WELCOME HOME YOU GUYS

After 3 weeks of intense and painstaking training and matches, Tiger Futbol Starz ended last week. Syazani turned out the best among our 3 Kickies (1 ex-Kickie actually but a Kickie is always a Kickie, kan?) when he came out top 5. Unfortunately, only the top 3 will get to go to Liverpool FC. Nothing to be a shame of as this is very good exposure for Syazani, Felister and Haziq because now they know how far behind we are compared to the boys from Semenanjung. Be proud guys!!

Syazani, Haziq and Felister at Kuching International Airport
upon their return from KL on 24 December 2010

SARAWAK FA VS BINTANG BOLA ERA

Pictures taken during this event on 18 December 2010 at Stadium Negeri where we led the players out of the tunnel and then performed a 10-minute drill show. Fun, fun, fun all the way despite the downpour but amazingly, the rain stopped during our show......

... Kai with our Sarawak team captain, Zamri with Coach Edward enviously looking on

... trooping out of the tunnel with our Sarawak players



... with Bintang Bola Era team
(Norman, Shahrom, Yaseen, Iqmal, Navil, Amir, Haziq, Nash, A'an, Alexs, Nurhirman)

... with our Sarawak team
(Pendi, Azman, Watson, Reduwan, Rahman, Faiz, Joseph, Lulu, Teja, Irfan, Benjamin, Kai)


... entering the field for our show


... ready, set ....


... go ... now who says this is easy???



Thank you to COACH EDWARD, COACH ROSLI, COACH JEMI and COACH KAMRI for 1 week of painstaking choreography in the hot sun.

WELL DONE
AND A BIG TERIMA KASIH
TO OUR KICKIES AND OF COURSE, THEIR PARENTS

ALL THE VERY BEST............

A doa selamat was held last night for our Kickies Syazani Zakaris Brahim and Felister Lester Ranum who are headed for the final phase of Tiger Futbol Starz in Kuala Lumpur and also for our U10 favourite coach Coach Edward Hopkins who will be heading to Jakarta to pursue his career. The 3 of them were given the honour of being the first to be handed Kickalob's new Training Jersey during the makan which was also attended by Coach Rosli and Coach Jemi. All the best to them all and may lady luck shine on them!

EXCERPTS FROM DEAR PARENTS (EDITION 10/005)

KICKALOB FOOTBALL ACADEMY

Effective 2011, our football academy shall be known as KICKALOB FOOTBALL CLUB ACADEMY. We are now officially registered with the Sports Commissioner of Malaysia and we are the first football club from Sarawak to be registered with them.

NEW TRAINING KIT

All Kickies will be required to purchase our new Training Kit (training jersey, shorts and socks) effective next term. We have not finalised the cost yet but it will definitely be an increase over the old price of RM50 due to the increased cost of production materials. But we can assure you that the new Training Kit will be more vibrant and dynamic to reflect Kickalob’s philosophy towards achieving our vision.

END OF TERM 04/10

KICKALOB’s Term 04/10 will end tomorrow (28 November 2010) after the assessment for Term 04/10 is conducted for Kickies eligible for Term Assessment. Assessment was scheduled for 04 December 2010 but due to requests from parents who have planned to go on holiday, we have had to cut short our term by 1 session.

Results will be announced when Term 01/11 starts.

TENTATIVE DATES FOR TERM 01/11

KICKALOB will resume sessions in mid-January 2011. The tentative dates are as follows:

15 January 2011 (3:30pm)

16 January 2011 (8:00am)

22 January 2011 (3:30pm)

29 January 2011 (3:30pm)

12 February 2011 (3:30pm)

13 February 2011 (8:00am)

19 February 2011 (3:30pm)

26 February 2011 (3:30pm)

05 March 2011 (3:30pm)

06 March 2011 (8:00am)

12 March 2011 (3:30pm)

Term fees of RM180 shall be due no later than 29 January 2011.

BRING YOUR OWN BALLS

We remind that each Kickie must bring his/her own ball when coming to our training sessions. Those who do not bring their own balls will be forced to sit out our sessions.

Take note that Kickies aged 12 and below will use size 4 balls whereas those 13 and above will use size 5 balls. And these must be FOOTBALL, not futsal, balls please!

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD AND GREAT PLAYERS

Many people mistakenly think that the difference between good players and bad players is their ability to do the spectacular such as these:

· Ability to do a bicycle kick

· How many stepovers a player can do before losing the ball

· Being able to pass the ball 60 yards exactly to feet

· Being able to bend the ball around the wall

· Being able to dribble from one 18 to the other against opposition

While these things might be spectacular, the thing that really separates the good from the great is that the great players are able to do the simple things EVERY TIME. It’s not whether you can make a 60-yard pass to feet but rather can you make a 20-yard pass to feet EVERY TIME? Can you receive the simple ball under pressure without turning your attempt at every second touch into the opponents’ first touch? Can you win headers consistently in a way that not only do you beat the opponent to the ball for the header but you play the ball to a teammate or intended target? Can you do the simple things consistently well or just occasionally well?

Looking at Spain’s World Cup Championship team, it’s not the fancy things that they do well (and they certainly are capable of some impressive flicks and quick touches) but rather how many of their players can pass and receive under pressure and be consistent at it.

If you want to be great, stop thinking in terms of having to do the spectacular. Instead, think in terms of being able to do the simple things consistently well. Fundamentals are still what separate good from great. Master the fundamentals UNDER PRESSURE and you are on the right path.

KICKALOB'S BLOG

Visit our blog at http://kickalob.blogspot.com/ or email us your comments at kickalob@gmail.com.

