Shielding (with Video)

A skill that many youth coaches overlook, but is critical in the player development process.

Goalkeeper Drill - "The Glove Game"

Emphasis:
Fun breakaway warm up game

Set-up:
Place two cones or flags 5 yards apart from each other. Place a goalkeeper glove or small cone in the middle of the two cones. Two goalkeepers start even with the glove facing each other.

Objective:
Goalkeeper 1 must grab the glove and get to the flag without goalkeeper 2 tagging him/her. If goalkeeper 1 gets tagged, the roles get reversed. If in fact you do get to the flag without being touched, it is worth 1 point. The first goalkeeper to 5 points wins the game.

Progressions:

1. Increase the distance between the cones to 8 yards.
2. Goalkeeper must tag with both hands.
   

Coaching Points:

• Try and fake the opposing goalkeeper by moving laterally back and forth.
• The goalkeeper doing the tagging must watch the belly button of the goalkeeper.
• The goalkeepers must keep their center of gravity leaning forward.
  

"Shut Up, Dad!"

From Kay Breland, Mississippi Youth Soccer -

"I can't tell you how many times I have heard kids say, 'Shut up dad!' " says Danville's John Wondolowski, whose under-11 soccer team won the State Cup last spring.

When dad won't pipe down, the next step is off the field. Many kids drop sports -- an estimated 70 percent quit before they reach the age of 12 -- but some also find another outlet. Skateboarders, mountain bikers, and surfers are just part of an emerging X-Games generation. There are fewer rules, less structure, and -- best of all -- dad doesn't know the first thing about it.

"That's the protection," says Positive Coaching Alliance's Thompson. "No adults. It is not hyper competitive. Fifteen or 20 years ago adults didn't know anything about soccer. Now you've got guys who think they know all about it. My son is into surfing, skating, and snowboarding. His point was: Do I want to stand in line, wait to bat, and have the coach yell at me? Or do I want to sit out in the ocean?"

A kinder, gentler approach was the idea behind "Silent Sunday" last October in a Cleveland suburb. Coaches and parents in the 217-team league were told not to yell at the players, not even to cheer good plays. Was it hard to break old habits? Well, some parents, afraid they couldn't resist the temptation, put duct tape over their mouths.

Another soccer coach turned the tables on his parents. He put them on the field for a practice and let the kids scream instructions at them as they scrambled to kick the ball. Reportedly, the parents were ready for the exercise to stop long before the kids.

Are those the only choices? Do kids either have to drop out of sports or duct tape their parents' mouths shut?

Well no, there are options, proposed by groups like Thompson's PSA and the Matteucci Foundation. It begins with what groups like Ballistic soccer calls "zero tolerance" for attacks on officials, but more than anything it involves changing perceptions for parents.

"After all," says Thompson, "when you go to a spelling bee, nobody screams at the officials. It isn't done."

"We turn our heads," says Still of the Association of Sports Officials. "We say, 'I'm going to let it go. It is no big deal. Bill is a good guy, he just lost it that one time."'

That, says facilitators like Matteucci, has to stop. A clear ethics code must be established before the season begins and the parents must go over it. Expecting them to read a handout isn't enough. Matteucci advocates reading the code aloud before every game.

Second, parents who get out of control need to be told so, and in a way that makes it clear that they are out of step with the entire group. And, if the coach, or some of the other parents, cannot calm the transgressor down, enforce the rules and call a forfeit.

"Call the game," says Matteucci. "If we do, life goes on."

But most important, parents need to monitor their level of involvement with an eye toward scaling it down. Chances are, their son or daughter is not going to get a college scholarship, or appear on a Wheaties box. In 10 years, the best you can hope is that the kids still enjoy staying physically active and look back fondly on their sports career.

What's fun about sports if you don't win? Thompson recommends changing the goal. He worked with a soccer team that was so outclassed that it lost every game. Instead of winning, or even scoring, the team decided to make its objective to get the ball over midfield five times in one game.

When they finally did it, cheers rang up and down their sideline, puzzling the opposing parents.
"They were asking, 'What are they so happy about?' " Thompson said. "Aren't we beating them by eight goals?"

Yes, but they were playing a different game.

Dribbling Skill - "The Matthews"

This is a very effective move, especially when the defender is patiently containing you. To successfully execute the Matthews move, you need to attack the supporting foot of the defender. Initially, the attacker pushes the ball in, towards the free leg of the defender. The he suddenly cuts to the outside.This leaves the defender helpless as the ball rolls past his supporting foot.

Named for Sir Stanley Matthews, which to this day is still considered one of the best dribblers the game has ever seen. Matthews played in the England's top soccer league until he was 50 and didn't retire from the game as a player until age 55. Below is a dedication to this great of the game with a lot of playing footage.

Receiving Skill - Cushioning The Ball

When a hard ball is coming at a player and this player is trying to receive the ball, the key is to cushion the ball as it arrives. While this might seem quite obvious, the reality is many young players tense up as the ball approaches, which results in the ball hitting their foot (or other party part) and bouncing away. The more relaxed your body is when the ball arrives, the easier it will be to control the ball.

As an example, think of trying to catch an egg. When the egg makes contact with your hands, if you don't give, the egg will break in your hands. If, upon contact with the egg, you pull back to soften the contact, you will catch the egg and it will stay intact.

Receiving the ball uses the same concept, As the ball makes contact with your foot, relax and pull your foot back to soften the blow. This will allow you to maintain control of the ball, regardless of how hard it was hit.

It's the same concept with using other parts of the body to receive the ball. If the ball is coming in chest high, when the ball makes contact with your chest, bend your knees some and lean back. This movement will cushion the ball upon contact and allow for easy control of the ball.

If the ball comes in thigh high, when the ball makes contact with your thigh, pull your thigh back a bit to provide the cushion and the ball will drop down to your feet.

Just remember, relax and cushion the ball as it arrives and you will find you have much greater control of the ball.

Under 8 Drill - "Braveheart"

Organization:
Divide players into two equal teams. All players have a ball and start on opposite end lines. When the coach shouts “charge,” they each dribble towards each other and try to get to the opposite end line and stop the ball on the line. The team that has 3 players on the line first gets a point. Start by walking with the ball, then progress to running with the ball.

Under 6 Drill - "Tunnel Soccer"

Organization:
Each player has a ball. The coach moves around the field with the players and from time to time stops and spreads his legs to form a tunnel. The players dribble after him and try to shoot the ball through the tunnel whenever he stops. After a set period of time the coach moves again. The player who scores the most goals wins the game.

Under 10 Drill - "Hit The Target Man"

Emphasis:
Laying balls off, passing, turning

Set-up:
4 flags are positioned approximately 4 yards apart in the center of a grid as shown. Players are split into 4 groups and are positioned 12-15 yards from each flag. 4 players are designated as target players and are positioned slightly in front of each flag. 2 cones are placed 4-5 yards (right and left) in front of the target player. 3-4 balls per group.

Objective:
The first player in line (A) passes a ball into the target player. The target player must lay the ball straight back approximately 4 yards to encourage the player to come forward to receive the return pass. The player then must spin around one of the cones before accelerating back to his group. The next player in line starts when the player in front is spinning around the cones. Play is continuous for a designated number of reps or time. Change the target player.

