finish undefeated.

Too many youth league parents and coaches fear defeat, which the adults mistakenly liken to failure. Youth

leaguers need no shield from defeat, however, because losing games is a natural, inevitable and ultimately

healthy part of growing up. Every day of every season, half of all children competing in America lose. Each

one returns to play another day.

A colleague once told me that children must learn how to lose with grace before they can win with dignity.

He would say that most great professional athletes learned how to lose when they were children, and that

the lessons helped make them great.

My colleague hit the target because, with guidance from their coaches and parents, athletes can learn plenty

from losing. In the short term, players on a winning streak can lapse into complacency and begin to take

success for granted. But when the team drops a few games, players may begin asking themselves, “What

are we doing wrong, and how can we do better next game?” Questions like these are the foundations of

skills development.

In the longer term, losing provides parents and coaches a valuable opportunity to teach resilience in the face

of the adversity. Youth leaguers benefit from learning how to rebound from setbacks because, like it or not,

frustration and thwarted ambition will occur throughout adulthood. Indeed, losses in life are more frequent

than victories for most adults. As youth leaguers strive to win, sports also provides early exposure to set-

backs, when the stakes are not nearly as high as they sometimes will be later on.

Several child psychologists have warned that by persistently shielding their children from occasional adver-

sity, so-called “helicopter parents” leave the children ill-prepared for the challenges of adulthood. Parents

naturally want their children to succeed more often than they fail — to win more often than they lose — but

children also benefit when parents and coaches teach them how to react when things do not go their way.

In my 30-year career as a law professor, I have seen students struggle to master their coursework, maintain

their grades, and prepare for their chosen career. Law school is tough sledding. The curriculum is demand-

ing, most students do not finish at the top of the class, and some students occasionally stumble along the

way. When I see law students hit barriers, I sense that the ex-athletes are often better equipped than their

classmates to persevere because ex-athletes have learned how to lose, get up off the floor, and bounce

back.

Resilience in the face of adversity is a lasting dividend of youth league competition, and parents do their chil-

dren no favor when they routinely deny that dividend.

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How Coaches Can Hold the Players’ Attention When Talking to the

Team During Practice by Doug Abrams

When they talk to the team as a group during practice, coaches sometimes grow frustrated that players seem not to be paying attention. The coaches cannot understand why youngsters stir, stare down at their feet, or begin daydreaming

about other things. Blaming the disconnect to the players’ short attention span, some coaches may try to compensate by

simply talking louder, even shouting. Decibels, however, convey no useful message.

Frustrated coaches might be better off if they improved their own delivery because at any age level, the players’ attention span is actually much longer than it sometimes appears. Like other public speakers, coaches reach the audience best

when they dismantle barriers to communication.

This column discusses seven techniques that help coaches communicate with their teams during practice sessions. Some

of these techniques might seem like “tricks of the coach’s trade,” but most simply apply the basics of successful public speaking generally. The coach is the speaker, and the players are the “public.”

1) Assemble the players on their knees

It is almost impossible to hold the players’ attention for very long while they are standing together in a group. Too many

distractions. If taller teammates are near the front, kids in the back might even be unable to see the coach or the demon-stration.

In my sport of hockey, young kids can barely stand still on their skates for very long without falling down; and when one player stumbles into a teammate, half the group ends up sprawled on the ice. Even in sports played on dry land, coaches

can hold the team’s attention best by having the players “take a knee” before beginning to talk to the group. The players will welcome the brief respite, and the coach might also take a knee to communicate more directly and intimately.

2) Avoid background distractions Did you ever notice that when a political leader speaks on television, the podium is normally in front of a one-colored wall

that is blank, except perhaps for a slogan directly related to the talk, or for flags that present a familiar backdrop that Americans have seen for years? Effective speakers want every eye in the audience focused on them; a plain background

free from distractions makes the speaker the center of attention.

A plain background is similarly important when the coach has each player take a knee. Assume a position that leaves nothing in the background to divert the players’ attention. No moving cars on the street; no siblings romping in an adja-

cent playground; no parents or other family members in the stands; and no gaudy billboards. (One more thing — On an outdoor field, do not force the players to squint into the sun while they keep their eyes on you.)

