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John Thomas's Bio: John Thomas is the Assistant Technical Director for US Youth Soccer. |
Street Soccer
| Nov 20 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
 There are a number of great soccer programs that have had success over the years involving, attracting and working with inner-city kids in soccer. There is US Youth Soccer's Soccer Across America (formally Soccer Start), which is designed to help start programs in any underserved communities. There is also Soccer in the Streets, the largest national urban organization with chapters all over the US, which began in Atlanta in 1988.
Both programs work with inner-city youth, vowing to expose the youth to the game of soccer and educational programs to aid in personal and academic development in addition to soccer. One of the main objectives of these programs is to establish consistency in an attempt to develop soccer in urban areas. The key point to these programs is to put a champion in the community instead of some outsider who will disappear after getting the program going. The community needs to have a stake holder who will take on ownership of the programs to keep it going.
A significant number of inner-city kids either don't have access to main sources of televised soccer, such as Fox Soccer Channel, or can't get cooperation from non-soccer watching family members.
We need to bring street soccer to the neighborhoods and turn kids loose to play. This will accomplish two things the traditional approaches can't. It inspires copycats from kids who wouldn't dream of touching a soccer ball. But more importantly, it's a perfect setting to encourage the kind of tight ball control and creativity we coaches are all so desperately looking for. What else can we do? |
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| Nov 11 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
From a punch in the back to a nasty ponytail grab that yanked her opponent to the ground, the University of New Mexico's Elizabeth Lambert was involved in several controversial plays in a college soccer game against Brigham Young University that has earned her a suspension from the team.
After a video posted on the Internet highlighted her harsh moves, Lambert rocketed to unintentional online fame. Hundreds have joined the Facebook group "Ban Elizabeth Lambert of New Mexico from College Soccer," leaving comments like, "Why isn't she being brought up on charges? This is blatantly assault." "Jerking on her opponent's ponytail and pulling her down, there is no place for that," said Christine Brennan, ABC News sports consultant. "It is wrong. It is not fair." Now, I don't support any rough play that may harm or injure a player. That behavior in any sporting event or training session, boys or girls, is not called for. When it does happen it has to be addressed right on the spot and with the appropriate action for the offense that occurred. I understand the anger from those that have viewed the video over and over, but let's not throw out the tub with the bath water. Perhaps Elizabeth could be used to help promote fair play instead of banning her from the game as some suggest. I only have to think back to some of my own behavior while playing college soccer to have some understanding of how Elizabeth may have gotten so worked up with the pressure to win, to not get beat, and to not let anyone get into a position that may have a negative impact on the game. Man, it's a lot of pressure. Rule one of the FIFA Fair Play Code states, "Winning is without value if the victory has been achieved unfairly or dishonestly. Cheating is easy, but brings no pleasure. Playing fair requires courage and character. It is also more satisfying. Fair play always has its rewards, even when the game is lost. Playing fair earns respect, while cheating only brings shame. Remember, it is only a game. And games are pointless unless played fairly." |
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| Nov 5 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
This past weekend, I attended and participated in the US Youth Soccer Region II fall meeting which was held in Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. Getting there wasn't so easy. My direct flight was delayed, at first, for two hours and then redirected to Chicago and then Cleveland. After arriving in Chicago that evening at about 8:20 p.m., I thought I was almost there. I spoke too soon. After boarding the plane for Cleveland around 9:20 p.m., we were told to de-plane. The flight was grounded due to mechanical problems. Better to have the problem on the ground than in the air. So, I had to spend the night in Chi-town at the airport hotel. The next morning, I was able to depart for Cleveland around 7:30 a.m. and arrived about 9 a.m. I went from the airport to the meeting, with the Region II State Coaching Directors meeting already in progress. Great meeting. Following are the notes from the meeting:
Education
US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program
- Enhanced player development What should the mission statement be? - To improve National Team performance - Affordable - Avenue for coaching development - Competition – bring in the best players to compete against each other - Exposure to different environments, coaching styles, college coaches and potential scholarship opportunities - Expand to zone 1 kids - Play more games - state vs. state games, interregional games Player Development
- US Youth Soccer staff members willing to travel to help promote 'Soccer Across America' |
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| Oct 30 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
The game will show you what the player needs to practice, as discussed in the US Youth Soccer Skills Technique Training DVD.
From a core set of techniques, the growing player will be able to add on many variations and subtleties to the techniques. This most likely will apply to players 15 years of age and older as they fully mature athletically and come to understand how to use a variety of skills in varying game situations. Do not let the developing player's game become obsessed with frills or skills that, while useful, are rarely used. Be competent in the basic orthodox techniques first. But once that standard has been reached then embroider the player's skills with the less orthodox techniques as they are serious, positive skills which will help the team and not just please spectators. During the first 14 years of a young player's career, the coaching emphasis must be on technique. The actual execution of a movement is always in the realm of technique. The challenge of when and why to use a movement is one of tactics. Technique is the body's mechanical execution to affect the ball. For example; receiving, catching, shooting, dribbling, deflecting, etc. It is one of the four components of the game and leads to ball skill. Skill is being able to execute a technique under the pressure of opponents in tight space and most likely on the move. Without ball skill a player cannot execute tactics. Technique should be taught in a progressive manner throughout a player's career. Every technique coached at one age must be reinforced at the next age. Techniques taught at U-6 must be reinforced at U-8, U-10, U-12 and U-14. What was learned at a previous age group, or groups, must be refined at the next age group. During the childhood years of soccer, the general progression of the child's experience with the ball begins with manipulating the ball (for U-6s), then propelling the ball (for U-8s), and then mastering the ball (for U-10s). U-6 — dribbling, shooting, balance, running, jumping, movement education U-8 — ball lifting and juggling, block tackle, receiving ground balls with the inside and sole of the foot, shoot with inside of the foot, toe pass and shot, introduce the push pass, throw-in, agility, eye-foot and eye-hand coordination, movement education U-10 — range of motion flexibility, running with the ball, passing, instep drive, receiving ground balls with the instep and outside of foot, receiving bouncing balls with the instep (cushion) and sole or inside or outside of foot (wedge), fakes in dribbling, introduce heading and crossing. For goalkeepers; ready stance, how to hold a ball after a save, diamond grip, catching shots at the keeper, punting and introduction to goal kicks and throwing. |
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| Oct 21 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
Well, finally back out flying around the soccer country. This past weekend I attended the Coaching Committee meeting for US Youth Soccer Region IV, hosted in Jackson Hole, Wyo.
I arrived a few days prior to the workshop so I took advantage of an opportunity to train some of the teams and coaches from Jackson Soccer Club. This invitation was offered by Anne Moore, the director of coaching for Wyoming Youth Soccer and Jackson Soccer Club. I was able to observe first hand the training methods of players U-5 to U-12. What a sight. Six turf fields filled with young, energetic players that seemed to be having a lot of fun. I can only attribute this joy to the leadership of Carlos Elizondo, who just happened to be the only coach holding a US Youth Soccer National Youth License.
On Thursday, at the Jackson Hole High school facility, I worked with a very enthusiastic and motivated group of U-12 Boys, who were more than willing to follow my instructions. I worked on decision making opportunities by Small-Sided Games. They seemed to grasp the concept and made great progress toward the end of the session. I also brought a guest coach with me, Greg Maas, technical director of Utah Youth Soccer, to provide a different style of coaching but still supporting the same message of having the players make decisions. The players seemed to work very hard with Greg in his technical and fitness session. They also seemed to be having fun. What a great combination, fitness and fun. Sounds like Youth Soccer Month stuff. Thanks Greg, great job as always.
On Friday, after the meetings during the day I slipped out to work with Jackson Soccer Club U-8 players and coaches. We had just a few players but they were more than enough to get the point of U-8s working in pairs and cooperating to resolve problems. Great job U8s. If you think I wouldn't take advantage of all the coaches attending the workshop, think again. I invited the US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Region IV Head Coach Platini Soaf. Now, Platini and I go back to 1985-86 when I was one of his assistants for the US Youth Soccer National Championships. Platini demonstrated and discussed moves, and what the differences are when coaching girls as opposed to boys. Thanks Platini, always magic. During the workshop, we discussed US Youth Soccer ODP, camps, the U.S. Soccer technical meeting in Washington, D.C., a wish list for video clips on the US Youth Soccer Web site and development of a US Youth Soccer coaching director's course. It is great to be back out on the road again. Jackson is a beautiful place for a vacation. I wish had the time to enjoy the sites. I hope to see all the coaches who attended the clinics in Jackson in the near future at a US Youth Soccer National Youth License course in their town.
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| Oct 7 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
When asked about areas of difficulty, most new coaches say they feel unprepared to deal with parental behaviors and believe that the coaching experience would be significantly improved if they had preparation in this area. Topics that coaches discuss most frequently include parent intensity, emphasis on winning, political diplomacy and lack of game knowledge.
The No. 1 topic for coaches was parents' overemphasis on winning. Oftentimes parents fail to understand the mission and philosophy of a youth soccer coach. It is US Youth Soccer's belief that soccer should be all about having fun and learning the fundamentals of the game, especially for the U-6 to U-12 age groups, and not about the number of win or losses. Youth players under the age of 12 may stop thinking about the game they just finished playing within five to 10 minutes of the end of the game. Coaches also discuss the issue of dealing with parental politics as a major problem during their early years of coaching. Coaches have stated that they were unprepared to answer questions from parents about why their kid isn't playing more or wanting to have a discussion concerning their child during the game or at halftime. After this coaching experience, many coaches may decide not to select a player based on that parent's behavior. So what could help these coaches out? Coaching education, but not just any coaching education. For example, having a college coach run a training session for Under-12 coaches that he or she would do for their college team would not be helpful. Does this happen? Yes. Training for all coaches should be designed to meet the needs of the age and level of the players to be trained. Coaches who are educated on developmentally appropriate coaching practices and are clear about their organization's and personal coaching philosophies will be more adept at providing an environment that encourages children to enjoy the game. Also, coaches that are educationally prepared will also be able to better deal with over-involved parents. |
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| Sep 30 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
I know there are a lot of coaches and parents who are still having that old discussion concerning what players should drink, when and how much? This week I wanted to write the latest information that I have read concerning this subject. Also, since it's a topic of discussion especially during this time of the soccer season, I thought it might be helpful to hear what the experts have to say on the subject. What's all the debate about anyway? Isn't it all just about drinking fluids? I remember when I was a young player we only had drinks at half time and no one cared what we did after the game. Well, that was then and this is now. Maybe that's why I felt so tired and cramped up during and after games. I think a little knowledge about hydration can assist with keeping players in a position to perform at their best. Isn't that what we want?
