Bringing Back Street Soccer, Part Three

In part one of this series, the lack of American soccer player imagination/creativity was discussed. This lack of creativity by the American player not only leads to pretty boring soccer play, but also the creativity it takes to become a great soccer player.

In part two of this series, the idea of reintroducing street soccer was discussed as the possible solution to this problem. Street soccer would allow players to just play. Free of the pressure of coaches, parents, and others. This would allow them the opportunity to explore new moves without the pressure of failure.

To continue the series, the question has to be asked if the United States move to the small-sided game format at the youth level not enough to help encourage creativity in soccer? Small-sided soccer is designed to give players more touches, therefore more opportunities to be comfortable around the ball, why isn't this enough? Coach Roni Mansur again answers the questions.

What are small-sided games and what are some of their benefits?

The leading youth soccer organization in this country - U.S. Youth Soccer, NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America), and AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) - have followed in the footsteps of the soccer federations of Holland, France, Germany and Brazil and taken steps to embrace and promote small-sided games for youth players. These organizations recommend that the 11 v. 11 game format should be applicable only for player above the age of 12; U-6 players should play 3 v. 3, U-8 players 4 v. 4, U-10 players 6 v. 6, and U-12 players 8 v. 8. It also is recommended that these small-sided games be played on correspondingly smaller field sizes.

Soccer and child-development researchers consider the small-sided environment to be developmentally appropriate for young soccer players. It creates a fun environment where kids are able to get more touches on the ball and, as a result, have more opportunities to score goals than they would in an 11 v. 11 format. This increased participation also provides more opportunities for players to practice the key technical skills of dribbling, passing, tackling, and shooting. In addition, players' tactical development is accelerated; in small-sided games, they are presented with a variety of soccer-related problems more frequently and they have to make independent decisions. Furthermore, the smaller games also help develop the players' mental skills. In particular, they teach players to maintain focus by not dwelling on mistakes that would distract them from being ready for their next touch on the ball.

The move to small-sided games for younger players is a positive one, but it has not yet been embraced and adopted at the grassroots level in several states.

How is street soccer different from small-sided games and how can coaches incorporate street soccer into American youth soccer?

The small-sided games concept offers many benefits, but it still represents activities that adults control and direct. This is the key difference between street soccer and small-sided games. In street soccer, there is no adult supervision.

The first step coaches can take is to understand and promote small-sided games in local youth leagues so young players can have a developmentally appropriate environment in which to play soccer. They can take this one step further by incorporating the concept of small-sided games into coaching sessions instead of using old-fashioned drills in which players wait in line for their turn to shoot on goal or dribble through cones. All the techniques and tactics that are taught through drills can be coached just as effectively through small-sided games. In addition, using small-sided games in practice sessions offers several added benefits - they allow players to learn in more realistic and game-like situations. They have more touches on the ball and usually have more fun.

The next step coaches can take is to adopt and promote street soccer within their teams and local communities. There are many reasons why it will be challenging to bring street soccer in its purest form to the United States, but there are several ways to incorporate the concept of street soccer into coaching sessions and methods.

One such approach is to dedicate a portion of every practice to street soccer. During this segment, the coach steps back and gives control of the game to the players, who become responsible for setting up a game themselves. The coach may even decide to bar players from using cones and pinnies for their games, instead allowing them to figure out on their own that their sweatshirts and water bottles make fine goalposts and sidelines.

This approach can be discomforting for coaches accustomed to maintaining control and structure. It can be unnerving for a coach to take a back seat and simply watch the game, not say anything, make any coaching points or settle disputed calls. They may feel disengaged from the practice and feel that they are not contributing to their players' development.

However, this uninterrupted street soccer game is one of the most effective teaching tools available. As the saying goes, "the game is the best teacher." In addition, coaches can take advantage of this opportunity to take a step back and observe their players in a non-competitive situation to better understand their strengths, development needs and interpersonal relationships.

This approach likely will make many parents uncomfortable as well. As adults, we typically equate structure and control as necessary elements to learning, especially in the United States. As a result, coaches will need to educate parents about the benefits of street soccer and the need for unsupervised play to help foster creativity and imagination among young soccer players.

These street soccer sessions also represent a great opportunity for the players to learn about ownership. The game they just set up and are playing truly is their own. THe coach is there to tend to injuries, but nothing else. The coach may decide to join the game, but only under the condition that he or she is treated the same as any of the other players.

Another potential benefit of this approach is that it teaches young players to become more independent and helps them learn how to set up a soccer game without adult supervision. This may seem trite, but most of our young players are unable to organize pickup games themselves. Their concept of playing soccer is either going to practice or playing a game, both of which are supervised by adults.

Having our young players realize during practice sessions that they can easily set up and play soccer without any help from adults may encourage some to call their friends and meet at a field to play soccer after school. It's a long shot, but with enough support and encouragement, maybe someday soon we will see some of our kids playing pickup soccer on their own. This is the probably the closest we can hope to get to a street soccer environment in the United States.

Parents are Parents

From the comic - Cleats by Bill Hinds.

"Playing to Develop" versus "Playing to Win"

Every wonder how the US National Teams approach youth soccer? Well here is the the Official Position Statement of the US Women's National Teams Program.

