The Director’s Cut, Vol. 4-1
We are about to start our 4th year of HVS. It is hard to believe we have come so far in so short a time. This year we will have 25 teams playing in 4 different leagues. We have over 400 players and 23 coaches. We have dozens of Team Administrators, Trainers, and other support staff who make everything work.
Along with our league games, we have many other events scheduled for this fall season. Preseason practices will start on July 31 or August 1 depending on your team. We will host our Media Days (team and individual photos) in early August, we will play in several preseason tournaments, and we will host HVS Night as our 1st college showcase for our older players. We have teams that will travel to the Raleigh Showcase, the DPL Showcase, MLS NEXT Fest, and this year we will have teams at the NAL Showcase as well. Of course, our Monday Night Training Room and ACT Prep Classes will also take place. We will host several college recruiting seminars for our High School age players, and we will host an All-Parent Meeting for the first time. We will again take our players overseas for an International Trip. This year we expect to take 3 different teams! More details on all of these will be posted soon. We will also host seminars on Athlete Health and Recovery along with several seminars on Mental Fitness. We expect to add a robust Athletic Performance program to our practice plans as well.
Don’t forget to wear the right items for practice. White Practice Shirt, Black Shorts, and Black Socks. Bring shin guards and a water bottle every day. Arrive before your listed practice time so you have time to get your shoes on and get ready. Practice starts at the time listed.
For players to reach their potential they need four key ingredients:
1. They must have good coaching to guide them forward. Just being a cheerleader is not enough. Coaches like teachers, need to inspire their students and motivate them to reach beyond what they already know. Our coaches are truly experts in their field.
2. Working with other motivated players is vital. Being challenged each day in practice will push even the best players to improve their game. What we do in practice 3 or 4 times a week will have much more impact than what happens in the games. Games are the test of what was learned during the week.
3. Having quality facilities allows us to teach at the highest level. It is hard to develop your understanding of the game if the ball bounces all over the field and never rolls straight. Having turf fields also allows us to train when most other clubs are having to cancel.
4. Playing in good/equal competition is vital. I would rather lose a game 1-0 than win 7-0. In a close game our players are forced to focus. They know that any mistake might be punished. They will see and learn from those mistakes. Easy wins are fun and look good on social media, but they teach us nothing and may in fact create bad habits.
HVS is committed to providing a safe place for all players. HVS has taken a strong stand against discrimination of any kind and we support all of our teams and players in their right to have a safe and comfortable place to play and learn.
Our practice schedules have been sent out and game schedules are almost complete. We are waiting on our leagues to get us the final schedules so we can post them in BYGA.
Our TikTok account is blowing up! Check out all the fun at @HooverVestaviaSoccer. If you aren’t already following us on Instagram and Twitter, you can do so at HooverVestaviaSoccer and @hoovervestavia. Don’t forget to tag us in your posts!
I look forward to sending you more information through the Director’s Cut over the course of the season. Please let me know if there is information you would like to see or if you have suggestions on how we can make our club even better.
Sincerely,
Mike Getman
HVS Director