NOTE – The coach designates the direction he wants the players to spin around the cones.

Example –
#1 Inside of the right foot only, spin to your left.
#2 Outside of the right foot, spin to your right.

Progressions:

1. Drive balls in to target man with laces. Target man can use his hands to catch ball before tossing ball back to oncoming player.
2. This player must now use surfaces like thighs and chest to spin around cones.
   

Coaching Points:

• Firm passes in to target.
• Quality lay-offs from targets.
• Try to spin around cones with the first touch – cone acts as a defender.
  

Maintaining a Positive Team Environment

From the Fishers Soccer Club (Indiana) -

Soccer players who had quit (soccer) said that a combination of factors related to the team environment caused them to drop out. What are these factors?

• The coach didn't understand kids
• They didn't get to play enough
• The coach was a poor teacher
• There was too much pressure to win
• They didn't like their teammates
• Poor sportsmanship
• The coach played favorites
• The coach put too much pressure on me
• The practices were not fun
  

The title COACH does not guarantee automatic respect and devotion from their players. Four of the eight factors on the list are coaching behaviors. Most coaches do a great job working with their young players. Hopefully you are one of those. This article is not to be critical of coaches but rather to reinforce the importance of each coach thinking carefully about what you say and do as you coach your players. Good youth soccer coaches are individuals who understand that they are coaching children, not college or professional athletes. These coaches spend much of their time teaching skills the young athletes need to be successful. Having fun is much more important to your players than winning. Winning is part of the sport experience, but not the primary focus. Look at the list of concerns expressed by the players. What can you do to change these so that your players have a positive experience? Do you pay attention to how your players act toward each other? Encourage your players to help each other, not criticize a teammate’s performance. Sportsmanship is taught by example. Are you a good role model as you interact with your own players, other teams and coaches, and the officials? Can you go home after a practice or game, look at yourself in a mirror, and say I did the best I could for the children on my team? If you can, you should be proud of yourself. If you can't, you must try harder the next time. Do everything you can to make the athletes on your team thrilled to call you COACH!

Under 8 Drill - "Ball Retrieve in Pairs"

Organization:
Each pair has a ball which in turn they give to the coach. The coach tosses the ball away and each pair must retrieve the ball as quickly as possible and bring it back to the coach. The players must bring the ball back a different way each time, e.g. balanced between two backs, balanced between two heads, throwing the ball to each other, passing the ball to each other. The coach can also limit the number of touches a pair may have when returning the ball.

Variation:
The coach may move and change position which encourages players to look up.

Dribbling Skills - "The Rivelino"

In the Rivelino you feint by moving one foot around the ball from the outside in. Then you cut the ball using the outside of the same foot. The key to a successful Rivelino, is that you accelerate away after the feint. Your first step after the feint is critical.

Under 12 Lesson Plan - Receiving

Activity One - Warm Up

Organization:

• Split group into 2 equal teams
• Half on the outside start with a ball
• Players in the middle check to a ball
• The receiving player takes a touch and plays the ball directly back to the serving player
• After the pass the player must check to the center of the grid and then receive the ball from another server
• Rotate inside and outside players regularly

Key Coaching Points:

• Change of speed to meet pass
• On your toes to receive the ball
• Cushion the first touch
• Communications
• Eye contact between passer and receiver

Activity Two - Receiving Under Pressure

Organization:

• Similar to the Warm up, but two more players on the outside than on the inside
• Two servers on the outside start without a ball
• The inside players check to receive a ball, they turn or take their first touch to space and then pass to a player on the outside without a ball
• After each pass, players check back to the middle
• Progression - Players in the middle tracked by a defender
• Progression - Feed the balls in the air
• Rotate inside and outside players regularly

Key Coaching Points:

• Get into the line of flight of the ball
• Receive side-on or square on dependent upon the pressure
• Check behind as you receive the ball
• First touch into space
• Check to create space
• Encourage the server to lead the player and pass the ball to the correct foot
• Awareness of where the defender is
• Selection of surface to control the ball

Activity Three - 6v6 to Targets

Organization:

• 40x30 Training Area
• 6v6 + 2 Targets. Target players may run the whole length of the end line
• Players score by passing the ball to the hands or feet of their designated target player
• If a target player receives the ball they must then pass to an opposition player
• Condition - Can only play to the target in the final third of the field
• Condition - 2 touch restriction

Key Coaching Points:

• All of the above coaching points
• Set up forward pass with your first touch
• Play to the target as early as possible
  

Activity Four - The Game

Finish with a full scrimmage.

Don Lucia on Youth Sports

Don Lucia is the men's hockey coach at the University of Minnesota. Even though his speech talks about youth hockey, the principles of what youth sports should be and what it could be is universal.

His speech has become required watching by both coaches and parents.

Under 6 Lesson Plan - Ball Control Under Pressure

Activity One - Kangaroo Jack
All players except two or three begin with a ball. Players without balls are kangaroo jacks and must hop like a kangaroo and try to tag players. If a player gets tagged, he/she becomes a kangaroo as well until all players are turned into kangaroos.

Activity Two - Red light/Green light
All players have a ball and dribble in a limited space (or towards the coach). When coach says “red light”, players must stop ball and put foot on top of ball. When coach says “yellow light”, players must dribble very slowly. When coach says “green light”, players dribble fast. Coach controls this game with frequency of “light changes” and variety of changes. Once players catch on to this game, add light of other colors and affix different actions to them. (i.e. purple light = hop back and forth over ball, orange light = run around the ball, black light = dance, blue light = hide behind the ball etc. etc.).

Activity Three - Shrek/Spiderman/Spongebob
Place a couple players in pennies and have everyone else get a soccer ball. Set up a 20 yd x 15 yd grid and have the players with soccer balls dribble around in the space. The players in pennies are Shrek (or Spiderman or SpongeBob, etc.) and try to tag the players who have soccer balls. When players are tagged they go to into the goal (castle, spidernet etc. etc.) and can only get back out if a teammate with a ball tags them or the coach uses his/her magic powers to let everyone free. Use any character or images you like for this and make sure all players get a chance to be one of the special characters at some point during every practice.

Activity Four - Cops and Robbers
Coach sets up 8-10 stand-up cones in a 15yd x 15yd space. Robbers all have soccer balls and knock over the cones (banks) by kicking their balls into the cones and knocking them over. Cops (have 2 or 3 cops for each game) do not have soccer balls and need to stand the cones back up (before all the banks are robbed). Rotate who gets to be cops. Variation (If don’t have stand- up cones): ½ group (cops) take soccer balls and put on top of disc cones. Other ½ of group (robbers) try to knock over those soccer balls by kicking their soccer balls at them. Cops must replace the soccer balls on the cones as quickly as possible.

Activity Five - 3v3 or 4v4 Game
Separate players into two teams and play a game of 3 against 3 or 4 against 4 without goalkeepers. Let the players play and give plenty of positive feedback to them as they compete. REINFORCE the GOOD STUFF!