Issue

In youth soccer circles today, an over emphasis is being placed on winning. It stems from social pressure in America where we are expected to be the best in everything. We glorify winning and first place finishers. The emphasis in sports on ‘winning’ is out of balance. Witness the increase in violence at youth athletic events. In sport, we are obsessed with the ‘outcome’ rather than the ‘process.’ As long as we win, we are happy. We evaluate coaches only on their win-loss record. What about enjoyment of the process, the journey, the experience and it’s ultimate influence on us as people, coaches and athletes? What about evaluating coaches on the improvement, growth and development of their players? After all, we can’t control the outcome, but we can control the process.

Recommendations

Admit that we’re obsessed with winning. When Suzie comes home after her game, the first thing we ask is did she win and the second thing is did she score a goal? Reframe the way we look at sport. Suzie, “how was the game today? Did you have fun? Did your team play well? How did you play? Did you do some of the new things the coach asked you to try? Are you hungry?”

In youth soccer, the priority for coaches and players should be on individual player development and learning. Set age and ability specific technical, tactical, psychological, and physical goals to aid in optimizing player development. This will provide coaches a framework and structure to follow. These goals also provide an alternative for coaches and parents to measure achievement and development of their players. For under 14 and younger, the primary objective of game participation and training is to provide the players with learning opportunities. Teams should “strive to win,” but this should not be the focus of any training sessions, half-time talks or player motivations.

At the age of 14 and above, careful consideration needs to be placed on balancing instances where in addition to developing as individuals and a team, finding ways to ‘win’ also becomes part of the overall objective. One of the biggest obstacles in women’s athletics is that young girls are socialized not to be competitive. By all means, ‘teach players to compete, to compete hard, to compete to win, but don’t have winning be the only measure of success.’ Choose which tournaments and games are to be played to ‘learn,’ and which are to be played to, ‘win.’ It is not in the best interest of the players’ development to have a schedule where the sole purpose for participation is ‘winning.’ Individual and team improvement and peak performance should be the measure of achievement, rather than winning or losing.

It should be noted that while the US Women’s National Team steps on the field prepared to win every game and every tournament, there are only two tournaments (every four years) that we play with the sole purpose of ‘winning,’ the Olympics and the Women’s World Cup.

At 16 years of age and below, players should be encouraged to play different positions on the field. This will allow for a greater understanding of the game.

Coaches should attempt to have players play for an extended period of time. The players are thus asked to solve their own problems on the field instead of having the coach make substitutions in order to solve the problem for them. Players should not, ‘platoon players’ in and out of games in order to ‘wear an opponent down.’ Unlike most American sports, “soccer is a players game,” not a coaches game. Substitutions allow for all players to play and will speed development for a greater number of players. The coach should decide before the game or tournament what the philosophy will be regarding substitutions – then stick to it.

The system and style that the coach selects should be based on matching the skill and abilities of the players and not to achieve a ‘win.’ Exposing players to various systems and styles of play offers a tremendous opportunity to learn.

Care must be taken at the younger levels (U16) to select players based on their soccer abilities and not on their strength or size. It is tempting to use bigger, earlier maturing players to help you win games this year. If our aim as coaches is to develop players and teams to advance to the next level, we must be mindful of a smaller players ‘potential’ to be a better player in a year or two.

Lastly, player, parent, and administrator education is vital. Through communication and explanation of long term goals and rewards a coach must bring all parties to a consensus in support of this developmental philosophy. In order for these ideas to work properly, the coach must demonstrate his/her ability to develop players and teams. ‘Winning,’ is not a measurement of coaching success. The technical and tactical ability of the player, player and team improvement during the course of a season, player and team satisfaction, and player matriculation are the best yardsticks for success.

Rationale

With sound technical, tactical, physical and psychological skills encouraged through a ‘process’ oriented philosophy, players will develop the necessary tools to maximize their potential. A thoughtful plan based on the level and needs of the players significantly increases the rate of retention, improvement, and enjoyment.

“There are many people, particularly in sports who think that success and excellence are the same thing and they are not the same thing. Excellence is something that is lasting and dependable and largely within a person’s control. In contrast, success is perishable and is often outside our control… If you strive for excellence, you will probably be successful eventually... people who put excellence in first place have the patience to end up with success… An additional burden for the victim of the success mentality is that he/she is threatened by success of others and resents real excellence. In contrast, the person fascinated by quality is excited when he/she sees it in others.” Joe Paterno – Penn State Football Coach - 1990

Link to the PDF, courtesy of Indiana Youth Soccer.

The Offside Rule

In soccer, an offside foul is called when an offensive player, or attacking player, is passed the ball and there are not at least two opponents between him or her and the goal line. Usually, these are the goalkeeper and one other defender, but not necessarily. The penalty for an offside foul is that the other team is given possession of the ball.

The rule was created to prevent offensive players from "cherry picking" near the opponents' goal. Without the rule, offensive players could hover near their opponents' goal even when the play is on the other side of the field, with the hope of a long pass and an easy goal. The offside rule still allows for the chance to score.

It's also important to note that offside applies at the moment the ball is passed, not at the moment the ball is received. Therefore, if the offensive player that will receive the pass is "onside" at the time the ball is passed, but then runs behind the unsuspecting defender before receiving the pass, the receiving offensive player is not offsides.

For a video to help explain this further, click here.

The First Touch and How to Improve it

From John Ellinger, Technical Director for US Youth Soccer -

I will say it again and again, the first touch is everything. One of the core objectives of US Youth Soccer's player development plan is for players to become more comfortable with the ball under pressure. After observing several US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (US Youth Soccer ODP) Boys' and Girls' Inter-regional events, both domestic and international, and also every round of US Youth Soccer's National League, I can say without hesitation that improving the quality of the first touch is US Youth Soccer's number one technical objective.

