Patrick Lewis (Senior Project)

Today was my final day with Kearsarge United ahead of Expressfest tomorrow afternoon. As planned, I spent the entire practice with the u13's ahead of their major tournament this weekend. The kids were on their games, were very focused and ready to work. We began with a drill that amplified the importance of diagonal runs. At the beginning of the season this team struggled with this concept, but today the looked like a completely different team. Making great runs, hitting accurate crosses and putting the ball firmly in the back of the net. I am extremely proud of every team I worked with this spring, and I hope they all continue to love this game.

On Monday I had a practice for my lightning team. As I have already completed my online nutrition and coaching courses, as well as all my hours, there was nothing to fit in during the day. My lightning practice consisted of mostly fitness as we have an upcoming tournament. With the possibility of having to play 4 games in 3 days, we must be in top physical shape to have a shot at winning it all. Our coach focuses a lot on quick, intense sprints rather than long endurance. We ended practice with finishing and attacking. Tomorrow will be my final day with Kearsarge United. I plan on running the entire practice with the u13's. We will work on attacking play and fitness, as they too have a tournament this weekend.

This past week was an awesome last week to (almost) wrap-up my senior project. I finished up my second and final online coaching class with US Soccer online. I am now officially registered and recognized as a u10 and u12 by the official soccer organization of the United States. This was a big accomplishment for me, as I have found a passion for coaching and these two courses allowed me to better myself as a coach in so many different ways. I really enjoyed these classes, they were far more interesting and enjoyable than the nutrition classes for me personally. The practices this week were awesome, all the teams are showing immense improvement, especially the u10’s, u13’s and u18’s. The u13’s are currently undefeated, yet to lose a single game and are dominating most of their opponents. This is great for them, as many of them are actually younger than the average age for this league. There really weren’t too many surprises this week, aside from how long some of the online courses took m

This morning I completed the last of my nutrition classes. There was no certification or license for this one, it was more just relaxed. I spent about 2 hours on this course discussing metabolism of unprocessed and processed foods. This afternoon I had a game for Lightning. It was a very intense game, and in the last 5 minutes I earned us a pk and Liam put it away to win the game. It was an awesome team effort to take down one of the top teams in New England. Next weekend we have our final tournament, so practices this week will consist of intense fitness drills.

On Saturday I had another long day of Kearsarge United games. The first game the u13's took on a very good opponent in Hampshire FC. It wasn't our best performance, as we struggled to control possession or get shots on target. But luckily our star striker Davin scored a hatrick. His final goal came in the last 5 minutes, to put us on top 3-2. Although it was a poor performance, we were very lucky to scrape by with a win. Next, the u10's took on GPS New Hampshire. GPS is the #1 team in the state. We put up a great fight, losing just 3-2 with some awesome goals and exciting plays. It was an awesome game to watch. Later that day I played soccer for a few hours with some of my Proctor buddies and we ran some drills that my club coach likes to do. I totaled 8 hours today.

Today was another long day of online classes. I finally completed my online course for 9v9's for US Soccer. It was pretty interesting. At the end of this course, similar to the end of the 7v7 course, I had to take another safety course. It discussed emergency protocols surrounding cardiac arrests and concussions. Today I also spent some time planning my teams starting lineups and strategies for our games this weekend. The u10's and u13's have back to back home games tomorrow morning. I also played soccer at Proctor for 2 hours and tried some new potential drills. I totaled 7 hours today.

On Thursday, I had a practice day with my u10's and u13's. I spent 2 hours planning these practices. With specific drills that stressed the importance of playing simple, and spreading the field. I started with the u10's who I warmed up and got them right into a possession drill. We also did a finishing drill which was one by Emma! The u13's were next. With them, we worked on having wing players not allowed leaving the wing. This team has struggled using the entire field so we are really trying to work on that before Saturday's game. Both teams have big games on Saturday, both are home! I totaled 5 hours today.

On Wednesday, I had a long day for online classes. I completed 2 hours of nutrition courses to begin the day. I have now completely finished the nutrition part of my project! I also completed 3 hours of my US soccer online coaching class for 9v9's. I am very close to gaining this certification now to accompany my license for 7v7. The 9v9 is a little different in that you are now coaching older kids and it is more difficult in a lot of ways, but also easier. The course amplifies the importance of creating personal connections with each and every single player. It also stresses the importance of a "player-first" environment. Tomorrow is a practice day for my younger KU teams! Totaled 5 hours today.

