Reno's reflections - Commitment
“Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a society work and a civilisation work” Vince Lombardi, Ex Head football coach of the Green Bay Packers.
Dedication and commitment comes from the desire to achieve success. An individual can create personal goals to become successful, however, in order to achieve success it requires commitment and actual work, really hard work.
It is important for all of us to help our children develop commitment. Football clubs should play a vital part in this process. Our players need to ask themselves key questions
- Can I really commit to the club and my team for 28 games a season?
- Can I work hard and listen to my coach even if we are losing?
- Will losing motivate me more to work on my skills and work harder for my team?
- Will I commit not to be complacent when we are winning?
Commitment needs to be developed and practiced even when the chips are down. The best sports people always get up and work harder when they are knocked down.
I visited the Kennedy Space Centre and the Hoover Dam whilst in the US. These places tell a true story of commitment in which people put their lives on the line for their country. This is the epitome of commitment. The construction of the Hoover Dam is a worthwhile read.
It is our responsibility to instil commitment amongst our young players. It is their responsibility to learn and practice it. This trait will filter into their psyche and remain with them for the rest of their lives. What a marvellous characteristic to develop!
Cheers,
Reno.
Farewell Craig Carley
The Goulburn Valley Suns FC would like to wish Craig Carley all the best with his new NPL club.
Craig has been an integral part of our clubs development in both juniors and seniors and will be missed. Thanks for the memories.
Does your kit fit?
Our new kits have arrived and looks great in this week's photos.
You have until
this Friday to check all your kit is the right size.
If anything is too big or too small email
paul.uniacke@fegroup.com.au. If you have already advised Nick Corbo or Maria Sepe of kit size issues to you don't have to email Paul but if you are not sure please forward the information directly to Paul. Once we have your feedback we can better understand any kit sizing issues and how they will be addressed.
How big is too big?
Your kit should last at least a couple of seasons so your new kit should be loose fitting with room to grow up and out!
Naming your kit
Make sure you name your kit but remember external identifiers such a patches or large first name, surname or nick names are not permitted. This is a club protocol and also takes away from potential sponsorship opportunities.
Wearing your kit
To make sure your kit lasts, please limit wearing your kit, polos, tracksuits for to and from game day and training.
Book your seat for Sunday - bus for U16 and U18 squads
A bus is available for Under 16 and Under 18 squad members to travel to and from the away game this Sunday. The service is strictly for these squads.
- Eligible players must confirm their seat at training TONIGHT.
- A charge of $20 return must be paid before or on the day.
- If you fail to turn you will still need to pay the $20 charge.
If there are sufficient numbers, the bus will leave from McEwen Reserve on Sunday morning - exact departure and return times will be confirmed with the players.
New Board members appointed - AGM update
Thanks to everyone who attended our AGM last Thursday 28th April. At the meeting all our current directors were confirmed for a second term and two new directors were appointed.
Our continuing Board members are:
- Michael Crisera - President
- David Damianopoulos - Director
- Nicole Varley - Director
- Jimmy Kalafatis - Director
- Fiona Mcrimmon - Director
- Paul Lelliott - Director
Our new Board members are:
- Paul Uniacke - Vice President
- Maria Sepe - Secretary
We now have 8 members of a maximum of 9 board positions filled. In coming weeks we will publish a description of our board members' portfolios within the club.
After two seasons we are now in a position to best understand what is required at board level to function as an NPL club.
A key position of note is Paul Uniacke's role as Vice President. Paul's portfolio primarily covers the junior sector of our club and the main liaison with Council in regard to the sporting precinct works.
Please watch this space for further information on each directors' portfolios in the coming weeks.
If you would like a copy of financials or minutes from our AGM please contact Maria Sepe
Regards
Mick Crisera
Managing Injuries
We are approaching the mid-point of the season and across our squads we have more than a few players dealing with injuries - everything from little niggles to more substantive concerns.
Nobody likes being on the sidelines as a result of injury so here are some tips from our Sports Trainers to help you manage and recover from soft tissue injuries - they are the most common and include all ligament sprains, muscle strains and muscle bruises (corks etc) and most bumps and bruises which occur in sport.
Remember
- there are no short cuts to recovery.
- The first 48-72 hours are vital
What you should do... RICER
Rest - Place yourself in a comfortable position. Keep the injured area supported. Avoid using the injured area for at least 48-72 hours as continued activity will increase bleeding and damage.
