The Marauder Freshmen won a big road game on Tuesday, beating Pinkerton Academy 3-2. Hanover trailed twice, and got second half goals by Eli Stack and Toño Correa to earn a hard-fought victory. Carter Auch saved a penalty kick in the second half to spark the turnaround, and Stack tied the game shortly afterwards. Coach Willie Johnson's summary will be posted by tomorrow morning, but we always like to get the breaking news out there.
There are several other schedule updates and reminders:
On Wednesday, the Varsity will have their concussion screening immediately after school in the computer lab. They will train in the turf from 6:00 - 7:30.
We have added a game to the Reserve Schedule on Friday. The Reserves will play Con-Val at home at Dresden, with a 4:30 kickoff. We'll announce the squads for the next several games in the near future, and post the schedule within the next day.
The Varsity and JV game times for Tuesday's games with Bedford have been changed. The JV will play Bedford on the HHS grass field at 5:30. The Varsity will play Bedford on the HHS turf at 6:30.
Get ready for a massive crowd at the Varsity game!
The Junior Varsity should report to the Cafeteria immediately after school to collect their home uniforms.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Monday, September 5, 2016
Back to Work - A Week to Consolidate our Gains
We'll dive right back into our routine on Tuesday, with the Varsity, JV and Freshman teams heading to Dresden after school (bus at 3:45 sharp) for training. I'm hoping to hand several lost lunch boxes back to JV players - if you're missing yours, come find me.
The Freshman team will take to the highway for their first road game on Tuesday. They will get their road uniforms in the HHS Gym during Activity Period on Tuesday, and depart for the game after 6th period. Players should be completely ready to go, but should NOT leave class early. All players would have informed their 7th period teachers in advance. The match is at Pinkerton Academy in Derry at 4:00. Players may return home with their parents, but must inform the athletic office and give their approved note to Coach Johnson before departure.
Wednesday is a training day for all four teams. The Varsity is tentatively scheduled to do concussion testing after school, and will train on the turf from 6:00 - 7:30. We have a pretty exciting special event planned for that evening.
Thursday's schedule will be like Wednesday's although the Varsity training on the turf is right after school. Many of us are hoping to head across the street for the 5:00 p.m. home opener for Dartmouth Men's Soccer. The Big Green come into their game with the University of Washington (coached by HHS grad Jamie Clark) with two draws on their record. They tied #17 Kentucky on Friday, and got a last-minute goal to earn a 1-1 draw with Xavier on Monday night.
Both Varsity and JV have their own home openers on Friday, hosting powerful Manchester Central at 4:00. The JV plays on the HHS grass field on the West side of the high school, and the Varsity plays on the turf. We are considering the possibility of giving the Freshmen and/or Reserves the day off from training to watch. This is an exciting game against the two top programs in Division One.
On Saturday, the Freshman team has their crack at Central, departing at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Turns out they will have five early wakeups this week after all. The game is at 10:00, and the location will be confirmed later this week. The Varsity will be right back on the turf at 11:00, training for their showdown with Bedford on Tuesday. The JV and Reserves will have the weekend off.
The Freshman team will take to the highway for their first road game on Tuesday. They will get their road uniforms in the HHS Gym during Activity Period on Tuesday, and depart for the game after 6th period. Players should be completely ready to go, but should NOT leave class early. All players would have informed their 7th period teachers in advance. The match is at Pinkerton Academy in Derry at 4:00. Players may return home with their parents, but must inform the athletic office and give their approved note to Coach Johnson before departure.
Wednesday is a training day for all four teams. The Varsity is tentatively scheduled to do concussion testing after school, and will train on the turf from 6:00 - 7:30. We have a pretty exciting special event planned for that evening.
Thursday's schedule will be like Wednesday's although the Varsity training on the turf is right after school. Many of us are hoping to head across the street for the 5:00 p.m. home opener for Dartmouth Men's Soccer. The Big Green come into their game with the University of Washington (coached by HHS grad Jamie Clark) with two draws on their record. They tied #17 Kentucky on Friday, and got a last-minute goal to earn a 1-1 draw with Xavier on Monday night.
Both Varsity and JV have their own home openers on Friday, hosting powerful Manchester Central at 4:00. The JV plays on the HHS grass field on the West side of the high school, and the Varsity plays on the turf. We are considering the possibility of giving the Freshmen and/or Reserves the day off from training to watch. This is an exciting game against the two top programs in Division One.
