Battle on the Heartland Prairie

Two very evenly matched teams took to the fields at the Heartland today...and two very evenly matched teams left the fields at the end of the game...still very much even. 

The Coyotes were in a Dog Fight today.  In a see-saw battle, which featured a couple of lead changes, some great defensive stands, and some incredible offensive plays on both sides of the ball, Team Coyote ended up with their first tie of the season.  The final score:  5-5.

I was pleased with the way our kids got out there and played today.  Everyone contributed to the team effort and played hard.  A coach can't ask much more than that. 

Kendal is getting more and more involved in the offense and the defense!  She is getting into the pack and challenging for the ball, making some great downfield kicks, and is making some good defensive blocks.  Keep up the good work, Kendal!

Nick found himself in the hunt for the ball several times today as well, and is also getting more involved on offense.  Couple that with his defensive skills, and it is becoming apparent that Nick is going to emerge as an all around player...soon.  Great job!

Logan was much improved today with keeping his arms down and doing less pushing while fighting for the ball.  That's what I like to see! He scored at least twice, and had several shots on goal that went just wide! 

Akil found the goal at least once today, and was very aggressive on the offensive side of the ball.  There was no quit to his hustle on the field, and he also made a couple of good step-ins to take the ball away from the other team when they were advancing down the field. 

Jack got involved in a couple of goal line stands, and made at least two blocks on shots on goal!  He also had a nice throw in that set up one of our goals.  He seems like he never tires, and gives it his all when he is on the field.  With time and patience, I can see him getting more involved in offense.  Keep it up, Jack!

Jonas had a couple of good throw-ins today as well, and even got involved in the pack on defense.  He made a good downfield kick to break out of the pack, and is becoming more aggressive on the field as well.  It is only a matter of time before he has a breakout game.

Cole showed his usual speed and ball control today.  He also made at least one goal, and had several shots on goal go wide, or be blocked.  On the defensive side of the ball, Cole stepped in a few times to take away the ball from an advancing player, and took the ball away from the other team a few times. 

And finally, Rebekah had a good game as well.  She had a couple of breakaways, and made a couple of good shots on goal that were blocked, but she did not give up, and kept after it.  Her confidence level is high, and she shows fearlessness out there on the field.  She doesn't back away from a challenge, has a good leg when she decides to kick it down field.

When the dust settled, Team Coyote emerged with a tie, bringing their season record to 3-2-1.  Good job Coyotes! 

Last week, I was out of town and left the Coyotes in the capable hands of Coach Joseph and Greg (Nick's dad).  Thanks again for stepping up to the plate in my absence, gentlemen.  I appreciate it.

Just because I was gone, however, does not mean that I wasn't involved in the game.  My wife kept me up to date via cell phone during the game, and Coach Joseph gave me a breakdown of the game later in the evening.  From what I heard, the 'Yotes were in another brawl, played hard, did not give up, followed through on the ball, played some awesom defense, and came out on the winning end!  I was so pleased, that I ate pheasant for dinner last Saturday night to celebrate!

It has been a busy week, and so I have fallen behind in my updating the blog.  For that, I apologize.  It looks like another busy week, as my oldest son is home on leave from the Air Force, and of course, I want to spend as much time with him as I can...so if I fall behind a little this week as well, I hope you all understand.

Every once in awhile, Coyotes (especially the Heartland Pack) are known to morph into human children.  Even though they appear to be human, they still display all the classic symptoms and mannerisms of their true nature:  They have a voracious appetite, get restless at night (especially during a full moon), love to "sing" and hunt, and just have the need to be wild and free.
                       
As they say:  you can take the Dog out of the Wild, but you can never take the Wild out of the Dog!  For you parents, here is a typical display of how your Coyote will behave when he/she morphs into a human child.  Enjoy.

When the Big Coyote is away.....

...The little Coyotes will play! 

As I informed all of you Tuesday night at practice, I will be out of town this weekend.  Coach Joseph will take over the coaching duties on Saturday, and Nick's dad (Greg) has volunteered to help out.  I am sure the 'Yotes are in good hands...or paws, as it were!  A big thank you for the help to Greg and Joseph!

We had a good practice last night.  I introduced a couple of new exercises to help the kids work on dribble control and passing.  In the upcoming weeks, I will begin more and more to stress control and passing skills.  The sooner the Coyotes learn to pass the ball to each other, the faster they will begin to really control the field.

The first exercise we did was what I like to call "Jump Shot".  Two cones were set up towards the goal and all the Coyote's balls were lined up on the goalie box end line.  The kids lined up at half field.  When their names were called, they had to run, jump over the cones, locate their ball, and take a big shot on goal.  All of our Coyotes demonstrated great power in their kicks.  I was impressed!