“It's not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that makes the difference.” Paul Bryant

TIGER FOOTBALL STARZ

We must all be proud that SYAZANI ZAKARIS BRAHIM and FELISTER LESTER RANUM have been selected to be among the few U14 footballers to participate in this year's Tiger Football Starz reality show to be held in KL from 3-21 December. Only 4 were selected from East Malaysia - 1 is from Kota Samarahan while the other was an ex-Kickie who represented Kickalob in the U12 Piala Waja tournament last year.

Congrats guys and good luck!!!!

GOLDEN KICKIE AWARDS FOR TERM 03/10

The top 5 Kickies who were awarded the
GOLDEN KICKIE AWARD TERM 03/10:

Syazani Zakaris Brahim
Shafiezul Iqma Ismail
Muhammad Hazeeq Syazani Daud
Adrian Assan Bell Aggan
Marcel Owen Bell Agan

Special Mention go to our Kickies who placed 6th to 10th - Razin Ahmad Nizar, Abdul Rahman Ismawi, Nurhirman Toni, Muhammad Irsyad Mohamad Toni and Mohammad Zuhairi Zul Azmi.

2010 BORNEO FOOTBALL CUP - FINAL RESULTS

Our Kickies gave their best but it was not good enough as both our teams ended in 7th placing. It was obvious that the teams from Australia, Japan and Korea were far superior in techniques and mentality. No excuse though; it was a valuable learning experience for us all and now we know what we need to do to narrow the gap - lots and lots of hard work!!!

RESULTS - K12
vs Australian Technical Football Academy (Australia) - lost 0-2
vs Sabah FC (Sabah) - lost 0-3
vs KK United (Sabah) - lost 2-3
vs KK Rovers (Sabah) - (silver semi-final) lost 0-3
vs KK United (Sabah) - (7th/8th placing) 0-0 (aet) won on penalties

RESULTS - K14
vs AD Pathway Academy (Australia) - lost 0-2
vs Datuk Peter Mojuntin Sports School (Sabah) - lost 0-3
vs South-West Phoenix FC (Australia) - won 1-0
vs O-San Middle School lost (Korea) - 1-3
vs Soccerkix Academy (Labuan) - (7th/8th placing) won 1-0 (aet)

PLAYERS CARRYING OUR FLAG IN 2010 BORNEO FOOTBALL CUP

TEAM K14
(Coaches - Rosli Akup, Alison Lated, Awang Ismail Nazarrudin)
Abang Muhamad Aniq Abang Abdul Rahman
Alexs Watson Sia
Asyran Zharif Mos
Awang Asyraaf Afi A Ismail Nazarrudin
Azfar Bazli Bakri
Hafiezulhisyam Roslee
Mohamad Syafiq Ahmad
Mohammad Faez Sapari
Mohammad Zuhairi Zul Azmi
Mohd Effendi Junaidi
Mohd Faliq Razali
Muhammad Adli Wan Ahmad Uzir
Muhammad Irfan Mohamad
Muhammad Taufiq Al-Hakim Mustapha
Muhd Nurhasmizan Mazlan
Nur Hirman Toni
Razin Ahmad Nizar
Ryan Bunsu Bell Aggan
Shafiezul Iqma Ismail
Syazani Zakaris Brahim
Watson Payrie Stephen

TEAM K12
(Coaches - Awang Azami Awang Idris, Saiful Bahri Beli, Syamim Zakaris Brahim)
Abdul Haziq Ahmad Zaidi
Abdul Rahman Ismawi
Adrian Assan Bell Aggan
Azriel Spencer
Carlos Colin Arpino
Daryl Isaac Manja Richard
Haiman Karim Hamzah
Hairie Akmal Bohari
Izzatul Afifi Abu Bakar
Marcel Owen Bell Aggan
Mark Chua
Matthew Chua
Maxmillan Melanyi
Mohammad Soffian Mohd Azmir
Mohd Izzattul Hijjaz Mohamed Shandie
Mohd Nur Fikri Ahmad
Muhammad Hazeeq Syazani Daud
Nickson Ajang Anu
Nudzul Haqkimy Abu Bakar
Radin Muhamad Faraz Afiqeen Radin Lizawi
Wilbert Lowren Munish

RESUMPTION OF TERM 03/10

We shall resume our Term 03/10 training sessions on 25 September 2010 (Saturday) at 3:00pm, followed by 26 September 2010 (Sunday) at 7:30am. This is to give those Kickies who are sitting for the UPSR to focus on their studies.

We shall take another break on the weekend of 02-03 October 2010 as our coaches will be with our K12 and K14 teams in Kota Kinabalu to compete in the 2010 Borneo Football Cup.

PHYSICALLY FIT STUDENTS DO BETTER ACADEMICALLY TOO

Getting students to exercise more may not just address obesity issues but also improve their grades. A US study has found that physically fit students tend to score higher in tests than their less fit peers. According to Dr William J McCarthy and colleagues at University of California in Los Angeles, schools and parents seeking to optimise their students' academic performance should take heed that for optimal brain function, it is good to be both aerobically fit and to have a healthy body shape. Allowing for age, social and economic status, gender, ethnicity and body size did not significantly affect this finding. Compared with students of desirable weight, overweight and obese students also scored significantly lower on tests, the researchers found.

Food for thought??