On Saturday, the Freshman team has their crack at Central, departing at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Turns out they will have five early wakeups this week after all. The game is at 10:00, and the location will be confirmed later this week. The Varsity will be right back on the turf at 11:00, training for their showdown with Bedford on Tuesday. The JV and Reserves will have the weekend off.
Sunday, September 4, 2016
Game and Practice Schedule Sept. 5-10
September 5 – 10, 2016
Monday, September 5
Varsity Training – HHS Turf 3:30
– 5:30 p.m
Varsity Team/Parent Barbeque at
Huntley Meadow 6:00
– 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 6
Freshman Team Gets Uniform – HHS Gym Activity
Period
Freshmen at Pinkerton - Bus Departs 2:00 4:00 p.m.
Practice Bus Departs for Dresden 3:45
p.m.
Reserve, Varsity and JV Training
at Dresden 4:00
– 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, September 7
Practice Bus Departs for Dresden 2:45
p.m.
Varsity Concussion Screening –
Computer Lab 2:10
p.m.
JV Team Gets Uniforms – HHS Cafeteria 2:10
p.m.
JV, Freshman and Reserve Training
at Dresden 3:30
– 5:00
Varsity Training – HHS Turf 6:00
– 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 8
Reserve Team Gets Uniforms – HHS Cafeteria 3:10
p.m.
Practice Bus Departs for Dresden 3:45
p.m.
JV, Freshman and Reserve Training
at Dresden 3:30
– 5:00 p.m.
Varsity Training – HHS Turf 3:30
– 5:00 p.m.
Friday, September 9
Practice Bus Departs for Dresden 3:45
p.m.
Training for Freshmen and
Reserves at Dresden 4:00
– 5:30 p.m.
Varsity/JV Home vs. Central
- HHS turf and grass 4:00
p.m.
Saturday, September 10
Freshmen at Manchester Central –
Bus Departs 8:00 a.m. 10:00
a.m.
Varsity Training – HHS Turf 11:00
– 1:00 p.m.
Varsity Team Dinner chez Adams 6:00
p.m.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Lost & Found; Tracking the Marauder Soccer Alumni
On a welcome day off from Marauder soccer, I took the opportunity to clean out my poor, abused car, which has spent the last three weeks hauling soccer balls, pinnies (mmm, wet pinnie smell!), cones, ice and water (they never leak on my seats and on the pinnies), uniforms, corner flags, and increasingly, a lot of lost and found items. Now you'd never guess that with 115 young men participating in the program they would occasionally leave jackets, water bottles, phones, backpacks, soccer boots and other items out at Dresden. Despite my best efforts to return these items in a timely way, I have accumulated quite a collection. I'll try to make a display at the start of practice one of these days, but feel free to inquire if you are missing something. I have a dandy zip-up neoprene lunchbox from the bus trip to Winicunnet, with someone's fitted mouthpiece in it. I have a couple of cream cheese containers from the past two trips. So, feel free to lighten my load. It goes with the territory.
I have started the process of tracking down some of the Marauder alumni who are currently playing college soccer. It's a bit early for the freshmen, who are just starting their seasons. Addison Wanner is on the squad at the College of Wooster, word has it that Asa Berolzheimer finished 3rd in the beep test at Colby, and we're waiting for word from Tim Alibozek at Norwich. Duncan Piper is starting his senior year at Middlebury as one of three Panther goalkeepers, and Brendan Barth got 45 minutes of playing time Friday night in Dartmouth's season opener, a 1-1 tie with #17 Kentucky. Brendan and the Big Green have their home opener on Thursday at 5:00, and we're hoping to catch part of that game. Dartmouth hosts the highly regarded University of Washington Huskies, who are coached by Jamie Clark, the only HHS graduate who has played Major League Soccer. Jamie led the Marauders to consecutive NHIAA titles (Hanover went 36-0-0 in that stretch), was an All-American (yes, we've had more than a few) and transferred from North Carolina to Stanford when his father Bobby became the Head Coach there. Jamie played in the MLS for two years and started a coaching career that has seen him as Head Coach at Harvard, Creighton and now Washington. We are hoping that one of these years there will be a father-son matchup in the NCAAs between the Huskies and Notre Dame. We're also hoping that Jamie may have a few minutes in his busy schedule this week and stop by to say a few words to his fellow Marauders.
Tune in tomorrow for the schedule for the coming week. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!
