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STAR Machine Soccer
Sunday, May 11
Final Weeks of the Season
Just thought I'd take some time to put down some thoughts on the Machine in the last few weeks of the season...
It's been a great opportunity to coach all of the boys. As I've told many of the parents, I consider it an honor and a privilege to coach, to be asked to work with these boys a few hours a week over the course of a half dozen months a year over the last 4+ years, and see how they've developed.
The Club has given me the opportunity to take the boys as far as I can take them, and now it's someone else's turn. As I mentioned in my note to all of you a few weeks back, I think its the right thing to do, and hope that all of the boys have the opportunity, if they choose to, to play at the next level as a result of what they've achieved to this point. I also hope their love for the game continues to stay strong and grow beyond this experience.
Barry and I had the opportunity to meet with Aaron Muro, the new Trainer/Coach for the Fall. He will be working with the boys over the next few weeks. He has a strong soccer coaching "pedigree" and a great soccer resume. I look forward to working with Aaron through the balance of the month.
--Vince
Wednesday, December 26
Fall Final Standings
Monday, November 5
Overall Record for STAR Machine; Thanks to our Honor Roll!
9 Seasons: Alex Stone, Joe Weseli
8 Seasons: Justin Anderson, Ian Eckart, Todd Goodall
6 Seasons: David Deutsch, Jared Heidotting, Tyler Hughes, Bret Marshall, David Weinrich
4 Seasons: Trevor Hackett, Evan Rajbhandari, Nick Roll, Henry Severding
3 Seasons: Blake Howard, Zach Palmer
Monday, September 3
Check out All Calendar / Schedule Updates!
Please be sure to check out the online calendar to confirm dates, times and locations for upcoming activites. We'll make sure that any changes are communicated via Onecallnow, or via email as well.
Monday, September 3
Congratulations to the Champions! STAR Machine wins CCAA Labor Day Tournament
STAR Machine came back from a 3-1 loss against the CSC Flames on Saturday to hand the Flames a 3-1 loss on Sunday to take the Tournament Championship! Thanks go to the STAR coaches, Tom Stone and Barry Hackett, who continue to provide great support and insight on the sideline, and the parents on the sideline for their continued incredible support.
Special Congratulations to our Angel Award Winners, Zach Palmer, Brian Butz, and Joe Weseli!
Saturday, August 18
Homework for the Boys
These online sessions seem to be a great tool for understanding tactical options in the field of play. Have your sons complete at least three of the following sessions during the next few weeks.
Saturday, August 4
Mark Your Calendars Now: TOURNAMENTS THIS FALL
We are looking to once again stay local for the fall season for tournament play. The three tournaments I've targeted include the Corpus Christi (Labor Day), Fall Ball (Oct 6 & 7), and the Forest Park Invitational (weekend before Halloween). Please let me know of conflicts for any of these weekends now so that I can target guest players as soon as possible.
Wednesday, June 6
Congratulations STAR Machine - CUSL Champions
Congratulations to the CUSL Comp-3 Champions, finishing the season with a 6-0-1 record, and a +29 Goal Differential (31-GF, 2-GA).
Saturday, August 4
New Team Member for Fall 2007
Let's welcome a new member of the Machine: Brian Butz. Brian will be joining the Machine for the fall season. Brian has played previously with STAR and with the premier team at FOSC, and has played with the Machine in years' past as a guest player at a handful of tournaments. Please join me in welcoming Brian, and his parents Kathie and Tony to the Machine.
Saturday, April 15
PRF Tournament Results
The team positioned itself successfully for a tournament final run the weekend of March 25-26 in their first tournament of the season. Two victories on Saturday were followed by a Sunday defeat. Overall team performance was strong giving us 6 points in the tournament, a 2-1-0 record, a +1 goal differential, and a third place finish in our bracket.
Sunday, February 19
Spring Season 2006
This is the kickoff announcement for the spring outdoor season. I am shooting to get outdoors as quickly as possible, given (up until recently) the fairly warm weather we've been having. To be on the safe side, I have also explored reserving some indoor time as an alternative. I'd like to schedule our first practice this coming Sunday, February 26, at 1:15pm at Spoils Field in Greenhills off of Sharon Road, weather-permitting.
Season Schedule
I have posted the schedule on the under the "calendar" link at right. The schedule is updated from the end of February through the end of March. I will work to keep it approximately up to date 1 month ahead. We will be playing in two tournaments, the Pleasant Run Farm Tournament on March 25-26, and the Queen City Tournament over Memorial Day Weekend (May 27-29). The regular season will run on various weekends from April 2 through June 4. All together, we will likely play approximately 14-17 games.
Practice Schedule
I have submitted a request (no guarantees yet)that we practice on Mondays (The Grove) and Thursdays (Conca Field) beginning a week from tomorrow. In addition, I have programmed in a couple of Sunday practices on 2/26 and 3/12. Also, Len Costa, the coach at MTSC Xtreme Tornados and I have discussed a scrimmage game on March 19 (another Sunday). Time and location has yet to be determined.
