Good Afternoon Coaches,
I hope you are doing well, as well as your loved ones. I also hope you have been able to find some reasoning/understanding behind the decision to cancel the spring season. I think so many of us knew this was going to happen but to actually see and hear it announced this week still stung.
As I told my players on Tuesday, my belonging place on our campus has always been the girls soccer program and I personally feel like a part of me has been ripped out; but I also told them it would not be the end of our season. I would not be giving up on them or the opportunity to connect online because the season was cancelled. These are unprecedented times and a great opportunity to build our programs from a distance. Our athletes still need us and for many of them, they appreciate and love the opportunity to see one another.
CHSSCA Zoom Meeting
Because the season is over, we need to discuss how to move forward and how we want to handle the postseason awards and recognitions. Please take a minute to fill out the Google Form in the link below and indicate what days and times work best for you. Finding a time that works for everyone is almost impossible but we will try to accomodate most requests. In the meeting, we will discuss the following:
CHSCA Postseason Awards (yes or no)United Soccer Coaches Postseason Awards (yes or no)CHSSCA All State Soccer Games CHSCA Multisport Clinic InformationAnswer any questions or concerns you may have
Zoom Meeting Form:CHSSCA Zoom Meeting Time and Day
Wednesday Wisdom on a Thursday 🙂 In the book 59 Lessons, author Fergus Connolly offers lessons he has learned from some of the most elite coaches, special forces and organizations around the world. Lesson 20 is called “CULTURE COACHES WHEN YOU’RE NOT AROUND”. In this lesson, readers begin to understand the importance and significance a powerful team culture has on our programs and our communities when”we” are not around. Is there a more perfect time to work on this exact topic? While we cannot be with our athletes on the fields, we have an amazing opportunity to strengthen our cultures from a distance. I highly recommend the book “59 Lessons” written by Fergus Connolly
“If your program wasn’t wearing uniforms or school colors, would someone know it was your team?” – Tracy Hamm, head women’s soccer coach at UC Davis. In a recent webinar, she asked this question to the listeners and it got me thinking. When this is over, what will the athletes have prepared and is our team culture strong enough while we are away to keep accountability and motivation high enough to GROW through this pandemic?
CHSAA June 1 Important Information: A lot of you have asked about what the June 1 CHSAA restriction really means and what we are able and not able to do. The following response is from Justin Saylor:
No physical contact with eighth graders until June 1. The May 1 date has been suspended to allow eighth-graders to have voluntary virtual connection with their school, beginning today (April 23, 2020). School administrators can forward or invite them to virtual meetings that discuss general education and transition information. Coaches can upload workouts, virtual meeting dates/times and sports specific information that eighth graders can voluntarily access. After June 1, administrators can determine what level of direct contact will be allowed virtually or in-person, aligned with federal and state guidelines for social distancing and public gatherings. The Sports Medicine Advisory Committee has strongly recommended the June 1 date as no contact.An athletic coach who has a dual role as a high school coach and a club coach/personal trainer/ etc. may not have direct or physical contact with his/her HS students until June 1. It doesn’t require further explanation to your employees or yourself. The answer is “no contact” with our students until the official end of the athletic/activity school year which has been designated as June 1 statewide. We are receiving requests to sanction or approve “mock culminating events/championships.” CHSAA will not collaborate on any of these events or recognize any champions. Our events were cancelled.
My apologies for a long email, lots of important information to get out to all of you! As always, please let me know how I can help or answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Thanks,
Sean–