Director’s Cut, Vol. 14

The High School season has just begun and many of our HVS players are already making an impact.  It has been a fun start and I can’t wait to catch more games throughout the spring.

I also want to let everyone know about some of the new initiatives at HVS that will go into effect this coming summer and fall.

1.         College Coaches Committee – this committee is comprised of Men’s & Women’s College Coaches from around the Southeast to help us make sure that our programing is at the cutting edge for club soccer and that we are developing the skills and tactics that College Coaches want and need for their teams.  While most of our coaches are from Division I, we are getting input from all levels of the game.

2.         Monday Night Football – The “Extra Training” sessions that we conducted last fall will continue this fall but will now include College Coaches at many of our sessions.  This will allow for extra training opportunities and for College Coaches to get to know our players a little better and sooner.

3.         April-May – We are still finalizing our game schedule for these months, but we expect to play a number of friendlies in each age group.  Look for details on these games as we get closer.

4.         Expanded College Network – During the fall, I was in touch with over 100 Women’s College Coaches and even more Men’s College Coaches.  We are working hard to expand this network so even more colleges are aware of our players.  We will continue to send team recruiting brochures, player evaluations, player highlight films, and full-game videos to our College Network.

5.         Video Analysis – We used the Veo and Trace systems to video many of our games in the fall. Due to COVID-19 we were unable to have team video sessions where everyone could watch what we did well and learn from our mistakes.  Hopefully, this fall we will be able to have regular video sessions where we can improve as a team and as individuals.  Video analysis is an ever-growing part of the development of top-class players. 

6.         Individual Development Plans – This spring our coaches are working on Individual Development Plans for each of our players.  Even those that are now with their High School teams.  This will give everyone a clear idea of what they can do to improve their performance on the field and off.  These plans will include Technical, Tactical, Physical, Psychological, and Educational development.  We will also include information on what next steps need to be taken for college recruitment.

7.         Cross Training – We had planned to have players train and play with older teams for some extra development opportunities during the fall.  Playing against slightly older players is a great way to be pushed to play quicker.  Because of the virus, our medical staff told us not to “cross train” our teams. As the pandemic slows down or goes away, we are eager to use this valuable tool.

8.         COVID-19 – The pandemic took away many of the social aspects of playing on a team.  We were unable to have team meals, team parties, team meetings, club functions or events. 

I am very hopeful that later this summer or fall we will be able to get back to many of these kinds of activities.  Spending time together off the field is a great way to build team chemistry, but it can also just be fun!

I look forward to staying in touch and keeping you up to date on all of our initiatives as we move into the spring.

Sincerely,

Mike Getman

HVS Director of Coaching