Updates

COACH’S MESSAGE

Next month is the kickoff of another fall soccer season! Our coaching staff is very excited about getting back on the pitch. Here’s my advice for you in July: get ahead! Most of you have had a month or more off from competitive soccer, so start making training more regular. Be on the ball most days of the week. Do the recommended running workouts with a friend or teammate so that you stay accountable. Make connecting with the team a priority. Get registered early. Get your physical done early. All of these things will help you walk into August with confidence and ready to focus and have fun.

UPCOMING EVENTS

- Our first preseason camp is July 7-10. This is the first of two free “mini-camp” weeks where we can work with smaller groups and really get to learning some technique and tactics. Players must RSVP so that coaches can plan the sessions for the right numbers.

- We will have 5 more kickarounds in July, with the weight room open afterwards. 

- Saturday, July 26 is our annual Alumni Game, where we welcome back our alumni for a friendly game at Niwot. Current players (sophomores, juniors, and seniors) are welcome to RSVP to play, so please sign up so we can make some teams for that night.

EQUIPMENT REMINDERS

- You need legal shin guards in high school soccer. They should have a NOCSAE stamp on the guard and be fitted for your height. Nike Mercurials, Adidas Tiros, or something similar works well. The “potato chip” guards that are popular are not legal, and can result in the referee removing you from the game.

- You will need a pair of solid white socks (away) and a pair of solid black socks (home) for games. Logos are fine, but stripes and dots are not. The brand is up to you, but if you want to stay consistent with your jersey top, the jerseys are Nike.

- In high school soccer, you are not required to buy your jerseys. We have sets that we will loan out to you. You have the option to wear your own black shorts or check out a pair from us.

TRYOUTS AND REGISTRATION

Registration for all sports for the school year opens on July 1st. To participate in tryouts or practices, you must be fully registered and have a valid CHSAA physical turned in.

- REGISTER HERE, USING REVTRAK: https://stvrain.revtrak.net/Program-Registration/ (Find Niwot Athletics > Fall Sports > Boys Soccer.)
-GET YOUR SPORTS – PHYSICAL CLEARANCE: Please remember that this year, only the official CHSAA physical form which can be found here will be accepted. I will have paper copies at the field all summer if you need one printed off for you.
-UPLOAD YOUR SPORTS PHYSICAL: To upload your CHSAA physical, please upload your physical here. You only need to upload Page 4.



TEAM PRACTICE GEAR ORDERS

- We will offer two rounds of team gear orders this year. The early order is going to open very soon, this July. I will send the link when available. This means that the gear will be here before the season. (I strongly recommend ordering in this window.)

- The later order will be the week of tryouts, if you would like to wait for the result of tryouts before ordering. This gear will not arrive quickly, which is why we offer an early order.

- GREEN will be our game day shirt. We will offer a few varieties, but all players will be required to wear a green shirt on many game days and in pregame. If you need financial assistance, please talk to your coaches and we will work with you on this.

DONATE TO NIWOT SOCCER

We offer a lot of free programming over the summer, and the cost of high school soccer to families is quite low in comparison to club soccer. While we have some support from the school district for the equipment essentials that make each season happen, it is not enough to pay for the balls, jerseys, training equipment, etc. that we need to operate. We rely on the support of donations and fundraisers to make the season happen. You can support us through a tax deductible donation at this link or by using the link on the Team App.

HEALTHY HABITS


Summer is a great time to build healthy habits that can last into the busy fall. This month’s healthy habits tip for players and parents is the top 25 foods for athletes. Check out this sheet of TOP 25 HIGH PERFORMANCE FOODS FOR ATHLETES to stock up on at your home.

FITNESS RECOMMENDATIONS

Are you running daily steady-state three miles in your workout as your fitness preparation for soccer? You shouldn’t. A long run (30+ minutes) at one steady pace is a great thing to do, once a week. But a soccer game is played at constantly changing paces. Your running workouts should look and feel like a game: intervals of faster running, slower running, and recovery movement. Bring some purpose to your running and use this sheet to help you get more out of training for the season. I have also included a sample plan of how you can get the most out of your workouts by mapping out how I would plan my weeks out in July.