Cordova Bay U12 Chaos

Chaos 2006 - 2010

2010-04-28T23:03:00.001-07:00

A wander down memory lane. Some of the 2009-10 Chaos have witnessed a lot of changes to Doug and myself!

And it's four years and counting for Genevieve and Miranda - you should both be awarded some kind of medal for your pain and suffering!

Team Party

2010-04-26T09:30:00.001-07:00

My thanks to Eva and Brendon for their warm hospitality in hosting our season-end party. I cant imagine a better place to host the event. Same time and place next year?

And my final congratulations to all the Chaos players and parents on a wonderful year of soccer. The changes in the girls since the start of the season has been immense - both on-field and off-field - and it has made for a very satisfying year for their coaches. It was truly a privilege to coach such a neat group of young ladies.

Hope everyone has a terrific spring and summer and we'll see you all back on turf sometime in August!

Uniform Return

2010-04-20T12:45:00.000-07:00

A reminder to bring your jersey and shorts to our team party on Sunday so that I can return them to the club.

The socks are yours to keep.

Team Party

2010-04-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

The Irvine's have kindly offered their residence for our season end soiree.

When: Sunday April 25, 1pm-3pm
Where: 5763 Old West Saanich Road (off of Oldfield Road, access via Brookhaven)
What to bring: A favourite snack or drink to share + bathing suit for hot tub or pool.

Please send me an email to confirm how many will be attending from each family.

Wednesday Practice

2010-04-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Practice this week will likely be on grass as I understand there is an adult game at 6pm on the turf.

So make sure you don't wear turf boots.

Jamboree Game Schedule - April 17/18

2010-04-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

Friday 8:30pm vs Comox Valley @ Lochside Turf
Saturday 11am vs Nanaimo @ Lambrick Park High School
Saturday 5:15pm vs Gordon Head @ Torquay School
Sunday 11am vs North Shore @ Lambrick Park High School

No Practice Wednesday

2010-03-31T15:58:00.000-07:00

No practice Wednesday as Lochside is being used for assessments.

And a reminder that we're still looking for U12 girls for this weekend's World Cups Tourney. Any questions please give me a call.

Full Field Festival Review

2010-03-29T01:55:00.000-07:00

A very testing Saturday for the Chaos.

Our first "real" first -field game and we play one player short! Nice! But a nice finish from Justine in the first-half had us thinking of an improbable win only for our legs to tire in the second-half. Our opponents capitalized on a mistake to draw level, but we still had enough in the tank to ensure the game ended all-square. Overall we played pretty well and might have knicked a win with a bit more luck.

The second game was always going to be the tough one. Bays are a big, fast, physical team who knock the ball around pretty well, plus they had the advantage of our second game coming as their first. So it was no surprise that with a full bench and fresh legs they made most of the running and eventually ran-out easy winners. On a different playing surface (perhaps one where the grass isn't ten inches long) and with a couple more subs we likely leave the field much content.

However the point of the weekend's game is to further understand the 11-a-side game so I think it was a success regardless of the results.

Congrats to the Chaos who played on the Sunday for the Silver squad. I understand you went undefeated and scored a bunch of goals.

Hope to see everyone at upcoming assessments on Tuesday.

2010-11 Player Assessments

2010-03-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

A reminder that player assessments for the 2010-11 season are approaching very fast.

March 30 (Tuesday) 6:00-7:15pm @ Tyndall Turf
April 6 (Tuesday) 6:00-7:15pm @ Tyndall Turf
April 9 (Friday) 6:L00-7:15pm @ Lochside Turf

Players must be registered prior to attending assessments. Please register online at the following website: https://www.ghsa.bc.ca/registration/player_reg_identify.asp

The club registrar will also attend assessments and accept manual registrations.

I would also like to emphasize how important it is that every player attend at least one assessment. There are no further assessments scheduled after April so any player not attending is at risk of not being selected for the Gold team. And for those players wishing to play U13 Gold next season obviousl;y attending more than one session is to your advantage. In effect the Gold team(s) will be selected by April 15 so this is your chnace to impress.

The assessments will also determine whether the club forms one or two U13 Gold Girls teams next season. In basic terms, based on assessment results the Technical Director and Technical Committee will determine whether there are enough players to form two competitive Gold teams.

Any questions please feel free to call or email.

No Practice Tonight

2010-03-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

A number of girls are absent due to illness and other commitments so we'll cancel tonight and see everyone Wednesday.

Gordon Head Rematch

2010-03-16T19:12:00.001-07:00

What: Full Field Game vs Gordon Head
When: 11:15am, Saturday March 20
Where: Lochside Turf

LISA Full Field Festival Game Schedule

2010-03-12T17:50:00.000-08:00

Here is our game schedule for the Full Field Festival on Saturday March 27 & 28.

Saturday - 9am vs Peninsula @ Blue Heron
Saturday - 11am vs. Bays United @ Parkland School
Sunday - 10am vs. Peninsula @ Blue Heron #2
Sunday - Noon vs Prospect Lake @ Parkland School

Games will be 2 x 25 minute halves.

We will be combining Gold and Silver teams for the tournament so I do not expect everyone to attend all four games. However I would like all Chaos available for the Saturday games and then we'll figure out after that who can play in the Sunday games. We'll need between 13-14 players for each game.

Any questions let me know.

No Game Saturday

2010-03-11T23:06:00.001-08:00

No game this weekend. I'll have more information early next week about an exhibition game against Gordon Head on March 20th.

Wednesday Practice Cancelled

2010-03-09T23:18:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone is enjoying their spring break!

Hopefully I'll be making it more enjoyable when I inform you all that there will be no practice tomorrow! This way everyone can enjoy the return of winter warming themselves before the fireplace.

