For two weeks running, there was only one training session. This time however, Coach Jason took charge of training as Coach Kuan Yang was missing in action. There were more girls in training this week, including kung-fu keeper Sharron, who played as an outfield player this time.
More drills as usual with the usual PMS stuff. Is training getting too usual? Trust Coach Jason to switch things up. Boys and women were separated from the men after a few drills. The boys and women did a new drill, which was quite fun. Kinda like two snakes going at each other and fooling the defender in the process. Although it was hard to understand at first, as they say, practice makes (almost) perfect.
The men on the other hand were doing some drill where they had to make the ball bounce off the wall. And yes, not forgetting suicides for all.
All the players then regrouped and Coach Nick took charge for a couple of drills. After that, more suicides. Oh yes, we did it twice. The boys then faced the women during game time and the men were split into two lines. The boys claimed they would definitely beat girls and Coach Jason decided to let them do suicides twice if they lost. Not that it would have mattered cause these kids have enough energy to power a thermal station.
In the end, the boys didn't get the suicides and the men provided plenty of entertainment.
Training ended with Coach announcing that there would be a friendly against Innebandy on Wednesday and that selection for PFL Division One had begun.
So, for those who didn't play in Division Two and are up for it, sharpen those blades and find that inner athlete.
Note: All the best to those sitting for exams over the next few weeks. :)
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Training 020509: The Philosopher's PMS
This week training reverted back to the good ol' 9am-12pm and had an attendance of more than 10 guys (bloggers should start counting heads now) and one girl. Where have all the girls gone? Guys, get your girl friends to come.
Coach Kuan Yang took charge and the drills somehow felt much longer with less water breaks.
Training started off with passing followed by many other drills, starting with the famous snakes. The drills had elements of Coach Kuan Yang's PMS (that's passing, movement and shooting) philosophy. Some drills were new to some especially to the juniors, girl and newbies. Which makes us 8.00-10.30 training session people wonder when was the last time we had training under Kuan Yang.
Coach also incorporated real match situations into the drills. More passing, more moving, more shooting (in short, more PMS-ing) until coach called for game time.
Oh yes, and in between there was a little matter of suicides.
3-on-3 for juniors and girl, 5-on-5 for seniors. Four minutes a game. The juniors looked like they were having the time of their lives. The seniors, as usual, were moving so fast you'd lose track of the ball if you blink.
Okay, a little over-exaggerated there... but you get the point.
Coach Kuan Yang took charge and the drills somehow felt much longer with less water breaks.
Training started off with passing followed by many other drills, starting with the famous snakes. The drills had elements of Coach Kuan Yang's PMS (that's passing, movement and shooting) philosophy. Some drills were new to some especially to the juniors, girl and newbies. Which makes us 8.00-10.30 training session people wonder when was the last time we had training under Kuan Yang.
Coach also incorporated real match situations into the drills. More passing, more moving, more shooting (in short, more PMS-ing) until coach called for game time.
Oh yes, and in between there was a little matter of suicides.
3-on-3 for juniors and girl, 5-on-5 for seniors. Four minutes a game. The juniors looked like they were having the time of their lives. The seniors, as usual, were moving so fast you'd lose track of the ball if you blink.
Okay, a little over-exaggerated there... but you get the point.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Winning: Cool, But...
*This post is written by Kew Pei Li, on her experience in this year's Youthwave.
Youthwave this year...
...best ever.
No-o, we did not win, or I'd have posted this up much earlier:)
But some things are sweeter than getting first.
A few weeks ago, I was praying that we'd get lucky for once and get a good, comfortable draw. Maybe a Firebrands team here (sorry, Tania) and maybe G-12's weaker teams there. Well, there's good, and there's bad, and I think we got a tough one: Contact Sugar (for the 3rd time in two years!), Innebabes and Violets.
And Frontliners Skyline having me, June, Sonia and Yue Shern: none of the three having played in the first team before.
Hardly a recipe for success.
So I risked a big chunk in my pocket and promised them a treat at McD's if they'd just get through to the second round. I half-regretted my words after we won all three of our games (Violets: 2-0, Sugar: 2-0, Innebabes: 1-0). In the second round, we played Innechicks-- eventual champions: 1-1, Salichicks: 1-0, and Firebrands Mah: 3-0. Topped by Innechicks on goal difference.
And right after our last game, we were up against Contact Sugar in the semis, and the target, as in our first round, was not to concede more than 2.
