Dec 24th – Under 9’s Report 2012

2012 started off with a squad of 10 players who were not only teammates but also classmates and friends. We were very fortunate in that we had the same squad for the past two years. We played a few friendlies before the Small Sided Games commenced in March. We more than held our own in this league with 7 wins and 1 loss. I suppose the highlight of this was the excitement from the lads of travelling to another county to play, Ardmore in Waterford.

In September the lads welcomed another new member to our squad and subsequently 2 more have since joined the squad to now give us 13 in total. Our emphasis is one of creating a squad and all the lads are given the same playing time during matches. We rotate positions with everyone playing their part from goalkeeper to forward.

As we embrace 2013 our focus is on nurturing individual talent of each player into that of a team with an emphasis on positioning and thinking in a non competitive environment. The kids by nature will be a little bit competitive but the goal is to create a squad over time that will be ready for CSL when their time comes.

Myself & Rob are very fortunate to have, not only a great bunch of lads but also a great bunch of parents who have supported us every step of the way. The continuous support at matches they give the lads with encouragement not only for their own child but all team players is very heart warming. The way they leave the kids play their own game is to be admired and I am convinced that’s what is helping the lads improve their own game.

The game can be one of different opinions but the most pleasing aspect for Rob and myself is seeing the lads not only grow as players but also as children. They are a pleasure to work with and of course we have our moments but who doesn’t. Special thanks to our shirt sponsor EMC for providing us with a new team match kit.

Teams Played – Castlelyons, Douglas, Carrigaline (4 Different Teams), Youghal, Ardmore, Glounthaune, Temple, Macroom, Ballinhassig, Kinsale

Squad – Andrew, Brendan, Daniel, Darragh, David, Dylan F, Dylan R, Eoghan, Eoin, Joseph, Rory, Ryan, Sam

Frank Cronin