The first touch can encompass a number of different elements. It is how the player receiving the ball deals with the pace of the pass; how does the player deal with spin or bend of the ball; how does the player handle the location of the incoming ball (is it on the ground or is it in the air) and which surface should the player use to control this ball; based on pressure from opponents, space, or time, which direction does the player move the ball with the first touch; does the player have the ability to "feel the pressure" and effectively make a correct angle back to the ball or the proper run into space; can the player receive the ball and turn with it in one fluid movement; because of the previously mentioned type of pressure, does the player make the decision to play it one touch to a teammate; and does the player elect to make a strike at goal on the first touch or take another touch to get a better look at goal or a better shooting angle?

Watching Landon Donovan develop into a young superstar would be extremely rewarding for any and all coaches to watch. He was simply incredible with his first touch. He knew when he could effectively take it away from pressure, and he knew when to lay it off to another player because of pressure. Coaches often talk to their players about when to take risks or not to take risks in the various thirds of the soccer field. Watch Landon sometime and see how many risks he takes in the defensive third or middle third of the field regarding his first touch-zero. As part of Freddy Adu's development, he and I sat and watched this feat while Bruce Arena and the Men's National Team were training and playing matches in Bradenton, Florida several years ago. Developing young players need to see these types of situations for themselves. They need to understand that mistakes involving the first touch can create scoring opportunities, counter attacks or create numbers up situations for the opponent.

There are many simple exercises that players can use to improve the quality of their first touch.

Let's start with just one player and a ball; something the player can do in their backyard. The player would simply toss the ball several feet above their head and then attempt to control it by using what we call the "drag" technique. This is where the player uses either the inside or outside of one foot and then turns the foot at a 45 degree angle in the direction they would like to move the ball.

The player will also then lean the body in that same direction and then attempt to control the ball just as it is leaving the ground (short hop as some like to call it). The player will get the sensation that they are trying to "drag the ball" in the direction they are moving. The player should practice this procedure many times using the inside and outside of both feet. Also, the player should gradually increase the height of the ball toss in order to increase the difficulty of this exercise.

If another player is available, then one player can toss the ball to their partner at various heights. Then after the receiving partner drags the ball away in one direction and passes it back to their partner, you then repeat this process several times and then switch roles.

The above exercise helps to improve our first touch when receiving balls out of the air. Next is an exercise that can help the player when receiving the ball on the ground.

Place two cones on the ground ten yards apart, with player A, in the red shirt, standing by one cone with the ball and player B, in the blue shirt, standing beside the other cone waiting to receive the ball. Imagine that there is a solid line between the two cones. As player A passes the ball to player B, player B attempts to move the ball across this imaginary line with on their first touch and then play it back to player A.

Player B can use either the inside or outside of the foot to receive the pass, but if the player uses the inside of the foot on their first touch, have the player pass it back with the opposite foot. If the player uses the outside of the foot on their first touch have them pass it back with the same foot.

This exercise is designed to help a player understand the principle of moving the ball away from pressure. After the player receives about ten balls, then have the players switch roles. The difficulty of this exercise can be increased with the passing player adding more pace to the pass or by adding a third player as a passive defender that tries to force the receiving player to move in a specific direction.

How To Defend - The 1st Defender

The moment that your team loses control of the soccer ball, EVERYONE on your team is a DEFENDER. The closest team member to the ball is the 1st Defender. So how should this 1st Defender play? Below is a video from US Youth Soccer showing the keys of the 1st Defender role and how they can win the ball back or prevent further penetration by the other team. This is both a technical and tactical skill.

The Step Over

One of the most common moves in soccer. The key is the deception of appearing to go one way, but then go the other. If executed properly, the player will create space between himself and his mark.

Video is housed on the UEFA Training Ground website, click here to go to it. Requires Flash.

Bringing Back Street Soccer, Part Two

In Part One of "Bringing Back Street Soccer", Roni Mansur, Director of Coaching at Cambridge (Mass.) Youth Soccer, discussed how the quick exit of the United States in the 2006 World Cup exposed a big weakness in American soccer - the lack of player imagination. One of the main reasons for this lack in imagination was in the way that American players are introduced and then kept in the game. Soccer has always been a very adult structured game in the United States. Players are brought to practices and games by adults and supervised by adults. They are consistently being told how to play. This stifles them creativity because the adults are there to question them.

Coach Mansur stated in Part One, that American players need to do what their counterparts do around the world - play street soccer. Like a pick up baseball game in the back yard or a pick up game of basketball at the local park, the players need to take ownership of their game. No adults, no supervision, allow their natural imagination flow. If not, American soccer will continue to produce unimaginative players. Part Two with Coach Mansur now begins.

What are the implications of the absence of street soccer?

The absence of street soccer leads to a key difference between American youth soccer and other nations' programs. Around the world, young soccer players come from all socio-economic backgrounds. Young players face no significant financial barriers to entering the sport because they always can play street soccer with some friends as long as they have a ball and some space.

However, because of the absence of street soccer in America, youth soccer is a primarily middle- to upper-class sport. Low-income families confront significant barriers to entry because it costs $300 to $500 per year for a young player to play for two 10-week seasons with the local town team. The cost of playing for a youth soccer club ranges from $800 to $1500 per player annually.

Young soccer players from low-income families are excluded at a very early age, which is unfortunate; many of these players come from immigrant families whose home countries have a rich soccer culture. A further consequence of this situation is that it reduces the pool of potential players from which top talent can be identified and developed.

