Information about Summer Soccer at Trinity Lime Rock

WHEN:  Young people from Trinity and from the larger community "do soccer" starting in early June, and continuing through July and August, meeting every Sunday morning at 10:00 AM.  We hold our last session of the year on the Sunday preceding Labor Day Weekend.  In 2008 our first session will be June 8 and our final session will be held August 24. 

Summer Soccer 2008 -- CLICK HERE

WHERE:  Trinity Episcopal Church in the Lime Rock neighborhood of Lakeville, Litchfield County, CT.  We meet on the soccer pitch right in the middle of Trinity Field (located off Dugway Road, behind the church).  

WHO:  Young people ages 5 to18.  You're invited whether you have any affiliation with Trinity or not.  Our Lime Rock neighbors are particularly welcome.  So are interested young people from the surrounding area.  Don't live here?  Just here for the summer -- or even the weekend?  YOU are welcome too!    The level of your soccer skills is NOT important.  No matter whether you're a beginner or already an elite player, we are glad to have you with us. 

While this program started out back in 2005 under the auspices of our Sunday School, now our orientation is providing a worthwhile activity for the young people of the community, regardless of religion or church membership.  (We always have more than one additional adult volunteer -- and usually several -- in attendance during each session for safety reasons).

WHAT WE DO:  We do SOCCER, and we make sure that we keep it relaxed and fun.  Skills games, small-sided games, and almost always a scrimmage. The National Soccer Coaches Association of America regularly bemoans our over-coached kids, and how they never get to play what they call "street soccer".  We make a real effort to AVOID over-coaching and to let the kids figure it out for themselves in as close as we can get to a street soccer situation. 

The actual activities any particular session depends on the mix of ages and skill levels of those who attend.  Older and more experienced participants also have plenty of opportunity to help younger ones develop skills.   When it rains we move into the parish library and watch soccer skills DVDs and videos. 

This program is participant-driven, so the interests and capabilities of all of our participants help us continue to shape it.  Since we are a church, we also include the Lord's Prayer or silent prayer at some point during the proceedings.  Attendance at the prayer is mandatory; participation is not.

Adult coaching is provided by Richard Kirby (Coach of girls' varsity soccer at Hotchkiss School, as well as a coach for Berkshire United Soccer Club), by Patrick Cooke (a coach in the Pelham, NY recreational leagues), by Jane Cooke, by Jeff Merrill (a school and rec coach in soccer powerhouse North Canaan), Jerri Wingard (a Berkshire United coach and also the club registrar), as well as Jeff May, Mary O'Neill, Junior Wright, Eli Horowitz, Shirley Jenks, and Troy Ramcharran.  Occasionally we also have other guest coaches who appear as their commitments elsewhere permit.  Geoff Brown administrates the program.

Here are photos of some of the coaches

Coach Richard Kirby

Coach Troy Ramcharran

Coaches Patrick and Jane Cooke

Organizer Geoff Brown

More to come!

WHAT TO BRING:  Bring a soccer ball if you have one, but do put put your name on it, please! (we always have extra balls available – including size 1, size 3, size 4, and size 5 -- for those who don’t bring a soccer ball of their own).  Wear soccer boots and shin guards if you have them -- but sneakers are usually fine if you don't have boots, particularly for the youngest kids.  Sunscreen and insect repellent are an excellent idea, too.   We always provide plenty of cold drinking water during our time in Trinity Field, but if you wish you can bring your own water bottle.  There are always treats during the parish coffee hour after Summer Soccer is over for the day. (That's on Sundays -- if we have the Wednesday evening program we assume everybody will go home for dinner, so we don't serve dessert.)

COST:  There is absolutely no charge for this program. We do take a completely voluntary offering after soccer is finished on Sunday mornings for those going inside for Communion.  We know that most soccer shorts don't have pockets, so we don't have high expectations here.  

DURING THE SUMMER OF 2007, ALL 96 PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED FREE TRINITY SUMMER SOCCER TEE-SHIRTS.  WE THANK THE GENEROUS BENEFACTORS WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE. We will have at least some 2008 tee-shirts, but because the number depends on the generosity of donors, they will be available to those who register first and after that on a first-come, first-serve basis.

to sign up for Summer Soccer 2008 at Trinity.