3) Be as brief as possible If the coach can make a point in one minute, the coach risks losing the players’ attention by speaking for two or three. In

Hamlet, William Shakespeare was right that “brevity is the soul of wit.” Effective public speakers strive to finish before their listeners do. Recall President Abraham Lincoln’s immortal Gettysburg Address which helped dedicate a national ceme-

tery to fallen Civil War soldiers in 1863. Preceding the President to the podium that cold November day was Edward Everett, the greatest orator of the age. After Everett spoke for more than two hours, Lincoln rose and delivered a speech

that consisted of less than 300 words and lasted less than two minutes. We all know which speech has remained on the

lips of schoolchildren ever since. The leather-lunged Everett knew he had been outdone. “I should be glad,” he wrote the President the next day, “if . . . I came as near the central idea of the occasion in two hours, as you did in two minutes.”

Everett’s admission reminds coaches to resist the urge to deliver orations that are longer than they need to be. 4) Be precise, simple and clear

The coach may understand the message perfectly, but the key is whether the players will also understand. Use words that the kids can grasp because the youngsters bring no dictionaries to the field. Maintain eye contact with the players; just as

the coach does not want the players’ attention to wander, the players should not get the idea that the coach’s attention is wandering.

…….continued on page 7

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…….continued from page 6

5) Use voice control I have watched too many youth-league and high school coaches spend entire practice sessions shouting

and barking like General George S. Patton did when he addressed his troops in World War II. No young athlete likes to be shouted at or barked at incessantly. Players in the youngest age groups may feel es-

pecially intimidated, but most youngsters at any age learn much more from adults they respect than from ones they fear.

Experienced coaches who feel secure about their leadership position can win respect with the same

measured, yet firm tone of voice that they would use on Main Street. Talented coaches can teach, moti-vate their teams and maintain discipline without strutting or barking. When raising the voice is the iso-

lated exception rather than the rule, raising the voice has special effect when it might be useful. Dave Snyder, my hockey coach at Wesleyan University, calls it “voice control.” Rick Wolff even tells of legen-

dary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden and other leading coaches who sometimes intentionally spoke

softly so that the players would have to lean forward (and thus pay special attention) to hear. One way or the other, coaches who think that teaching, motivation or discipline depend on theatrics are probably

not very good at teaching, motivation or discipline. Kids are smart enough to sense when their coaches are putting on an act by trying to be something they are not. What should a player think about a coach

who appears firm but approachable off the field, only to resort to non-stop bluster during practices and games? A coach’s mind games and Dr. Jekyll-and-Mr. Hyde routine wear thin before too long.

6) Stand still and let a player demonstrate When the coach instructs, players can learn only from what they actually hear. Too often, the coach

begins explaining a technique or drill while standing directly in front of the players who are on their knees, but continues talking while demonstrating the drill himself. While the coach demonstrates, the

coach moves further and further away from the players, sometimes turning his back while continuing to

talk. As the coach’s voice tails off in the distance, the players hear less and less, and eventually hear little or nothing, particularly if the coach competes with background noise outdoors, or with poor acous-

tics in a gym or other building. The explanation and demonstration have both failed because the coach is talking away from the players, not to them. Demonstrating a technique or drill can be helpful because

many children, like many adults, learn better when they see what they also hear. But sometimes the most effective demonstrator is a player selected by the coach. While talking the player through the

demonstration, the coach stands still in a position that enables the rest of the team to watch both the

coach and the demonstration. By selecting a volunteer who can likely perform the skill correctly, the coach diminishes the need for do-overs or the likelihood of snickering as the demonstrator returns to

the group. 7) Consider using the Socratic Method

Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher and teacher, had a particularly effective way to reach his stu-dents and hold their attention. Centuries later, perceptive educators still use the “Socratic method.”

Rather than lecturing for an hour or more, Socrates would ask the students a series of carefully crafted questions designed to elicit their responses. He would call on selected students, or students would vol-

unteer their answers. The teacher would summarize the players’ answers or fill in the gaps where nec-

essary, but the students remained engaged and involved. Socrates’ class sessions became interactive, today’s term for a teaching technique that actually is centuries old. By the end of a class session, the

“Socratic dialog” had taught the students as much as the teacher’s monolog would have taught (and sometimes even more, because dialogs stimulate students to participate rather than merely sit back and

listen passively). By creatively using the Socratic method at appropriate times during practice, coaches at all age levels can hold the players’ attention, encourage them to think, and make them feel like active

participants in the team. It can work with six-year-olds and high schoolers alike. Assume, for example,

that a baseball coach gathers the team together on their knees for hitting instruction. The coach

…….continued on page 8

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Registering for 2013 with Kenmore Soccer Welcome back to our returning players, and welcome to the 57 new players who have joined Kenmore Soccer so far this season. Registration for new play-ers remains open for the 2013 season, using the “Join Kenmore Soccer” link at www.kenmoresoccer.com. A few openings remain in several age groups. Kenmore Soccer continues with its policy of not conducting formal tryouts, since we believe that does not allow for coaches, players, and parents to best determine if a team is the “right fit”. Instead, we will continue to invite interested new players to attend training ses-sions to see if Kenmore Soccer is a fit for them. We encourage our existing players to invite interested friends to register on-line, and we will invite them to attend upcoming team train-ing sessions. Questions regarding our programs can be directed to Ken Voght, our Opera-tions Manager, at 837-1627.

