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Friday
November 20, 2009 Since 1922 |
Gander soccer team off, running for 2008
By Dave Rogers
Coach Cris Dippel is seeing to that.
He made it a requirement that anyone wanting to play on the varsity this winter must first run with the cross country team in the fall.
Then he started the team’s first after-school practice Monday by having his players run three miles. Only those who finished in less than 20 minutes were allowed to join the team.
It turns out Dippel thought his players got a little winded at the end of their overtime playoff loss to South Houston last March.
“That’s why we’re running,” he said Monday, “so we don’t run out of gas this season.”
After the Ganders’ second-place finish in District 21-5A, there’s a level of excitement about the prospects for 2008 that goes beyond the coach who first took charge of Lee’s soccer program in 1990.
A group of 78 players showed up for Monday’s three-mile run and all but a few of them beat the 20-minute limit. A few finished in less than 15 minutes.
“We’ve got nine returning lettermen (from a varsity that went 8-8-4) and pretty good talent coming off the JV squad,” the coach said.
“I’ve got a very good number of good kids that work hard.”
Monday was the first day UIL soccer teams are allowed to practice. The season does not begin until after New Year’s Day.
“What’s good about this time is it lets you have tryouts and put your team together, check grades and get everything established,” Dippel said.
“Then you’re off for the holidays. Once everything does start back up, we’re busy.”
Coach Cris Dippel is seeing to that.
He made it a requirement that anyone wanting to play on the varsity this winter must first run with the cross country team in the fall.
Then he started the team’s first after-school practice Monday by having his players run three miles. Only those who finished in less than 20 minutes were allowed to join the team.
It turns out Dippel thought his players got a little winded at the end of their overtime playoff loss to South Houston last March.
“That’s why we’re running,” he said Monday, “so we don’t run out of gas this season.”
After the Ganders’ second-place finish in District 21-5A, there’s a level of excitement about the prospects for 2008 that goes beyond the coach who first took charge of Lee’s soccer program in 1990.
A group of 78 players showed up for Monday’s three-mile run and all but a few of them beat the 20-minute limit. A few finished in less than 15 minutes.
“We’ve got nine returning lettermen (from a varsity that went 8-8-4) and pretty good talent coming off the JV squad,” the coach said.
“I’ve got a very good number of good kids that work hard.”
Monday was the first day UIL soccer teams are allowed to practice. The season does not begin until after New Year’s Day.
“What’s good about this time is it lets you have tryouts and put your team together, check grades and get everything established,” Dippel said.
“Then you’re off for the holidays. Once everything does start back up, we’re busy.”