Ice - Apply ice to the injured area for 20 minutes, every two hours for the first 48-72 hours after injury. Ice reduces swelling, pain and bleeding.
Do not apply ice directly to skin, instead try :
• crushed or cubed ice in a wet towel or plastic bag.
• frozen pea packet in wet towel.
• cold pack wrapped in wet towel.
Icy or cold water is better than nothing.
Compression - Apply a firm wide elastic bandage over the injured area, as well as above and below. Where possible hold ice in place with the bandage. Between ice treatments maintain bandage compression. Applying a bandage will reduce bleeding and swelling and also provide support for the injured area.
Ensure the bandage is not too tight - if .there is numbness, tingling or the skin becomes pale or blue the bandage is too tight. Remove the bandage and try again.
Elevation Raise the injured area above the level of the heart at all times. A pillow can provide support and comfort. Elevating the injured area reduces bleeding, swelling and pain.
Referral - As soon as possible after injury arrange to see a quail ed health care professional such as a doctor or physiotherapist. This will determine the extent of your injury and provide advice on treatment and rehabilitation required.
What you shouldn't do - HARM
HEAT - Applying heat to an injury increases bleeding. Avoid hot showers or baths, saunas, spas, hot water bottles, hot linament or heat packs.
ALCOHOL - Alcohol increases bleeding and swelling which delays healing. It can also mask pain and severity.
RUNNING - Running or exercise increases blood ow to the injured site. This can make the injury worse and delay healing.
MASSAGE - Massage or the use of heat rubs increases swelling and bleeding.
Weekend game wraps
Under 12s
Tommy Giuliani
Sunday morning saw our Suns under 12s take on Bulleen Lions at McEwen reserve in a great encounter which finished in a 2-2 draw.
In the first 10 minutes of this game Bulleen played some amazing football. I don't think I have seen a better football performance from an under 12s team. To our boys' credit we weathered the storm and after "flipping" our midfield triangle midway through the half we worked our way back into the game. Our pressing was great from the opening whistle and Bulleen only chink in their game was their pressing, allowing us too much space outside their 18 yard box to shoot. This allowed us to twice score from around the edge of their box, Nick Mori helping himself to two goals. At the half time break we lead a team who had only conceded one goal for the year 2-0.
Our second half performance was also very good. Bullpen pulled two goals back however we must acknowledge they had great quality, the best we'd faced this year, in particular their attacking third who were full of trickery and very, very quick. Games of this quality and tempo are wonderful for our players' development and we saw lots of growth in players such as Brodie Wooster, Harrison Mazzella and especially Lucas Rachel who I was delighted for. Also our keepers Dan Linton and Nick Pena were fantastic again,their distribution continuing to improve to complement their shot stopping ability.
As a team our core skills were very good under that pressure and I can't fault their application and attitude,especially their 1v1 defending. This kept us in the game early,and something that the group did poorly at the start of the year.
We bang on as coaches about development but we are seeing the growth that comes from participating in an elite environment that the NPL provides. Well done Suns 12s#GVSUNSFOOTBALLFACTORY??⚽️
Under 13s
Matthew Lelliot
The boys were glad to be back at home and it showed with a great match.
Isaac our goalkeeper was the best early on. He was called on multiple times but was unbeatable. Diesel Batey had the chance to make it 1-0. A clever ball behind their defence had him one on one with their keeper who pulled off a great save. A moment of individual brilliance from James Giulliani separated the two sides with a sublime strike from the edge of the box nestling in the left bottom corner.
During the week we worked on trying to get our left and right backs to overlap when we had the ball in our forward third and at half time that's what I told the boys to work on. Bulleen stepped it up in the second half and pulled one back minutes after the restart. The boys then dug deep and in terms of effort I couldn't be prouder of our young guns. I'm very happy with the performance and result and it looks like we are getting better and better from week to week after a few bad results.
Under 14s
Nathan Saron
This week training involved playing out from the back with the tasks being on body position ,talk and confidence. We also had a very intense session Friday working on attacking in central areas.
Game day the boys were in good spirits, pumped and ready for the contest. A strong start to the game with excellent central attacking produced two through balls that were slotted in nicely. At 2 nil up, we made some good saves and the opposition were feeling the pressure.