Full Field Madness

2010-03-06T15:56:00.000-08:00

For our first (nearly) eleven-a-side game we did pretty well. A little disjointed at times, but much of that came down to a lack fo players and uncertainty over a new formation. However we did well enough to deserve better than a 0-2 result and gives us an early taste of what's to come at the Full Field Festival on March 27 and the Gordon Head Jamboree April 16-17-18.

The only bad news was what appeared to be a serious injury to Miranda. Hopefully the injury doesn't impact family holiday plans for spring break :-(

Spring Soccer Programs

2010-03-02T21:49:00.001-08:00

A number of parents have asked about spring soccer programs. There are really only two options - Gorge Spring league or World Cups Academy.

The Gorge Spring league is games only at Hampton and Tyndall turf fields between April and end of June. Teams play Super 8 on half-field. Cost is usually around $90. Doug and I are not entering a U12 team in GSL this year due to other soccer commitments but I understand that several players from Tom's team are entering a team and they are looking for players.

World Cups are offering their U12 spring academy team. The academy team is selected by Brett & Steph and will play full field (eleven-a-side). The emphasis is on technical development but there are 5-6 games as well as a tournament in Bellingham, WA in late June. Practices are twice a week + games and the academy starts in mid-April and runs until the end of June. Cost is $500 and includes a uniform and training gear but does not include travel costs (food, ferry, hotel).

If you would like to discuss in more detail please feel free to give me a call or email, or ask me at training on a Monday or Wednesday evening.

Spring Break Soccer Schedule

2010-03-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

Here is the practice and game plan for the next 2-3 weeks.

* Week of Mar 1-6 - practices Monday & Wednesday; game vs. Gordon Head @ Lochside on Saturday
* Week of Mar 8-13 - practice on Wednesday only
* Week of Mar 15-20 - practice on Wednesday only; game vs. Gordon Head (Full Field @ location TBA).

If you're looking for more soccer World Cups Academy is offering a spring break camp March 8-12 @ Lochside Park from 8-12pm. http://www.worldcupsoccercamp.com/springbreak/CordovaBay.htm

Gorge 1 Chaos 2

2010-02-27T16:21:00.000-08:00

Finally some goals resulting from Robyn's corners! It's taken us a while but the past two or three games we've been getting closer and closer and today we finally cracked it! First, Erin got us on the board chesting the ball across the goal line and then shortly after Gorge equalized Lydia was first to react to a knock-down drilling a bullet of a shot into the net.

The post-game reports I received suggest we had a couple of chances to add to the scoreline, but both Justine and Camille shot just wide.

Overall I was very pleased with our effort. We just need to pay more attention to small details like your body-positioning when receiving the ball, better first touches and attacking bouncing balls.

Chaos 2 Peninsula 1

2010-02-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

Well it was nice to finally get a win against Peninsula. We had to come back from a goal-down to do so, but the goal seemed to wake us up and what followed was some intense pressure on the Peninsula goal. Sometimes it happens that conceding a goal actually helps you focus and I thought today was a good example of that.

The first goal came from good wing-play from Kathleen combined with good positioning on the far post by Robyn. Doug and I have been emphasizing the opposite forward sealing-off the back post on crosses and corners and today we got our reward. The second-goal followed quite quickly and took the same route, however this time Kathleen's cross bounced off a PSA defender into their goal. Late on Camille had to do well to stop a shot labeled for the top corner but in the end we held on fairly comfortably.

Hopefully that will be the end of our 8:45am start times!

Gorge is up next and I will have details on where and when at Wednesday training.

Peninsula Game

2010-02-17T23:36:00.001-08:00

Our game on Saturday is 8:45am so please try and be there for 8:15am.

Chaos 0 Bays 2

2010-02-13T14:47:00.000-08:00

A couple of thoughts about today's game.

Firstly, that's a very strong team we played today yet I thought we were the best team for much of the first half. We certainly out-chanced them and limited them to very few chances. It was unfortunate to give up a goal how and when we did, but it was still a good opening 30 minutes. As has happened a number of times this year we created opportunities from good ball movement but our final shot didn't do enough to trouble their goalie.

Second, I thought their goalie and their #9 were very good. We gave their #9 too much space at times and while she didn't score, she helped create several good scoring chances with her vision and skill. Their goalie dominated her eighteen like no other goalie I've seen this year and she made two excellent clearing kicks to help her defenders. Playing goalie is about making quick decisions and I don't think she made a single error today.

Fitness. We need to be sharper mentally and fitter physically if we want to compete for 60 minutes. At important times in the game today I thought we lacked that burst of energy necessary to get to the ball or close down our opponent. So we will pick up our fitness regiment again on Monday in hope we can get going and keep going faster and for longer.

Finally, a thanks to Desi and Mckenna for filling in today for some of our missing players. Both Desi and Mckenna didn't look out of place and made several good contributions.

Bays Game - Early Kickoff

2010-02-10T08:16:00.000-08:00

Kickoff on Saturday is 8:45am. Please try and be there for 8:15am.

We are playing on the middle field on the turf (1B).

No Game Saturday

2010-02-04T23:58:00.000-08:00

Confirmation that we do not have a game this Saturday :-(

Practice as usual next Monday, 5:30 @ Lochside Grass.

Have a great weekend!

Girls 3 Boys 1

2010-02-03T22:10:00.000-08:00

Now it's the ROMS girls time to give the boys some grief at school!

We certainly had our "A" game tonight and were well worth our win. We showed some good composure on the ball, made some nice passes, kept our shape pretty well and scored three strong goals. Not entirely sure who got the final touch on our first goal, Genevieve or Justine, but it certainly ranks as the fastest goal for the Chaos this season. The game had barely begun when Gen intercepted a clearing pass and her shot seemed to take a deflection off Justine's knee before fooling their keeper. We had a couple of other half-chances to score in the first 30 minutes with some good wing play from Lucy, but the boys escaped the half down only one goal.