Creating Soccer Savvy Players

From an interview in the Louisville Courier Journal with Mike Dickey, the United States Soccer Federation Women’s National Staff Coach for Region II -

Q. What skill sets are the most important in the game of soccer?

A. Encourage the dribbler at the younger ages — your team of 8- to 10-year-olds should be full of them. Controlling the ball is the primary skill that every other skill in soccer depends upon. Currently, some of the technical areas we are addressing with our U.S. players are the following:

• Receiving and solving pressure individually
• Passing (inside/outside foot, driven, chipped and bent) with accuracy
• 1-on-1, dynamic attacking players
• Flank service
• Finishing (goal scoring)
  

Q. How best can soccer clubs teach their younger players these skills while building teams and teaching the basics of the game of soccer in the process?

A. First of all, clubs and schools must ensure that players have proper balance of training, games and rest. Currently, we have our players playing too many games and they do not get sufficient training or rest.

As a result, we are seeing an abundance of mediocre play and injuries. In order to affect change on players, a shift in coaching methodology may need to take place. The development of creative, intuitive players is greatly impacted by coaching style and demands. When conducting training sessions, there needs to be a greater reliance on game-oriented training that is player centered and enables players to explore and arrive at solutions while they play. This is in contrast to the “coach-centered” training that has been the mainstay of coaching methodology over the years.

The use of a “guided discovery” approach may prove to be the best way to teach the soccer fundamentals. Players must be also encouraged to watch as much high-level soccer as possible. This will give them ideas to replicate while they are playing their games.

Q. What’s the single most important skill a player can work on by themselves and how?

A. The Brazilians have always been noted for their touch, creativity, dynamic and instinctive play. Their individual brilliance with the ball sets them apart from the rest of the world. This is why they have the most sought after players from professional clubs throughout the planet.

Nations that are currently addressing this area in their youth development are making the fastest growth at the moment. These characteristics are learned by playing small sided soccer games without the guidance or even the presence of a coach. This opportunity must be provided for the players as the prevailing culture in our society does not find players seeking out these opportunities on their own.

Dribbling Skill - "The Scissors"

One of the basic dribbling feints is the Scissor move. Move your faking foot around the ball and plant it on the outside of it. Then immediately cut the ball with the outside of your other foot and accelerate. The trick here is not to pause, quickly fake the move in one direction so the defender bites and then cut to the opposite move. It done correctly, the defender will be left in the dust.

Under 10 Lesson Plan - Dribbling To Beat An Opponent

Activity One - Multi-Goal Dribbling (Warm Up)

Organization:

• Set up random goals (Cones 2-3 yards apart) - 25 yd. by 25 yd training area
• Each player has a ball
• Players try to score as many goals as possible by dribbling through the goals
• Introduce moves: Step-Over, Mathews, etc.
• Players must perform a move before going through a goal

Key Coaching Points:

• Close Control
• Change of Speed - Accelerate through the cones
• Change of Direction
• Body Fakes / Eye Fakes

Activity Two - 1 v1

Organization:

• Training area 20 x 15 yards with small goals
• Organize the players into two teams of five, numbered 1 -5 on opposite end lines
• The coach calls out a number, feeds a ball and those two players play 1v1 to two small goals
• Coach can call 2 numbers or 2 numbers from one team and 1 from the other to create numbers up situations
• Important: This can be a very intense session. Make sure that players are getting moments of rest before coming back out to engage each other. That is why there are some players on the side - so they can quickly rest

Key Coaching Points:

• All previous coaching points
• Go directly at the defender
• Try to make the defender commit to the ball
• When and where to fake
• Vision and awareness - dribbling with head up
• Accelerate into the space past the defender

Activity Three - 5 v 5 to End Zones

Organization:

• Divide players into two equal teams. Training area 30 x 40 yards with end zones
• A player scores by dribbling and controlling the ball over the other teams' end line
• There are no throw-ins or kick-ins. If the ball goes out of bounds the coach feeds in a new ball
  
• Add the condition of no forward passes to encourage more dribbling

Key Coaching Points:

• All previous coaching points
• Positive first touch
• Recognize 1v1 situations quickly

Activity Four - The Game

Organization:

• 4v4 or 5v5 with keepers
• No conditions - Encourage players to recognize 1v1 situations and to dribble at opponents in appropriate areas
  

“What’s All That Noise From The Sidelines?”

Written by Dr. Alan Goldberg

(Loud adult noise from the sidelines) “Shoot the ball! Kick it! Come on Billy; for God’s sake shoot it! (The 10 year old who’s related to the voice nervously tries to pass the ball to his nearest teammate but instead, it awkwardly dribbles off the side of his foot out of bounds. The boy’s father is now yelling.) “Billy what the heck’s wrong with you son? Are you that stupid? I said shoot it! Do it like I showed you! Now don’t be lazy! Move your butt and go get that ball back! (The boy looks miserable and quickly glances over to the sidelines at his father before he hangs his head and runs after the ball. A few minutes later an opposing player cleanly tackles Billy and takes the ball away from him. The referee’s whistle is silent. The father explodes at the official.) “Are you blind or what? Where’s the foul? How can you not call anything there? That’s a yellow card, ref! How can you not see that? (The referee trots over to the father and tells him to calm down. The father doesn’t back down). “I wouldn’t be complaining if you just did your job!” (The referee glares at the man and warns him to keep his mouth shut otherwise he will have him removed from the game. Suddenly it has become very quiet on the field as the game comes to an abrupt halt. Billy and a number of players from both teams stop and watch the altercation. Billy seems to be cringing in embarrassment, looking for a way to disappear…. Just another FUN day on the soccer field!)

In theory, soccer is supposed to be an enjoyable “game” organized for and played by kids. Its’ purpose is to teach game skills, tactics and a love for physical activity. In addition, and when in the hands of appropriate adults, soccer provides its’ young participants with a whole host of valuable life learning experiences like hard work as a vehicle for success, teamwork, good sportsmanship, healthy competition, mastering adversity in the pursuit of a goal and utilizing failure constructively, all of which are geared towards building self-confidence and leaving the child feeling better about himself. In theory!

Unfortunately, as the above scenario all too commonly illustrates, the reality of today’s youth soccer experience is vastly different. Misguided adults, both parents and coaches are inadvertently and selfishly distracting the child-athlete from what’s really important and, in the process, killing his/her joy for the sport. Parents like Billy’s, who get too caught up in the game’s outcome, who pressure their kids to perform, who are overly critical and demeaning when they make mistakes, insure that their child will consistently play well below their potential, seriously jeopardize the parent-child relationship and increase the likelihood that their child will soon become a sports drop-out statistic.

There’s no question that the vast majority of parents mean well and want their children to be happy and successful. Towards this end, they are willing to sacrifice their time, energy and financial resources taxiing their kids to and from practices, getting them additional training, volunteering for team and club functions and spending countless hours on the sidelines at tournaments and games. Unfortunately, far too many parents do not know exactly what they should and shouldn’t be doing to be the most helpful. Despite having positive intentions and their child’s best interests at heart, these parents say and do things before, during and after games that distract the child from focusing on the actual game, increase his/her anxiety level and, as a consequence, sabotage his/her overall level of play.

So just how important is it for you as a parent that your child has a positive, enriching experience in this sport? Do you really want your son or daughter to perform to his/her potential? Are you truly interested in seeing smiles out there during games instead of tears and unhappiness? If your answer to these questions is a resounding “YES!” then there are very specific things that you can do as a parent to make these things happen. Your role in relation to your child’s soccer is absolutely critical in determining the quality of their experience. If you adopt the appropriate behaviors and play the right role, then you will ensure that soccer brings a smile to your child’s face and joy to his heart. If you play the wrong role and act like Billy’s dad, then you’ll end up making a significant contribution to your child’s unhappiness and heartache.

