September Newsletter 2008

NOTES ON DEFENDING

To soccer fans, attacking moves and goals are what is exciting in games which sometimes make us forget the importance of defending. We are right to be excited about goals because they are rare and precious and often can be spectacular. A goal is the culmination of a great deal of coordinated attempts and often is a cathartic release of pent up tension.

The other side of the coin is defending! What makes goals rare and therefore precious is good well organized defending. The number of goals scored by both teams is, on average, three goals or fewer. Good organized defending gives a team a chance to win if it scores one or two goals. We often hear in team sports that "defense wins games." So while people do not buy tickets to see good defending but rather goals and wins, those of us involved in teaching and coaching the game have a responsibility to teach good defending. Whenever there is a preponderance of goals that is a clear indication of imbalance between the two teams and makes for a boring game. The rare occasion where two well balanced teams each score many goals is rather the exception to the rule, and usually indicates some sort of breakdown of defending by both teams.

Defending is what the whole team does to regain possession of the ball when the opponents have it. That sounds rather trite and intuitively understood by everyone. However frequent observation on the field does not match that. Unfortunately, there seem to be a few players on the field who apparently operate under the impression that defending is what the rest of the team does when they lose the ball. We have the responsibility of educating all our players to take care of their proper roles in defending.

When done properly, defending is a well coordinated function performed by the whole team and can take many forms and variations. Often at the youngest ages we see defending solely as an aggressive attempt to disrupt the opponent without an effort to regain possession. This approach is necessary when the opponent is in position to immediately score. In such a case all necessary measures to thwart the attempt at scoring are appropriate. One must make an attempt to block the shot or at least put the shooter under severe pressure of time and space so as to make the goalkeeper's job easier even if the shot is taken successfully. It must be noted that the all out attempt at disruption carries an increased risk of unnecessary fouling.

When defending in the middle of the field away from scoring range, the object of defending must be to regain possession of the ball. Unlike the attempt to cause immediate disruption, this takes a coordinated effort of all the players. One person must apply pressure to the player in possession of the ball as the rest of the defending team organize themselves to mark the rest of the opponents. Often it is not the player who is applying the pressure who ends up with the ball but rather one of the teammates that is covering and giving balance.

The marking of opponents will often have the effect of denying the opponent from receiving the ball by inhibiting the passer from giving them the ball. In cases where the pass is made successfully, the marker tries to get to the receiver as quickly as possible. It is ideal to get to the receiver just before the ball arrives and thus intercept the pass; secondly the defender may arrive just as the ball arrives and contest for possession; the third possibility is that the marker arrives immediately after the ball is received and applies pressure to the receiver and wins the ball if it is not handled properly. Even if the ball is not won, the ball carrier has to do their next move under pressure. It is unrealistic to expect the defender to intercept the ball every time or to arrive in a timely manner consistently. But the defender can apply pressure to the receiver at all times regardless of when he/she arrives at the receiver. What is needed is the realization that the defending effort varies as the situation varies. So the player applying pressure is doing so in order to contain and delay the opponent with the ball and not pressure too aggressively to avoid getting beaten immediately. This will allow teammates to organize behind the first defender. So while it is desirable to avoid getting beaten to the ball this is not the end all and be all of defending! How often have we heard people shout from the sidelines, "Don't let them beat you to the ball!" This is sound advice only in a limited sense and does not apply in all respects. When a player realizes that they will be arriving just after the ball is received, it is prudent that they must apply restraint and not try to win the ball but rather assume a position to contain and apply pressure to the ball receiver. In this situation the defender may force the opponent in one direction, thus giving a cue to teammates where to position in order to respond to the next move while keeping track of their marks.

