Kent Island Varsity team took on Gunston Day School for a scrimmage on the KI pitch this afternoon. It was a spirited match which in the end was won by KI with a score of 5 to 0. The Kent Island squad pressured Gunston from the whistle rarely giving up offensive field position during the match. The Kent Island middies had an outstanding performance today skillfully driving the ball up field and feeding the forwards with shot opportunities. The Gunston team fought tough but struggled to clear the ball. They gave up seven corners which yielded four goals though none came cleanly. It was aggressive play by the forwards off rebounds that brought the ball home. The defense was tested just a handful of times and were able to rebuff the attacks easily. The varsity team has a couple more scrimmages to fine tune their strategy in prep for the regular season.

The Kent Island JV team took on QAHS JV team after the varsity contest. The Bucs had the Lions on their heals for most of the match driving the ball down field into scoring position regularly. The team was able to drive the ball up field firing crossing shots with regularity. The team had difficulty converting the crosses as the QA team battle hard to deny the box. Deny they did but not without setbacks. All the battling in the circle generated eight penalty corners for the Bucs though none were converted. The few times the ball cleared the Bucs 50, defense provided a solid front to clear the ball. The loan tally came from a cross with shots on goal just after the half. Kent Island ended the match with a 1 to 0 win over Queen Anne’s.

In general the team played well though it is clear that they will need to concentrate on converting scoring opportunities and strengthening the cohesion of the attack.

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Tough Day at Practice

The teams worked hard today. The Varsity and JV worked on separate sides of the field. They spent the majority of the time working attack drills on goal. The team spirit was still a bit strained from yesterday’s happenings complicated further by the introduction of 5 soccer cuts on the JV side. The girls put a good face on it and tried to integrate the new girls.

Practice consisted for varsity and JV ran on opposite sides of the field but consisted of the following:
• 7 Laps around the field

• Sprints
o 10 x 40 yards

• Weaving through a cone set at speed
• Variety of Attack and Deflection drills
• Six on Six pay on half pitch

• Sprints
o 2 x 50 yards
o 2 x 100
o 2 x 200

Did the Goalie Win that One?

The JV coach announced that her team was going to the Seaford playday along with the Varsity team. They were to take a Varsity slot from a lower shore team which was discontinued. The playday is scheduled for 8/23 and will run most of the day. It should offer both teams as many as five games.

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Today team selections were posted identifying Varsity, Junior Varsity and for some unfortunate athletes, cuts. For some the news was good and for others disappointing. To the observer the selection process looked somewhat murky but nonetheless difficult. It also looks like thankless work where no explanation could assuage the disappointed girls. The seasoned coaches simply post and carry on trying to move past the hard part and focus on the promise of the season. This year was particularly difficult in that the coaches were determined to carry an optimal size rather than the bloated rosters of year’s past.

For the Varsity team, practice began in earnest. With the team set, the coach was able to narrow focus and get to work. The team focused on attack drills on half the pitch. They concentrated on form, positioning, organization and communication. For the Junior Varsity, the situation was more challenging. They seemed to be having difficulty putting their disappointment aside. The girls spent a good deal of time huddled in the goal box both during and after practice dealing with the hurt feelings and dashed expectations. They did spend some time on attack drills here and there but it was obvious their heart wasn’t in it. The juxtaposition of the giddiness of the Varsity team against the demoralized JV girls made for a rather awkward situation. It will be interesting to see how the coaches will exploit the good and the bad to build two strong and competitive teams.

The coaches anounced that both Varsity and JV would be competing in the Seaford playday on Saturday. Both teams will get the opportunity to test their skills in several games with the local competition.

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Across the east county, girls turned off alarms and shook out the cobwebs after a long summer of sleeping in. They fueled up, filed water bottles and collected gear. They left their homes under a golden moon, low on the horizon. A string of head lights converged on the field from all sides. The girls gathered their things and rolled out of cars wandered together and chatted quietly. The girls began what was to be a long hard day, a day where the girls would be driven and tested to their limits. It was time to see who had the drive and determination to become part of the team. Today was the day of the 2008 Kent Island Field Hockey Tryouts!

Right now on a lonely field a hockey team is out there practicing!

The girls taped up legs and ankles, finished putting on gear and stretched out in the dawn hour. Not until the girls had completed strength drills and started their seven lap long run did the sun finally surface. They took a short water break and began a sprint set. The sprinkler system had been running since their arrival so the coaches had to move between three fields to dodge the water. After the sprints the girls were given a 10 minute break to rest and have some water.