If you know someone interested in joining Kenmore Soccer, please encourage them to reg-ister as soon as possible, so that we can quickly finalize the teams we will have, and try to place everyone on an appropriate team.

…….continued from page 7

can get the message across by letting the players do much of the talking (“Where should the batter

stand in the batter’s box?”; “What should the batter be watching before the pitcher releases the ball?”; “How should the batter hold his hands?”; “Why does the batter want to eliminate a hitch in the

swing?”). The coach’s first question and answer may lead to follow-up questions. Besides being a

great way to teach particular skills, the Q & A technique can also encourage players to talk in a group about the last game. (“What should we have learned from winning Saturday’s game?”; “Now that

we’ve had some time think about yesterday’s loss, what do we need to work on today?”) Some play-ers might have reactions that did not occur to the staff, and the players’ reactions are the ones that

count. For coaches and classroom teachers alike, the Socratic method is not as easy as it looks. Play-ers are not mind readers, so ask each question precisely and clearly so they will understand the an-

swers you seek. Make sure the questions will elicit answers that make the desired points. Make sure

the questions seek answers that the kids can provide at their age and experience level. Keep the dia-log on track because Q & A can eat up time, which may be expensive at many youth sports venues

nowadays. Usually seek volunteer responders so no player feels embarrassed; students may have to endure some embarrassment in the classroom, but they do not have to continue playing sports. Try

not to let a few players monopolize the dialog. Watch the players’ reactions, and be flexible enough to

return to lecture if the Q & A is not working.

Conclusion Soon after winning an Academy Award in 1952, actress Shirley Booth revealed the secret of her suc-

cess. The secret is central to any communication between speaker and listener. “The audience,” she said, “is 50 percent of the performance.” Public speaking is indeed a two-way street, with the speaker

on one side and the listeners on the other. As public speakers leading a collaborative effort, coaches

teach best when they tailor their messages to the needs and capacities of their young audience.

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serving the area's best pizza, and supporting our youth soccer teams

2375 Elmwood Avenue

in Kenmore

Trivia Answer - from page 2

Croatia (0-1-0) Czech Republic (0-3-0)

France (0-3-0) Ghana (0-2-0)

North Korea (0-1-0) Morocco (0-3-0)

Netherlands (0-4-0) Slovakia (0-1-0)

Submissions Anyone ???????????? We want this to be your newsletter. We also want you to be a part of the Club web site. So, we are looking for your ongoing input—articles, pictures, match highlights, team and player

recognition, etc. Each team should consider having a designee that can channel information to the Club for inclusion in the newsletter or web site.

Send your submissions to us at [email protected]. Pictures are welcome, but should be in a jpg or gif format.

Goalkeeping Training continues on Mondays from

6:15-7:30pm through April 15th on Field 2 at the Epic Center

We have a limited number of Kenmore Soccer backpacks in stock - e-mail Ken Voght at

[email protected] if you want to purchase one for $35

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Soccer Word Search

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Fund Raising

The Kenmore Soccer Club is able to conduct fund-raising, but each activity needs to be approved by our Board of Directors.

If your team wants to conduct any fund-raising, just e-mail us at [email protected]

with the details of what you propose, and the eventual use of the funds raised. We will get back to you promptly.

Contacting Us

Web Site — www.kenmoresoccer.com E-Mail — [email protected]

Telephone — 716-837-1627

Mail — 57 Greenleaf Avenue, Tonawanda, New York 14150

Our thanks to M.J. Peterson for helping sponsor our teams

Kenmore Soccer Club Goals

To be the best club in our community

To recruit and retain the finest youth soccer coaches in Western New York

To continually evaluate and revise our coaching curriculum to insure that all of

our players are participating in practice sessions that are challenging, interesting, and fun To encourage our players to develop healthy and responsible goals of their own

The Kenmore Soccer Club belongs to all of us, and we encourage you to bring your con-tributions and expertise to the club. If you have any suggestions or concerns, please speak to your child's coach or contact us directly at your convenience.