Uniforms / Replacements
I understand that some of the boys who've been with the team a while might be out-growing their uniforms. Please drop me a note if your son is in need of a larger size jersey, shorts, or a new pair of socks. I would like to get the old pants and/or jersey back from you because I *may* be able to sell it to another team. ALSO, if you are a parent willing to coordinate the uniform order, please let me know. This will save me a bit of time.
Communications / Coordination
As has been the case, I will continue to use email as my primary means of communication, especially for longer term scheduling and event planning. For short term cancellations of events, I will rely primarily on the OneCallNow voice essaging service, and if time permits, an email. If you have another number you would like me to add, drop me an email with that number.
Monday, October 31
STAR Machine - Fall 2005 Review
2005 Dog Days (Silver Bracket): 0-3-0 (WLT) GF-2 GA-8 3rd Place (3 teams)
2005 Fall Ball (Red Bracket): 1-1-1 GF-4 GA-4 2nd Place (4 teams )
2005 FP Invitational (Silver Bracket): 1-1-1 GF-2 GA-2 3rd Place (4 teams)
CUSL Boys U11 Regular Season (Competitive-3) 3-3-1 GF-8 GA-10 T-4th Place (7 teams)
Tuesday, October 25
Soccer Speed Training in the Area
Soccer Speed Training is returning to Soccer City in November! All STAR Soccer Club members will receive a 10% discount ($7.90) off the speed training price. Soccer Speed will include training for midfielders, forwards, defenders and goalkeepers. Training dates for the fall session are Wednesdays, November 30, December 7, 14, and 21. Training time is 8:00-9:30 p.m. Soccer Speed is conducted by XTreme Speed and features Greg Chadwick, nationally certified speed, agility & conditioning specialist. He is also a former member of the Ohio State Buckeyes strength and conditioning staff. Soccer Speed training sold out quickly for the February, January and December clinics at Soccer City and has an enrollment limit of approximately of 20 participants. For more information, e-mail gmchadwick@fuse.net, call 910-3313, or call Soccer City at 741-8480.
OFFICIAL STAR MACHINE GEAR SHOP STILL AVAILABLE!
If you are already a rabid fan, here's your chance to show your true colors. The official STAR Machine Gear Shop is still open! Check out http://www.cafeshops.com/starmachine for the best in STAR Machine Gear, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, and coffee mugs. All profits go to the team (Only $1.00 per item, but hey, it's a start!)
Friday, October 14
Winning is Great, but it's Not the Goal!
I received the attached from Brett Thompson, Director of Coaches with the Ohio South Youth Soccer Association. At the suggestion of a parent who saw the article before I did, I reviewed it, and found it to be very relevant.
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Winning is Great, but it's Not the Goal! by Pam Champagne
Recently the parent of an aspiring athlete told me it seemed "almost un-American" to say winning is not the goal. In fact, many would say we compete in a "win-at-all-costs" environment. Is this helping or hurting our kids' performances and lives? Naturally we all prefer to win, but this is a critical distinction: winning is a byproduct or a consequence, not a goal.
Paradoxically you increase your odds of winning when you place 100% attention, not on winning, but on the process " the learning and development, the continual movement toward mastery. During competition this means having a moment-to-moment, concentrated focus on executing skills and maintaining a positive attitude.
John Naber, a four-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming, exemplifies this vital concept. He shares, "My goal was never to win a race. My goal was to be the best I could be that day." Disturbing news stories and studies show a focus on winning can produce un-sportsmanlike behavior, outright dishonesty, and unethical use of dangerous drugs.
Focusing on the outcome also decreases performance. It leads the performer away from the power of the present moment and creates performance-lowering tension by putting attention on something not under a player's direct control.
I vividly recall one of my tennis matches that is a perfect illustration. In a close three-set final, I was just one game away from winning my match when all of my attention went to the outcome - winning the tournament. My strokes fell apart, I made a series of dumb errors, and the championship title slipped away.
As a parent you can help your child stay focused on the process. How? Be interested in what she's learning about herself and what skills she"s developing. Find out what he enjoys about his sport. Most importantly, model this process orientation for your child. You certainly don"t have direct control over how well your athlete performs, but you do have control over how calm you are during and after your child"s performance, what you say, and how encouraging you are.
Next time you find yourself getting frustrated or annoyed at your child's performance, ask yourself, what am I trying to control that I don"t have control over? Then zero in on what you do control. And remind yourself the winning focus is on the learning and the fun!
Pam"s Point: There's a huge gap between loving to win and having to win, between competing to do our best and competing to be the best. If you'd like to read more about bringing out the best in your child athlete, be
sure to read "The 8 Winning Practices for Parenting Athletes." To have the article delivered directly to your inbox, send a blank email to article2@parentingathletes.com
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