So what’s the right role? First and foremost your main “job” is to be your child’s best fan. You need to be unconditionally supportive. If your child is having a bad game, then she needs your love and support far more than when she’s playing out of her mind. After a tough loss or a poor outing she needs you to be positive, compassionate and loving. Providing feedback on what she did wrong or expressing your disappointment in her play is NOT what she needs and will only serve to make a painful situation much worse.

Along these lines, love and support does NOT mean that you coach from the sidelines. In fact, the VERY WORST THING that you as a parent can do is to “coach” from the sidelines. What’s coaching? Offering “helpful” advice and strategy before and during the game, telling your child what to do and where to go, criticizing their play and getting angry with them when they make mistakes are all examples of off-limit, exceedingly destructive parental behaviors. After game critiquing is another example of VERY destructive parental coaching behavior. Understand that you are NOT helping your child when you coach. You will NOT get them to play better. You are NOT motivating them, even if you know the game and that’s your intention! On the contrary! Coaching and critiquing from the sidelines will distract your child from the flow of the game, make him more nervous, kill his enjoyment and, as a consequence, insure that he will consistently play badly. In addition, keep in mind that your “helpful” sideline comments are most often experienced by your child as an embarrassment! Coaching behaviors are only appropriate from the coaches, NOT the parents.

Instead, parents should smile from the sidelines, cheer for good execution regardless of which side it comes from, and encourage fair play and good sportsmanship. This means that you as a parent need to model appropriate, mature behaviors during the game. Yelling at your child, his teammates or the opponents is NOT mature, appropriate behavior. Loudly critiquing the officiating is NOT mature or appropriate either. It is NOT your job to critique the referees. Regardless of how well you may know this game, your calls are not better than the referees’. Excuse me, but you are just a tad bit biased in this situation! Loudly complaining to the ref every time he makes a “bad call” is not only an embarrassment to your child, but it’s quite selfish on your part. It takes the focus of the game off of the kids where it belongs and puts it on YOU. Remember, soccer is about the kids, NOT the adults.

Along these same lines it is NOT appropriate for you to spend your sideline time grumbling to other parents about your team’s coaches and the playing or tactical decisions that they make. If you have a problem with the coaches then deal with them at an appropriate time and place, NOT just before, during or right after a game. Most coaches are volunteers, are grossly underpaid for their time and are doing the best job that they know how. What they need from you is your support and help, NOT your disdain and criticism.

Finally, try to act on the sidelines in a way that would make your son or daughter proud to have you as a parent. Remember, your child is not the only one that’s performing during the game. You are also a performer and the quality of their experience is in your hands. Conduct yourself in such a way that you clearly communicate to your child and those around you that this is just a game for children, played by children. That is, you need to keep the proper perspective at all times. If there are other parents around you who are unable to maintain this kind of perspective, notify the team’s coach or league officials. It’s not your job to get in the face of another parent for misbehaving. Let the coach or parent board educate them at the next parents’ meeting.

Remember, soccer is a wonderful vehicle to help your children learn valuable life lessons. Do your part to insure that the lessons that they learn are constructive and positive.

Goalkeeping: When and How To Control Game Pace

Too often, keepers don't understand how much they can control the pace of the game and also how important it can be, in certain situations.

When your team is under a lot of pressure and are pinned back in their defensive third of the field for an extended period of time, if you, as the keeper have a couple of options when you get the ball. The first thing to do is see if the opponent has committed so many players forward that they are now susceptible to a counter attack. This might be done by looking to see if you have a target player up front who is isolated one on one with the last defender. If you see this to be the case, it's worth considering the early long ball. However, even if you see this situation, you have to consider the pace of the game. If, by playing this long ball, it most likely results in loss of possession and the opponent coming right back at you again, the possible reward of the situation, might not be worth the risk of forcing your team to defend again.

The alternative is to slow the play down, let your team get out of the back and then either look to play a long ball or then look for a shorter throw. Even if you slow the game down and then play a long ball which results in a loss of possession, the backs had time to get forward, catch their breath and now they can defend in the middle third of the field as opposed to the back third.

How do you, as the keeper, slow the game down. First, you can simply hold the ball for a few seconds. Then, as the players clear out (both your players and the opponents), be willing to put the ball on the ground and dribble forward some. You don't want to take any chances in this situation so don't allow an opponent to get to close but be willing to leave the 18, go 25-30 yards out from your goal and then play from your feet. Before putting the ball on the ground, make sure to look around you to make sure no opponents are lurking around waiting for a mistake

On the other hand, if you have the opponent on the defensive and they are doing most of the defending, be willing to get the ball back in play quickly so as to keep them on the defensive. An example would be when your team is on the attack, the opponent wins the ball and plays it long and it comes back to you. Don't slow the game down at this time, instead, keep them on the defensive and get the ball back in play quickly.

Knowing when to slow down and when to speed up in an important part of being a keeper. Watch the pros and see how they make the decisions and how they control the tempo.

U8 Academy

Part of any successful BINS program is the use of an Under-8 Academy. Starting with the 2008 Fall Soccer season at GSL, the Under-8 Academy will be launched. The Academy will be a series of eight sessions over an eight week period (one practice a week) that will focus on the primary skills of dribbling, passing, and shooting. Participation in the Academy sessions are completely optional, but players are encourage to attend as many sessions as possible during the season. There will be no additional charge to attend the Academy sessions.

Academy coaches will cover the basics of each skill set and work with players to ensure that they are developing the appropriate skills that will make them better soccer players over the long term. Coaches at the Academy have years of experience in player development. Some Academy sessions will be taught by coaches of local competitive clubs.

One of the reasons that the Under-8 Academy (as well as the overall BINS program) is being started was that coaches at the older age groups were getting seriously concerned about the lack of skills that players coming out of younger age groups were showing upon joining the older teams. Coaches were having to go back over the "basics" of dribbling, passing, and shooting with the players. This prevented them from working on the tactical development that U10 and U12 players needed. Similar to school, a 3rd grade teacher should expect an incoming student to be able to read and write, a U10 coach should expect an incoming player that did two years of soccer should know how to dribble and pass. Sadly that was not happening. Many players got quickly discouraged and left soccer completely.

The purpose of the U8 Academy is to address and fix those issues going forward. More information about the U8 Academy will be coming out as the season approaches.

BINS "Booting Is Not Soccer" Program

Starting with the 2008 Fall Soccer season at GSL, we will be deploying a BINS program across the GSL soccer program. BINS stands for "Booting Is Not Soccer." Numerous soccer programs have BINS programs and they have proven to be excellent programs for recreational soccer programs.

The age focus of the BINS program is from U6 to U12, however it has serious emphasis on the U6 and U8 players. The main objective of the program is to promote and emphasize the skills of dribbling and passing and discourage the aimless booting of the soccer ball that is all too prevalent at these young ages. The program is three tiered with a component for not only the player, but also the coach and the parent.