Second-half was much the same. Camille put her name on the scoresheet with a fine individual effort after receiving a long pass from Kathleen. The boys then pegged us back a goal after a break down our right-side, but Kathleen restored our two goal cushion blasting home a rebound into an empty net after Robyn's cross was only parried by their keeper. In between Justine and then Erin had to make one great goal-line shot-block keeping out a sure goal after a scramble. Claudia, Lydia and Naomi all had scoring chances in the last thirty minutes but couldn't squeeze one home.

More than the win, what I really liked was how well we defended and when we had possession how we did the simple things to keep possession and move forward with the ball. And when we didn't have the ball we got goal side, checked-hard and limited the shots on Camille and Justine to long range efforts. I also think our midfielders - Erin and Kathleen - were very competitive and won more of the tackles than did the boys they faced. So overall another strong effort.

Night Off!

2010-02-01T16:24:00.001-08:00

No practice tonight. See you all Wednesday!

Wednesday Game

2010-02-01T08:28:00.001-08:00

A quick reminder that our game against the U12 Boys Wednesday is 7pm.

Fantastic first half, Frantic second half!

2010-01-30T20:57:00.000-08:00

Not quite a game of two halves, but close enough. Two goals leads are the most dangerous in sport and so it was today when we built a good lead but then suffered a couple of mistakes and misfortune and had to work much harder for the win than perhaps we should have.

We really played well in the first half and were absolutely worth our two goal lead and perhaps a couple more. Justine's recent strong play up-front was finally rewarded with a goal. Both the pass from Olivia and Justine's finish were top class - certainly one of the prettiest goals we've scored this year. We opened up the Lakehill defence on 5 or 6 more occasions, much of this coming from good build-up from the back and our strikers (Miranda & Justine ) doing an awesome job of holding the ball up and finding their team mates with passes. But our goal attempts didn't match the quality of our build-up play and too few of our shots troubled their keeper. Then after some sustained pressure Erin collected the ball about fifteen yards out and scored with a left-footer (really?) that fooled their keeper. Shortly after it should have been three after a cross from Olivia skipped past Miranda and Justine to find Robyn all alone in front of goal but, erm well we wont dwell on what happened next.

The second half saw Lakehill rejuvenated and they got a goal back quickly. This gave them a real kick and play was pretty even for the next five-ten minutes. We were still creating good chances but when shooting chances came our way we were too slow to take them. Defensively we were doing OK, but definitely lacked the confidence we had moving the ball as we did in the first half. Then Lakehill equalized with a goal that owed much to the slick surface of the field, squirming away from Justine. 2-2 and Lakehill were confident they could get the winner.

In response we raised our game again and our ball movement and decision making improved. As a result we put plenty of pressure on the Lakehill goal, but when Kathleen's fine shot from the left hit the crosswork (twice) it didnt look to be our day. However with a minute left Robyn scored a beauty after a quick short corner with Olivia. I'm sure Robyn will claim it was a shot and not a cross, but either way it was a great goal and a nice way to win a game we almost let get away from us.

Reminders we have fitness training Monday 5:30 (grass) and another game versus the boys on Wednesday 6:00 (turf).

Early to Bed on Friday Night!

2010-01-27T22:01:00.000-08:00

That's because our game is 8:30am on Saturday! The good news is we're on the new Braefoot Turf (the west field, closest to Braefoot Road).

See you there around 8:00am (yikes!). Remember to drink your coffee ;-)

World Cups Festival Registration

2010-01-27T14:05:00.000-08:00

The Easter weekend is fast approaching so that means registration for the annual Coast Capital World Cups Festival is now available.

You can register online at http://www.worldcups.ca/. I will also have manual registration forms with me at practices starting this evening.

If you have friends at school who play for other clubs please take a form for them as well or tell them to register online. Many of you have participated in past World Cups so you know how much fun the weekend is. It's going to be even better if more of your friends are teammates are there - whether they are on your team or not!

Chaos 2 Juan de Fuca 0

2010-01-23T20:29:00.000-08:00

Well that was a much better performance. We probably had fewer clear-cut scoring opportunities than we did against Gordon Head last week, but we certainly were better defensively. Outside of one breakaway where Camille made a great save and a free kick where Justine "stacked the pads", I can't remember another JDF shot on our goal. This is an excellent response to our poor 2nd half against Gordon Head where we showed little patience and even less thinking when we were defending our goal.

Our two goals today weren't too shabby either. Robyn's free kick blistered past both the wall and goalkeeper and Camille finished her breakway chance with a great finish after a nice through ball from Erin. We still need to get on the business end of our corners, but at least today we got two or three whacks at the ball as it bounced off the JDF keeper and around their penalty area. Too often we dont even get a scoring opportunity from Robyn's crosses, but there was signs that the team is starting to get the idea all you need to do is let the ball hit your body.

So overall it was a good performance from everyone and probably one of our most complete sixty-minutes of the season. Genevieve, Olivia, Kathleen and Claudia did well to shut down the JDF attack, while Erin did a nice job of winning balls in midfield against JDF's tall #15. And up front Justine did a great job of holding-up play for her fellow forwards with Miranda and Robyn profiting with some good shooting opportunities. It certainly appears that our game against the U12 Boys prepared us well for today's game so we'll look to repeat this in a couple of weeks as we prepare for Bays United and Peninsula.

However next up is Lakehill so we'll concentrate on them for now. Game time and location are TBA as usual.

Wednesday Exhibition Game

2010-01-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

Instead of our regular practice I have scheduled an exhibition game this Wednesday against the Boys U12 Silver.

Game time is 7pm and we are playing on Field 1C, which is the field closest to the footpath.

Please try and be there for 6:30pm for a warm-up. I will have different coloured uniforms for the game.

