Hall Road Rangers Hawks U13

Well Done to Charlie M for being Trainer of the Week!

He has a great attitude, always gives his all at training. He is a defensive monster, very hard to beat and always calm on the ball.

Last week saw the Hawks having two training sessions. After a winter of many postponed games, the lads are enjoying the extra football time.

We continued to work on possession of the ball. We feel this is one area we can massively improve on. Although I believe possession with intent is what we want.

After this we did some one on one battling for the ball. The lads enjoyed this drill, using their body to win the ball.

Well Done to Stanley for Parents Player of the Match!

He worked really hard today stopping counter attacks. Always seemed to be in the right position to make that challenge or cut out the ball. He put in a really good shift.

Well Done to Harley for Coaches Player of the Match!

He's been in the running for a few weeks to be fair. His general play has improved over the last few games. His determination to track back and help the defence out hasn’t gone unnoticed. Also today supporting his teams mates and encouraging them. He is turning into a very good player with the right attitude.

11v11 Friendly - HRR Hawks v Westella & Willerby

A step up for our lads today playing a really good passing team. It was a very even game in the first half with both teams giving everything in very hot conditions.

The lads put together some very fast paced counter attacks which led to some really good chances. Our passing is improving week on week and we are putting away chances which is what we struggled to do last season.

We’re definitely in a great place coming into the season.

Special mention to the defence today who I thought were solid. We were put under a lot of pressure but we dealt very well with it. Also it’s really nice to hear players calling for the ball. We have been working a lot on this and it’s nice to see the improvement.

Well done to all the lads and thanks for the support 💪

Well Done to Stanley for Trainer of the Week!

He is a pretty chilled character but never misses training and is always putting in a top effort. He managed to grab himself a couple of neatly put away goals tonight as well. Not sure on who got the assists 🤷🏽

Another relaxed Wednesday evening training session after having a friendly match the evening beforehand.

This session started differently to most with a group chat between the players and coaches. Discussing correct match behaviour, our expectations and also the refs expectations of our players and coaches. I feel this went very well and I will be implementing this once a month at training to discuss/reflect on behaviours good and bad throughout the season. I feel we have improved in these areas in the time I’ve been here. As the head coach I will continue to always set the right example for these boys.

On to the football, we used a possession drill which encouraged good passing and communication. This also had players coming in from the other team who were pressing and trying to win the ball.

This is a very popular drill with the group and encourages the type of football we want to play.

Shout out to Luke who got a boot the the face. Took it like a warrior and he’s still better looking than all the coaches, even with a shiner!

Well Done to Corey K for Parent Player of the Match!

This was his first game for the team. Fair to say he didn’t disappoint, putting in some great running and some clinical finishing.

Well Done to Charlie B for Coaches Player of the Match!

He was a defensive rock. Countless tackles and clearances and was always reading where the danger could be. Great performance.

11v11 Friendly - HRR Panthers v HRR Hawks

Another really good display tonight. Going forward we carried on from the last game, fast paced, forward thinking attacking football. Our pressing game was much improved tonight also.

Defensively we were very strong, Panthers have some very fast players in the squad who caused our fullbacks a few problems. Our wingers and centre backs though were always trying to come across to cover when needed.

We still have some work to do on discipline and respect but this will be addressed at training tonight. Like everything in football this is a working progress.

Well done to the Panthers who definitely have potential and as the season goes on will get stronger. Creating a strong team takes time and I’m sure they’ll be a tough team to beat next season.

More game time under the Hawks belt and great to see the team enjoying their football. ⚽️ Well Done everyone!

Well Done to Charlie H for being Trainer of the Weekend!

Charlie did very well in the drills and also put in a great shift in the game. Charlie is another player whose confidence is growing and you can see that in his play. Well Done Charlie.👏👏

After the lads fantastic performance midweek, we decided on just doing a light training session on Sunday. Even though it was a light session the lads put 100% effort in and all did really well. We concentrated on ball control, a bit of heading and then some dribbling and shooting. The boys were encouraged to do low, side foot composed finishing. This also gave the goalkeeper the opportunity to come off his line and narrow the angle down making it more difficult for the player taking the shot.

We then went into a game and again,all the boys showed what they have been learning in the training sessions with lots of good passing and communication. But it was the 2 grandad coaches that stole the show with 3 goals between them (2 for Simon and 1 for Lee).🤣🤣

It's a busy week for the Hawks with 2 friendlies and a training session.

UTH.

Well Done to Aaron for Parents Player of the Match!

He was solid tonight. Made countless tackles and did a great job against some bigger and quick wingers.

Well Done to Jensen for Coaches Player of the Match!

He was up and down the pitch helping out the defence and getting up for attacks. He also got on the end of a lovely ball from Harry to neatly finish and get his first goal. All the coaches were buzzing for him (especially Simon), who I thought was going to celebrate on the pitch with him!

HRR Hawks v Cottingham Whites. 11v11 friendly

Don’t really need to say anything tonight about tonight’s game. The lads did all the talking with their feet.

Great team performance, direct fast paced football. Some really nice passing moves and counter attacking football whilst communicating and giving each other encouragement.

Thanks to Cottingham, they put in a good effort and we look forward to playing them in the league next season.

Great from every player tonight. Well done lads!

Well Done to Luke for being Trainer of the Week!

Luke did really well in the drills with some great finishing and also gave a great performance in the game at the end.

