My Packers Cannot Stop Anyone

In addition to being the coach of the awesomely cool CSM Flames, I also am a fan of the Green Bay Packers professional football team. I had high hopes this year for the Pack because, last year--they were within one game of the Super Bowl. I had hoped this year they would take the next step. Not happening.

With 3 games left in the season, the Packers are 5-8 and probably won't make the playoffs. They still have a slight chance (there is alway hope) but it is not a great chance. What went wrong? Defense, defense, defense. The defensive side of the team cannot stop anybody--a team that is 9-3 or a team that is 5-7. Doesn't matter, the Pack doesn't discriminate against who it can't stop. Injuries have effected their play but that is not the whole story. The coaches say it is a matter of execution. The players are not executing the game plan. What happens? In pressure situations, sometimes players brains don't work as well as they do in practice situations. Two things will help, repetitions during a pressure situation as well as training your mind to deal with pressure. I tell our team that you can do 2 things with pressure, you can feel it or you can apply it. (I got that from Jon Gruden, Tampa Bay Bucs football coach.) I take it a step further and tell the team if you are "feeling" pressure, then you should "apply" pressure to the other team and then you won't feel it so much.

The lack of success the Packers are experiencing just goes to show you how important defense is to a team. When people say that defense wins championships--they know what they are talking about it. I just wish the Green Bay Packers could play defense this year. When I coach, I really try to get the players to make a total commitment to defense. That is one road to success.

CSM Signs Fort Collins, Colorado Soccer Player

I am very pleased to announce the signing of our first recruit for the 2009 soccer season, Raeleigh Withey. Raeleigh is a keeper that has had great success with her club team, ODP team as well as her Rocky Mountain High School soccer team in Colorado. Raeleigh's high school team made it all the way to the 5A state semi-final in May.

Raeleigh had a great visit with us in August. During her visit, she was able to practice with us, making a memorable save where she had to change direction in mid-air. She was even able to play forward on the field for awhile (Raeleigh is very fast!) The rest of her trip she attended a team dinner with us and spent the night in the dorms.

I personally like Raeleigh's commitment to excellence and her outstanding effort and hustle. She will bring a great attitude and work ethic to CSM and will definately contribute to the success of the Flames. Welcome to the Flames Family!

Perseverence!

Tomorrow we play Bellevue University at 1 PM at our place. It is an important game for us (although they all are important, aren't they?) We have been a team that is inconsistent and that has hurt us at times and other times it hasn't. The only way to approach inconsistency is to keep working hard and persevere. We have had a great week of practice and I am looking forward to the challenge on Saturday.

How will we perform? What is my prediction? I predict that we will step up our performance and have moments of brilliance. I believe we are a team about to catch fire. (Get it--fire! We are the Flames. Fire and Flames, sometimes I just can't help myself.)

One exciting thing that happened recently at practice is I was able to purchase a big yellow wagon to cart our stuff from the Lied Center out the field. We can now pile up the big water jug, the cone bag, the penny bag and the soccer balls right on the wagon and wheel it out to the field. The players were very excited to use the wagon instead of hauling all the heavy stuff on their backs. It is the small things that make us happy.