Coaching youth teams.

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

We had the opening practice for high school soccer today at 8am. I'm going to be Girls' JV coach - which should be fun. They're a good group and they seem to want to work hard.

The program has all new coaches for this year. It's exciting to be there at the start trying to build a program and an ethic.

Anyone else actively coaching right now?

Finished about a month ago, it was a good season and I am looking forward to next season.

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

Got My E Coaching Certificate Class next weekend. Not really looking forward to it for two reasons. One, because from what I heard it's very simple coaching stuff, that you know already if you have played or watched the game. Two, it's being held in Valley City, ND, population 6,500. Nothing to do+nowhere good to eat=me bored off my ass. But at least the club is paying for it.

I have to start somewhere, since they wouldn't waive me to my D License class.

[Twenty26Six]

Got My E Coaching Certificate Class next weekend. Not really looking forward to it for two reasons. One, because from what I heard it's very simple coaching stuff, that you know already if you have played or watched the game. Two, it's being held in Valley City, ND, population 6,500. Nothing to do+nowhere good to eat=me bored off my ass. But at least the club is paying for it.

I have to start somewhere, since they wouldn't waive me to my D License class.

Go. Play a lot. Meet new people, and learn new things.

In the end, it'll help you for the D, which is much harder. Plus, networking is always a good thing.

I go for my C in May. :)

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

Go. Play a lot. Meet new people, and learn new things.

In the end, it'll help you for the D, which is much harder. Plus, networking is always a good thing.

I go for my C in May. :)

Good luck. That's eventually what I want to work my way up to that.

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

My connection in England, who lives near Liverpool works for Coerver Coaching. He sent me a couple of DVDs and some reading to help me with coaching.

He gets to go to the CL Match tomorrow, on a "corporate" trip. He got me autographs for Stevie G and Brad Friedel.

But here is the website, and he said he will hook me up when I get a chance to go over there.

Coerver Coaching (http://www.coerver.co.uk/).

[usscouse]

Finished about a month ago, it was a good season and I am looking forward to next season.How did they get on with the 4-2-3-1 system when you played it and what response did you get when you started rotation..???

[Twenty26Six]

How did they get on with the 4-2-3-1 system when you played it and what response did you get when you started rotation..???

More like: Did they respond positively to your fire-bush goatee?

[Ghostface]

I had my E Coaching Class last weekend. 8 hours on both Saturday and Sunday. They covered a lot of basic things and it got pretty boring.

It wasn't all that bad though, met some nice people and the instructors were helpful. Everybody got to participate a good bit, it almost felt like a toned down practice. Not to mention it was my first soccer fix of the year. When it's this cold around here, you'll take whatever you can get. :p

[Twenty26Six]

I had my E Coaching Class last weekend. 8 hours on both Saturday and Sunday. They covered a lot of basic things and it got pretty boring.

It wasn't all that bad though, met some nice people and the instructors were helpful. Everybody got to participate a good bit, it almost felt like a toned down practice. Not to mention it was my first soccer fix of the year. When it's this cold around here, you'll take whatever you can get. :p

I'm glad you liked it. Now, keep reading any materials, find a club to join up, and prepare for your D next year. :D

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

More like: Did they respond positively to your fire-bush goatee?

Yes and no, but mostly no.

[kopiteinkc]

Just started helping out on my daughter's team. She is 12. They play 8 a side recreation level.

I have a D license and I am not really heading up the coaching effort. There are a couple of other parents heading up the coaching right now, but they have asked me to "help out"

On the one hand, I just want to push them out of the way and take over, on the other I just want to give them pointers as they go.

Any general advice? They are a good team with one player who dominates a little too much, so they rely on her.

[liverbird]

Just started helping out on my daughter's team. She is 12. They play 8 a side recreation level.

I have a D license and I am not really heading up the coaching effort. There are a couple of other parents heading up the coaching right now, but they have asked me to "help out"

On the one hand, I just want to push them out of the way and take over, on the other I just want to give them pointers as they go.

Any general advice? They are a good team with one player who dominates a little too much, so they rely on her.

In training have them split into two sides and give the good girl a penny. Give them the condition that she's on both sides but no one can pass her the ball until three other players have played the ball. She will get a lot of experience figuring out where to be for the fourth pass and they will need to learn to hold the ball without her.

