Herricanes - 2007 - Fall - Game 01 - 2007-09-08.mpg

Video from the Herricanes' first game of the 2007 Fall soccer season

End of Season Party - Flickr

100_4159
Originally uploaded by Himicane

End of Season Party - Photobucket

End of Season Party Pics - Picasa

Game 08 Video

Game 07 Video

Game 06 Video

Game 05 Video

Game 04 Video

Game 02 Video

Game 08 Photobucket Pictures

And here are the pictures from Game 08 at our Photobucket site

Game 08 flickr Photos

Photos from today's game have been uploaded to flickr. Enjoy!

www.flickr.com Himicane's 2007 - Fall - Game 08 photoset

Game 08 Picasa Pix

Here the pictures from our final game of the season.

Fall 2007 - Game 08 - 27 Oct 07

Game 08 Statistics

The Herricanes lost in their final game of the season. They are 3-3-2 for the season. The statistics have been updated for Game 08 and posted to our Google Docs account. If you would prefer, they can also be downloaded as an Excel Spreadsheet, an OpenOffice Spreadsheet, or a PDF File.

Game 07 Statistics

The Herricanes tied this week. They are now 3-2-2 for the season. The statistics have been updated for Game 07 and posted to our Google Docs account. If you would prefer, they can also be downloaded as an Excel Spreadsheet, an OpenOffice Spreadsheet, or a PDF File.

Game 06 Picasa Photos

Fall 2007 - Game 06 - 13 Oct 07

Here are the Game 06 pictures on our Picasa Web site.

Game 06 Flickr Photos

The pictures from our glorious victory in Game 06 have been added to the 2007 Fall Collection.

Game 06 Photobucket Pix

Here are the Game 06 pictures on our Photobucket site.

Statistics for Game 06

The Herricanes won yesterday! Way to go girls! You are now 3-2-1 for the season. The statistics have been updated for Game 06 and posted to our Google Docs account. If you would prefer, they can also be downloaded as an Excel Spreadsheet, an OpenOffice Spreadsheet, or a PDF File.

Updated Pictures for Game 04

The Flickr and Photobucket albums for Game 04, the Team Photos, and the Individual Photos have been updated with pictures from Coach Drew's camera.

Photobucket: Game 04, Team Photos, and Individual Photos

Statistics for Game 05

The Herricanes tied yesterday to now stand at 2-2-1 for the season. The statistics have been updated for Game 05 and posted to our Google Docs account. If you would prefer, they can also be downloaded as an Excel Spreadsheet, an OpenOffice Spreadsheet, or a PDF File.

Flickr Photos From Game 04

Game Photos

Himicane's 2007 - Fall - Game 04 photoset

Team Photos

Himicane's 2007 - Fall - Team Photos photoset

Individual Photos

Himicane's 2007 - Fall - Individual Photos photoset

Statistics for Game 04

The Herricanes lost to now stand at 2-2 for the season. The statistics have been updated for Game 04 and posted to our Google Docs account. If you would prefer, they can also be downloaded as an Excel Spreadsheet, an OpenOffice Spreadsheet, or a PDF File.

Photobucket Pictures From Game 04

Game 04 Photos


Team Photos



Individual Photos

Game 04 Picasa Photos

Herricanes fans here is the first installment of the pictures from Game 04. Game 04 was a tough one. It was well played and hard fought but the Hurricanes were just too good of a team to beat.

Game Photos

Fall 2007 - Game 04 - 29 Sep 07

Team Photos

Fall 2007 - Team Photos

Individual Photos

Fall 2007 - Individual Photos

2007 Guidelines for Coaches, Parents and Players

From the league last night:

EL PASO PRIDE SOCCER ASSOCIATION

GUIDELINES FOR COACHES, PARENTS AND PLAYERS

1. Players must wear “Pride” red or white uniforms as issued and will not be allowed to play in similar or other colors during any league games. Players should be notified before the first game that uniforms are available at the Pride office. (The office is not open on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday). Tournament shirts and alternative colors may be worn only during Pride Cup and/or other sponsored tournaments.

