I have issues... (U15 Girls)

[strangepup]

Alright, I will start by saying that I have been working with most of my girls (14/15 yo) for about 4 or 5 years. We have always done well and during that entire span we had 1 bad loss (8-2 to a top 5 state team).

This season we are playing a year up and against teams that usually sit in the top 5 up to top 20 in state rankings. Physically my girls are more than capable...I have really nice size and speed. We are technically deficient but I am fine playing better teams and losing if we can get something out of it. Anyway, we are not getting much out of our situation because we are getting our asses handed to us. Basically I have always taught my defenders to sag a bit as we work our way downfield so we don't get hit with a through ball and give up an easy goal. I have a new assistant that is not seeing eye to eye with me on this and insists on having the defense mark tight and push as far up as possible even if it means being on top of the midfield. I hear the assistant yelling to the midfield to push up and in my mind I am thinking "defense step back". Just my nature...I don't want to give up anything easy.

We are getting killed...I mean absolutely killed and the girls are frustrated and this assistant keeps going on that we need to push up more and get better at springing the offside trap. I just feel that this is absolute crap and I am finding out that after I give instructions to my defenders that the assistant has her player (that they brought with them) going out and running the defense that she wants. I was just thinking that my girls are out of focus or just burned out, I did not realize there was actually a mutiny on hand.

Doesn't this sound crazy...I feel like I am a bad dream. A lot of this just came forward yesterday (about the assistant going behind my back) but it came up because one of my defenders came to me and said that they are confused because they are being told to play 2 different ways. I think because of our losing I have lost confidence in my ability as a coach (I have not been coaching very long...5 years) and I think I was maybe in a position where this assistant does not respect me and feels that they have the answers to correct our problems when we never seemed to have these problems before they arrived. We have been playing defense her way with horrible results...I know we have a lot of work to do, but it was my hope that we would maybe win a couple and hopefully tie as many as we lose...I did not have unrealistic expectations, but now everything has gone horribly wrong.

Alright, so I need to know...do I let this assistant know that her second guessing and going behind my back shows that she has no respect for my ability and that we are not able to work together if she is going to behave in that manner? Am I wrong for wanting to bunker to try and give me girls a chance against older and better teams? Am I wrong to think that it is foolish to play for the offside trap constantly when we either mess it up or the officiating crew misses it about 50% of the time.

Someone talk me down or kick me in the arse and point me in the right direction. :D

[snolly g]

i think you and your assistant coach should definitely have a discussion. on the one hand, as coach, it's your team. on the other, maybe your assistant has some good ideas. but the proper way for any of this to happen is for your assistant to bring her ideas to you--it's just not right for her to go behind your back. now... you can make this about you (but that will probably be ruinous--plus it sounds whiny and selfish). i think the way to explain it is to say that it's not good for your girls to get conflicting instructions.

as to strategy, i tend to agree that it's not a great idea to play an offsides trap when the officiating isn't particularly good. i also agree it's not a great idea to mark too tightly if your defenders aren't fast enough to chase down through-balls or long balls.

but i also think that you can't bunker down too much. you can't give attackers a lot of room to maneuver. you can't give them so much time/space that they can receive the ball uncontested. ideally, your defense stays goalside, but close enough to their mark to make a passer think twice about passing to the mark. but at the very least, your defenders have to be able to close quickly on forwards/wingers.

but... since i haven't watched your girls play, it's tough to say what's not working. it could be that, having moved up, you're now playing against teams that pass the ball. defending against those kinds of teams is a different animal than defending against lesser teams (who dribble a lot, relying on sheer athleticism to win the day). mainly, bunkering down won't help too much against these kinds of teams. instead, your girls will need to learn how to mark and defend as a team--containing, taking away passing options, covering, etc.

and at the same time, it could be that you don't have an offense. having technical ability, spreading the field, stringing together passes, etc. all of these things keep your opponents' defense honest--and that's how you avoid having to defend with numbers down.

just a few random thoughts... but definitely have a sit down with your assistant coach. you should both get on the same page.

[NHRef]

You have a huge problem to deal with, it's all with the assistant coach.

