Silver FC's offers 2-4 practices a week year round. Players are encouraged to attend as many practices as they can.

Players on teams need to attend at least two practices a week to maintain their skill level and stamina, as well as gaining valuable training time with their team mates.

Training sessions are grouped by age. All players drill and practice together. We have found that this allows new players to learn from experienced players and experienced players to improve their understanding of training techniques by helping new players. 

Coaching a GU13 team at Harbor years ago, I had the coaches from University of Puget Sound come in to run 6 weeks of training for my girls. One training each week. I was allowed to walk among the girls, take notes, video drills, ask questions, all to enhance my coaching abilities as they worked with my girls.

15 minutes into the first training, Randy Hanson, Head Coach, called me over. He told me that the main problem with my team was no discipline. I needed to step up the discipline as I ran trainings and my expectations needed to be higher for a select team. I nodded, having no idea what he wanted but told him I would observe and learn. He proceeded to rip my girls apart. They ended the session in tears with his expectations. He talked to them at the end, gave them expectations of themselves to their team and selves. He talked to them about the possibility of playing for a high school, a college, any higher level of play and what they needed to do to have that happen.

Now, until that time, neither myself nor those players had any type of expectation like that. He went on to give them a list of self-expectations and team expectations. They nodded, showing excitement that anyone would think they could become college players.

I spent 6 weeks learning from both Randy and the keeper coach, Kelly Bendixon, enjoying every expectation they taught us. The girls became a different type of team and players after that. I changed many things about how I coached.

Many of the actual skills we teach at Silver FC stem from the many times I have invited others to participate in my teams’ trainings. Randy and Kelly were two of the first. I have had National Men’s team players come run small weekly camps. I have had the Kitsap Puma’s keepers and players run camps for the players. Cliff McGrath, who developed the Northwest Soccer Camp on Whidbey Island, has been instrumental in some of the coaching I use.

And in all of those, I notice an expectation of the players to meet certain criteria. Show up prepared. Show up. Show up on time. Show up. Show up and expect to work. Show up. Show up prepared to learn and with a good attitude. Show up. Always, show up. Players can be there, but not show up. Attitude is everything. Work ethic is everything. Paying attention to the coaches is important. Having respect for the coach is demanded and setting consequences and following thru each and every time. I learned. So did the players.

Each time I show up to coach a team game, a training, anything, I have those expectations. I learned there has to be a consequence for failure. Be it that you lose a 1 Vs. 1, a battle, a game, there is a consequence. Players learn quickly to respect the expectations and work to meet them. This builds great players. This builds players with expectations.

Ila Jensen

Director of Coaching

Silver Football Club