JV Red

I was very pleased with the progress of our JV Red team throughout the season. Our goals with our third team are always progress, development, and improvement, and I think we accomplished all of these things throughout the course of the season. Nathan did an excellent job in his first season as coach as I saw individual improvement across the board, and definitely a big step forward from the team as whole when comparing their first game in Bluegrass State Games to their last against Douglass. This team was a little different than our past third teams as many of them could compete physically against our opponents. However, technical skills and tactical IQ were two areas that needed a bit of work. I like how Nathan really encouraged the boys to build up play from the back, even in games and situations where they had a physical advantage. It is often easy to forget about development during those times. But he asked them not to just play long and direct, but rather work on technique under pressure and decision making in different areas of the field. Yes, this kind of teaching can lead to mistakes during games, but it is so beneficial in the long run, and it’s what we will need at the varsity level. If the boys take these lessons into the offseason, they will see big dividends in their development. Well done boys and well done Coach Nathan. Great season!

JV Navy

This was a bit of an up and down year for the JV Navy squad. Part of that was due to factors outside of our control in terms of injuries and illness. I think Adam told me that there was only one game during the regular season where the entire roster was healthy and available. That is an amazing statistic, and kind of reminds me of our varsity team in 2017. However, there were also many preventable issues like practice attendance, communication to coaches, and arriving on time. I know that for some of the young players new to the program it can be an adjustment to take on all of this responsibility, so hopefully many of these boys will learn from it for next year. These type of responsibilities will not only help them on the soccer field but also in school and in life. However, by the end of the season I saw some of their best soccer during the year. The game against Henry Clay in particular was a very strong performance and showed what this group was capable of. Again, our goals with both of the JV teams center around development, and I saw individual improvement from the entire roster and a more cohesive team on the field at the end of the season. Adam and William worked very well together, and managed the team in a way that focuses on improvement for every player, which is so important for the future of the varsity team. Great job coaches and players!

I do want to emphasize the importance of the other 9 months of the year for all of our young players. In the grand scheme of things we get the boys for such a small percentage of the year, so their development is going to either stall or take huge strides with what they do outside of the high school season. I would encourage all of the boys to play at the highest level they can during the spring, and if they are really serious about getting better they will put in a ton of time and work on their own. The goal for each player going into next year is to make a higher level team than what they made this past season, and that doesn’t happen without some serious work in the offseason. We will do some things from time to time over the winter and spring, but it will be nowhere near enough to really make an impact on their development. If the boys need any help coming up with ideas please do not hesitate to have them contact any of the coaching staff. We are also happy to help any players try to find a club team for the spring as well.