Here is an interesting article that I've found from U.S. Soccer:
Sources: ICSN, International Center for Sports Nutrition
USOC, United States Olympic Committee – Sports Medicine Division
USSF, United States Soccer Federation – Sports Medicine Committee
Forget about every other question that you have about nutrition until you've figured out how to
stay hydrated. Being smart about water intake can separate good performance from great
performance. You are mostly water. In fact, if you took the water out of a 180-pound lean body, there would be about 55 pounds left. Because your muscles, your brain, your blood and sweat are mostly water, your body doesn't work like it should when it doesn't have enough water. You don't think as clearly, your endurance is compromised and your heart works harder.
When you're severely dehydrated, sweating stops and your body overheats. The result-fatigue,
weakness, dizziness, and collapse, or worse. In fact, every year, deaths in young healthy athletes
are linked to severe dehydration.
Sometimes you don't even see sweat, like when you swim. But you sweat whenever your body
heats up from working out. Sweat is your body's cooling system. Evaporation of sweat from
your skin cools you down. When you sweat, you lose water from your body and that water must be replaced. Replacing the water takes a plan.
You might be thinking, "What's the big deal? Won't drinking when I'm thirsty guarantee that
I'm hydrated?" Surprisingly, no. During exercise, for reasons not totally understood, humans
don't drink enough to prevent dehydration. You need to drink before you're thirsty and keep
drinking after you no longer feel thirsty.
Forget about the old rule of drinking 8 glasses per day. You probably need more than that on
most days. Counting how many glasses you drink is only one way of keeping track of what you
need. A better way of making sure you're hydrated is to check your body weight before and
after practice. For accuracy, weigh in minimal clothing if there's privacy, and afterwards,
change out of the sweaty clothing before you weigh. The weight lost during practice or
competition is not fat, it's water loss. One pint of water weighs one pound. To replace the water, drink one pint of fluid for every pound you lost. (One pint = 16 ounces = 500 ml = ½ liter). It is critical to replace the water loss as quickly as possible. Before your next workout, your weight should be back up to normal. US Soccer Federation 2.
When you have figured out how to stay hydrated, especially when you sweat heavily, you have
accomplished the single most important performance-enhancing aspect of nutrition.
For the full article click here. |
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| Sep 23 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
When going around the country, I have noticed one common phrase that tends to be stated over and over again in an attempt to give praise and feedback. The words most heard are "Good Job." It's not just at training sessions of the clubs but also in US Youth Soccer ODP tryouts and team training. What's the big deal? I know, you probably are saying that everyone gets praise. Most of the time praise starts when we are infants and it continues for the rest of your life, right? Just hang out at any school playground or attend a school game, it doesn't matter what the game is, you will hear the words "good job" or "great job." This praise is said over and over again in an attempt to let the players know they have done something correct or their actions have had a positive effect on a game and has made someone happy. I spent some time researching and reading articles on this subject and decided to share some of the thoughts from researchers and experts. After having a conversation with Sam Snow, the Director of Coaching for US Youth Soccer, on this subject, I decided that this would be a good piece of information to share.
According to the writer Alfie Kohn, author of Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job!" –
In his writings he states "good job" is euphemistically called positive reinforcement. Let's be clear so that there isn't any misunderstanding. The point here is not to call into question the importance of supporting and encouraging children, the need to love them and hug them and help them feel good about themselves. The praise, however, according to Alfie Kohn's article is that there are several areas of concern. He states:
Manipulating children. Suppose you offer a verbal reward to reinforce the behavior of a 2-year-old that eats without spilling, or a 5-year-old that cleans up her art supplies. Who benefits from this? Is it possible that telling kids they've done a good job may have less to do with their emotional needs than with our convenience?
Rheta DeVries, a professor of education at the University of Northern Iowa, refers to this as "sugarcoated control." Very much like tangible rewards – or, for that matter, punishments – it's a way of doing something to children to get them to comply with our wishes. It may be effective at producing this result (at least for a while), but it's very different from working with kids – for example, by engaging them in conversation about what makes a classroom (or family) function smoothly, or how other people are affected by what we have done or failed to do.
Creating praise junkies. To be sure, not every use of praise is a calculated tactic to control children's behavior. Sometimes we compliment kids just because we're genuinely supportive of their behavior. Kids come to rely on our evaluations, our decisions about what's good and bad, rather than learning to form their own judgments. It leads them to measure their worth in terms of what will lead us to smile and dole out some more approval.
Mary Budd Rowe, a researcher at the University of Florida, discovered that students who were praised lavishly by their teachers were more tentative in their responses, more apt to answer in a questioning tone of voice ("Um, seven?"). They tended to back off from an idea they had proposed as soon as an adult disagreed with them. And they were less likely to persist with difficult tasks or share their ideas with other students.
Losing interest. Lillian Katz, one of the country's leading authorities on early childhood education, said once attention is withdrawn, many kids won't touch the activity again.
The bad news is that the use of positive reinforcement really isn't so positive. The good news is that you don't have to evaluate in order to encourage. Copyright © 2001 by Alfie Kohn. |
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| Sep 18 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
I just completed a National Youth License course in Sandy, Utah in August and had a discussion with one of the candidates who passed the course. I wanted to know her thoughts and any insight she might want to share. Here is what coach Sherri Dever, director of coaching for Infinity Soccer Club in Utah, had to say.
"JT, you asked for me to share some thoughts after participating in the National Youth License course held in Sandy, Utah, in August. After attending other U.S. Soccer licensing courses, I found this course to be similar in format, class work, field sessions, testing and instructors. I think the format was good in its progression, starting with younger age groups (U-6 to U-8) and progressing to older ages (up to U-12). I found the characteristics of each age group helpful, especially when we were actually on the field with the players and had hands-on experience with each of the different age groups. It was good to have to dig deep and let yourself think on a child's level, participate with the players and have some fun.
The age appropriate exercises were really accurate, and I can attest to this with a personal experience. During the final testing I had a session assignment for 10 to 12-year-olds. Because children that age did not show up to participate in testing I was left with 7 to 8-year-old children to try to run my topic with. These younger kids really struggled with the exercises. Had this not been a test, with an outlined session already written out on paper to turn in to my instructor, I would have adjusted it to fit their needs, as this is what I do every day at training. It is important that we are able to adapt to fit the needs of the players involved. Hopefully, this didn't cause me to fail my testing topic, as the instructor did mention that it didn't seem to flow well. I was frustrated that I was put into this situation as the exercises were too complex for the age group. This was a good example to me that we need to do age appropriate exercises with our players. I enjoyed the field sessions and games that were presented. It is always good to get new training ideas and always be a student of the game, at any license level." Dever really helped out a lot at the course by videotaping the goalkeeper session Greg Maas, technical director for Utah, put on, as well as the daily candidate's sessions with the players.
Dever really seemed to enjoy watching our guest coach Masao Naykayama, from Japan's Youth National Staff, who attended the course to observe our teaching methods and run a U-12 possession section. I also enjoyed the session. It really reinforced the coaching style and methodology we use when training and developing our youth players. Dever is correct when she stated that there are many coaches who ignore goalkeeper training. Coaches can overlook the goalkeeper because of a lack of knowledge on what to do to train them, or more frequently because there are 10-14 other players that take up the focus during training time. Maas ran the goalkeeper session. Maas' style gave all watching many ideas on incorporating the whole team and simple activities that could be done by an individual or in pairs. Thanks for the comments Sherri, and I look forward to seeing you and the other coaches from your class on the field.
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| Sep 10 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
Is winning everything? Who remembers who came in second? If winning is not the point of the game then why do we keep score?
I'm sure you have heard these clichés. When discussing youth development, how important is winning a game? If kids are playing the game, they will most likely want to win. You don't even have to tell them, they will just be competitive. What does winning mean to young players? It depends on coaches and parents and what winning means to us. I don't know any coach that doesn't try to win or teach their players to do their best when playing any sport. However, one of the major issues with youth soccer today is that winning has become too important and the development of players has gone by the side.
Success in some soccer leagues across the United States are being based on weekly results or standings. What team wouldn't want to be on the top of the league standings or become the team to beat? So, with results being used as the measuring stick of the team, the last game played becomes what your training session will be all about. This is not to say the game shouldn't be one of the tools you should use to help train your players. As we know, the game can be one of the best teachers but it shouldn't be the only method used to assist with player development.
We can't forget that the technical and tactical parts of the game must still be emphasized in training over the season. Long-term development of players is sometimes sacrificed for the quick fix. Here are a few notes to remember when discussing winning as a coach and being a winner for your players:
· How much time is everyone playing in a match? Is it equal or fair?
· Are the players able to take chances in the game or are they structured?
· What happens to the players with less skill? Are they taken out in close games?
If you want to have a positive impact in youth player development and players having a winning attitude, you should consider the coaching methods stated above. Players need to learn to play all positions or at least be given an opportunity to play them and yes, even the goalkeeper position. Coaches should encourage players to express themselves and make decisions without fear - fear of being criticized or fear of losing. Coaches should think long-term when it comes to winning. |
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| Sep 3 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
Today, I would like to talk about one of the great new programs that has come online concerning one of the areas that is close to my heart, the underserved communities. Sometime last year I was invited to be part of a symposium in Milwaukee by Nathan Thompkins, program director of the Milwaukee Wave of Kindness. The goal of this organization is to bring together different soccer organizations that can work together in an effort to have a positive impact on more than 4,000 youths and 300 coaches. It's hard to get the kids to play soccer in an urban environment because of the lack of playing fields, administrative support and coaches. So, the Milwaukee Wave of Kindness discussed forming an urban soccer league.