Nanaimo Trip Cancelled

2010-01-16T17:13:00.000-08:00

Regrettably I have had to withdraw from the Nanaimo Tournament. Simply too many calendar conflicts results in us not having enough players for the trip.

Fortunately the Sunday Academy starts up on the same day so interested players can get their soccer fix there.

Sunday Socccer Academy

2010-01-15T00:06:00.000-08:00

A reminder that World Cup Soccer camp (Brett & Steph) are running their winter academy sessions Sunday afternoons at Lochside Turf, 3:30-4:30pm. Training sessions start Sunday January 24and run through to March 22. I believe the cost is $100 for 8sessions.

I highly recommend these training sessions to any player looking for extra ballwork. Brett is armed with tonnes of new ideas after spending six weeks in Argentina working with some of the best coaches in Buenos Aires. Doug and I are huge supporters of WCSC because we believe they run the best program in town for players wanting to improve their skill and have fun at the same time.

I know many of us will miss the Jan 24 session as we're in Nanaimo, but I'll try and fin a way for us to make up that session later on.

Here is the link for more information

Saturday's Game

2010-01-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

Our game against Gordon Head is set for 9:45am @ Tyndall Turf.

Monday Jan 11 Practice is Cancelled

2010-01-11T14:36:00.001-08:00

Sorry folks, Doug is away on business and I've a minor emergency to attend to so we won't have practice tonight. Apologies for the short notice.

See you all Wednesday!

Bottle Drive Results

2010-01-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

This year we made $6500 beating last year's $5600 by some margin and setting yet another Victoria area record in the process. On top of that the tree chipping service at the Food Forum parking lot raised another $740.

So that's $7240 toward our turf payments!

My thanks to the Chaos players and parents for helping out.

Bottle Drive

2010-01-08T22:52:00.000-08:00

A quick reminder that we are meeting at Lochside Park tomorrow around 9:15am. From there we will break into three or four groups and set-off on our routes. I think we're probably looking at around 30-40 minutes per route.

The club is supplying refreshments and donuts after we're finished.

No Practice Tonight

2010-01-04T15:55:00.000-08:00

See you all Wednesday instead.

We may have a game on Wednesday night so check the blog tomorrow for updates.

Reminder #2 - Bottle Drive

2010-01-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

A reminder that instead of a game this Saturday we have a bottle drive. Erin and I have delivered the notices to our route but we need some help picking up the bottles Saturday morning and sorting them at Lochside Park.

Our route is Fowler Road, Menawood Place, Sayward Road, Alderley Road (north of Sayward), east side of Pat Bay Highway (between Cordova Bay Road and Sayward), as well as the stretch of Lochside leading into the park. I think three vehicles could get this done in about twenty minutes.

Please send me an email if you can help out. We will start collecting around 9:30am on Saturday.

Reminder #1 - Monday Practice

2010-01-03T17:10:00.000-08:00

Practices begin again this week. Please try and be at Lochside a little before 5:30pm and remember to bring runners for our distance running and speed work.

Monday Practice for Keeners!

2009-12-27T19:46:00.000-08:00

Reminder to all the Chaos keener's that Doug and/or I will be down at Lochside Turf tomorrow at 5:30pm for a light work-out. Our first league game is not until January 16th but I'm working on exhibition games for January 2nd and 9th.

The weather forecast calls for sun and cold temps so if you're planning on attending dress appropriately.

Practice Cancelled

2009-12-21T16:30:00.000-08:00

Just got in from the Western Communities where there is rain and wet-snow and I think it's following me!

As a result no practice tonight!

Fields Closed - Practice Cancelled

2009-12-14T15:58:00.000-08:00

We will try again next Monday at the same time.

Hope everyone enjoys an evening in front of a roaring fire with their family and some hot chocolate & marshmallows!

Holiday Practice Schedule

2009-12-13T21:32:00.000-08:00

Weather permitting we will continue with the Monday practices over the Christmas Holidays. You've been working hard on your fitness so one practice a week will go some way to maintaining it.

There will be no Wednesday practices and regular practices will resume on January 4.

Chaos 0 Gorge 0

2009-12-12T13:09:00.000-08:00

A much, much improved performance today and a good way to end the first part of the season. I think it has a lot to do with how hard each of you are working (and running) in practice. Straight from the kick-off we had the Gorge goal under pressure and we kept up that pace (or tempo) for most of the game. This is a result of our fitness workouts on Monday.

In terms of the three phases of the game, when they had possession our shape was pretty good most and I thought we were very quick to shut down the player with the ball. We've been doing far too much standing and watching lately but today we got to the ball before or at the same time as our opponent almost every time - including off their throw-ins.

When neither team had possession I think we did a better job of anticipating where the ball was going to drop and positioning our bodies for the tackle. We were stronger in our defensive third than the attacking third, but it was still far better than recent performances against Bays and Peninsula.

When we had possession I thought we looked pretty good. We passed the ball well, our vision was pretty good and our forwards did a good job of holding the ball and creating good scoring chances. Unfortunately our final shot was too often straight at the keeper, but part of that came down to Gorge defence that did a pretty good of shutting down the shooting channels (particularly their #4). And of course we hit the posts twice and clanged a beautiful free kick off the cross bar.

So after a couple of below-par outings it would seem we've regained our focus and the desire to compete. Put simply when we play like we did today we will be a handful for anyone.

Reminder that we are still practicing throughout the Christmas Break. So unless you have a good excuse (like Lucy, who is going Waltzing Matilda!) Doug and Stephen will see you Monday @ 5:30pm.

Gorge Game is 9:45am

2009-12-09T10:46:00.000-08:00

Please be there for 9:15am for warm-ups and team talk.

Peninsula 3 Chaos 2

2009-12-06T18:45:00.000-08:00

A much improved attacking performance in the second-half wasn't enough to undo the self-inflicted defensive errors of our first half.