When the person applying pressure on the ball (first defender) is doing their job of applying pressure and restraining the ball carrier, the rest of the teammates are performing their jobs of marking the rest of the opponents. The defending team thus applies pressure by applying man to man marking at the ball and the rest of the players organize in zones to provide cover and balance. The player applying pressure is close to the opponent with the ball while those applying cover and balance place themselves somewhat behind their pressurizing teammate and somewhat removed from their marks. The distance between them and their marks is such that if the ball is passed to their respective marks, they have the time to close down and apply pressure while the ball is traveling. Their positioning allows them to keep an eye on their marks while being in position to challenge if their teammate applying pressure is beaten by a pass or dribble. Their tasks are referred to as Pressure, Cover and Balance. In simple terms, the first defender applies pressure, the second defender is positioned to provide cover and the third defender provides balance supporting both teammates. So when the ball is moved the roles of individual players will change. When coaching and cheering our youngsters, it is helpful to know that their defensive roles may have more to do than sheer effort and/or making sure everyone on the opposite team is marked tightly. Awareness of the defensive principles and organization will also make the game more enjoyable to watch and to play, as important attacking opportunities will often result from good defending. Often when the ball is won by an organized team, they are already in a recognizable attacking shape and can transition into attack in an organized manner. In short, good defending will afford us good opportunities to attack!

On August 30th and 31st the boys and girls of the Youth Academy participated in the 2nd annual adidas Champions Cup. It is one of two tournaments hosted by the Youth Academy this year. This year the Cup took in teams from all over the Northern California area. Teams such as Mustang, Modesto Ajax, and Livermore complimented a quality pool of local teams from Sac United, Elk Grove, El Dorado and Rocklin to make a fantastic event.

The weather held up for most of Labor Day weekend as Larchmont Park was packed with excited soccer players. Our Tournament Directors, Vickie Fontes and Donna Berry, along with all of the parents from the Youth Academy teams did a fantastic job running the tournament. Thank you for making it happen and running it with Boca quality.

All six teams participated and it was nice to see the yellow and blue jerseys running all over the field. Each team has shown tremendous improvement in ball skills and understanding of the game. Throughout the weekend, there were many moments of Boca players trying to play constructive soccer on the beautiful grass at Larchmont Park. The Boca Jrs 99 boys were rewarded for their intent to play by earning a chance to participate in a Championship.

We hope everyone enjoyed themselves at the Champions Cup this year. We look forward to duplicating it again next year and keep the momentum going through the Fall league and into the Copa Del Rey in December.

Once again a special thanks to all the Youth Academy parents who made the event run as smoothly as it did. GO BOCA!!!!!!

The Boca Jrs Youth Academy's developmental U8 program has been in full swing this summer with twice week training and two play days with Placer United and Sacramento United. The kids have really worked hard all session while enduring the hot summer days, bad air and the demands of there staff coaches. Skill development such as dribbling, passing, and 1v1 attacking has been the main themes throughout the session. The results of the training were evident in the way the kids performed at each play day.

Eight of our kids attended the first play day with Placer United in July where they formed 2 teams, both named Boca, to play against Placers Academy kids. The level of confidence and the ability of our kids to take on opponents were evident all day. The kids were asked by Placer staff after each game what was important to remember while playing? Our young Boca Jrs answered, "have fun," "work on our Tiku Tiku" and "make new friends" which surprised the staff members from Placer United. The surprise came from the fact that the kids were having fun while shredding opponents with mad skills.

Next up was the Sacramento United play day hosted by Boca at Larchmont Park. Because of a miscommunication Sacramento United ended up sending what amounted to mostly U9 girls. The mix- up didn't seem to bother any of the U8's as we were supported by at least 8-9 U9 Boca boys that joined the fun. Unlike the first play day, we decided to mix all of the kids together and formed 8 teams of 4-5 kids. The attendance was fantastic! All of the kids enjoyed playing with mixed teams. We were all pleased that it was simply natural and easy for the kids to get along and just play soccer. The day ended with a group of exhausted kids.

The U8's will continue to train through October with a couple more play days planned along the way.

GO BOCA!

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department soccer team recently competed in an invitation only Law Enforcement/Fire Fighter tournament in remembrance of those who gave their lives and also helped in the tragedy of "9/11."

MLS club Chivas USA hosted the 12 team tournament in Carson, CA with teams as far away as New York participating. The Sheriff's Department team which consists of players from the Sacramento Sheriff's Department, Sacramento Police Department, Roseville Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Sacramento County Probation and the California Department of Corrections, played five games in four days and were fortunate to make it to the final which was played INSIDE the Home Depot Center, home to the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA.