What have been the results of this symposium thus far? Here is a summary of the program's achievements this year as discussed with Nathan Thompkins and reviewing the Milwaukee Wave of Kindness annual report for June 2008 to May 2009:
Youth agency soccer clinics: There were 63 clinics offered at 43 different youth organizations, involving approximately 1,500 kids. Every clinic session included a value message about success in soccer and success in life, requiring the same types of disciplines.
Summer soccer camp: Four summer camps at central locations in collaboration with Partners Advancing Values in Education included about 150 players.
Soccer camp scholarships: The Wave of Kindness has routinely offered scholarships to any Milwaukee Wave soccer camp for children from low income families. This year there were more than 60 given, perhaps a reflection of the times.
Making Waves: The Wave of Kindness was again the lead sponsor of the Milwaukee Wave youth outreach program. It included soccer presentations at 84 schools. About 400,000 financial literacy and health studies curriculum materials were distributed to schools and as a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel insert. Nearly all of the 16,000 children who attended one of three Milwaukee Wave School Day Games received discounted tickets.
National Urban Soccer Collaborative: As a founding member of the organization, Thompkins participated in four national conferences about advancing urban soccer.
Wow, what a program. Imagine different soccer organizations working together for the good of the underserved soccer player. It's a great organization with a great future. Thanks to Milwaukee Wave of Kindness for all you do. |
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| Aug 28 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
I've been in Sandy, Utah, working with Utah State Technical Director Greg Mass on a National Youth License course on Aug. 10-14. It's been very interesting working with candidates that have come from Alaska, North and South Dakota, Utah and coaches originally from Peru, El Salvador and other countries outside the United States. The candidate traveled from as far as Alaska, that's pretty far but there was one more coach who had a 10 hour non-stop flight from Tokyo, Japan. Dr. Masao Nakayama is a Japan Football Association instructor and Associate Professor at the graduate school of Comprehensive Human Sciences Institute of Health and Sport Science. Dr. Nakayama was here to observe and review the National Youth License course looking at what and how the course addresses the teaching and development of our youth players from U-6 to U-12. Dr. Nakayama stated he has researched other international problems but the NYL stands out as one of the great programs to learn from and he plans on taking the information back to his association in the hopes they will adopt some of the program.
During the course the two topics Greg and I covered over in the five days, I must say that U-8 lessons were the most challenging to get across to the candidates. A lot of work went into the candidates learning how to work to the pinnacle of teaching for this age group especially for those that may not have had an opportunity to work with those age groups before. I think the words of Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator, who lived from 1870- 1952, developed the idea that structuring the play environment enhanced learning. I believe that by designing cooperative and competitive activities, young players will better learn and understand how to begin to be part of a team.
From the research done by the writers of the National Youth License course, the following information is emphasized in respect to U-8 and pairs - This is the age where players can begin to understand the concept of working with a teammate. The notion, or willingness, to intentionally pass the ball to someone is just beginning to take hold. In the U-6 age group, efforts from coaches and parents to encourage the player to pass the ball usually failed. Coaches and parents will have more success encouraging players to pass the ball in the seven to eight-year-old age group. In this age group, the player begins to think beyond their personal needs and actively looks to pass to a teammate. In many cases they will pass to their best friend and not necessarily the player in the best position to receive the ball. Some players will be more developmentally mature and seem more advanced than others. To help offset this, encourage continued practice without creating an elitist attitude. Some players will go back and forth between egocentric play and a cooperative play while others will appear to lag behind due to a slower developmental path. The "two players-one ball" concept that applied to this age group should encourage a coach to design activities in which players are sharing a ball. However, this does not mean that players should no longer do activities that require individual ball work.
I think this was and is some great information that we pass on to the candidates of the National Youth License course. We now provide our instructors with even more detailed information as above on cooperative play to assist the candidates with learning and understanding this sometimes new concept.
A special thanks to Karen Chin, Sherri Dever, David Trapp and Melissa Russell.
We would also like to thank to Dr. Nakayama, thank you for letting us be part of your youth development.
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| Aug 5 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
| General
The fields were in excellent condition. Five turf and three natural grass fields were available for the championship play. Most of the days of play were cloudy and overcast with the sun showing itself every now and then. The rain only came into to play on Friday and Saturday morning games. Because of the outstanding surface the games went on without a hitch. The set up of the complex, fields, tents, benches and so forth for the players was excellent. Proper hydration and first aid care was always prompt and professionally done.
At this event most of the game started like most international events with the exception of the subs beginning on the field during the national anthem – subs should go straight to the bench, starting eleven marches onto the field with the referees and the opponents. After the acknowledgement to the crowd go straight to your starting position without a team huddle. (This means a team huddle and cheer must be done at the bench before the teams take the field.)
Players
Overall the players' abilities within the four components of the game were quite good. They played effectively within the principles of play. Emotional drive and commitment to win is good, but there were some players who often exceeded acceptable expression of their will to win and were shown a yellow or in some case the dreaded red card.
Goalkeeper punts technically were very good. There U-14 and 15 still punt the ball too high (hang time) – tactically they were 50/50 balls without good tactical intent. The older keepers seem to be more direct with their distribution of the ball to their teammates. They used a combination of throws long and short, passes on the ground and in the air. There were even a few keepers that used a sidewinder kick or drop-kick. It was great to see this improvement over the last few years.
With some exceptions the general style of attack was too vertical. But there was a lot more East to West play by all teams. There was some attempt to maintain control of the ball during the first few days of championship play. All teams that made it to the finals play a majority of possession soccer. The girls who played more combination play in their build up still played within a 30 yard corridor and the chance to switch the point of attack were missed. These players have the skill to hit 30+ yard passes, but the tactical thought doesn't occur to most of them. Female players of this high caliber should be encouraged to look for this passing opportunity and to take the chance to hit the pass. In the same vein we should urge the girls to play with confidence and tactical awareness to play longer passes to open up the game.
There were some great goals score from free kicks within shooting range of the goal. Some were hit low to impede the goalkeeper's view and others were high and wide of the keepers range to save. At corner kicks the players STILL stand with their hips square to the ball instead of at an angle to be able to better see the goal, field, ball and the players.
Goal kick: on the boys' side there didn't appear to be any problems with getting the ball to midfield but there were two teams that had someone other than the goalkeeper take the kick. The balls where still lofted ball which turned in to 50/50 balls. The girls' keepers were able to play the ball to midfield with the same 50/50 results. With exception there were two of the boys' teams that played the ball out of the back consistently.
The coaches gave too many commands during the game, the coach must instead ask the right questions to key players to get them to think and ask questions and give commands among his teammates themselves.
Congratulation to all the winners!
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| Aug 3 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
Region III 1993, 1994, 1995 Boys ODP Camp
July 9-12, 2009 Staff:
US Youth Soccer Region III Director – Mike McDaniel (AR)
Region III Boys Administrator – Andre Burger (NC)
Region Camp Director – Christie Clark (AL)
Head Regional Coach – Shaun Docking (SC)
Asst. Regional Coach – Paul McGinlay (ST)
U.S. Soccer Federation – Juan Carlos Michia (FL) Director of Schedules – Jacob Daniel (GA) Administrative Assistant – Brian Person (AL) US Youth Soccer Region III provides the advanced players opportunities to be identified for the U.S. National Team as well as the opportunity for further development. The camp was held at Alabama University, in Tuscaloosa, home of Coach Bear Bryant. The accommodations were very good with a great soccer complex within a 10-15 minute walk or 5 minute bus ride. It's a very good site for training with the 7 soccer fields available with lights. This true soccer camp, even though the boys may have been distracted with the invasion of the girls volley ball camp, made for some very interesting lunch times. Regional staff and state coaches trained and evaluated the players during the morning and afternoon sessions.
During the matches teams played 4-4-2 and 3-5-2 as their formation in matches played. All teams observed did quite well given the little time they actually train together. Sometimes players literally in a few instances were getting to know each other's names in the pool matches.
In the training sessions with goalkeepers, the keepers were able to learn a lot of technical and tactical skills in a very short period of time. This training continued throughout the week and was reinforced when the keeper played for their teams or when they were selected for the pool matches during the evenings.
Comment: It's been noted more than on one occasion by Sam Snow, Director of Coaching for US Youth Soccer and me that US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program is not obsolete as could be seen by the ODP camp attendances. It will not disappear from the American soccer landscape. We are taking on the challenges of improving the current program because we know that there is always room for it - always has been and always will be. No other elite player identification and development pathway casts as wide and deep net as does US Youth Soccer ODP. |
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| Jul 23 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
Nutrition is one of these topics that as coaches we just don't spend enough time researching or becoming very knowledgeable about, I don't but I'm working on it. Since we deal with young players and we are role models we are in the position to have a very strong impact in their nutritional lives. What an important opportunity to take advantages of. The issues I think for a lot of coaches is where to get the information and is it the most current and supported research. My answer is to do the research and discuss your findings with your peers for feedback and confirmation. Remember that you can not only influence the players but you can provide parents with nutritional information to assist with giving our youth players the opportunity to perform at their top level. A lot of what I have read in the past on nutrition always seemed to be so complicated, but isn't it just all about making sure the players eat three meals a day and drink lots of water? Or do you need a degree in nutrition to make some suggestions to improve players eating habits?
The task of framing the perfect nutrition plan can be a daunting task even for experienced athletes. However, as Amanda Carlson explains in Issue 272 of Peak Performance, if you break it down into different pieces and understand those individual parts that make the whole. You will discover that creating the perfect nutrition plan to meet your needs is just a series of simple steps. The perfect nutrition plan will keep you fueled, keep you at the weight you need to be at , perform optimally and keep you feeling great at all phases of your training.
Here's an excerpt from the article:
Foundation nutrition
In my work with athletes, I break down foundation nutrition into 10 rules to live by. If you can ensure that you are following these rules day in, day out, you will build a solid nutrition foundation. Without that foundation, any nutritional fine-tuning simply won't make that much of a difference. These rules are as follows:
1. Come back to earth. This simply means choosing the least processed forms of foods (specifically carbohydrates) when building the majority of your meals. Typically, the less processed the foods and the closer the food that you are eating is to its natural state, the better it will be for your body.