As a result, the existing American youth soccer structure is supported largely by middle-class adults, who volunteer countless hours as coaches and spend a considerable amount of time and effort supporting their children's interests. However, most of these adults did not grow up playing or understanding of the game. More important, most of them do not fully grasp the fundamental differences between coaching adult and youth sports.

As a consequence, the mantra of playing for the team and achieving results is imposed much earlier in American youth soccer than it is in tope soccer-playing nations around the world. And it typically is done at the expense of creativity, skills and independent decision-making, all of which are essential components of individual player development. Teamwork and results are important aspects of team sports and of American culture in general, but these elements should be secondary to individual player development at the youth level of any sport, including soccer.

It is this difference that enables youth players around the world to have more time to develop their creative tendencies and become more clever with the ball before they learn to play in a structured team environment. It is much easier to encourage a nine- or 14-year-old soccer player to be creative than a 22-year-old.

American kids are in no way less creative or less capable than young players in Brazil or Italy. It's just that most of them don't play soccer enough, and their only opportunities to the play the game are in a controlled environment where most coaches, intentionally of unintentionally, suppress their players' creative instincts in order to achieve the best outcome for the team.

Why should street soccer be considered and what are its benefits?

We have created a strong foundation and basic structure for youth soccer in this country, but in doing so, and in the absence of street soccer, we as adults have wrested control of the game away from the kids. Structure makes us feel more comfortable that real learning is taking place. However, the highly structured environment that exists today is not optimal for having young players learn the game of soccer and fall in love with it. It is time for us to give some of the game back to the kids. It is time for us to foster and encourage creativity, as coaches, parents, and fans, by creating an environment where creativity and imagination flourish on the soccer field.

Creativity is the heart and soul of soccer. It is what makes fans gasp in wonder and amazement. Creativity is Ronaldinho making his trademark lightning-quick outside-inside move and leaving yet another hapless defender in his wake. It is Maradona dribbling past two defenders and slipping a no-look through pass to his fellow striker when everyone else on the field and in the stands thinks he is about to shoot for goal. It is the 10-year-old girl in Cambridge, Mass., making up her own spin move during a game.

At the youth level, creativity draws young players to the game and makes them fall in love with it. If nurtured appropriately, it elevates the technical and tactical aspects of the professional game to a higher plane, to that point where it becomes "The Beautiful Game."

Creativity is difficult, if not impossible, to teach. It can only be encouraged by providing an environment that helps foster it, one that rewards risk-taking, imagination and inventiveness - an environment where creativity becomes almost instinctive. That means establishing a street soccer environment.

Around the world young soccer players can be found kicking anything that resembles a ball every chance they get - alone or with siblings or friends. They come up with crazy moves to dribble past their older brothers and sisters. They go to the park or meet their friends on a quiet street to play after school and on the weekends. They are exposed to players of different ages and skill levels on a daily basis and learn how to play with and against them. They learn how to deal with other young players and resolve conflicts without adult supervision. They do this in an environment that is forgiving and relatively stress-free. Nobody remembers that you goofed up a crazy move if you make a great pass the next time you have the ball. Most important, there is no coach or adult yelling from the sidelines if you make a mistake.

This street soccer environment is crucial for developing youth soccer players. It enables them to try new things and be clever on the ball while having fun. It gives them the opportunity to stabilize their skills, develop at their own pace and build confidence. It exposes players continually to solving soccer-related problems on their own which helps them develop their independent decision-making skills through trial and error. But most important, it allows young players to enjoy the game for what it really is - a game.

With a solid structure in place and burgeoning interest in soccer among young boys and girls , now is the time to incorporate the concept of street soccer into our youth development program. It is the missing element in the American youth soccer setup.

Throw Ins - The Basics

A basic skill that players MUST get down and fully understand.

Are Parents Crossing The Line?

From John Thomas, assistant Technical Director of US Youth Soccer -

Lajoyce, whose motto is, "Second place is the first loser," yells at her 10-year-old daughter Bianca from the sideline of her soccer game and argues with the coaches because she feels it helps. She has also explained to her child what her career goals are without asking for Bianca's input. Lajoyce is hoping that she is helping Bianca to move forward towards being successful. The question is, is Lajoyce really helping?

When parents become more of the authority at a soccer game.

This can become a major problem for the coach. Parents truly need to know and understand that coaches are in their positions for a reason. If parents constantly feel the need to take control away from the coaches at your child's game, it doesn't matter who the authority figure is, they are crossing the line. Parents need to control their behavior or should be asked to be a positive role model for their child and team. Perhaps they should be asked to support the team from afar.

Sometimes the game becomes more important than the experience.

Whether it's a regular season game, tournament, state playoff game, the focus should be on your child having the ability to learn, build self-esteem and have fun. If winning is more important than your child receiving those benefits from playing the game of soccer, perhaps parents should reevaluate their motivation of why they want their child to play the beautiful game..

Coaches, ask parents if the pros outweigh the cons of their child playing.

Aside from embarrassment and humiliation, examples of negative consequences could include: pushing a child beyond his/her physical limits, causing injury; forcing a child into an activity he/she is uncomfortable with or unsuited for — which takes him/her away from necessary studies or other activities which could

Advice from a Champion Mom
Linda Armstrong Kelly, the mother of five-time Tour de France champion, Lance Armstrong, knows a thing or two about helping a child set goals and succeed. She says the best thing a mom can do to help her child is simply give support. Build self-esteem. If parents are yelling at their child at his/her game, getting into confrontations with coaches/other parents, or engaging in any other behavior that would cause a child embarrassment or humiliation, you need to try and get the parent to control their behavior or ask them to remove themselves from the game. The parent's behavior may spread to other parents if left unchecked.