I have started the process of tracking down some of the Marauder alumni who are currently playing college soccer. It's a bit early for the freshmen, who are just starting their seasons. Addison Wanner is on the squad at the College of Wooster, word has it that Asa Berolzheimer finished 3rd in the beep test at Colby, and we're waiting for word from Tim Alibozek at Norwich. Duncan Piper is starting his senior year at Middlebury as one of three Panther goalkeepers, and Brendan Barth got 45 minutes of playing time Friday night in Dartmouth's season opener, a 1-1 tie with #17 Kentucky. Brendan and the Big Green have their home opener on Thursday at 5:00, and we're hoping to catch part of that game. Dartmouth hosts the highly regarded University of Washington Huskies, who are coached by Jamie Clark, the only HHS graduate who has played Major League Soccer. Jamie led the Marauders to consecutive NHIAA titles (Hanover went 36-0-0 in that stretch), was an All-American (yes, we've had more than a few) and transferred from North Carolina to Stanford when his father Bobby became the Head Coach there. Jamie played in the MLS for two years and started a coaching career that has seen him as Head Coach at Harvard, Creighton and now Washington. We are hoping that one of these years there will be a father-son matchup in the NCAAs between the Huskies and Notre Dame. We're also hoping that Jamie may have a few minutes in his busy schedule this week and stop by to say a few words to his fellow Marauders.
Tune in tomorrow for the schedule for the coming week. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!
Friday, September 2, 2016
Marauders Grab Third Straight Road Win, Beating Winacunnet 3-1.
Hanover's long season-opening road trip came to a satisfying conclusion on Friday, as the Marauders shook off an early goal and dominated Winacunnet en route to a 3-1 victory. The win was their third straight, helping them start the campaign on top of the Division One standings with a 3-0 record. Hanover now takes a week off to rest and then prepare for their home opener next week against traditional foe Manchester Central.
Determined to start strongly, the Marauders nevertheless surrendered an early goal to a much-improved Warrior squad. After Hanover had enjoyed an edge in possession, Winacunnet got possession in the Marauder end and made the most of their opportunity. Impressive midfielder Freddy Schaake came roaring out of the corner on the baseline and hit a perfectly-angled pass to streaking striker, who deflected a dribbler inside the far post for a 1-0 lead.
The rest of the half was all Hanover. Luke Messersmith and Henry Kahl made things dangerous on the wings. Messersmith had a close range shot blocked, and Jake Acker was ruled offsides after he had converted a free kick feed from Adam Pikelny. Fifteen minutes into the match the Marauders subbed their strikers, and it didn't take long for the switch to bear fruit. Counterattacking from a rare Winnacunnet foray into the Hanover end, hard-working winger David Seigne hit a perfect through ball to a streaking Charlie Adams. By now, you should be able to figure out how this ended. Adams shrugged off a hard challenge from the last defender, bulled past onrushing goalkeeper Dominic Styles, and popped the ball into the net to tie the game. It was Adams' third goal in as many matches, and confirmed for the Marauders the sneaking suspicion that this freshman is capable of playing far beyond his years. Hanover had stayed calm despite their early deficit, and Adams' goal ignited them.
Eight minutes later, the Marauders took the lead for good. They were awarded a corner kick, and had to wait a bit as several more Marauder subs switched on and off. As standout senior back Simon Kahan came on for Will Smith, the latter trudged off the pitch with his back to the incipient corner kick. Coach Grabill met Smith at the touchline and whirled him around, and said "watch your buddy!" Will thus had a great view as his buddy Jake Acker met Casey Starr's corner kick with a far post header and placed the ball back inside the opposite post for a 2-1 lead.
The Marauders dominated the second half, and did so by utilizing every one of the 24 field players on the roster. Hanover got off to a great start with the front line of Liam Collins, Bauti Gallino and Nico-Mayo Pushee. It was the first varsity experience for the latter two, and they justified the faith placed in them. Both had great opportunities to score, as Collins, Sam Strohbehn and Will Smith made some magic on the left flank, generating cross after cross.
Hanover maintained momentum when the starting strikers jumped into the game at the 10-minute mark, and less than three minutes later they grabbed a third goal when Sam Strohbehn served a corner kick into the box and Casey Starr redirected it off the far post and in for his first goal of the season. The Marauders kept coming. Strohbehn saw his close-range shot smothered by Warrior keeper Styles, who came off his line bravely. Will Smith hit a great shot from just inside the penalty area that forced Styles to make another good save.
In came another wave of subs, and Hanover's domination (verified by the high-tech stats recorded by Everett Logan and promulgated on-line by Joe Pych) continued. Sander Macaulay showed well at striker, getting a good shot on goal and more importantly possessing well with his back to the goal.