Highlights for me were the two excellent goals from Robyn (which should have been enough to win the game) and some good passing and aggressive play which lead to several good shooting opportunities late on.

Lowlights from the first half include the lack of focus executing simple passes and the lack of drive and determination getting to the ball and winning tackles. In simple terms we made it far too easy for Peninsula to win the ball from us and didn't work hard enough to get the ball back.

Hopefully we can put together a solid performance against Gorge next Saturday.

Peninsula game has been switched to Lochside

2009-12-02T21:53:00.001-08:00

11am kick-off so please be there around 10:20am.

It could be snowy so be prepared for the cold (gloves, thermal wear) and icy conditions (multi-stud cleats no turf shoes).

Please remember to bring your Salmon Kings tickets & money.

Bays Game is on Finlayson Turf

2009-11-26T08:29:00.000-08:00

Our game this Saturday is scheduled for Finlayson Turf at 10:45am.

Parking will likely be a bit crazy so please try and be there early. Parking options include Finlayson parking lot, Quadra (near the church) and Mayfair Mall.

Chaos 2009-10

2009-11-23T15:50:00.000-08:00

Monday Practice Cancelled

2009-11-23T15:46:00.000-08:00

Try again Wednesday on the turf.

Chaos 1 Nanaimo 1

2009-11-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

In the end 1-1 was probably a fair result in today's game. I felt Nanaimo was quicker to the ball and used their upper bodies more (to win tackles and control of the ball), while I thought we passed the ball around better and probably had the better goal-scoring opportunities. It was a good game by both teams and I look forward to playing them again in February.

Congrats to Miranda on her first goal of the season!

Nanaimo Game

2009-11-21T16:26:00.000-08:00

Please remember to be there for 1:30pm so that we can do a proper warm-up before the game.

And don't forget to bring gloves or wear an Under Armour t-shirt under your uniform - it could be a cool one tomorrow.

Team Photos this Saturday

2009-11-17T09:22:00.001-08:00

12:30pm @ Lochside. Hopefully everyone can attend at this time.

Monday Practice Off

2009-11-16T09:51:00.000-08:00

Another wet and stormy Monday means the grass field is closed tonight.

See you all Wednesday!

Chaos 2 Lakehill 0

2009-11-14T14:51:00.000-08:00

Another fast start saw us score two goals and we pretty much cruised from there. Robyn's finish from the openalty spot was clinical and Claudia's half-volley from Jadyn's left-wing throw in was emphatic! In between McKenna and Lucy had chances but couldn't get a good angle for their shot.

In the second-half we had plenty of possession and good attacking situations but our final touch, pass or decision was often lacking. And once again we didn't do enough with our corners! We also allowed Lakehill girls to push us around with their upper bodies in 50/50 challenges and it wasn't until late on that we decided to push back.

Still all things considered (especially how cold it was) it was an excellent effort and something to build on for our game against Nanaimo next Sunday.

Hope everyone can feel their toes again!

See you Monday.

Saturday Game Time

2009-11-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

Please note our game this Saturday against Lakehill is 9am on Turf 1A.

Monday Practice Cancelled

2009-11-09T11:42:00.000-08:00

The grass fields are closed due to the rain so Monday practice is cancelled.

Practice as usual on Wednesday. We will be having a practice game against the Silver team.

Not Enough Juice!

2009-11-07T21:43:00.000-08:00

Just not enough juice in the tank today!

We competed very well today considering the lack of subs, but in the end we didn't have the energy required to turn possession into goalscoring opportunities.

In truth we let one too many goalscoring chances pass us by in the first half, especially Robyn's corner which somehow made its way along the entire goal line before bouncing off the far upright. We need to anticipate where the ball drops off our corners and crosses instead of watching. We will work more on this at practice this week.

The second-half we tired and chances were few and far between. However we didn't look like conceding a goal either so it was disappointing when JDF pounced on a turnover to score a winner with virtually their only real chance of the second-half.

Congrats to Robyn on her first goal of the season.

Juan de Fuca Game

2009-11-04T16:17:00.000-08:00

Our game this weekend is set for 10:30am at the City Centre Turf Field in Langford.

* Follow the Trans Canada Highway North from Victoria
* Take Exit #14 and stay in the Sooke lane to head South on Millstream
* Turn Right on Langford Parkway (road just before Superstore)
* Follow the Parkway to the end. The Field is just past the blue and white Eagle
Ridge building.

Please be there for 10am.

Exhibition Game against Nanaimo DDC

2009-11-03T12:57:00.000-08:00

We've been offered the opportunity to play the Nanaimo DDC team on either Nov 22 or Dec 6 (both are Sundays). The game could be at Lochside or in Nanaimo, depending on field availability and interest. Certainly if we host them down here there would be an expectation we return the favour after Christmas.

Of interest, we do not have a scheduled league game on Saturday November 21.

I've started a poll on the blog so please cast your vote ASAP.

Team Pictures this Sunday

2009-11-03T12:49:00.000-08:00

We are scheduled for team photos this Sunday morning at 10am. Please let me know if you cannot make the photos ASAP and we can try and re-arrange times.

This years team shoot is tricky because we're trying to juggle the schedule around Doug's U11 tournament games and my U14 game on Saturday. I thought Sunday AM would work better.

Great "Character" Win

2009-10-31T20:31:00.001-07:00

My theory still holds true - the Chaos raise their game to the level of the opposition. You've already done it twice already this season against Nanaimo and Richmond so it's not a surprise you did it today against a very strong Gordon Head team.

Despite the early kick-off everyone was ready to play today and it showed with some nice early touches and movement off the ball. Unlike the Gorge game where I thought we lacked desire and quickness of thought, today we got to the ball quicker and made better decisions. Our two goals were very different in composition, but both came from hustle and never giving up on the ball. Congrats to Camille for taking both of her chances well and to Robyn for her excellent cross on the first goal. We could have had a third but Miranda's breakaway shot went off both uprights and along the goal line before their keeper scrambled the ball clear.