Benefits of the Program

1. Educate parents and coaches on the skill priorities for young players.
2. Raise the skill level at the recreational level.
3. Improve the skill and enjoyment of the recreational players, regardless of ability level.
4. Provide an on-going coaching assistance program to the soccer teams (players, coaches, and parents)

There will be more information about the BINS program as we get closer to the start of the fall season. Coaches will go through their training in the upcoming coaching clinics. Parents will be asked to attend a 1-hour session prior to the start of the season so that they can understand the program and help their child in their development.

Coaching Clinic Announced

The first GSL Soccer coaching clinic will be held on Saturday, July 26th. The clinic will start at 9 am at GSL Church. There will be a 2-hour class session, then a one hour lunch break, and then a 2 hour field session at GSL (Snowden) Field. Participants are expected to participate in the field sessions and wear soccer cleats.

There will be another coaching clinic for those that can not attend the July 26th session. Time and details on that clinic are still being worked out.

The purpose of the coaching clinics is to set a firm foundation for parent-coaches on how to coach youth soccer. Coaching philosophy and methodology will be discussed, as well as injury prevention and treatment. Participants will be given a basic soccer rules test.

The hope is that the 4-hour clinic will encourage coaches to continue their education and seriously consider becoming licensed by the US Soccer Federation by attenting the 18-hour long "E" Licensing course later in the year.

To sign up for the coaching clinic, contact Coach Prather at amprather@yahoo.com

Size Vs. Skill

Let's admit it, GSL is a small group. GSL School is a small school when you look at other schools. GSL Church is a small congregation when you look at other churches. GSL players are small compared to other players....regardless of sport! Regardless of the season or the sport, GSL players seem to be always playing against "children" much bigger. At a recent softball game, I actually thought one of the other teams' players was a coach. This girl was as tall as me!

I have over heard many a parent discuss this size issue and why is it that GSL kids seem to be smaller than the kids that they must oppose on the sports field. I don't really have an answer. Is it genetics? What we are feeding them (or not feeding them)? I really don't know. However, what I do know is that if I had a choice between size and skill, I would choose skill every time. GSL kids may not have size, but one thing we do have is skill and that is where we get much of our success.

At the recent Toulon Under-23 Tournament in France, the Italian team ended up winning the title on the play of their midfielder, Sebastian Giovinco. Giovinco dominated the tournament so much that he won the "Player of the Tournament" title. Giovinco stands 5 feet 4 inches, the shortest player in the tournament.

Now before you start questioning me that I can not rule out size all together, I will agree that you can not. Size definitely has a part in the equation, but size with no skill can hurt your chances of success especially in the long run, than "no size, but skill" will. Now if you have size and skill, then you are going to be very successful.

Bigger players can normally produce quick results and normally win games early in their playing career. Unfortunately, because we put too much emphasis on winning in youth sports, these early wins can cover up huge deficiencies. I call this the Shaquille O'Neill curse. O'Neill as a young players was told to go and get under the basket and his teammates were told to feed him the ball and he would just slam it in. Feed Shaq - Shaq stuffs it in - We win. That is all his so-called "coaches" did. Then, though, real coaches realized all you needed to do was foul him, because he couldn't shoot a free throw to save his life.

In youth soccer, I see it all the time. Players that dominate in the Under-6 and Under-8, because they are bigger turn it to average to poor players in the older ages. This is because they never developed the needed skills in those developmental ages like smaller players did and now they are getting run over. No longer can the coach use the method of kick it down to Big Bruce and he will slam it into the back of the goal. Now there may be a quick defender or a talented goal keeper that can win back the ball. To make things worse, Big Bruce never learned to get back on defense quickly, so now when he losses the ball, he is useless to his team to win it back.

Now size can remain an issue for a long time. Above I mentioned the fall off after Under 8 into the Under 10 and 12 ranks. About half of the players that played soccer in Under 6 and Under 8 soccer drop out in Under 10 and Under 12, because of the lack of skills. The next fall off happens after Under 14 into the Under 16 ranks, thanks to puberty.

A recent Under-14 match I watched was very lopsided. Team A's players averaged about 5 feet 10 inches and probably 140 pounds. A couple of players on team A looked like they were shaving already. Team B's players looked around 5 feet 4 inches and a strong wind would probably blow them away. It was clear that the Puberty Ferry had visited team A and had team B on her wait list. Team A dominated the game, because they could easily bump the other team off the ball and could put more distance on their passes. In team B, though, I saw some good technical and tactical play. Team A was very much a North-South team, everything was down the middle. I don't think that any player on Team A took more than three touches before passing it on to the next player. On the other hand, team B played North-South-East-West ball. Team B players demonstrated dribbling technique that Sebastian Giovinco would be proud of. One player on team B, dribbled by himself on a 40-yard run, he went around 5 defending players that could not do anything to stop him on his way to goal. If it wasn't for an excellent stop by the goal keeper, that ball was almost in the back of the net.

Now the coach of team A may pat himself on the back for the win, but I would like to see a rematch when those players are in the Under-18 ranks. Because when the Puberty Ferry finally catches up with team B, I see a complete reversal of results out there. It is not surprising to see players drop out of soccer from Under 14 to Under 18. The once advantage of size that early puberty gives some, comes back to hurt them as the skilled players start to beat them on the field due to their lack of skill.

So the next time you see a "big" player out on the soccer field, you may still say "WOW", but what you need to ask is if that child really any time of threat. That one girl that I though was a coach, did put out the "WOW" factor, but then when she started playing was not much of a concern. Sadly, much of her play ended up hurting her team during the course of the game. She had no skills for what was required.

Coaches must always, regardless of size, stress skill. ALL players need to be trained in all aspects of the game. Size may not always be there, but skill will be.

Again, if given the choice, I will take a Sebastian Giovinco over a Shaquille O'Neill any day of the week.

Tips For Integrating Novice Players Into Your Youth Soccer Team

Note from Coach Aaron: GSL Soccer is going through a growth spurt as more players are signing up to play. One area that we are growing more is in the older age groups. Each season we are getting players in the Under 10 and Under 12 age group that have never played soccer. There can sometimes be problems with integrating these players due to the skill gap between the players that have been playing since Under 6 and these new "Novice" players.

In the past three seasons, I have had new players join my older teams that have never played soccer and were technically years behind the other players. However, in each case, I was able to get those players up to speed and integrated into the team as quickly as possible. Below is an article from Sam Snow of US Youth Soccer, about this process. It was written in the soccer boom after the 2002 World Cup and 2003 Women's World Cup, when the US teams surprised everyone. Now it is the David Beckham boom.

Our goal in the GSL Soccer Program is to continue to grow and encourage more players to take up soccer as a sport. To be successful in this, we must be able to take the older novice players and get them trained as soccer players like we would with any other player. Remember, every challenge is an opportunity in disguise.

Article from Sam Snow, US Youth Soccer National Director of Coaching -

Because of the visibility of the 2002 World Cup and the 2003 Women’s World Cup your club may have many new players sign up this spring. Coaches of youth teams, especially recreational teams should be prepared for mainstreaming novice players with their more experienced children. Certainly we want these children to come enjoy soccer with us. However if the experience is not FUN and they sit on the bench in favor of more experienced players then they’ll dropout in a year or less. Talk to the players and their parents at the beginning of the season to develop a sense of teamwork. Enlist the efforts of these team members to help you integrate new players. Everyone on the team should help teammates improve. Let them know that everyone is making a contribution. So here are a few ideas about merging the novice players with your returning team.