He's coming on more week by week, has a great attitude and work ethic and has been a great addition to the team. Well done tonight Luke.👏👏

Despite the heat, it was another great session tonight concentrating again on passing, communication and then shooting.

There were a few slow starters but eventually the boys got into a rhythm and produced some really neat turns, good accurate passing and some great finishes.

Goalkeeper Oliver also pulled off some great saves in the drills.

Well Done to Macauley for being Trainer of the Week!

This lad isn’t the same one as when Coach Jonny joined the Hawks. His effort and attitude has improved so much and it is showing in his performances.

Macca told Jonny a few months back that he had trialed for a few teams and the coach of one of them had told him that he wasn’t good enough!
Whoever he is he will definitely be regretting that comment.

Great effort Macca, keep this up and you will be a top larker. 👏

Another great training session working on passing, communication and movement.

There was plenty of effort and some nice keep ball in the drill.

The goalkeepers worked with Coach Matty tonight. They worked on coming off their line to go for the ball, when it was right to come off the line and when to stay on it. They worked really well on this and have also been learning to communicate more, letting the defence know that it's their ball.

Well Done to Parents Player of the Match, Kayden!

Kayden had endless energy and was setting the example to his team mates. Kayden also got himself a couple of goals. The second was a particularly nice finish, side to side movement to beat the defenders and passed the ball into the corner.

Well Done to Coaches Player of the Match, Harry!

Harry was showing calmness with the ball. Playing some good passes across and I behind the defence. Harry also grabbed himself a goal with a strong finish from close range.

Third 11v11 friendly for the Hawks this morning.

Definitely a learning curve today for our boys. We were up against a really good pressing and passing team today that held great composure.

We were limited to very few chances in the first half as we couldn’t get hold of the ball. The Falcons held it well and created a lot of chances, scoring several goals.

The second half showed a bit of improvement from us, we started to get hold of the ball a bit more and put some nice passages of play together which resulted in a few goals.

The last ten minutes were our best as we started to press much better as a team and created chances. A really good test for us today and definitely plenty to improve upon.

The lads always kept going which shows a great mentality within the team.

Thanks to the Falcons for a great challenge.

All in all plenty of positives to take away and plenty of areas for improvement.

After a month off because of the club hosting their summer tournaments, the goalkeeper sessions recommenced, much to Deacon's delight! We're glad he enjoying being back ⚽️🧤🥅

Lunch for the head coaches son, Ollie at Alessandro's who sponsor the teams home shirt. Highly recommend the food.

We can't wait to share all next seasons sponsors with you... details and photos coming soon! ⚽️🔵⚪️

Well Done to Harry for being Trainer of the Week!

He was very motivated and put in plenty of effort. His dribbling and crossing in the match was superb.

Nice easy training session in the sun, very warm and humid Wednesday evening.

We did some defensive work focusing on communication. Calling for the ball, taking responsibility and alerting your team mate.

The attackers did some movement and passing work. Following simple instructions and working on their finishing.

Well Done to Parents Player of the Match, Jack!

He gave 100% and was causing their defence endless problems. He also scored the penalty and assisted one of Luke’s goals.

Well Done to Coaches Player of the Match, Ollie!

He has definitely found his position. His defensive work today was brilliant and he dealt really well with one of their best players.

Second 11v11 friendly this evening against HRR Sharks!

Fantastic performance tonight from the boys. As a group we haven’t been together for a year yet but from the first game to today, what a difference. Every player worked hard, never let their head drop down and the players coming on from the bench helped change the game. Skills learnt in training were visible.

Our fitness was definitely better and we wanted the win so much more today.

Well done to Macca and Luke both grabbing a brace. Coach Jonny can’t for the life of him remember who got all the assists.

As good as we were I know there’s still plenty of room to improve and get even better, more organised and be more clinical.

But let’s enjoy this result as it’s been a long time coming!

Every lad though played their part, Well Done everyone! 👏👏👏

EURO 2024 ... ENGLAND IN THE FINAL ... IT'S COMING HOME 🤞🏻⚽️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Our team are watching it from a mixture of the venue itself, the pub, their living room, with family and friends.

We hope everyone has a good evening!

TRAINER OF THE WEEK CELEBRATIONS!

Well Done to Charlie M for being Wednesday's Trainer of the Week!

He always trains well and does what is asked of him. Showed some great defensive work and showed great pace running the ball up the wing. His calmness on the ball and passing was top draw too. Well Done 👏

Well Done to Aaron for being Sunday's Trainer of the Week!

He showed his strength and great attitude in defence. He’s not a big lad but his determination to win the ball is always top notch. Great effort today mate 👍

Two training sessions for the Hawks again this week.

During Wednesday's sessions we worked on our shape and passes between lines. Some really good play and great determination to get back and make tackles.

Another great game at the end of training. Great to see the lads putting into practice what they’re learning.

A wet Sunday morning training session but the weather doesn’t stop us. A fun agility course to warm the lads up.

We then worked separately with defenders and attackers. The defenders working on body position and showing the attackers wide. Also using their arms and body correctly to stop the attackers.
Attackers working on slowing down defenders then showing that turn of pace to beat them.

Hopefully this will prepare us for the challenge of the Sharks tomorrow night.

Earlier training session than normal tonight so that the team, coaches and their family could get back to watch the England game 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Session overview and Trainer of the Week posts to follow.