U13/2 Orange Round 1

Round 1

Cannons U13/2 Orange v North Ryde

A wake up call match to start the season against North Ryde.

The reigning Cannon premiers played their first game on a full-size field sporting Astroturf.

The guys put in a fantastic effort but fitness was an issue that needs to be addressed. Trying to squeeze in extra fitness sessions during the week will be important. I’d encourage our young players to find opportunities for running around the park between training sessions to bring up match fitness as quickly as possible. There is also talk of a Tuesday night fitness session potentially being organised. Many of the boys play multiple sports but running requires a particular type of fitness that can only be achieved by running.

Anticipation will also be important to success this year. Thinking about where the ball will go to next is especially important now that we are playing on larger-sized fields. One of the biggest differences between less experienced and more experienced players is their ability to read the play and anticipate the next move. The opposition tended to be better at this skill and therefore ended up with a much higher percentage of ball throughout the match.

Working on kicking will also be important now that we are playing on full-size fields. Being able to kick deep and long will be another determining factor towards success this year. I’d encourage the boys to try and find extra time during the week to kick the ball. All the boys have the grounding to do this now. It will be a matter of honing these basic kicking techniques.

Thanks to all those who filled in from other teams in helping make up the numbers.