Blog 22 Reflection

1) Positive Statement-  I am proud of the information I had for my answers during my presentation. I feel like I taught my audience in an effective way.
2)

• a. P
• b. AP

3) Mentorship worked for me. It was very essential to my project throughout the year and was a great learning experience.

4) The research checks did not work for me. They did not work because it was hard for me to find quality articles, and i did not finish the notes during class.

5) This project has helped improve in my research skills. First off I had to find a mentor so I had to contact some of my old coaches. Then once I did find a mentor I had to start to look for research articles, and the fact that we couldn't use websites such as Wikipedia, it made me look harder for articles.  

Blog 14: Independent Component 1

Literal

- I, Jesus Ortiz, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

- The soccer club Irapuato FC helped me complete my independent component. 

- For my independent component, I helped out the soccer club Irapuato FC. I first started to only help out during practice, and shadow the head coach, but then he gave me some say in what we would practice or even the starting line up. I had to justify my decisions.

Interpretive 

- My work demonstrates 30 hours of work because I had to go almost every Tuesday and Thursday to help out. I have been doing minor stuff right now, like helping set up for practice, drills and games. Also the coach Lorenzo Raya has been teaching me all the duties a soccer coach has. After every action he does, he explains the importance of it to me.

 

Applied

- This component helped me understand the foundation of soccer coaching, because it introduced me to a whole new side of soccer. I had no prior knowledge of coaching, and this experience was eye opening. For example I did not know how much work was put in order to set up a competitive and successful starting line up. I believed that the best players should automatically start and that the bench was just there in case of injuries. 

Blog 21 Mentorship

Literal 
-56 hours
-Lorenzo Raya, Irapuato FC
Interpretive
- The most important thing I gained from this experience, is the ability to look at soccer from a coach's perspective. This is important because as a player, you never get to see how much work a coach actually puts in. Now after my mentorship I can see that not everyone can be a successful coach.
Applied
- This experience has helped me answer my EQ, because my mentor Lorenzo Raya has showed my why my answers work. For example, my best answer deals with injury prevention tactics, which I had no idea about until my mentor taught me. He then showed me the effects of always having the same starting line up as opposed to rotating it. What I saw was that the team chemistry is lost and the squads effectiveness decreases, thus not wining games.

April Post

This month I mainly focused on asking my mentor for information on my second and third answer. At mentorship he showed me different injury prevention tactics. He also explained the different effects some have. Since they are used to protect oneself, the opponent might get hurt. He says this makes the opponent uncomfortable. He also showed me at one of his games, how he chooses when and who to substitute. This helps because my third answer deals with strategic substitutions.

Blog 20 Exit Interview

1) My EQ is " How can a coach best lead his a team to a championship season.
My answers are

• A coach can maximize their potential to win by implementing the formation that gives their team the greatest advantage over their opponent.
• A coach can maximize their chances of winning by teaching his players injury prevention tactics, to maintain a strong starting lineup.
• A coach can increase his chances in securing a win, by knowing how and when to modify his team.

My best answer is " A coach can maximize their chances of winning by teaching his players injury prevention tactics, to maintain a strong starting line up." This is my best answer because if a coach does not start a game with his best players, he is giving his opponents an advantage.

2) I got to this answer after I started looking for my second answer. I started to research the diets that professional coaches make their players follow. I then started to notice that the purpose of these diets were to keep the players at their top level. Once i learned this I started to think about how useless all that work is if the player gets injured. This started to seem like a better answer because as a soccer fan, I get frustrated when key players get injured, so I can imagine that coaches feel worse. I then consulted my mentor and he agreed with me. He then told me all he knows about injury prevention tactics.

3) A major problem that I faced was finding quality articles that could support this answer. I had to ask my mentor for specific tactics that then helped me actually find articles.

4) The most significant source I have is my mentor Lorenzo Raya. He is the most significant because dirty tactics are frowned upon so there are not that many books/ articles that go in depth with them, and he an open minded coach so he is willing to include them in his style of play. Also he has explained to me that most tactics are learned through experience. My other source would have to be "The Uglier Side of the Beautiful Game" on the bleacher report website. This article explains some dirty tactics that the professionals use.

Blog 19 Independent Component 2

LITERAL
a.I, Jesus Ortiz, affirm that I have completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
b. Lorenzo Raya Irapuato FC coach.
d. For my independent component 2, I worked with my mentor Lorenzo Raya. I was basically his assistant coach. I had to show up to all the practices that I could make, and sometimes i would go help him out in the actual games. He sometimes trusted me with running the whole practice. When I did I would just follow his style and do the same drills he would make them do. He also consults me when setting up the starting line up for up coming games.
INTERPRETIVE

- For independent component 2, I had to go to Irapuato FC's practices, which are from 6 p.m to 8 p.m, tuesdays and thursdays. I tried to attend as much as I could, so getting my hours was slow but sure.
APPLIED
-My time with Irapuato FC helped me answer my EQ, because my mentor Lorenzo Raya helped show why my answers actually help a team.

