Author Archives: jimsakeeper1

The Edge

Posted on February 19, 2024 by jimsakeeper1

“You’re not mean, you’re strict.” This was some of the best feedback a Vikings player ever gave me. I don’t remember who it was, or which team. I do remember that it sounded heartfelt and I could see other agree. … Continue reading →

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Rule One: It Should Be Fun

Posted on May 17, 2020 by jimsakeeper1

  Rule One: It Should Be Fun   Youth Coaches: Do you ever struggle to find players willing to play goalkeeper in games, let alone play it well?  There are a few quick & easy things you can do to … Continue reading →

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Kobe

Posted on February 22, 2020 by jimsakeeper1

A note to my girls soccer team from last month: Last week I got stuck writing my post-game message to the G10s because I wanted to say something about Kobe Bryant. The original just got too big, ambitious, and lengthy. … Continue reading →

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Follow the Fox

Posted on November 17, 2018 by jimsakeeper1

“There is no great genius without some touch of madness.” — Aristotle A horrific story of survival came out of last week’s Camp Fire. The Chronicle covered the ordeal of Greg Woodcox, who narrowly escaped with his life after flames engulfed … Continue reading →

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Shoulder To Shoulder

Posted on April 16, 2017 by jimsakeeper1

On Tuesday the world moved closer to apocalypse when the bus carrying the BVB Borussia Dortmund team was attacked by three bombs on the way to its stadium for a Champions League quarter final match against Monaco. This violent invasion … Continue reading →

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The Heart And Soul Of Heart And Soul – Iniesta’s Farewell Comments To Xavi At His Retirement

Posted on June 6, 2015 by jimsakeeper1

Longtime readers will note that the male players who most interest me in the pro game are Iniesta and Xavi at Barcelona. So when the club held a ceremony to mark Xavi’s decision to leave the club, and Andrés Iniesta … Continue reading →

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Preserve the Park or Let Kids Play: Pick One

Posted on November 11, 2014 by jimsakeeper1

Here in San Francisco we just voted (again) on whether to convert one of our grass field complexes to turf. There were two measures, Proposition I and H, one in favor of going ahead (I) and one trying to prevent … Continue reading →

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Walk the Fields of Gold

Posted on November 10, 2014 by jimsakeeper1

“You can tell the sun in his jealous sky When we walked in fields of gold” Soccer, like American football and baseball, is a sport designed to be played on grass. But football and baseball expanded into professional stadia where … Continue reading →

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A Place To Play

Posted on August 23, 2014 by jimsakeeper1

A good photo can tell the story of a life. Or maybe it takes two. I think in the Bay Area, there are many, many people who are feeling something that we can’t shake: the loss of Robin Williams. What … Continue reading →

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Hamburgers und Frankfurters

Posted on June 30, 2014 by jimsakeeper1

“I will always have the half-side of Germany in my heart, but all of us half players—and the coach, too—we will try to win this game for America. We want to get to the next round.” These were Jermaine Jones’ … Continue reading →

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