2010 BORNEO FOOTBALL CUP

We have received the fixtures for our Team K12 and Team K14 in the 2010 Borneo Football Cup in Kota Kinabalu:

TEAM K12 (03-06 October)
Group A
First 11 Academy (Australia)
PFTC Kitakyushu (Japan)
Jerudong International School (Brunei)
KK United (Sabah)
Group B
KK Rovers (Sabah)
Sabah FC (Sabah)
Australian Technical Football Academy (Australia)
Kickalob Sports Academy (Sarawak)

03 October vs Australian Technical Football Academy (4:00pm UMS Stadium)
04 October vs Sabah FC (12:00nn Penampang Stadium)
04 October vs KK Rovers (3:00pm Penampang Stadium)

TEAM K14 (30 September - 03 October)
Group A
Kickalob Sports Academy (Sarawak)
O-San Middle School (South Korea)
South-West Phoenix FC (Australia)
Soccerkix Academy (Labuan)
AD Pathway Academy (Australia)
Group B
Australian Technical Football Academy (Australia)
Flap Pride FC (Japan)
Spartan FC (Kuala Lumpur)
Jerudong International School (Brunei)
Datuk Peter Mojuntin Sports School (Sabah)

30 September vs AD Pathway Academy (1:00pm UMS Stadium)
30 September vs Soccerkix Academy (3:00pm Padang B UMS)
01 October vs South-West Phoenix FC (9:00am Penampang Stadium)
01 October vs O-San Middle School (1:00pm Penampang Stadium)

A LOVELY QUOTE, A POWERFUL QUOTE, A LUCKY QUOTE

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you STRENGTH, while loving someone deeply gives you COURAGE."
- Lao Tzu -


"The qualities of a great man are vision, integrity, courage, understanding, the power of articulation, and profundity of character."
- Dwight Eisenhower -


"There are teams which have never won the World Cup, because often the difference can be made by tiny details - like having a bit of luck at a decisive moment."
- Deco -

HOW MUCH EXERCISE DO CHILDREN DO?

It is recommended that children engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous daily physical activity. Statistics claim that 6 and 7 year olds are active for 146 minutes per day. But in a recent study, it shows most girls manage just 22 minutes and boys 26 minutes - an average of 24 minutes only!

Experts have already predicted that by next year, half of the kids worldwide will be overweight unless they get moving. Activity not only stops weight gain but cuts the risk of heart disease later in life.

Ponder on it............

2010 KUCHING FEST JUNIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE - FINAL UPDATE

CHAMPIONS - Sekolah Sukan Negeri Tabuan Jaya
RUNNERS-UP - Sejijak Juniors FC
3RD PLACE - Juniors@TATUS
4TH PLACE - K12

Congratulations to the winners. We have selected 5 players from this tournament to join our Kickalob Academy. The selection panel made up of 3 Coaches from our Academy selected these players based on their playing commitment and tactical discipline and the Coaches believed that these 5 players, given the proper coaching and guidance, can be turned into great players.

2010 KUCHING FEST JUNIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE - UPDATED (02 AUGUST 2010)

SEMIFINAL 1
Sekolah Sukan Negeri Tabuan Jaya vs K12 1-0
SEMIFINAL 2
Sejijak Juniors FC vs Juniors@TATUS 1-1 (Sejijak Juniors FC won penalties 8-7)

FIXTURES FOR 07 AUGUST 2010 (matches at Jubilee Ground)
3:30pm 3rd/4th placing
K12 vs Juniors@TATUS
4:30pm Championship
Sekolah Sukan Negeri Tabuan Jaya vs Sejijak Juniors FC

2010 KUCHING FEST JUNIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE - UPDATED (18 JULY 2010)

TPS vs SEJIJAK JUNIOR FC 0-11
JUNIORS @ TATUS vs K14 1-0
DURACLEAN - SMK ST JOSEPH FC vs MARR SC 7-1
B B KLEEN vs KAMON UNITED 0-0(p)
MARR SC vs TPS 7-0
SEKOLAH SUKAN NEGERI TABUAN JAYA vs K14 1-1(p)
K12 vs SEJIJAK JUNIOR FC 0-1
KAMON UNITED vs JUNIORS @ TATUS 0-2

Group A
K14 8pts (+4)
SEKOLAH SUKAN NEGERI TABUAN JAYA 7pts (+5)
JUNIORS @ TATUS 6pts (+1)
KAMON UNITED 2pts (-3)
B B KLEEN 1pt (-7)

Group B
SEJIJAK JUNIOR FC 12pts (+23)
K12 6pts (+5)
DURACLEAN - SMK ST JOSEPH FC 3pts (+4)
MARR SC 3pts (-9)
TPS 0pts (-23)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEXT MATCHES

24 July 2010 (Jubilee Ground)
8:30am KAMON UNITED vs SEKOLAH SUKAN NEGERI TABUAN JAYA
9:30am MARR SC vs K12
10:30am B B KLEEN vs JUNIORS @ TATUS
11:30am DURACLEAN - SMK ST JOSEPH FC vs TPS

25 July 2010 (Jubilee Ground)
3:30pm SEMI FINAL 1
4:30pm SEMI-FINAL 2

2010 KUCHING FEST JUNIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE - UPDATED 14 JULY 2010

RESULTS AND TABLES - 11 JULY 2010
K14 vs B B KLEEN 4-0
K12 vs DURACLEAN - SMK ST JOSEPH FC 1-0
JUNIORS @ TATUS vs SEKOLAH SUKAN NEGERI TABUAN JAYA 0-2
TPS vs K12 0-5
K14 vs KAMON UNITED 1-0
SEJIJAK JUNIOR FC vs MARR SC 10-0
SEKOLAH SUKAN NEGERI TABUAN JAYA vs B B KLEEN 3-0
SEJIJAK JUNIOR FC vs DURACLEAN - SMK ST JOSEPH FC 2-1

GROUP A
SEKOLAH SUKAN NEGERI TABUAN JAYA 6pts (+5)
K14 6pts (+5)
KAMON UNITED 0pts (-1)
JUNIORS @ TATUS 0pts (-2)
B B KLEEN 0pts (-7)
* Goal Difference indicated in brackets