Alvaro Cooper showed excellent ball control and presence of mind at center midfield. Dillon Bradley was a force at left wing, combining well with running mate Elias Zinman. Ben Sobel was a strong presence at sitting center mid, contesting every 50-50 ball in the air, and sneaking into the Warrior penalty area to get his head on the ball there as well. Griffin Johnson hit a great first-time shot with his left foot. Hanover's final assault on goal was memorable one. Sam Pych was in for a brief stint at left back so that Simon Kahan could re-live last season's game at center back, and Pych had instructions to get forward. He soon found the opportunity to make one of his patented charges though the opposing defense, and ripped a shot that caromed off the left post. The rebound went right to Mayo-Pushee, with a golden chance to atone for two earlier close misses. Atonement will come soon enough, but it was not to be this day. Nico's close-in shot managed to gain altitude as quickly as an Elon Musk SpaceX rocket, and with the same success.
The Marauders are most certainly a work in progress, but they are a 3-0 work in progress, with three good results on the road against quality opposition. They deserve their Labor Day rest, and will re-convene on the HHS turf this Monday at 3:30 to start preparations for Manchester Central. Only Central has been the Division One Finals as many times (twice) in the last four seasons as Hanover. Hanover and Central are the only two teams to have been to the semifinals more than twice in that stretch. These are the two programs that set the standard, and they meet next Friday in the home opener for the Marauders at 4:00. Get there early to get a good seat.
Determined to start strongly, the Marauders nevertheless surrendered an early goal to a much-improved Warrior squad. After Hanover had enjoyed an edge in possession, Winacunnet got possession in the Marauder end and made the most of their opportunity. Impressive midfielder Freddy Schaake came roaring out of the corner on the baseline and hit a perfectly-angled pass to streaking striker, who deflected a dribbler inside the far post for a 1-0 lead.
The rest of the half was all Hanover. Luke Messersmith and Henry Kahl made things dangerous on the wings. Messersmith had a close range shot blocked, and Jake Acker was ruled offsides after he had converted a free kick feed from Adam Pikelny. Fifteen minutes into the match the Marauders subbed their strikers, and it didn't take long for the switch to bear fruit. Counterattacking from a rare Winnacunnet foray into the Hanover end, hard-working winger David Seigne hit a perfect through ball to a streaking Charlie Adams. By now, you should be able to figure out how this ended. Adams shrugged off a hard challenge from the last defender, bulled past onrushing goalkeeper Dominic Styles, and popped the ball into the net to tie the game. It was Adams' third goal in as many matches, and confirmed for the Marauders the sneaking suspicion that this freshman is capable of playing far beyond his years. Hanover had stayed calm despite their early deficit, and Adams' goal ignited them.
Eight minutes later, the Marauders took the lead for good. They were awarded a corner kick, and had to wait a bit as several more Marauder subs switched on and off. As standout senior back Simon Kahan came on for Will Smith, the latter trudged off the pitch with his back to the incipient corner kick. Coach Grabill met Smith at the touchline and whirled him around, and said "watch your buddy!" Will thus had a great view as his buddy Jake Acker met Casey Starr's corner kick with a far post header and placed the ball back inside the opposite post for a 2-1 lead.
The Marauders dominated the second half, and did so by utilizing every one of the 24 field players on the roster. Hanover got off to a great start with the front line of Liam Collins, Bauti Gallino and Nico-Mayo Pushee. It was the first varsity experience for the latter two, and they justified the faith placed in them. Both had great opportunities to score, as Collins, Sam Strohbehn and Will Smith made some magic on the left flank, generating cross after cross.
Hanover maintained momentum when the starting strikers jumped into the game at the 10-minute mark, and less than three minutes later they grabbed a third goal when Sam Strohbehn served a corner kick into the box and Casey Starr redirected it off the far post and in for his first goal of the season. The Marauders kept coming. Strohbehn saw his close-range shot smothered by Warrior keeper Styles, who came off his line bravely. Will Smith hit a great shot from just inside the penalty area that forced Styles to make another good save.
In came another wave of subs, and Hanover's domination (verified by the high-tech stats recorded by Everett Logan and promulgated on-line by Joe Pych) continued. Sander Macaulay showed well at striker, getting a good shot on goal and more importantly possessing well with his back to the goal.