Bringing Back Street Soccer, Part One

Many proponents believe that unstructured play will foster creativity in American soccer players. Roni Mansur is the Director of Coaching at Cambridge (Mass.) Youth Soccer, which has over 800 players and 70 coaches. Coach Mansur coaches a U-11 girls team and a U-6 co-ed team. He answered the following questions about the importance of unstructured play, sometimes referred to as street play, and how American soccer needs to encourage this form of soccer.

Why is now the time to bring "street soccer" to the United States?

In the aftermath of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, sports critics and pundits were quick to condemn the disappointing performances of the US National Team. This after many of these same experts jumped on the bandwagon in 2002, prophesizing the dawning of a new era in American soccer after the US side shocked the entire soccer world by making it to the quarterfinal stage of the tournament.

Although the 2006 performance was widely characterized as an under achievement, it did unveil a larger symptom plaguing American soccer. This symptom was masked largely by the unexpected feats of 2002. Steve Cherundolo, the right back on the 2006 Men's National Team, pinpoints this symptom: "I think on the whole, myself included, we weren't clever enough on the ball; we didn't create enough chances for our forwards."

This lack of cleverness on the ball or creativity is an intrinsic characteristic of the way soccer is played in the United States at all levels. At the professional level, only a handful of American players can be characterized as creative, and none of them perform consistently at the highest level to be considered a world-class creative player.

Most of the creative players in Major League Soccer (MLS) are foreign imports. It is widely recognized that great strides have been made in US soccer during the last decade; however, it is imperative that this symptom be addressed now, so American soccer has a chance to ascend to the next level during the next 10 years. The root of this symptom can be traced to the way in which American youth soccer players are coached and developed and the absence of street soccer in the American youth soccer environment.

The street soccer concept needs to be incorporated into the nation's youth soccer coaching philosophy and methodology to help foster creativity and imagination as we develop our next generation of soccer players. Coaches can take steps to incorporate this concept into soccer practices and games.

What is Street Soccer?

Street soccer refers to the various kinds of pickup soccer games played in parks, gyms, and in streets and alleys around the world. The defining characteristics of street soccer is that it is not organized. Players show up at the "field" and two teams are formed from the players available. Two "goals" are set up, the goalposts often being made from t-shirts, bags, rocks, or sticks. And, of course, a ball or representative round object is required. Everything else is negotiable, such as the boundaries and even the rules. There is no referee. There usually are no fans. There is no coach. It is soccer in its most basic and unadulterated form.

How is the development of young soccer players in the United States different form that in other top soccer-playing nations?

There are several key elements that exist in the youth soccer structures of top soccer-playing nations. First, there is a basic structure that enables young people to play the game from age 4 to 5 though their late teens. This foundational structure typically is provided by local youth soccer clubs, school teams, colleges and universities. This structure, usually absent or fragmented in many of the developing nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, now exists in American youth soccer.

Secondly, the leading soccer-playing nations have an effective process to identify and develop top young players. In most of these countries, the youth academies of professional soccer clubs identify and recruit talented players from their local communities. Regional and national teams typically are selected from the pool of players in these academies. In the United States, the Olympic Development Program (ODP) selects regional and national level players from open tryouts, which typically draw players from the top local youth soccer clubs. These youth soccer clubs are independent organizations and not affiliated with any professional soccer clubs, colleges or universities.

The key difference between the youth academies of professional clubs overseas and youth soccer clubs in the United States are the two feeder systems. Most top youth soccer clubs in the United States seek to win state cups and tournaments as early as the U-10 and U-11 age groups. In doing so, they often sacrifice individual player development. In contrast, there is a longer-term vision at the youth academies. Individual player development is the focus in these organizations because the primary objective is to develop each youth player as an individual in order to discover the one or two players who can progress to the next level and become professionals for the club. For instance, the goal of the soccer academies in England is to develop the next Stave Gerrard or Wayne Rooney rather than win the FA Youth Cup every year.

Finally, young players in the top soccer-playing nations have sufficient opportunities to experiment with the game without adult supervision. In most countries around the world, pickup games and street soccer are a way of life, and these young players play soccer almost every day. This is where many of the developing nations make up for the lack of a formal structure. It is in this aspect that youth players in the United States are disadvantaged compared with their global counterparts. US soccer experiences are almost always supervised and controlled by adults.

1st, 2nd, and 3rd Defender Principles and Roles

Good defending begins with an understanding of how the principles of defense are applied by both the individual player as well as collectively within the team. The moment a team loses possession of the ball, an immediate organization of winning it back begins.

• Immediate Chase - The moment possession is lost to the other team, the nearest player(s) work to regain possession or apply pressure on the ball. These players are considered the 1st Defenders, because they have the first chance to win the ball back. Players giving immediate chase can also help to delay the attack by making recovery runs that deny the opponent the opportunity to play the ball quickly forward.
• Delay - The pressuring defender(s) forces the attacking team to slow down so that the rest of the team can organize the defense. While applying pressure the defender must be careful to not over-commit. If he/she is beaten easily the time for the team to organize is shortened.
• Depth - This refers to the immediate organization of players behind the pressuring defender. While the ball is being pressured all other players should be recovering into defensive positions. The positions taken should support the pressuring defender in the event he is beaten. This is called providing defensive cover.
• Balance - As the team concentrates their defense in the area of the ball, defenders away from the ball (opposite side of field) must position themselves to cover vital spaces (central areas) in order to prevent attackers from making penetrating runs into these spaces in which to receive the ball for an attempt on goal. All players who are on the opposite side must seek positions in which to provide balance to the defense.
  
