I’ve been reading Soccer Banter since it first started. So I’m fairly familiar with the site, especially the Arsenal bashing ramblings of Dave Clarke. When Brendan asked me if I would be interested in writing a blog I thought I would have to go to journo school like Dave did. But no, Brendan assured me that I didn’t need a degree in Journalism to go online and tell some Harry Redknapp and Spurs jokes. So here goes:
Q. What do you call a Tottenham fan in a suit?
A. The Accused.
Q. What does a Spurs fan do after he’s just watched his team beat Arsenal?
A. He turns off his Playstation!
Ah that’s better. Brendan did say that I’d have to throw in a few stories about life as a College Coach and a few other bits and pieces just so the readers didn’t think I was always having a go at Spurs.
So then. How was your summer? Mine was great, thanks for asking. It kind of happened after the ECNL National Championships in Colorado and before my beloved Cesc went home to Barcelona. Yes, the D’Arcy family hit the road to visit the Nation’s Capital. Took the wife and kids (and the Mother in law) to Washington DC. There we saw all the great sights. The Washington Monument, The Capitol, Lincoln’s Memorial, FDR’s park, The Smithsonians, The Spy Museum and on and on. Took a tour of the White House and had a close call. Man Utd showed up in the afternoon and we just missed them. Thank God. That would have ruined my whole vacation. It’s one thing looking at George Washington wearing a wig but who wants to see Wayne Rooney’s new hair transplant. Not me. Message to Rooney: Bald is beautiful!
Q. What do you call a Tottenham fan in a suit?
A. The Accused.
Q. What does a Spurs fan do after he’s just watched his team beat Arsenal?
A. He turns off his Playstation!
Ah that’s better. Brendan did say that I’d have to throw in a few stories about life as a College Coach and a few other bits and pieces just so the readers didn’t think I was always having a go at Spurs.
So then. How was your summer? Mine was great, thanks for asking. It kind of happened after the ECNL National Championships in Colorado and before my beloved Cesc went home to Barcelona. Yes, the D’Arcy family hit the road to visit the Nation’s Capital. Took the wife and kids (and the Mother in law) to Washington DC. There we saw all the great sights. The Washington Monument, The Capitol, Lincoln’s Memorial, FDR’s park, The Smithsonians, The Spy Museum and on and on. Took a tour of the White House and had a close call. Man Utd showed up in the afternoon and we just missed them. Thank God. That would have ruined my whole vacation. It’s one thing looking at George Washington wearing a wig but who wants to see Wayne Rooney’s new hair transplant. Not me. Message to Rooney: Bald is beautiful!
One more week spent on the beach at Cape Cod and before I knew it I was back on campus getting ready for preseason.
Preseason, it’s the most wonderful time of year. The closest most players ever get to living as a professional player. No classes, no jobs, lots of new Puma gear. Just hanging out with their mates, playing soccer, and this year the temperatures didn’t come close to the 90’s so it really was as good as it gets.
Our goals for preseason are always the same. The two weeks we spend together are the cornerstone, the foundation of what we want to build on throughout the year. We need the team to develop it’s own culture. They should share the same dreams and aspire to the same goals. As coaches, it’s our job to get the players thinking as a team. If they share the same values and set the same standards then their chances for success are much greater.
Day one is always 1 v 1 and 2 v 2 defending. I love it! It’s a chance for the players to get straight down to business. The match ups are competitive as the upperclassmen size up the freshmen to see who the real players are this year. Off the field the players all stay in the same residence hall during preseason so there are plenty of opportunities to get to know each other. We usually take a few trips off campus too.
Preseason, it’s the most wonderful time of year. The closest most players ever get to living as a professional player. No classes, no jobs, lots of new Puma gear. Just hanging out with their mates, playing soccer, and this year the temperatures didn’t come close to the 90’s so it really was as good as it gets.
Our goals for preseason are always the same. The two weeks we spend together are the cornerstone, the foundation of what we want to build on throughout the year. We need the team to develop it’s own culture. They should share the same dreams and aspire to the same goals. As coaches, it’s our job to get the players thinking as a team. If they share the same values and set the same standards then their chances for success are much greater.
Day one is always 1 v 1 and 2 v 2 defending. I love it! It’s a chance for the players to get straight down to business. The match ups are competitive as the upperclassmen size up the freshmen to see who the real players are this year. Off the field the players all stay in the same residence hall during preseason so there are plenty of opportunities to get to know each other. We usually take a few trips off campus too.
I’m not a big fan of fitness in preseason. I prefer for our players to accept the responsibility of coming into camp in great shape. We do the Yo Yo Beep test to measure the player’s fitness but we can usually tell after the 1 v1’s who is fit. I love how a lot of our alumni come by during preseason too. They are always interested in seeing the new players and it’s good for our current players to meet the people who paved the way.
This year there has been a huge split in the starting times for all of the Division I programs. We open up at Army on Friday night, but some schools have already played two games. Notre Dame has picked up where they left off last year and is ranked #1 after the first week. Austin Peay (ranked #169) last year beat Alabama A& M 14-0. Maryland whacked Loyola 9-0 for in state bragging rights while Radford put eight goals past Southern Virginia. Two teams with legitimate College Cup aspirations met on Sunday night in a slightly more competitive game. Portland beat Florida State 2-1 in front of 2,800 home fans.
Another season is up and running. I hope you all get a chance to see some live college soccer this year. It really is great stuff and you can’t beat the value!
Until the next time….
Enjoy The Game,
Mick
OK, one more Spurs joke.
Q. How many Spurs fans does it take to change a light bulb?
A. None, they are happy living in Arsenal’s shadow.
This year there has been a huge split in the starting times for all of the Division I programs. We open up at Army on Friday night, but some schools have already played two games. Notre Dame has picked up where they left off last year and is ranked #1 after the first week. Austin Peay (ranked #169) last year beat Alabama A& M 14-0. Maryland whacked Loyola 9-0 for in state bragging rights while Radford put eight goals past Southern Virginia. Two teams with legitimate College Cup aspirations met on Sunday night in a slightly more competitive game. Portland beat Florida State 2-1 in front of 2,800 home fans.
Another season is up and running. I hope you all get a chance to see some live college soccer this year. It really is great stuff and you can’t beat the value!
Until the next time….
Enjoy The Game,
Mick
OK, one more Spurs joke.
Q. How many Spurs fans does it take to change a light bulb?
A. None, they are happy living in Arsenal’s shadow.
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