2. Eat a rainbow often. The vitamins and minerals that our bodies need come naturally from the foods that we eat, and especially from fruits and vegetables. Eating a variety of fruit and vegetables in a multitude of colors will help to ensure that you are getting the variety of nutrients that you need, resulting in enhanced recovery, improved energy production and immunity. The following fruits rank in the top 20 list of the American Cancer Society: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, Granny Smith apples, sweet cherries and black plums.
3. The fewer legs the better. Protein is a critical part of the diet for athletes, specifically the type and the amount. When focusing in on the type of protein, typically the fewer legs the animal has before you actually consume the protein it produces, the better the source. Fish, turkey, and chicken rank high. |
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| Jul 15 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
In conjunction with US Youth Soccer, U.S. Soccer states what their idea of what Zone One in player development is and what our focus should be on as we train our youth players. There are some important areas of concerned. It's important to understand U.S. Soccer's guidelines as we continue to develop as coaches and students of the game.
U.S. Soccer states:
Over the past several years, we have implemented a common framework for discussing the player development process.
Zone 1 – Ages 6-12
Zone 2 – Ages 13-18
Zone 3 – Above the age of 18
This framework has allowed us to narrow our focus within these areas and have meaningful discussions on how to improve within each zone.
Base Level; Ages 6-12; "The ball is your best friend"
Dynamics Introduction to the game/huge numbers from age 6 to10 limited knowledge base from most coaches
Players who develop physically at an early age are typically the "stars".
Current environment places too much emphasis on winning vs. developing a passion for the game/fundamentals of the game.
Assessment Summary need more free play, less structure – futsal, playground, etc.
Encourage passion and experimentation
Encourage technical training and the most basic building blocks of the game (1 v 1), (2 v 1) and (2 v 2).
Approach to improvement more influence at the entry levels of coaching education continue to espouse Best Practices and expand its distribution Register all coaches (enables direct communication). |
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| Jul 13 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
This week's blog concerns the topic of the game being the Best Teacher. What does that really mean to us? I think we had this discussion some time ago, but just like wine it may just get better as it gets older.
I receive comments on this topic all the time but I must say the comments I read from Robert Parr, the Director of Coaching Education for US Youth Soccer in Arkansas is spot on. I think it's important to clear up what the game in the game of soccer really means as we continue to develop our youth players throughout the U.S. Here is what Robert Parr had to say in an article sent to me on June 30, 2009. Please let me know if you think he makes his point.
The standard curriculum of many youth soccer coaching courses advises that "the game is the best teacher". Although there is certainly some validity to this concept, coaches and league administrators often misunderstand the meaning behind this maxim. As a consequence, many youth soccer leagues and clubs have adopted policies that incorrectly emphasize game play at the expense of dedicated practice time. When we allow training and games to be scheduled out of balance, we create an environment that is not conducive to proper player development or player welfare. Question, is there something that we can do to assist in limiting this issue? Yes, limit the number of tournaments each team can play in per season.
To understand this point, we should first explore the intended meaning of this heuristic. There is a tendency among many novice coaches (especially those who don't have experience as soccer players) to conduct soccer practices in ways that aren't very effective, efficient, or even relevant to the demands of the game. Drawing upon experiences as players in other sports, these coaches turn to the 3 Ls -- lectures, lines, and laps -- as the basic model for their practice sessions. This not the fought of the coach, he or she is only doing what they learned from their sports experiences. We need to get the age appropriate training in their hands.
As a player-centric sport, soccer demands a unique blend of skills, decision-making ability, and physical fitness. The 3 Ls do little to develop these abilities in a way that leads to success in games, so we prefer to have coaches rely on activities that more closely replicate the demands of the game in their training sessions. Thus, when we state that the game is the best teacher, we are promoting the idea of using match-related activities in practices as much as possible to prepare players for success when playing their "real" games. In particular, we want our players to play a variety of small-sided and other conditioned games that will allow them to get many touches on the ball and face an assortment of tactical challenges in each practice. Let's give the game back to the players.
Note, however, that we are not advocating that coaches replace practices with more games! If you take this concept to the extreme (and out of the proper context), you would conclude that teams should never practice, and should simply play a formal match every time players come together. This is clearly not what the best teams and players do, nor should it be our approach when working with young, developing players. There truly needs to be a balances in training to include varying your training tools and methods.
Since technical development is directly proportional to the number of touches a player gets on the ball, most of a player's learning will come from practices, not games. The average player will touch the ball for less than 2 minutes in a 90 minute match, so you have limited opportunity for skill development in games. Players generally will be risk-averse in matches, and thus rarely will attempt to try something new or difficult when a win or loss is on the line. Finally, you may have as many as half your players sitting on the bench at any point in time during a game, waiting for an opportunity to step on the field as a substitute. Although they may learn other lessons during this time, these players have no opportunity for technical growth while they are watching their teammates play. Let's make our training session inclusive.
Similarly, soccer coaches have limited opportunities to teach during games. We don't have time outs and can't stop the action to make coaching points, nor can players really understand and process instructions that are yelled out from the touchline 50-80 yards away. Practices are more economical for learning, as you can include all the players on your roster in each activity, you can use more than one ball (and more than two goals) at a time, and you can adjust the challenges presented by each activity to closely match the abilities of your players. Let the game be the best teacher. Great words and comments by Robert Parr whose focus is always player centered. What do you think? |
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| Jun 18 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
On June 12-17, Matt Howe, Nebraska Director of Coaching, and I were instructors at the Madison Indoor Complex in Richmond, Kentucky. The course was hosted by Kentucky Youth Soccer. I must say I truly enjoyed the candidates' candor and interactions in and out of the class. The weather wasn't always the greatest but the course was held all indoors so the weather, even at times when the rain was coming down fairly hard, wasn't a factor for us to push forward with our educational task. Remember the National Youth License is a 6-day course that combines both classroom (theory) and practical (field) sessions, and concludes with written, oral and practical examinations. It is ideal for anyone within the soccer community. You will leave with a better understanding of the adjustments that adults must make in order to become a better and more effective coach to our young players. You would benefit from the material that the course will provide and we hope that you will join us in the future!
There were some candidates that really stood out from the rest, more because of their personality and love of the game and willingness to open up to the opportunity of learning. So, to Charles, Derek, Max, (The official Game Gate) Christian, John, Fonyam (Mr. Personality) Mohamed Fazlagic (Funny – but a very talented singer, I'm looking forward to receiving a copy of his music, please do check him out online). Brian Jones is (The Energizer). All the candidates had something special to offer, it was a great class to have participated in.
One of the most meaningful shared points of information I received from a candidate during his oral presentation given on the last day of class was information concerning being prepared for the worst. The story is about being prepared for the unexpected passing of a teammate. Mr. Chris Akunda, 12, was always smiling but his biggest smile came when he was playing soccer. He loved life and loved soccer. His love of the game exceeds everyone on his team. Chris was playing in the Coca Cola Classic tournament at The Center Grover Soccer Club field on Saturday. During the second half he dropped to his knees and said he was having trouble breathing. Four parents and a physician were on the field because they were concerned about the seriousness of Chris. The doctor knew it was more serious and called for 911 help. Chris was taken to John Memorial hospital where he later became unresponsive and passed away.
Is your team ready for such a tragedy? It could happen in your club at anytime.
Here are a few recommendations from the club that just went through it:
· One of the parents went with the mother and the child to the hospital and the manager stayed in contact with the family throughout the day.
· Two parents went to Chris's home after the sad news and assisted around the home.
· The next day the club's president and team manager met with the parents to offer support.
· The team parents provided food.
· Media was arranged to meet with the coach and trainer the next day. The team turned the situation into a celebration of Chris love for the game.
· The teammates decided to get together at the field the next day. They shared fun stories about Chris, wrote down memories and left balloons.
· The boys talked some and one suggested playing a game in his honor.
· The club set up a foundation in a bank account with two accounts; one to help defray cost for the family funeral expenses and the second was a memorial fund for Chris.
Very good stuff from the team and the community in support of an unknown tragedy
Are you prepared for such an event? For more please go to the website, www.fisherscs.org.
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| Jun 10 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
On June 4-7, I attended the US Youth Soccer Region I ODP tournament in New Jersey, my home state.
The tournament was being played at several of the colleges in the Princeton and Trenton area; Mercer County Community College, The College of New Jersey and Ryder College.
While observing the U-14 boys game, I had a chance to speak with a family practice physician from Maine on the topic of player overuse. Well really, she approached me about the subject. She stated in her office there seems to have been an increase in younger players being treated for overuse related injuries.
The doctor (I didn't get her name) stated she has been involved with US Youth Soccer ODP and travel teams for many years with her boys as a parent and administrator and during her children's younger years as a coach. Over the years, she has noticed parents wanting to take shortcuts when it came to the healing process of their children in soccer related injuries. Injuries where the wearing of a cast was required. The doctor stated she stopped offering the option of a breakaway cast because the parents would allow the child to remove them too soon and return to training and matches.
She stated that the coaches are under a lot of pressure to win so they may look the other way and allow players to return to training too soon. There is nothing wrong with winning, all players and coaches want to do their best to win the game but it shouldn't be at the expense of the player's development or health. She was, as they say, spot on with her comments which were in line with US Youth Soccer beliefs. It is important that the coaches and parents understand the age appropriate training and matches ratio and how it fits into the overall development of our youth players. I discussed with the doctor how US Youth Soccer provides information on these issues and receives information from other professional sources like the American Academy of Pediatrics.
I offered to send her a copy of some of the research on overuse injuries, overtraining and burnout, for example the information provided by Joel S. Brenner, MD, MPH, and the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. There are two sections that stand out for me after reading his research. One area was - What the goal of the athlete is? The second was - What should our goals be for the soccer player?
The following was obtained from 1244 AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS Downloaded from www.pediatrics.org on October 24, 2008.
What Is the Goal of the Athlete?