GROUP B
SEJIJAK JUNIOR FC 6pts (+11)
K12 6pts (+6)
DURACLEAN - SMK ST JOSEPH FC 0pts (-2)
TPS 0pts (-5)
MARR SC 0pts (-10)
* Goal Difference indicated in brackets

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEXT MATCHES - 17 JULY 2010 (SATURDAY)
8:30am TPS vs SEJIJAK JUNIOR FC
9:30am JUNIORS @ TATUS vs K14
10:30am DURACLEAN -SMK ST JOSEPH FC vs MARR FC
11:30am B B KLEEN vs KAMON UNITED

NEXT MATCHES - 18 JULY 2010 (SUNDAY)
2:30pm MARR FC vs TPS
3:30pm SEKOLAH SUKAN NEGERI TABUAN JAYA vs K14
4:30pm K12 vs SEJIJAK JUNIOR FC
5:30pm KAMON UNITED vs JUNIORS @ TATUS

ALL MATCHES AT JUBILEE GROUND.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2010 KUCHING FEST JUNIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE(11 JULY - 07 AUGUST)

GROUP A
B B KLEEN
KAMON UNITED
JUNIORS @ TATUS
SEKOLAH SUKAN NEGERI TABUAN JAYA
K14

GROUP B
DURACLEAN - SMK ST JOSEPH FC
TPS
SEJIJAK JUNIOR FC
MARR SC
K12

-------------------------------------------
11July 2010 (Sunday)
8:30am K14 vs B B KLEEN
9:30am K12 vs DURACLEAN - SMK ST JOSEPH FC
10:30am JUNIORS @ TATUS vs SEKOLAH SUKAN NEGERI TABUAN JAYA
11:30am TPS vs K12
2:30pm K14 vs KAMON UNITED
3:30pm SEJIJAK JUNIOR FC vs MARR SC
4:30pm SEKOLAH SUKAN NEGERI TABUAN JAYA vs B B KLEEN
5:30pm SEJIJAK JUNIOR FC vs DURACLEAN - SMK ST JOSEPH FC
--------------------------------------------
ALL MATCHES AT JUBILEE GROUND.

BORNEO FOOTBALL CUP 2010

The selection of players for our Team K12 and Team K14 participating in Borneo Football Cup 2010 in Kota Kinabalu has been finalised. The names of these 40 players (20 for each team) will be announced at our session on 03 July 2010. Those not selected will be placed on standby to replace those selected who do not "toe the line" over the next 3 months. Those selected were painstakingly scrutinised over and over again as we want to make sure that we have a balanced team (not necessarily the strongest) to meet the challenge in Kota Kinabalu. We may not win the tournament but if we lose, we want to lose with our dignity and pride intact.

These players will also represent our academy in the forthcoming 2010 Kuching Fest Junior Football League but unfortunately, only 18 players per team can be registered. So 2 players from each team will have to be mere supporters; even so, we will monitor how these players provide morale, mental and psychological support to their playing teammates from the stands.

TERM 02/10 ASSESSMENT

Our last session for Term 02/10 will be held on 04 July 2010 (Sunday) where the Term Assessment will be conducted on our Kickies. However, only those who attended MORE THAN 6 SESSIONS throughout Term 02/10 will be eligible.

2010 KUCHING FEST JUNIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Kickalob Sports Academy and MBKS will be collaborating in organising the 2010 Kuching Fest Junior Football League scheduled to kickoff on 17 July 2010. This will be an U14 tournament and only 10 teams will be accepted to take part on a "first-come-first-serve" basis. So far, 5 teams have already confirmed their participation.

No cash prize will be given for this tournament as we don't want to inculcate the "no-money-no-play" syndrome into our players. Players must play for the love of and commitment towards the game. This tournament will show us who the team managers and coaches are who are fully in it for the love of Sarawak football. Of course money is important but it should be secondary!

We will be sending our Team K12 and Team K14 for this tournament. The selections for both teams bound for Borneo Football Cup in Kota Kinabalu have more or less been finalised. However, we will keep our options open and this tournament will provide these players an avenue to show everyone why they should be on that plane to Kota Kinabalu.

ENGLAND'S CHANCES IN WORLD CUP 2010

Having grown up watching English football, I'm hoping England will have a good World Cup outing but I am not getting my hopes up as they have always disappointed in the past. There are 2 main reasons (or should I say excuses??) why England seldom do well in the World Cup or Euro Championships.

One factor is the weather. The majority of the English season is spent in cool or cold temperatures with wind and rain. Obviously the training sessions are done in the same weather. In order to stay warm in these cool temperatures, players have to practically run at 100mph all the time!! This is also a major factor why the EPL is played at such a quick and frantic pace. As most World Cups and Euro Championships are played in the summer and usually in hot temperatures, it is an unusual situation for England players. They can't run around at 100mph like they do in the EPL and this takes something away from their game. (NOTE: It will be winter in South Africa with temperatures in the 40s to 60s so this should be to England's advantage.)

The other factor is wear and tear. Most of the England players, if not all, play in the EPL. Anyone who has watched an EPL game and then a Serie A or La Liga game will see a big difference. The EPL games are much faster and more physical. This takes its toll over the season. In fact, it was often said that Patrick Viera used to purposely get red carded around Christmas / New Year so that he could take a much needed rest. The bottom line is that England players usually show up at the World Cup and Euro Championships worn out. Franz Beckenbaur used to say, "The English play like lions in the autumn and like lambs in the spring/summer."

