Weekly Challenge - Hard Work

Watch this game - Leicester

What impresses you about Leicester?

They play the same system we do.

For this week's challenge

1. I want you to work 10 hours of hard labor for someone who needs it. Hard labor includes: landscaping, laying sod, digging, roofing, hauling furniture, and anything that is physically demanding and helps someone in need. If you need help finding labor, I'll give you Mark the custodians number.

2. Do two secret acts of service for someone - for example - I went outside and my neighbor had edged my whole front yard just because.

Text "labor" when you get this.

Mountainview - Timpanogos

MV - 0
Timpanogos - 0

Another shutout! I don't know if I've ever had two 0-0 ties in a season. The phrase offense wins games, defense wins championships comes to mind. Our defense is doing well this year and that is a very encouraging sign.

I did some analysis this morning on Leicester City. In their last 47 games their average margin of victory is just over 1 goal and their average when losing is the same. The last time they scored 4 goals was over 35 games ago! They are on the top of the most competitive league in the world.

Leicester is a counter-attacking team - they have a sound defense and ruthless strikers, but their strikers don't get that many opportunities. They get out-shot and out-possesses in many of their games, but they find a way to win.

We know how to defend and we are going to figure out a way to win these slugfest games. Our strikers are becoming ruthless and I'm very excited for the rest of the season.

Player of the Game: Cameron Peterson - shutout, solid saves, great game!

Text "Defense" when you read this.

Read This Article - Then Text Me Your Thoughts -

Why Butler Succeeds - click on this article, we will discuss this at Thursday's practice.

I did not read this before my last post.  Text "Butler" when you have read this article.

Alta vs Timpanogos

We have a couple things go differently and the game ends up 2-0 us. I'm not too worried about our ability to compete, we can, we just need to change how we think.

I grew up in a financially poor, but an experience-rich family. My father was a teacher and a great one at that. He was all-state multi-sport athlete. He was a fierce competitor.

My father sold some of our land so he could pay for a concrete basketball court. He could've done so many other things with that money. My father had a winner’s mentality and I believe he was wise beyond his years to introduce competition into our lives, albeit in our own back yard.

When I was in seventh grade the neighborhood and a bunch of kids from the junior high gathered at my house to play dunkball. Everyone put in $1 and the winning team of four took all. Although my team didn't win the tournament, I was changed forever by one play. My teammate stole the ball and passed it to me (the perennial cherry-picker) and I dunked it right in Derek Stephenson's face. Derek was two years older than I and had bullied me my whole life.

I couldn't believe what had happened. I never forgot what competition had given me - the ability to transcend my circumstances, the ability to succeed, the necessary confidence in myself, the sustaining power of victory and the power to forgive. 

I was lucky to be a part of many championship teams. My friends and I played every sport together. This was back when soccer was only in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring/summer. I don't think we did much different things from the other teams, we just had the winner’s mentality. 

All our pickup games in the neighborhood were just as important as the club, state, Vegas tournaments, etc. Tempers flared, fists flew, neighborhood battles raged, and from this struggle we all learned how to compete. My club games were much easier than facing the humiliation of losing to my friends.

So here’s the winning formula:

1. Work – work like everything depends on you, every play, every possession, every encouraging word, everything!

2. Faith – believe that you deserve the championship, you’ve put in the necessary work, your teammates will come through, you have the ability to succeed

3. Competition – necessary to show you your true potential, brings out the best in you, pushes you beyond what you think you are capable of doing, shows you that failure just makes you more capable

4. Forgiveness – forgive others and yourself for mistakes, not living up to their potential, falling short, having a moment unbecoming of yourself/themselves

5. Humility – others might have more insight into you than you think, others might know the game better than you, you can learn something from everyone, you can’t succeed without them

Now you know, now you’ll be. Text: "We win, we work, we have faith, we compete, we forgive and we are humble.” I can already see your smiling faces holding the trophy.

As an incentive, if we win out this week, you can eat sweets next Sunday. 

Player of the Game: JT Gardener - he made his time on the field count. Hustled, moved, talked.