In the second half again we started on the right foot and were very close to extending our 2-1 lead. We conceded a few corners and this is where Bulleen pounced to score and take the lead.
I was proud of the boys that they fought the game out till the end again. There were some strong individual efforts on the weekend which lifted the whole team. Well done boys and thanks to Billy for filling in.
Under 15s
Shaun Kane
After an impressive performance against Heidelberg, the build up to the Bulleen match saw us focus on ball retention and trying to improve possession in the mid-final third. We started the match very positively and there were several combinations and passages of play that were very encouraging. We were up against a very accomplished and sharp side in Bulleen, and despite the good start we conceded 2 sloppy goals and found ourselves behind at the break. The boys were still very much in the game and we were looking for a strong response in the second half.
Unfortunately a sluggish performance and failure to execute the basics in the second half saw us punished with 2 more goals. In the second period Bulleen looked sharper and hungrier and were quicker to react to every second ball. A positive was we were still able to create chances but unable to put any away. The missed penalty pretty much summed up our afternoon.
Glen and I will continue to work to improve the boys confidence and try to turn around our poor home form. However I am still confident with the boys hard work over the 3 sessions a week they are very close to turning the tide.
A huge thanks to Stefan for filling in as GK. Despite the scoreline he had a fantastic match and we were very pleased with his effort.
Under 16s
Paul Nieuwenhuizen & Shaban Mehmet
Sunday saw us tackle the Bulleen Lions who were sitting 3rd on the ladder and were probably expecting to come away with a commanding victory over the GV Suns. However, with the team sticking to its task of staying compact when defending, we made it very difficult for the opposition to impose itself on the game and create any real goal scoring chances. Our defence and midfield worked really well together and provided good cover for Thomas who put his hand up to play in goals.
Even with our goal to limit Bulleen's goal scoring chances, we managed to create some chances for us with Hammed and Willie coming close on a couple of occasions.
A couple of defence lapses each side of half time allowed Bulleen to score and take the games 2-0.
I believe this was our best performance for the season so far and shows that the team is moving forward. Again, thanks to the following under 15 players, Nick, Bowdie, Harkan & Conor.
Well done everyone!
Under 18s
Pat Kielty & Shaban Mehmet
We knew before the game started that we were dealing with depleted player numbers due to other commitments and injuries but we still went out with a positive mindset. A couple of schoolboy mistakes at the back resulted in two quick goals to Bulleen and then further damage was done when our makeshift goalkeeper got injured and was taken to hospital in an ambulance. This appeared to dishearten our players and Bulleen took control of the game.
Alou Kuol the replacement keeper did his best to stop the shots that were peppering the goal but Bulleen were up by four goals at half time. The second half started with another quick goal from Bulleen and they remained in control for the remainder of the match. We had two further injuries to Callum Saron ( heavy knock to the head and jaw) and Justin Sciacca (rolled ankle) which stopped them from taking any further part in the game.
This wasn't the best display by this team and the commitment and work rate from certain players was discussed post match. I hope to see a change from the players at training.
A big thanks to Willie, Fraser, Alou, Elia, Liam and Kaine for playing for
Under 20s
David Davkovski & Matt Maiorano
Great Performance by the team!
We had set up quite well and tactically, we were pretty comfortable. We started nice and strong and set the pace early. Unfortunately again we go down first, however Emre Celik playing his best game this season, got into a great position and drove home a long range shot to level up the score.
Playing our youngest team, the half time break was mainly spent assuring the lads that we were
playing well and to keep their heads cool.
The second half was played at a very high pace, similar to the first half. Our focus on not turning over the ball easily was well demonstrated by all the players.
I'd like to single out Declan Mariano in goals who played badly injured for most of the match and is growing in confidence each week. Great effort. Also well done to Tom Corso playing his full debut. Thanks to coach Paul and the 16's for supporting /allowing Tom to play up. Tom transitioned with ease which demonstrates our Junior coaches are doing a great job preparing our future talent.
Next week is away to Werribee which is a special day for some important people in our lives, so I would Like to say Happy Mother's Day to my wife, my mother and all the mums at the Suns.
Seniors
Nick Kalafatis & Serkan Aktas
Find us on Facebook for a full wrap, interviews and much more.
Parents, family, supporters, players and especially our armchair experts are invited to our free linesman training session from 5pm Wednesday 11 May.
