Thank you to the Columbus Crew for putting on the Crew Showcase (November 5-6). It was an excellent experience for the girls to play quality teams in a great environment. I recommend it for next year. Our team consisted of girls from the U12B, U12C, U12D, U11A teams. This would be the first time they all played together. Our first game was against a team made up of U13, U14, and U15 players. At first, the size difference was intimidating for the girls, they thought they were facing giants. A number of the girls frequently found themselves on the ground, but they played possession soccer, quick play and movement throughout the team. They held their own to a 1-1 tie, but if you ask the parents it was very exciting to see the girls battle against bigger faster stronger girls and still compete with creative play. After taking the night to recover, they played the U13 Black team, which even though they were still a year or two older, the girls felt better about their chances. The played on professional sized fields which gave them the extra room to create plays and show off their moves. They were able to pull off a 3-0 win. Compliments from the opposing team for the team’s play out of the backfield and involving the defense in the offense. - Coach David Salisz