2. Any player who is not listed on the certified team roster (is not registered) will not be eligible to play during the developmental season. Coaches: Please check your team roster to ensure each eligible registered player is listed correctly on your official team roster.

3. It is recommended that coaches hold a parent meeting prior to the season to discuss “sportsmanship.” Topics to be discussed should include the following:

   1. Sideline behavior: Parents are to remain on the sideline of their team. No one is allowed behind the goalie (goalposts). Only positive or complimentary language should be used. It is unacceptable for parents or coaches to make derogatory comments to the opposing players or the referees. This will not be tolerated. If a parent or coach is asked to leave the game for any reason, they will be automatically suspended from attending the next scheduled league game. Should this type of behavior reoccur, the next course of action may result in a hearing with the Pride Soccer Risk Management Committee.

   2. Referees: The referees are usually young men and/or women who are trying to do the best that they can; at times they may miss a “call” and/or forget some aspect of the Rules of the Game. They are not intentionally favoring one team over another, or trying to manipulate the outcome of the game; and to suggest so would be very inappropriate. Spectator or coach questions concerning referee calls made or rules interpretation, should be directed to the Pride Office for clarification. Under no circumstances should a coach or parent approach the referee during or after the game. This is usually when conflicts arise. We have found that a cooling down period, prior to filing a complaint, allows for cooler heads to prevail and for better communication.

   3. Players: Players are expected to adhere to acceptable and sportsmanly standards of citizenship and fair play at all times – both on and off the field. Physical or verbal altercations as well as derogatory expressions (trash talking) are considered inappropriate conduct and will not be tolerated.

   4. Coaches: Coaches should be regarded as role models and should set the tone of sportsmanship and fair play at all times. Positive comments are a sign of respect for everyone involved with the game of soccer. Coaches should take a higher position with regards to these standards. Parents and spectators are encouraged to support the coaches and players by exhibiting positive behavior on the sidelines at all times.

4. Finally, developmental soccer is about learning, not winning. Coaches are never judged by the record of their team but rather the character, sportsmanship, growth and desire to play the game they inspire in the players on their team.

Game 03 Picasaweb Album

And here is a link to Game 03 pictures at our Google Picasaweb site.



Coach Drew's camera stayed in its bag during the game yesterday, so these are all the pictures I have to post. I didn't notice, but if anybody else took pictures please bring them to practice Tuesday on a CD and I'll get them on the web for everybody to enjoy. Thanks!

Photobucket Pictures from Game 03

Pictures from Game 03 are now uploaded to our Photobucket site. Click on the picture below to go to the album for Game 03.

Game 03 Photos on Flickr

Here are the photos from today's game.

www.flickr.com Himicane's 2007 - Fall - Game 03 photoset

Statistics From Game 03

Way to go Herricanes!! That was a nice win today. We are now 2-1 for the season. The statistics from today's game have been updated and posted to our Google Docs account. If you would prefer, they can also be downloaded as an Excel Spreadsheet, an OpenOffice Spreadsheet, or a PDF File.

Herricanes Google Calendar

I finally entered the game schedule on to our Google Calender. The link to it (Herricanes Schedule/Calendar) can be found in the Herricanes Links Section of the Blog.

Additional Photos from Game 02

Just in the nick of time before today's game we have more pictures from last week's win!! Due to size limitations the additional pictures are only located on Flickr or Photobucket.

Flickr Set for Game 02

Photobucket Album for Game 02

I'm still working on getting the video from last week uploaded. Either Google Video or my computer is being difficult. I'm looking forward to another win this afternoon. Go Herricanes!

Statistics Update

Updated Game statistics for the Herricanes can be found here. I've also created a couple of handy links at the top of the page under the blue banner for the season's schedule and the statistics page.

What A Beautiful Day - Pictures from Game 02's Win

Everything clicked today and the Herricanes won their first game today 3-1. We have a Picasa Web Album and a slideshow below of photos from today's game.



