My boss surprised me today by asking if he remembered correctly that I am a QPR fan. Expecting mockery for the Forest result I hit straight back with yes, and we are still having a better season than the Indianapolis Colts, where he is an ST holder. The next question was ‘have you heard of Juergen Sommer?’ Turns out that my boss (who is also a good friend) shared a coaching session for girls at his daughters’ Club with Juergen, who has just been taken on as their club coach, having stopped coaching the Indianapolis Eleven, the local semi pro men’s team.
So Juergen is coaching little girls, but don’t mock, this is big business in the US where I think every single middle class girl plays soccer from an early age, in the hope that they will be good enough to get a scholarship for university which can be very valuable. Club membership fees are pricey and they obviously employ professional coaches as well as Dads.
Last time I was there a few weeks ago I went with another mate to see his 17 year old daughter play in a team which regularly features in national tournaments, against another highly rated team (there was a bar, I’m not an MP, there to perve). It was weird. These were highly athletic, very well organised and incredibly committed teams who had not an ounce of imagination between them. Played by numbers, they had been coached to the limit. And an incredible desire to win, everyone taking it stunningly seriously and not enjoying it at all by the look of it. The parents (including my mate) were just interested in the result, and how their kid did, if they were subbed and why. Really odd experience, I was yelling ‘take her on’ and having people shout at me ‘they’ve been told to pass quickly don’t confuse them!’
Any other ex R stories?
So Juergen is coaching little girls, but don’t mock, this is big business in the US where I think every single middle class girl plays soccer from an early age, in the hope that they will be good enough to get a scholarship for university which can be very valuable. Club membership fees are pricey and they obviously employ professional coaches as well as Dads.
Last time I was there a few weeks ago I went with another mate to see his 17 year old daughter play in a team which regularly features in national tournaments, against another highly rated team (there was a bar, I’m not an MP, there to perve). It was weird. These were highly athletic, very well organised and incredibly committed teams who had not an ounce of imagination between them. Played by numbers, they had been coached to the limit. And an incredible desire to win, everyone taking it stunningly seriously and not enjoying it at all by the look of it. The parents (including my mate) were just interested in the result, and how their kid did, if they were subbed and why. Really odd experience, I was yelling ‘take her on’ and having people shout at me ‘they’ve been told to pass quickly don’t confuse them!’
Any other ex R stories?
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