From the Coach... 05/21/06

D.C. Divas v. Connecticut Crush, 05/20/06

In the NWFA, one of the true measures of your team is playing on the road. With a bus trip that’s 7 hours plus and coaches and players coming in on their own, the job of a coach increases tremendously. With part of the team either driving; flying, or even coming by train, you are constantly trying to keep players focused. Fortunately for us we have a strong core of veterans that understand, on the road, it is as much a mental battle as it is physical. Focusing on your job and executing your plays for your teammate, not for yourself, are our guiding principles. And when it’s on – It’s ON.

Connecticut has lots and lots of weapons. I was very impressed (as usual) with April Meyers. She is an outstanding athlete and goes hard each and every down. Our defense fought hard to contain her. With outstanding performances from Ivy Tillman, Trigger McNair, and Kathyrn Hemlock we were able to force Connecticut into formations that seemed unfamiliar. Hemlock cemented her MVP performance with 2 interception returns for TD’s in the first half. One, right before half time, that seemed to let the air out of the stadium.

On offense, Rachelle Pecovsky turned in another commanding performance and Allyson Hamlin is getting the passing game going. We are working toward balance in our offensive attack but right now we are certainly going to take what defenses give us. All in all, the road trip was successful. I am very pleased at our level of play and look forward to pushing the team to improve. Think it is very important that we do not become complacent. We must continue to push ourselves and each other.

With Baltimore coming this week our focus must be as sharp as ever. By losing a hard fought game in Massachusetts the Burn are looking to keep their playoff hopes alive with a victory over us this weekend. So I m expecting everything and the kitchen sink. I am expecting that they are going to have GREAT attendance in practice. I am expecting that they are going to be putting in offensive twists and new defensive schemes in order to WIN! How hard we work this week decides a lot for our season. At the midway point we can keep pushing and get better or we can settle into mediocrity. I know that we have invested too much time and energy to consider the latter. One thing is also quite certain; Saturday night is going to be one of the best nights of the NWFA this season. Division rivalry, playoffs berths on the line, pride, and bragging rights - I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Sincerely,

Ezra M. Cooper Jr., Head Coach