Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dynasty

Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dynasty

Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls became a basketball dynasty through long term commitment. The titles did not happen overnight. When Michael entered the NBA, the Chicago Bulls were the Bengals of today. In the 1984 NBA draft the Bulls selected Michael Jordan. As a rookie he led the team in scoring, steals, rebounds and assists. A star was born. It would take 4 years before Jordan and the Bulls would even break 500. The Bulls drafted two missing pieces to the puzzle in 1987 with Scottie Pippin and Horace Grant. From this point on the team would add all the final pieces to win the 1991 NBA finals. Quote "When I came here we started from scratch, We started at the bottom and made it to the top. It's been a long, long seven years, a lot of bad teams, a lot of improvement, step by step, inch by inch. I never gave up hope. I always had faith." Jordan and the Bulls would win six NBA titles and create a basketball dynasty. Michael by the numbers= 6 NBA titles, 12-time All-Star, 10-time Scoring Champion, 5 MVP's.

Tri-state Futbol Alliance Merger

In the last couple of weeks I have attended quite a few games. We have had a bit of success with some of our teams. Actually, across the club our teams have done very well. But there are some teams that either coaches, parents, or others are surprised by the lack of success or up down play. Success does not happen overnight as reference to Michael Jordan and the Bulls. But if we have faith in our players, coaches, staff, and families success will happen. Yes, our teams have some very good players and coaches that have not achieved their goals. But I believe in time, that success will come. Both players and coaches are still feeling their way. Our competitors do not have to overcome the problems of our newly formed team.

We have to dig down deep

We have to dig down deep to to achieve our goals. This past Sunday I attended the U12 Premier(Holt) vs Cinti-West game. At half time the team was down a goal or two and really not playing very well. In the second half the team showed the same signs. Very frustrating to say the least. I know coach Dave Holt was just as frustrated. But something clicked and the girls started to really put pressure on Cinti West. Through out the game we had plenty of missed chances and this continued. It was 3-1(18 min left) and I felt that this game is going to be such a shame. I felt we were quite a bit better. Well the girls dug down deep and really stepped up their game. With two great goals by Kiley Brock and Annie Gruber, our U12's pulled out a 5-3 victory.

Good job girls. Although it was one game, our teams will go through a transitional period just like the U12's. Things are not going to go our way but eventually a light bulb will turn on. When that happens success will come. It may take a little longer for some teams. Breakdown Jordan's quote-A team starting from scratch needs long term commitment, battle through the bad, improve inch by inch, step by step, never give up, and have hope and faith for them to reach the top.

The Challenge

The challenge to become successful or a Bulls dynasty must be taken head on with everyone involved. It takes everyone- Board members, Directors, Coaches/trainers, parents/families, and the community.

If our Board members establish a club structure, oversee the operations of the club, with focus and long term goals.

If our Directors create a curriculum and philosophy designed for player/team development, enlists quality coaching/training staff, supports and educates the staff, organize special programs/events, with focus and determination.

If the coaches/trainers organize, educate, and motivate our players and teams.

If the players focus and compete (give 100%) at every training session and game, practice on their own.

If the parents support the players, coaches, and club, even referees(sometimes).

If the community supports the club and the game of soccer.

If every group listed above can give commitment, never give up, strive to improve, with hope and faith is when Tri-state Futbol Alliance will reach the top.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly @Mead Cup

Mead CUP

This Labor Day weekend quite a few of our TFA teams traveled to Dayton and participated in the Mead Cup. This is a great event loaded with good soccer teams at every division. Whether it is the Five Star or Silver division every game is going to be tough to win. Over all I think our teams had a good showing at the Mead. For teams that did not do as well remember two things- 1. this is a preseason event/still early 2. at every division the competition is very good.

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly- Clint Eastwood has just been replaced by Fishie

The good news is that we had 5 teams advance to the Finals. Great job, players and coaches for either winning or making it to the finals. Congrats to: Girls U8 Cindy Essen Champion

U9 Sondra Pflum Champion

U10 Brian Lefevre Champion
U12 Sam Fiore Finalist

Boys U11 Bill Volker Champion

U14 Mark Griffith Semi-Finalist

I saw some great goals out of players over the weekend. I liked Hayley Cox's goal against Kings(State Cup Champs), U11 TFA Elite 2 Kings 0. But, the Baddest two goals came from U12 Fishie. She scored a last second goal, taking a corner kick to beat Hammer and send her team to the Semi's. Corner kick, far post, Goal. Then she scored the Golden goal in overtime against Javanon to send her team to the finals. Great job Fishie.