Call Geoff Brown at (860)824-0640 or e-mail him at soccer@trinitylimerock.org if have any questions.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

Question:  Why does Trinity Lime Rock do this?

Answer: 

1.  It's a great summer activity for the soccer-loving kids in our parish -- and our community.

2.  Trinity's got a beautiful, well drained 8+ acre field for a back yard.

3.  We like to welcome kids who are just here for the summer as well as kids from the area who don't attend Trinity, and this is a great way to do it.

4.  It's a great way to have fun with soccer, stay sharp and in condition for the fall soccer season, and improve skills.  As the New York Times recently reported, girls who play interscholastic sports are 41% more likely to graduate from college than their peers who do not -- and soccer isn't a walk-on sport much of anywhere anymore; skills do count.

5.  Athletic activity for kids, sadly being eliminated or curtailed in the schools, is an effective antidote to the national epidemic of childhood obesity.

6.  Coach Kirby was recently quoted in the Hotchkiss Magazine:  "I have a basic philosophy of developing the whole person -- mental, physical, and spiritual."  That pretty much says it all, doesn't it? 

QUESTION:  How can you possibly do soccer?  You don't have a proper soccer pitch with lines marked on it, or goals, or uniforms, or a scoreboard, or all the other accoutrements?

ANSWER:  We've found that most of this stuff isn't really needed to just have fun with soccer -- and to build skills as well.   Remember that many more World Cup players have started out without all the accoutrements than have started out fully equipped with all the bells and whistles.   (We do NOT envision a Trinity Soccer Team in the future, by the way -- we know that the kids who come to us have their own Town, Club, School or other teams in our area or back home, and it's our desire to support those teams, not to compete with them.)

QUESTION:  But it's so hot in the summer!

ANSWER:  Yes, it can get pretty hot out there.  But remember: where many of soccer's greats grew up the weather is like this all soccer season long!   We do take precautions regarding the heat, including lots of water always available right at the edge of the field and compulsory water breaks -- and we keep a close eye on the kids as well. Also, we started a half hour earlier in 2007 to provide more time to play before it gets really hot. We're going to continue that policy.

QUESTION:  What do you do when it rains?

ANSWER:  We've got a great new addition to our church facility that lets us take the kids inside and show soccer DVDs and discuss and demonstrate them.  Also, the field is extremely well drained, so field condition is never a factor.

QUESTION:  You say that 2006 was even better than 2005, and that 2007 was better yet.  What do you mean by that?

ANSWER:  Well, take a look at the 2007 pictures and see for yourself.  We opened 2007 with more kids than we saw on our biggest day in 2006, and the number of attendees went up from there.  We had 42 in attendance on two consecutive Sundays in 2007, with two simultaneous scrimmages running (one for the little kids and one for the bigger ones) those days.  Second, the field continued to improve. Third, we focused on how to "do soccer" with such a wide age range of attendees.  Most youth soccer in America is played with kids within rigidly enforced age ranges of a year or two and that's NOT EVEN CLOSE to the way we're doing it.  Generally we split into two age groups ("little" and "big") and have age-tailored activities for both groups.  On a typical Sunday, the older kids mostly scrimmage and to skill games, while the younger ones may or may not get involved in the scrimmage -- some definitely do!  Those who don't involve themselves in the scrimmage engage in free play with a soccer ball, and occasional one-on-one instruction from the coaches or the big kids.

QUESTION:  How else was the 2007 season different from 2006?

ANSWER:  While our soccer program has always been open to kids who are not Trinity "regulars" in 2007 we decided to let it be known that we very much welcome outsiders -- that we run this program for the entire community.  We reached out to Berkshire United, the local soccer club, and the Lakeville Journal ran eight articles about our program.  To say the very least, the effect of this publicity has been to ensure that we never lack for enough kids to scrimmage!  We've found additional coaching talent in our community, neighbors have gotten to know us, and we've renewed acquaintance with people we had not seen in some time.  It's been a very successful effort at outreach to our larger community.  With as many as 42 participants on the field(s) at one time, and a total of 96 in the program, in a rural area like ours we know that we're making an impact. 

QUESTION:  Can you point to any tangible benefits for the kids who participate in this program?