Third Answer

• How can a soccer coach best lead a team to a championship season?
• The best way a soccer coach can lead his team to a championship season, is by knowing when, and how to modify his team during a game.
•  The coach should be able to adapt to the style of play of the other team.
• He should know how to modify his team in order to get an advantage.
• If he sees a weakness in the other team, he can exploit that weakness with someone on the bench.
• http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704364004576132203619576930

Fourth Interview Questions

1) What is the best formation?
2)Which position would you say is the most important/
3) What tactics do you think work?
4) Should players ever play dirty?
5)What are some tactics to use when losing?
6)How can you prevent injury?
7)What should coaches do in practice?
8) Is good team chemistry essential?
9) Should a coach be quite or should he be outspoken?
10) How should coaches handle difficult players?
11)Should coaches pressure players while they are on the field?
12) What mentality should players have going on the field?
13) Should players practice preplanned plays?
14)How should coaches talk to their team?
15) Should players concentrate on technique or conditioning?
16)How important are penalties?
17) In your opinion what is more intense shooting a penalty or blocking a penalty?
18) What is the best way to throw a ball in?
19)How should a coach motivate his team?
20) How to play a game with a difficult referee.

Blog 16

1) How cam a soccer coach best lead a team to a championship season.
2) The best way a soccer coach can lead his team to a championship season, is by teaching his player how to be safe on the field.
- If all the players are aware of dirty tactics other players use, they will know when someone is trying to do it to them.
-If players don't get injured, the coach will have a complete squad and will not have to make unnecessary changes to the starting line up.
- Preventing the loss of a regular player will keep team chemistry good.
3) My mentor Lorenzo Raya is my best source for this answer because he told me this in mentorship. 

Blog 11 Mentorship

1) I have been doing my mentorship at Irapuato F.C. I have been doing it here becasue this is the team my mentor coaches. The 16 hours I have done all were done with Irapuato.
2) Lorenzo Raya. He is my mentor and coach of the team. He attends all the practices and games.
3) I have done 16 hours so far.
4) My ten hours started with my mentor teaching me different techniques to imporve the teams touch. Then once we incorperated that into our daily routine, we started to work on free kicks and plays. Also once when most of our players were away on vacation, coach instructed us on how to play "dirty".  Then two weeks before we went on break, coach Lorenzo could not make the practices or games due to personal reasons, so I was left in charge.

Research

1) Over the break I honestly did not have many activities besides practicing with the team my mentor has. Since most players are going out of town for Christmas break, we did not have most of our team. We stuck to working on passing and individual ball control. One practice my mentor and I sat down to talk to the players about protecting yourself on the field.
2)  The most significant thing that I learned is the concept of dirty soccer. When my mentor talked to the team, he taught us about all the dirty tricks some players may do. The reason he taught us this is so that when we face someone who is trying to do this to us, we can know and not get hurt.
3) If I had to conduct a 10 question interview on questions related to answers of your EQ, I would ask Refugio Mancilla because he is a Chivas USA coach and Mexican youth scout. He knows about soccer, as a coach and player so he can give me plenty of professional information.

Extra Post

December was a really slow month for my senior project. In total we only had one tournament and two friendly games. We are on vacation right now, but during the other days of December we had practice. We worked on resistance. When the head coach, also my mentor, was not there he told me to have tough demanding practices so that the players would not lose their game rhythm. We had to migrate from San Angelo park, which is where we practice, to a Whittier narrows because they have hills. Sprinting up hill and suicides were mainly what we did. During the two friendlies, we tried every player so that we can see what other variations of the team we can have. In the tournament we used two different squads in the two first games, but in the finals we used our starting squad. We got second place, but coach said he was happy with what he saw. He later explained to me that the way the team played showed him that we were not quitters. We resume practice on 01/13/14.

EQ

1) I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.
2)
a. What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?
- No this eq does not take a stance, therefor it is not meet the rule of three.
b. What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?
- No this eq does not work because the wording is a little confusing. So it does not meet the rule of three.
c. What is most inportant in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?
-  This one does not provide a framework for studies. This one also does not meet the rule of three.
d. How can an Anasthesiologist best treat chronic pain?
- This one meets the rule of three.
3) How cam a soccer coach best lead a team to a championship season.

Blog 8 Research

1.  What is your working EQ?
- How can a soccer coach best lead a team to a championship season?
2.  What is a possible answer to your working EQ? Please write the answer in thesis format.
- The most important aspect of a team is how a coach organizes his team; with good team chemistry to have a pleasant environment, but still includes healthy competition.
3.  What is the most important source you have used that has helped you come up with an answer to your working EQ? 
- My best source is my mentor. He showed me the difference between an organized team and an unorganized team, and the results are easy to see.
4.  Who is your mentor, or where are you volunteering, and how does what you are doing relate to your working EQ?