Sometimes people turn ugly when the game is on the line. We have all seen this happen at every level in Sports. The U10 girls semi-final was no different but may not have been noticed by some folks. At half time our girls are winning 3-1. The Director for Pacesetter has his striker stay in the middle of the field and behind our defenders. In a typical game that would be called off sides. But the U10-under have only a center referee. Well the girl was six yards off sides and scored a goal which counted. Brian makes an adjustment and we end the game with a 8-2 victory. I hope our coaches never do this and that we always coach with Honor and Integrity. Please let me know if you feel any of our staff members have acted inappropriately.

Shout out

I love winning and it is really a great feeling when you get your trophy handed to you. I am 32 and still like receiving trophies. Well the Cronin and Keehan family know what I am talking about, only twice in one weekend. U8 Alex Cronin/Cameron Keehan and U10 Kiley Keehan/Ashley Cronin were crowned Champions this weekend. My buddy Mike Kern tells me that this happened before in August with Ashley/Kiley winning Cincinnati United and Alex/Cameron winning Dog Days. This is shaping up to be a competition of trophies. Good job girls lets keep the trophies coming.

NSCAA National Course- One Whistle away from perfect

National Course, Cary North Carolina

I really enjoyed taking the NSCAA National Diploma course in North Carolina last week. The class was not only full with 26 attendees but quality coaches in attendance. Out of the 26, 9 DOC's, 2 College Coaches, and 1 Semi-Professional Coach. The rest were either club or high school coaches. If you are ever interested in attending a National course be prepared to play a ton of soccer and I mean a ton. The total hours of soccer played was 26 hours. The course is a week long with 3 field session tests, 1 Match Analysis, and 1 Final Written Exam. The course covers these topics- Methods of Coaching, Teaching Process, Functional training, Coaching in the Game, Match Analysis, Technique, Theory of Tactics, Principles of Attacking/Defending, Club Development, Fitness, and Ethics.

One Whistle Away from Perfect Score

I was one whistle away from having a perfect field session score. Before the second field session the instructors told us to calm down and be ourselves. Quite a few coaches were nervous and it really showed. The instructor also harped on having a presence and being loud. I decided to be myself and use what all of us Coerver Coaches use, a whistle. Well my session went very well but for some reason I missed the part not to ever use a whistle. It is somewhere I'm told in the course manual. So I got docked a bit for my use of a whistle. This was the only goofy thing about the course. Lets be honest, whistle or no whistle does it really matter? What matters is the session and what the players get out of it, period. For coaches planning on taking a course, make sure you know what exactly the instructors are wanting. I still got a very good grade but I would have hated myself if that determined a pass or fail.

Education

I really encourage all coaches to take as many courses as they can. The sport of soccer is always growing/evolving. I just read an article today on fitness in soccer. In 1990 players in the EPL would cover a distance of 5 miles in a game. The average distance covered in 2008 was 8 miles. That is almost a 60 percent increase. The speed of the game increased as well. It was a fascinating article to say the least. A great way for not only coaches to learn but players and parents is to watch high level soccer. Check out a live College game or Columbus Crew game. Catch a game on television. Charlie Cooke would probably say "Check out Chelsea , Go on the Blues". I think watching a good soccer game is the best way to learn.

Great Job to Maddie Haberthy

U11 TFA Elite player Maddie Haberthy has a new juggling record. It is 1,429 and it was done with both feet and thighs. In the words of Sam Fiore "Aww Sick" or "That is Fantastic". I agree and keep it up Maddie. Because one is a good juggler doesn't mean you are a good player. But all good players are good jugglers. Maddie is not only good at juggling but a very good player. Who has a better record out there? What is the highest feet only record by a TFA player?

