Hello Gaels Men's Soccer supporters,
I wanted to apologize for the time between this post and my last. After losing the OUA quarter-final match to U of T in heartbreaking fashion, I took some time away to reflect on our season. What could we have done differently? Were we as prepared as we should have been? Did we have the right game plan going into the game? Should we have taken a different approach? These questions, and so many more, were racing through my mind. In the end, I was happy with our game plan, and the way our guys executed it on the pitch. We were 6 minutes away from another berth to the OUA Championships. Unfortunately, that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. Regardless, the season is over, and a new phase has begun.
Off-season training is an opportunity for players to improve physically. They need, and will become quicker, faster, and stronger individuals. In addition, with the right approach and commitment, they will become mentally tougher - an important attribute to have in high-pressure situations. I have worked closely with Rodney, our Strength and Conditioning Coach, to develop an off-season training regimen that will challenge our players, and improve every aspect of their movement - balance, coordination, speed, strength, agility. We have futsal training twice-a-week, Complete Athlete Conditioning once-a-week, strength training twice-a-week, and, new this year, we've incorporated squash as a part of their training regimen.
We will be better next season - I'm confident of that. While we will be graduating quality upper-year players, we have a talented group of young players eager to hit the pitch again in August. With a strong 2011 recruiting class, we will be sure to compete at the provincial stage and national stage.
One final note. Over the next few months, I will be posting our squash ladder results. This is so the squad is kept up-to-date on standings, and who their next challenger might be.
Best of luck to all Gaels teams currently in-season. Go Gaels Go!
Chris