ANSWER:  In past autumns we had the pleasure of watching our Trinity Soccer Kids demonstrate the benefits of  an hour of soccer each week during the summer.  Over the course of a summer those hours add up to solid experience. Back home in their own soccer organizations, our participants scored critical goals, resulting in games -- and even some championships -- being won.  Participants appeared in press accounts of skillful, hard-fought defenses, and energetic midfield play, too.

In the 2007 fall soccer season, five Trinity Soccer Kids played on the U-10 girls team for Berkshire United, with the same number on the U-12 girls.  They were also represented on BUSC's U-11 boys, U-14 boys, and U-14 girls teams.  That's not to mention Housatonic Valley Regional High School, North Canaan Elementary School, Salisbury Central School, Lee Kellogg School in Falls Village, and  Kildonan School to name just a few.  Our kids will be seen on rec league teams throughout our area and far, far beyond.  (Norway, for instance!)

That's the tangible part, of course, the stuff that appears in the newspapers.  We like to think we provide more important benefits as well.

QUESTION:  Our family is of a different religious tradition from yours, but this Summer Soccer thing sounds like a good idea to us.  Can you tell us more about the religious aspect? 

ANSWER:  We're always happy to welcome young people who don't usually attend Trinity.  During 2007 we welcomed young people from Roman Catholic, Jewish, Congregational, and Baptist traditions, and several from no religious tradition -- as well as Episcopalians.  Since we're sensitive to the beliefs of others, we take real pains to be inclusive.  Most often, at some point during the session we gather in a circle and say together a prayer that is attributed to a Rabbi in first century Judea.  (You likely know it as the Lord's Prayer or the Our Father.)   Sometimes, instead, we simply have a moment of silent prayer.  We don't get hung up on doctrinal differences, and above all we don't get "preachy". 

QUESTION:  Okay, this sounds great!  Where can I fill out a registration form, and how much do I write the check for?

ANSWER:  We're a little unusual in this respect.  First of all, there's no check to write.  The program is free.  (Actually, we do take a collection at the end of Sunday morning soccer for those who choose to go inside for Communion, but it's completely optional.  And we do appreciate it if parents are willing to sign a photo release so we can put pictures of their young people on this website, but it's certainly not mandatory.)

to go to the page where you will find the signup form for Soccer 2008 and more information about the 2008 summer soccer program.

QUESTION:  We are an Episcopalian family, and we  would like our child to receive the Eucharist on Sundays.  Is there anything that can be done?

ANSWER:  Yes, and we make it easy!  After about an hour and fifteen minutes of soccer we go inside and join the Holy Eucharist already in progress.  There is never any obligation or pressure to receive the Sacrament, by the way.  Communion is available for any baptized person, but the Priest is glad to offer a blessing for anybody who doesn't want to receive Communion. Furthermore, there's absolutely no stigma attached if a young person (or adult) chooses simply to stand aside or remain in their seat when Communion is offered.  Alternatively, if parents choose, they may elect to pick their child up at 11:15 AM, when the rest of us move inside.

QUESTION:  This summer soccer program sounds like a pretty radical thing for a church to be doing.  What does your clergy have to say about it?

ANSWER:  Our parish clergy enthusiastically support our summer soccer program.  They recognize that it's our duty to serve the community, and this is one way that Trinity uniquely does just that.

QUESTION:  I coach one of the teams in a nearby soccer organization.  How do I know that you won't be sending me back a bunch of burned-out kids who have acquired bad habits when your program ends in the fall?

ANSWER:  It's pretty clear that burn-out isn't likely to occur with Trinity's Summer Soccer.  We meet just once a week over the summer.  Our sessions are low pressure, mostly scrimmaging.   (Of course, if we get the sense that one of the kids is becoming disenchanted, we'll make it a point to talk with them individually to try to determine the source of the problem, and if it's something under our control, we'll fix it.)  Regarding bad habits, there's a real advantage in having young people of mixed ages doing soccer together, because  the older ones tend to notice very quickly when the younger ones start developing bad habits or bad attitudes and they tend to address the problem on the spot in ways that a grown-up never could. 

We definitely do invite coaches to contact us with any concerns or suggestions about the kids they send us.  We're particularly glad to know where you would like to see improvement.  Please do feel free to get in touch with us, even if it's just so we know the names of your  young people when they arrive.  And also, coaches are invited to visit anytime!  You are likely to find yourself helping out!