CASL Program vs UNC Womens Soccer/Anson Dorrance

CASL vs UNC
Brian LeFevre and I are currently in North Carolina taking an NSCAA coaching course. We are staying with my friend Tim Healy(former XU player) in his condo for 10 days. Through Tim we were given the opportunity to checkout the CASL facilities and their program. CASL Technical Director Damon Nahas not only gave us a tour of WRAL(CASL Soccer Complex) but showed us the CASL way. Brian really wanted to see a UNC Women's training session, but I wanted to see the beach on our break. Damon arranged for us to attend a UNC training session. I am glad we attended the session but still wished I would have gotten to the beach.
CASL
CASL is one of the top youth soccer programs in the United States. They have 1200 teams in their program with a Soccer Complex/WRAL boasting 26 fields, with 1 stadium turf field and 2 turf fields used for training. The majority of the fields have lights with bermuda grass and are well kept. It is an amazing soccer complex. When you enter the complex at night you will see not only a huge number of teams training but all wearing the club colors of red, black, and white. The players all wear the same training gear and they even have the same water bottle with the CASL logo. It is quite a sight to see. The first sessions start at 4:30 and last from 1hr and a half to 2 hours.
When the players arrive they immediately start juggling. Then the coach asks the team to warm-up which is done on their own. From there they either start with moves or a passing sequence. The session then builds from 1v1 to 2v2 or 1v3 to 5v5 keep away , finishing, and then a game. All the players are talking and communicating very loudly and always giving 100% effort. It is really neat to watch not only the intensity of the players but their communication skills. The sessions are fun for the players through sheer competition and the will to get better.
The session ended with the players and coach shaking each others hand. I watched three players from different teams stick around to work out more. One player asked her coached if he would stay a bit longer to work on her shooting technique. How often does this happen with our players?
UNC
Not only is the UNC campus beautiful but all you see is Carolina blue, even the trash bags are Carolina blue. If you can get over all the Blue then it is one of the most gorgeous college campuses in the country. The soccer stadium is directly on campus and the field is very nice but the stadium is below average with seating of about 1,100 with only one side for spectators. The UNC womens soccer program has won19 National titles. Anson Dorrance has not only been the coach for UNC but has also coached USA to the World Cup Championship.
The team trains about 3 miles off campus at Finley soccer park. There are 5 bermuda grass soccer fields with a pavilion/shelter and 4 trailers for the teams to go into. Each soccer team has 3 full time medical trainers and 1 student trainer. The coaching staff is Head Coach Anson Dorrance and his 5 Asst. Coaches with 4 statistician/managers. Everyone involved in the program is always doing something.
The session started at 4:00pm and kick off with an incredible speed, agility, and strength warm-up. The players went from station to station doing every exercises at 100%. It was not only tiring to watch but very impressive. Right as they finished a 1989 Acura pulls up to the practice onto the field. The car is the worst car in the lot and has not only dents but a huge scratch down the side. As the girls are getting water Anson Dorrance jumps out of the not so nice Acura and begins coaching. He starts with targets on the outside and 4 defenders with a Hawk in the middle. He only works with the first squad. The head Asst. works with the 2nd squad. The number of players training that day was 30 players with 5-7 out watching with injury. He then moves into separate positional training exercises for the players. Then they move into a competition of 1 player driving balls in the air while two player challenge to win the ball. The following sequence is a series of heading exercises. Last they finish with an 11 v11 game. I will say every player is not only competing against each and giving 100% effort but they are all very fast, quick and skillful. When I mean fast and quick think of a lightning bolt. The session was loose in regards to the coaches but intense for the players. They really got after it.
CASL/UNC Program
The common theme to both programs is that coaches and players uphold the highest standard of excellence. Every player in both programs competes with extreme intensity and passion for the game. Through the competitive environment created players realize that they must get better. Every person involved in the program is responsible to give their maximum effort and highest quality. I hope we can create this kind of environment.

"Can you let the other team score?" No, Sorry we got Hat Trick Murray

3 TFA Team Champions at Cincy United Cup
This past weekend I got a chance to see three TFA teams play in the Cincinnati United Cup. Congrats to all three teams (Girls U10,U12, U13)for not only making it to the finals but winning the final. I was happy to see the effort and style the teams displayed over the weekend. My only complaint was driving from Miami Whitewater to Posey Hartman and back to Miami Whitewater. I am sure that I am not the only one and feel sorry for the out of towns teams. I also really like the uniforms. Although, I can't make up my mind on which jersey I like. What do you all think?
Quote at U10's Final "Can you let the other team score?"
The U10's second game was against CUP. The coaching staff explained to me that this game would decide on who would make it to the final. Cup scored first off a corner kick. Then our team scored a couple goals to to make it 7-1 before CUP scored again. The final result was 8-2 and I can say, I really enjoyed watching the girls. The final was against Kings Elite. In the second half the referee decided to give the girls a water break. He asked Brian Lefevre "Can you let the other team score?" This is a soccer first for me. I have never been asked this question and hope I never do. The other team did score 2 which made it a 6-2 final. Good job girls.
U12 Holt
I was very happy to see Dave Holt's U12 team crowned Champions. Dave had these girls out training a bit more than usual and it showed. It seemed that they were at the training complex every night last week. They were even training on Fri night. It paid off, because their team shape was very good and combinations at times. Good job to Dave and the girls. Coaches take note, adding an extra session to prepare pays off and is very helpful at times.
U13 with Hat Trick Murray
I was a little worried about these girls after friendlies and the first half of the morning game. The other team was no match but our shape was much to be desired. They sorted things out in the second half and started to really click. The second game was much different and I really enjoyed watching the girls. The team won 5-0 and Katie Murray had 3goals. She not only had three goals but they were very good goals. Good job Katie keep them coming. Who would have ever doubted that she could get the Hat Trick?
I can say that after watching these girls over the weekend that I am not worried. They are a great group with much more success ahead of them.
Kern Family
Shout out to the Kern Family. U10 Lizzie and U12 Gwen both were crowned Champions this weekend. They are a great family and that must have been fun for them. I hope this happens often for the Kern family and our teams as well.