The ultimate goal of youth participation in sports should be to promote lifelong physical activity, recreation, and skills of healthy competition that can be used in all facets of future endeavors. As providers of care for youth, it is important to obtain a physical activity history (type of activity, frequency, duration) and take the opportunity to promote healthy participation and preventive care measures. Education of parents, athletes, and coaches must be part of the plan to promote fun, skill development, and success for each individual athlete. Skilled Young athletes must be mentored carefully to prevent over participation, which may affect them physically as well as psychologically. The parent or pediatrician may wonder how hard a child should be pushed to train and compete. Ultimately, it is important for the practitioner to discuss the underlying motivation for sport participation with the athlete, the parent, and, possibly, the coach. Unfortunately, too often the goal is skewed toward adult (parent/coach) goals either implicitly or explicitly. The parent often hopes the child will get a scholarship, become a professional athlete, or fulfill the parents' unfulfilled childhood dreams. It is best to identify and focus on the child's motivation and goals to provide guidance.
We, as coaches, talk about ensuring our players get time off during the week and we also discuss players who may be specializing in soccer to take time off during the year so that the body and mind have an opportunity to rest and to re-energize. Perhaps we can learn something from our research on the subject. Here is what they suggest:
1. Encourage athletes to strive to have at least 1 to 2 days off per week from competitive athletics, sport-specific training and competitive practice (scrimmage) to allow them to recover both physically and psychologically.
2. Advise athletes that the weekly training time, number of repetitions, or total distance should not increase by more than 10% each week (eg, increase total running mileage by 2 miles if currently running a total of 20 miles per week).
3. Encourage the athlete to take at least 2 to 3 months away from a specific sport during the year.
4. Emphasize that the focus of sports participation should be on fun, skill acquisition, safety, and sportsmanship.
5. Encourage the athlete to participate on only 1 team during a season. If the athlete is also a member of a traveling or select team, then that participation time should be incorporated into the aforementioned guidelines.
6. If the athlete complains of nonspecific muscle or joint problems, fatigue, or poor academic performance, be alert for possible burnout. Questions pertaining to sport motivation may be appropriate.
7. Advocate for the development of a medical advisory board for weekend athletic tournaments to educate athletes about heat or cold illness, over participation, associated overuses injuries, and/or burnout.
8. Encourage the development of educational opportunities for athletes, parents, and coaches to provide information about appropriate nutrition and fluids, sport safety, and the avoidance of overtraining to achieve optimal performance and good health.
9. Convey a special caution to parents with younger athletes who participate in multi-game tournaments in short periods of time.
GUIDANCE FOR THE CLINICIAN by Joel S. Brenner and the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness Overuse Injuries, Overtraining, and Burnout in Child and Adolescent Athletes
http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/119/6/1242 |
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| Jun 4 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
Every now and then I like to remember the other players on a team who may not get all the recognition they should. We all know the goalkeeping position is a specialty position and requires a special type of training and sacrifices to become an outstanding player at that position. Here are a few rules to remember for our youth goalkeepers as they develop that are taken from the Player Development Manuel produced by US Youth Soccer:
1. Go for Everything!
You may not be able to stop every shot that comes your way, but if you make the attempt, you will find that you are stopping shots you never before thought possible. You will also have the personal satisfaction that at least you made the attempt and your teammates will be more forgiving even if you miss.
2. After a save – get up quickly!
If you have gone to the ground to make a save, get back on your feet as fast as possible. Look for a fast break distribution or to direct your teammates into position to receive a build-up distribution. This aspect is particularly important if you are injured. You cannot show weakness, you may tend to your injury after you have started the counterattack. This will particularly intimidate your opponents and raise the confidence in your teammates.
3. Do not be half-hearted --- 100% effort!
Every time you make a play it must be with all of your ability. If you go half way you will miss saves and injure yourself.
4. Communicate loudly!
You must constantly give instructions when on defense. When your team is on the attack, come to the top of your penalty area or beyond and talk to your teammates and offer support to the defenders. Be mentally involved in the entire match, no matter where the ball is.
5. No excuses! No whining! Just get on with the match.
If a goal is scored against you, a corner kick is given up or the shot is a near miss, DO NOT yell at your teammates even if it's their fault. DO NOT hang your head; kick the ground or the post if it was your fault. During the match is no time to point fingers or make excuses. The play is over, its ancient history, get on with playing the remainder of the match. Focus on what lies ahead! |
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| May 26 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
As said by so many of our US Youth Soccer State Directors of Coaching in their marketing statements about the National Youth License Course, you owe it to your players to be as knowledgeable and well prepared as you can be. Informed coaches are better able to understand, develop and challenge young players. The result is a better experience for the players and more enjoyment for the coach.
The National Youth License coaching courses will clear up a lot of the myths and clear the mysteries behind the methods and principles of coaching. For example: "No pain, no gain" might be applicable to Olympic athletes, but it has no place in the training approach of an Under-12 youth player. Also, coaches who wish to advance into state, regional, national or collegiate positions need to obtain the proper qualifications. For those of you that have taken the course, please continue to spread the word concerning the learning experiences you obtain by taking the National Youth Licenses. For those of you that have not taken the course, please see the many number of courses available this summer across the United States and please do ask someone that has taken the course, I'm sure they will give it the thumbs up.
The National Youth License, a U.S. Soccer course, focuses upon the nature of children and the adjustments adults must make to coach them. The course curriculum covers the ages of 4-12 years old. Each day of the course, the focus is upon one of the traditional soccer age groups of U-6, U-8, U-10 or U-12. Each day, children of the appropriate age group are brought to the course site for the candidates to work with them in a practice training session. The candidates are videotaped while coaching the kids and the video is reviewed with each candidate to aid in the education of the coach. The course combines both classroom (theory) and field (practical) sessions. The course concludes with written, oral and practical examinations. The National Youth License course is six days in length, sometimes being held over two weekends rather than six days in a row. It is ideal for anyone hoping to become a better and more effective coach. Also, "A" license coaches can earn eight CEU's by completing the National Youth License course.
Come join the fun and educational experiences. |
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| May 15 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
From April 30 through May 2, I was in San Diego working with the La Jolla Soccer Club in La Jolla, Calif.
Director of coaching Rick Flores is one of our National Youth License National Staff coaches.
On Thursday evening, I spoke with a group of coaches on the subject of player development. There were several questions concerning player moving up to the next age groups to play. I discussed ways the player could be challenged and how coaches and teams might slant the line so that the player could be able to play with his or her age group but given opportunities to train with the older age group and perhaps be given chances to play in tournaments. There still should be some concern to the psychosocial and physical development of the player before moving players up.
On Friday, I had a meeting with directors of several clubs in the area. We discussed coaching education and player development.
Friday evening, I had a chance to train the Under-14 Girls La Jolla Impact Blue Team. Thanks to their coach, Joe Montoya, for the opportunity to work with the team.
The focus of training was on defense, my favorite subject. We focused on the first defender, applying pressure and winning the ball when possible but to always be patient in their defenses. I think the players understood how to apply the individual principles of defending in all times. We worked on what to do if a player with possession of the ball was facing our goal; can I channel that player away from our goal or into my supporting defenders space? Lastly, we discussed the supporting defenders roles (second, third or all defenders off the ball) pressure, cover and balance. It was great having many of the LaJolla Soccer and other clubs' coaches watching the training session. I hope they picked up a few ideas to help them with their development of their own player's defensive play.
To Brooke, Brittany, Christine, Taryn, Natalia, Kellsie, Kara, Tori, Sarah, Kylie, Paola, Taylor, Rachel, Gwen and Tessa - please continue your hard work ladies and I look forward to seeing all of you on the soccer field.
Saturday, I spent working with California South state coaching staff running a national 'D' license course. I had a chance to observe the staff and candidates being trained to pass the 'D' testing on Sunday. The 'D' course continues to be a challenging course. John Napier, the lead instructor, Mike Nudumbe and A.C. Toumi had things well in hand with the best interest of the candidates in mind. It was great getting back to the San Diego area were I started my club and US Youth Soccer ODP coaching. I look forward to returning! |
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| May 4 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
What are some of the Barriers for Urban Soccer Players?
In March of this year, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I was invited to sit on a task force of 15-20 members to discuss urban soccer issues. It was an all-day affair with lots of meaningful and sometimes high-spirited banter, all in good nature with the goal of coming up with some ideas that would help urban soccer players and coaches. I have always thought that more discussion is needed to tap into the full potential of our country from the urban centers around the county.
The agenda covered the following:
What is happening in inner city soccer today?
What are the barriers for central city soccer?
What current activities should be abandoned?
What are the key issues?
The vision for 2010-2012?
For this weeks' blog, I'll talk about what some of the barriers are and please feel free to comment on any issues and how you may suggest we solve it.
Money
· Coach
· Administrative staff
· Facilities
· Equipment
Space in which to play
· Many youth organizations do not have their own gyms or ground.
· Schools have priority in scheduling events at their locations.
· Parks are scheduled already with other activities. Parks which may have vacant fields are located too far away for urban players to get there.
Coaches and Referees
· They could be recruited and trained. In African American community, there may not be many adults familiar with soccer.
Transportation
· At the older ages for youth players teams that want to play in local and regional events.
Territorialism
· Many agencies and program do not want to change, did not want to risk their identities and do not want to share.
Isolationisms
· Many people do not feel comfortable leaving their own neighborhoods to play in unfamiliar places with people who may look and act them differently than they do. Many Latinos have more confidence interacting in Spanish rather than in English.
Rules
· Defining what a team, club and sanctioned league are often keeps many youth agencies from participating in their state soccer structure.
Organization Buy-In
· Most youth agencies depend on United Way and other institutional funding which do not recognize recreational outcome. CEO's are hesitant to institute a new program with new expenses that do not have identified funding.
Social Norms
· The African American community does not place a high value on or even recognize soccer as a positive, approved activity. There is no culture of soccer in the African American community, except for African immigrants. If parents understood the value of soccer like they understand the value of basketball, they would support the game of soccer.
What are some of the suggestions you would make to deal with these barriers?
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| Apr 13 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education | |
Additional Photos of the US Youth Soccer ODP Girls 1993 Region III Trip to Denmark
            JT's Last BLOG from Denmark Today was the last time several of the players will have the opportunity to play together this year. The team went out on top with another impressive win.