[Twenty26Six]

In training have them split into two sides and give the good girl a penny.

Is she saving up for college? Or, did you want to give her a pinnie (http://www.equipmentbag.com/pages/pinnys.html)? ;)

And, before you tell me. Yes, I know I'm a jerk. :D

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

Is she saving up for college? Or, did you want to give her a pinnie (http://www.equipmentbag.com/pages/pinnys.html)? ;)

And, before you tell me. Yes, I know I'm a jerk. :D

Tisk, tisk, tisk.

[Twenty26Six]

In training have them split into two sides and give the good girl a penny. Give them the condition that she's on both sides but no one can pass her the ball until three other players have played the ball. She will get a lot of experience figuring out where to be for the fourth pass and they will need to learn to hold the ball without her.

I like this.

Also, just make sure they ALL know how to correctly dribble and control the ball on their own. It's problematic that we spend too much time on "possession" in US Youth Soccer and not enough time on 1v1 stuff.

Possession is overrated, IMO. It's like using a calculator for math as opposed to mental math - which would be akin to dribbling. It's great, when you have time and help. But, ultimately, wouldn't you rather a kid solved the problem on his own in a quick and efficient manner?

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

I like this.

Also, just make sure they ALL know how to correctly dribble and control the ball on their own. It's problematic that we spend too much time on "possession" in US Youth Soccer and not enough time on 1v1 stuff.

Possession is overrated, IMO. It's like using a calculator for math as opposed to mental math - which would be akin to dribbling. It's great, when you have time and help. But, ultimately, wouldn't you rather a kid solved the problem on his own in a quick and efficient manner?

Here are my inexperienced and uneducated (coaching-wise) thoughts on coaching younger kids.

Last summer I focused on three things.

1. I did a lot of 1 v. 1 dribbling drills. Shielding the ball, beating a man, and making space for a pass/shot. I show them moves like the stepover, the Maradona, and the Cruyyf. But I also had a session at the end where they each had to come up with a variation of the move. They had fun and got to laugh.

2. Finishing. Worked on volleys, scrambles in front of the net, and striking the ball. I did this in games like World Cup. I also did this by having two boys at time lay flat on their backs. I rolled a ball towards the net and said go, they have to get up and fight to finish the ball past the keeper. It combines finishing and 1 v. 1 skills. Had fun with this as well.

3. I worked on a little passing and crossing, just making 2-3 passes before completing a certain thing.

On small fields with small numbers one or two passes can create a scoring opportunity. My team fired them into the back of the net like none other. Can't wait for the practices and season to start, less than a month away.

[kopiteinkc]

Thanks for the tips guys, tomorrow night's practice has been cancelled because the fields are flooded. But the girls do have two games this weekend. I'll keep you posted.

[liverbird]

Today was a good day in the Liverbird house:

MiniLB's team beat their county rivals (that MiniLB used to play for) 1-0. The team they beat was one MiniLB helped go from 4th Division to first before he left. He switched to the so-called B team and helped them come up from the 3rd division. His team just got promoted, and with this win the have 7 points from 4 games and have basically put themselves safe to stay up. This weekend they took 4 points from the top two teams.

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

Great news LB, it sounds like your son is pretty good.

I just got done with my E Certificate coaching class. I learned some stuff I didn't know already, but a lot of the other stuff was common sense.

I start practice next Monday, and we are a competitive team this year, U11 8v8. I will keep you guys posted.

[kopiteinkc]

Great news LB, it sounds like your son is pretty good.

I just got done with my E Certificate coaching class. I learned some stuff I didn't know already, but a lot of the other stuff was common sense.

I start practice next Monday, and we are a competitive team this year, U11 8v8. I will keep you guys posted.

Please keep us posted. The girls rec. team I am helping coach is U12, also 8x8.

I noticed in the last couple of matches that the girls tackling was awful. Either too scared or waving a leg somewhere in the vicinity of the ball.

So I did a drill and a game to teach them how to block tackle and the kids enjoyed it. Seemed to pay off a bit as one of the defenders really took it to heart and tackled very well in the next match.

Gonna work on some passing this week.