Start with a conversation with her. Don't do the "you have no faith in me" angle, that can't possibly go well. Start with the angle of the defense is confused due to mixed messages from you and her. The two of you have to get on the same page, listen to her ideas, they may be good, she may not understand why you want to do it your way. Explain why you want to play the way you want to play.

However, bottom line: You are the coach, all final strategy and playing decisions are yours. If she can't live with this, let her go. If she is giving the players, especially if it's some of the players, not all, differing instructions, that leads to confusion.

If she continues, bench the players who don't play the way you tell them to. This will deliver the message, again tell her they are benched until they play the way the team is playing (don't say "my way").

Worst case, ask her to leave.

[Twenty26Six]

Alright, I will start by saying that I have been working with most of my girls (14/15 yo) for about 4 or 5 years. We have always done well and during that entire span we had 1 bad loss (8-2 to a top 5 state team).

This season we are playing a year up and against teams that usually sit in the top 5 up to top 20 in state rankings. Physically my girls are more than capable...I have really nice size and speed. We are technically deficient but I am fine playing better teams and losing if we can get something out of it. Anyway, we are not getting much out of our situation because we are getting our asses handed to us.

You've answered your own question.

Bold leads to bold.

My best guess is that your girls have always been athletic and well-disciplined players. However, the natural improvement in the physical and mental ability of your opponents has leveled the playing field. Now, the biggest deciding factor in competitions is technical ability - which is what your team is lacking.

This is the main reason why technique, technique, technique, technique, technique should be the dominant focus for training kids aged 4-14. Nothing matters more. Nothing.

[Twenty26Six]

I think some of you guys are missing the point with the asst. coach issue. I agree that it is never a good idea to have conflicting messages come from the coaches.

However, both of the coaches are correct. At all points, some defenders should be pushing up tight (pressing) and some defenders should be dropping back (covering). They should be doing both simultaneously - not one or the other.

[strangepup]

You've answered your own question.

Bold leads to bold.

My best guess is that your girls have always been athletic and well-disciplined players. However, the natural improvement in the physical and mental ability of your opponents has leveled the playing field. Now, the biggest deciding factor in competitions is technical ability - which is what your team is lacking.

This is the main reason why technique, technique, technique, technique, technique should be the dominant focus for training kids aged 4-14. Nothing matters more. Nothing.

Absolutely, we are technically deficient from the standpoint that we are a team that usually only practices 1 day each week and are going up against teams that have been practicing 3 days each week and playing year round for many years. My goal is to get the girls in a position to make their varsity teams...we aren't trying to get scholarships, just trying to keep them playing and keep them away from negative stuff. Unfortunately the girls that are still playing at this level are quite good because they want to practice 3 days each week because they love to play. My girls love to play but they love to do other things as well...I guess maybe we are just hitting our wall on getting by with mostly athletic ability. Do I get rid of the girls that aren't as serious? Maybe I should speak with other coaches in the area and help get the girls that are serious about playing over to teams that they can join?

As far as pushing up and providing cover...yes, I like to play a 4-3-3 or 5-3-2 with this group and we push the outside up to support the attack. Our problem is that they all push up and our anticipation and understanding of the skill level of these teams is not where it should be and so now we are getting killed on through balls.

I think I have hit the limit of my coaching knowledge...I am not afraid to admit that. I love soccer and have been playing since I was 3, but coaching is not the same as playing. I think I need to go get my license and maybe intern with a real soccer coach. I feel bad for letting the girls down.

[Twenty26Six]

I think I need to go get my license and maybe intern with a real soccer coach. I feel bad for letting the girls down.

You've certainly not deficient in terms of knowledge or passion. What you need is to revisit the simple fundamentals of the game. As with most part-time coaches, you may get caught up in teaching/doing things that don't get good "value for money" so to speak. If you've worked hard enough to teach them the 5-3-2 or 4-3-3, then you can work half as hard to teach them how to control the ball better. You can teach technique 1x/week and improve. You might even improve more than other teams that practice 3x/week and do not work on technique. But, you need to look at basics. The key is to find a way to do things simpler and more efficiently - not more complex.