Today was a big day for my online classes. I spent 3 hours on an introduction to nutrition course. After taking the final exam I received a certification as well. This was a relatively intense course, as it dove pretty deep into the chemistry of carbs and fats. However, it was very interesting. I also spent an hour on my second coaching course I have taken. I then traveled to KUA for my soccer practice with my club team. We did a lot of fitness and finishing drills as we have had some trouble putting the ball in the back of the net. Coach continues to stress how important it is for us to be fit for our upcoming tournament. 

Today (Monday) was a big day for my plans as far as continuing my coaching career. I spent 2 hours applying for 6 soccer camps this summer! They will take place all over New Hampshire and Vermont. I also had a practice for my soccer team which was about 3 hours long. It was mostly a tactical practice, with some shooting, passing and defending drills as well. We have a game this weekend that is very important for our playoff hopes. It was a solid day and tomorrow will be a big day for online coaching.

Somehow week 2 managed to week 1! It has an exciting and interesting journey and I am beyond excited to get going on week 3. This week I became officially registered by US Soccer as an officially licensed u10 coach. This training course was intensive but very interesting and eye-opening in terms of coaching philosophy. I learned so much about the best ways to coach such young players, and I feel a lot more confident going into each and every practice now. It was another extremely successful weekend for all teams. The u13’s had a doubleheader this weekend and one both games! The u18’s got to play at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro (home of the Patriots), they also won 3-1and what an experience to have. Both teams are rapidly climbing in the New Hampshire soccer league. The u13’s have many younger players and have to play in a division where they are much younger than the other teams and they are winning every game! Goal scoring is coming in bunches and each and every single one of them is m

Another long day filled with soccer coaching and playing! The u13's had the second leg of their doubleheader with a tougher matchup against a team from Pelham. It was an off day for us, as our players had some trouble focusing early on. Thankfully we pulled off a win. The game finished 3-1, with Odin scoring 2 in the first half. Definitely an important victory. This week in practice we will be focusing on being aggressive and making runs for the midfielders. I myself had a game this afternoon. We played in Massachusets and took a tough loss to a very strong team.  I totaled 8 hours today.

This Saturday the u13's had their first game of their weekend doubleheader! Matched up against a weaker opponent, Kearsarge United took advantage. We were everywhere, everybody was doing great, making corner runs, spacing correctly, and of course - put the ball in the back of the net. It ended 6-0 in a statement game that had everybody in a great mood by the final whistle. Tomorrow they face a tougher opponent. Postgame the other coaches and I had a talk with our players about our mindset after such a big win. We also discussed how they should be eating tonight, in recovery and preparation for another game the following morning. Also, how important it is that they stay hydrated for the next 24 hours. I also played soccer/did drills with a few of my Proctor teammates in the afternoon. I totaled 6 hours today.

Today was another practice day. I spent 2 hours drawing up practice plans and two hours actually at practice. I spent the first half of practice with the u10's. We worked on fitness, agility, and passing, and then finished up with shooting. They are all showing great improvement, and I look forward to their energy every day. The second half was spent with the u10's. They have two huge games this weekend, both at home. We had a scrimmage going where some very impressive goals were scored. They like to goof around, but Coach Theo keeps it in check, reminding them just how important their preparation for this weekend is. Another awesome day with the youth of KU.

Today I finished my first online coaching course! After finishing the actual tactical aspects, I had to take an emergency health class before I became officially certified. This class consisted of how to's surrounding on-field cardiac arrests, and how to deal with these situations professionally.  This was super interesting, as I had never really thought about what would happen if one of my players collapsed. It was very informative and I am super grateful this was included in the course. As of today, I am officially verified as a u10 7v7 coach by US Soccer. In the upcoming days, I will begin my class for u10's! I really enjoy these online classes. I totaled 3 total hours today.

Today was a very exciting day. It began with me continuing my online coaching classes. I am working my way to being Grassroot certified for u10 level. The afternoon, we finally had our Proctor vs Kearsarge United u18. It was a very exciting game, ending in a 3-2 Proctor win. Our Proctor team had a little bit of a tough time after not playing in 6 months, but we played our game and walked away with a W. KU remained calm and collected playing a very solid game and falling just short. It was an awesome time, a major thank you to Coach Jon Root, for allowing us to play his team during their practice time. A potential second matchup may take place in the upcoming weeks!

