Showing posts with label Innovation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Innovation. Show all posts

Monday, April 14, 2014

Second Defeat For Kamikaze

MOF SEASON 5 DIVISION 1
ROUND 3
KAMIKAZE vs GABRIELITE REMIX
13 April 2014
3pm Pierce Secondary

One has to go a very long time to remember when Kamikaze lost two consecutive matches. But the fact that it has happened now reflects the competitiveness of this league and the complacency that has infiltrated the team. To their credit, the boys from Kamikaze controlled possession in the first-half, kept asking all the right questions and their defence stayed solid. However, a lack of goals to account for their superiority meant that they were always vulnerable on the break and the worse happened as within minutes of the restart the team conceded the opener off another set-piece, this time a throw-in.

Although, the team did very well to bounce back and equalise through a well-taken striker's goal from Siva, they quickly found themselves down 3-1 again via shambolic defending. Just when it looked like they were back in the game when Nesh scored a vital second after good work from the flank by Siva, a misplaced pass found them vulnerable on the counter and they were down by 2 goals yet again. Vijay gave them a glimmer of hope as he halved the deficit, but it was not to be one of those valiant KKZ comebacks as they slumped to their second defeat of the season.

Acting Manager Victor who is definitely feeling the pressure remained defiant,

"Well football is a funny game. We definitely didn't play to standard today, but neither did the opponents. In the end however, it's only the goals that matter and we conceded 4 today. The most worrying thing for me, would be that we have still yet to come up with a definitive style of play this season and it's strange as this team has been playing together for quite a while. I have to take full responsibility for that and have to get my team to start playing to their abilities once again. Am I feeling the pressure? Yes, maybe. But the most important thing to do now is to get prepared for the next game. If we have to go back to the basics, we will."

Vice-Captain Prem summed it up,

"This is why we are in a division that is so tough. We have come to learn and to improve. Thrashing teams is not going to develop the team. It is only when you play against tough teams week in and week out and you learn to grab results as a team where you truly improve. We will get better."

KAMIKAZE!!!


Squad: Karim (GK), Prem, Uspo Suresh, Hara, Dinesh Manjan, Viki, Faizal, Oswind, Sasi, Anand Spaceship, Siva, Vijay, Pira, Neshsta, Doctor, Aravin Yeli

Goals: Siva, Neshsta, Vijay
Assists: Yeli, Siva, Faizal

Final Score: Kamikaze 3 - 4 Gabrielite Remix 4

Thursday, March 06, 2014

Major Changes Headed Kamikaze's Way

Kamikaze looks set to enter yet another new phase of rejuvenation. The amateur outfit which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this September has always been open to embrace change and has constantly reinvented itself and its methods to stay afresh and relevant in the amateur football scene. The openness amongst its teammates to change has to be the most important reason why it has 3 teams under the KKZ family, all playing enjoyable attacking football and helping to make Kamikaze a household name in the amateur football scene.

Seniors

One of the biggest changes to the Seniors set-up is the retirement of long-serving forward Victor. The player who holds the most number of appearances and possibly the most number of goals in the history of Kamikaze, leaves the Seniors set-up with 4 Championship titles, 1 2nd place medal and 1 3rd place medal. In his retirement speech, he mentioned 3 areas where the team will have to play special focus on.

1) To always remain a Team of Brothers
2) Brothers who remember that the needs of the team outweighs any personal or individual aspirations
3) Proper structures and processes are vital to ensure our long-term success

The team is also set to lose Shivaanan, as he returns back to Australia after a very successful 2-year stint where he picked up 2 title-winners' medals. In response to this departures, Kamikaze went on yet another successful transfer window, as they managed to sign Oswind Suriya Rosayro on a long-term partnership deal. The former S-league player is the most high-profile signing the team has signed, and the fans are all excited to see how he links up with his close friend and former teammate Mohaan. The team has also made the signing of Sasi a permanent deal. The young starlet who was acquired last season, had his contract made permanent, and this exciting winger looks set to win over hoards of fans with his direct attacking play. Another important addition to the team would be Pirakash, another pacy winger whose biggest strength is his ability to keep things simple and effective. The team also signalled its intent to renew the squad by signing 3 top-keepers in its roster.

Akbar is a name synonymous with Kamikaze as his arrival signalled the first title for KKZ. He was re-signed after a 2-year absence and will be rotated alongside, Karim who is a highly-rated goalkeeper known for his calm and collected style. The team also signed Tamilarasan from NUS who will deputise for Akbar and Karim. In the last season, the keeping area was the only achilles heel for Kamikaze, and by strengthening it, the management has shown its intent in aiming for higher goals.