The second exercise was called "Coyote in the Middle."  The team formed a circle, and began learing to pass the ball across to another team member.  They had to stop the ball when it came to them, control it, and pass it to another member.  Once they got the hang of the game, we put a Coyote in the middle of the circle.  Now the team had to pass the ball without the Coyote in the middle of the circle intercepting it.  If the Coyote in the middle intercepted the ball, the team member who passed the ball became the new Coyote in the middle.

The more they practice at that game, the better they will become at stopping the ball, controlling it, and making good passes.  They will also be learning how to intercept the ball from the other team!

The kids seemed to like the two new games, and then insisted we play the crab game again!  I am pleased that they seem to enjoy playing and practicing. 

It is hard to believe, but this week marks the halfway point in the season!  It seems to have flown by!  Coming into the midway point, the 'Yotes are even at 2 wins and 2 losses.  This Saturday's game can put us into the positive, and I want you all to be assured....Coach Art WILL be rooting for you to pull out a win.  Coach Joseph will be giving me a gameday report via phone later in the day.  So, go get 'em Coyotes!  And, if you listen really close, every time you score a goal, you will hear Coach Art say:   Brilliance! That is all I can say! Sheer unadulterated brilliance!

One more note:  Tomorrow (September 16) is Cole's birthday!  Let's all get our paws out, raise them in the air, give a Coyote Howl for Cole, and gather at the rock and all sing him "Happy Birthday!"  Here's hoping your birthday is great, and that you score lots of goals Saturday in celebration!  Happy birthday, Coyote Cole!

NOTE:  That is not a "60" on the cake. That is a "GO"...as in "Go Coyotes!"

'Yotes turn it around!

What a difference a week makes!  Team Coyote showed up to play today, and showed a drastic improvement over last week.  Needless to say, Coach Art (pictured here to the left) is quite proud of the way the 'Yotes played today!  Good job, guys...make sure you get an extra helping of sage chicken for dinner tonight, you deserve it!

Despite losing the game (by one or two goals), Team Coyote did not give up, kept pressure on the other team, and were never out of the game.  It really could have easily been a win, save for a few bounces of the ball.  The 'Yotes have nothing to be ashamed of...they all played a great game! 

Another impressive feat today was the sportsmanship that the Coyotes displayed on the field!  We kept our cool and composure on the field, and it not only showed, but payed off in some great defensive stands and challenges by the team.  Cole literally stole a goal from the other team at the last possible moment by stepping in and taking the ball from the other team right on the goal line.  He not only took the ball away, but dribbled it the length of the field and got his own shot on goal!  That's the way we do it!  Great job!

Every week, I see improvement in all of our players:  Rebekah has gained confidence in herself, and is challenging more and more by getting into the "pack", and winning the ball.  She scored 2  goals today!  

Kendal found herself in the middle of the pack today as well, and even took the ball away from one of the other team players that was dribbling down field!  She got in a couple of good power kicks on the ball as well.  Great job, Kendal!  It is just a matter of time...I can see your first goal coming in a game soon.

Jack continues to be a team player, and steps in whenever he is called on.  He also got a couple of kicks on the ball, and made a great throw in to our team.  Every week, he gets more and more confident and is beginning to step into the pack when the ball comes his way. 

Nick is a defensive wall!  He hustles down the field when the other team wins the ball, and trys to protect his goal.  He had a couple of solid kick offs today as well.  I would like to see him get a little more involved in the offense.  He has a solid leg, and with time and practice, I can envision him dribbling downfield and scoring.

Cole has great speed and remarkable dribbling skills!  He can turn and burn with the best of them, and is a scoring machine in an open field.  He gets in there and challenges for the ball, and more often than not, wins the challenge!
Great job Cole!

Logan is what I like to call "Coyote Quick"!  Like Cole, he can motor down the field, plays some outstanding defense by running down the ball, stepping in, and taking the ball away from the opposing team.  His efforts pay off in several goals each week.  That's what we're talking about!

Jonas has the potential to score a few goals himself!  I saw him get into the pack today, and kick the ball away from the other team.  He does some great throw ins, and in the open field, has a strong leg.  Like Nick, if we can just get him involved in the offense a bit more, there is no reason he can't score a few goals.  Good job, Jonas!  Keep up the effort!

Akil wasn't here today, and we missed him.  But when he is on the field, you can always count on him being right in the middle of the mix, challenging, defending, and shooting and scoring.

I think the Pack is hungry...and a hungry pack of Coyotes is something to be reckoned with!  Keep up the good work, 'Yotes....I am proud of every one of you!

In short, I think that Team Coyote played well today!  I went into Rebekah's room after the game, and she and her brothers were playing with Legos....they broke out into a song...which will be our theme song for this week.  Enjoy!

