Rugby Town U8 Lionesses v Rugby Borough
Sunday 3rd September
Team Sponsors: The Trade Centre UK, Unipart and Life Investments Estate Agents
First Sunday of the season and the new lionesses took to the field, the team had come together due to a lot of girls wanting to play football at the club and the success of our current under 8s team, and included a mixer of under 7s and 8s girls.
Not having played a match or friendly before it was always going to be a nervous occasion for the girls and the new manager, Hannah’s, intro to youth football. The girls all turned up on time excited to be there, some not sure what came next!
Keeping them calm was the next challenge, at coaching, the girls are so used to turning up and grabbing a ball, this was the first instinct, and Hannah’s first job, gathering them back up for a team talk, more chat really to keep them still. The weather helped as summer finally arrived giving chance to rest up for a few minutes.
The warm-up was completed with lighting speed and precision such as the eagerness to start the game, onto the real team talk and the first intake of much-needed drinks, now they had all been given their instructions of which, enjoy it was the main instruction.
The match started brightly for both teams enjoying football as it should be played. The level of play from the girls was great to watch from coaching to pressure football no one is sure how it will go, the lighting running with the ball from Heidi or the calm defensive skills by Mia, or the safe hands of Milly, we could talk about each player at great length.
Luckily enough the game had a club young ref and player herself to officiate the match, explaining corners, throws, goals, and kickoffs was handed over to her to explain to the girls who listened and learned so much throughout the match.
The girls tired and slowed in the match such was the heat, taking plenty of drinks onboard in breaks but the level of skill never dropped, and the way they tried to take coaching sessions into the game was great to watch. As in football always plenty to work on, without letting matches dictate the way they learn football at a young age is so important to development. All the girls and parents and supporters should be very proud of the girls today, the manager is, just exhausted from the day.
Coaches Player of the Match – for Control and passing skills Mia