Captain Laslett Speaks

After Ramsgate’s impressive 4-0 destruction of Ryman North side Tilbury on Saturday, new Captain Ben Laslett summarised how he felt preparations for the new campaign had gone, including pre-season training, some of the characters, technical skills and seeing the ball as your friend.

“I’m extremely proud of all the lads for their punctuality, effort, and attendance at training sessions during pre-season.  We have suffered together through physical pain as a team – A 12 minute run, 10 shuttle sprints with 30-35 sec rest intervals (where everyone seemed to experience the same burning sensations in throat and chest) a bleep test and a really hard session on Ramsgate beach are what spring to my mind as I’m writing.  All of this suffering has brought the team very close together.  I want us to become and think we are becoming like a family.  I think the team spirit is very strong.  New additions that have come into the squad have said that they loved the atmosphere and I think that is testament to the whole positive environment at the club at the moment.  The training sessions have helped us all to develop our physical fitness (Speed, Endurance, Balance etc) levels.  So long as we remain ‘patient’, when games start to open up in second halves I’m confident we will reap the rewards (through goals) for our sound fitness levels.  For me this was demonstrated in our game against Tilbury. 

 “I’ve enjoyed seeing players sacrifice their time voluntarily for the benefit of the team.  This reminds me of the end of last season when Andy said some special thank yous to special people at the club, Will with his organisation of the team nights out, Gregs with his offerings of fruit at training and matches, Quinny through taking the responsibility of being the Fines manager and generally all the lads for helping to put training equipment away and welcoming new players into the squad.  It has also been refreshing to see players accepting to play in their unpreferred positions for the sake of the team.  When players act in this way I think they strengthen the relationship/connection between themselves and the club.  The club becomes more meaningful to them which is great.

 “I think we have a great blend of experience and youth.  For me what is important is that the experienced players are all good people.  We have no so-called ‘big time Charlie’s’.  I think these types of characters attempt to and can abuse the power they have which can destroy team spirit.  In my playing career I’ve come across many people like this and witnessed the negative impact it has on the team spirit.   

“Players’ technical skills (passing, dribbling, shooting, Ball control) have really developed through pre-season.  A lot of the credit for this needs to go to Richard Langley and Mark Weatherly.  I believe so much in developing my own technical skills.  I’ve observed players demonstrating more courage to want the ball in all areas of the pitch (whilst being mindful of risk) and better execution at keeping the ball also.  I think we are showing greater faith in one another which is great.  I’m a big believer in the Brazilian philosophy of seeing ‘The ball as your Friend’.  I think technical skills are about building that friendship with the ball and getting to know the ball by introducing all the different surface areas of ones body to the ball.  In summary, I think all the lads are looking more comfortable on the ball and sharper technically. 

“Finally and importantly I think our goals need to be focused on continuing to develop physical fitness, developing technical skills, getting to know as best we can the system(s)/formations that we play in matches and also becoming as clear as possible about the responsibilities that come with playing in one’s own position.  I truly believe we (all the players) need to focus our energy on moving towards these goals rather than the goal of winning.  I believe that if we all try to develop our games in the above areas, we give ourselves a much better chance of winning.”

Laz

Pictured below – Laz with Foy Manoharan-Turner, Richard Lawson and Jim Ward.