In the four games played, the teams scored almost 30 goals to three. Today's game was challenging in that the players had to make better soccer decisions in order to maintain possession and control of the game. I have to say there were some great shots made and also some very lively play in the midfield area. I have truly enjoyed myself on this trip and it has been a pleasure having the US Youth Soccer ODP Girls 1993 Region III staff assist with writing the blogs. Colin Carmichael, the first assistant coach, will finish with the last blog of the trip. I leave you with the Girls 93 ODP team cheer: One, Two, Three, Region 3, You Know! I guess you'd have to be there to really get it.
JT
Day 5
Kevin Dempsey, Coach Kevin Dempsey, no relationship to Jack the boxer, is the head coach for the US Youth Soccer ODP Girls 1993 Region III team. Friday will be Kevin and Colin's last match with the girls in US Youth Soccer ODP as they move on to other soccer opportunities in life. Both coaches have done an outstanding job with the team. They reflect what I hope our other regional coaches portray when they go aboard. Both are very professional, knowledgeable representatives of US Youth Soccer ODP. I know the team and other staff members would like to take a moment and thank both coaches for all their hard work, especially to Kevin who has been involve with US Youth Soccer ODP for 10 years and I think Colin has for six years. The one big take away of coaching that I was able to see first hand was the magical ability of Kevin and Colin at halftime. I can't tell you their secret but after each talk the player's individual and tactical skills would improve resulting in many of the goals scored. I could pass the secret on but it will cost you. I'm very grateful that I had the opportunity to have worked with both coaches. Go Region III!
JT
Kevin's view of the day was as follows: We began the day with a trip to Fredericksburg Castle, about a 20 minute drive through the Danish countryside. What an amazing place! Sven Eric (our guide and host) treated all of us to a history lesson regarding the royal family of Denmark.
I'm sure Sven was a very good teacher back in the day because he certainly impressed all of us with his knowledge of the massive castle and little tidbits regarding the genealogy of the royal family. However the most impressive thing of the day was Sven demonstrating his dancing ability with Rosa, they did the Danish two-step in the grand ball room. Next stop Danish Dancing with the Stars!
After the grand tour, the gang headed to the town for lunch and a little bit more shopping. We then returned to the hotel for a little rest before we headed to Malmo for our game vs. Malmo FF, one of the highest regarded and largest clubs in Sweden, for both the men and women.
En route to Malmo, as we entered Sweden, the Swedish Police Dept. waved us off of the road! Was this a special police escort to the game? Was this another Sven surprise? He mentioned that only 1 in a 100,000 vehicles are pulled over. Not exactly!
At this point we realized that the teams' passports were back at the hotel! Once again, Sven did a two-step and got us out of a jam!!! With a big sigh of relief, we continued on to Malmo!
Malmo is a beautiful city with a very proud soccer tradition! The stadium complex and club includes one older stadium and one recently completed. The very first game was played last week! Along with the two stadiums, there were 5-6 practice fields comprised of both turf and natural grass. Again, a very impressive facility that basically serves the club members from cradle to grave.
The game itself kicked off at 6 p.m. and we quickly realized we would again have the upper hand. In the end the score was 8-0! The girls really knocked the ball around well in the second half.
Following the game, the two teams attended a dinner in the club complex. The girls really enjoyed each others company as did the staff.
Colin Carmichael gave an absolutely stunning speech that will no doubt go down in Region III history!!! Another great day in Denmark/Sweden. One more match vs. a Danish Reg. Team (the region we are staying in, New Zealand). Off to bed! Day 5
Ashley, the athletic trainer Today, I asked Ashley (the athletic trainer) to write her view on the events of the day. Here is what she had to say. Today continued a great week of soccer and travel. It also marked our first time traveling outside of Denmark into the neighboring country, Sweden. After studying for a few hours this morning, we loaded up the bus and headed to the coast of Denmark. Our bus drove onto a ferry and sailed across the harbor into Sweden. Everyone took pictures on the ferry as we passed a castle which was Shakespeare's inspiration as he wrote Hamlet. Upon our arrival into Sweden we strolled the streets, ate lunch, and shopped for more souvenirs including chocolate, posters, and Viking hats!
A short drive took us to the stadium of the club team "Nike." The original Nike. This club was formed around 1920, before the company that we all think of. We were reminded by our tour guide, Sven, that Nike is the Goddess of Victory and was pictured on the wall in the clubhouse. We prepared for the game and warmed-up as the sun went down and the wind picked up. Region III won a good game that included first half goals from Meg and Maddie (on a PK) and second half goals from Brooke, Maddie and Shelby. The "Man of the Match" was Taylor Schneider. She was presented the award by Coach Kevin Dempsey as he wore a newly purchased Viking helmet! After the game, the team was graciously hosted by the Nike girls. We were fed a pasta dinner and given many gifts from their club. Each of the Region III players were given a t-shirt with the team sponsor on it and our team was given pins, a crystal bowl, a soccer trophy, and MANY boxes of gummy bears. We sat, ate and made friends with the Swedish players and coaches. It was a memorable day and most peoples' first time to Sweden. We look forward to going there tomorrow where we will play again. From the athletic training perspective, the girls are very healthy. There have been a few minor aches, cuts and bruises. Overall, my job has been easy, which shows that the girls are in good condition! I hope that it stays this way and we return to the U.S. on Saturday in the same condition we left. This has been a wonderful experience and I am thankful for the opportunity to travel with the team and work with this great group. Day 4 Melissa Moore's perspective Today started off great with another day of beautiful weather. Tuesday was set to be a light day for soccer, we let the girls recover before their game with Sweden.
The team had a 1 ½ to 2 hour practice with Danny Young. He is the U-16 Danish National Team Coach and Danish Regional Team Coach. He came to work with the girls and had them experience how he runs the Danish teams practice. The girls said they really enjoyed it and got to learn several new things from a different point of view.
After the practice session our coaches Kevin Dempsey and Colin Carmichael sat down with Danny and talked about all things soccer while we all prepared to leave for Copenhagen. We had about 2 ½ hours to eat lunch and shop. Personally, I took too long eating and needed more time shopping! We ate lunch right on the canals in the New Harbor area and it was very picturesque.
The main street is open only to walking traffic and is about a mile long. It's lined with every kind of store you can imagine. We went from shopping to the canal tour (thanks Region III). It was beautiful and I think everyone enjoyed it and I would definitely recommend it if the weather is perfect like today. I know I filled my camera with pictures.
There were people on bikes everywhere; more bikes than cars! There were protestors at the parliament building; we still aren't sure what they were protesting.
There was also a little promise to be kept; before the first game the coaches told the girls if they won they would get ice cream so after about 15 reminders they finally got their ice cream (thanks again Region III). I'm not so sure the ice cream vendor was excited to see 24 people at once but it was quick and the girls were happy.
At the end of the day I can look back and say I really have enjoyed my time so far. The girls are always a pleasure to be around as well as the other region staff. I can definitely appreciate the countless hours Karen Flanagan and Region III put in to make these trips such a smooth success. Now I'm off to watch Liverpool play Chelsea live!
  Day Four
By Meg Casscells-Hamby (Florida) and Cara Smith (Georgia) Today was a relaxing day. We had training from 9 - 10:30 a.m. with the Denmark regional girls coach. We worked on perception of the game, shooting, and situations where the offense has a man up.
We attempted to teach him some more English words. Annie tried to teach him odd words such as swivel. He laughed and gave Annie a weird look, having no idea what she was talking about.
After the 'low intensity' workout, we came back to the hotel, showered and relaxed for about an hour. We then traveled to the city of Copenhagen where we shopped and enjoyed a nice meal. The shops and restaurants were all extremely expensive, but that didn't stop some people from buying the whole town (ha-ha). Our tour guide seems to like the fact that we are stimulating their economy (ha-ha).
After our free time at the shops, we took a boat ride down on Copenhagen's canals. We all took a lot of pictures and learned some of Denmark's history. The city is beautiful and the people are extremely nice.
We arrived safely back to land, where we were all treated to ice cream by Region III (because we won our game the day before). From there, we went back to our hotel, relaxed and did homework.
Day 3 JT's perspective
Don't ask me what day it is, I couldn't tell you, but I do know it's a great day for soccer. Today's itinerary was confirmed late because the Danish National television had to decide what time they wanted to broadcast the match between Carlsberg FCK and VEJLE at the national stadium. Today was the first game for the 93s vs. one of the Danish National Championship teams of Brondby. After the game, Coach Tammy Decesare had the chance to speak with the Danish teams head coach, Mr. Flemming Pedersen, who played some of his college soccer at Wake Forest, N.C. He discussed how professional clubs are run in Denmark and how all clubs have club facilities, places to change clothes and shower and a place to eat. Also there were training fields and game fields. All this for about $100-$200 dollars per year. The look on the players faces, Priceless. I think all the air in the room was gone.
Day 3
Coach's perspective Tammy Decesare starts out with what a great beginning to an already fantastic trip. The sun was shining and the temperature was perfect for soccer. At high noon, the players stepped onto the field, and after a relatively shaky start, represented our region and our country well by scoring multiple times in the first 30 minutes of the second half. The first half was touch and go...allowing for a few scary moments, but we survived. Then, the gates opened and it was goal after goal.
Taylor Smith opened up the scoring with an unassisted shake-n-bake effort in the 51st minute of the game. Immediately relief set in, confidence soared and the standard of play skyrocketed.
Meg Cassels-Hamby, the eventual "man of the match", abused her mark around the corner and sent in a beautiful cut-back cross for Shelby Payne to hammer home. Just five minutes later, Region III pounced again when Meg intercepted a poor goal kick and went toe to toe with the keeper for a great finish. Meg would have her third say in the day with another assist into the box for an eventual finish by Annalika Steyn. Cara Smith raced to the final goal off of a quick throw in to cap the score...Region III scored 5, Brondby 0.
Following the game, the players from each team mingled for a social lunch in the Brondby club house. The soccer culture and community support for the game is tremendous here in Denmark. The clubhouse boasts a restaurant, locker rooms, meeting rooms, visiting locker rooms, offices, etc. Impressive to say the least for a local club. Following lunch, the team went to watch FC Copenhagen in a stadium packed with over 23,000 fans, chanting, cheering and more goals for the "good guys" - it was, without a doubt, a perfect day for soccer.