• Concentration - As players recover towards their own goal and organize their defense, the objective is to limit the time and space for the opponent by concentrating their defense in the area of the ball. Defenders also recover centrally towards their goal in order to limit the opponents ability to directly attack the goal.
  
• Control and Restraint - Players must be disciplined and play "under control" when challenging for the ball. Too often players make poorly timed or off-balanced attempts to win the ball. Players should refrain from tackling until they are confident they will win the ball.
  

It is important for players to understand their role and function within the game as well as their position. While the team is defending, a player will assume the responsibility to provide pressure, cover, balance or depth.

A. Pressure (1st Defender - the closest player to the ball)

• Apply pressure to the ball to regain possession if possible
• Deny penetration of any kind
• Select proper angle of challenge
• Select proper speed of challenge

B. Cover (2nd Defender)

• Provide cover support for the 1st defender
• Select proper angle of support
• Should be a distance that the 2nd defender can tackle or immediately close down the attacker who has beaten the 1st defender (the 2nd defender needs to be ready to become the 1st defender if the attacker beats their teammate)
• Distance of support will vary with the third of the field and the amount of pressure on the ball
• Responsible for tracking supporting attackers who make forward runs

C. Balance (3rd Defenders or Everyone Else)

• Track attackers away from the area of the ball who are making forward runs
• Squeeze space towards center of the field to "lock up" vital areas
• Preserve balance/shape

D. Compactness (Everyone's job)

• Pressure, cover, and balance together provide depth of defense
• Organization of defending between the various lines, e.g., midfield and defending line
• Proper Positioning, spacing and number of defenders in area of the ball vital to maintain depth in defense

The key idea that all players must realize is that the moment the team loses possession of the ball, the ENTIRE TEAM BECOMES DEFENDERS.

Finland's Anne Makinen on Passing / Dribbling

From the UEFA "Training Grounds" video database, Finland Women's International Anne Makinen goes through three basic drills that will work on dribbling, passing, and overall general soccer skills. I've been using these three drills as my standard "warm up" before full team practices and games. It was a joy to find this small clip that demonstrates all of them.

The video is housed on the UEFA site, so click here to go to the site and launch the video (requires Flash).

Relationships With Soccer Officials

Letter to the "Soccer Journal", the Official Publication of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. This letter appeared in the May-June 2008 issue.

"I read with interest the commentary on 'Officials v. Coaches' (Center Circle, November-December 2007). This is a serious issue because it is not just an issue between the coaches and the officials, but is becoming a worse issue between officials and players and their supporters.

I played since college until my knees gave out and have been a youth coach for about 30 years, a referee for more than 10 years and a referee trainer for almost five years. In addition, all my children played soccer in youth programs and in high school. They also tried college ball. I have seen a lot of change in the game, in officiating, in coaching and in supporters. I have been a player, I am a parent and supporter, I am a coach and I am an official. Thirty years ago you didn't see this erosion of relationship. So why is the relationship eroding now?

I believe it is because of several reasons. The foremost reason is that we still have many players, coaches, and supporters that do not understand the Laws of the Game, how officials try to allow the game to flow or how they are being taught to interpret the Laws.

Players think they know the rules because they have been playing for years. Some believe that because they are good players, they must know the game. But how often do I hear, "I got the ball first, ref." That may be true, but they also came in with their cleats up, which they do not realize or think about as a foul.

Coaches (high school, college, and professional) may read the Laws and may go through them extensively and generally know what the Laws say. This does not mean they understand the interpretation or the spirit of the Law. When a foul is or is not called and they disagree, were they watching for the foul or watching the general run of play? They may have missed what the official was watching for.

Supporters, in general, know next to nothing about the game and its laws. They do not understand offside and they especially do not understand 'advantage.' They are used to other American sports, where when a foul is called or committed it is sanctioned immediately. They do not understand why it is a foul one time and a play another.

My point is that a better job needs to be done educating coaches and especially players in what constitutes a foul or infringement of the Laws of the Game. It is not enough just to have read the Laws or to have had the Laws enforced upon us as a player. Educating coaches, players, and parents is the only way to begin to keep this relationship from eroding further.

Chris Burkett
Cortez, Colorado"

Skills - Ball Touches

Ball Touches is an excellent way to warm up before a game or practice. It also helps in muscle memorization, which will lead to better coordination and ball handling. The demostration starts about half way through the video.

Cruyff Turn

This is one of the most deceptive moves in soccer. Mastery of this turn will allow players to create space from a defender after the defender is tricked to go one direction as the player goes another. Named for Johan Cruyff, the Dutch player, that perfected the move.

Shooting - The Instep Drive

The most basic type of shooting to goal - the instep drive.

The keys are -

• Proper aiming of the non-kicking foot
• Kicking foot ankle locked
• Toes down, strike with the Laces.

GSL Summer Clinics Announced

Free Grace-St. Luke’s Summer Soccer Clinics for JK to 6th Grade

Saturdays / Sundays
June 21 & 22, June 28 & 29, July 12 & 13, July 19 & 20
GSL Field

Get a head start on the Fall 2008 GSL Soccer season by registering for the FREE Soccer Clinics this summer. All clinics will be taught on Saturday or Sunday evenings. Dates are June 21 & 22, June 28 & 29, July 12 & 13, and July 19 & 20. There are no clinics over the July 4th holiday weekend. See below for the times and dates for each age group.

