Thanks for the thoughts. I heard this stuff when I was car-pooling and one of the girls had told my daughter this. I was upset; I did tell the coach and he is talking to her and her parents . . .
Even when younger? Wow. My boy used to cry after every loss, sometimes after wins too. Would get frustrated during games and cry while playing as well. As a U9, U10, somewhat into the U11 year too. He's still like that, only instead of crying he glowers and gets a dark cloud over his head. I just walk the other way until he cools off.
I was planning on being the the 2nd weekend. Im going to watch RatPack form BVS. I have to work this w/end thou. Im going up North today to watch a match.
Nope, never tears. Not saying she hasnt come home upset, angry, frustrated. Maybe Jr gets the gloom cuz he is like his DaD???
No, I'm not a high-wire act. Never was. On the boys' side, many (I would say most, actually) of the better players are quite emotional. They don't cry anymore, but they argue with the refs, yell at their teammates, foul, and/or curse. Tends to come with the territory, i.e. a manifestation of their intensity. I would imagine that it's the same on the girls' side, but maybe not.
Funny, she has played with a very good boys side since U11 to U14. I blame all her bad traits you mentioned (Yelling at Teammates, Aurguing with the Refs is a very big one) on the boys she played with. That is one of the things I would like to see her clean up. Chatting with a ref is ok, but she gets out of control at times. SHe hasnt been booked yet, but there has been many times they have stopped play to give her a warning. On a positive side thou, this shows leadership. Not many will go that far with a ref. I havent heard her curse yet. her wording is Oh My God to the ref. That upsets me.
And you might be right. My kid played against a very good girl (outstanding, really) in an indoor game this season. She was very annoying to play against, strong on the tackle plus every defender's trick in the book -- tugging the shorts, standing on the attacker's foot during a dead ball, you name it. He got finally mad, knocked her to the ground and deliberately stepped on her (while cunningly making it seem as if he had accidentally tripped and fallen on her). The boys' world in action. She took it like a trooper, I must say. I think she's been whacked a few times before.
Focus, speed, skill wins over emotions and/or dirty play every time, especialy at a 93/94 level, girls Or boys. Is a better player gonna go out on the field thinking how can I get away with something or I don't like so and so Or I'm gonna go out there and play my best, I'm up for this? I've Never seen a ref reverse a call because of players or coaches trying to reason with them. Love for the game, Sportsmanship, honor, practice, lots of running and support is key....Oh Yeah IMO of course....
Honor? Sportsmanship? Where, pray tell? I've never seen soccer played that way, except with Sunday park matches.
Hey! I have seen that talked about a lot lately on Nike commercials. Funny thing though, isn't that very same spokesperson who is talking about players putting shame on the beautiful game the very same one who went into the stands and punched a fan during his career? Hmmmm...... how quickly we forget. Or, maybe there are so many new fans that they wouldn't even know what I am talking about? Does anyone else have a clue what I am referring to?
Mr. Cantona had the passion, though, didn't he? That's what Nike is saying by making Cantona its spokesman -- ultimately, the game is about heart & passion & excellence. Not honor. Honor is for golf.
JohnR- I do agree with you, passion is one thing he did have. I also agree with you that this is a competitive sport. Tugs on shorts/jerseys, the occasional contact off the ball, tempers flaring a bit are going to happen. And, part of the game. That is why they call fouls, and you can not "foul out" in the traditional sense of the term. (Sure, you can get two yellows or a red-- but you know what I mean..... 5 fouls and you're out kind of thing)
Oh I see it all the time pray tell. I guess it all depends on what you are looking for and what You are promoting....
Not in competitive youth soccer. If I had a nickel for every time my kid has been injured by a retributory foul from a defender who was angry that he was beaten, I'd be able to buy several Starbuck's cappucinos. And those cost a whole lot of nickels. Let's see ... pushed into a wall, injured knee, missed 6 weeks. Tripped from behind, landed on a knee on a concrete-like surface, missed 3 weeks. Pushed with two hands in the back, landed on a concrete-like surface, bloodied and out for the game. Pounded into by a player 30 pounds larger than him who landed on him, facial bruises that lasted 2 weeks. Elbowed in the bridge of the nose, out for the match. Leg whipped while going past a defender who was lying on the ground, only out for a few minutes there. Tackled from behind ... happened too many times to recall. Mostly without injury, although once (and this tackle came from a girl, by the way) he suffered mild whiplash and had to miss the next day's game. Honor? I'm only getting started. You should hear about what happens to the other guys, like the kid who missed 2 months after being pushed face first into a wall, or the kid who had an ankle shattered by a large defender who jumped at him so as to intimidate him. Mine has been lucky.
Middies and forwards have their tricks, too. My point is, you can about the beautiful game all you want, and run spectacular Nike commercials, but in the trenches everybody gets muddy. Or else, they find another sport. Mine occasionally plays defense. He likes it. It plays to his nasty side. Schadenfreude, the pleasure involved from seeing somebody's else's misery. The defender's credo.
yeah ok John maybe me and you (or just me)are going in different directions here. I'm talking about honor for yourself, self respect, trust in yourself. Sportsmanship and respect towards nasty opposing players? Well I guess yeah too. You don't go out there being affraid of them you go out there to beat them, Speed, Skill, Vision. You respect them and That's what they are going to get from you (Speed, Skill, Vision 110%). I wont add passion, remembering your water bottle or having $100 cleats, because if you don't have that by 93/94, well then yes rec might be the way tah go. Sure I've had my daughter clocked a bunch of times, but after I've cooled down, I look at it within game rules on her side naturally because that's the only side I have a little inflence over and really speed could of gotten her out of the situation. I will NEVER tell her "yeah well you should clock them back", NEVER! And if she does it on her own, I want her benched. IMO IMO IMO...
Nor would I. To each his own. Some people wink when their kids make injury-inducing, two-footed tackles. All part of the game to them. Not to me. My boy has never knocked an opponent out of a game and he damn well better not, unless it was an acceptable play and an accident. But gamesmanship? A bit of pushing, shoving, handbags? That's between him and his coach. Not my affair. Anyway, back to 93/94 girls ... State Cup is on the way for most people, although I think SoCal is already done with it.
I can say that I have a 93/94 girl that is primarily a defender -- and she lpays as phyical as anybody I have seen, but to the stepping on feet, pulling shorts stuff -- so far, she has not needed to resort to that stuff and relies on her athletic ability, soccer knowledge, and good solid hip check combined with a very good sense of positioning and awareness to play her position....but if someone wants to hit her, she will lay them out if given the chance....
Anyway, enough of individual player talk -- anyone playing in any good tournaments this weekend? I notice nobody commented on the Brentwood tournament -- any favorites at the NSR Cup in a week and a half?
You mean to tell me that dude on the nikesoccer.com commercials was really a special player at some time. Boy, do I have a bit to learn. And he went up into the stands to take on the crowd?? LOL
If you're serious, yes he was a star. Came over from France to launch Man United into the bigtime in the early '90s. An all-time hero for Man U fans. He was a certified red-card nutter, which is what makes the Nike campaign a bit tongue in cheek. Played with style, though. FYI, he got a 7 month suspension for judo kicking that fan.
Just to be nitpicky, Cantona did come from France and did help propel Man U to the big time in the EPL but he originally came to Leeds United and helped them win the old First Division which I think was the last year of that set up prior to the start of the Premier League. I'll now digress back into lurk/anorak mode.
Yeah hey sorry about talkin about Girls 93/94 "individual" play in your thread. I guess I should of only posted boys related stuff or talked about Men's Nike commercials. Yeah ok I'll bow out, your thread...