Playing six games (6=48 minutes) with no substitutes showed very much in this game. I was walking when I should have been running, the challenges were half-hearted at most, and the shots were awful. The more I played, the bigger the court seemed, and the Serene-Sheryn partnership was what gave Sugar the victory.
We lost 0-1, fair enough.
And for bronze... we had to play Kaki Bangku of UniHawks. A team that played very pretty floorball (comparatively) but who contrived to hit anywhere but the goal in their game against Frontliners Fiorano, our second team. I swear the post had more touches than some of the Fiorano's.
I told my team to go out and 'just have fun'. No more targets, no more expectations. Just play.
I think we played our worst game ever, but we escaped with a 0-2 loss. It's like Kaki Bangku had 90% possession throughout, and their shots count more than doubled our pass count.
So?
It might not sound like the best Youthwave ever, especially with nothing to show after all that sweat. But what I've learnt from the past Youthwave's and Z-Liners is that winning; it's cool, but it's not all that.
Bringing together players who have little experience and really playing together, as one, as a team, gives you a sense of victory and achievement that even gold can't offer. Rising up above expectations and defying the odds, not because of individual skill, but because of what each of us sacrificed:
For Frontliners Skyline: Sonia, who guarded the goal and had black-and-blue knees to show for it; June, who faithfully stuck to her opponents and gave her teammates the chance to bang forward; and Yue Shern, who ran her heart out in front, often alone.
For Frontliners Fiorano: Yi Lin, Olga, Verina and Li-Ying, three of whom have never played in Youthwave before, to have battled and fought in that incredible game with Kaki Bangku, and to have come out with smiles on their faces even after losing all three games.
Yup.
Best Youthwave ever.
Youthwave this year...
...best ever.
No-o, we did not win, or I'd have posted this up much earlier:)
But some things are sweeter than getting first.
A few weeks ago, I was praying that we'd get lucky for once and get a good, comfortable draw. Maybe a Firebrands team here (sorry, Tania) and maybe G-12's weaker teams there. Well, there's good, and there's bad, and I think we got a tough one: Contact Sugar (for the 3rd time in two years!), Innebabes and Violets.
And Frontliners Skyline having me, June, Sonia and Yue Shern: none of the three having played in the first team before.
Hardly a recipe for success.
So I risked a big chunk in my pocket and promised them a treat at McD's if they'd just get through to the second round. I half-regretted my words after we won all three of our games (Violets: 2-0, Sugar: 2-0, Innebabes: 1-0). In the second round, we played Innechicks-- eventual champions: 1-1, Salichicks: 1-0, and Firebrands Mah: 3-0. Topped by Innechicks on goal difference.
And right after our last game, we were up against Contact Sugar in the semis, and the target, as in our first round, was not to concede more than 2.
Playing six games (6=48 minutes) with no substitutes showed very much in this game. I was walking when I should have been running, the challenges were half-hearted at most, and the shots were awful. The more I played, the bigger the court seemed, and the Serene-Sheryn partnership was what gave Sugar the victory.
We lost 0-1, fair enough.
And for bronze... we had to play Kaki Bangku of UniHawks. A team that played very pretty floorball (comparatively) but who contrived to hit anywhere but the goal in their game against Frontliners Fiorano, our second team. I swear the post had more touches than some of the Fiorano's.
I told my team to go out and 'just have fun'. No more targets, no more expectations. Just play.
I think we played our worst game ever, but we escaped with a 0-2 loss. It's like Kaki Bangku had 90% possession throughout, and their shots count more than doubled our pass count.
So?
It might not sound like the best Youthwave ever, especially with nothing to show after all that sweat. But what I've learnt from the past Youthwave's and Z-Liners is that winning; it's cool, but it's not all that.
Bringing together players who have little experience and really playing together, as one, as a team, gives you a sense of victory and achievement that even gold can't offer. Rising up above expectations and defying the odds, not because of individual skill, but because of what each of us sacrificed:
For Frontliners Skyline: Sonia, who guarded the goal and had black-and-blue knees to show for it; June, who faithfully stuck to her opponents and gave her teammates the chance to bang forward; and Yue Shern, who ran her heart out in front, often alone.
For Frontliners Fiorano: Yi Lin, Olga, Verina and Li-Ying, three of whom have never played in Youthwave before, to have battled and fought in that incredible game with Kaki Bangku, and to have come out with smiles on their faces even after losing all three games.
Yup.
Best Youthwave ever.
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