- My mentor is Lorenzo Raya. He is a coach at a very competitive league in El Monte. He has allowed me to play/coach in his team. When I am not playing, he shows me everything he does to keep his team at a prime level. 

Independent Component 1 Approval

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.
- For my 30 hours I plan to start helping coach my cousin's U-8 soccer team. I will still be going with my mentor on Sunday, but also I will be assisting the U-8 team on Saturdays. The coach is a friend of the family so he will be of great help to me. I can start off with what I have been doing with my mentor and just help out, but later I can actually fully coach the team. The advantage of coaching kids is that they are not as experienced as older players, so they will follow what we tell them.
2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.
- I will make a spread sheet on Google docs, and add a link in my blog so that anyone can see it. I will record everything that we do day by day. I will take pictures to show what we do in practice. Also I will update it regularly.
3.  And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.
- This will be an enriching experience for me, due to the fact that they are kids. As I have previously said, kids will listen to what a coach demands. I have noticed that teens and adults don't follow what the coach tells them. They think they know what to do so they do what they think is right, and only sometimes follow what the coach says. These kids will be obedient and we will be able to see our work on the field.

September Post

This month I found an interesting article, that is really informative, it deals with common injuries that soccer players get. It also went in depth on how to prevent them. For example the most common one is pulling a muscle. The article explains how coaches implement activities to prevent this. First tactic is to actually start jogging instead of starting off stretching. Your body needs to warm up before you start straining it. And, research has discovered, that stretching before a work out actually affects your muscles performance. So after you feel warmed up you can start sprinting, and then you can stretch. It is important for every coach to implement this into their practices, because injuries such as groin injuries, can leave a player injured for weeks. Sometimes player are out for months as well.

Second Interview Questions

1. My mentor is coach Lorenzo Raya, he is the coach of Irapuato F.c. I am not sure where he works, but as I said he is also a coach.
2.
- How did you become interested in Soccer?
- How would you describe your coaching?
- Where did you acquire your knowledge?
- What are some things you did to improve in your field.
- What are some moments in your life that made you who you are today?

Blog 5: Project Reflection and Working EQ

1) Positive Statement: What positive thing happened as a result of what you have completed so far?
- One of the most important things that I gained from my mentorship, is learning the importance of a coach. I now appreciate how much a coach does in a team. Before my mentorship, I payed no attention to the influence a coach has on the team. I believed his responsibility was just to set up the starting team. Now I know he does more than that, and I am interested in learning more.
2) EQ Content:  Pick a piece of research or your interview.  How has it helped you improve your understanding of your topic?
- One of my articles, that I found for my research check, called "Soccer Attacking Offense Positions. Should Soccer Fullbacks Push Up on the Attack?Or Should They Defend Deep," gave me insight on a tactic many coaches use. This taught me about the strategic side of soccer. It is one of my favorite articles, because I am a defender, and this personally helps me be better on the field.
3) What has worked for you so far in the senior project?
- The mentorship hours have helped me out the most. I believe since my subject is about a sport, it is better for me to have hands-on activities. My mentor is not only teaching me about playing soccer, but also about coaching it.
4) What hasn't worked so far?
- What has not worked for me are the research checks. It is hard for me to find articles that have information that I don't already know. When I do find one, the article is very short, making it unusable.

5) Finding Value: 

• What is the most effective way to transform a team into one that has good team chemistry, and can function in any situations. 
• I plan on spending more time with my mentor, because besides the practices and games, he can also help expand my knowledge of what happens on the outside of the field. 

August Wrap Up

This month I had more time in the field than out coaching. I want to learn about both, but first coach Lorenzo wants us to secure a spot in the top of the standings. Then I can spend more time out of the field. This brings up mixed feelings for me because I love to play, but I also want to learn more about coaching. Last game we had we pulled a 2-2 tie with the first place team. We executed most of the plays we learned in practice, so right now coach is satisfied. Not only are we showing progress in skill, but also in team chemistry. I have a pretty good idea of which practice drills are the most effective, but i still want to discuss it with the coach.

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  Why?
- I plan to interview my coach Lorenzo. I thought of him first because he is my mentor. He is 30 years old, but he knows everything about soccer. Since birth he has participated in it one way or another.

2.  You have to ask 5 questions.  What additional questions do you plan to ask?
- What do you recommend I do to become a better player?
- Should I first concentrate on learning how to be a complete player, before I start learning how to coach?
- In your opinion, what are the most essential drills a practice should have.
- Are there any tactics you know/ like to use?
- Do you believe in making players go on a diet?
I will ask more questions based on what he responds. I will try to keep him talking.