2010 Upward Bulldogs Cornerstone Baptist Church

http://exit137.org

10/05/10 Dear Parents, I am beaming with pride as game three against the Razorbacks goes down in the record books as a 3 to 1 win. I was very excited to watch the boys ‘seal the deal’ in the last period making the Bulldogs 2:1 for the season. Most of all, however, I am pleased with the teamwork and flexibility the boys conveyed as we asked several to play in positions that weren’t necessarily where they would like to be. The boys are getting better at taking direction rather than pleading their case to play in the spot they want. Hopefully this is an area that mutually benefits parents as well as soccer coaches! Congratulations to our GAME STARS: As we’ve discussed, the Kindergarten level is very much an exercise in learning to take direction from a coach. At our level, we want them to understand the functions of each position through practice and repetition at each spot. At the fourth grade-and-up division, we will begin to pull the boys into specialization which more-closely mimics a traditional soccer league. What we have done so far is use the practice sessions to learn the fundamentals and game-play of each position through drills and scrimmages, and then kept the lineups on game day relatively consistent based on the coaching team’s assessment of their strengths. You can see the difference in each week as they all continue their development. I still want to try to keep the kids together in the “Dog Pound” while they sit out during substitutions. This wasn’t really a factor last week as we had several boys absent and only had one player to sub. Thank you to those who are making me aware of your schedules ahead of time. It really helps things go smoother. For the kids, checkout http://teamupward.com/ where you’ll find activities that foster the lessons we are learning both on and off the field. Then checkout this free parents-only resource from Cornerstone: http://www.exit137.org/the_zone.aspx . Please include this ministry in your personal prayer time and thank God for the blessings He has provided during this season. Looking forward to a great practice Thursday at 6:00 PM. See you there! In His Service, Coach Tim

Sportsmanship

JAY & JOSH

Christ likeness

JACOB

Offense

CONNOR, NICHOLAS

& DANIEL

Defense

CADEN & TRENT

Effort

JACOB