Welcome! Around the world the soccer season is starting again, plus we have the Women's World Cup, and, on a more important note, my local kids recreational league just started. As usual I am coaching, but this time only one team rather than two. Our team, the Grizzlies, is fourth grade girls and very nice they all are, too. First practice was yesterday and we worked on dribbling. Almost all of them are fine and showed that they can pick up new skills pretty quickly. A couple, one new to the game, one not, need some work, but that's OK, we'll have them up to speed soon enough. A good time was had by all and the scrimmage at the end of practice was pretty even and showed some signs of genuine understanding.
On to another topic that rears its ugly head at this time of year - parents. We apparently dodged a big bullet when one parent called me to say that he was supposed to assistant coach on another team but had tried to back out of it but then went on vacation. On his return, when he had been taken at his word and, in fact, backed out, he changed his mind and wanted to coach after all. Word on the street is that as a parent and coach he is a yeller - at kids, at referees, at other coaches, etc. Thank the soccer gods for watching over us, keeping us and delivering us from this man. I hate to think how he would have taken the 'we are not here to win' speech, let alone my parent handout that told parents that if they come to games expecting their kid to win all the time I'd rather they didn't come to the games at all...
Looking a bit more globally, the fans' team, AFC Wimbledon, is off to another winning start in their hunt to bring supporter-owned and run football to the English Professional Leagues. Four games, four wins. AFC Wimbledon is a team set up by disgruntled fans of Wimbledon FC, enraged at the new club owner's desire to move the team from South London to Milton Keynes - the first 'franchising' of a football team ever in England. This new team regularly draws more fans than the 'real' team Wimbledon FC, even though Wimbledon FC are in the English First Division and AFC Wimbledon are about three whole leagues below that.
And actually on the global stage, does anyone really doubt that the US will win the Women's World Cup??