All clinics are limited to 15 students – first come, first served. All clinics are co-ed. Sign up for one clinic day or all four days in your age group.

Saturday Sessions –

Under 10 (Rising 3rd and 4th Grade) – 4 pm to 5 pm
Under 12 (Rising 5th and 6th Grade) – 5 pm to 6 pm

Sunday Sessions –

Under 6 (Rising JK and SK) – 4 pm to 5 pm
Under 8 (Rising 1st and 2nd Grade) – 5 pm to 6 pm

Each clinic is age specific and focuses on skills that those ages should know. All clinics follow the US Youth Soccer philosophy of No Laps, No Lines, and No Lectures. Children should wear either cleats or any soft-topped shoe. No sandals or CROCS. It is encouraged that shin guards be worn due to the scrimmages the children will play in. Water breaks are regularly given, so bring a drink. The use of sunscreen and mosquito spray is also encouraged. Parents are welcomed to stay and watch and in many cases asked to participate.

Coach Aaron Prather heads all clinics. Coach Prather holds accreditations and licenses from both the US Soccer Federation (USSF) and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). He has coached both boys’ and girls’ teams at various ages and skills levels.

To sign up for a clinic, contact Coach Prather via email at amprather@yahoo.com

What Is A Good Soccer Coach?

From Kentucky Youth Soccer -

A good coach is someone who knows winning is wonderful, but is not the triumph of sports.

PATIENCE - This is probably the most important characteristic. Let's face it - 12 active boys or girls together require a lot of attention. A good coach is one who doesn't expect angels on the soccer field.

TOLERANCE - This quality goes hand-in-hand with patience. Kids are going to be rowdy, or moody or lazy. Tolerance takes the different mind-sets and turns the focus to the tasks "afoot".

ACCEPTANCE - Children are so very different. Each one has varied potential and skill levels. A good coach is one who recognizes each child as an individual and he/she encourages that child to perform at his/her very best level. Perfection is not required!

MOTIVATION - Soccer can be viewed as kids kicking a ball across the field, or it can be viewed as an opportunity for growth. The true test lies in sparking a child's interest to learn and grow and keeping that spark alive each season.

RESPECT - At so many games, coaches, and sometimes parents, of the other team berate and belittle their players for making "mistakes". Sometimes they even go as far as criticizing opposing team members. Good grief! We're playing U-10 soccer! This isn't the World Cup. A good Coach never singles out a child for making a mistake and he/she does not allow parents or the other team members to do so either.

SPORTSMANSHIP - Perhaps this should have been on the top of the list, but being toward the end does not lessen the impartance. My defininition of sportsmanship is to teach kids to work together as a team in order to achieve a common goal. It also means teaching kids to respect other players as well as each other. Insults are not tolerated. Mistakes are team mistakes, and they are used as teaching tools for the next game.

ABILITY TO TEACH - Sounds simple, right? It's not. How many times has a parent signed up a child for a sport, only to have a well-intentioned father decide to coach? He may or may not know the sport. He may or may not relate well to his players. There is a hugh difference between the team whose members do what is yelled at them, and the team whose members actually understand what to do and why. A good coach teaches his players basic fundamentals, explains concepts and enables his/her players to think logically when making a play.

LOVE OF KIDS - They have the energy to make every practice and every game a new experience for coaches and parents alike. Without their vision and energy, sports would be dull and unappreciated. They offer a day-to-day challenge for coaches, which is contagious and which is motivation for everyone involved in athletics at all levels.

LOVE OF THE GAME - Coaches must love their sport, and, more importantly, mush show their players enthusiasm for every aspect of the game. This would include techniques and tactics. The love of the game must also show to the players the love for fair-play, respect for the opponents, officials, and spectatots, and positive reinforcement for game can provide the correct aspects involved in the winning and losing of competition.

Shielding The Ball

Shielding is often an overlooked skill, but it needs to be part of all player's training from Under-8 up.

One vs. One Is the MOST Common Situation

From Sam Snow, US Youth Soccer Director of Coaching Education -

One versus one (1v1) is the most common and frequent tactical situation for players. Every 1v1 situation involves all four components of the game; fitness, attitude, technique, and tactics. Further, no matter what position a player has on the team, he/she must be able to handle a one on one both offensively and defensively. One versus one is the foundation of all tactics, individual, group, and team. If players cannot win the majority of 1v1 duels on both offense and defense then the odds of effectively combining in group and team tactics are reduced.

One versus one battles take place on all parts of the field throughout the game. Some are only for a split second and some last several seconds. Some of these duels are obvious to neophyte observers where only two players are in the immediate vicinity of the ball. In most cases though, several players are near the ball during a 1v1. Many coaches do not recognize that a 1v1 is happening even if only for a moment. For example, in a 2v1 case, the first attacker must decide if he/she will pass to the second attacker or try to dribble past the opponent solo. Even though, there are three players around the ball, a 1v1 decision must be made by the first attacker. Since these confrontations take place across the field for the entire match all players must be able to defend and attack in a 1v1 to a reasonable degree.

In a 1v1, the two players are playing one of two roles. One is the first attacker, who either penetrates via shooting, dribbling, or passing or he/she maintains possession of the ball via shielding, dribbling or passing to a teammate. The other is the first defender who tries to deny penetration via interception of passes, one touch clearances, tackling, shepherding, jockeying, containing or tracking runs. He/she may also try to regain possession of the ball from the opponent or at least dispossess the opponent.

