So we are down in New Mexico at a tournament.

Being of the wrong gender I did not have a pony tail at that age or later, had complaints that it is used to pull you down.

One of our opponents had a number of Spanish speakers, we had one with sufficient linguistic ability to translate some of the comments....

But she has scored 6 in 2 games with more tomorrow and the Hotel has a Swimming Pool current filled with the team so all is good.

More worryingly there was a Girl on another team who had a serious injury, break?, took forever for an Ambulance to turn up and to say they were leisurely when the did arrive would be an understatement.

It will be 1,000 miles by the time we get back, only in America.

When I arrive in June I will be an coach at Fort Collins Soccer Academy. Think I'm taking the girls under 14's...

OH has coached girls rec soccer here for the past 7 yrs. Currently he is coaching a team with ages 12-14. Some of the girls are huge with powerfull kicks that if they were to hit some of the smaller girls with the ball it would cause serious injury. Good job the bigger girls are not that skillful!

We are St Vrain!

Just down the road.

Go Green.

There was one like that yesterday afternoon, she played like a sweeper and launched it. I think their coach should have setup their game around her, play it back to her, she licks it and everybody else charges forward.

It has been 18 months since we last conceded. However today maybe the day, there are a couple of other very strong teams.

That's exactly how we play, Wimbeldon of the 80's springs to mind. The other coaches are clueless especially when we play "park the bus" against the better teams. Our team isn't the best and we don't have any stand out players but remain undefeated from the fall.

Park the bus?, Mass defence?

Perhaps I will mention it if I see them. We scored 6 and could easily have doubled it.

We are playing U13 as U12 was I think 8 a side. But silver as the U13 side is playing gold.

The use of mass substitutions feels odd.

I'm a qualified FA Coach levels 1,2 and UEFA B...gonna get my team playing like Barca!

Wow, you really are close in Longmont....would have thought the teams play each other

you have yet to be enlightened into the joys of coaching here.....

I had a u12 boys team 3 years ago. we won a pre season tournament, our (premier) league/division, and made the semi finals of the states big tournament losing 2-1 having been 1-0 up with 5 to go.................

yet all year long we had hassle with parents (who knew f**k all about the rules) who wanted to butt in all the time. One dad actually asked in all seriousness why we couldn't play like Barca who he had just watched on TV.

it was a huge PITA
so then I moved up to u19 , year one took a team to their highest position ,improved their stats. year 2 built a brand new team, finished 3rd , .............no hassle from the parents. none ever appeared.
the kids however were a 'mare. excuses for missing practice were wide and varied...'couldn't get a ride'-'who did you call?' ' errr no one'

at least 3-4 would show up high to practice
another showed to the biggest game of the year, which he professed he 'was up for and wanted to win more than anything', having been up all night drinking and 'smoking'...his pre match meal was a Macdonalds 10 minutes before kick off !

have fun

Been a youth referee since arriving here. Odd that the high schools play to a slightly different set of rules but at least they (and the 'spectators') are a bit more respectful of the officials

There were 3 yellows this morning, 2 for players and one for the coach, all opposition.

By far the hardest game, the final, well every one was tired and they had obviously scouted our team and set up accordingly.

Extra time

Penalties

Still drawing after 5, won it after 6.

Not sure if I can take this.

PS Ice Cream instead of beers to celebrate.

HS rules are total BS, they seem to make them up as they go along.

here in SW Fl the standard of officiating is awful, the problem is too many do it just for the money. the ref gets $50-60 per game , I had one this season who reason for his inability to keep up with play (apart from being fat and unfit)was 'this is our 3rd game today we're tired'.......so he is making $150+ a day while screwing up my team !!!

worst we ever had was one who insisted handball was indirect.
when pointed out it had been direct since 188whenever he replied 'that's Europe maybe its different there '
when asked what the kick was for hands inside the box he correctly got a 'penalty' right......'ah' says i' but that's DIRECT'....gotcha
he ponders and goes 'hmmmmm it obviously changes inside the box !!!!!!!!!!!'

an insistence we bring out his rule book at HT ends in a blaise 'Oh yea Im wrong,funny because ive been doing that all season...oh well we will change second half'

and walked off as though he was right !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was one of the reasons for becoming a referee. My son was a youth and HS coach and at times it was embarrassing (but not everyone gets it right all the time!). Main problem here (and probably most states) is that there simply isn't enough officials. You have to really love the game (in most instances) to do this!

My OH is a soccer coach (and used to play professionally in the UK), last weekend HE got sent off twice, in consecutive games, for questioning the referee and for being abusive, following bad decisions. Fortunately the games were being recorded and the playback will be shown at the disciplinary hearings which will show, not only was he not abusive (this time!) but he was also correct in the match play. Bloody refs!