SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Girls Varsity Soccer Running Scores Up???

AK,

Just wanted to say that players like you are part of the reason I've always held the Wando program in respect. The attitude that rising to a challenge (whether self-imposed or brought by the other team) is more rewarding than taking an easy route to domination is one I want my players to understand and share.

I remember the first time we scored on Wando, in the second meeting of the '05 season. We ended up losing 4-1, but we scored first and held it for a while; after losing the first matchup of the season 9-0, that one goal was worth more than a dozen against a weaker team. Wando may have won the match, but I think my girls walked out of there feeling like they had accomplished more.

Coach Chass:
My post was based on the original thread question, running scores up. My question about the quality of HS soccer had a direct correlation to the high number of goals being scored (19-0 17-0 13-0 etc.) against certain teams. No one doubts the abilities of a Wando,Irmo,or Riverside, with their rosters full of club players.

So, how would you phrase your conclusion about the quality of HS soccer? I just think the answer might be a little complex to sum up with a single rhetorical question. I understand that you're saying the overall level of play is higher and more consistent from team to team in club soccer, and I agree, but is there more to "quality" than that? Not arguing, just wanting to fully understand your take.

Oh, and just to clarify, I coach a club team in the fall and a HS team in the spring, so I'm not "taking sides" between high school and club. I was just talking to one of my club players this afternoon, and she mentioned how different things are between club and high school, so I was interested when the question came up.

Well, Wando's had our own issues every once in a while and obviously everyone has their breaking point at one time or another, but in general, I was always proud to have played for them and still proud to be able to say I was a Lady Warrior.

Thankfully though, one of the things that my Dad specifically told me over and over growing up, especially when I was a U10 player playing U12 and not matching up quite as well to the older and more experienced players, is that it's not about winning the game or losing the game, but about how you feel when you come off the field. Did you leave it all on the field? Play 150% the entire time and not slack off? Did you learn something? Did you get better at something by learning it?

If I could answer those questions, even if it was a miserable loss and I played hard but wasn't good enough and all I learned was "don't be an idiot, mark your back post," then I could be happy. Some of my proudest moments came from covering the best players on another team, even in a loss, because I knew I kept them from scoring and it was their other teammates who got it done instead.

I've been very lucky to have excellent coaches and a great dad to give me advice, so I can only hope to pass on what I've learned whenever I have the time to start coaching again. I got my "D" License and was able to coach several of the girls on MPSC's U11 Elite team for a year in U9/U10, but unfortunately, medical school has kind of monopolized my time minus the hour and a half I take out to play in Lowcountry Soccer's 6v6 league.

Coach Chass:
Thats my main point, things are very different between HS and club soccer and the different debates will go round and round. After talking to several club players over the last few weeks the one constant was, they really enjoyed playing HS soccer and each player had her own reasons.

Sweet,
I agree...and a lot of it depends on the individual and the situation. If you're one of those few (or only) club players on a struggling high school team, you might look forward to club season, like the player I was talking to today. Or, you might just enjoy the freedom from pressure for a while and feel like a big fish in a small pond. If you're on a high-powered high school team playing a schedule of weaker opponents, you might enjoy the freedom to cut loose and feel dominant in some games, or you might prefer getting back to an environment where you feel challenged every time you step on the field. Depends on what the individual is looking for, but I think the important thing is to find a way to enjoy what you're doing, no matter what level you or your opponents fit into.

AK,
Sounds like you really have learned some good lessons; I think your dad's a wise man. Those questions sound a lot like the ones I heard from my own dad growing up, and ones I constantly try to pass on to my team. Even in a loss, you can find reasons to hold your head up.

Had to laugh..."don't be an idiot, mark your back post" was a running theme from our last trip to Wando...I think I woke up in the middle of the night yelling "Back post!"

At any rate, I hope you get to take those lessons back with you into coaching soon. I think there are a lot of young players who would benefit.

The back post really is a truly scary concept sometimes. It terrified me for a few years before I built up the confidence to come face to face with it ;-).

Heh...yeah, I finally had to turn it into a "face the back post now or face the coach after the game" kind of concept before they really got the picture...

Sometimes it's good to be warm and encouraging, and sometimes it's good to be just a tiny bit scary.