Hopatcong Kids Kick Off Soccer Season

For the first time in the program's history, the Hopatcong Hawks soccer club is employing outside help to get their travel players ready for the 2011 fall season.

Trainers from Pure Soccer Academy, a group of professional soccer trainers have been working with the travel teams for the past two weeks specifically on speed, agility and endurance.

“Having this kind of training is the difference between winning and losing the game in the last 15 minutes,” coach Cord Motyka said. “The kids seem to enjoy it but it is a culture shock for some on them. There’s a little more work than they’re used to."

The training sessions are geared toward getting the players in shape for the season. Individual drills are key throughout the 90-minute sessions. Players are jumping, squatting, running side to side and running short sprints during each drill. The use of soccer balls are not part of most of the drills.

According to Motyka, a 1995 graduate of and former player, this type of training will allow players to be in top physical shape by the time the first game rolls around in September.

“In the past we weren’t in season form until about the third game of the season. With this training we will be ready to go right from the start. It will also cut down on injuries during the season,” Motyka said.

There are five travel teams in the Hawks program, a coed U-10 team, U-12 boys, U-12 girls, U-14 boys and U-14 girls. Players from all teams are participated in the training sessions which were held every week night for the past two weeks. Regular team practices begin next week.

According to Dana Hughes, coach of the very successful U-14 girls team, the training sessions are a positive addition to the program. In the past the Hawks coaching staff attempted to hold their own training sessions but with less successful results.

“These practices seem to be more organized with the trainers and we don’t have all the agility equipment that Pure Soccer has,” Hughes said.