Saturday, March 12 games are canceled due to bad weather.
Weather update (as of Friday @ 3:37 PM): NTH has canceled all Saturday games due to the impending weather conditions. If you have some indoor play space, we recommend you setup a game of snow cones with mom or dad, or brother and sister. This game lets you practice your change of direction dribbling moves (such as twist-off turns and V-pulls).
We have a mixed schedule, with a 5v5 intra-Academy game at Metro North Park, and two 7v7 games at Noonday Park against teams from Inter Atlanta.
Game day notes:
- Uniforms: We’re wearing our yellow uniforms for all games. We’ll use practice vests to distinguish teams in the intra-Academy game.
- Multiple venues: We start our game day with an early morning game at Metro North Park on the TOPS field. The following two games are scheduled at Noonday Park field #9A. Noonday adjoins Quest Park. But field 9A is best accessed via the back Noonday entrance off Shallowford Road. (Don’t use the front entrance off Hawkins Store Road unless you have a good reason.)
- Cold weather / label warm-up items: We’re due for a cold day, with highs in the 30s. We recommend cold weather attire for the players.
- Lost & found alert! The evil lost & found gremlin will likely show up and try to separate players from jackets, headbands and gloves. You can help prevent this! Link: label warm-up items to foil the evil lost & found gremlin.
- Warm-up captains: Girls whose names are in bold print with a (C) indicator are warm-up captains. They are responsible for gathering their teammates and helping the coaches start pre-game warm-up. Link: warm-up ideas
Game Day: 2022-03-12
If you are using a small-screened device, you may need to horizontally scroll to see details of all three games.| Location: | Metro North TOPS | Noonday Park back #9A | Noonday Park back #9A |
| Uniform: |  | | |
| Warmup: | 8:30 AM | 11:00 AM | 12:15 PM |
| Kickoff: | 9:00 AM | 11:30 AM | 12:45 PM |
| vs: | intra-Academy | Inter Atlanta | Inter Atlanta |
| Game format: | 5v5 | 7v7 | 7v7 |
| Players: | Brown Cunningham Dahm (C) Diaz Hoitink (1) Lovich Moore (C) Patel, Li Roller Stephens | Barron Chisholm Dawson (C) Hoitink (2) Michalke Obradovich Ragsdale Velotta | Augustin Fahrner Hecht Jackson Jaillet Lancaster (C) Otto Patel, Le Schemmel |
Dribbling moves of the month:
We practice dribbling moves (changes of direction or fake changes of direction finished with a burst of speed) very often. Our current emphasis is on three types of dribbling moves:
- pullbacks
- twist-off turns (also called hook turns or shielding turns)
- V-pull moves
All of the above moves are aimed at helping a player keep the ball when under pressure, instead of dribbling into an opponent or teammate (what we call “bones & shin guards”).
These moves rely on ball manipulation, not wizardly body fakes or foot fakes. Some of our players use these moves in games (often with success), but the majority of players either forget them come game time, or lack the confidence to try the moves.
Parents, you can help with your daughter’s development! The key is to take the mindset of being your daughter’s training partner, not her coach. For example, start by asking her about her favorite dribbling moves, or which ones she wants to improve. Then take a ball into the back yard or garage and have her show you. You’ve now opened the door to a productive “fun with a soccer ball” session.
We encourage you and your daughter to spend 5-10 minutes 2-3 times a week to review moves, and then play games (such as Texas Draw or Snow Cones) that reward the use of dribbling moves. (Sisters and brothers are welcome to join in!) You don’t need past soccer experience of your own, just some time and energy. We’re confident that both you and your daughter will have fun, and your daughter will gain skill and confidence!
Check the above links for descriptions and demo videos of the moves and games. Most of the activities can be done in small spaces, such as a 10-yard square. If you’d like a personal demo of a move, or want more details about a dribbling game, feel free to check with your coach after an upcoming practice.