In the second-half we fell back on our heels as GH took the initiative. Much like we had done in the first half, GH started beating us to the ball and anticipating the play better. As a result most of the play was in our end and our goal lived a charmed-life with a number of free kicks and shots from open-play grazing our uprights. But with an equal measure of character and luck we got through it.

Have a good weekend ladies and reminder that practice is 6:15pm on Monday as we're back acting as guinea pigs for the coaches course.

Saturday's Game

2009-10-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

Our game this Saturday is set for 8:45am at Lochside Turf.

Please be there for 8:15am.

Gorge Game

2009-10-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

Our game this Saturday is scheduled for 11am at Upper Hampton. This is a grass field so please wear your multi-studs and not your turf boots. Please be there for 10:30am so we can do a proper warm-up.

Goalkeeper Clinic

2009-10-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

The club is offering another Pro-D Day Goalkeeper Clinic this Friday at both Tyndall and Lochside turfs. Tyndall sessions are 8:30-11:30am and Lochside sessions are 12:30-3:30pm. Cost is $30 and registration is available online at www.gkwars.com.

Trevor and Dominic are the two best goalkeepers to come out of Victoria over the past twenty years so the training will be excellent for any aspiring keepers.

Same Again in Two Weeks

2009-10-19T19:54:00.000-07:00

I spoke with the head coach guy (Andrew Latham) and he was very pleased with the enthusiasm and skills shown by all of the girls. He has asked me if our girls could help him again in two weeks (November 2) so mark your calendars.

Practice as usual Wednesday at 5:30pm.

Tomorrow's Game

2009-10-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

Reminder that our game against Peninsula is 10am and we're playing on Lochside Turf 1A.

Please try and be there at least twenty minutes before kick-off.

Monday Practice - A Slight Twist

2009-10-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

Next Monday's practice will be a tad unusual for the girls.

Lochside Park is hosting a four-week coaching course starting next Monday and I've been asked to supply a team so that the LISA Head Coach can run drills. We'll need a minimum of ten girls for practice and it will last just over an hour starting at 6:15pm.

The practice will be on Turf 1A. Sounds like fun!

Wednesday Practice Cancelled

2009-10-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

Just asking for more sniffles and coughs if we practice tonight. Hopefully everyone is feeling 100% for Saturday's game. Stay warm!

Tourney Final - Chaos 3 Richmond Rush 1

2009-10-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

As soon as I got home I looked up the word "frantic" in the dictionary and low and behold there was a picture of our game today! Watching that game was like watching a VCR movie on permanent fast forward (VCR = video cassette recorder, girls you can ask your parents what those looked like :-). Back and forth, 100 miles an hour, no time on the ball for anyone to dribble let alone think, and collisions everywhere!

Just as I expected you raised your game for the final and in doing so looked far more like a "team" today than you did at any other time in the tournament. What a difference from yesterday when we seemed to be playing in super slow-motion, looking very much like the turkey most of us would be eating later that evening. "Running in treacle" is what an old coach of mine would have said to describe our effort against Lakehill. Today's game you got to the ball first, were solid in the tackle and kept your shape much better.

Our first two goals came something against the run-of-play but were excellent examples of simple, direct-soccer. Both goals were breakaways that came after long clearances from our defenders caught the Richmond defenders by surprise.I won't often ask my teams to play this style of soccer, but on such a small field it's hard not to. Both Lucy and Jadyn finished their chances well, not easy to do on a bumpy field under pressure, but credit also to Robyn and Erin on their long kicks. We've been emphasizing getting distance and power in our kicks so it was nice tos ee some results today.

We also defended pretty well today with Kathleen leading by example from her sweeper position. Of course defences always look better playing in-font of good keepers, and both Camille and Jadyn made important contributions between the pipes to help steady the ship. Then came a couple of miscues leading up to their goal followed by some tense minutes as we dillied and dallied on the ball. But like much of the weekend, the result was obviously never in doubt as Claudia chased down another long clearance and blasted home the insurance goal (with an exclamation mark!).

Congratulations on your first tournament win ladies, lets hope there are more of them in your future!

Thanks again to Naomi, Jadyn and Mckenna for playing for us this weekend. Hopefully we see you again real soon.

Monday Final is 10:15am @ Braefoot 3

2009-10-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

Depending on results of the late game we will be playing either Juan de Fuca or Richmond @ 10:15am tomorrow. Regardless, our opponents will be very fast and physical and if we hope to win the game we will need to be far more focused and aggressive than we have been the last couple of games.

Friday Game Reminders

2009-10-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

Our game is 7:30pm on Braefoot Grass Field, so make sure you wear your multi-stud boots and not your turf shoes.

I would like everyone to meet about 6:50 at the Braefoot Park concession. If anyone gets lost please remember my cell is 250-514-4194.

Sunday Academy

2009-10-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

It was excellent to see so many of you out at yesterday's first academy session! Twenty girls is plenty but there is room for more if you're still interested.

Lakehill Tourney Schedule

2009-10-05T11:46:00.001-07:00

Just released today. All games are at Braefoot Park.

Friday 7:30pm vs. Juan de Fuca
Saturday 3:30pm vs. Richmond
Saturday 6:00pm vs. Nanaimo
Sunday 3:30pm vs. Lakehill

Tournament Final is Monday 10:15am.

If you cannot make one of the games please let me know by Wednesday practice.

There is a small charge for the tournament. Each player needs to bring $5 to their first game.

No Running Clinic Tonight

2009-10-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

So it will be practice as usual tonight but we will be practicing on grass instead of turf. So for those of you with both turf and multi-stud boots please bring both types.