How Coyote Brought Fire

I promised that these pages would not only talk about soccer, but that they would also contain some fun stuff.  I thought it would be fun to learn a little American Indian Folklore pertaining to the Coyote. 

The story below is a tale told by the Karuk Indians, who live in Northern California along the Klamath River.  This tribe has no other name for themselves other than "the People" or "the Men".  The Indian word karuk means "the Upriver People", since they live in villages along the Klamath River.  Their traditions include hunting, fishing, gathering, basket making and ceremonial dances.

Without further ado:  Here is the Karuk Indian tale of How Coyote Brought Fire.  Enjoy!

How Coyote Brought Fire

Long ago, when man was newly come into the world, there were days when he was the happiest creature of all. Those were the days when spring brushed across the willow tails, or when his children ripened with the blueberries in the sun of summer, or when the goldenrod bloomed in the autumn haze.

But always the mists of autumn evenings grew more chill, and the sun's strokes grew shorter. Then man saw winter moving near, and he became fearful and unhappy. He was afraid for his children, and for the grandfathers and grandmothers who carried in their heads the sacred tales of the tribe. Many of these, young and old, would die in the long, ice-bitter months of winter.

Coyote, like the rest of the People, had no need for fire. So he seldom concerned himself with it, until one spring day when he was passing a human village. There the women were singing a song of mourning for the babies and the old ones who had died in the winter. Their voices moaned like the west wind through a buffalo skull, prickling the hairs on Coyote's neck.

"Feel how the sun is now warm on our backs," one of the men was saying. "Feel how it warms the earth and makes these stones hot to the touch. If only we could have had a small piece of the sun in our teepees during the winter."

Coyote, overhearing this, felt sorry for the men and women. He also felt that there was something he could do to help them. He knew of a faraway mountain-top where the three Fire Beings lived. These Beings kept fire to themselves, guarding it carefully for fear that man might somehow acquire it and become as strong as they. Coyote saw that he could do a good turn for man at the expense of these selfish Fire Beings.

So Coyote went to the mountain of the Fire Beings and crept to its top. He watched the way that the Beings guarded their fire. As he approached, the Beings leaped to their feet and gazed searchingly round their camp. Their eyes glinted like bloodstones, and their hands were clawed like the talons of the great black vulture.

"What's that? What's that I hear?" hissed one of the Beings.

"A thief, skulking in the bushes!" screeched another.

The third looked more closely, and saw Coyote. But he had gone to the mountain-top on all fours, so the Being thought she saw only an ordinary coyote slinking among the trees.

"It is no one, it is nothing!" she cried, and the other two looked where she pointed and also saw only a grey coyote. They sat down again by their fire and paid Coyote no more attention.

So he watched all day and night as the Fire Beings guarded their fire. He saw how they fed it pine cones and dry branches from the sycamore trees. He saw how they stamped furiously on runaway rivulets of flame that sometimes nibbled outwards on edges of dry grass. He saw also how, at night, the Beings took turns to sit by the fire. Two would sleep while one was on guard; and at certain times the Being by the fire would get up and go into their teepee, and another would come out to sit by the fire.

Coyote saw that the Beings were always jealously watchful of their fire except during one part of the day. That was in the earliest morning, when the first winds of dawn arose on the mountains. Then the Being by the fire would hurry, shivering, into the teepee calling, "Sister, sister, go out and watch the fire." But the next Being would always be slow to go out for her turn, her head spinning with sleep and the thin dreams of dawn.

Coyote, seeing all this, went down the mountain and spoke to his friends among the People. He told them of hairless man, fearing the cold and death of winter. And he told them of the Fire Beings, and the warmth and brightness of the flame. They all agreed that man should have fire, and they all promised to help Coyote's undertaking.

Then Coyote sped again to the mountain top. Again the Fire Beings leaped up when he came close, and one cried out, "What's that? A thief, a thief!"

But again the others looked closely, and saw only a grey coyote hunting among the bushes. So they sat down again and paid him no more attention.

Coyote waited through the day, and watched as night fell and two of the Beings went off to the teepee to sleep. He watched as they changed over at certain times all the night long, until at last the dawn winds rose.

Then the Being on guard called, "Sister, sister, get up and watch the fire."

And the Being whose turn it was climbed slow and sleepy from her bed, saying, "Yes, yes, I am coming. Do not shout so."

But before she could come out of the teepee, Coyote lunged from the bushes, snatched up a glowing portion of fire, and sprang away down the mountainside.

Screaming, the Fire Beings flew after him. Swift as Coyote ran, they caught up with him, and one of them reached out a clutching hand. Her fingers touched only the tip of the tail, but the touch was enough to turn the hairs white, and coyote tail tips are white still today.