Oh, and you don't get to have it both ways. ;) You can't talk about wanting to play and compete with great teams and then also say you don't really want to do little more than make the girls decent high school players. That's just silly, and it's a cop out. Either you want the girls to get better or you don't. There are no varying degrees of coaching that only apply to certain kids. You either do your best to improve them or you don't. And, you can do the right things with 1 practice/week or 5.

Technique is not hard to teach. Formations and systems of play are hard to teach. Formations take more time to teach.

[strangepup]

You've certainly not deficient in terms of knowledge or passion. What you need is to revisit the simple fundamentals of the game. As with most part-time coaches, you may get caught up in teaching/doing things that don't get good "value for money" so to speak. If you've worked hard enough to teach them the 5-3-2 or 4-3-3, then you can work half as hard to teach them how to control the ball better. You can teach technique 1x/week and improve. You might even improve more than other teams that practice 3x/week and do not work on technique. But, you need to look at basics. The key is to find a way to do things simpler and more efficiently - not more complex.

Oh, and you don't get to have it both ways. ;) You can't talk about wanting to play and compete with great teams and then also say you don't really want to do little more than make the girls decent high school players. That's just silly, and it's a cop out. Either you want the girls to get better or you don't. There are no varying degrees of coaching that only apply to certain kids. You either do your best to improve them or you don't. And, you can do the right things with 1 practice/week or 5.

Technique is not hard to teach. Formations and systems of play are hard to teach. Formations take more time to teach.

You are right. I need to man up and work smarter for them. I am always telling them to work smarter and not harder and I need to do the same.

[striker2019]

A lot of coaches won't admit when they feel they've hit the limit of their knowledge and you deserve a lot of credit for that in itself. I've been on the other side of the fence where I was an assistant with a jv high school girls team several years back. I had some knowledge and licensing while the head coach was a older coach who had been around the game for a long time, but hadn't coached or played at a high level. I think you need to have a conversation with your assistant and try to work towards a common solution. If you believe your assistant's way is wrong and they think your way is wrong, nothing positive will come of it for your players. Your assistant might have a new perspective. Or you might have a very similar idea that isn't be communicated well. But let the assistant know that whatever is decided, the players need to hear one voice. If the assistant doesn't agree with the way you want to do things and refuses to support you, then they have to go.

Like 26 said, technique is of the utmost importance. It's going to be near impossible to compete with the top teams a year older when you train 1/3 of the time they do. Focus on where you want your players to be and try to get them there. After the age of 14 it's very hard to improve technique. I have a U16 boys team where the players are having difficulty getting varsity time because their technique is poor, even though several of them are very good athletes. So working on technique and possession is always valuable, in my opinion.

In any case, are you saying that as your team gets forward you ask your defenders to sit back? If you do, it's possible that your team gets stretched vertically. You want to keep the team compact so that there's only 30-40 yards between your highest striker and your deepest defender. So if all of your mids and forwards are inside the opposing 18, your deepest backs need to be around the half way line. Typically your wide backs (4 back system) would be pushed up about 10 yards into their half in that situation. You're not looking to pull a trap in that case, but if a ball gets cleared you should have a back who can either intercept or challenge for the clear and another back covers should the first defender not win the ball. Personally I play four backs with one covering line (one player pressures the ball and the other three are all on the same line covering/balancing) and try to teach the players when they can step up and pull players off (when there's good pressure on the ball) versus when they have to go with runners (not enough pressure on the ball). It's definitely riskier. You can also just always have the backs go with runners so you don't have to rely on good ARs.

[Twenty26Six]

Some tips for defending penetrating passes (through balls)...

* Penetration is only possible when the player with the ball has the time and space to look up and dribble or pass _forward_. Thus, it is very important that all players defend (backs, mids, and forwards) when possession is lost. Most defensive mistakes are made in midfield where midfielders don't see themselves as defenders and opposing CMs are not presssured to turn sideways or back.