QUESTION:  If a lot of coaches don't tell you things to work on for their players, you still must have some kind of objectives for your  program, right?

ANSWER:  Early in the 2006 season we were inspired by the World Cup and by Coach Kirby's style of letting the kids learn by doing and figure things out for themselves.  The National Soccer Coaches Association of America refers to this as "street soccer" and bemoans the fact that American soccer players are over-coached, over-drilled, and as a result, under-creative, so they are on the same bandwagon we are on too.

The largest contribution we can make to the soccer skills of all of our players is to just let them play.  American kids get plenty of drills at organized soccer schools and at school and club team practices, but how often do kids today just get to play soccer WITHOUT a lot of interruption and yelling by adult coaches and parents? 

We know that there is absolutely no better way to learn to play soccer than actually playing the game!  So we try to let the older kids scrimmage as much as possible.  (After all, how do you think all those World Cup players learned?).  Furthermore, we know that research has shown that this kind of program builds intrinsic motivation -- something that any successful coach will tell you is critically important in keeping young people interested is sports.

For 2008, we definitely will continue letting the kids PLAY SOCCER -- it's the best way there is to learn the sport.  We may also offer some opportunities to work on things that kids frequently don't or can't practice at home -- like throw-ins (we had a really good session on throw-ins in 2007), or distance kicking -- and we do encourage the kids to play all the positions, just for the knowledge one gets that way.  More suggestions?  Let us know!

QUESTION:  Okay, you have soccer for kids at Trinity during the summer.  But, what do the kids do at Trinity for the rest of the year?  Do you have Sunday School classes?

ANSWER:  We're happy to say that we offer a full year of activity, learning, and fun for young people.  Sunday School at Trinity picks up early in September and runs for the entire school year.  The first week in December we start preparations for our famous Christmas Pageant (2008 will be our 66th consecutive year of Christmas Pageants), and our acolyte program functions during the months that Sunday School is in session.  Early teens may be interested in Confirmation, and we schedule confirmation classes when we have a few kids who are interested.  The kids also really enjoy some of our Parish-side activities, like our Blessing of the Animals, which is held in early October each year, and seeing the fire trucks and ambulances that visit us for Emergency Services Sunday.  (Our Sunday School is headed by a mom of two youth soccer players, with the assistance of other moms of youth soccer players, by the way.)

Because we're a family-oriented parish, we're also very happy to welcome young people to worship with us.  We're delighted when they serve as acolytes, when they sing, and when they assist with ushering responsibilities. We have weekly bulletins for young people to use during the service if their attention begins to wander -- the youth bulletins have a variety of activities based on the Bible readings assigned for that Sunday.  And yes, we even understand when they wiggle -- we remember when WE were that age and wanted to wiggle too!

At Trinity Lime Rock, we understand the needs of young people, and we are thankful that we have them with us. 

In short, for young people who want to be involved, we offer a full year of activities for young people at Trinity.  Summer Soccer is only a small part of it.

QUESTION:  This is a little off the subject, but where can I find out about youth soccer opportunities in your general area?

ANSWER:  Thanks for asking! 

The very best place to get a comprehensive view of everything that is happening in soccer for young people in our area is at www.betweenthelakes.org, who have a soccer page in addition to their other community resource pages.  to go directly to the soccer page.

A great soccer resource we have here is Berkshire United Soccer Club.  They offer programs for kids from age 4 through first year college, including Fall and Spring soccer, a spring clinic, and a week of soccer camp in the summer.  Many Trinity families with kids who play soccer also participate with BUSC -- our kids played all the way from U-10 to U-19 in Spring 2007 for this club, and we were represented on nearly all BUSC rosters in the fall of 2007.  BUSC have a super website, and you really should pay them a visit.  The web address is www.berkshireunited.net, and you can find out about all their activities there.  Click their logo to go directly to their website.

You'll also find announcements of sign-up deadlines for the recreational youth soccer programs offered by the Towns in our area in the Lakeville Journal.    

MORE QUESTIONS (including input from coaches)? 

Contact Geoff Brown at 860-824-0640 or via e-mail: soccer@trinitylimerock.org