The Sheriff's Department lost 2-0 to a talented Los Angeles Police Department team but the experience of playing inside the stadium was truly spectacular and the highlight of the tournament. "Imagine playing soccer on a putting green or a good fairway and you get the picture. It was the most incredible pitch I've ever walked on," said team captain Sam Bates. Sam's daughter Katelyn Bates plays for Boca Jrs 97 - U11 with Coach Melissa Cavitt.

The Sheriff's Department team would like to personally thank Brandon Cavitt, Dave Underhill and the entire Boca family for allowing them to train at Ashton Park in preparation for the tournament.

Go Boca!

Surf Cup

What could be better than beautiful weather and beautiful football? Well the U18 Academy boys team got to experience both down in sunny San Diego in the Surf Cup. The Surf Cup has a long history of great competition and is a great showcase for college coaches to come and recruit from some of the best youth teams around. Your Boca Academy boys team was also there to show their skill and dazzle the recruiters. The team was composed of a majority of incoming seniors (high school) sprinkled with a handful on incoming freshman (college). I state this because our competition was mainly incoming freshman and sophomores (college). This had us playing against teams 1 and 2 years older and all with college experience. David and Goliath come to mind but not for your Boca team. Although we lost three close matches, our boys took it to these so called "experienced" teams with all the courage and heart that we have come to expect from this team. The highlight of the tournament was the match against the home team Surf. It was a back and forth affair. Tackles were exchanged, battles cries were shouted, and shots were fired, but it was not to be Boca's day with a 1 to 0 loss. There were a couple of players that are worth mentioning because they had a great Surf Cup. Brandon Briggs was at his usual best generating quite a buzz in the recruiting circles. Mustafa had defenses baffled and coaches wondering why this kid is not going to their school. (He will be attending UC Davis, so check out an Aggie soccer match this fall). Anthony Valasquez (aka TJ) was also solid in the mid field. Manny Cardenas, who is off to play with East Bay State, also wowed the college coaches and other spectators. Coach Gary Messing stated that he was pleased with the effort which resulted in numerous colleges contacting our players. The Boys Academy team will be taking some time off for the high school soccer season. So, see you later this fall.

CASA would like to thank three very dedicated parents who accepted the coordinator role at the Cal Expo concessions. Traci Seto, Jana Risley and Sheng Vang joined the club as U9 parents and quickly asked to be a part of club level fundraisers. By August, they had agreed to take on the concessions stand opportunities for the State Fair and create a club wide fundraising opportunity for every family in our club.

They quickly cleared their calendars from work and family commitments to attend meetings, take over the labor pool contacts, go to training and schedule over 200 shifts for over 65 family members, friends, and coaches who wanted to support Boca players. Not to mention these same three coordinators attended every shift as a group leader at the fair and their children participated in the Champions Cup over Labor Day weekend.

We are grateful to these ladies' commitment and immediate dedication to the club. The task at hand to coordinate and learn from this experience was not easy on short notice, but they pulled it off with great gusto.

Here are comments from parents who worked:

"A special thanks to Jana, Traci, Larry, Sheng and Bob for all your work in organizing us volunteers. What a tremendous effort! Your dedication, time and effort to this fund-raising experience are very much appreciated. WOW! THANK YOU!"

"For my wife Karen and I, volunteering was a fun, exhilarating and exhausting experience, albeit at times I felt like we were in a Seinfeld episode! Anyway, we now have a new perspective for those that serve beer at the Fair. We had fun and are happy to have gotten a chance to meet and work with a lot of great people! "

"Yes, thanks to Jana, Traci, Larry, Sheng and Bob. You guys were awesome and I'm so glad I didn't have to do your jobs!!! It was fun and very exhausting!!!"

"Yes a HUGE HUGE THANKS to Jana, Traci, Larry, Sheng and Bob. You really worked hard for this fundraiser and for your kids. This is a big project and you pulled it off. I am very appreciative for what you all did. I had fun and I can't wait to do it again next year."