Alvaro Cooper showed excellent ball control and presence of mind at center midfield. Dillon Bradley was a force at left wing, combining well with running mate Elias Zinman. Ben Sobel was a strong presence at sitting center mid, contesting every 50-50 ball in the air, and sneaking into the Warrior penalty area to get his head on the ball there as well. Griffin Johnson hit a great first-time shot with his left foot. Hanover's final assault on goal was memorable one. Sam Pych was in for a brief stint at left back so that Simon Kahan could re-live last season's game at center back, and Pych had instructions to get forward. He soon found the opportunity to make one of his patented charges though the opposing defense, and ripped a shot that caromed off the left post. The rebound went right to Mayo-Pushee, with a golden chance to atone for two earlier close misses. Atonement will come soon enough, but it was not to be this day. Nico's close-in shot managed to gain altitude as quickly as an Elon Musk SpaceX rocket, and with the same success.
The Marauders are most certainly a work in progress, but they are a 3-0 work in progress, with three good results on the road against quality opposition. They deserve their Labor Day rest, and will re-convene on the HHS turf this Monday at 3:30 to start preparations for Manchester Central. Only Central has been the Division One Finals as many times (twice) in the last four seasons as Hanover. Hanover and Central are the only two teams to have been to the semifinals more than twice in that stretch. These are the two programs that set the standard, and they meet next Friday in the home opener for the Marauders at 4:00. Get there early to get a good seat.
Junior Varsity Loses 2-1 to Winnacunnet
The Marauder JV's hopes for a win at Winacunnet went up in a cloud of infield dirt on Friday. Playing on a pitch which generously included the entire softball infield, the Marauders generated plenty of scoring opportunities but were only able to convert one, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Warriors.
Winacunnet broke on top with a breakaway goal early in the second half, but Hanover retaliated minutes later, with Pedro Gallino scoring his second goal in as many games, assisted by Blake Palmer. Both team had good looks as the half wound on, including shots from Aidan Rowley, Colm Seigne and Lincoln Adam. Winacunnet managed to score the final goal against the run of play, however, and time ran out on the Marauders, who saw their record drop to 2-1.
Hanover has a week off before returning home for a match next Friday. Traditionally strong Manchester Central will be in town for a 4:00 kickoff.
Winacunnet broke on top with a breakaway goal early in the second half, but Hanover retaliated minutes later, with Pedro Gallino scoring his second goal in as many games, assisted by Blake Palmer. Both team had good looks as the half wound on, including shots from Aidan Rowley, Colm Seigne and Lincoln Adam. Winacunnet managed to score the final goal against the run of play, however, and time ran out on the Marauders, who saw their record drop to 2-1.
Hanover has a week off before returning home for a match next Friday. Traditionally strong Manchester Central will be in town for a 4:00 kickoff.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Week One Winds Down; Marauders Hit the Highway
Thursday was the second full day of school, and all four teams were engaged productively. The Freshman team all made it to the Computer Lab to do baseline screening for our concussion protocols. We'll be doing this with the other three teams in the coming week. Establishing a baseline makes it far easier to treat any concussions, should they occur.
The remaining three teams all trained at the Dresden fields. We're still working to get the bus transportation right, and today was better than yesterday. Our new contractor is very responsive, and we feel good that this critical element of the daily schedule is in good hands.
Friday, both the Reserves and Freshmen each have a full field to themselves. The Freshmen will be prepping for their Tuesday trip to Pinkerton, and are reminded that they need to contact their seventh period teachers on Friday to alert them to their 2:00 departure.
The Reserves have a full week of practice to get ready for the following one, when they have four games in an eight-day stretch. That will allow us to experiment with a two-squad setup. Rather than flood our sidelines with 36 players, Coach Erik McEwen and I have discussed (with input from players) dividing into two equal teams of 18. Each team would play two of the next four games, ensuring more reasonable rhythm and playing time. An interesting first step may be a few intrasquad scrimmages in the next few days.
The Varsity and JV head to Hampton, NH on Friday for 4:00 games with Winnacunnet High School, on fields only a mile or so from the Atlantic Ocean. Good thing we're not there when Tropical Storm Hermine pays a call on Monday! We petitioned the Friends of Hanover Soccer to underwrite a lobster dinner on the way home, and got a terse answer: Gatorade and granola bars.
This has been a wonderful week. Since last Friday, we have launched four teams with a total of 115 players. We've outfitted them with uniforms, balls, pinnies and cones, juggled them onto practice fields, sent them on three long road trips, and hosted a doubleheader that maxed out the parking lot at Dresden. Getting this done depended on the flexibility, unselfishness and trust of the players, and they have responded magnificently. This week, the emphasis was on getting all of our logistics right, and getting off to a good start in school. It was a pleasure to see today's after-school study hall in the Cafeteria!