So England has the weather on their side for this World Cup but nothing can be done about the players' wear and tear. However, a new factor has arisen that could even be more damaging than these 2 factors, and that is team chemistry. I haven't really followed the John Terry and Wayne Bridge situation but any scandal involving wives, girlfriends, friendship and infidelity can really wreck a team's chemistry. And when other players end up taking sides, cliques form, rifts start and the whole thing becomes messy. Potentially, I think this could be more damaging than anything else.

So how will England do this time? It wouldn't surprised me if they struggled in group play, barely advanced and struggled to win another game. As for me, I will stand by SPAIN. Ole!

RESCHEDULEMENT OF SESSIONS

Due to requests from the majority of parents to reschedule our Term 02/10 sessions due to the holidays, the remaining sessions will be held as follows:

28 May 2010 (Friday) 7:30am

20 June 2010 (Sunday) 7:30am
26 June 2010 (Saturday) 3:30pm
27 June 2010 (Sunday) 7:30am
04 July 2010 (Sunday) 7:30am

Selamat Hari Gawai and Happy Holidays everyone!

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Football is a simple game, right? Just put the ball in the other team's net more often than they put it in yours. That's all your team has to do.

But getting to the point where your team regularly outscores the opposition is not simple. You have to teach your players a number of skills - how to pass, receive, tackle, shield the ball and shoot. Then when your players are old enough to understand the concept of teamwork, they learn how to space themselves on the pitch, how to support the ball carrier and how to defend and attack as a unit.

But sometimes we forget that all football skills are underpinned by our players' 'feel' for the ball. If they can manipulate the ball without thinking and make the ball do what they want it to do (rather than be ruled by what the ball wants to do), they will become a prized asset. That is a 'natural' football player who can shoot, defend, dribble and score with hardly any visible effort. We all want these players in our teams, don't we? Yet we sometimes forget that a great 'feel' for the ball doesn't happen by accident - it needs to be worked on. So these potential great footballers need help - from their parents, their coaches and above all, themselves. You need the right blend!

GOTONG ROYONG

We joined SK St Joseph in the gotong royong perdana held last Saturday. However, it was a BIG disappointment to see only 30% of our Kickies turned up for this.

True, some were involved at their own schools but I doubt if all were. We have to get to the bottom of this as Kickalob strives to be an academy where one learns not only football but also self-discipline. Be rest assured that we will weed out those who do not share these same objective because we do not want this sickness to become an epidemic!!!

This matter is further complicated by the parents of our Kickies who just dropped their Kickies off at the padang and off they went. These parents have to realise that in order for us to discipline their Kickies, it has to start with them doing it first. If they choose not to set an example to their Kickies, then please do not expect us to do it for them. Wake up people!!

Am I upset? Nope. Rather, I am very sad that this is happening and very sad that we have Kickies who have this attitude and parents who condone it.

NUMBER OF KICKIES

As at the last session, the number of registered Kickies in our academy stood at 109!

TEAM K60 VS CITY UNITED

Our Team K60 lost 1-2 but no complaints. We gave it our best shot against a team consisting of 5 Finexyxs players, including ex-state Ramos Sari. Exposure was given to 5 of our Team K14 lads and hopefully they have matured a little bit more in terms of big match experience.

However, I was rather disappointed at the absence of our coaches (other than Coach Jemi and Coach Eddy) who don't bother to turn up. I am thinking of reprimanding these coaches who do not seem to encourage the spirit of camaraderie when they should be the ones to lead the way. Lesser said, the better!!!

Next match for Team K60 will be announced in due time.

UPDATES

1. Our K14 played against Tunku Putra last Friday and drew 1-1. Not a bad result considering Tunku Putra fielded its U17 squad!!

2. We were running Kejohanan Futsal Piala Bernas 2010 at Arena Sukan last Saturday and Sunday and into the Finals which will be held this coming Sunday. Hence, the need to change our sessions timing last and this weekend. Timing will be back to normal on Sunday mornings next week.

3. Kickalob has set up Ambassadors Club (AmClub) whose function is to provide support services to Kickalob's management in managing our activities and so forth. Azmir Mustafa, Soffian's dad, is the President. Anyone who wishes to contribute to this cause can come forward and see him.

4. And I am tired, pooped and exhausted!!!

U14 VS CITY UNITED

What was apparent during our 1-3 loss to City United yesterday was the ABSENCE of communication between our players. Giving them the benefit of the doubt since they have only started playing together, our players do need to learn how to talk to one another on the pitch. Communication is vital during a match and can be the difference between winning and losing.

What was apparent was also the collapse of the "christmas tree" formation that Kickalob adopts for all its teams. The players did not seem to understand the functions of each position; again, the benefit of the doubt given that they have only been together for 2 weeks. Knowing one's role when playing is very important as a "malfunctioning" player can and will lead to disaster for the team.

What was apparent was the fact that some players are going to be "burnt out" due to playing too many sports - futsal, football, basketball, cricket, rugby, etc. Not good for children to over-expose themselves to too many sports. They may not feel it now but when they grow older, the effects will show. Furthermore, it is not good for their brain development as the brain will be too tired to even stimulate and develop!!!!!

What was apparent was the recognition that our Kickalob has at the field. Many people were asking me how to enroll their kids but I had to tell them that we were not taking in anymore enrollments until next term. This augurs well for Kickalob's future, doesn't it?


SCHEDULED MATCHES
(kickoff 4:30pm)
30 April 2010
K14 vs Tunku Putra U17 (Kickalob Training Base)
9 May 2010
K60 vs City United (Jubilee Ground)

BITTEN BY THE "EXTRA CLASS" BUG AGAIN

Again, we have to cancel our Saturday session this weekend due to many schools having extra classes. Gosh, during my time, we never even heard of those "extra class" words! Anyway, it seems that there is going to be many of these Saturday classes so we may as well not schedule any more Saturday sessions unless necessary.