And now an update from your fearless Coordinators:

Thank you to all of our parents, coaches, relatives, and friends who participated in the Ovations fundraiser at the State Fair. Although our total profit and the amount to be credited to each player's account won't be determined for a few weeks, we should consider this experience a success. We have received positive feedback from Ovations management, and the volunteers have expressed how much fun they had working the concession booths at the fair. This fundraiser provided a unique opportunity to interact with CASA parents and coaches from the U9 to U18 teams, and it was rewarding to see their commitment to their child(ren), as well as their pride in the CASA organization.

As group leaders and Ovations fundraiser coordinators, we have learned a lot from this experience to help us make future Ovations events more organized and profitable. We hope to have better day and shift selections for next year's State Fair to maximize our profits, and we will be sure to alert those of you on the Ovations Labor Pool list of additional fundraising opportunities with Ovations this year.

A reminder, if you didn't return your Ovations "Employee" badge to your group leader at the end of your last shift, please contact Jana Risley at 916-599-3190 or via email to make arrangements to turn in your badge. The badges must be returned to Ovations by September 10th, or the cost of the badges will be deducted from our profits.

Thank you again for your patience, dedication and hard work. We hope this experience was as much fun for you as it was for us. Go BOCA!

Jana Risley, Traci Seto and Sheng Vang

The beach chairs that were left at SeaCliff beach, Santa Cruz, have been returned to the office. I remember talking to a parent about them. Please come by the office to retreive them.

If you are missing other soccer related items, please give us a call or come by the office to look. We will be sending the pile to Goodwill this month as it has grown too large.

Hello Boca! Back and better than ever! With Spain crowned the European Champions of 2008 I thought that this time I would interview players who have Spanish roots. In our Boca family we have three sisters that fit the profile. Natalie (U16), Elena (U13), and Melissa (U13) Hanson have family from the Basque region. If you are familiar with this area of the world, you would know that they are very fanatical about their football. As you will read it runs in the family.

How long have you been with Boca?

N- 3 yrs; E-3 yrs; M- 3 yrs

What position do you play?

N-defender; E-center mid; M-defender

Who is your favorite player?

N-Sergio Ramos; E-Fernando Torres; M- Sergio Ramos

Which professional team do you support?

N-Real Madrid; E-Barcelona; M- Osasuna

Do you have any nicknames?

N-Nat; E-Laney; M-Missy

What is your favorite color?

N-blue; E-yellow; M-green and clear (interesting, is clear a color?)

What are your strengths?

N-passing; E-passing; M-tackling (a defender after my own heart)

What are some of your favorite foods?

N-spaghetti & pineapple; E-plain bagels & pasta; M- pasta & hamburgers

If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life what would it be?

N-Bench Warmers; E-Kicking and Screaming; M-Elf

If I looked at recorded shows on your DVR, I would see?

N-America's Best Dance Crew ; E-Drake and Josh; M-Seinfeld

The movie is "My Football Career." What would be the best highlight?

N-Winning the high school section championship; E- Advancing to 3rd round of state cup; M- Advancing to 3rd round of state cup

So, Nat I will give you two choices. Pick the best one: David Beckham or Fernando Torres? Fernando Torres. Pizza or Sushi? Sushi (Coach Jeremy loves the sushi.)

So, Laney I will give you two choices. Pick the best one: Mia Hamm or Abby Wambach? Mia Hamm. Hot dogs or hamburgers? Hamburgers

So, Missy I will give you two choices. Pick the best one: American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance? So You Think You Can Dance. Play Station 3 or Wii? Wii

Two of the four subgroups have held their fundraiser event at Mountain Mike's. After the next two subgroups hold their fundraisers, we can determine which team will receive the $500 donation from Mountain Mike's for bringing in the most receipts during the fundraisers.

Thanks to all the families who have participated in the events and encouraged friends, family and neighbors to come out too. CASA receives 20% of the sales which goes toward our scholarship fund.

The current leader in team receipts so far is the mighty Boca Jrs 97 girls team (U11 coached by Melissa Cavitt and managed by Ben Miller).

Remember to hold your team and family meetings at any Mountain Mike's to help fundraise for CASA. We receive 15% of these sales that additionally fund the scholarship program.

Don't forget to distribute the Mountain Mike's discount cards and use some for yourself. These cards are availabe at the office and should be distributed to every family by your manager.