Very good week of soccer...

My daughter's new team (Sting needs to update these web-sites, BAAAD...) has been going through two-a-days for the last week and we just had our first scrimmage on Saturday. The team is coming along nicely and the girls are working hard with little complaint, other than the aches and pains associated with a lot of physical work. This week we prepare for the Puma Cup tournament. Then the real work begins as we look to qualify for LHGCL... that's when the real season starts!

One of the things you should look for in a team is parental commitment and involvement. As girls get older, you should also look at accountability and level of commitment from the child. This team has demonstrated that the families and the girls are all very committed and that's refreshing. Our last team had commitment, but only to a certain degree... in other words, as long as it didn't interfere with this family/social activity or that family/social activity it was ok. I realize we all have obligations and lives outside of soccer, but if you're paying for the "privilege" to play select soccer, you better realize there are some of us who are, relatively speaking, "paying" more than you. We want to get the most out of the time that we can.

Although we didn't "win" our scrimmage, I think we surprised the opponent because our talent level has increased dramatically from the last time they saw this team. Actually, a lot of our girls, including my daughter had worked with that team earlier this summer. As I mentioned then, they turned away a ton of talent and a lot of it ended up on our new team. Funny how things tend to work out. I think I've said that before...

Quaking in my boots...

I play Quake 3... my wife would say I play too much, but it's really the ONLY game I play on the computer. I would say that there was a time that I played a lot of different computer games, but honestly, I haven't bought a new game for myself in over a year and that was Quake 4 and before that Doom 3. Here's the deal: Quake 3 is over 7 years old! There have been updates, but mostly those were cosmetic. The basic game-play has remained the same for all these years and it's still fun and exciting! Of course, it probably helps that Quake 4 pretty much sucked...

There is small, but dedicated community of players still playing this game and every night there is always a couple of servers that are hosting several players. I have actually met a few of these people in real life in my travels about the country for my company. That's always an interesting time when meet people you only know through a game.

There are not many games that are still being played, loyally, seven years later. That has to account for something when the various gaming mags go looking for the "Top xx Games of all Time" articles. I have seen Quake 3 show up in these articles from time to time, but I just don't think it has received the recognition it deserves for it's longevity. A lot of that is owed to the Quake 3 community that continues to play the game despite it's age. In that vein, here's a bit of a shout out to some of the diehards:

• Harley and Joker
• The Ohio connection - UncleSid, RogerX, Kroy, Chasin
• Crazy Canucks - Spl1ff, RoadRunner, Wammo!, BL
• Spook, Doc, King, Potz
  
• Jub and Galvy
• Requiem and Ace
  
• Diz, PunkPrincess, Maiko, Panda
• Krim, Bob, Ensign Hermanator
  
• and so many, many more...

As usual, GL&HF!!!!

Superstar! UT-ex Young loosening up Titans

A star in the making... no, wait a SUPERSTAR in the making. Vince (heh, like I know him...) has what it takes to be the next superstar in the NFL. Move over LT, step aside Payton Manning... there's a new sheriff in town.













Now if they could just get him some more help... but that's a different story!

UT-ex Young loosening up Titans | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | SportsDay: Colleges: Texas

Happy 4th! Hope it's dry where you live...

When did we move to Seattle? The rain just will not stop... and when you're not used to it being this rainy, it can be a real pain. It's not like when it snows here, when EVERYTHING just plain shuts down, but it sure puts a damper on outdoor activities. But most celebrations are going forward, rain or shine. So hopefully, we will get out and see some fireworks this evening! Hope you do, too!

What is this... birthday 231? or something like that? It's too bad our best years are behind us... or so the pundits would like us to believe... Oh, well, I really don't see anyone else stepping up to be #1, except for the outside possibility of China. But can you really take a country seriously, that still has third-world tendencies? Maybe they win by sheer numbers... Besides, they had their chance back when the world was a much smaller place!

Well, GL & HF!

Almost forgot... Happy Birthday Mikey!!!

Yesterday was my oldest son's birthday... doesn't even seem that long ago...

I want one...

Actually, the wife would probably be more of a fan of this... but it's still cool and I like gadgets! Enjoy...

Update from San Angelo...

Aside from this hotel being VASTLY inferior to the Red Rock Casino, this has been a good trip. So far we are 2-0, having defeated both teams we played, rather handily, 9-0 and 4-1. We expected a couple of easier games, but not that easy and actually, the first game was 10-1, as we had three girls get a hat trick and my daughter scored one goal on a very nice run from the mid/right wing, but the official forgot to credit it us with one goal... go figure. Tomorrow's game will be a challenge. The game is 8:00 a.m. so that's already a challenge!