We also have the Flickr album page and slideshow as well as the Photobucket SubAlbum

More Pictures from Game 01!!

Thanks to James McWilliams and Coach Drew's camera we now have 341 pictures on-line at Flickr from our first game on Saturday, 8 Sep 07. You can also view the pictures directly in slideshow mode.

I added about 299 pictures. That's around 943MB worth of digital picture fun! Right now Flickr seems to be the site best suited for handling this large volume (numbers and size of pictures) of data. So we might be using Flickr more than the other photo sites.

Herricanes' Game Statistics - Fall 2007

We have a special treat today for you Herricanes fans out there, Statistics!! Game statistics for the Herricanes can be found here. Now, this week you girls need to turn up the heat so I can fill in some numbers in the goals and assists columns!! Go Herricanes!

About the Statistics

• We try to keep stats so we can watch as the girls improve during the season. As the girls get to try different positions they'll have an opportunity to contribute in different ways so don't get too wrapped up in it.
• Goals and assists are what you'd expect. Stops are when one of the players turns the ball back on defense. Saves are when a player blocks a shooting attempt by the other team. Note that it is possible for a player who is not playing goalie to get a save in a game (at least the way we're counting them).

Herricanes Game 01 Video

Here is the video from game 01 on 8 Sep 07

Fall 2007 Opening Game Photos

Well it was a tough one yesterday. The girls played hard but were not able to put one in the win column. All in all, however, it was a fine opening to the season. No one got hurt. The weather was beautiful, we did not get rained or snowed on. And, the support from the parents was wonderful!

Here are the pictures from our camera from today's game. I'm playing with a number of different photo sites, so there are a bunch of links all to the same set photos on different sites.

PicasaWeb

- Album Page

Fall 2007 - Game 01 - 08 Sep 07

- Slide Show



Flickr

- Home Page

- Album Page

- Slideshow

Photobucket

- Album Page

I know there were more cameras out there taking pictures today, so please, burn me a CD with your photos and bring them to practice on Tuesday and I'll add them to the site.

Coach's Objectives and Expectations

• My goal as the coach to teach the kids everything they will need to know about the game and to prepare them to compete against players their own age.
• To achieve this, I like to run a very structured and disciplined practice. I usually plan 90% of my practice from beginning to end. I know which drills/skills we will use and I have an objective skill or concept that I hope the games and drills will help develop.
• The boys (as a whole) will need more of the fundamental information, and we will be covering many of these items. Offense, defense, positions, and roles, as well as all of the ball skills that they will need to succeed against the other teams they will be playing.
• Some of the girls are also brand new to Pride Soccer and are either moving over from recreational soccer (YMCA) or playing for the very first time.
• Because some of the girls are also just learning positional play, and roles and responsibilities I believe we can combine many of the basic topics and coordinate practices to overlap.
• When on the field, be it at practice or at a game, I always try to speak as loudly and as clearly as I possibly can throughout. I believe that the entire team can learn from the successes of, or corrections to any player or group of players performance. If we are spread throughout the playing field, I want all of the players to have the benefit of that correction, I achieve that by speaking loudly.
• I expect that if I, or any coach, is speaking or demonstrating (to the group) that the entire group is listening. This means that all players pay attention to the coach, and no talking or horseplay during these times. Disruptions of demonstrations and/or instruction will not be tolerated. Players who continue to disrupt practice are usually asked to sit aside and watch. Not with their attending parent, but alone on the sideline. Close enough that they can still hear and watch but far enough that they can no longer disrupt the others from learning the skills being delivered. It has been my experience that no player has ever been "sat out" more than once.
• Regarding player equipment and preparedness, as most of you know, I will bring practice balls for both teams to each practice. I do this to avoid the inevitable chasing of "my ball". At the end of the season, each player will get to keep one of the practice balls -- we will have a signing party at the end of the season and they can all sign each others ball. With the team and season information added to the ball this becomes a "trophy" of sorts for the kids and as they move from size 3 to 4 to 5 will give them a "history" of their progress.
• Each player should come to every game and practice with at least protective shin guards and athletic shoes which cover the entire foot (cleats are recommended but not required). This is to insure that the player is not injured, and also provides the player with the best opportunity to succeed.
• In closing, the charter of this league, is developmental in nature. I try to adhere as closely as possible to that charter. I don't turn away any player regardless of skill level, I don't recruit players from other teams, and I don't hold tryout like practices (as some teams do). If a child wants to play soccer, I will work with that child and teach them as much as I can; hopefully empowering them to play better soccer and to learn to love the game.
  

