Time Getting Short!

Well it is less than 100 days until we will be in Athens, Greece for our great adventure.  We started in the fall of 2009 to prepare for the Canadian games had a month off, was invited to join Team Canada and have been training ever since.  It will be nice to finally get to Greece, enjoy the games and get back home here in good old P.E.I.  I am going to put my feet up, relax and enjoy myself with other projects that have been on the back burner.
Today I want to send a big thank-you to Tera who is teaching our athelets mental prepardness.  She meets with the boys occasionally either in a small group or one at a time to teach them how to prepare themselves mentally for the game.  Some need it more than others and you can see a change in their attitude since she join our training sessions.  Thanks again Tara, you can be sure that your hard work will make a big difference in our performance in Athens.
Well as I said before we are getting close to going to Athens.  Richard addressed the team at our last practice and stated our time is getting short so we will be in game mode from now on as the last push for the Games.  They are all starting to get quite exited about the Games so they all seem ready to put in the extra effort we will require from them.  We also gave them this Thursday off with no practice as a break for them before we pick up the intensity of our practices.  I don't know about the rest of the coaches but I am looking forward to the extra time off.  the practices are held inCharlottetown And three players and I live in Summerside.  It is a trip of 125 KM return and between last year and this year I will be making over 100 return trips to train.  
We have one more coach helping us get the team ready so I will mention him in my next column.

Things going great.

We had  two practices since my last post and both went very good, the boys are coming nicely and will be in terrific shape when we arrive in Athens for the games.  Most of the credit for their workouts goes to both Judy and Krista.  Judy in one of our regular coaches while Krista works out of our provincial office.  She is a qualified fitness instructor and has been a terrific help to us this winter.  She can be proud of what she has accomplished with the players this year.  I will do a little write-up on our mental preparedness next column.
Tomorrow we go to Stratford to work-out in the indoor soccer complex and another session of mental training.
Till next time.
Lew.

Training Camp

On Sunday Feb 27 we held our second training camp for the softball team that's going to Athens in June/July 2011 for the SO worlds Olympics.  our original training camp was held in October where we tested the athletes for their physical condition.  The purpose of the most recent tests were to see if they have made any progress on their fitness over the winter.
Boy did they ever, if they were a little down in one test they more than made it up in another.  There were personal bests in most tests by the athletes.  The results will be sent on to Toronto to Team Canada HQ for their info.  I can't see them not being happy with them.  Makes you feel good as a coach to see the results of your winters work come out so successful, most of the praise goes to the players for their hard work but it feels like you are doing something right.
After the boys were through with their hard days tests we all went to the Delta Prince Edward for  supper.  This was a reward for them for all the work they have done over the winter, we had a buffet of Greek food to get them in the mood, personally I think if that is what we have to look forward to for 18 days than I believe there is a good chance I will lose some weight in Greece, this would not be a bad thing.
Till next time
Lew.

Trip to Moncton.

We had a bit of snow & wind on Saturday night but it was not to bad on Sunday morning so we met the bus in Borden, PEI & travelled to the dome in Moncton, NB for our softball game. I thought the indoor soccer building was Hugh in Stratford, PEI, but the dome in Moncton is at least 1/2 as big again.  Had a good trip over & had our game with the Moncton team.  The boys played pretty good and won 8 to 4 but we still have a lot of work to do before we head to Greece. 
Practice is good but it never will replace a game & the extra it provides.  Hopefully we will be able to play a lot of games locally between May & when we leave the End of June.  Their are some teams here in Summerside who hopefully will have some games with us & we will find some teams in Charlottetown to do the same.
Not much more to say just we have the skill tests scheduled for Sunday with a team dinner after at the Delta hotel.  Hope the boys all do good but I am really worried about 4 of them, time will tell & I will have the results next week.
Till next time.
Lew.

Going to Moncton, NB.

We had practice on both Sunday & Thursday night , Sunday was a good practice but Thursday night it seemed like no one really wanted to be there.  Richard put up with it for a little while than he snapped the whip which got them back in the practice mode.  On Sunday we practice at the indoor soccer complex in Stratford, it is quite a building with 2 indoor soccer fields.  It gives us a lot more room than our regular gym so we are able to do a lot of different stuff.  We borrow a pitching machine so the boys can practice batting & will not get rusty.  As far as batting goes I am not worried because at the Special Olympics our strength was hitting.  They all hit good and not to many innings we did not score the max 5 runs, their fielding was fair so not to many innings did we give up the 5 runs.
Sunday morning we are going to Moncton, NB to play a game with the Moncton team, it will be a good test as they never seem to play good against Moncton.  It will be held indoors and a fun game but would be a big boost for them if they can win.  In London, On they were the only team to beat us on our drive for the Gold medal so fun game or not it will be a real test.
We have practice again Thursday night and next Sunday we will have the second fitness test on the players.  They were done in October and the results will be compared to see just how much they have improved.  Hope they all do well but I am worried about a couple of them as they don't seem to really try all that hard.
That is all for now folks, will keep you posted on our little road trip.
Till next time
Lew.

Back to work

After 3 weeks of no practice for winter storms and our player's attending the New Brunswick winter games we finally had a practice on Thursday night.  Sorry to hear that one of our best players sprained his ankle playing floor hockey & will miss a few week of practice.  He is a good athlete and will do what he can to stay in game shape while he is laid up.
As you would expect about 75% of the players showed up in good shape as they did their exercises at home during our break.  The other 25% were another problem as they had a good vacation and didn't do much of anything.  We try to get across to them that it will be ungodly hot in Athens & the better shape they are in the easier it will be on them, they just don't seem to get the message.  We will keep on them, I know as we get closer to our departure date they will work harder.
Today is Sunday and we have a practice today at the indoor soccer complex in Stratford.  It is going to be a busy 3 weeks ahead as we will have practice on the next 2 Thursdays plus Sunday Feb 20 we are going to Moncton, NB for a ball game at an indoor complex.  On Feb 20 we will do the second round of fitness testing on the players.  We did one in October and they are expected to do better in this one.  There will be one more test in June just before we leave for Athens, there are a couple who I am worried about as they don't seem to get the message that they are required to improve each test or they could be dropped from the team.
Till next time, take care.

Snow, snow and more snow

Here it is Jan 29th with the month gone, won't be too long before it's summer and we will be on a plane to Athens for a lifetime event.  I know the team will excel but it's too bad we cant get a little cooperation from the big guy upstairs with the weather.  We missed again on Thursday night because of another snow storm and we have no practice next week because most of the team is involved in winter sports.   New Brunswick is holding their winter games in Gagetown and our winter sport teams use it as a qualifier for the SO national games to be held in 2012.  Most of the team either curl or play floor hockey, hopefully they will all do good and make the PEI team.
Richard is still laid up so these two weeks we missed will be a benefit to him.  The boys all miss him just thank heavens it didn't happen a few days before we leave for Athens.
All for now, in a few weeks I will do a bit of a profile on the players, nothing personal just a few facts about them.  They are a great group of young men and any parent would be proud to call them son.
Till next time, take care.
Lew