Day 3
Players Perspective: From Taylor Schneider (Texas) and Gilda Doria (Florida) The team was so excited about getting to the game that we didn't notice we were missing one of the staff members. We were riding on the bus for only a few minutes when coach Tammy asked Melissa (our administrator) ""Where was coach JT?""
We turned the bus around and went back for him. We pulled up to the hotel and there he was just standing waiting (the bus did leave early). Anyway he was cool with it. We all clapped for him when he came on board (funny).
Off we went to Nrondby soccer complex, where we were met by one of the professional coaches of the club, (a very nice touch by the way) it made all of us feel welcome. We went into the club house to a locker in our preparation for the game. Out to the field we walked and after a quick warm up, the whistle blew and the game began. The team played tentative not knowing what to expect from the other team but as the game went on in the first half we began to gain confidence and started to play our game. We were hungry for a goal but at the half the score was 0-0.
The second half started and we knew we could do it, and we did. The final score was 5-0. We are off to a great start!
Photos from the games:
  Day Two Blog of the US Youth Soccer ODP Girls 1993 Region III Denmark trip: Today's blog comes to you from Shelby Payne of Florida and Satara Murray from Texas.
This morning we woke up at 7 a.m. for breakfast, it was probably the best meal we have had. It consisted of cereal, breads, bacon, fruits and other stuff we didn't know what it was but were willing to give it a try.
Our training started at 9 a.m. and focused on defensive tactics and attacking strategies by shadow play. We feel our team works well together and enjoying the crisp Denmark weather (50-55 degrees and sunny).
Today, we also went to Bronby Clubhouse to have lunch and to watch one of the top four women's teams play a match. Upon our departing the match the score was 3-0, Brondby won. Some great goals and great team play.
It was interesting to see the different style of play between the U.S. and Denmark yet also see some similar play. For the evening meal we went to a famous and historic amusement park called Tivoli Gardens. We headed back to the hotel at 9 p.m. to prepare for tomorrow's game at noon against the Danish National Champions, Brondby.
On April 10, I left for Denmark . The team, staff and myself all departed from Atlanta and Dallas about 5 p.m. The team had a nonstop flight and arrived in Denmark around 8 a.m. I had a connecting flight from London so I arrived at 2 p.m. after being delayed in London for an hour.
Copenhagen is only 30 minutes away from the airport. The Farum Park Sports hotel, their new accommodations, is used by many pro teams for their training camps and also home of the Premier league team: FCN.
There was a welcome meeting, lunch and practice at 3 p.m. for about an hour. I met the coaching staff which included coaches Kevin Dempsey, Colin Carmichael, Tammy Deceare, team manager Melissa Moore and the trainer Ashley.
The food was great and Sven, the host, was very helpful and gracious. The only thing lacking at this point was sleep, but it was only 6 p.m.
I asked Rosa Medina and Whitney Jaynes, both players from Texas, to tell me how their first day went. ""It's day one and we just arrived after a nine hour flight and along with the time change it made for a very long day. Upon our arrival, some folks exchanged their U.S. money for the local money (Coners) to make it easier to purchase items as needed.
Moving into a hotel that was specifically designed for the training of professional players was a new experience and one we all looked forward to. We had a meeting with our tour guide and staff members to review what the week would entail. While the discussion was going on we had pizza. After the meeting and a tour of the place we learned there was a fitness center with weights and different aerobatic workout equipment. There was always a pool table, table tennis and a TV lounge to watch games on a big screen. After the quick practice it was time to clean up and get ready for some much needed sleep to get prepared for Sunday.
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| Apr 9 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
On March 27-29, 2009, I spent a very cold weekend in Milwaukee, Wis., arriving just in time for the four to six inches of snow. I worked with some outstanding folks concerned about the underserved soccer communities and those that may not have access to high levels of training and developmental opportunities. While there, I was honored to work with The Milwaukee Wave of Kindness and Jim Launder, Director of Coaching for Wisconsin.
In this blog, I'll discuss the Friday and Saturday Pass Back Event sponsored by US Soccer Foundation and the Milwaukee Wave. What a great opportunity to work with Mr. Charles A Krause, President and CEO of the Milwaukee Wave, Nathan Thompkins, Program Director, Jean Gurney, Dwight Williams, Health and Fitness Coordinator for the COA Youth and Family Center, his wife Becky, Tony Williams of the Street Football World Organization and the many Milwaukee Wave player and coaches.
There were over 200 players from the ages of U-8 to U-14 girls and boys and very ethnically diverse. The group consisted of novice players and those that may have had some training. What a wonderful sight to see, all the potential for player development. I was truly impressed with not only the numbers of players but also those coaches that had given their time to give back to the game. I think this event gave some of the players a chance to visualize what they might be able to do in the game of soccer. The theme for the day was: Fun, Sportsmanship and Nutrition.
This event was part of the Milwaukee Urban Soccer Symposium: a collaborative effort to create a structure for youth soccer play that integrates central Milwaukee kids into the state/national soccer system and works for all types of agencies.
Those in attendee were US Youth Soccer, US Soccer Foundation, Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association and people from organizations and schools interested in Milwaukee Urban Youth Soccer. The Symposium took place on March 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Uihlein Soccer Park classroom. It is a great facility, a state of the art class room with three indoor soccer fields which, at the time of the symposium, the floors were full. I wish I had time to get out there and knock the ball around, perhaps next time.
The Symposium took on the form of a strategic planning session led by Charles A. Krause. The symposium addressed the following issues:
-What is the current state of efforts in urban youth soccer in Milwaukee?
-What are the positives and negatives about the current situations?
-What is the vision of what urban youth soccer could and should be in Milwaukee?
-What steps need to happen in order to move toward that vision?
At the end of the symposium, teams were formed to develop proposals and accomplish the assigned tasks. Jim Launder and I will be on the Coaching Education and Player Development teams. Despite the weather it was a great trip! |
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| Mar 27 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
What do you think of when you hear the word "Coach"? Most imagine someone on the sidelines screaming at their players to hustle, work harder, telling players that they can do better, move to your left more, make the run sooner and get your head in the game. Sometimes this comes from coaches that have learned from our traditional training and coaching styles we have seen over the years. It's not the only thing you may see or hear from a coach. For example, you may see the coaches running down the sidelines all the way out of the coaching box, coaches throwing their hands up in disbelief or the coach turning away from the player who has just missed a shot. Guess what, the players in the game and the ones on the bench are more observant then you think. They hear and see almost everything that you do. Do you think that this traditional method is the most effective coaching style used to make a difference in improving a player's performance?
What's a coach? They plan, organize and execute training sessions that integrate with the club and team player development plan. If a coach comes into training with a traditional training style, would the coach have the tools to relate to what is developmentally appropriate for the age group they are training? The process may start with training. That's the first step. Let's say you're training a group. What usually happens is most of the group understands, learns and benefits from the information you've taught. Unfortunately, not everyone "gets it". What do we do about that small percentage of players - often good, motivated players who may need personalized attention during training? Those players may also benefit from coaching after your training session.
Remember that coaching is strategically guiding someone into improving performance. It's analyzing feedback to see the areas where the training hasn't taken hold. Is remedial training needed? A player may need one-on-one customized assistance to develop their skills or tactical understanding of the game. Developmentally appropriate training may help the player explore and possibly resolve the technical and/or tactical issues of the game. What do you think? Parts of this blog are from Nancy Friedman's article "The 4 C's of COACHING Skills" on BobPikeGroup.com. |
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| Mar 19 2009, 1:45 PM | Topic: Coaching Education |
This past weekend, I spent time with the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (US Youth Soccer ODP) Region I staff at their Coaches Symposium.
It's always a great pleasure to spend time with such great coaches such as Jay Hoffman, Boys Region I head coach, Lew Atkinson, Director of Coaching and Education for Delaware, Mike Barr, DOC for Eastern Pennsylvania, Rick Meana, DOC for New Jersey and many other ODP staff members. I saw a few great training sessions ran by US Youth Soccer ODP coaches Rath and Chris with the 94's. Jay Hoffman and Lew Atkinson had two great classroom sessions on player's personalities. The open discussion on the coach's observations made after the training sessions indicated a very healthy discussion concerning players and what was observed and what was not. The symposium was held in Wilmington, Del., at Kirkwood soccer complex. As always this symposium was very educational and informative to all those in attendance.
My classroom session was on the US Youth Soccer ODP program. I hope that after my session the coaches better understood the mission of US Youth Soccer ODP and all those involved in the program. The following information was discussed:
The US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program was formed in 1977 to identify a pool of players in each age group from which a National Team will be selected for international competition; to provide high-level training to benefit and enhance the development of players at all levels; and, through the use of carefully selected and licensed coaches, develop a mechanism for the exchange of ideas and curriculum to improve all levels of coaching.
• To develop each player in the program to their full potential to enhance the enjoyment of playing the game
• To increase the skill level of the players to raise the level of play in their local environment
• To develop all players to achieve their highest possible level
• To identify players of the highest caliber on a consistent basis to lead to increased success for the US National teams in the international arena
To the coaches who may think that we may be losing some of our best coaches to other soccer organizations, please take a look around at all of the different regional and state staff for US Youth Soccer ODP and even perhaps yourself. I believe you will find some of the highest quality licensed, talented coaches available. As I travel around to all the regions observing ODP training and matches, I have seen nothing but the best coaches.
Coaches move on all the time, whether it's for a new college team or a higher level, high school, Junior college, D1 to Private schools or recreational to travel competitive teams. Coaches moving, for the most part, is good for the coach and the players. When coaches move, it often opens another coaching opportunity for some other coach to work at the level such as US Youth Soccer ODP. By the way, training coaches to be the best coach for the players is also part of what the US Youth Soccer ODP mission and objective is, to train and increase the educational level of all its coaches. Let's all stay in the game. |
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| Mar 3 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
On February 21-22, 2009 I got a chance to return to Cal South where I began coaching the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program and teaching of the state youth courses.