Oh, and on the hotel, it was a dump when I stayed here back in the early '80s and still one when we were here for a baseball tournament some 5 or 6 years ago. Let's just say, that a cot and a wash pan are not much lower on the accommodations scale! But we will push through...

Getting ready to play...















Daughter scores on a very nice run!

Back from Vegas!

Ok, so actually this is the second day since we got back from Vegas. Still tired and not feeling so well. And we have a four hour drive ahead of us for a soccer tournament in San Angelo, TX. Kind of a trip back in time for me and the wife, as we both matriculated to Angelo State University, a really great small state university with a great academic scholarship program.

Here's a link to some pictures from Vegas!

In Vegas... Yay!

Second day in Vegas... yesterday was a blur. Ate too much, drank too much (oops, did I say that?), and definitely, didn't sleep enough. We went to bed early last night, if 2:00 a.m. is early.

7:30 a.m. is waaaay too early.














Red Rock Casino is a really, nice place! If being away from the Strip is not an issue, then I highly recommend staying here on your next visit to Las Vegas. The rooms are awesome and the restaurants are very good.

I'll post more pictures later today or tomorrow. I need to find a data cable for the wife's camera...

I Should Be...

Happy as a kid in a candy store! I'm going to Vegas on Sunday! Vegas, baby! Viva Las Vegas!

But, I'm not... rather not go into it, but suffice it to say I'm not in a very good mood about the trip and I DO NOT expect to be in a better mood about it by the time my flight leaves at 7:00 a.m. (yikes!) on Sunday morning.

I will be attending (really... NO really... well for the most part) the annual Directory Experts Conference sponsored by NetPro, where I hope to increase my knowledge of all things Active Directory from Microsoft.

Staying here... nice, huh?

Also, taking the wife and meeting my sister and brother-in-law there... still, I am troubled.

So there... going to Vegas and I am indifferent. Never felt like this before...

Club Soccer Decisions... A (Random) Parent's Guide

First in a series...

Ahhh, spring time... and soccer...

Spring usually means that the league soccer season is winding down and that there is a tournament somewhere every weekend. It is also the time to start making decisions about your child's future. If your child is new to club soccer, or has played on a PAL or Academy team, this will be the first of many more decisions you will make along the way. If your child is currently on a club team, then now is the time to weigh options and opportunities for your child's future.

In this first article, I will concentrate on this last issue, as that is what is currently on my mind. I hope to provide more insight into the mad world of club soccer in future posts, as well as some insight for the first-timers, newbies, if you will, to club soccer. In the mean time, this first article might also offer some insight for the parent new to club soccer.

By now, if your child has played a couple of seasons on the same team, you should be able to determine if your child has made progress, if the team has made progress and if the parents have made progress - and, yes, it is important, after all you spend a lot of time with some of these people and any good coach knows you recruit players AND their families. By progress, I mean commitment, sense of fair play and sense of community. As with all families and social situations, disagreements will occur. It's how those disagreements are handled and how the outcomes affect everyone, that will determine the success or failure of these "families". I won't go into how to handle these issues, but suffice it to say, equitable and fair treatment of all parties goes a long way in ensuring the outcomes meet with the goals of the team.

Progress of the player can be measured in many ways, not just goals scored or goals against average. There are all kinds of skills to look out for from dribbling to passing to kicking. In addition, how does your child play? Are they aggressive with the ball? While defending? Are they willing to mix it up and get physical? Do they bounce right back up after taking a fall? Progress of the player can also be measured by how well they take criticism and how well they take to coaching. Coaches, like you and me, have different personalities. Some want to be friends; some just want to coach. However, all of them care about your child and his/her development. Some will not mesh with your child's personality. Be aware that you're child may not be progressing for that very reason. You must find ways to make this work for you, your child and the coach. After all you are spending LOTS of money for this "privilege".

Finally, progress of the team. As with any team dynamic, the team is only as good as the weakest link. However, as a team it may be infinitely better than it's best player. The team dynamic involves commitment and goals. Does the team have goals? If so, have they been expressed to the players? To the parents? Besides practices, how committed are the girls to extra practices? skills practices? tournaments, especially out-of-town? What about the parents? We all have outside interests and soccer may not be the only activity your child is interested in and that's ok. Life does get in the way. But is it a constant source of contention? Some parents are sure their child is a soccer prodigy and soccer is the ONLY important activity. Other's are still discovering their child's strengths and talents. To that degree, latitude is necessary or there will be a lot dissension. There are club teams that are little more relaxed than others. In the end, all teams have fun, but is your CHILD having fun?

