CYCLONES TAKE 2nd PLACE IN VISALIA

Although it wasn't the outcome that we were hoping for, the girls still had a great tournament. Matching up with South Valley for our first game on Saturday help set the tone for the weekend. I think both teams knew we would probably meet up again on Sunday. With a 1-1 tie it made the possibility even more exciting. Our girls took care of Madera with a 4-0 win. Then Sunday morning they beat Odyssey 3-0. This took us to the Championship game against South Valley. Both teams played hard, at the end of it all South Valley won 1-0.
All the girls played fantastic. I will by the end of the week send out a personal email to each player, expounding on their weekend play. I just want to say good job. We scored 8 goals this weekend and only 2 were scored against us. This is in part due to Dominique. She has come on to this team and fit like a glove. With losing a player like Danielle, one always wonders if she can be replaced. Well Dominique you have not only filled those shoes, but you also bring so much as a field player. I think we were all amazed when you buried that ball in the back of the net from outside the 18. We are very happy you came along to join an amazing group of girls. Yes, they are amazing. Great Tournament Cyclones

FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PLAYERS

Before I Blog about our recent tournament I need to address an area of concern. It is not by accident that many of our girls got injured this weekend. Some of which are still nursing these injuries. As a coach I am pretty laid back for this age group. I feel there shouldn't be so much pressure put on young players. So I overlook players late to practice, because I know that parents do have busy schedules. Something I've overlooked lately, but will not any more, is players being late to scrimmages or games. When players come to practice I don't do a lot of stretching. This is because these girls are at school all day running and jumping. By the time they get to practice, their muscles are warmed up. Games are a different issue. Most players wake up eat breakfast, and move around very little before their parents drive them to the game. They need to stretch and warm up their muscles. If not, they will get injuries. This is what happened this weekend. Very few girls were at the fields at the designated time, and it only got worse on Sunday.

LET ME BE CLEAR: When we start Warm ups
League games: 45 before the start of the game
Tournaments: 1 hour before the start of the game (unless I make adjustments)

If players are not there at the designated time. We will play short on the field until the late players have a decent time to warm up. I cannot risk player injuries. If this results in a loss for our team, no one suffers except the girls. Please be prompt with the times. Thank You

CYCLONES BREAK TOP 20 IN STATE

Well here it is, we have finally been ranked in the State. It took long enough (just kidding). All the girls and their families should be very proud. We have been ranked number 19 in the State. This is a good starting point for us. Take a look at the rankings. We have played many of these teams competitively. Work hard this weekend girls. A good showing in the upcoming Tournament will push us up the chart.

click this link http://www.nationalsoccerranking.com/california_north.htm

FINISHING DRILLS PAYOFF BIG

After a tough loss last week against Lamorinda, I finally decided to focus totally on finishing this past week. It's something I've tried to work into practice more often, but I always seem to run out of time. This time I was determined. There are a few games that stick out in my mind, that if we had been better at finishing, we would have dominated those games. So with a great week of practicing finishing, I knew we would match up well against Bullard. Our girls played unbelievable. They took control from the start, and never looked back. With Keagan finding an early goal, it set the tone for the rest of the game. Isabella, who worked hard at Saturdays finishing practice, found the back of the net twice. Evy finished off the day to make it a 4-0 win. I was pleased on how well all the girls played. I might not give the defense all the accolades they deserve, it's just that they get it done so well. Only 2 shots were taken on our goal the whole game. Way to go Defense. Big Tournament this weekend in Visalia. Get Ready CYCLONES we've got momentum.

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY: WHAT A WEEKEND

THE GOOD: We beat Kingsburg on Sunday morning to keep our undefeated record in CYSA. The Kingsburg team came out strong, but in the end we were to much for them. All the girls played well. Although Keagan really step up her game. I told her after the game that she became a better player that morning.

