Avengers Assemble! The battle cry of the ECU U9Boys as they gather to take the field before a big U9 game during the Eau Claire United Tournament this past weekend. It has been a refreshing experience coaching this team and remembering all the joy from playing soccer and the goal to get the next generation of players to love the game. Scores…well everyone, no matter the age, knows the score….but that’s not the focus. Have Fun–Play Hard–Learn to Love the Game! That’s the motto!
How can you not just love this picture. Smiles everywhere, just a bunch of boys wanting to have some fun. I have to tell a little background here–I know you want to know—you are curious about the jersey’s…I knew it! Pretty early into the winter training the boys started asking about a team name. Every practice—“Coach–what is our name?” That was the most asked question–not about training, or when will we have tournaments, the question of the day was always about our name. Thunder? Lightning? Wildcats? (my favorite obviously with the UK connection), Storm?–the list kept growing. So we get to our first tournament and are on the sidelines for the first game warming up, and Henry and Harry just can’t stop thinking about the name. Seems pretty critical to them that we must make a decision about the name! And then, eureka! The boys have an epiphany! The name must be the AVENGERS! Our goalie will wear a green pinnie….so of course, the Goalkeeper will be HULK! Hulk smash ball and save goals! Prior to the game the coaches call out….Avengers Assemble, and no matter how much distraction there is, no matter how much chatter there is, the boys come together quickly! It’s AWESOME! Happened to see these jerseys online and it was just fate, had to have them. We passed them out and took our team photo after the end of our second tournament. They have now become our warm up jerseys we wear to each game, just like the pros do it….and then we change into our game jerseys. Above the boys were doing there Avenger poses! Do you see it? Harry appears to be morphing into Iron Man. Henry and Elliott are going full Hulk! Owen has his shield up…so obviously that’s Captain America! Jackson (with that hair) must be Thor, plus he’s pretty strong for 8! Nolan and Rylan look like maybe Hawkeye, sitting in the background, looking for a target. Lucas looks a bit Spidey, so let’s go with Spiderman. Spencer—let’s see–looks to be shrinking –so let’s go with AntMan! Cooper is obviously in charge-so that makes him Nick Fury. Me—well I am in all black–someone needs to be the female lead–so that makes me Black Widow (sorry Scarlett, somebody has to be you).
Youth Soccer in Eau Claire
I have had the chance to coach a bunch of age groups from U10 to U16 and both boys and girls. Because we are a Club program , there is a bunch of focus on development, can we get these players to be their best, prepare them for High School, and compete against the best clubs in Wisconsin and Minnesota. For a small club, I think we do a pretty good job. When offered the chance to coach U9 Boys, the youngest group in ECU, and also coach with my son Cooper, it seemed like a great idea. It took a little adjustment for me. Had to find that balance of fun and love for the game….combined with technical skill development and improving foot skills and passing….for me the core of the game. Feels we found that balance and Cooper and I are having a blast. We think the boys are too! I did have a chance to capture some footage in our last two tournaments, although I must share, it’s pretty hard to find time to take video when you are trying to corral 9 eight year old boys….and then, what are the odds you get good video, some good action. A bit daunting. but as fate would have it, I got lucky. I have dropped in some small video snippets showing the boys in action. A few extends past 10 seconds, a few are pretty quick, but all show the joy of playing soccer. I was able to get the first goals scored this year (and I think the first goals ever for ECU) for a few players. I was able to get a few nice examples of dribbling and passing to teammates and I was able to get a few pretty cool reactions. Exactly what you would expect from a bunch of AVENGERS! Check it out!
Harry streaking down the middle and he shoots! Oh man, that was close. Looked a bit like the Atom…but that’s DC Comics, so that can’t be right!
Spencer rips the left foot shot just wide of the post. He has a few nice goals this year and has hit the post and crossbar a few times as well. A nice shot for sure!
Lucas getting loose down the left side, check out those moves and then the amazing pass across the middle to Jackson. Wow!
This is a fun one. Jackson gets loose down near the end line and fires a ball across goal. Nolan collects and fires one right back. The GK can’t quite collect it and there is Thor, I mean Jackson, to Hammer it home (a nice Thor reference I must say). And although he look pretty jacked up from the score, check out the yell from Henry. He goes all Hulk on it! Love it!! I think that’s the fastest I have seen Jackson run, after the goal I mean 🙂 ! So cool!
This is my favorite. I told you it was pretty tough to get video and also coach and manage eight year old boys, but I was able to capture this moment. Owen is a new player to soccer and a new player to ECU. A perfect story for the club really. Not sure if he would like soccer, so we had him attend a few practices.. And now a few weeks later, his confidence is growing, his skills are building and then this happened! The reaction is priceless. Pure joy….pure excitement. So cool. Maybe we have a soccer fan and a soccer player for life. I hope so.
I wasn’t able to get highlights for everyone in the videos. sorry about that, but another tournament this weekend. Rylan, our top scorer, I am hoping to get you in action. Pretty sure you have a few more goals in you! As well. Elliott, our beast mode midfielder, I feel some action shots coming!
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! SALVO TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND.
Wow….that’s a whole lot of cute right there! Mom’s and Dad’s should be very proud! #avengersgetgoals