By the way, our U14 squad will be paying against Padungan United this Sunday (25 April 2010) at Jubilee Ground. Kickoff scheduled for 4:45pm. This will be a good testfor our brand new team after the addition of a number of players selected from our U14 carnival.

RESULT - K60 VS TELEKOM

Yeah, we won 4-2.

MATCH FOR TEAM KICKALOB 60

Yup, it's high time for our Team Kickalob 60 (comprising of Kickalob's staff, parents and coaches) to play ball. What's the "60" for, you may ask?! Go figure it out!!
This Sunday (18 April) vs Telekom at 4:30pm
Venue - Telekom Multimedia College, Samariang.

THE START OF A NEW TERM

It was very encouraging to see so many trainees turning up on the first day of our Term 02/10 last Sunday. There were quite a number of new Kickies and add that to the few who were talent-scouted from the recent U14 tournament, the total reached 100+ trainees.

At the beginning of the session, we handed out certificates to those Kickies who successfully completed and passed their modules last Term 01/10 - Benjamin Hopkins, Mohd Azrulhisham Kadari, Muhammad Izzul'muqri Othman, Razin Ahmad Nizar, Adrian Assan, Ahmad Afiq Shah, Carlos Colin, Faris Amzar Mohd Azrai, Haiman Karim Hamzah, Iqmal Hafiz Awang Azami, Marcel Owen, Muhammad Hazeem Syazwan Daud, Shawn Ross Leong, Abang Muhammad Aniq Abang Abdul Rahman, Muhammad Hazeeq Syazani Daud and Muhammad Thaqif Irfan. Congratulations to these Kickies!!

I am pleased to see that our U12 and U14 teams have started preparing to take part in a tournament in Kota Kinabalu in early October 2010. With the addition of new Kickies, our teams have a wider pool of players to select from. This will definitely push up the standard a notch as those not up to par will not be selected for the trip to Kota Kinabalu. And I can say that no one will want to miss this tournament as we will be up against teams from Australia, Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. This was the reward for our U14 team for reaching the semifinals of our U14 tournament. For the U12 team, it was for their never-say-die attitude and for achieving 13th spot and earning 3 points when no one gave them a ghost of a chance.

ROLL OF HONOUR

CHAMPIONS - War's 15 Adiqa Jr
RUNNERS-UP - Sporting Vision FC
3RD PLACE - Kickalob 14
4TH PLACE - Gertaq Akademi Bandar Baru Samariang
TOP GOALSCORER - Mohammad Noor Izwan (War's 15 Adiqa jr)
BEST GOALKEEPER - Awg Asyraaf Awg Ismail Nazaruddin (Yayasan Sarawak)
BEST MIDFIELDER - Mohd Syahrol Asikin Mohd Ali (Gertaq Akademi Bandar Baru Samariang)
BEST DEFENDER - Mohd Noor Izwan (War's 15 Adiqa Jr)
FAIR PLAY - Kickalob 14

Our Kickalob 12 won 13th Place after beating Tunku Putra School 1-0 in the 13th/14th Placing match. What an achievement for a bunch of 12-year-olds playing against much much much bigger opponents. No one gave them a ghost of a chance to win any point or even win a match, and you know what? They managed to garner 3 points in the preliminary round and then beat Tunku Putra School. Need I say we are proud of this baby Kickies????

It was rather unfortunate that our Kickalob 14 lost in the semi-finals to the eventual champions but as the Technical Director, I am not the least disappointed with the result. My personal target was reaching the semi-finals and our Kickalob 14 did just that. We must remember that our team never had the chance to do team training (which is different from academy training) so reaching the semi-finals was an achievement in itself.

Despite the success of our teams, sadly I must express my utter disappointment to those parents and Kickies who did not bother to turn up to give support to our teams. This does not augur well for the Academy as the spirit of camaraderie does not exist in these Kickies and their parents and I will make sure that they do not continue coming to the Academy to ensure that this virus does not spread!!

Last but not least, I WANT TO THANK OUR COACHES AND THOSE PARENTS WHO BRAVE THE EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER THE 3 DAYS TO HELP RUN THE TOURNAMENT WHICH WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!!

UPDATE ON KARNIVAL BOL REMAJA U14 KOMUNITI PETRA JAYA

14 teams will be taking part:
Group A
Remaja Buntal
Gertaq Akademi Bandar Baru Samariang
Bandar Kuching No 2
Tunku Putra School
Kickalob 14
Yayasan Sarawak
Desa United
Group B
BB Kleen
United 3-nity
War's 15 Adiqa Jr
Kickalob 12
SMK St Joseph FC
Kamon United
Sporting Vision FC

Matches will be played on 2nd (Friday), 3rd (Saturday) and 4th (Sunday) from 8:00am to 6:00pm at Stadium C in Petra Jaya. There will also be carnival games like paintball, wall-climbing, Nintendo Interactive games and Penalty Kick Competition for spectators.

END OF TERM 01/10

Our Term 01/10 ended last Sunday where 31 Kickies were assessed. The results will be announced to the Kickies at the beginning of Term 02/10which will start on 11 April 2010. For this coming term, our sessions will be held on Sundays (instead of Saturdays) as last Term 01/10, many of our Kickies missed out on a few sessions due to extra classes held by their respective schools on Saturdays. We are confident that the attendance rate will be improved this Term 02/10.

KARNIVAL BOL REMAJA U14 KOMUNITI PETRA JAYA

Ya, we are in the news again in the local papers over the past few days. This time, it is for the announcement of the tournament we are going to organise from 2nd to 4th April 2010 at Stadim C in Petra Jaya.