Hopefully I'll have a draft of our tournament schedule to share at practice.

No game this weekend

2009-10-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to confirm that we do not have a game this weekend.

However if you are looking for extra soccer please consider joining the Sunday Academy we're starting this weekend at Lochside Turf.

Sunday Academy Details

2009-10-01T21:50:00.001-07:00

Here are the details on the Girls Sunday Academy at Lochside Park Turf. Start date is this Sunday - October 4th - and it runs for eight sessions until November 29th. Sessions run from 3:30pm-4:30pm and cost is $100. Sessions are open to any girls born in the years 1998-2000.

The instructors will be club technical staff led by Brett Hyslop and Steph Steiner. The focus will be on drills to improve ball-skills and passing and will include small-sided games and shooting. Please note that the Academy requires a serious commitment to focused training on the part of players as the emphasis is on skills practice, not game play.

To register please go to http://www.worldcupsoccercamp.com/, click on Training Programs, then select Fall Programs. Once on this screen you select "Click Here to register" which brings up a form you can print-off, complete and bring to the session.

We are still working on some extra "goodies" unique to the Sunday Academy and will have details on that this weekend.

Monday Sep 28 Practice Cancelled

2009-09-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

From the looks of things flu and cold season has already arrived! As a result I think it's for the best if we cancel practice tonight so that everyone can either rest or recover. Hopefully we'll have most of our battalion ready and healthy for practice on Wednesday.

Official Team Photographer!

2009-09-27T21:41:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Lydia's dad for some excellent game photos from our match against Lakehill!

Lakehill 1 Chaos 5

2009-09-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

Good energy, good intensity + good ball movement = an excellent opening day win for Chaos. You kept up a very high-tempo for most of the 60 minutes which is remarkable given the heat, our lack of subs and a couple of you feeling under the weather. Imagine what you can accomplish with a full team!

Camille - very nice finish on the two goals and some very nice lay-offs when playing striker
Claudia - a couple of rampaging runs in the first half that almost led to goals and some good headers
Erin - lots of hard-running and some vital defensive work in the midfield position
Genevieve - hardly put a foot wrong all game, winning many important 50/50 challenges
Kathleen - an excellent job sweeping up in the first half followed by a clinical finish for our last goal
Lucy - a goal 3 minutes into the game and a constant thorn for the Lakehill defenders with your tenacity and energy
Lydia - solid play throughout the game and a highly deserved goal after a long mazy run
Olivia - caused plenty of problems for the Lakehill defence with her direct play and unlucky with a belter of a shot in the first-half
Robyn - asked to do a lot of running in midfield and striker and did not disappoint, excellent game!

Have good rest on Sunday girls, you deserve it!

Saturday's Game UPDATE

2009-09-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

Our game on Saturday has been moved to 9:30am at Beckwith Park. So this should give the players a couple extra minutes shut-eye. Players should ensure they get plenty of rest Friday evening (at least 9 hours sleep) and no sleep-overs!

Lochside Sunday Soccer Academy

2009-09-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

The club can finally confirm details of the Sunday afternoon soccer academy at Lochside Turf.

The sessions will run for 9 weeks from September 27 until December 1 from 3:30-4:30pm. The academy will be run by World Cups Academy Staff Brett Hyslop, Steph Steiner, and will include club Goalkeeper coach Trevor Styles and guest coaches.

Cost is $100 and includes an academy t-shirt. Registration will be done through World Cups Academy website.

In the meantime interested players should contact myself so that we know how many coaches are required to run the sessions each week.

Gold Team Announcement Delayed

2009-09-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I wasn't able to confirm a couple of details today so Gold and Silver team announcements will be delayed until Tuesday evening. What I can confirm is that we will be promoting some U11 girls to U12 which should allow both the Gold and Silver teams to carry 11 or 12 players each. So please stay tuned!

I'm also away on course Monday so need to cancel Monday practice.

See you all Wednesday @ 5:30pm.

Monday Practice Cancelled

2009-09-14T15:27:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately both Doug and myself are unable to attend practice tonight so we need to cancel.

Apologies for the short notice and for anyone who doesn't get this message in time!

This Week's Practices

2009-09-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

Monday's practice is still 5pm at Lochside Turf.

This is not an "open" practice and is intended for those players who have received an email advising that they have been selected for the Gold team.

The primary purpose for the practice is to go over plans and expectations for the Gold team for the 2009-10 season. However I will also be asking a couple of other players to attend as I have not quite made my final decisions. I will try and get the phone calls done this evening.

All U12 girls should plan on attending the Wednesday practice scheduled for 5:30pm.

Saturday Game

2009-09-10T23:19:00.001-07:00

A reminder that our game against GH on Saturday is open for all CB U12 Girls. We will do a thorough warm-up and drills starting at 9:30am. The girls will be split into two teams for the hour-long game.

See you all there!

Gordon Head U12 Blog

2009-09-06T17:21:00.001-07:00

Coach Collin has created a blog for the Gordon Head U12 Girls Gold.

Click on the link below to have a look http://ghu12gold.blogspot.com/

Next Week

2009-09-05T18:58:00.000-07:00

Great game today! Considering it was your first game for quite some time I thought you all did very well. Congratulations to Claudia on her goal. Claudia did a nice job to fend-off a challenge from a GH defender before scoring.

A reminder that all 1998 girls are invited to next Wednesday's U12 assessments 5:30-6:30pm at Lochside Turf. The following Saturday we have a second scrimmage game against GH. This game is being used by both coaches to confirm selection of players for Gold teams for the upcoming season.

In the meantime have fun back at school ladies!

Girls Soccer Academy on Sundays?

2009-09-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

The soccer club is considering offering a Girls Soccer Academy Sunday evenings 4pm @ Lochside Turf.

