Dear Barbarians:
It is amazing to me to see the number of adages that are so apt to our lives as we know it, today. Some bear repeating while others go on without saying: as when we live them unknowingly. Very little of what lay ahead has not been in front of us from time’s earliest beginnings, or at least since this earth was inhabited by what we have come to know as human. Beings blessed or cursed, depending on your particular outlook, either victimized or otherwise. These ambiguities are what I have come to interpret as the beauty of life and while I am one to continually move forward, secretly I wonder can we ever move forward if what lay in the balance is never resolved?
Generally, our society is best served by guidelines / rules, which we all can hold up as a way to interact: knowing that we work, either together or apart, or trying to convince others as to the right way to proceed; you know how that goes only so many are original and the others are here to have it their way. Did you see that coming? One lesson I have learned is that it is always best to give others ‘the benefit of the doubt’, or at the very least, ‘enough rope to hang themselves’. It is only ‘time that will tell’ and in a rectangle the cyclical nature of things gives way to the more formidable way forward, like the triangle. Whatever it is or whatever it may become most of it is numbers driven.
Sad to say that the majority of our training sessions are unattended by members on a regular basis. To date, we can count the number on one hand where all members who were scheduled to be there were. In some instances it is something as simple as illness, injury, or priorities or the lack there of, most are conflicts. Some times it is what we are being conflicted by that is troubling and unappreciated by the Barbarian FC and its ability to deliver on our setting the standard in futsal in Western PA and beyond. It has become even more complicated through our general society ‘interpretation’ of ‘rules’ when there is no real basis for any interpretation. Some take our easy going ways as a matter of weakness, wherein our demeanor has been tempered by what we have learned and we will continue to be who we are no matter how insulting you may be; we will always allow you the courtesy of ‘the benefit of the doubt’, or at least until the hanging takes place. We do what we must to maintain our ability to develop those who seek what we offer and the way in which we offer it.
Looming behind much of what is being discussed is that we are entering a portion of the season where the necessary steps to make the decisions that need to be made have not been able to be taken and while many of you may think it automatic at this point in time, and forever in our eyes, it is not and never will be. For those of you who are unaware, what distinguishes us from others is that we do not look at individual age groups as teams, we do not cater to the status quo, we do not accept complacency at any measure, and we hold development of this club, its members, and ourselves above just doing for the sake of doing. If what you seek in life has been met then I can appreciate where you are coming from and even more-so, where you are headed. Unfortunately, we can ill afford to be limited by you and must bid several of you adieu! We do so without any ill feelings or ill will toward anyone because at the end of the day we are firm believers that you do what you must just as we must too.
During the 2013-2014 campaign there were several players whose contributions cannot go unacknowledged. We do so mindful of everyone’s feelings and, hopefully for you as members, to understand the view from where we are and where we are hopefully headed.
BARBARIAN OF THE YEAR: Jim Griffin
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Amanda Thomas
MOST IMPROVED: Brandon Borek
SMOOTH OPERATOR: Prezy
BEST ALL AROUND: Taylor Crupie
MOST DEDICATED: Quinn Stezoski
COACHES AWARD: Sara Orndoff
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nicole Grezbyk
EXTRA EFFORT AWARD: Haley Arbore
EVEN KIEL (most consistent): Jacob Gratzer
OFFENSIVE PLAYER: Krystyna ‘Hoos’ Rytel
DEFENSIVE PLAYER: RJ Heaps / Chad Wright
MOST SKILLED: TBD
BEST TEAM: U16G
MVP: Austin Iddon
Over the next few weeks there will be some significant changes to the make-up of the club as we welcome several additional players in hope that we can move the opportunity for many of you toward participation in the National Title Competitions. When we began this year we were hopeful that the teams who attended the USFF National Tournament in July of 2014, would find their way to the USYF National, (February 2015) if qualified. We have witnessed a true and steady growth within USYF which cannot be ignored, and that we might lead the Great Lakes Region to the USYF National as its representative intrigues us greatly. The lure for as high a quality of competition that we can find is what drives us in order to better see and test each of you, as well as ourselves as coaches and managers.
We originally began competing in the USYF Regional to help better prepare our sides for the USFF Northeast Mid-Atlantic Regional, and played in the inaugural or second year, participating and witnessing firsthand growth while simultaneously witnessing the ups and downs of (perhaps still) the best futsal in the US as played between New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Massachusetts, and of course Pennsylvania! Just so you know, as this sport grows we are also hopeful to continue to play our role in its very real and sustained growth. As we confessed to you that our ambition lead us to our eventual participation in the Great Lakes Futsal Regional and subsequent leagues in Akron, we intend to see real expansion and participate in another tournament next year which will require playing in an out of town tournament over Christmas break 2015 between Christmas and New Years, which we know will help us better prepare for the Great Lakes Regional and beyond. While we remain hopeful that we will see many of you through to this end we are realists, tempered in part by the many years we have been participating in the growth of this sport and in dealing with the many personalities that seemingly come and stay just long enough to move on.
What we know and what we do is what sustains us and provides us with the necessary development within ourselves to continue on our progression. The progression to our end is by no other means than what we see has been preordained either by what is lacking or by what we have in abundance, and in the balance not one of us is truly knowledgeable enough to know the measure by which the standard is set. Only that there is one that we may never be able to measure up to, in equality, or surpass, in equality, or succumb to, in equality. If I may be so bold; you can either help or hinder but not one of you is capable of destroying what is done: but in your effort you may be destroyed especially if what you seek is other than truth.
May 2015 bring you the confidence to know of what you seek and who you are. Eventually I may become, myself!
As usual, I will see you on the pitch!
dws