Provo vs Timpanogos

Provo - 2

Timpanogos - 0

My senior year in high school I was playing with the teammates I had played with most of my life. We thought we were going to take the region by storm. Our first game was against Provo. Despite our best efforts we lost in a shootout in a game we should’ve won.

We were heartbroken, our undefeated region goal was now a thing of the past. We were not used to losing, we had won almost every tournament we had ever entered. The story could’ve ended there with a mediocre season and some wins and losses and maybe a state-qualifying bid.

From there on out we won every region game. We had 2 more shootouts and we easily won them both. We were the first team to ever win an outright region title for Pleasant Grove. The trophy still is in the case and memory has never left me. I’m still proud of that accomplishment and proud to have been a member of a great team.

Soccer has shaped the person I am now. The lessons of physical health, adversity, teamwork, setting and achieving goals, loss, depending on others, doing hard things, strategy, taking calculated risks and trusting my mentors against my own judgement have guided me through many of life’s difficulties.

What you learn from this season is very important to me. I hope you take this loss as an added measure of urgency to be the state-championship team I know you are capable of being.

An old Greek administrator named Periander had an interesting motto, “Practice is everything.” Soccer is the practice that can shape who you will eventually become. It really is that important. How you work at practice, how well you listen to your mentors, how you handle difficult situations, and how you treat your teammates will be harbingers of your life to come. For some of you this is a hearty pat on the back, for others it is a wake-up call to avoid destructive habits that will lead to mediocrity and regret.

We really can reach the goals we’ve set. I truly believe we can or I wouldn’t show up tomorrow.

Player of the Game: Seth Berlin – worked hard, kept his head and contributed to a better tempo on the field.

Activities For Champions - Read Before Game Tomorrow

We looked very tired today at practice. I spoke with the other coaches and asked if we were training too hard and we don't believe that we are. We haven't had the 2+ hour practices, Indian sprints, or extended conditioning. We have worked hard and smart this year.

Tired players are risky players - risk injury, risk mental breakdowns, risk poor technical abilities and the list goes on.

I believe an amendment to the team rules will give us the mental and physical energy edge we are looking for. I am amending the rules to the team with the following adjustments:

1.      No candy, pop, sweets, junk food (high-salt chips and snacks), sugar cereal or anything high in salt or processed sugar.

2.      No greasy fast food on game day and bring a half-time snack such as banana and peanut butter, 100% juice, Gatorade, fig newtons or peanut rolls/paydays

3.      Consciously eat healthy every day – fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates, etc.

4.      Cell phones and all electronics OFF, not on vibrate, sleep, etc., after 9:00 p.m., Sunday through Thursday.

5.      In bed by 10:00 p.m., Sunday through Thursday.

6.      20 minute design your own session – foot skills, shooting, formation study, fitness, etc. – outside of practice, every day but Sunday

7.      Send a thank-you text, email, note every day for the gifts someone gives you (remember the half-time speech), can’t be the same person every day - "You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you." John Wooden

Each week we will have an additional character-building activity and this week it will be the following:

Twenty positives to one negative – before you can say anything negative to yourself or others you need to say twenty positive things.

I will expect a text every Wednesday before practice to report the following:

1.      Did you follow all team rules this week?

2.      What was your personal training routine?

3.      Did you miss any classes?

4.      Who was one person you thanked this week and why?

5.      Did you accomplish the weekly challenge?

If I do not hear from you on Wednesday you will miss half of Friday’s game.

If I do hear from everybody and everybody has followed the rules, Thursday’s practice will be a guided pick your practice session.

Also, if we get a shutout or win by 3 goals, we will have either a pizza party or you can eat your favorite sweet/snack that weekend.

I believe these activities will increase our energy levels, character, muscle and team unity. I also believe you will be amazed with the results.

Text “positive” to me before tomorrow’s game.

American Fork vs Timpanogos

Great win again. I hope you are starting to believe in our chances.

We haven't lost in overtime in 3 years and this is the best start to a season we've had so far. Do you believe?

You guys have put in the work and if we continue to do so we are just going to get better. I had a great time watching the overtime. You came out organized and with pace. Very impressive!

Man of the match - Jason Parades - clutch?

Goals - Jason Parades

BAD is good!