* Through passes depend on well-timed passes and runs. Attackers get the jump, b/c they know when/where the pass will be played and initiate runs before defenders react. Teach your backs and mids to recognize visual cues that will let them know when runs are coming. Is the player with the ball looking up? Has the player with the ball taken a slightly long prep-touch and started to put their head down or swing their arm? Is the forward attacker in a "sprinting" position? Is the attacker facing the ball with back to goal, or are they facing away from the ball and "waiting"?

* When a back sees one of these underlined visual cues, they need to be dropping back away to guard the space behind them and get a headstart on any running they may have to do. When a back sees the italicized cue, they need to tighten up to their forward mark.


Other ideas...
* Work on the technical side of man-marking. Can we be between the opposing player and our goal? We pass players sideways and track players vertically. Can we see the player we are marking and the ball simultaneously w/o turning? How much room do we give a mark depends on where the ball is. Ball is close = less room. Far away = more room (more space to defend).

[rca2]

I agree with NHRef. Talk to the assistant directly about the situation. If she can't work with you, she goes. Also recognize that you need to be approachable if you expect her to come to you with suggested changes instead of changing things behind your back. I would dump the assistant before I benched a player for following the assistant's directions. That will just aggravate the confusion and make you look unreasonable and unfair.

I agree generally with what Twenty26Six says, but you really can't tell what is going on without seeing it. There is no point in playing flat in the back in the opponent's half since there is no offsides there. I don't ever see a reason not to keep at least one back at the midfield line in the attacking half. On my teams I want two there even if only one opposing forward is high. Its not just about providing depth in case of a turnover. If the entire back line is pressing up on the midfielders, you don't have depth making the passing lanes for a passback much easier to cutoff. If there is only one back deep its harder to switch fields.

Striker2019 makes some good points and has described how the back line is usually placed. If done properly the line will adjust to the circumstances. its dyanamic rather than static. You should recognize his description. Its what you see in any pro game with a 4 back system.

[Twenty26Six]

I agree generally with what Twenty26Six says, but you really can't tell what is going on without seeing it. There is no point in playing flat in the back in the opponent's half since there is no offsides there. I don't ever see a reason not to keep at least one back at the midfield line in the attacking half. On my teams I want two there even if only one opposing forward is high. Its not just about providing depth in case of a turnover. If the entire back line is pressing up on the midfielders, you don't have depth making the passing lanes for a passback much easier to cutoff. If there is only one back deep its harder to switch fields.

I don't think I was suggesting this. I usually always keep 2 CBs back at half. But, even if you have 2 CBs on 1 CF, they need to know when to drop off as opposed to deny a pass into the CFs feet.

The big issue is probably a lack of CM pressure. It usually always is in the girls' game. The CM doesn't defend and then the ball gets played long/through the backs.

[rca2]

I don't think I was suggesting this.

You weren't, but it appears that his assistant wanted a very compact shape for the team.

[Twenty26Six]

You weren't, but it appears that his assistant wanted a very compact shape for the team.

Oh, I gotcha. :)

It seems like both coaches are at opposite ends of a philosophical spectrum, but if they pool their ideas, they should find a good balance that will help the team.

[man_in_the_middle]

Strangpup, listen carefully.

1. It sounds to me with the players you have, you are correct. Personally I would sag my back line and try to add more layers of depth. When my teams have been athletic but technically inferior 3-2-3-2 works exceptionally well. It's like playing with 2 stoppers/DMs that clog the middle, and you have a deep sweeper to clean up the scraps. It's not going to work at higher levels of the game but it works wonders with the type of team you coach, and it should keep you in every 14/15 girls game.

The other thing you can do from a tactical standpoint is play 3 up top. Just send ball over the top and hope your more athletic forwards can pressure the defense into mistakes and breakaways. The kickball game works for more athletic/less technical teams.

2. Confront you assistant. Going behind your back is bush league. Share your ideas with each other. If you don't like what he/she has to say, tell them no thanks. If they can't except that, tell them to F off. It sounds like you were better off without em.

[BTFOOM]

Alright, I will start by saying that I have been working with most of my girls (14/15 yo) for about 4 or 5 years. We have always done well and during that entire span we had 1 bad loss (8-2 to a top 5 state team).

