---

Last Sunday afternoon, the U11 girls traveling soccer team coach Perry Tinjum met with his players after a tournament game, which they tied 1-1. After discussing the game with them, he talked about their upcoming game against Centennial. He said, “Girls, I know we’ve had games four days in a row and we have the game against Centennial on Tuesday night. If we beat Centennial, we’ll win the league outright, be able to skip the district playoffs and get an automatic berth to the state tournament. I’d like to get a practice in on Monday night, the day before our game. But I’ll leave it up to you––do you want to practice on Monday night?”

“Yes!” they screamed in unison. Now, that’s how you can tell someone is a good coach––the players want an extra practice, even after they’ve played several days in a row.

U11 teams play 8-on-8, on a field that’s about 25 percent smaller than a regular soccer field. Again, as in 6-on-6 soccer for the younger players, this allows for more touches on the ball, which helps to keep kids interested in playing.

“I’m really impressed with the girls,” said Tinjum, in his sixth year of coaching soccer and second year of coaching traveling soccer.

“Their passing has improved tremendously this year. Also, the girls are aware of who they’re playing with on the field. Depending on our lineup, some of our stronger players know when to drop back from midfield and help out on defense and when it’s okay to be more offensive-minded. And we have many players who can play several different positions, depending on the game situation. I have a group that’s smart, having fun and working hard. I sense a great attitude from all 14 players.”

“I’d like to compliment the parents, too,” said Tinjum. “We generally have about two practices and two games per week and the girls are always there, working around their schedules. They’ve made a big commitment for May, June and July and have shown a great attitude. I believe that since the parents are positive the girls are positive, and that is helping us to have a successful season.”

---