Junior Varsity - Bellevue vs Skyline 9-19-2023

Bellevue (JV) 0-1 Skyline

65th min Skyline goal from 5yds

“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” - John Wooden

I have said from day one when I started coaching at Bellevue High School that my teams will always strive to do the little things right. We would be consistent in our warmups, we would do free kicks, throw-ins, corner kicks the right way. A little trap here, the proper run here or the extra pass. As John Wooden eloquently stated, it is what can change a game. Unfortunately on Tuesday night, it was a little thing we didn’t do quite right that cost us in our game against Skyline.

The game was very evenly matched, as we expected. Skyline was bigger and faster than any team we have seen so far this year (granted only 4 games into the season). But we didn’t back down and we fought them throughout the evening. We created a bevy of chances on goal but we couldn’t quite make that final touch, shot or pass to get a goal to change the game.

The little things.

Things seemed just a little off for our girls on this day. The bus was 40 minutes late so our warmup was brief to say the least. Stack that on top of several injuries, absences and sicknesses and it was just a little too much for us to overcome. We missed a few marking assignments and lost our shape on too many occasions. We were lucky not to be down at halftime as Skyline squandered their fair share of opportunities as well.

But as the game began to wind down to what felt like an inevitable tie game, one of those ‘little things’ snuck up and bit us at an inopportune time. An ill-advised back pass and a missed clearance in a critical area resulted in an easy Skyline goal and we found ourself behind for the first time this season.

The little things.

A Skyline injury allowed us a moment to gather as a team on the sideline and regroup to try and get an equalizer. We shifted our formation, pushing more players up field, and it created the desired result: chances on goal. We created shots, free kicks and corner kicks as we peppered the Skyline goal. Despite a terrific effort in the closing moments, we couldn’t quite find a goal.

As Peter stated in his varsity recap, there are lessons to be learned as we continue on in league play. We’ll discuss how we can learn from this game and how we can improve moving forward. It’s a work in progress. I loved the effort throughout the game and how we overcame some difficult obstacles.  As I told the girls, soccer is a funny game. Some nights things go your way and some nights they don’t. But games turn on the ‘little things’.

Losses happen but we don’t have to like it. Now we’ll see the character of this team and how well we bounce back on Thursday vs Hazen.  See you there.