• Spend a few minutes at the beginning and/or end of your training session with these new players on the basics.
• Recognize the needs of your players and balance your needs with theirs.
• Devise training activities that follow the SLANTY LINE coaching method. In other words, there is room for individual success. A simple example would be ball juggling. Instead of setting what the team record is (in other words the number of juggles by the best juggler on the team) and having everyone trying to break that record; have the players try to beat their personal record. Now each player can try to set and beat their own records in any number of measurable techniques.
• Develop perspective: remember what you were like at their age and what you could do then; don’t judge the players by what you can do now.
• Mix up your starting lineup. This will encourage the novice players to work hard and also encourage the returning players to help their teammates.
• Create activities of inclusion not exclusion. An example is the old dribbling game of knockout. Everyone dribbles and you try to knock out the other players’ ball while maintaining control of yours. If your ball is knocked out then you sit out. This of course means that the worst dribbler on the team (the one who needs the most practice) gets knocked out early and the best dribbler on the team stays in. Now the kids who need the practice touching the ball are sitting on the ground watching the best two dribblers play. Make it a game of inclusion by having the players knocked out come to the coach and perform a simple dribbling move and then they go back into the game.
• Make sure all of the parents understand what you are trying to do with the team. Try to work with parents and make them part of the team rather than viewing them as critics to be avoided.
• When putting the players into groups for an activity, such as 4 vs. 4, have more experienced players join up with the novice players. Now your expectation should be that the returning players should help the new players learn.
• Use small group activities with a 1-returning player to 2-novice players’ ratio.
• Emphasize ball skill improvement as your overall team goal.
• Monitor what the returning players say to the novices. Emphasize positive feedback amongst teammates. Become a communicator!
  

Just a few ideas to get you started.

Under 8 Drill - "Tail Tag"

Organization:
Each player has a tail (pinnie tucked into the back of their shorts). On the coach’s command, each player tries to steal the other players’ tails and if they win a tail they throw it on the ground. When a player loses their tail they continue to play as the winner is last player left with a pinnie. A variation is for player to keep the pinnies they steal and see who can collect the moist pinnies. Players cannot steal a pinnie from another player’s hands.

Progression: Play the same game while dribbling a ball.

Under 6 Drill - "Bingo!"

Organization:
A number of cones are distributed throughout the training area. One player and the coach are the “replacers.” Each player has a ball. The players with the balls try to knock down as many cones as possible with their balls. The “replacers” (all players take turns in this role) set up the cones as fast as they are knocked down. When a player knocks down a cone they yell bingo. The player who scores the most bingos wins the game.

Under 10 Drill - "Four Grid Passing"

Start with a 30 x 30 grid and divide into 4 equal parts.

The two primary rules are:

• At no point may a team possess the ball and have more than two players in any of the smaller grids
• When a player passes the ball, they must sprint into a different grid

If there are more than 2 players in a grid when a team has the ball, they immediately lose possession of the ball. If a player passes the ball and doesn't immediately sprint to a different grid, they immediately lose possession of the ball.

When a team wins the ball (transitions from defense to offense, there is a slight delay allowed so that the players have time to sprint to spread the field. Three players (or more) are allowed in the same grid on so enough time needs to be allowed so the players can get to the appropriate spacing.In the beginning, it might be best to have one or two neutral players in this game so that whichever team has the ball has 7 v 5. Even with these neutral players, the same rules would apply (no more than 2 attacking players in a grid at a time and a sprint to a different grid after a pass).

This is a great game to work on possession, movement off the ball and communication.

Under 6 Lesson Plan - Finding Space

Activity One: Juggling (Warm Up)

Everyone with a ball. Hold hands out with ball in between, drop ball directly down and kick back up to hands, etc. Players practice keeping the ball in the air with their feet and thighs. Players count how many times they touch the ball before it drops to the ground.

Version 2: Controlled juggling…juggle on one thigh, then add other thigh, then add one foot, then add the other foot…thigh-thigh-foot-foot

Activity Two: Ball Tag
Similar to other tag games except players try to tag others with their soccer ball, by kicking it at another player’s feet or ball. Have them keep count of how many times they kick their soccer ball and tag another person.

Options: If the players tag the coach, they are awarded 10 or 20 points. If the players tag other selected players, they can be awarded 50 or 100 points etc.

Activity Three: Freeze Tag
Everyone has a ball and coach can pick one or two players who are the Freeze monsters. Freeze monsters (with ball) try and dribble around and tag other players (who also have a ball and are dribbling around). The frozen player must stand still holding their ball over their head. Players can become unfrozen if the coach comes over and unfreezes them OR the coach can have the other players unfreeze each other (by simply touching them again). If all players are frozen, game ends and the coach can have new Freeze monsters.

Version 2: Freeze monsters can now try to freeze (tag) the other players by kicking their soccer ball at someone else’s soccer ball or at their feet.

Version 3: Coach can be the freeze monster and try to tag all the players; players can unfreeze each other.

Activity Four: Get Outta There!!
Place two small (2 yard) goals at the end of a field 15 x 10 yards. The coach stands at the halfway line with all of the soccer balls. Half of the players are lined up on his left side and half of the players are lined up on his right side in different colored bibs. When the coach kicks a ball onto the field, the first two players in each line run out and try to score on each other’s goal. If the ball goes in the goal or out of bounds, the coach yells “get outta there” and plays a new ball into the field immediately for the next two players. Never have no more that 3 players of each team waiting in line. Have two session going on to prevent long lines. Coach doing one session, an assistant doing another.
Version 2: Coach can stop yelling “get outta there” and see if the 1st players in each line recognize that they should begin play when a new ball is kicked into the field.

Version 3: Coach can vary service of ball. Sometimes play it to one player, sometimes toss the ball up in the air.

Activity Five: Scrimmage
Separate players into two teams and play a game of 3 against 3 without goalkeepers. Let the players play and give plenty of positive feedback to them as they compete. REINFORCE the GOOD STUFF! All players need to be playing - have two scrimmages going if needed.

The Outside of the Foot Pass/Shoot - Ricardo Quaresma

The "Trivela" kick is a sneaky kick because it comes off of the outside part of the foot. Ricardo Quaresma, currently a player on FC Porto in Portugal, is a master of it and thus a very dangerous player. Quaresma ability to use the outside part of the foot can deceive a defender, because he can make a pass to the side in the blink of an eye. Using the outside part of the foot during a shoot can put a wicked spin on the ball confusing a goalkeeper, who may think at first the ball is going one way, but then bends back and goes into the goal.

The Coaching Tool Box

New youth soccer coaches have a lot on their minds the first time they step on to the soccer pitch. What I am I going to teach? Do I have all of my equipment? Are the kids going to like me? Lost in all of this, though, is how to coach and when to coach. New coaches need to realize that the best teacher of the soccer is the game itself - just let the kids play. However, this does not mean that coaches do not need to coach.

