Message from Lloyd

Dear Parents & Players:

First and foremost, thank you for being so patient over the last few weeks as we have juggled schedules to find a dry place to play soccer (or have pizza). Hopefully, this ordeal that I will characterize as an “involuntary group bonding experience” will end soon and we will get into a groove (all practices at 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm at Raimondi on Monday and Friday nights.) Bill, Julio, Audrey and I are very proud of how hard your daughters are working at practice. From our perspective, it appears they are having some fun while improving their soccer skills and getting to know their new teammates.

Pre-Game Jitters. The primary purpose of this note is to minimize pre-first game jitters that your daughter may have regarding what position she will be playing in the game this Saturday. Last time I checked, we are not playing in the World Cup final (at least this week). The focus for the coaches will be evaluating how the girls will play together as a team. For your daughter, that may mean that she will be asked to play a position that she has never played before. In order to minimize the jitters expressed by some players, we will take some time at practice this Friday to discuss this topic. After all is said and done, the effort expended by your daughter in the game (regardless of her performance or the score) will be met with a “high five” from the coaches when she comes off the field and a “you go girl” from her teammates on the sideline. I guarantee it!!!!

Path Forward. Thanks to the creativity, hard work and organizational genius of Audrey, we have some very unique opportunities that are designed to enhance your daughters’ soccer skills, broaden her interest in the game and expose her to some powerful and intelligent women (who just happen to be great soccer players.) Four examples include:

• May 5: Mock Press Conference: Courtney Hooker, standout player on the Cal Women’s soccer team, will be the star in our mock press conference. Aja and Hannah will moderate the press conference. All of the players will be asked to bring one question that they would like to ask Courtney to me at the practice that precedes the May 5 event. All players will be encouraged to ask Courtney at least one question. This past Sunday, Aja, Hannah, Bill and I spent 90 minutes with Courtney. After that wonderful experience, I am comfortable saying that your daughter will thoroughly enjoy the “press conference”

• May 30-June 2: Gidget: Liz (Gidget) Eisenberg, another one of the standouts on Cal’s Women soccer team will run a week long private mini-camp for our team.

• July 10-14: A private camp for our team.

• November 1: Cal vs. Santa Clara Soccer game: Our team will play at half time during the game between Cal and Santa Clara. There could be as many as 2,000+ people in the stands.

The best is yet to come.

Lloyd Johnson