Coaching youth teams.

[usscouse]

See what great coaching can do -- they'll be calling you Shanks before long.

MiniLB's team plays it's first tourney this weekend. He's playing full back on the left. A real LB. Let's see how it goes. I will be late for his first game as I'll be in the local watching the West Ham game first.Priorities.....:)
Hope he has a great game.

Nice thing about my team is the high school team has them doing a lot of running, er conditioning.
So I get to let them practice football. Then the high school gets the benifit from that. Win Win!

[stanaccrington]

OK beat this, some sado has just sent me the following email.....

Hello Coach,

I would like to know if you know of any organized soccer leagues in the Tampa area that have some sort of beginner soccer program for 3 year olds?

My son, 3 1/2, is dying to give soccer a try but my wife and I can't seem to find anything that starts them off that young.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.



Regards,

##### *******,

Has he never heard of take a ball in to the backyard and kicking it around, we are already over coaching kids but starting at 3 1/2!!!!!!!!!, it takes the micky. What do you guys think? Am I being a touch to insensitive or should I take the guy up and give private lessons at $50 ago?

[Twenty26Six]

OK beat this, some sado has just sent me the following email.....

Hello Coach,

I would like to know if you know of any organized soccer leagues in the Tampa area that have some sort of beginner soccer program for 3 year olds?

My son, 3 1/2, is dying to give soccer a try but my wife and I can't seem to find anything that starts them off that young.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.



Regards,

##### *******,

Has he never heard of take a ball in to the backyard and kicking it around, we are already over coaching kids but starting at 3 1/2!!!!!!!!!, it takes the micky. What do you guys think? Am I being a touch to insensitive or should I take the guy up and give private lessons at $50 ago?

He may not be hip to the fact that a simple kick-about in the backyard is well worth thetime. Maybe he is just fat and lazy.

We have microsoccer here and I've coached them as young as four. Which is a little too early to be "coaching" really.

[stanaccrington]

I think all this small sided stuff they do over here is well over the top, you get parents that have never touched a ball trying to show kids how it should be done, then after the first game they are experts, I had a guy the other night tell me that I was wasting my time doing board work with my 16 year olds.

[usscouse]

I thought my 10 year olds were just about the right age for "Fun" stuff.

But board work is so, so important for 16 year olds. I use the board to explain, then we try them out at walking pace or a jog. If it's an attacking move up the field I work with the mids and defenders also in covering a counter that might come.

[liverbird]

See what great coaching can do -- they'll be calling you Shanks before long.

MiniLB's team plays it's first tourney this weekend. He's playing full back on the left. A real LB. Let's see how it goes. I will be late for his first game as I'll be in the local watching the West Ham game first.

Here MiniLB has been switched to center half, after the center half was sent off, and he holds off the other teams "guest" striker while clearing the ball to safety. (The Tournament allowed "guests" also known as ringers)

http://web.mac.com/lynnborton/iWeb/Site/August%20Cup_files/IMG_7978.jpg

and then he shows his training raising his arm so the AR will be sure to know the "guest" striker was off side

http://web.mac.com/lynnborton/iWeb/Site/August%20Cup_files/IMG_8053.jpg

[Twenty26Six]

I think all this small sided stuff they do over here is well over the top, you get parents that have never touched a ball trying to show kids how it should be done, then after the first game they are experts, I had a guy the other night tell me that I was wasting my time doing board work with my 16 year olds.

I think people forget that small-sided soccer is best used as a base tool mainly for U10[and to an extent U12]. Mainly because it tries to remove error from novice coaching instruction.

[liverbird]

I thought my 10 year olds were just about the right age for "Fun" stuff.

But board work is so, so important for 16 year olds. I use the board to explain, then we try them out at walking pace or a jog. If it's an attacking move up the field I work with the mids and defenders also in covering a counter that might come.

In the States board work and walk throughs are essential from about 13-14 on. Why? Because most of these kids have never seen how the game is actually played. Even here in DC where there is an MLS team, a number of kids my son has played with have seen maybe one professional game. For the Latino kids all they've ever seen is the local dads play some kick arounds where the emphasis is on beating people one on one rather than any tactical nous. If you don't show it, and explain it, they'll never work it out themselves. Playing small sided for years will never teach you how to attack or defend from a corner, as an example. Other than my kid I have not seen a fullback overlap a wing in years of watching high level youth soccer. When MiniLB does it they simply ignore him and dribble into the defender rather than using the run. Most of the so-called coachs simply don't know how to impart these tactics. Either they themselves don't know them, or for some of the expats it is beyond understanding that 16 year old kids would need to learn what they see as fundamentals.