Weekend Grade= 5 Star, Perfect Weekend

In my first blog you would know that this past weekend was an eventful one for me. Well, it proved much more than what was expected.
GI jOE
We did see GI Joe as a family and Dalton loved the movie. There is going to be a sequel if you didn't already know it.
Grade- Don't go see it. But Dalton gives it two thumbs up
Friendlies
It was definitely a hot one this weekend and I saw some heated games. The U11 vs U12 girls teams played to a 1-1 tie. It was very entertaining and these two teams are going to be very good. I enjoyed watching these two teams play,already a very attractive style of play. The following game was a heated one and I mean not just the weather. The U11 vs U12 boys teams was the best game of the weekend. These two teams played as if it was a championship game. This was a back and forth game with the U12's taking it in a 3-2 final. David Pittman had a nice assist for the third goal. The second half got a bit physical but nothing out of hand. I can't wait to see these boys teams play. They both are going to be a handful. I saw three great goals- an upper 90 blast from U10 Olivia Horton, flick on goal by Matthew Pittman, and the other was upper 90 blast outside the box from Paul Kramers team. It was very hot and it only seemed to bother us as spectators. The players did a great job and I can't wait for the season to begin.
Grade- A+ or HOT
Rascall Flatts Concert
First, I did not know Rascal Flatts were from Columbus Ohio. There was more OH and IO than a OSU football game. Jim Tressel did help end the concert with the band in OSU jerseys.
Second, I will say I had a very good time and all three groups were great. Dierks Bentley was second and he really got the crowd going. Hootie song choices were great with Family Tradition, Purple Rain, a couple Blowfish songs. Rascall Flatts are very good and they just kept playing song after song. There was no waiting around for the next song or them talking nonsense.
Third, I had a better time than I expected and Kelley really enjoyed the concert. Last, Columbus Crew stadium is a great venue to have a concert. I would say one of the best to see a concert.
Grade- A very good time, Kelley loved it
Baby Mason
Could this weekend get any better? Well yes, the Mirizzi's had #2 this weekend. Baby Mason. He is a healthy wide eyed, baby boy. I visited them Saturday night a day after he was born. He was a little heater when I was holding him. Are all baby's so warm when you hold them? I know Dalton was a little heater as well. The next couple of weeks is going to be tough for John. He is not only a teacher but the Boys Varsity Coach at Oak Hills. Welcome to the family baby Mason.
Grade- Awesome

Tristate Futbol Alliance, Rascal Flatts, and GI Joe Movie = Excitement

Blockbuster Weekend
This weekend the movie GI Joe comes out on the big screen. Well, I have know this for about a 2 months. Since the first commercial my son Dalton has asked "When can he see the GI Joe movie?" This question has been asked every three days by him since early June. I am not kidding at least every three days.
This is the same time we had the Tri-state Futbol Alliance try-outs. In my head I have been asking the same thing "When do we get to see these teams play?". This weekend is our club friendlies and I can't wait to see our teams play. We had a ton of fantastic players come to our try-outs and now they all come together.
The Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker (AKA Hootie), and I forget the other guy, are having a concert this weekend. Kelley and I are attending this concert Sunday. YEE HAW or WOO HOO, not really, I am taking one for the team. All three are Kelley's(my wife) favorite country bands. This part of the weekend is going to be painful.
For all different reasons my family is excited about this weekend. The good news is my schedule for the weekend- Sat. Friendlies (all day) then GI Joe movie at night, Sun. Friendlies then Concert at night. You got it, I will have soccer on the brain while Kelley and Dalton have whatever on their brain. I hope eveyone is as excited as I am about this season.

TFA Friendlies + GI Joe+ Concert= Blockbuster Exciting Weekend, YEE Haw
My wife may kill me if she reads this blog. But YEE HAW.