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| Goals By The Bay 2005/2006 - Issue 2 |
| GOALS BY THE BAY! Issue 3 - 2005/2006 Season The email magasine of the Cordova Bay Soccer Club December 14, 2005 For Cordova Bay Soccer players, parents and families May the grass grow strong and long! No, not a political ad for the Marjuana party in this time of political contest! Just a recognition that as we move towards the festive season and no socccer [sob!] this is also a time for the fields to close and the long suffering grass, given good weather conditions, to recover [or maybe not!]. Anyway, enough of that - back to the soccer! In this, the last issue of "Goals by the Bay" for 2006, for your delectation and delight we present: WAVES; CRUSHED!; GOLDen; Perched and subbed!; U11 DERBY; Cobras rule!; Blue breakers and that Shore; Tigers alight; FELPS gas, smiles and bottles; The word from on High - Presidents Choice!; The BEST; Quiz - Hand of...?". Plus, please keep an eye on the Club's web site at www.cordovabaysoccer.org - information will be updated there on a regular basis. AND - OF COURSE - SEASONS GREETINGS - HAVE A GREAT FESTIVE CELEBRATION NO MATTER WHAT YOU CELEBRATE! *** 1. WAVING THE OPPOSITION GOODBYE! [Is Katrina on the team?] This from Kathy: It was a spectacular day for a drive up to Cowichan for the U13 Girls Gold Team to play the last game of the season. The "Waves" were looking for a win today as we lost to Cowichan earlier in the season. The first half saw Cowichan dominate the Waves. Cowichan did an excellent job of staying on their checks. Megan got a beautiful breakaway to score the first goal in the game. In the second half the Waves dominated with accurate passes and heavy pressure in the Cowichan end. The second goal was scored by Megan again after a classic crossover in front of the net by Shaylyn. Unfortunately, we got a frustrating off-side call to dis-allow the goal. Cowichan came back to score a hard shot which volleyed off Reena's hands. Now at a tense 1-1 score well into the second half the heat was on. The Waves had a few shots on the Cowichan net but finally with an assist by Georgia, Liana scored the winning goal for a 2-1 victory. Well done Waves!
This from Dave, Dave and Ian [where are Dave, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich these days? Ouch - just aged myself!] What a Cracker of a game today!! Good lesson in overcoming adversity and going for the GOAL(s). Solid Defending helped us Bigg time in that 2nd half. Well done, Lots of Heart and well intentioned shots on NET. Special thanks to Liam for the Clincher from a long ways out, into the back of the NET. Mark Vaughan good effort taking that goalies attention away from the ball. Another MAD Scramble in Front of the NET off a Head ball by Marko which hit the Cross bar and then bounced 7 of our Players before being plugged by Scottie. (A TRUE TEAM EFFORT!!). Ethan good job starting the GOAL Scoring in the 2nd Half on that marvellous deek out on a pass from Evan...... All in all a very good match, lots of strong defending, after a tentative START, we seemd to rally in the last part of the first half and solid hard work in the last forty minutes of that game to claim a VICTORY..HUGE Pat on the Back to all of our PLAYERS... Ian, Dave, and Dave - CB U14 Boys Coaches
A game to warm the cockles of your heart [where are those anyway?] at the Fields on Saturday afternoon. There is some real talent in the Cordova Bay U16 Boys Gold Team - talent right through the team. Even the misses were spectacular and Luke O'Kelly-Lynch had two of them. One was a screaming header just over the bar and the other a first timer just off-target after a good run and a spot on pass over the top of the defense. Ross Prevost put in some tremendous tackles and controlled his part of the pitch. But it is a pity to mention particular players - everyone looked accomplished on the ball, aware of the spaces and precise with their control and passing - many congratulations - Leicester City contracts all round!!! Hey - we need someone that can play!
There were Rainer and I taking in the Cordova Bay PERCH Mens over 40 game at the Fields on Sunday and ruminating - as we all do - on how unfair life can be! First, though, the facts - the PERCH won easily and impressively - hardly broke sweat. Not a foul word or unfair tackle in sight. No heavy breathing and no questioning of substitutions. In fact, in acts of remarkable team spirit and generosity players were actually volunteering to be substituted! Now to the unfairness of this beautiful but cruel game. There was Jimmy [call me Giggsy] Elder playing wide on the right and flinging beautiful cross after wonderful cross right into the box and not one PERCH player anywhere near where they should be - goals gone a missing - crosses disappearing into the ether of a soccer players imagination. Then on comes Lyle [call me Krypton] Ottenbreit for his 5 minutes! [Promise, Sue, just 5 minutes]. Lyle whips in the crosses and what do you know - Perch players lining up left, right an d center. Headers and volleys flying on Goal. Two goals in two minutes! So unfair! All of which proves Gary Player was wrong when he said: "You know it is funny - the more I practice, the luckier I get!". Well done the PERCH!