Herricanes' Practice Field - Frontier Park

Practice is Essential (and FUN!)

• Practice will be every Tuesday and Thursday from 1700-1830 at the Frontier Park. There are no bathroom facilities near by so please do your best to take care of business before you come out to the field.
  
• We urge parents to help with skills outside of practice and the games.
• Players are expected to be at every practice and at each game. If your daughter cannot make it, please contact one of the coaches prior to practice.
• Please practice and reinforce the soccer skills learned at practice with your girls. It's all about fun but it's much more fun for the girls when they get more proficient with their feet and their moves.

Things to Remember

• Soccer at this age level focuses on learning basic skills and having fun, not on winning games. All players will have equal playing time during the games.
• We have the same number of players and the same positions as last season. All of the players will be exposed to all of the skills at practice and we will do our best to rotate the girls through positions that they want to play.
• Parents should focus on the positive things the players are doing and offer words of encouragement to all players during games and practices.
• It's all about the snack for another few years yet!

View Larger Map

Photo Transfer Complete!

The Yahoo to Flickr photo transfer is complete. We currently have 2641 photos going back to the Fall 2004 season. You can view these photos at the following address: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorainbows2/

Fall 2007 Goal Keeper Training

FALL 2007 - GOAL KEEPER TRAINING

LOCATION: BONFORTE PARK

Goalkeeper Coach: David Bluetrich

DIRECTIONS: From Nevada and Jackson, go east on Jackson to Wahsatch. Field is on the corner of Wahsatch and Jackson.

U7 – U8 Boys and Girls:
Sept. 7^th 5:00 to 6:00 pm
Sept. 21^st 5:00 to 6:00 pm
Oct. 5^th 5:00 to 6:00 pm
Oct. 19^th 5:00 to 6:00 pm

U9-U12 Boys and Girls:
Sept. 14^th 5:00 to 6:00 pm
Sept. 28^th 5:00 to 6:00 pm
Oct. 12^th 5:00 to 6:00 pm
Oct. 21^st 2:00 to 3:00 pm

View Larger Map

Fall 2007 Game Schedule

The Herricanes' schedule for the Fall 2007 Season can be found on the Pride Soccer web site. I've also posted a copy of it here.

	Saturday	September 8, 2007	10:00 AM	H	Bobcats	L ?-?	Grant Park West
	Saturday	September 15, 2007	9:00 AM	A	Bobcats	W 2-1	Jefferson Park
	Saturday	September 22, 2007	3:00 PM	H	Cougars	W 5-3	Grant Park East
	Saturday	September 29, 2007	10:00 AM	H	Hurricanes	?-?	Grant Park West
	Saturday	October 6, 2007	4:00 PM	A	"GWA"	?-?	Bon Forte
	Saturday	October 13, 2007	2:00 PM	H	Pixie Stix	?-?	Grant Park West
	Saturday	October 20, 2007	2:00 PM	A	(Berger)	?-?	Bon Forte
	Saturday	October 27, 2007	11:00 AM	A	Mustangs	?-?	Jefferson Park

Please have your daughter there 15 minutes prior to game time with both shirts just in case there is a mixup. (H) stands for Home Team. The Home Team wears red jerseys. (A) stands for Away Team. The Away Team wears white jerseys.

If you have a Google Account clicking on this button will let you subscribe to the Herricanes' Google Calendar and add it to your Google Calendar.