In the GSL Coaches Clinics and any US Soccer Federation coaching classes, one big topic that is discussed is the use of the Coaching Tool Box. The Coaching Tool Box has five tools for teaching on the soccer pitch, they are -

1. Coaching in the flow.
2. Individual coaching while play continues.
3. Make corrections or coaching points during a natural stoppage (goal scored, throw-in, free kick, corner kick, substitution, etc).
4. Manipulation of exercise to have the training teach the players. Example: Touch restriction which changes every time you score a goal or have a goal scoring chance.
5. Freeze (stopping the flow of the play-as a last resort).

Some of these tools can be very invasive, some not so much. Coaches should not relied too heavily on a single tool, but use all of them in the course of a training session. In the past, coaches would use the freeze method to the point of abuse and that the freeze method was the most invasive of all the tools it stop the flow of the game so much that the game no longer was the teacher that it should be.

Here is each method in more detail -

1. Coach within the flow of the game. This is successful with players whose technique allows them to process and play at the same time. The coach provides clear, brief instructions to individuals or small groups of players as the ball is moving. This isn’t an ongoing monologue! Comments at a critical time to influence play. The caution here is to not let this become noise.
2. Coach the individual player as the game continues. Here the coach stops an individual players to make a coaching point, but does not stop the activity. While the coach interacts with the player, his team plays a “man down.” Obviously the interaction must be brief and concise to get the player back into the activity.
3. Coach at natural stoppages. Here the coach addresses a group of players during times when the game is still, e.g. when the ball goes out of bounds; water breaks; change over. While being brief and concise is always important, here it is important to focus on a problem that is fresh in the player’s mind.
4. Allow the conditions of the activity to coach the theme. Here the conditions of the activity provide the problem for the players to solve. Example: Playing at least two touch to improve the player’s ability to receive passes on the ground.
5. Coach using the “Freeze” method. Here the coach “freezes” the game to make his/her coaching point. This allows the coaching to “paint” a very visual picture for the players. This method obviously disturbs the activity/game and can, if used too frequently in a session, frustrate the players. (Instructors should differentiate between “traditional coaching school” stoppage that “Freezes, Demonstrates, Rehearses, Restarts” and revised stoppage to “Freeze” a picture for the players that last no longer than 14 seconds).
   

Wanted: The Devious Soccer Player

From Paul Shaw, Virginia Youth Soccer Coaching Education Director -

These individuals have fun playing their sport; they embrace their environment and they have exceptional technique. Not only tactically tuned in but always thinking outside the box when solving problems. We have all seen this player and secretly asked ourselves, “How did she get out of that mess with the ball?” In order to develop more of these types of players, we need to look within our own environment.

Technique, technique, technique! This is the backbone of the creative player. Technique is essential and all players should spend time on technique. When was the last time you heard a top level pro say, “My first touch is good enough?” Players must have quality technique if they are to be creative. It is silly to think of a soccer player being deceptive before they pass but in the end, never maintaining possession. For example: you fake to pass the ball to the left but really pass the ball to the right. Your fake to the left is worthless if you miss the player you are passing to on your right.

How much time do you spend in your own environment? Are your technical demands applicable to the game? A recreational player will get more enjoyment out of the game if he or she has a cleaner first touch. A travel player will blossom if he or she is able to run at and beat defenders 1 v. 1. As a coach, it is OUR responsibility to plan practices accordingly. Our players’ enjoyment of our sport will grow as their technique gets better. Guaranteed!

Now, we must apply our technique to the game and the problems that are presented. The best way to bring out those free thinking qualities is within small-sided games (2 v.2; 3v.3; 4v.4 etc.). Touches on the ball are increased; the time to make decisions lessened and the opportunities to learn multiplied. Yes, we eventually have to get the game into the right size and space for your age group. However, time in the small-sided game allows for more repetition of those learning scenarios and allows for players to adlib without punishment. What about your role in all this? Are you going to step in and show them every solution? Are you going to coach every error? I would challenge you to step back and watch. Some of the solutions may be creative, even devious and possibly very entertaining.

Goalkeeper Skill: Punting

A very important skill for any goalkeeper.

Under 12 Lesson Plan - Finishing With Combination Play

Objective: To help players recognize opportunities to finish from combination play. To help players develop the ability and the risky & aggressive attitude & instinct to score.

Possible combinations:

• The double- pass
• The overlap/run-around
• The wall-pass
• The take-over
  

Some general points:

• The players’ ability to recognize the verbal and visual cues of teammates is crucial to success
• The correct timing of runs and passes is crucial to success
• Appropriate angles and distance of support is crucial to success

Activity One: Shooting Warm Up
Set up two goals about 40 yards apart and the width of the penalty area, with GK’s in each goal. (2 field players per ball) Pairs of field players passing and moving throughout the area experimenting with different combinations, finishing with a reasonable shot to the keeper (to warm the keeper up). Version 2: Pairs now try to score (after using different combinations).

Coaching Points -

• Stress passing and receiving techniques…use of the inside and outside of the foot when passing
• Reinforce combination play coaching points
• Coach non-verbal cues…angle and timing of runs with and without the ball
• Coach verbal cues…i.e., ”Hold!”

Activity Two: 3v3+1 to goal

On a field 30 yds wide X 35 yds long place two regulation size goals centrally on each end line. Play a game awarding 2 points for any goals scored from a combination play. Award 1 point for goals scored otherwise.
Coaching Points -

• Work on passing and receiving techniques; proper pace and accuracy of the pass; proper 1st touch.
• Work on technical speed.
• Perfect communication.
• Talk about visual cures.
• Constantly survey the playing area
• Reinforce the combination play coaching points.
• Talk about taking opportunities to score.
• Be alert and ready to tap in any ball or rebound.
• Reinforce following up all shots.
• Talk about placement versus power.
• Develop rhythm of play based on what the game presents…increase speed of play at the right time

Activity Three: 4v4 +4 on deck +2GK’S
Two teams play soccer , on a field 30 yds wide X 45 yds long with regulation size goals centrally positioned on each end line. One team is on-deck waiting outside the field. First team to score two goals remains on the field, losing team is replaced by the on- deck team; or if two minutes pass by, and neither team has scored 2 goals or the game is tied, the team that has been on the field longest is replaced by the on-deck team. Captains on each team keep score.

Coaching Points -

• Reinforce the coaching points previously covered. Be sure to connect the dots…when making coaching points in these small sided games talk about how all attacking players are connected.

Activity Four: Full Scrimmage
Scrimmage under normal game conditions.

Coaching Points -

• Reinforce coaching points made throughout the training session.
  

Approaching Your Child's Coach

From Richard K. Stratton, US Youth Soccer -

How do you approach your child's coach or otherwise deal with a problem involving the coach?

Sometimes the problem is just with the one child and the coach, other times is involves several athletes. The major concern seems to be how to discuss this problem with the coach without creating problems for the child, such as retribution from the coach. Hopefully your child's coach held a preseason meeting with all the team athletes and their parents. During this meeting the coach should have discussed his or her coaching philosophy and coaching methods, among other things. This information should help you understand why your child's coaches are doing many of the things they are doing. Occasionally, however, issues or questions may arise during the season that you might feel need to be addressed by the coach. The most common issue seems to be the perception that a child is not getting enough playing time. Other issues raised include the coaches playing their own, less skilled children ahead of other more skilled children on the team, coaches who curse and are otherwise verbally abusive of the children, coaches who can not or do not teach the skills needed to play the sport, and coaches who make promises to kids but fail to follow through on these. The Sport Parent (Human Kinetics Publishers, 1994) also lists as possible problems: being subjected to too much pressure, receiving only criticism from the coach for mistakes rather than encouragement, being made fun of by peers with no response from the coach, and being injured and not properly attended to.

