OK, how many of you attended a Demize game this season? And if you didn’t, what kept you away this summer?

The Demize had a difficult season, as measured by their 0-16 result. There were 8 goals scored, 48 surrendered. Tough numbers to reflect on but only part of the story of the team and the season. On the other hand, fans also got to see the PDL Champion Thunder Bay Chill twice this season in Springfield. The first game was a narrow 1-2 loss on June 14th and the second an 0-3 loss on July 2nd. 6 times the Demize were beaten by a single goal, out of a total of 16 games. This is a tough Conference, with the 2005 Champion Des Moines Menace, Colorado Rapids U23′s and St Louis Lions setting a very high level of play.

After 4 years of tracking PDL soccer, both here and throughout the region, I’ve come to appreciate how difficult PDL soccer is for the teams and participants. Once again this year, only two of the six teams in the Conference had winning road records (Chill and Rapids) and only one had a positive goal differential on the road (Chill). The Demize scored 6 of their 8 goals at home while surrendering 19. The games were hard fought battles against familiar opponents who also turnover 50% or more of their team year-to-year due to the nature of the league. Important facts but mere background in the bigger picture.

I’ve commented in the past about how much I enjoy the PDL season and this year was no different. It offers some of the highest quality play we can see in the region and a chance to see the continuing development of players we are familiar with in many cases. I talked to Armen Tonianse, Head Coach and Sam Blair, who handles the Reserves, about their experience this year as well as their plans going forward. The first topic of discussion was competition and here is what Armen offered:

The key this year was our effort to bring in committed players. That offered two immediate benefits, the first a higher level of competition with 25 or more players regularly practicing and working to earn playing time. The other thing we accomplished was offering our Reserve players the development opportunities that come from working and playing in a competitive environment like this.

The competitive environment described by Armen and Sam is something I have come to appreciate as an important aspect of any teams development. The most successful teams in my experience are practicing at game speed and building a team environment that supports that effort and competitive spirit. The Demize have also taken the time to explore the successful programs in the region. Thunder Bay’s win this year follows a 2-11-3 season only two years ago. One key for them has been consistency on the roster. Toniase addressed that topic as well:

A key commitment the team made from the beginning is the Reserve team. The Demize see the team as the future of the primary squad and there were several young men who benefited from that opportunity this year.

Sam Blair expanded on the topic:

The Demize made a commitment to the development of the Reserves this year with a couple of key steps. We took them on two road trips, including a trip to Colorado for our games against the Rapids U23. In addition, we see several of them as the future of this team, players like Robbie Curtis and Kyler Temple who begin their college career this Fall, and Lane Chapman who is a senior at Kickapoo. Our hope is that their experiences and growth with the Demize will lead to their continued participation in the future and the overall growth of the team.

I mentioned the 2005 Champion Menace earlier. They are a club and a team that set the bar when it comes to developing ties in the community and club programs in the region. Attendance regularly exceeds 2000 and Mediacom broadcasts several games live every season. Toniase described the model:

The key is building the pyramid. The PDL team is at the top, featuring the highest level of amateur play in the region. We want to offer players in this region an outlet to continue playing at the highest level, that is the key. It also requires increasing the depth and breadth of play locally, with the Reserves, the Club program Total Soccer is offering in Springfield and Logan-Rogersville and on-going play during the year.

I saw a lot of growth from the team as the season progressed, both on the pitch and in the area of sportsmanship. I hope that more of you will take the time to come out and support the players and the team in 2009. Look for more on the Demize and Total SC in the days to come.