The iCal address for the calendar is
http://www.google.com/calendar/ical/goherricanes%40gmail.com/public/basic.ics
You can copy the link and paste it into an iCal enabled calendar program like Outlook or Mozilla's Sunbird/Lightning or click on the link to download the iCalendar ICS file and import it into those same calendar programs.

Herricanes!! - The Soccer Team Formerly Known As the Rainbows

Well, the votes for the name the Rainbows contest came in earlier this week and the Rainbows are now known as the Herricanes!!

Pride Soccer

The Herricanes are part of the Pride Soccer Developmental League.

Pride Soccer
1515 N Academy Blvd
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
(719) 597-6700
(719) 597-4040 - Fax
pridesoccer.com

Kicking to open space

The effective use of open space includes:

• Getting into open space if you don't have the ball (to look for a pass) and;
• Kicking the ball hard into open space and chasing it (so you can run faster)

Someimtes we'll play a game sort of like freeze tag in the sense that the person with the ball must freeze and pass rather than dribble or run with the ball. This is meant to teach the girls to get into open space and look for a pass rather than bunch around the ball.

Positions, clearing, and driving for a goal

Let's take a look at where to go when you play a particular position. Sometimes it can be confusing, so a refresher never hurts. Work with your player occasionnally by doing a pop quiz on where they would go for the following positions:

• Left Fullback (left side on defense) - puts pressure on attackers on the left side of the defensive zone and pushes attackers outside until the right fullback yells "COVER"
• Right Fullback (right side on defense) - same as the left fullback but handles the right side.
• Left Forward (left side on offense) - hangs around the center line looking for a pass from the defense and attacks from the right side.
• Right Forward (right side on offense) - same as the left forward but handles the right side.
• Wonder woman (center of the field) - this is the only player that covers the whole field playing offense and defense. This position is one of the hardest working on the field.
• Keeper - (in the goal box) - primarily hangs in the goal box where she can use her hands to pick up and cover the ball.

It is important that the girls understand each position so when they are given an assignment they know what to do.

We also worked on the concept of clearing the ball to the side, passing up field near the center line, and taking the ball outside to drive on offense. Another good pop quiz is to ask your player where to clear the ball. The answer should always be "TO THE SIDE" or "DOWN THE SIDELINE". If they clear to the center it's too easy for the other team to take the opportunity to score.

After the defense transitions the ball to the offense the attacker should drive down the side while the other forward and wonder woman position themselves in open space. The attacker should look to center the ball to the other players when there is an opening.

Last but not least, the girls should work on controling the ball before they go for the big kick. It is key to control the ball and get one or two touches on it before passing or clearing out of the zone.

Shielding the Ball

We've seen this one before but it's a very important skill to learn. It's deceptively simple in that you are trying to put your body between the defender and the ball. Here is a link that provides some of the basics: http://www.footy4kids.co.uk/shielding_the_ball.htm.

Shoulder Tackles and More Passing

There are a couple of things that you can do to help your daughter have more fun and progress in the game faster:

• NO-MO-TOE! We really want the girls to stop kicking with their toes. It comes naturally and feels good but it's time to transition into the proper techniques. When you are at home practicing (as we know you do) please emphasise that big kicks are done with the laces (instep drive) and passing is done with the inside of the foot. They don't like it right now because it feels wierd and they need the practice so please help reinforce the proper kicking techniques.
• USE BOTH FEET! Praise, bribe, and otherwise provide incentive for your daughter to practice kicking with her non-dominant foot. This skill is critical to developing soccer players and the more they do it the better they will get. Several of the girls point out with pride when they use their opposite foot. Make it fun, a challenge, or whatever works but get them to practice with both feet.