Nothing is Getting By Us

The girls moved to the soccer field to begin the first drills with sticks. They did series of ball control and passing drills to warm up and demonstrate competence. The goalies suited up to prepare for shooting drills for the remainder of the tryout. The girls returned to the main field and continued passing drills in groups. The four goalies warmed up doing kicking drills into the box. The coach then setup a whole field passing drill at game speed to get the girls ready for shooting drills.

After a short break the coach divided the group in two and began a series of attack drills. Each group would play one half of the field. He had a defender insert from the back line to a series of three or four offensive players. Two defenders would move up and challenge to drive the ball away. The coach would instruct here and there to point out positioning problems or to suggest alternatives. The drill was changed several times to add more offensive or defensive players or to stretch the distance to the goal.

Good Job Girls

The girls got a break after about an hour. The coach set up two goal pairs running sideline to sideline and began a 3 x 3 drill with all goalies on hand. As with all the drills he rotated players through the drill to get a look how they played and communicated. The remaining 20 minutes of the tryout was reserved for scrimmage. The coach had time for one substitution of four before time ran out. He had the girls huddle at the fifty and encouraged them, thanked them closing out with a cheer.  The parents greeted and congratulated the girls as they walked off the field.  The prepared a brunch for the girls for after tryouts.  The girls eagerly dug in and found a spot on the field to share stories and relax.

The determination of the group was clear from the outset. They worked very hard and drove themselves without provocation. However it turns out, all of the girls should be proud of their work. 

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KIFH Stickin Together

There were 30 or so girls in all today. The team started out with stretches followed by some strength building. He then had the girls do a 15 lap run though they ran the long route around both fields to cut it to 7. The team is getting more fit. Over half of the team finished as a group. Fewer girls are stopping from tightness or cramping.

While the girls were running the coaches tried to sort out the goalie gear. The mix matched and missing gear has them worried they will not have a decent complete set for practice or games.

The coaches seem very confident about the teams’ prospects this year. They only lost a couple of seniors last year leaving the core of the team intact.

You Can't Catch Me!

• Strength Building – 2 x 25 for each
o High Knees
o Leg Lifts
o Butt Kicks

• 15 Laps around the field

• Sprints on signal
o 12 x 50 yards

• Calisthenics
o Jog to start and in between sets
o Pushups 4 x 25
o Crunches 4 x 25
o Squats 4 x 25

The field is both slow and messy due to grounds maintenance and rain. The sand and aeration plugs are sure to affect play for awhile. The kids are caked with sand and grass after running through it.

Good luck at tryouts tomorrow.

The team started out with stretches as usual. There were 36 girls in all including several who had returned from vacation or other commitments. The coach started with some strength building followed by a ten lap run. Today he allowed the girls to make their own pace. The team is staying together longer with only a few girls being lapped. Seven girls finished in the lead group followed closely by a string of 10 or 15.

While the girls were running the coaches dialoged about the day’s practice, tryouts and field maintenance. The latter is threatening to disrupt the tryouts on Saturday and next weeks practice.

• Strength Building – 2 x 25 for each
o High-Knees
o Leg Lifts
o Jog
o Grapevine

• 10 Laps around the field

• Sprints, Set 1 – in groups of 2 alternated on signal
o 8 x 16 yards
o 2 x 100 yards (long strides)
o 2 x 50 yards
o 5 x 10 yards
Note: Sprint set done in random order
o 1 x 100 – walk to rest with long strides

• Sprints, Set 2 – in groups of 4 on signal
o 8 x 50 yards

• Calisthenics
o Jog to start and in between sets
o Pushups 2 x 25
o Crunches 2 x 100

The team finished up with a group chat where the girls introduced themselves and discussed summer conditioning and personal goals.

Go Bucs!

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Running Drills

The girls started stretching for practice while the coach discussed the upcoming tournaments and games one of which is a little more than a week away. The Pocomoke play day is expected to host a mix of teams from the area including potentially strong Parkside and Pocomoke teams. The coach is hoping to challenge the girls by exposing them to strength of the district. The first tournament for the varsity team is Wednesday, August 20 from 3 to 5pm at Cape Henlopen Hockey Field.