We have been sending daily e-mails to the players from a rotations of coaches, with reflections on new ways to think about the game. Hanover teams are always pretty cerebral, and we know that many of them are true students of the game. We love feeding this.
As we settle into a routine, we can really bear down on helping every player improve, setting individual and team goals, and devising ways to meet them. The coaching staff has been tremendous, and they are eager to keep working with your sons. Kudos to Freshman Coach Willie Johnson, Reserve Coach Erik McEwen, JV Coach Yosef Osheyack, Freshman/Reserve Assistant Matt Starr,
Varsity Assistants Brett Wanner and Toby Niles. At the end of next week, we'll welcome yet another coach. Eric Jayne (HHS '11, Dartmouth '15), Dartmouth Soccer Captain and Norman Grant Clark Award winner, will be with us regularly as a floating assistant. Eric is just back from Ethiopia, working on a Dartmouth Graduate Research Grant, and has the fall free before he gears up for medical school. We're lucky to have him!
It's been a busy week, and after a full Friday we are eager to give every player two or three days off.
The Varsity will train on Monday, but everyone else has a three-day weekend. Enjoy your holiday, and we'll see you on Tuesday. This blog will continue every day over the weekend. We'll publish the schedule for the coming week on Sunday, as usual, and will have a few other fairly important pieces of information to share as we look forward to a fast-moving season. Thanks for your readership and support!
The remaining three teams all trained at the Dresden fields. We're still working to get the bus transportation right, and today was better than yesterday. Our new contractor is very responsive, and we feel good that this critical element of the daily schedule is in good hands.
Friday, both the Reserves and Freshmen each have a full field to themselves. The Freshmen will be prepping for their Tuesday trip to Pinkerton, and are reminded that they need to contact their seventh period teachers on Friday to alert them to their 2:00 departure.
The Reserves have a full week of practice to get ready for the following one, when they have four games in an eight-day stretch. That will allow us to experiment with a two-squad setup. Rather than flood our sidelines with 36 players, Coach Erik McEwen and I have discussed (with input from players) dividing into two equal teams of 18. Each team would play two of the next four games, ensuring more reasonable rhythm and playing time. An interesting first step may be a few intrasquad scrimmages in the next few days.
The Varsity and JV head to Hampton, NH on Friday for 4:00 games with Winnacunnet High School, on fields only a mile or so from the Atlantic Ocean. Good thing we're not there when Tropical Storm Hermine pays a call on Monday! We petitioned the Friends of Hanover Soccer to underwrite a lobster dinner on the way home, and got a terse answer: Gatorade and granola bars.
This has been a wonderful week. Since last Friday, we have launched four teams with a total of 115 players. We've outfitted them with uniforms, balls, pinnies and cones, juggled them onto practice fields, sent them on three long road trips, and hosted a doubleheader that maxed out the parking lot at Dresden. Getting this done depended on the flexibility, unselfishness and trust of the players, and they have responded magnificently. This week, the emphasis was on getting all of our logistics right, and getting off to a good start in school. It was a pleasure to see today's after-school study hall in the Cafeteria!
We have been sending daily e-mails to the players from a rotations of coaches, with reflections on new ways to think about the game. Hanover teams are always pretty cerebral, and we know that many of them are true students of the game. We love feeding this.
As we settle into a routine, we can really bear down on helping every player improve, setting individual and team goals, and devising ways to meet them. The coaching staff has been tremendous, and they are eager to keep working with your sons. Kudos to Freshman Coach Willie Johnson, Reserve Coach Erik McEwen, JV Coach Yosef Osheyack, Freshman/Reserve Assistant Matt Starr,
Varsity Assistants Brett Wanner and Toby Niles. At the end of next week, we'll welcome yet another coach. Eric Jayne (HHS '11, Dartmouth '15), Dartmouth Soccer Captain and Norman Grant Clark Award winner, will be with us regularly as a floating assistant. Eric is just back from Ethiopia, working on a Dartmouth Graduate Research Grant, and has the fall free before he gears up for medical school. We're lucky to have him!
It's been a busy week, and after a full Friday we are eager to give every player two or three days off.
The Varsity will train on Monday, but everyone else has a three-day weekend. Enjoy your holiday, and we'll see you on Tuesday. This blog will continue every day over the weekend. We'll publish the schedule for the coming week on Sunday, as usual, and will have a few other fairly important pieces of information to share as we look forward to a fast-moving season. Thanks for your readership and support!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)