The academy sessions would be run by Club Technical Staff and would be user-pay. Sessions would likely run for 8-10 weeks beginning Sept 27 and would be geared toward 1998 and 1999 born players.

We're looking for feedback so please complete this week's poll.

Saturday Game

2009-09-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

Kick-off is 11am this Saturday @ Lochside Turf. Please try and be there for 10:30am so that we can do a proper warm-up. I will bring the uniforms Olivia :-)

Our opponents will be Gordon Head U12 Girls, many of whom we know very well from our summer kick-arounds.

Labour Day Tournament Cancelled

2009-08-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

No Tourney on the Turf this year :-( Unfortunately we were the only U12 girls team to enter so they have dropped the age division.

If there is enough interest I will schedule an exhibition game for the Saturday. Please complete the poll on the right side of the blog.

Another U12 Girls Soccer Blog!

2009-08-12T21:17:00.000-07:00

Gorge 1998 Girls Gold team has a blog as well, too cool! They will be one of several strong teams we will face this coming season so we'll need to keep a close watch of their blog in case they want to share any of their secrets ;-)

The link to their website is on the right-hand side of the page.

Registration Reminder

2009-08-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

A quick reminder that players need to be registered with Cordova Bay Soccer Club prior to attending the Gold team practices. Also, players cannot be assigned to the Gold team until payment has been received.

This is not a new policy, but now that we have amalgamated with Gordon Head Soccer Association we are following their registration policy to ensure consistency across all teams.

Online registration is available here http://www.cordovabaysoccer.org/cbsa_pages/registration.php

Wednesday Soccer 5:30pm Start

2009-08-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

Next Wednesday is the last drop-in soccer before the pre-season practices begin.

It will also start an hour earlier at 5:30 because the turf is needed for adult team try-outs from 7pm.

Gothia Cup

2009-07-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

Fancy doing this in a couple of years? The Gothia Cup is the largest youth soccer tournament in the world and it is held in Sweden, mostly in Stockholm and neighbouring towns.

Teams from Cordova Bay have attended this tournament in the past. A number of British Columbia teams are competing this year, including a U16 team from White Rock (Semiahmoo). There's even a story on the Semiahmoo team on the official tournament website. Have a look for a better idea of what this tournament is all about. It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

http://gothiacup.se/eng/

Chaos September Soccer Schedule

2009-07-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

Early September promises to be an exceptionally busy time for the Chaos coaches and players. Below is a quick overview of dates, times and places:

September 2 or 3 - Final Tryouts
September 5-6-7 - Tourney on the Turf @ Finlayson Park
September 9 or 10 - Regular practices begin
September 12 - Exhibition Game vs TBA @ Lochside Park
September 19 - First League Game!

Depending on holiday schedules we may have some late August practices, but due to the late school opening I'm not expecting to make any final player selections until Thursday September 3. By then I should have a better idea of overall registration numbers which in turn dictates how many players can be selected for the Gold team.

The "Tourney on The Turf" is a half-field tournament held every Labour Day at Finlayson Turf. I've entered teams in this tournament the past couple of years as I believe it's an excellent warm-up for the regular season. It's also an excellent way to size-up the opposition. Besides GH, I expect Bays and Gorge will form strong teams this season and there is every reason to expect their teams will be at this tourney.

Team Photo

2009-06-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately not everyone was able to attend our final Spring League game against Gorge. I suppose summer holidays must ahve begun early? Too bad as I hoped everyone would be there for our team picture.

1-0 was the final score in a very competitive match against a Yellow team supplemented by some very talented U12 (1997) girls. Robyn scored the winner in the first half and we held out for the victory. That was probably our hardest opponent yet this season, so it was nice to end with a hard-fought win. You should be very pleased with how you came together as a team over these past nine weeks. You played some very good soccer with some great goals, great saves and determined play.

Have a great summer ladies and we'll see you on a soccer field real soon!

Wednesday Summer Soccer

2009-06-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

Starting on July 8 I have booked Lochside Turf for Wednesday's 6:30-7:30pm for drop-in girls soccer. Cordova Bay and Gordon Head girls are invited to attend.

The plan is to provide our U12's the opportunity to keep playing soccer over the summer in preparation for next season. Sessions will always include some fitness work, ball skills and scrimmage play. Who knows, we may even schedule a game or two if we can find someone willing to play us.

All participants will need to be registered with Cordova Bay or Gordon Head soccer clubs prior to attending.

Any questions please feel free to email.

U12 Gold - What is the commitment?

2009-06-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

Over the past week I've been asked by a number of parents for an idea of the commitment required to play on the U12 Gold soccer team.

Gold-level is the highest level of club soccer on the Lower Island and is geared for competitive and committed young athletes. The U12 Gold League will consist of between 8-10 teams and each of these teams will have the elite players from their respective clubs. Many Gold-level players will also attend private academies for extra training. Gold players should have "Gold attitudes".

So that everyone gets the same information here is a quick overview of what my expectations are for next season's U12 Gold:

1) Practices will be held twice a week beginning in early September.
2) Practices will likely be Tuesday and Thursday evenings at either 5:30 or 6pm.
3) Practices will be one hour in length and will always consist of fitness (speed work, endurance running), skills development and team play.
4) Tuesday practices will be held at Lochside. Thursday practices may alternate between Lochside and Tyndall Park Turf.
5) Games will be played on Saturdays, either 10am or 11am.
6) Playing time will be based on a combination of attendance at practices and level of player commitment. However all players are guaranteed to play at least half of each game.
7) In addition to league play, the team will participate in 2 or 3 tournaments over the course of the season, one of which may be on the Lower Mainland.
8) Fundraising for team events is a strong possibility.
9) Exhibition games may be scheduled on a semi-regular basis.
10) Exhibition games may be held on Sunday’s and may involve travel (e.g. up Island).

I am always happy to answer any questions from parents and players.