Games 9/28

[Playerscoach]

Let me be clear - the physical play in the midfield was entirely that. Physical and mostly fair. But it was our final game before the current monster stretch that we are now in, and I had no desire to risk losing a player to any sort of preventable injury. We did try to cancel the game earlier in the week. In my estimation, playing possession in the middle third of the field would not have been wise. Our substitute players played over half of the game and were responsible for over half of the goals.

 

In another thread (boys' soccer, I believe), I mentioned being on the losing end of a 20-0 score my first year of coaching, at a school that could barely field a team for games, much less practices. It provides a lot of perspective when you are in those situations. No matter what decision a coach on the winning side makes, that person is going to be second-guessed. My first priority in any situation is not to risk an injury. We did everything to avoid that. Then comes the tactical part - do you play short-handed, play possession, put in an impossible restriction, continue on as usual with the substitutes in, etc?

 

I don't know the answer to that because each potential decision can come across as insulting to the opponent. But I do believe each team has an obligation to compete, including the losing team. When we lost that game 20-0, and when we lost 6-0 to Clarksville last season -- which would have easily been double that if not for our goalkeeper's efforts that night -- our teams competed until the end. We've talked as a team this week about last year's Clarksville game (we have 18 players back who were there that night, so nearly 90% of this year's team experienced it), and the girls pretty much laughed about it - we simply could not stop them in any way that night. For anyone who questions it, we have a good sense of humility about things, and we expect every game the rest of the way to be supremely difficult. We know very well what we are up against.

Good stuff. Im not a fan of huge blowouts but there are reasons behind them. Maybe the Jv could have shown up and played?

 

DB says you're a good guy and he trusts you with Hailey so thats good enough for me.

 

Would love to play on that fancy new turf you have next year and get DB to buy me some popcorn.

[EnsworthSoccer]

Everyone has a few of those matches. Brentwood lost to Independence, last week, then put up 16 goals against Dickson County. Last year, Ravenwood put up17 on the same district whipping boy, CP had 7 or 10 goals in that match and everyone seemed ok with it. Everyone has some of those district matches that aren't worth paying officials or charging admission. The question in those matches is how can the coach make the match fun and beneficial to the team  without hummiliating the other team. Too many goals, playing under manned, obvious possession, even restrictions can still be embarrassing. However, this is not the case in the Ensworth situation. Much can be learned about a coach's goals by the teams and tournaments that he/she chooses to play. I think that much can be leaned by looking at the teams that they don't have to play but choose to play. Congratulations to you and to Clarksville for choosing to play each other. It will make both teams better. When I look at the other teams you chose, I wonder why you chose them. The easiest answer to the "how to manage the Overton match" is don't play them. Don't play the Sycamore Tournament or any such competition. Find better opportunities for your girls to get better. Your stats won't be so impressive but your team will be much better in the big picture.

I certainly understand your point of view, and this is not meant to be argumentative. I am sort of new to coaching in Tennessee, and I don't have a lot of the personal coaching contacts that other coaches may have. Regarding the schedule, we arranged our first game for 2015 in late October 2014 when CPA approached us to play. We set that game up before we had even commenced region scheduling, which was probably the incorrect order of doing things. Following the region scheduling process, I sent out a mass e-mail in late winter / early spring asking for games using a list of coaches' emails provided by the referee assignor in Middle Tennessee. At the end of that scheduling process, I had exactly the number of replies that ended up filling our 16-game schedule (did not have to turn down anyone), and this was only after sending repeat mass e-mails just to get to that 16-game mark. I booked games as I received replies. We also responded to the invite from the Rivals Tournament, with the sole request that in one game we be allowed to play Hutchison, who traveled all the way to Nashville last year on a Saturday only to play 35 minutes before a lightning storm put a halt to things. The organizers at Rivals paired us with our second opponent.

 

I explained in a post a few weeks ago why we went to Sycamore -- their first-year coach called me personally at the last minute and asked us to play in the tournament, as some earlier committed teams had dropped out. I understood his predicament, and I would hope that if we hosted a tournament and needed a last-minute fill-in, someone might step up. Maybe they wouldn't, who knows?

 

I understand the value of playing tough games. I come from a classification in North Carolina that is fairly respectable (an understatement if ever there was one) when it comes to quality high school soccer. If there is a better way to get quality future out-of-region games other than e-mail solicitations, I am all ears.

[EnsworthSoccer]

Would love to play on that fancy new turf you have next year and get DB to buy me some popcorn.

I am sure we can set up a game -- it sounds like you all have a great grass field with real width. We don't have a concession stand at our soccer field, so you'd have to get him to microwave a bag before coming over to the field.

[Tuffnut]

I understand how you ended up with a softer schedule than you would have liked. Mass email is always a shot in the dark. Hopefully, more quality teams will seek to schedule you in the future.

[Elmer]

You all are getting on a coach for a 9-0 win??

 

What about the 14-0 scores from this year? I even saw a 19-0!

 

Sheesh. Leave the man alone.

[Playerscoach]

You all are getting on a coach for a 9-0 win??

 

What about the 14-0 scores from this year? I even saw a 19-0!

 

Sheesh. Leave the man alone.

What? Is this a joke?

[Playerscoach]

FRA 2

BGA 0

 

Big win for FRA. FRA is ending the regular season very strong as the #2 seed.

[Impactdad22]

I would take this year's Ensworth team and their amazing coaching staff against any team in the State!!! Winning by 8 or 9 or by just 1 or 2 against some talented teams is all good. By the way, in the past 4 or 5 years, we have played Franklin, Brentwood, Ravenwood, Centennial, Clarksville, BGA, USN, FRA, etc. (in addition to our regular conference powerhouses: Father Ryan, GPS, Baylor and Harpeth Hall)!!! I'd say Ensworth is doing just fine!!

[Playerscoach]

I would take this year's Ensworth team and their amazing coaching staff against any team in the State!!! Winning by 8 or 9 or by just 1 or 2 against some talented teams is all good. By the way, in the past 4 or 5 years, we have played Franklin, Brentwood, Ravenwood, Centennial, Clarksville, BGA, USN, FRA, etc. (in addition to our regular conference powerhouses: Father Ryan, GPS, Baylor and Harpeth Hall)!!! I'd say Ensworth is doing just fine!!

So was the 14-0 reported score against Overton wrong? Thats what was asked about and your coach addressed. Scores that high are uncommon so just reading what happened and why was interesting.

 

Ensworth has had a great year so far. Good for those kids and the program overall.

[siegelsoccer]

Any reports from Franklin vs Indy or Bearden vs Hardin Valley - both were scheduled to be played on Thursday

[NC80]

Any reports from Franklin vs Indy or Bearden vs Hardin Valley - both were scheduled to be played on Thursday

Indy won 2-1

[BigG]

So was the 14-0 reported score against Overton wrong? Thats what was asked about and your coach addressed. Scores that high are uncommon so just reading what happened and why was interesting.

 

Ensworth has had a great year so far. Good for those kids and the program overall.

I think there was a disparity between CoachT scoreboard and Eurosport.