FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK – AUGUST EDITION
Dear Parents,
We are making it customary to reach out to our Crusaders competitive families to update on your club’s activities over the last few weeks as we navigate these COVID-19 uncertain times.
We want to express our gratitude for your continued support and confidence in Crusaders contributing to the development of your child. The mission of this club is to not only develop soccer players but also the holistic development of the child into a contributing member of our society.
As we approach the 26th week of the pandemic, your cooperation in observing the safety protocols established by the CDC, US Soccer, Governor Newsom, the San Diego County Department of Health, and the City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department has made it possible to have zero incidents within our players and an extremely limited number of third and fourth contact incidences of exposure to family members. In the few events where we have encountered possible exposure, the individuals have been very forthcoming with the information, and thanks to the maintenance of our stable groups and safety procedures, quarantines have been immediately implemented, impeding any possibility of the spread of the virus among our membership.
Our staff continues to be vigilant and uncompromisingly adhering to the prescribed health and safety measures of the club. Although we continue to hear about other clubs in the area playing clandestine scrimmages and allowing contact at training, Crusaders will not place the wellbeing of our players and families at risk and will continue to observe the strictest safety measures for the benefit of our membership. Violating the imposed guidelines greatly increases the possibility of our field permits to be canceled. At Crusaders, the child’s well-being will always come before the game! We will prevail in this situation and our players will enjoy their game in due and SAFE time.
Having expressed our gratitude and updated you on the COVID-19 status of our club, let’s look at what has taken place in the last few weeks on the training ground.
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SUMMER CAMPS – It has been our tradition to offer camps to our membership at no additional cost. COVID-19 has not prevented us in providing the highest level of training for our players and we couldn’t be any more pleased with the results of the camps.
Although we adjusted our original camp model by reducing the session’s time, from 180 minutes to 90 minutes, we kept our 3-day structure, sticking to the premise of quality over quantity. We made training more efficient by making it more functional and relative to the player’s position. We continued to refine the areas of balance, coordination, and technique through the sessions. The result was a more focused environment that allowed the staff to drive home functional concepts needed to realize our game model (the way we want to play). The players were sharp for the entire camp and their performance and skill acquisition were outstanding. The most rewarding point for us as a staff was the enthusiasm and fun the players had, within an atmosphere of safety throughout the camps. Our gratitude to our staff that once again, showed their resourcefulness and commitment to making our players better even under difficult situations. Thank you, staff.
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TRAINING – Unfortunately, we have not gotten the authorization from our Governor to move to phase III, so we are holding at the non-contact restriction during training sessions. This restriction has allowed us to concentrate on the most important ability in the game which is the “first touch” of our players.
With receiving as a priority, passing has also been addressed and improved. This has laid the foundation for the next phase of training which will be developing the skill of combination play. Through the next weeks, training will concentrate on beating defenders in 2v1 and 4v2 combinations, preparing for phase III when contact will be allowed.
Still bound by the no-contact restriction, training will include the decision-making element of the game. The expected result will be better possession, improved choices by our players, and a more efficient attack. Another change will be the duration of the session which now will be 90 minutes, looking to return to our original training schedule.
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OUTLOOK – We are pleased to inform you that as of now and with the decline in COVID-19 cases in California, CalSouth is anticipating beginning competition on October 3. As far as we are concerned, we are making the necessary preparations to have our players ready to take the field and compete.
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YOUR CHILD AND EXERCISE – We would also like to take this opportunity to remind our membership of the benefits of having children participate in training:
PHYSICAL: Muscle and bone and cardiovascular development.
SOCIAL: The ability to develop and manage relationships, a sense of belonging, self-control.
COGNITIVE: Problem-solving skills, development of abstract thinking, understanding, and following directions.
PSYCHOLOGICAL: Increased self-esteem, decreased anxiety, a sense of accomplishment.
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OUR FINAL THOUGHTS – We want to thank you for the opportunity to work with your child. We take this responsibility very seriously and will continue to give our families the very best Crusaders has to offer.
Respectfully,
Rene Miramontes
Crusaders SC Director of Coaching