The defensive techniques required include; how to intercept passes, one touch clearances with the head or foot, how to jockey or shepherd the opponent with the ball, speed and angle of approach onto the opponent in possession, proper body posture, the poke tackle, the block tackle, four types of slide tackles, recovery runs and tracking runs.

The offensive techniques include dribbling to keep possession of the ball, dribbling to beat an opponent and a multitude of "moves" which can be used to accomplish either type of dribbling. Also required is being able to shield the ball, eight types of passes with the foot, passes with the head, chest or thigh, heading to score, crossing the ball and shooting with a plenitude of techniques.

To execute the techniques and to have a sharp mind to make these tactical decisions requires good physical fitness. The best way to get a player fit for 1v1 duels is to put them in those situations in training as opposed to running laps, doing jumping jacks, etc.

Learning how to dribble and to take on opponents begins with the under-8 teams. The initial coaching of how to play in a 1v1 on both offense and defense starts with the under-10 teams and is then continuously refined though out the player's career. Even World Cup teams work on how to play in various 1v1 predicaments.

Over years of proper training and refinement, players should learn how to handle 1v1 situations in all three thirds of the field. While defending, they must also learn that in the defensive third they handle 1v1 battles somewhat differently on the flanks than when in the center. The same is true when on the attack in the offensive third.

All of the above concerns field players, but clearly the goalkeeper must also deal with 1v1 occurrences too. The most obvious is when defending the goal. In a breakaway 1v1 situation the keeper tries to get the ball:

1. before the attacker by intercepting passes (through balls and crosses)
2. as the attacker is dribbling and shooting
3. after the attacker shoots (catching, blocking, kick saves, parrying, and boxing)

Unless your goalkeeper is Luis Chilavert, the offensive part of 1v1 for the keeper is limited to distribution via two or three types of throws and three types of kicks.

Performing well in a 1v1 for any player on both offense and defense requires a positive attitude. The players must feel confident that they know how to handle most situations. This means the coach must put the players into a variety of 1v1 opportunities at training sessions. To keep the learning of the same topic motivational over many years requires that coaches know how to teach 1v1 in various ways.

Since 1v1 is the foundation of all tactics it must be revisited time and time again.

Dealing With Injuries In Soccer

Proper use of the R.I.C.E method - Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

As always, it is highly recommended that each team have a first aid kit as part of their supply kit.

Nutrition and Soccer

Many children play soccer because it is fun. Many parents want their children to play soccer to stay physically fit. Both of these goals are easy to achieve, but one aspect of soccer that is often overlooked, though, is nutrition. Proper nutrition is one of the build blocks of a successful soccer player. This overlook may cause children to not have fun playing soccer and may prevent them from reaping the full health benefits of the game.

FIFA, the worldwide governing body for international soccer, published this guide to "Nutrition in Soccer" that can help players, parents, and coaches through the often confusing world of nutrition. (link)

Under-8 Drill - "Nutmeg"

Space: Confined Area (25 by 30 sq. yards)

Organization: Players are divided into two (2) equal groups. Each player in one group stands with their legs open in the grid, while the other group with a ball each tries to "Nutmeg" (the soccer term for playing a ball between the legs of an opponent) as many players in 30 to 60 seconds. Players can not "nutmeg" the same player in succession. Rotate roles.

Objective: Improve dribbling, vision, speed with the ball, and changing directions with the ball.

Variations: Add a defender who tries to take the ball away from any of the dribblers. Dribblers who lose their ball become the new defenders.

Under-6 Drill - "I Can Do This, Can You?"

Space Needed: Open Space

Organization: Coach performs a task or coordinates an exercise with the ball (like dribbling the ball with various body parts, dribbling the ball away from team mates, tossing and catching the ball, etc.) and asks players if they can repeat the tasks.

Objective: For players to begin developing ball skills, area awareness, dribbling, etc.

Variations: Ask players to come up with their own idea or task for other players to imitate.

Triangle Passing

This is an excellent drill to help teach passing. The basic shape in soccer is a triangle. Actually as you think about are younger teams, three is a base number. In Under-6 soccer, we play 3v3. In Under-8 and Under-10, we play 6v6. In Spring Soccer, our U-10 teams move to 9v9. Are we seeing a pattern?

For this drill, set up a triangle using cones. In each triangle, assign up to four players. The player passes the ball to their team mate and then follows their pass. The player that receives the pass, then passes to the next player and also follows the pass. So not only is the ball in motion, but also the players.

Players should work on accurate push passes to their team mates.

Dribbling For Control

Dribbling is the most important skill a soccer player can have. In the video below for the US Youth Soccer, the elements of dribbling for control are demonstrated.

The key points -

• Keep Your Ankle Locked for Control
• Soft Touches
• Make Contact with the Center of the Ball
• Keep Your Knees Bent
• Stay On Your Toes
• Lower Your Center of Gravity

Welcome to the GSL Soccer Blog

Welcome to the GSL Soccer blog. The purpose of this blog is to help all of the GSL soccer teams - players, coaches, and parents. It will allow for a central place for key information to be seen and shared.

On this site there will be links to leagues that our teams play in during the year and team schedules. Upcoming events will be posted to keep everyone aware.

Coaches will be able to look at various lesson plans and advance their own education.

The more we all know, the more successful all of our soccer teams will be.