This tournament, as the name reflects, will be for those who are born no earlier than 1996. The main features of this tournament are as follows:
1. There will be a winner in every match. Penalties will be used to decide the winner if a match ends in a draw, even during the first round round-robin phase.
2. No offsides so we can see a galore of goals and also at the same time, we will see those potential defenders and goalkeepers trying to keep the strikers from scoring.

3. Prizes to be awarded to the to 4 teams.

4. Awards given will be Top Scorer, Best Defender, Best Midfielder and Best Goalkeeper.

Kickalob will be sending 2 teams to take part in this tournament. Players will be selected by the end of next week.

A WIN FOR OUR BOYS

It was a win for our squad against Sarawak's U14 squad yesterday. As the Technical Director, it was very pleasant to see more cohesiveness and aggressiveness from our players compared to the previous game. The team played to instructions and everyone deserves a pat on the back for sticking in there together as it is never easy to play against teams which have been training together everyday for the past 2 months. Anyway, we wish them the best of luck in their forthcoming tournament and we will render them any assistance they require in terms of technique training.

By the way, the scoreline was 2-0 and our scorers were Shafizul and Ryan.

ANOTHER FRIENDLY FOR OUR U14 SQUAD

Sarawak U14 squad have asked for another match against our team to prepare them for their tournament ahead. This match will be played at 4pm on 28 February 2010 at our home base.

KICKALOB 2 SARAWAK 4

It was a very good outing for our squad in terms of gauging our strengths and weaknesses. Individually, our players have shown improvements in their techniques and individual skills although much more needs to be taught and learnt.

We roped in a few new players to join Kickalob and they have shown enough yesterday to justify why they have been selected. There are also a few Kickies who have shown no improvement and Kickalob will have to make a decision on whether these "tidak-apa-attitude" Kickies will be booted out of our program or be given another chance.

See you tomorrow!

SCRIMMAGE FOR TEAM U14

The Sarawak U14 squad preparing for Piala Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia has requested for a scrimmage against our Team U14 Kickalob on 18 February 2010. This match will be played at our home base, kick-off scheduled for 4:00pm. No doubt our squad is not strong enough to match them.....so we will beef up our squad with a few invited players and also players from our U16 squad. Those selected will be informed in due time. Stay tuned.

INTRODUCING OUR KICKIES ..........

ABDUL HAKEEM MOHD IQMAL
Birthdate: 29 May 1995
since Term 01/09

INTRODUCING OUR KICKIES ..........

HAIMAN KARIM HAMZAH
Birthdate: 08 June 2001
since Term 02/09

INTRODUCING OUR KICKIES ..........

ADRIAN ASSAN BELL AGGAN
Birthdate: 23 October 2000
since Term 03/09

CLEAN YOUR BOOTS

I can recall as a player leaving my boots muddy and wet in a plastic bag to be dried and "cleaned" later. Didn't get to clean them and a few days later, I had to wear them in match - cold, wet and heavy. Yuks, not nice!! I never did it again and I always encourage my players to clean their boots the minute they get home. and remember not to dry your boots in the sun. Air them out somewhere in the house but not in direct sunlight. This will make your boots last longer.

BACK TO BASICS

If players cannot do the basics, they are not going to enjoy playing, let alone win games. IT IS THAT SIMPLE!

Being able to pass the ball so a teammate can run on to it, or being able to shield and hold on to the ball so that opponents cannot easily win it make a good starting point. If players can master FUNDAMENTAL skills and techniques, they will have an edge over other teams that do not. That is why we at Kickalob run our modules on a 3-weekly basis to try and make you turn these into your footballing habits.

Yes, it is boring...yes, it is repetitious...but that is the objective of academy training - to learn the basic skills and techniques of football, no?

DOUBLE-HEADER SESSIONS THIS WEEKEND

Don't forget that this weekend we will have sessions on both Saturday and Sunday. Next week we will not have any session due to Chinese New Year.

WE LOST BUT .....

Our Team U15 lost to SMK Agama Tun Ahmad Zaidi 1-3 earlier this evening. If I were a sore loser, I would say that we were unlucky, that they played 35 players while we had only 18, that their pitch was not suitable for our kind of football, that we had only 6 15-year-olds while they probably had 30...enough of that already.

As I have said before, when we play matches, we look at how our Kickies have progressed - are they using the techniques that they have been taught? Have they improved over the time they joined Kickalob? Will they be able to handle advanced progression in terms of our training modules? Are they capable of playing at a higher level? These are the factors that we evaluate and analyse, and not the scoreline.

That is academy training.

MATCH FOR TEAM U15 KICKALOB

Our Team U15 Kickalob will be having an away match on Friday (29th) against SMK Tun Ahmad Zaidi, Petra Jaya. Our Team will compose of several team members from our Team U12 Kickalob which participated in the recent Piala Waga 2009 in KL. It will be good to see how they carry themselves playing in a more senior team which requires more thinking, teamwork and individual coordination. Kickoff is at 4:45pm.

HOW TO DO DEVELOPMENT LIKE THIS? AIYA....

Excerpts from an interview with Lim Teong Kim conducted by The New Straits Times not so long long ago which pinpointsExcerpts from an interview with Lim Teong Kim conducted by The New Straits Times not so long long ago which pinpoints the problem with our football development. I had the chance to play with Teong Kim representing Malaysia B in the Lion City Cup in Singapore way back in the early 80s. Teong Kim was the first Malaysian footballer to play in Europe when he turned out for German club Hertha Berlin in 1987. He was a member of the national team that won the 1989 Sea Games gold medal and is now based in Germany coaching Bayern Munich's youth teams.