More about the shoulder tackle - coach Drew said it best "it's like jogging with your friend shoulder to shoulder and then you decide they're not your friend and you push them to the side with your body". Some of the do's and don'ts of the shoulder tackle:

Do

• wait until you hear the cover girl yell "COVER" before you go for the tackle
• catch up to and run along side the attacker (the person with the ball)
• look for the attacker to have their weight on the foot closest to you
• lean into the attacker with your shoulder to put the attacker off balance
• take the ball

Don't

• use the arms, elbows, or hands to engage the attacker
• run into the attacker
• go for the tackle unless you are sure there is a cover girl

Throw-ins, Passing, and PCB Defense

Let's focus on throw-ins and passing using the inside of both feet. Some key points for the passing technique include:

• Strike the ball with the side of the foot at the equator of the ball with the toe of the kicking foot pointed slightly up
• Follow through with the kick so that the receiver sees the sole of the passers shoe (like every other sport, follow through is important)
• USE BOTH FEET. I know the girls don't like to use their non-dominant foot but now is the time. I challenge Nicole at home all of the time to use her left foot for basic practice skills and it's amazing how fast they can do great things if they just try.

Here are some passing links that describe the technique in more detail:

• http://www.ayso751.org/coaches_tecs.html#pass
  
• http://www.sweetspotworld.com/players.html

For the throw-ins the key points include:

• Both feet must stay on the ground during the throw (lifting either foot is a foul and results in a turn over). "Listen" for your back toe to drag in the grass when you throw.
• Throw with the whole body (not just your arms) by transferring your weight forward during the throw. This technique is what puts the power in the throw.

• http://www.ayso751.org/coaches_tecs.html#throw
• http://www.ehow.com/how_5100_develop-throw-skills.html

Let's talk about the defensive strategy Pressure, Cover, Balance (PCB). One other way to remember the strategy is to remember, Pretty Cute Boys. This extends another one of our techniques the stacked defense (one girl forward and one girl back).

• Pressure - The defender closest to the ball (the first defender) forces the opponent outside
• Cover - The second defender gets into position between the opponent and the goal to cover the opponent in the event that the pressure player misses the tackle. In games we want the girls to start communicating so that the cover girl yells "COVER" to let the pressure girl know it is safe to try to steal the ball.
• Balance - The girls should start to be aware of the opposing players and "mark up" (guard) them. The coaches will start using "mark up" during the games to give the players in indication that they need to look around them and guard an opponent.

Here is a long-ish article that I found interesting. Skip to section 1.a. for a brief description of the PCB fundamentals.

The Instep Drive

This week's skill is called the instep drive. For those of you who missed practice or need a refresher here are some links that describe the technique:

• http://www.ayso751.org/coaches_tecs.html#instep
• http://www.expertfootball.com/training/instep_drive.php
• http://www.expertfootball.com/gossip/answer.php?qid=84

By now you're asking yourself, "How can I help teach my daughter this important soccer technique?"

One exercise you can do in the comfort of your own home is to sit on the floor and support a soccer ball with your feet. Then have your daughter approach and go through the kicking motion up to planting their kicking foot on the ball. If you have stairs you can also set the ball up against the bottom step and let your daughter go crazy. The stair will hold the ball so you can concentrate on watching the technique. Things to watch for during this excercise:

• The plant foot (non-kicking foot) should be placed slightly behind the midpoint of the ball and should be pointed in the direction that the kick should go (you don't want the plant foot in line or ahead of the ball)
• The ankle of the kicking foot should be locked with the toe stretched out like a ballet dancer
• The kicking foot should contact the ball on the shoe laces.

In practice we noticed that many of the girls have difficulty approaching the ball, cocking the kicking leg and executing the kick in one smooth motion so you can work on this when they understand the mechanics of the kick.

U8 Positional Play 2-1-2 Formation

The 2-1-2 web page does not seem to work for me in the Firefox browser. It should would fine in Internet Explorer. So, for those of you without Internet Explorer here is a pdf of the same thing.

Herricanes Calendar

Rainbows Photo Archive

2209 pictures! That's how many pictures are in the new Rainbows Photo Archive at Yahoo Photo! Not too long ago Yahoo Photo announced unlimited photo storage. I thought, "I can't think of a better use for all that storage than to create an archive of all the Rainbows Soccer photos." So create it I did. There are photos for both the Fall and Spring seasons from 2004 to 2007.