[with a prize to any young payer at the Club who can tell me why a game between two teams that are based in close proximity to each other is called a DERBY - eg Manchester City vs Manchester United?] Had to leave the Perch match early for the main event on Sunday - the second U11 Boys game between 2 Cordova Bay teams. The club has three outstanding U 11 Boys teams and the rivalry is intense. In a previous inter-club match [not the same two teams] the tension was palpable, nerves were jangling, lips were exercising and appeals were flying. So, the police ringed the field for this one [just kidding!]. What a match between the Bandits and the Warriors. One of those games where the result really does not matter. Spencer Kilbank had some excellent runs down the left. James Dieric tackled strongly. Matt Whysker and Taylor Cain both had some tremendous touches. And it was good team work that led to all the goals, team work aided by some excellent finishing. Well done to both teams!
Mike Kennedy writes that the Cobras have: "just one loss on the entire year and continue to work well as a team. Our Best Goal - as I remember it started out with a good save by our keeper and a quick pass out wide to our right defender, who took the ball wide to the sideline and sent up to our right forward who came back to the ball, he beat his man down the sidelines and crossed it to our ball handling midfielder who beat 2 players and sent it to the streaking left forward who one timed it to the keeper, who bobbled it and our centre popped in the rebound. Of the 6 players & the keeper on the field, 6 of the 7 players touched the ball before it went in, A thing of beauty. [ ED: thanks - Mike - this is the winning "goal description" in this issue! and well done the Cobras for such a great goal!] I believe that of our nine players, everyone has at least one goal and each player numerous assists. Well Done Boys - Mike.
Brian Roach, Dad of Emmalee Roach of the Cordova Bay Blue Breakers U12 Girls Silver Team sent this report: Cordova Bay Blue Breakers still continuing on with their successful ways. So far while playing nine games this year (missed three games with a bye, a “no-show” and snow), the team has notched a very impressive 7 win, 2 tie record, while scoring 26 goals for, and have had only 5 goals against. Four goalies have contributed to the low goals against: Nicolle Conti, Jillian Alley, Liz Burden and Maria Verbrugge. The whole team has been involved in consistent good passing, goal scoring and excellent defensive play – a real Blue Breaker team effort. Well done Chelsea Howells, Liz Burden, Caitlyn Anderson, Lauren Mannix, Mackenzie Dirkie, Jillian Alley, Nicolle Conti, Samantha Billson, Kelsey Hong, Erin Houston, Maria Verbrugge, Emmalee Roach and Rhyley Bremner.
Please allow me to mention the team that I help to coach. What a great team and delight to coach are the U8 Boys Flaming Tigers as they enjoy and learn this game. Always alert, ever fun and never short of big broad smiles. And can they play - good touches, much improved passing, lots of movement, the spacing is coming along just fine and some thundering shots. So to Luke, Roberto, Statten, Luca, Logan, Leo, William, Nick and Ryan and fellow coaches Jim and Paul - many congratulations - have a well earned and very enjoyable season of goodwill and we will see you in January! Go Tigers!
Co-op Gas Coupons With just eleven team participating to date, we have sold $8,000 worth of Co-op Gas coupons - with a discount of $800 back to the club. Congratulations to the following teams for their commendable effort: $1,740 worth of gas coupons from U7 Sharks; U12 Girls Silver - 1,050; U14 Boys Bronze - $1,030; U14 Boys Silver - $1,000; Men's Over 35s Orange - $1,000; U16 Boys Gold - $900; U14 Girls Bronze - $600; U15 Girls Silver - $600 - Well done! Smile Cards Our November accounts show we earned $1,505.21 discount for the month, with a total of 119 cards in use. Almost a thousand cards were given out. Think how much we could have raised - painlessly - if all were using them to the same extent. Then multiply this by twelve months! Bottle Drive Hopefully, your team will have picked up its route map and 'alert' notices from the clubhouse mailroom. My 'notification' has already been delivered, and someone, unknown to me further down the road, phoned to say that he had "...lots of bottles and cans waiting for your bottle-drive". Let's go out and enjoy the occasion! Reminder, that each team works independently and collects, sorts and cashes in their cans and bottles. I will give a receipt to each team for money earned, and this will form part of the team account for purchasing turf for the FELPS wall. Christmas Present I have just sent a letter off to Mrs Clause asking her to remind Santa that I still want team liaisons for Christmas. They don't need to be gift wrapped - just useful. Seasons Greetings - Frank Leversedge
"As we head into the Winter Break I wanted to take the opportunity to update club members on some of the developments behind the scenes at the club. Strategic Planning The Board is working toward a strategic planning document that sets out the future direction for the club. The need for such an instrument was made abundantly clear from the consultant’s report and the following Board discussions. We also received significant input from several coaches and parents about the challenges they see and some potential solutions. I would like to thank all of them for their contribution. Based on the information provided by the consultant, research by board members as well as feedback from the coaches and parents, the Board has identified three areas that require immediate attention: Club Boundaries and Player Eligibility The demographics of our catchment area is clearly the greatest challenge to our club’s long-term viability. However changes to the Lower Island Soccer association (LISA) Constitution (the governing policy for youth soccer which sets out the boundaries and processes that effect player eligibility) are easier said than done. Changes require the endorsement of the majority of LISA’s 11 clubs and what’s good for our club might be unpopular elsewhere, so there has been little change in the 