Today was a more relaxed day in my senior project after a long weekend, with 15 total hours spent. Today I had my own practice for my team in Norwich, Vermont. It was a practice comprised mostly of fitness. As we ran sprints, jogged 3 miles and even did some hill sprints. Coach strategically placed this practice on Monday so we could have the rest of the week to focus on more tactical parts of the game. It was an enjoyable practice, a great group of guys on a beautiful day.

What an amazing way to start off my senior project. With tons of online classes, practices for my own team and countless hours spent with the players of Kearsarge United, it’s fair to say this week was a blur. I learned countless things about coaching, especially about coaching younger kids. This is something I was actually quite nervous about heading into this project was that I haven't coached 8-9-year-olds before. But the kids are nothing but enthusiastic, welcoming and open to their new coach. I had an absolute blast with all the teams from the u10’sall the way to the kids my age on the u18. Observing how my fellow coaches work has also been extremely interesting. Each with their own coaching styles and tendencies, all teams won their games this weekend in confident and prideful fashion. I am truly enjoying what I have been doing and look forward to the tasks and challenges of each new day. Everything went about as I had expected it to. The biggest surprise came on Saturday in

Another long day of soccer for the final day in my first week of senior project. Sunday began with an early morning for the u18 girls game. In dominant fashion, the girls won with an incredible score of 6-1 after going down 0-1 in the first 10 minutes. This is a very fun team to watch, with players from both Proctor and Kearsarge competing on the same team. They are a very talented group. Later I completed some more of my online coaching classes. At night I myself had a game at 7:30 pm at Medford high school In an intense 4-4 draw, we saw tons of opportunities, accompanied with lots of room for improvement on the defensive end. Coach was quick to notice these errors, and gave a motivating/insightful talk at the end of the game that kept our heads high, despite tying a very win-able game. Tomorrow is a practice day for me.

Huge day today for my teams and I as I clocked in at a total of 9 hours! The first game of the day was at Proctor, where the u18 Kearsarge Boys took on a rival in John Stark. It was a heated contest that even included a punch in the face. The player (who was on John Stark) was asked to leave the facility and he will be suspended for at least a few games. That was definitely one of the crazier things I have witnessed in a soccer match. The u18's got their (respectful) revenge by walking away with a huge 1-0 win. Next, I traveled to Litchfield, New Hampshire for the u10 and u13 game. The u13 boys played amazing in a thrilling 3-1 win. The u10's won 6-0 and Bryce finished with a hat-rick. It was an awesome day with wins for all 3 teams. Tomorrow the u18 girls play and I myself have an under the lights game in Massachusets.

On Friday I began my nutrition courses! The website I am using is called Alison that offers free courses on how t properly fuel and preserve your body. Today I completed 3 hours of a class on metabolizing. It was really interesting and also eye-opening, as I have never really studied nutrition. I am really looking forward to the rest of these courses that I will dive into. The next day I focus on nutrition I will finish that course, and begin studying macronutrients. I am very pleased I decided to incorporate nutrition into this project. Tomorrow (Saturday) is a big day for games that I will be traveling to coach for.

Today was another practice and I was set to work with the u10's for the first part of the practice. I ran an "agility course" with them. This consisted of 3 different stations with agility ladders, hurdles, and slalom poles. The kids loved it, and it even turned into a bit of a competition. Next, we worked on some passing drills, before I moved onto working with the u13's. With the 13's I ran a possession drill with the kids before setting up a scrimmage. I hopped in the game to help even out the teams. I had also previously spent an hour planning these practices and an hour finalizing the scrimmage for next Tuesday. Pictures will be posted tomorrow.

Today I clocked in at 4 total hours in day 3 of my senior project. My first hour was spent on the introduction to Grassroots coaching online. This introduction serves as the opening chapter to many different online coaching classes, of which I will be taking 3. The introduction was a brief explanation of US Soccer's philosophy on youth coaching. Following the introduction, I began on my path to being officially licensed by US Soccer as a u10 Grassroots coach. I spent about two hours on this. I finished the day by beginning to plan and assemble a scrimmage for next Tuesday. The scrimmage will be Proctor Varsity vs Kearsarge United u18. This will be a super fun way for the Proctor soccer team to stay active, and a great challenge for the KU guys. I spent about an hour attempting to set this up, and it's looking like we should have the numbers to pull it off.