Juniors

The Juniors are reeling from the expected departure of Shivaanan who is returning back to Australia, as well as the Enlistment of several key players. But the Management of Kamikaze is well-experienced in knowing how to manage NS transitions and with the guiding hands of Nesh and Victor, the Juniors look set to ride through this phase with minimal disruption. The form of new-signing Visnu V2 and Prabhu who has found a new lease of life, has given the managers some form of joy as they are currently 3rd in the table in their AISPORTS league. The juniors do have a keeping conundrum as Apek, their first-choice keeper is currently sidelined with work. However, in his absence, whether the second-choice keeper Pratip can make a claim to be a regular keeper or not will answer the question on whether they will maintain their form in the league.

At the end of the season, the management looks set to redraft the team and stream several players. This news has set hearts reeling in the Juniors' camp as all look set to maintain their form and fight for their place.

Veterans

This area has been of the biggest concern to the Kamikaze Management. Originally formed in 2010, the team was conceptualised with objective of bringing together past KKZ players back into the family fold and create an active recreational team, that would also serve the needs of the organisation as a whole. This team could be used to give some of the Juniors more game time and could also facilitate the rehabilitation process of injured players looking to return to first-team action.

However, it must be said that the idea looks set to have failed in its present form. It is a tough chore just to call up enough players to play a match, and often the team is being supplemented by several first-team regulars who help out by playing two matches in one week. Hence, this is the area, which the management is looking set to focus most of its efforts to rebrand.

With immediate effect, this team will be renamed Kamikaze Rangers 04. The short-term plans would be to gather a team of 11 regulars who will make it for the game week-in week-out. This regulars do not have to be veteran players, and need not have played for Kamikaze previously, although we strongly welcome all former KKZ players to support this initiative. The team will look to have players who are looking to play regular football, but without the pressure of being in a competitive league. Haresh, the manager of the Kamikaze Rangers 04 will also be given full freedom in shaping the make-up of his squad. There is no doubt that he will be up for this challenge and successfully revive this brilliant initiative.

One of the greatest hallmarks of Kamikaze is our ability to keep things exciting. We have always embraced changes and new innovations around us. We will continue in this vein of reinvention and will always be at the forefront of Amateur football. We are not Just a Soccer Team. We are a Way of Life!!!


KAMIKAZE!!!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Contract System

As part of our self-renewal, efforts are now being taken to streamline the Kamikaze set-up. We have already launched the Veterans team to encourage recreational football as a way to keep fit and keep our bonds growing strong for the retired players. It will also act as a platform for players returning from injuries to regain fitness before making a charge at the Senior team. The next area of focus, the management will be looking at, is to calibrate the Youth squad.

The Youths are now in the final stretch of their 4th League season. While they started off brightly, coming in 3rd place in their first season, they have not managed to recapture that form in the subsequent seasons. While there are many factors at play here, it must be noted that several players have been giving their all in terms of performances on the pitch as well as their excellent commitment off the pitch. Having had the pleasure of coaching this excellent crop of players, the management now feels that the time is right to reward players for their excellence.

On that note, the KKZ management is pleased to introduce yet another innovation in the Youth set-up, the awarding of central contracts. Central contracts are a feature of professional sports teams where players are graded and contracted for a given period where their benefits and obligations are spelled out according to their respective grades.

Kamikaze, has been on the forefront of running our amateur team as a professional set-up and this is our latest step to instill professionalism within our Youth setup. At the end of this current season, which is fast reaching a close, players will be assessed and graded by the team management in what will be known as the 'Grading Exercise'. At the end of the Grading Exercise, players will be informed of their respective contract grades and the rationale for their given ranking, before the results will be published

Tentatively, we have decided on 4 grades, A, B, C and free-contracts. The detail of the grades will be published at a later date. As of now, the management wishes to stress that this is a innovation that applies to the Youth setup only. The rationale is a simple one. We have to create an environment where merit is rewarded. The grades will be as a result of one's performance in the previous season and will only last for the subsequent season. This approach will bring about a competitive environment where players are given incentives for performing at exceptional levels. The end result will be a successful cycle, where Perfomances bring Rewards and Rewards boost Performances.

Kamikaze has always prided itself on being a leader and an innovator rather than a follower. This central contracts system is another project that we feel, is necessary at this point of time to help calibrate the influx of players into our Youth Team as well as identify future leaders who will step up as pillars in time to come.

KAMIKAZE!!!