Now, not long after Yahoo announced their unlimited storage they then announced they were going to close down Yahoo Photo and go exclusively with Flickr. Yahoo owns Flickr. So I will keep you posted. It is my belief that all of the pictures will get transferred over to Flickr, either to our existing and little used site or to a new Rainbows Site.

End of Season Party!!

Many thanks to Coach Drew and Mrs. Coach Drew for hosting another wonderful party to celebrate the Rainbows' Spring 2007 Season!! Also many thanks to everyone who brought food and to the parents responsible for the coaches gifts!

Rainbows - Spring 2007 - End of Season Party

End of Season Slideshow

Video From Final Game

Here is the video from the final game of the 2007 Spring season.

Game 07 Photos

Rainbows fans here are some pictures from the 7th and final game of the Spring 2007 Season.

Rainbows Soccer - Spring 2007 - Game 07

Don't forget the end of season party is Saturday, 26 May at Coach Drew's house.

Game 06 Video

Here is the video from Game 06

Additional Pictures!!

We've got s special treat this week folks! Thanks to the photographic stylings of Jennifer Kelly we have additional pictures of your Rainbows in some of our Picasa Web Albums. Thanks to Kelly we have some new pictures for the Team Photos and Games 01, 02, & 03. We also have a brand new album of some pictures from a few of our April practices!

April Practice

If anyone else has pictures or video they'd like to post please let me know.

Game 06 Photos

Into each life a little rain must fall. Unlike most of our soccer games this year the rain this past weekend was not actual precipitation, but our first loss. Still, the girls played with a lot of spirit and heart.

Rainbows Soccer - Spring 2007 - Game 06

Game 05 Video

Hello Everybody,

Here is the video from Game 05. Sorry it took so long to post. It's been a busy week at the Maloney house.

Pix From the Two-Peat

Here are the pictures from our second victory over the Lightning this weekend. Both teams played their hearts out.

Rainbows Soccer - Spring 2007 - Game 05

Game 04 Video

Here is the video from Game 04, a rousing win over the Lightning 3-2

Game 04 Photos - Under a Gray May Sky

The rainbows were victorious again, beating the Lightning 3-2 under constant threat of a rain/sleet/snow!

Rainbows Soccer - Spring 2007 - Game 04

Rainbows Game Video Update

The videos for games 02 and 03 have been posted on Google Video.

Game 02



Game 03

Rainbows Remain Undefeated!!

In a hard fought make-up game on Sunday the Rainbows played the Purple Pixie Stix to a 1-1 tie to remain undefeated this season.

Rainbows Soccer - Spring 2007 - Game 03

Game 01 Photo Update!

I was able to update the photo gallery from Game 01 with 66 photos from Coach Drew's camera! Thanks Coach!

Rainbows Win! - Rainbows Win! (9-0)

In a stunning display of teamwork and good clean aggressive play the Rainbows won their first game of the season today 9-0 over the Leopards! The girls did a fantastic job today and deserve a sleepover tonight Mom & Dad.

Rainbows Soccer - Spring 2007 - Game 02

Still glowing from a winning game enhanced inner beauty we were able to take some time today to take some team pictures.

Rainbows Soccer - Spring 2007 - Team Photos

Rainbows Game 01 Video

Good morning Rainbows fans! Here is the video from yesterday's game. I'm trying out Google Video. It does not have the size and length limits of YouTube. That means I can upload the video as a single file and not have to break it up into pieces. This should make it easier and faster for me to post our videos after each game.

• You can click on the play button on the embedded video player above and play the video right here in the blog.
• This link will take you to the video's page on Google Video. You can play it there in a larger format.
• On that page there is another link where you can download and install the Google Video Player (GVP) if you would like to play/stream the video on your desktop and not in a browser.
• If you already have the GVP installed, this link will download a Google Video Pointer (gvp) file/shortcut for the video for Game 01. Save the gvp file to your computer and double click on it and the Google Video Player will start up and start streaming the video from the web into the player installed on your computer. Just be aware, the GVP saves a copy of the streamed video on your hard drive. After playing the video for Game 01 this way on my computer GVP left a 200MB file on my hard drive. If you want to delete the video after you watch it click on the File and then Preferences menus in the GVP to see where it's saving the files on your computer.
  

