Good morning!

There is less than three weeks until preseason begins. I hope all of you have been running, working out and conditioning to get yourselves in the best shape you can be! If you haven't checked out our schedule at sectionxi.org, you can go to the bottom of this page where I have posted ALL of the games. As you will see, we will not have a lot of time to prepare for our first match. Make sure you make this year count because for many of you, it is your last! =(


While you are home this week, I want you to do some things in addition to your training. As important as it is to get physically ready, we need you mentally ready too.

1. Check out a field hockey game. Whether you watch it at the Olympics - mens and womens are playing... you can go to he nbc website and check it out-- or go to a live game (I am going to the Hofstra game August 24.. are you?) Watching great hockey will mentally get you ready and psyched for the up coming season. remember, its your time, so make the best of it.

2. Practice your yard stick pulls. Do 5 sets of yard stick pulls and time them for a minute on the grass. Record your times. Coach or I don't need to know what you do but if you put away 5 minutes, it will improve on your skill.

3. Get a full length mirror. Correction, go to your full length mirror. I am pretty sure that most if not all of you have one. Stand in front of it and Get yourselves in a ready position like I taught you. Do you look like a hunch back? Are your hands and stick infront of your body? Are you on the balls of your feet? Is your left hand low? Look at yourself and self evaluate. The more you practice body positioning and BENDING THOSE KNEES, the easier it will be. Its a fact that you have to be low. So I would practice at home.

4. Make sure that you have at least 2 mouth guards.. maybe even 3, your shins guards are in good condition, your goggles are regulated and your stick is still good to go! Do this now. You don't want to be the player who forgot their equipment or didn't prepare. There is nothing worse that not being prepared, especially for things that you can prepare for.

5. Write out an individual goal for yourself this week :   I want to be able to do 100 aerial dribbles in a row without dropping it  -- make up one simple goal and work on it. See if you achieve your goal.


That's all for now! Enjoy your week and see you girls in two weeks! Remember Strong Island tryouts are on Wednesday. Check out the website .. www.strongislandfieldhockey.com for more details... and keep training!


- Coach A