What should you do when one or more of these (or other) problems seem to be occurring? First, you need to determine if it is a real problem. Your child may be to best indicator of this. Does your child dread going to practices or games? Has your child talked about dropping out without expressing any particular reason? Does your child frequently come home from practices unhappy? You need to talk to your child and try to determine what the actual problem seems to be from their perspective. Remember, they may be reluctant to talk about it because they are afraid of what might happen if you go to talk to the coach. You should also try to attend practices and contests to observe to determine what is actually going on. The problem might not be with the coach. If you believe that there is a problem with the coach you should talk to him or her. If the problem involves more than one athlete, the parents of the other athletes should be included in the discussions with the coach. Make an appointment to meet with the coach, but not at practices or games. Explain the problem to the coach and ask for the coach's perspective on the situation. Listen carefully to the coach's response. Discuss any differences between your perspective and the coach's viewpoint. Try to come to an agreement about how the problem will be resolved. If you and the coach are unable to resolve the problem, you may have to take the problem to the league or organization's administrator. In any of these meetings you must control your emotions and maintain a positive approach. You are trying to improve the youth sports experience for your child and the rest of the team too.

Article contributed by Coaching Youth Sports, an online newsletter presenting information about learning and performing sport skills.

Under 8 Drill - "1v1 Dribbling Gauntlet"

Emphasis:
1 v 1 - Attacking and Defending

Setup:
Divide players into groups of 2’s. Create a grid for each group, with a goal at each end. Each grid is 15 yards long x 10 yards wide. The goals should be no bigger than 2 yards in width.

Objective:
Encourage players to be creative by taking on their opponent. Each 1 v 1 dual shall last one minute with a one-minute active rest of juggling. After each 1 v 1 dual, the winners move up one grid and the losers move down one grid. The objective is to move into the “A” grid by the end of the contest.

Coaching Points:

Offensively:

• Be creative and take chances
• Work on new moves
• Be explosive after move getting in behind the defender
  

Defensively:

• Keep on the balls of your feet
• Lower your center of gravity
• Go in hard when committing to winning the ball
  

Peer Pressure Training

From Lawrence at FineSoccer.com -

I was speaking with a friend recently who has been involved with professional basketball for a number of years and he asked me “how much peer pressure training is done in soccer”. I wasn't familiar with the term but when he explained it as training under high pressure with the pressure being put on by an opponent, it made a lot more sense.

Unfortunately, while it made a lot more sense it's also something too many soccer coaches don't do enough of in training.

It's easy to teach a player how to shoot a ball. You can go through the whole process of big steps, planting the foot properly, locking the ankle, knee over the ball, making contact with the correct part of the foot, following through etc. However, it's much more difficult when they have to do it at speed. Then, it becomes even more difficult when it has to be done at speed with an opponent right on them.

If you are working with players on turning, you would want to explain how to turn, then demonstrate, then have them do it without pressure and then add some token pressure. Unfortunately, too many coaches end at this point. In order for a player to be able to turn in a game situation, they have to experience the various types of pressure they will see in a game.

Too often, coaches will show things with shadow training and then go to numbers up situations but at some point, the players need to experience even numbers (or even down numbers since most attacking situations start with a numbers down situation).

Put the players in true numbers situations, which will allow the pressure to be similar to what they will see in a game and see how much easier it will be for the players in the game itself.

Under 10 Lesson Plan - Dribbling for Penetration

Objective:
To improve the technique of dribbling, help with confidence to take players on and allowing players to recognize when to take players on versus using other options (passing, shooting, shielding).

Activity One: Technical Box (Warm Up)

Everyone with a ball, use inside, outside, and sole of the foot. Have players dribble with speed, change direction, and perform moves. Coach calls out moves or changes in direction and sets the pace as the manipulator of the session; players carry the ball towards someone and try a move. Version 2: As players get comfortable, coach can walk around and put pressure on players as they are performing dribbling tasks. This adds fun and interaction. Version 3: Make the game a knockout game in which players try to knock each other’s balls out of the grid while maintaining possession of their own. Note: You may wish to have them perform a skills task before re-entering such as 10 toe touches or juggling 5 times. You do not want players sitting out.

Coaching Points -

• Keep ball within 1 giant step and maintain balance at all times, use arms to help maintain balance
• Try to keep your head up (once comfortable with ball at feet)
• Keep both knees bent and lean over the ball, do not stand upright with ball
• Slow down to change direction
• After making a move, dribbling into an open space or changing direction, you need a burst of speed
• Stress movement of body and burst of speed when doing moves
• Use outside of foot or laces when dribbling for speed
• Use all parts of your feet
• Try new things and be creative

Activity Two: 1v1 to lines
In a 15x10 yard grid, two players play 1v1 and try to score by beating the defender and dribbling over the line opposite them. They play toward the ten-yard lines and use their favorite feints. When the ball goes out of bounds it is dribbled in. Switch partners between grids every 2-3 minutes. Keep score.

Coaching Points -

• Reinforce the coaching points listed in activity #1
• When taking on the defender the attacker will have bent knees, the ball close to his or her dribbling foot and be balanced
• He or she will execute a feint or combination of feints to unbalance the defender and dribble behind him or her
• Players should look to attack the defenders front foot to off balance the defender
• Players who are dribbling past an opponent should dribble past them with the foot furthest from the defender

Activity Three: 2v2 to Four Cross Gates

Teams defend one goal and have the opportunity to score on the other three goals; you must dribble through a goal to score a point. The goals are on the ends of a large cross in a square grid roughly 10yd X 10yd. Have one team of 2 on deck; they come on when a team gets scored on twice. Game is continuous, they must run on immediately.

Coaching Points -

• Help players to recognize where the open space is and when to attack it on the dribble
• Assist players in recognizing when to dribble at speed (there is open space ahead), and when to slow down (they need to make decisions, combine with 2nd attacker, or are getting closer to opponents)
• The first attacker (player with the ball) needs to make a decision on whether to combine with the second attacker or attack the space themselves
• This decision is based on were the first defender is in relation to the field, the goal, the first attacker, and the second attacker

Activity Four: 4v4 to lines

In a 25x30 yard grid, two teams play to the opposite 30 yard lines. They score by dribbling the ball over end-line in control. When the ball goes out of bounds it can be passed or dribbled in to play.

Coaching Points -

• Reinforce the coaching points listed in #1, #2 and #3
• Stress attacking the open space on the dribble and recognition of one versus one opportunities.

Activity Five: The Scrimmage

Depending upon numbers, space will change and numbers will change. Ideally, finish with the number you normally play with in games. Play a regular game with goalkeepers.

Coaching Points -

• Reinforce the coaching points listed in #3
• Highlight the technique of dribbling
• Reinforce positive decision making opportunities (recognizing opportunities to take players on, how they attack –get in and behind for a shot / attack endline and get cross off, etc.).