Coyote shouted, and flung the fire away from him. But the others of the People had gathered at the mountain's foot.

Squirrel saw the fire falling, and caught it, putting it on her back and fleeing away through the treetops. The fire scorched her back so painfully that her tail curled up and back, as squirrels' tails still do today.

The Fire Beings then pursued Squirrel, who threw the fire to Chipmunk. Chattering with fear, Chipmunk stood still as if rooted until the Beings were almost upon her. Then, as she turned to run, one Being clawed at her, tearing down the length of her back and leaving three stripes that are to be seen on chipmunks' backs even today.

 Chipmunk threw the fire to Frog, and the Beings turned towards him. One of the Beings grasped his tail, but Frog gave a mighty leap and tore himself free, leaving his tail behind in the Being's hand, which is why frogs have had no tails ever  since. 

As the Beings came after him again, Frog flung the fire on to Wood. And Wood swallowed it.

The Fire Beings gathered round, but they did not know how to get the fire out of Wood. They promised it gifts, sang to it and shouted at it. They twisted it and struck it and tore it with their knives. But Wood did not give up the fire. In the end, defeated, the Beings went back to their mountaintop and left the People alone.

But Coyote knew how to get fire out of Wood. And he went to the village of men and showed them how. He showed them the trick of rubbing two dry sticks together, and the trick of spinning a sharpened stick in a hole made in another piece of wood.

So, thanks to Coyote, man was from then on warm and safe through the killing cold of winter.

Road Runner Strikes Again

Some days, you get to experience the thrill of victory, other days, you have to taste the agony of defeat.

Today, Team Coyote got a taste of the agony of defeat. 

I suppose I could dwell on all the negative aspects of our game tonight, but I think it suffices to say that we simply lost our poise and let our frustrations get to us.
The result is our first loss of the season.It is what it is.  But, it is not the end of the world.  Sometimes, Coyotes don't get the prey, and they have to go hungry a bit longer.  I have total confidence that we can learn from the mistakes we made today, and turn it around. 

Lick your wounds tonight, Coyotes....but don't you dare hang your heads!  We just have to make some adjustments and work on our attitudes a bit, and we will bounce right back!

'Nuff said about the loss.  Let's talk about some of the good things that happened on the field today:

 1)  Rebekah had an outstanding game today!  She stepped up the the plate, made some great challenges, won the ball several times, played some great defense, and did lots of dribbling down field.  Her work and efforts paid off in at least 1 goal.  Great job Rebekah!  (Coyote Howl for Rebekah).

  2)  Kendal had her head in the game alot more today, and even made some great defensive blocks.  She also got a couple of good kicks on the ball!  Keep it up Kendal!  If you keep playing like that, it is just a matter of time before you score your first goal!  (Coyote Howl for Kendal).

3)  Nick hustled downfield several times to protect the goal when the other team was dribbling in trying to score.  He made a couple of blocks on the other team's shots, and had a good leg on a couple of kickoffs.  Good job Nick!  (Coyote Howl for Nick)

4)  Jack stepped up and helped the team out today by getting in a lot of playing time, and coming in on substitutions to relieve other team members when they needed a break.  Jack's attitude was awesome!  That is what I like to see!  Great job Jack!  (Coyote Howl for Jack)

5)  Jonas rejoined the team, after missing last week, and jumped right in there and contributed some solid kickoffs.  Like Jack, he spent a lot of time on the field today, and even got into the "pack" a couple of times, and made some good challenges for the ball.  Keep it up, Jonas!  We are glad you are back with the team!  (Coyote Howl for Jonas)

6)  Logan had some great break-aways and challenges today!  He made a couple of goals, and showed some great dribbling skills and speed.  Good job Logan!  (Coyote Howl for Logan)

7)  Cole took the opening kick off and dribbled down the field, but was stopped short by the other team.  He had several breakaways, some great challenges, and like Logan, demonstrated good dribbling skills and speed.  Keep it up, Cole!  Just remember:  you are not going to score every time you get the ball, and that is ok!  You just need to keep trying, never give up, and you will (and have) score plenty of goals!  (Coyote Howl for Cole)

So, despite the loss, this coach is proud of Team Coyote.  I know that we have plenty of talent and ability to play with any team out there!  No one expects anyone on the team to score every time you touch the ball, and no one expects that you will be able to keep the other team from ever scoring.  That is just not reality. 

We will win some, and we will lose some.  And it is more important that we learn that it is not always about winning on the scoreboard.  It is about attitude and effort.  The way we play is every bit as important, if not more, than the final score.

And remember this, Coyotes:  Win or lose...