Rainbows Home Opener - 2-2 Tie!

After repeated weather delays, the Rainbows were finally able to start the Spring 2007 season today! In a very strong effort the Rainbows played the Panthers to a 2-2 tie. We've got a solid foundation now to build on for the rest of the season. Way to Go Rainbows!!

Blogged with Flock

Updated Dates for Matches, Pictures and Training

Make-Up Matches

April 7^th games will be played the same time, same location on April 29^th

April 14^th games will be played the same time, same location on May 6^th

An updated schedule suitable for putting on the fridge has been posted on the Rainbows Schedule page in both Word and PDF formats. Also updated our Rainbows Google Calendar.

The fields for picture day are as follows:

April 21^st El Pomar, Memorial, Bonforte and Grant
Apri 28th Cottonwood

For the Skills training:
U4-U6 May 9^th 4:30 to 5:30 pm Memorial Park west of the Velodrome Union Blvd
U7-U8 May 9^th 5:30 to 6:30 pm Memorial Park west of the Velodrome Union Blvd
U9-U12 May 9^th 6:30 to 7:45 pm Memorial Park west of the Velodrome Union Blvd

This is a free skills training and will be conducted by Gary Evans, Brian Contreras and aided by Elite Competitive players.

Goalie Training:

U7-U8 April 27^th 5:00 – 6:00 Bonforte Park
U9-U12 May 4^th` 5:00 – 6:00 Bonforte Park
U7-U8 May 11^th 5:00 – 6:00 Bonforte Park
U9-U12 May 18^th 5:00 – 6:00 Bonforte Park

New Practice Location

Sorry about the dearth of blog entries lately. I will blame it on the weather, cancellation of matches, and taxes. I will try to catch up this morning before today's contest.

The new practice location is Frontier Park and it is located on Meadow Ridge Drive, between Lexington and Rangewood. It is just west of Frontier Elementary School.

Matches Cancelled Today

This is from the Pride Web Site this morning:

All games for Saturday April 7 are cancelled for Competitive, Intermediate, X-quad and Developmental.

Developmental Cancellations will be played on April 29th same time same place.

Intermediate & X-quad Cancellations will be played on April 29th same time same place.

Competitive Cancellations need to reschedule with coach to coach confirmation of date and time.

I've updated the Rainbows Schedule Page, the Google Calendar, and posted a revised copy of the new schedule in a word document for folks to download.

Schedule Added

This week I've updated the Rainbows Schedule page and our Google Calendar with this season's matches. Hopefully the weather will allow us to have our first one tomorrow! As Coach Drew understands it, City Parks dictates if we can play tomorrow or not. Pride Soccer should have a recording on their phone line (597-6700) sometime in the morning letting us know if tomorrow's games will still be played. Keep your fingers crossed and dust off your snow boots! You've got to love Spring soccer in Colorado!

Rainbows Soccer Spring 2007!!

Well sports fans, Spring is here and everyone knows what that means... That's right! It's time for Rainbows Soccer! Practices have started and the first game is about two and a half weeks away.

For the families that are new to the Rainbows, I'm Caroline Maloney's father, David. I am the team's photographer, filmographer, and webmaster. I wanted to let everyone know I've made the initial updates to the Rainbows' WebSite. The next update should be on or shortly after 4 Apr when I update the site with the schedule of matches.

The "Rainbows WebSite" is really a conglomerate of 5 different web sites:
- GooglePages - The Main Site
- PicasaWeb - For Match Pictures
- YouTube - For Match Videos
- Blogspot - Blog of "What's New"
- Google Calendar - Practice and Match Schedule

Checkout the site when you get a chance and remember I'll post pictures or videos from any one of us proud parents!