THE BAD: Danielle decided to leave our team and play for the Odyssey U-12 team. We will miss Danielle and we hope the best for her. As a coach I always support what a family feels is best for their child. I wish she would have seen out her commitment for the season, but in the end it's a family decision. Like I told all the girls on the team. This isn't the first time a player has left our team, and it won't be the last. Kennedy, Anissia and Daniella are all girls that use to play for us but have gone on to play with different teams. It's always good to see these girls on the field and I always wish them the best. My hope for every player that I have coached or ever will coach, is for them to love the game of soccer. Wherever that is, it's up to them. I reminded our players that when we see Danielle we should treat her with respect, and nothing negative should ever be said about her. I truly enjoyed the Rodriguez family on this team. They will be missed.

THE UGLY: Our second game on Sunday was Ugly. I know the girls were a little tired from the morning game. But it just seemed like we couldn't get any breaks. 2 hand balls and a missed penalty kick didn't help either. There is no blame to any individual player on why we lost the game. We win together we lose together. It's just unfortunate that we lost to a team that I feel we are much better than. But in the end, they got the win. Remember these first 3 state cup games are just for placement in state cup. We will rebound from this game and be just fine.

Back to work today and Thursday. Then Bullard this Sunday. Get ready girls Bullard always plays up for us. Work hard this week CYCLONES. It will pay off on Sunday.

CYCLONES WIN OPENER IN CYSA

Although the competition wasn't as strong as I would have liked, the girls played well. They dominated from the beginning by scoring in the first 40 seconds. As a coach I realized how bad this could have got, so I pulled 2 player and played short 15 minutes into the game. This is how I usually handle a game like this. The only problem with this game was the refs. They decided not to call fouls against our opponents. And call every little foul on us, even yellow carding Pauline for a foul that should have just been a warning. Then there were players on the other team that were not only cursing at our girls but telling them they were ugly. After the intentional foul on Danielle with no penalty call, I had enough. I realized the only way to end this mess was to totally destroy this team. I went back to 11 players and I told the girls to take care of business. They did, and this took care of it. Sometimes I might take it a little too personal when it comes to my players, but I have daughters and these little girls are close to my heart. Great win Cyclones. To set the record straight, we have the most beautiful girls on any u-11 team in the State.

WELL PLAYED--------CYCLONES

These words put it best. What more could I have asked for as a coach. The girls played hard and fast. Even though we were missing a few girls, I knew the rest of the team could compete with the Bullard u-12 team. I've got to hand it to Bullard, they moved the ball around very nicely. We could take a lesson from them when it comes to ball control. This is something we will be working on, along with finishing in the coming weeks. All the girls played well, although there was a few standouts. Cassidy, made me proud as a coach. I've been struggling with where to play Cass on the field lately. I talked to Angela (the coach from Odyssey) she knows Cass. She suggested that I try her as a stopper. With certain girls missing in this game, it was the logical place to play her. WOW, that's all I can say. Cassidy made very few mistakes in the game, and the ones she did make, happened only because she second guessed herself. Great game Cass, you played awesome. Our defense got a little sloppy but just like always they pulled it together and held down the back. Ryan had a lot to play for since a classmate of hers plays for Bullard. Ryan held down the middle and played a passionate game. Our outside mids struggle a bit in the first 2 periods. I got on them and sternly told them to get it together. That was I all I needed to say, and they did. Great penalty kick Emiko. Our forwards progressively got stronger as the game went on. We need to start playing stronger from the start of the game...FORWARDS. Dominique and Jurnee shared the goalie duties. Dominique played strong the first 2 periods and in the final period Jurnee played remarkable. It was a wonderful game to watch. Ending at a 1-1 tie.

Then the Penalty Kicks: Jurnee jump in the Box ready to stop anything. I had 8 girls volunteer to take the shots. I could only pick 5, as much as I wanted to pick all 8. We made 3 of our 5 shots, all good shots. Kylie, Isabella and Ryan buried their shots in the back of the net. Bullard made 2 of their 5 shots. So at the end of a great night. CVSA prevails a win against a very talented Bullard u-12 team.