The girls are improving rapidly. There was less attrition on the workouts. Several girls stand out as exceptional athletes even now. There are others who maybe aren’t as strong at the distance running who spark up when the practice moves to cardio work. The highlight of the day had to be a rendition of ABBA’s Dancing Queen sung by the team during the sprint drill. These girls can belt out a tune.

Today’s session included the following:
• 10 Laps half together half opened up

• Stretches
o Walking leg lifts 1 x 25 yards
o Walking lunges 1 x 25
o Walking knee lifts 1 x 25
o Stretch in pairs hamstrings and groin

• Sprint Drill – 30 minutes
o Jog in place
o Mix-up sprints to front back left & right
o Add arms and high knees in between

• Sprints 5 x 200

• Calisthenics
o Jog
o Pushups 2 x 25
o Crunches 2 x 100

During one of the drills today one of the girls came to the bleachers rewrap and stretch out. She noticed something underneath and rather loudly proclaimed “Hey, those are my flip flops”. The coach looked over and said yeah they have been there for weeks! Everybody cracked up.

Let’s Go Ladies!

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Laps, Laps & More Laps

The girls returned to practice today, most a little sore from yesterday’s workout. Even so, they all eagerly got out to the field to begin the days conditioning.

The main event of the day was the run. It was to be 20 laps around the field for roughly three miles. The girls started out together but after a couple laps began to separate in to groups and singles. One girl who had been having difficulty with shin splints or something had four pairs of shoes to try on. She would run a lap with each pair to determine which worked best for her. Every lap another girl would come to the bleachers and complain about something. Those girls were nudged to get back on out there. There was a group of seven comprised of varsity and JV players who were able to jog the whole twenty laps together. I think they could have pushed the pace a bit faster were the coach to have asked. I think the coaches took notice. They have a very keen eye on initiative and hard work. Those who show it impress.

The girls rallied toward the end of the practice. The varsity girls stood out aggressively driving the sprint drills. Some of the younger girls seemed to notice and stepped up their game. There were yet others who muddled through. You kind of get the feeling there is a survival of the fittest vibe cookin. The girls don’t want to be on the other side of that line. The older girls were very encouraging to each other and the rest of the team. There was support by all for all. The team ethic is strong and clearly part of the team culture.

Today’s session included the following:
• Calisthenics
o Jumping Jax x 50
o Squats x 100
o Squat Thrust/Pushups x 30

• Running field laps x 20 (3 miles)

• Sprint Drill x 5
o Sprint to zigzag of cones the length of the field shuffle step to the cone and jog back

• Hill Sprints pyramid to 8
o Sprint up the hill and down the hill 8 times with increasing repetition. 1st time – Up then down, 2nd time Up then down x 2, 3rd time Up then down x 3 and on till 8 reps.

• Warm Down
o Walking leg lifts 2 x 25 yards
o Walking butt kicks 2 x 25
o Walking knee lifts 2 x 25

The kids were in a bit of a hurry to head out so after a cheer all hit the road.

KI Break Down

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Today was the first day of field hockey practice at the high school. Well sort of. Officially it is known as a conditioning session. No sticks are allowed due to District or maybe state rules. Tryouts are scheduled for Saturday morning later in the week. The sessions this week are to help the girls’ transition from summer steady state fitness into competition readiness.

The girls looked to be in pretty good fitness. This isn’t really surprising as many of the girls have been going to camps all summer to perfect skills, keep fit and even have some fun with friends. There were a few that were struggling a bit but even those girls toughed it out and kept working.

Today’s session included the following
• Run to beach and back at 2 miles.

• Strength Building
o High-Knees 25 x 2
o Toy Soldiers 25 x 2
o Lunges 25 x 2
o Butt-Kicks 25 x 2

• Sprints
o 10 x 50 yards

• Sprint Drill x 2
o Step to cone & jump over until whistle,
o sprint back in zigzag to far cone,
o jump over cone until next player arrives,
o jog back

• Suicides
o 5 x 25,
o 5 x 50,
o 3 x 75,
o 3 x 100,
o 3 x 200

• 2 minute drill x 2
o 2 minutes jog
o 2 minutes pushups
o 2 minutes crunches

• Indian running field laps x5

The veterans of the team seemed to take the practice in stride. They were kidding the younger kids a bit but in an encouraging way. Several of the girls commented that the workout was very hard but felt that they were able to hang fairly well. There was a bit of worry about the onset of soreness from the workout. The girls seem excited that the season is beginning.

Go KI

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