Q: Your overall assessment of the infrastructure in Malaysia?
A: How can people talk about football where there is no proper infrastructure? The current infrastructure is 30 years behind time. Malaysian football will not develop unless the infrastructure here improves. What we have and what I have seen here is not good enough. Maybe it was good enough 20 or 30 years ago but not at the present time. In Bayern Munich, for example, there are seven fields and other facilities are also top class. We have 11 youth teams in age-groups between eight and 23, with more than 100 players. The club allocates E2 million (RM9.7 million) annually for its youths teams. The system is almost the same with other clubs in Europe.
We don't have that in Malaysia. Instead, the government and local councils are taking away football fields. I used to play football in my youth days in Bandar Hilir, Malacca. It had three fields but now malls have been built on them. What do we get by building malls? Does it help in the development of a sports culture in Malaysia? We need proper infrastructure in Malaysia. Taxpayers' money, which the government wants to use to send the national team to Europe, should be allocated to building facilities for football. If you want kids to play football then you have to invest in it.

Q: Who should be responsible for developing youth football in Malaysia?
A: The states should play a bigger role in developing youth football. They should do the work and run the programmes but infrastructure must be there first. Sports schools like Bukit Jalil and Bandar Penawar should be supplementary ingredients in this case.

Q: What do you think of the Malaysian League?
A: It is ridiculous not to have foreign players in the league. It does not help in the development of local players. How are Malaysian teams going to compete against bigger Asian clubs in the Champions League and AFC Cup? A Malaysian team cannot rely on local players against clubs with foreign players. It is a huge loss in revenue as they are not good enough to compete against the best in Asian.
Why did FAM decide on barring imports from the league? Is it because some teams could not afford foreign players? The association should allow those who can afford to hire them. One cannot look at all teams in the league as equal. Teams, who do not have money for development and foreign players, should be left out. It should be left to the respective clubs on whether to hire foreign players. This is professional football. You cannot tell Bayern Munich not to have foreign players as they need their services in the domestic league and Champions Leagues. The revenue of the club depends on Bayern's first team's performance in the Bundesliga and Champions League and if they don't do well, the club cannot generate income.

Q: Should local football rely on foreign coaches?
A: Yes, because foreign coaches have comprehensive knowledge about the game. I am not saying that local coaches are no good but we need foreign help to take our football to another level. If our ambition is to develop good players, then we have to hire good coaches. For instance, Japan are now Asian giants because they hired top-notched foreign coaches to develop their game at the start.

Q: Will you consider a coaching job in Malaysia?
A: I have been linked before with FAM and state teams but it was only speculation. I will consider working in Malaysia but first several conditions of mine must be accepted. What I want is infrastructure. I will consider a job here when there are proper facilities. The government should start by developing proper infrastructure for a few state teams before developing the rest.. It is a slow process but the nation will gain in the long term.

Q: Are you still with the Bayern Munich youth team?
A: Yes I am. I am attached to the Under-19 team as assistant coach. It is my third season now. I have been with the club since 2000 and then I was the coach of the Under-12 team before moving up the ranks. I have worked with two players, when I was coaching the Under-13 and Under-14 teams before, who are now in the Bayern Munich senior side. They are striker Thomas Muller and centreback Bad Badstuber. The duo were not as gifted as some of their teammates in the youth teams but they made it big because of their dedication to training and matches. Muller could be representing Germany in the World Cup.

INTRODUCING OUR KICKIES ..........

AZFAR BAZLI BAKRI
Birthdate: 09 June 1997
since Term 02/09

APOLOGIES TO THE BELL FAMILY

Apologies are in order for the Bell family who has been a staunch supporter of Kickalob Sports Academy. It was brought to my attention that I had forgotten to include my thanks to them during our recent trip to KL with Team U12 Kickalob. In actual fact, they were the first ones to arrive in KL (for shopping lah), the earliest to be at the tournament venue (6:45am mind you), and one of the loudest supporters (no, not Mr Bell but Mrs Bell!). For your information, Mr & Mrs Bell are the proud parents of Ryan Bunsu, Marcel Owen and Adrian Assan - these 3 are among the gems in Kickalob waiting to be polished. Ryan and Marcel were part of the team in KL; Adrian was there too giving the team support! Apologies and thanks guys!

INTRODUCING OUR KICKIES ..........

HARRIS IZZAD SHAFFIQ IZZAD
Birthdate : 15 August 1996
since Term 01/09

INTRODUCING OUR KICKIES ..........

MARCEL OWEN BELL
Birthdate: 13 March 1999
since Term 02/09

FRIENDLY MATCH FOR PARENTS/COACHES TEAM

Kickalob's parents/coaches team will be playing a friendly match on 16 January 2009 (Saturday) at 4:30pm at Padang Stadium B (behind the old stadium). Most of the coaches will be playing....so if you want to see a beautiful game of thinking and brainy football, come and give us a watch!

COMPLETE FOOTBALLERS

I am a big believer in training footballers to be COMPLETE FOOTBALL PLAYERS instead of training them to be position-specific as forwards or midfielders or fullbacks. There certainly are times when position-specific training is needed (especially for goalkeepers but also for other positions as well); however, in modern football, we need to develop and produce complete footballers as opposed to position-specific players.

Recently, ManU was playing Wolfsburg in the European Cup and due to numerous injuries, ManU had to start one regular fullback and three midfielders as their back four. While there were occasions when it was apparent the back four were not the regular fullbacks, for the most part, they did an excellent job (and ManU won 3-1!). Now, how many of you forwards are prepared technically, tactically and psychologically to move to a midfield or fullback position? How many of you players think of a move to the back four as a "promotion" instead of "demotion"? And how many of you players think of ourselves as "football players" as opposed to "forwards" or "midfielders" or "fullbacks"?

Food for thought, don't you think?