Don't Forget The Gravy!

Today we provided instuction on dribbling and kicking. In order to keep the thanksgiving tradition alive, we corellated a feast theme into our kicking activity. We taped carrotts, mashed potatos, and turkeys on the walls all over the gym. The kids were then assigned a partner, and by passing to each other and moving briskly around the gym, they had to create a "feast." In order to create a feast, the students had to kick and aim the ball at the differnt food items that were taped to the wall in different areas in the gym. After they hit enough items to create a feast, they then had to report to a college student and explain their different feasts. At first, the students did not take this game seriously, but we kept initiating the tasks. Eventually they became more involved in the theme and a Thanksgiving feast was underway. The next activity we organized for the St Mary's students was a weaving drill that finished with a shot at goal. With a soccer ball students were to (one by one)weave in and out of the cones and try to score a goal on one of the college students at the end of the course. I noticed that most students did not commit to the change in direction. They would hesitate before they attempted to vear around the next cone. As I studied their movements, I thought it would be best to suggest some pointers to the ones having trouble. Staying low is vital in changing direction. I also told them to trust themselves a little more when crossing through the cones. The more you committ at a game speed pace, the better you will become. During the last 30 minutes of our turkey theme day, I spend a good amount of time passing the ball with a girl named Jordon. I noticed her shirt had a fall league soccer logo on it, and instantly knew the type of exercises I wanted to share with her. I taught her a few different foot tricks. I taught her a handful of different ways to trap the ball according to the speed at which the ball approaches her. I enjoyed working with Jordon becuase she showed interest in the basics of soccer and was very coachable. Gradually, she would pick up the moves and attempt them before passing the ball back at me. Hopefully, she carries these small pointers into her soccer league next season.