And don't get me started on the parents. How someone who never played the game, doesn't watch it on television or in person, and has never read the laws of the game can presume to tell the coach how to coach, the players how to play, and the ref how to ref is beyond my comprehension. All of this at the top of their lungs during the game. Horse's ass seems to be too namby-pamby a perjorative to use on such people.

[stanaccrington]

In the States board work and walk throughs are essential from about 13-14 on. Why? Because most of these kids have never seen how the game is actually played. Even here in DC where there is an MLS team, a number of kids my son has played with have seen maybe one professional game. For the Latino kids all they've ever seen is the local dads play some kick arounds where the emphasis is beating people one on one rather than any tactical nous. If you don't show it, and explain it, they'll never work it out themselves. Playing small sided for years will never teach you how to attack or defend from a corner, as an example. Other than my kid I have not seen a fullback overlap a wing in years of watching high level youth soccer. When MiniLB does it they simply ignore him and dribble into the defender rather than using the run. Most of the so-called coachs simply don't know how to impart these tactics. Either they themselves don't know them, or for some of the expats it is beyond understanding that 16 year old kids would need to learn what they see as fundamentals.

And don't get me started on the parents. How someone who never played the game, doesn't watch it on television or in person, and has never read the laws of the game can presume to tell the coach how to coach, the players how to play, and the ref how to ref is beyond my comprehension. All of this at the top of their lungs during the game. Horse's ass seems to be too namby-pamby a perjorative to use on such people.

You are so right and I am afraid it won't get any better as the main coaching organisations are more intrested in making money instead of imparting knowledge. I am a member of NSCAA who used to be a hands on organisation who would help out any coach, now money,money,money as for the ussoccer badges, another bunch of money grabber know it alls.
Elite diplomas, licences, certificates of competence?' I seem to remember Jock Stein, Matt Busby, Brian Clough and Bob Paisley all conquering Europe without passing any of UEFA's exams and dear, old Sir Alf Ramsey out-manoeuvring the world in 1966 having shredded every coaching manual of his day by inventing the 'wingless wonders'.

Brian Clough: "Coaching is for kids. If a player can't pass and trap the ball by the time he's in the team, he shouldn't be there in the first place. At Derby County, I told Roy McFarland to go out and get his bloody hair cut. Now that's coaching at the top level."

Harry Redknapp: "We get carried away by coaching and coaches. I have my coaching badges but they came out of a cornflakes packet."

Bob Paisley: "Some of the jargon coaches use is frightening. They talk of 'getting round the back', making them sound like burglars. They say 'you've got to make more positive runs' or 'you're too negative' which sounds as though you're dealing with electricians. The people who go on like that have no real depth or knowledge of what they're really talking about.

I got my UEFA B a few years back and my Brazilian coaching badge 2 years ago, one of the things they emphersized was don't over coach young kids, of course as you said this was in England/Brazil where everyone is watching a game and going out and trying what they just saw. I get kids now who have been coached wrong for years and like driving getting rid of bad habits is hard work, I think one of the worst is the soft pass, the amount of times they screw up a move or lose possession with a dinky touch is amazing.

[liverbird]

I got my UEFA B a few years back and my Brazilian coaching badge 2 years ago, one of the things they emphersized was don't over coach young kids, of course as you said this was in England/Brazil where everyone is watching a game and going out and trying what they just saw. I get kids now who have been coached wrong for years and like driving getting rid of bad habits is hard work, I think one of the worst is the soft pass, the amount of times they screw up a move or lose possession with a dinky touch is amazing.

Well it is a doubly pernicious problem. They don't watch the game so they have to be coached. Much of the "coaching" is worthless. Also they don't simply play the game either. The only "play" is during a structured 90 minutes once or twice the week. How to weight an effective pass is something better learned in a pick up game. And as KopiteinKC noted above in this thread, many so-called "coaches" waste the 90 minutes having them run without a ball! The game is football not track or as they'd say in the UK athletics.

[usscouse]

Boy, isn't this "all" right.