30-odd years that LISA has existed. Regardless, we will be pressing ahead with proposals to amend the present transfer system so that it is both fairer to our club and more effective for the development of soccer overall. I am optimistic that we can convince enough other clubs that the present system is restrictive and, far from helping smaller clubs such as ours, is actually punishing us for our success. I hope to report back to the club on this matter before the end of February. Player Recruitment and Retention With fully one-quarter of our registered players coming from outside our LISA boundaries, we’re obviously doing something right. However at the same time we lost players – some going to other clubs, while others likely dropped out of the sport entirely. In fact, almost 75 players who registered with our club were either released to a neighbouring club (mostly due to lack of playing opportunities at CBSC) or simply withdrew their application. We need to establish why this is happening and then implement policies or programs that allow us to offer these players the soccer program they desire. For this reason we’re implementing two separate, but related initiatives: 2006-07 Season Planning In January the club will announce meetings for coaches and parents alike to discuss issues affecting player recruitment and retention. The focus of these meetings will be to complete an assessment of the current season’s registration numbers and player/team development with a view to planning for the upcoming season. Separate meetings will be held for both boys and girls. Outside of player recruitment and team formation, these meetings will also be useful forums to discuss player assessment, coach selection and technical certification. Marketing Committee The goal of the marketing committee is to investigate and report on ways in which the club can better position itself in the community. Part of any marketing strategy is building up a community profile, and we’re well on our way with the team apparel program, but in recognition of the competition that exists from other sports and activities we must be innovative in marketing the benefits of both the club and game of soccer itself. It is my hope that our marketing strategy will be developed and in place before the end of the 2005-06 Season. Facility Improvement The need for better facilities at Lochside, more specifically an artificial playing turf, has long been recognized. The FELPs Project, headed up by Frank Leversedge, is the cornerstone of the club’s facilities improvement go. Both Frank and myself (along with Gordon Head and Lakehill soccer clubs) have a meeting with Saanich Parks on Thursday December 15th. It’s my hope we will have a better idea of process and timelines for our turf-field after attending this meeting. As you can see, we have a lot on our plate. We continue to welcome your input on the running of the club and invite you to become involved wherever possible. Board Recognition I would also like to take this time recognize the efforts of the board members so far this season. Many of the board members are new this year, but you would never know from how smooth things have been run. My thanks to everyone for making my job easier. In particular I would like to recognize the contribution of four board members: Kathy Butler – for the huge amount of energy she has put into the development of a team wear program for the club. The large numbers of individuals and teams ordering various club apparel is testimony to the latent demand for these items, but Kathy has gone above and beyond expectations with products for every conceivable soccer player and their parent. I imagine a few toques being worn on Mt. Washington this Christmas! Frank Leversedge – what can I say, the legend continues. The importance of Frank’s continued efforts on fund-raising for a turf-field at Lochside Park (FELPS) cannot be overstated. I’m sure I speak for everyone when I thank Frank for the research, planning and implementation of the Thrifty Smile Cards, Co-Op Gas coupons, bottle drives, etc. Besides FELPs and other board functions, Frank somehow finds time to referee the odd-game (not that I’m saying the games he referees are odd J) Doreen McManaman – who inherited one of the toughest (and thankless) board positions when she agreed to be the field and practice coordinator. Rare is the morning or evening when Doreen isn’t found down at Lochside Park inspecting field conditions or speaking with coaches about field usage. I think I speak on behalf of all coaches when I say how smooth the practice and game scheduling has gone this year. Great job Doreen! Lise Donaldson – of all club positions this is the one that likely feels the most like work and Lise has done a fantastic job of understanding the rules and politics that can frustrate the registrar at their every turn. Thanks Lise – how many years does your contract have left to run? Best Wishes Finally, on behalf the Board, my best wishes to everyone for the holiday season and New Year. I hope Santa leaves everyone a little soccer-something under the tree this year!"
As sports mad boys growing up in New Zealand we were of course rugby mad - more religion than sport. But one man from another sport and another country broke through into our very selective sports world - Georgie Best - the Manchester United forward. He died a few weeks ago - the passing of a legend - maybe the best player ever - maybe just in behind Pele - who cares. We will never see his like again. May he rest in the very BEST of peace.
OK, a few of you got the answer to the question in the last issue related to the "They think it is all over..." commentary [no - I am not providing the answer in this issue - more time for you to research!!]. So, here is the quiz for this issue - particularly for the younger members of the club? In the context of soccer/football what or who is 'The Hand of God?' Which two players were mainly involved? What and when was the match? Who said this? Answers to me - good luck. Well - that is it for 2005 - many congratulations to all teams, players and coaches - have a great festive season. GO CORDOVA BAY!! ***
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