I also had a chance to enjoy some of that great weather. I was invited to be part of a year event that Cal South puts on called Soccer Nation Soccer. This event was held at the LA Convention Center. There were thousands of coaches and players that attend this free event.
I coached a session for Under-8 called Games That Make Players Think. I was impressed with the coaches participating. Anson Dorrance; Women's Head Coach for the University of North Carolina; Tony Farrell, Everton FC; Jeff Tipping, NSCAA Director of Coaching Development; Lawrie Sanchez, Former Northern Ireland National Team Coach; Marta, Los Angeles SOL, 2008 FIFA Player of the Year; Rene Miramontes, US Soccer Nation Staff Coach and Jill Ellis, UCLA Women's Head Coach.
Some of the topics were: The Importance of First Touch, Creating 1v1 Opportunities, Small Group Defending and Using Small Sided Games. It was a very good session from some outstanding coaches. I had a great time and look forward to returning.
I also had a chance to stay out in Orange County to lead a National Youth License course, the best national course in the United States. I have always enjoyed teaching the NYL, but I have to say some of the most interesting areas are the things that can be learned from the candidates and other staff coaches.
All the candidates attending the NYL came to an understanding that children grow at varying degrees with regards to the development of their minds and bodies. Though we have a tendency to lump children together in our educational and sport activities, we must understand that the best way to characterize them is by their individual differences. So the make up of this player coming to us to become a soccer player is diverse.
Through the understanding of development, we can better set the level of communication. Some five year olds come with a very serious outlook on matters while others are so frivolous, that from moment-to-moment, the passing of an airplane or butterfly will completely capture their attention. We don't stand around and watch them grow.
From the National Youth Licenses conducted in Laguna Niguel, Calif., Coach David Smart describes in detail ""Developmentally Appropriate"". David states, ""Because the game is for the player, the player's developmental needs are always the focus. Therefore, the primary responsibility of the coach is to present training sessions appropriately geared to a player's cognitive, psychosocial and physical placement.""
For Under-6 players Magical and fantasy thinking is the norm. They have a short attention span and can only process small bits of information at a time. Their world is very ego-centric. Players are not yet comfortable working in pairs. Their psychomotor development starts with the head and moves downward to the feet from the center of the body. They are easy to fatigue yet have a rapid recovery. U-6 Developmental Appropriate Training: Rules must be simple and minimal explanation should be required, getting the group playing as quickly as possible. Be generous with praise!
Under-8 players: Their attention span is a bit longer then that of the U-6 player. There is a desire for social acceptance, and dislike showing personal failure in front of peers. Players are more comfortable working in pairs and are inclined towards small group activities. The skeletal system is still growing and the temperature control and cardio vascular systems are less efficient than an adult's. U-8 Developmental Appropriate Training: Continue to be generous with praise while being careful not to be critical of players, especially in front of teammates. Activities should be in pairs and small groups and can use maze-type games.
Under-10 players start thinking ahead, demonstrate taking increased responsibility and have a lengthened attention span with the ability to sequence thoughts and actions. Players are becoming more serious about their play and peer pressure is significant. Their ability to stay physically active is increased and boys and girls begin to develop separately. U-10 players are more prone to heat injuries than adults. Training activity explanations must be brief, concise and purposeful and continued positive reinforcement is needed. Activities should be in small groups of three to six with game related activities adding a directional component.
Under-12 players are firmly in the formal operational stage of development and are starting to think in abstract terms, and can address hypothetical situations. Changes in thought process are the result of an increased ability to acquire and apply knowledge. Problem solving becomes systematic. They are beginning to spend more time with their friends and less time with their parents. Popularity influences self-esteem and the players are learning appropriate sex roles. U-12 players are beginning to develop abilities to sustain complex coordinated skill sequences but overuse, injuries, burnout, and high attrition rates result from programs that fail to stress skill development over physical training. U-12 Developmental Appropriate Training activities should build from smaller warm up groups to larger group/team activities.
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| Feb 25 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
Warren Archibald, Freddy Adu, Clyde Best and Eddie Pope, the consensus best African American soccer player in history, grew up playing soccer in High Point, North Carolina. These are a few names I must mention that you may have heard of. These players have made a great impact on the soccer world. But here in the United Sates, especially during this month (Black History Month) and yes it's still needed. There a few African American born players that made history. Let's not leave out the African American women. Brianna Scurry served as the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. Women's National Team from 1994 through 2007. Scurry earned All American honors at Anoka High School, Minnesota and collegiate for University of Massachusetts. She last played three season with the Atlanta eat of the Women's United Soccer Association.
First, Desmond Armstrong (Nov. 2, 1964) became the first African American citizen to appear in a World Cup game when he was in the starting line up against Czechoslovakia in June 1990. Armstrong, a Washington, D.C. native played collegiately for the University of Maryland making the All ACC team in 1984 and 1985. Armstrong joined the Cleveland Force of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) from 1986 to 1988 before being traded to the Baltimore Blast. Desmond made the U.S. National Team in 1987 and the Olympic team in 1988. In 1990, Desmond played in all three games of the World Cup in Italy. Jimmy Banks (September 2, 1964) grew up in Milwaukee, Wis., and became the second.
Dennis Hamlett the current head coach of the Chicago Fire is the second African American coach in history of MLS after the short hire and firer of Rudd Gullit by the LA Galaxy. Hamlet moved from Costa Rica at age 10. Dennis went to college at North Carolina-Wilmington in 1987 and George Mason University in1989. Dennis played indoor for the Harrisburg Heat of the National Professional Soccer League and outdoor for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the American Soccer League.
Eddie Hawkins (May 8, 1962) became the first American born black player to appear for the U.S. National Team when he took the field against Ecuador in 1984. Hawkins played high school soccer at Washingtonville High and attended Hartwick College. Eddie also played for the Pittsburg Sprit of the MISL.
Just a small note, Doc Lawson (February 11, 1958) played in the first game in Major Indoor Soccer League history as a member of the Cincinnati Kids. Lawson played his high school ball in Jamaica Queens. Doc Lawson was also a member of the Philadelphia Fever, The New York Arrows, and was signed by the New York Cosmos but the league folded. Lawson also played for the Dallas Sidekicks and San Diego Sockers.
I hope you enjoyed this walk back in history, I know it's just a few who have made such an impact to our game. Please join me in watching and supporting our future players and coaches.
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| Feb 18 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
I just finished reading a book called, "A Few Who Got Away, Unlocking American Soccer's Secret Weapon" by Mr. Robert Woodard. Robert and I have had discussions over the past few years about how African American players have impacted the game of soccer. You know the names; Cobi Jones, Roy Lassitter, Ernie Stewart, Dante Washington and Brianna Scurry. Great players have been successful in soccer at all levels of the game to include the U.S. National Team. I've enjoyed watching and hearing about their accomplishments but then again I fell in love with the game when I was 11 years old and now some years later, I still enjoy watching and playing the game at a slower pace.
What about the list of players who played soccer in their youth but because of their athleticism had choices in sports? For example, NBA Hall of Famer and one of my favorite players Earl ""The Pearl"" Monroe who grew up in Philadelphia and before he became a basketball icon, he played soccer in the streets and was a stand out player. Randy Smith, another NBA star who played for LA Clippers was the MVP of the 1978 NBA All Star game and a Soccer All American with Buffalo State University, also trained with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, I bet you didn't know that – I didn't.
Some of you may have heard of Jason Kidd, the All Star Guard for Dallas Mavericks also played the game of soccer. Kidd grew up in Oakland, California where he excelled in soccer in addition to basketball.
Football player Steve McAllister, who played for the New Orleans Saints as a running back, was a dominant figure in Mississippi Youth Soccer. Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Deion Branch played the as a youth. Lastly, Jarrett Payton, son of the great Hall of Famer Walter Payton for the Chicago Bears also played. Jarrett was a scoring machine in Chicago area youth soccer and at St. Viator High School where he earned Illinois All State honors. At the end of high school, Jarrett Payton opted to go with football, our loss.
There are many African American players who are playing the game of soccer today. More and more are becoming involved in our State and National Championship programs of US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program. I believe there are greater numbers of African American decent who could receive the current educational information on the benefits of playing the game of soccer and given the opportunity to play the game would want to join in. Somewhere out there are players that could have a great impact on the game of soccer from the youth teams to our National Teams. These athletes are capable of playing the kind of soccer that could take us to the next level of the game nationally. The challenge is to keep them from choosing football or basketball over soccer. I know, easily said but hard to do. I would be glad to listen to any ideas on how to get this done. |
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| Feb 12 2009, 12:00 AM | Topic: Coaching Education |
This past weekend, I was invited to Arkansas for their state Annual General Meeting (AGM) as a presenter. I had a chance to meet the new full time Director of Coaching and Education, Mr. Robert Parr and his wife Michele. What a great find for Arkansas.
Robert and Michele appear to be hard working, knowledgeable experienced coaches especially when it comes to player development. Robert does have his work cut out for him because there has not been a full-time Director of Coaching Education for several years. He's off to a great start from what I could see. I'm sure we'll be hearing great things from Arkansas in the future.
One of my training tasks was to demonstrate to staff coaches how I would manage a training session for U-10s. I started with an introduction of myself to the players and coaches in attendance and off we went.
We worked on some technical skills like dribbling, passing and receiving by using dynamite activities. We moved on to small group activities of three and four. All the players were able to get lots of touches and chances to work on their skills. But most of all, I wanted them to have fun. I think the activity they enjoyed the most was the game Get Outta There; you may know it as get outta here but some how that (here) doesn't seem to work for me. All in all, I think it was a good session.
Finally, I had an opportunity to train the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program Boys Under-14 team. This was their first meeting so Robert didn't know what to expect of the players in attendance and the players certainly didn't know what to expect from me. I must say I was pleased with the players' attitudes. They all seemed open to listening and trying to make adjustments as we went through our two hour session.
My goal was to work on possession with penetration focusing on receiving the ball facing forward with the first touch, timing their runs and support play (passing and receiving).
I also worked on small group play focusing on player support responsibilities and coordination of defense, communication with a purpose. During the natural stoppages, I worked with the players on improving their technical ability. This was my second trip to Arkansas for their AGM and each time it gets better and better. I look forward to returning soon. |
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