I remember in one players bio book (Might have been Billy's) telling about one coach who would NOT use a ball in practice, at all! (First Div England at the time) He figured that the players would fight harder to get it on the Saturdays match. ...Whether they knew what to do with it is another story.

I've never taken any coaching classes, badges or diplomas!! but I've always been pretty successful at the levels I've coached. The parents and kids have always been happy. We're a select silver U16 team this season, 8 teams in the league. Looking around we should end up in the top three with a chance to take top.

I've been passing my DVDs around to the kids parents and telling them to watch the players in the position they usually play. The fullbacks are amazed, that and the board with a walkover on the pitch really is helping.

[usscouse]

http://web.mac.com/lynnborton/iWeb/Site/August%20Cup_files/IMG_8053.jpgThe "Kid" with his hand up looks to me like he's keeping that shooter onside...:rolleyes:
But isn't that a typical look at say U16s? The keeper is out of position and the shooter is aiming at him instead of the side netting.

We used to call them 'ringers' back in my day as well.

[liverbird]

The "Kid" with his hand up looks to me like he's keeping that shooter onside...:rolleyes:
But isn't that a typical look at say U16s? The keeper is out of position and the shooter is aiming at him instead of the side netting.

We used to call them 'ringers' back in my day as well.

Well now I'm sure I don't need to tell you that its not where you are when you get the ball but where you were when the ball was played to you. That's mine holding his arm up. The four blue shirts played a high line for a free kick, the shooter was off when the free kick was taken and he gained the ball when it came off the cross bar -- thus off side. MiniLB was just alerting the AR to the right call.

[usscouse]

Well now I'm sure I don't need to tell you that its not where you are when you get the ball but where you were when the ball was played to you. That's mine holding his arm up. The four blue shirts played a high line for a free kick, the shooter was off when the free kick was taken and he gained the ball when it came off the cross bar -- thus off side. MiniLB was just alerting the AR to the right call.I knew that......:)

Mini LB doesn't look so mini any more. Getting to be a healthy young man.

How the hell can the ref tell which crossbar or support the ball came off...???

[usscouse]

First league match tomorrow, Sunday.
Let's see if any of that 'stuff' the old bugger nattered on about stayed in their pointy little heads.
Or will we try the old kick and run again...!!!! "Watch me dribble out of the penalty area."
These guys make me nervous.

[liverbird]

I knew that......:)

Mini LB doesn't look so mini any more. Getting to be a healthy young man.

How the hell can the ref tell which crossbar or support the ball came off...???

Godd question on the cross bar's. If it was the higher one then its a goal kick any way. By the way -- they won.

We play tomorrow -- good luck to you and your lads.

[usscouse]

I think one of the worst is the soft pass, the amount of times they screw up a move or lose possession with a dinky touch is amazing.
One of my pet hates too. Most of our warm up drills incude a passing movement and I'll embarrass the little buggers by making them restart their movement over if they don't pass with conviction. Amazing how many think a flick with the sidefoot is a pass. My mantra is, pass before you're tackled, don't get caught in possession and MOVE.

[Twenty26Six]

One of my pet hates too. Most of our warm up drills incude a passing movement and I'll embarrass the little buggers by making them restart their movement over if they don't pass with conviction. Amazing how many think a flick with the sidefoot is a pass. My mantra is, pass before you're tackled, don't get caught in possession and MOVE.

I really feel it is because players aren't taught to strike the ball properly from an early age.

That and I think they play on pitches that are too big with balls that are too big from U12 and down. I know some will say "we always played on big pitches with 5s before and that worked fine" but the kids play soccer less and less and they can't overcome it by making the ball their "only toy" like it used to be.

[usscouse]

I really feel it is because players aren't taught to strike the ball properly from an early age.

That and I think they play on pitches that are too big with balls that are too big from U12 and down. I know some will say "we always played on big pitches with 5s before and that worked fine" but the kids play soccer less and less and they can't overcome it by making the ball their "only toy" like it used to be.Don't forget we also played 45 minutes each way not like the whimps of today....:)
And on that subject, I'm surprized that U16's only play 40 minutes.

[Twenty26Six]

Don't forget we also played 45 minutes each way not like the whimps of today....:)
And on that subject, I'm surprized that U16's only play 40 minutes.

I always thought when I played U16s it was 45's, but that was eleven years ago.