This season we are playing a year up and against teams that usually sit in the top 5 up to top 20 in state rankings. Physically my girls are more than capable...I have really nice size and speed. We are technically deficient but I am fine playing better teams and losing if we can get something out of it. Anyway, we are not getting much out of our situation because we are getting our asses handed to us. ...

As the others have addressed the issues with the assistant coach and your technical training, I will just focus on this part of your post.

You are playing better competition along with bigger, more physical players. It sounds like you got used to being able to physically overwhelm your opponents if needed. Over the years I have changed my views with regards to "We get better by playing better teams". This can be true, if the other teams are slightly better, but as you see here, that playing teams that are much better has the opposite effect. I would suggest that you move back to your correct age group next season. For the rest of this season, work out a method of play and work on a few, specific items. Don't worry about the score, instead focus on improving certain aspects of their games.

Good luck. Keep positive and talk to the girls to keep them positive.

[UNC4EVER]

Absolutely, we are technically deficient from the standpoint that we are a team that usually only practices 1 day each week and are going up against teams that have been practicing 3 days each week and playing year round for many years. My goal is to get the girls in a position to make their varsity teams...we aren't trying to get scholarships, just trying to keep them playing and keep them away from negative stuff. Unfortunately the girls that are still playing at this level are quite good because they want to practice 3 days each week because they love to play. My girls love to play but they love to do other things as well...I guess maybe we are just hitting our wall on getting by with mostly athletic ability. Do I get rid of the girls that aren't as serious? Maybe I should speak with other coaches in the area and help get the girls that are serious about playing over to teams that they can join?

As far as pushing up and providing cover...yes, I like to play a 4-3-3 or 5-3-2 with this group and we push the outside up to support the attack. Our problem is that they all push up and our anticipation and understanding of the skill level of these teams is not where it should be and so now we are getting killed on through balls.

I think I have hit the limit of my coaching knowledge...I am not afraid to admit that. I love soccer and have been playing since I was 3, but coaching is not the same as playing. I think I need to go get my license and maybe intern with a real soccer coach. I feel bad for letting the girls down.

This post is as far as I got in this thread (Its just post #6). My heart goes out to you-- you have a lot on your plate!

First, thanks for the good that you are doing and the passion you are sharing with these kids!

Second. in my experience, girls play for their peers. If you have a group that is so wide in ability that they can't relate, that will be a problem. Given what I understand to be your experience, if you have some exceptional players, I would explore opportunities with other coaches-- if they can move to advanced teams that is never a bad thing for a coach to offer.

I would never discourage any motivated kid who is on a once-a-week team! Probably among the best hours of their week, and bless your heart for mentoring them. Keep doing it! The best kids may need to seek a more intense competitive environment, but that does not sound like your coaching "comfort zone".

Regarding the asst. coach, there is only one team and it plays with one voice: yours. You need to constructively assert control.

Regarding the defense, that depends on the quality of your officials, the intelligence of your defenders, and the speed of your players. If your defensive players are not really fast, you can't trap. Your attackers will just stay onside, then beat you in the ensuing foot-race. If you can execute the trap, but have bad officials who don't call it, then you need a very smart and mature back line who can work the drill and take pride in that, even when it is not called their way-- that is not very likely in a once-a-week team. I'd say generally a trapping back is an advanced technique, but a good one. Whether it is right for your team would be a good discussion with your assistant coach.

Best of luck, but I would say that for the sake of your players you need a clear coaching voice and should not tolerate a player (with guidance from a parent) running her own show on the field. That is a quick way to destroy team chemistry. From there its all just downhill. You quickly need to find a constructive solution to that issue. Good luck!

[strangepup]

You all rock...thanks for the help with this!

[Supernaut]

I am an assistant coach on a girls travel team. I have been a footy fan/player since I was a kid, and the head coach has not. But I did not sign up to be head coach, because I know it comes with a lot of overhead. I respect and unconditionally support his tactics and strategy, even though I sometimes disagree. He is always open to listen to my input and then decides whether to adopt it or reject it. We then move on. If your assistant has issues, then perhaps they should reconsider being an assistant.