As your child gets older, you will want to see how their commitment matches their level of play. It might also be necessary to evaluate how that level of commitment manifests itself across the team. Most children will respond to challenges, especially from their peers. If they see the other team members doing extra work, most will want to also add the extra work to their regimen to get better. Therefore, it is important that team members start to take some responsibility for themselves and the team to get better. Nothing is more satisfying than watching a well-coached team, coach themselves, police themselves and, ultimately, being responsible for themselves. You should definitely be on the lookout for these positive signs.

Finally, as a parent, you need to ask yourself: What is MY level of commitment? How comfortable am I? Is the need to have a close-by practice facility more important than the need to have my child on a team that will push them to the next level? Is the need to stay comfortable greater than the need to get out of that comfort zone? If you are problem with the commitment, you might want to sit down with your child to determine their level of commitment. They may surprise you and you might realize that either you're the problem or the child is not as committed as you thought they were. Either way, you should be able to make a positive decision for both of you.

In addition, the whole issue of staying with a team may be moot, as the coach reserves the right to add and remove players as they see fit. For this reason, it is imperative that you sit down with your coach at the end of the season to get his insight and evaluation of your child. He should also be willing to tell you his plans for the team and if your child is, in fact, part of those plans. Please, and I am begging here, DO NOT take this personally. It is just your first baptism into the world of "select" athletics and throughout the rest of their playing careers, most of them will hear, in some fashion, that they are simply not good enough. That should not mean it's the end of the road. Too many splendid players are left behind at the first sign of rejection. As a parent you should have your child prepared for this inevitability. You are doing them NO favors by shielding them from the realities of "select", and later, the higher levels of sports. It's just part of the game. Along with this comes the politics and the jockeying by parents to get in good favor with coaches. Don't let that get in the way. There will always be someone trying to get in "good" with the coaches. It just happens. Be courteous, pay attention and be supportive. In the end, things usually work out for the best. As an aside, people talk and discuss things. Try to keep your thoughts and words out of reach of your child. Do not disparage another player, parent or coach in front of your child. It will only make a bad situation, worse. And could turn a good situation, bad before you know it. Keep your comments positive and with as much insight as you can muster. Keep your negative comments for your spouse or other trusted team parent. You never know if something said will come back to bite you when you least expect it.

One last thing for this first article... remind your child to always play and act like someone is watching. Someone is always evaluating players at this level...

Until next time, GL&HF!

Interview with Bill Watterson | The Complete Calvin and Hobbes

I always enjoyed Calvin and Hobbes... Very funny and "on-point" about quite a few things in life, whether they were about a 6-year-old or adults. In this interview, Bill Watterson, is asked several questions by people around the world, including Lubbock, TX, while although technically, a part of the world, might as well be on a some alien planet... (I kid, I kid... I like Lubbock. Really.)

GL&HF!

Interview with Bill Watterson | The Complete Calvin and Hobbes

Movie news, trailers, galleries and box office! The Worst Movies by the Best Directors

I have seen most of these movies and I agree that not all of them are that bad... well, some are pretty bad. Some are actually good, just not great. Sometimes you have to wonder what the director was thinking when he took on this task. For instance, did Spielberg really need to do a RE-MAKE of a 50's sci-fi movie? The movie had it's moments, as described in the article, but I have to tell you, those original movies were better. I remember the first one I ever saw, scared the crap out of me... Enjoy!

Filmwad - Movie news, trailers, galleries and box office! The Worst Movies by the Best Directors

The 10 Real Reasons Why Geeks Make Better Lovers -

Geeks, ftw! Chalk up another one for us geeks. This has some NSFW (not suitable for work) links, but the commentary is really what you want to read anyway. (Don't click on the links, k?)

See folks, find yourself a geek and all will be right with the world. Yes, there are female geeks, just not as many...

The 10 Real Reasons Why Geeks Make Better Lovers -

As usual, GL&HF...

Casual Games Are The Rage

A good article on how Microsoft is now jumping in on the "casual gaming" phenomenon. If you'll pardon the self-promotion, over on the right side is an ad for BigFish Games. Here is a great opportunity for you to jump on this bandwagon, if you will. Joe, over at Building Your MLM, Network Marketing Business, hooked me up with this he has enjoyed some success with it. This is my first active promotion of this product, but I plan to do more. If your a casual gamer, or know someone who is, head on over there or forward them this post. Have some fun and enjoy!

Game Stooge » Casual Games Are The Rage

BigFish Games

The Xbox 360 v2.0???

Thought this was some interesting news. Looks like the PS3 is becoming a less viable purchasing option...

Microsoft's Second Coming of the Xbox 360 Revealed