Coaching youth teams.

[usscouse]

From quotes I’ve heard here seems like more than one of our supporters coach or are involved with youth sawker at some level. Boys or girls.

So how about sharing some experiences, coaching drills and weekly updates on you particular teams.

Our team will play U16 this year, hard to believe they were 12 when we met, this will be our 4th year together. We had selections on Saturday and it was gratifying to see all the usual suspects turn up as well as a couple of new faces. We’ve lost three players and two of those will be missed.
Keith the Keeper was just too good to keep around he’s gone on to a good premier team. He was a good general for the defense (big mouth) as well.
We have a good back up Dalton has really quick reflexes and gets down quickly as well so we won’t be too bad.
Andrew the left winger will be missed as well, great spirit, in tears when we lost but he wants to try a prem team. I have a feeling he’ll be back though when he finds out the grass isn’t as green as it looks.
The third we lost was Cameron really good player and a key CB in our four backs. I’ll miss him as a player but not as a person, he’s being raised by grandparents and the world owes him.

So how about your teams..?

[LFCFanInCali]

My only experience so far is with 5-6 year olds. First game we gave up a goal because our keeper got distracted by a grasshopper and wandered away.

By the end of the season they were a bit better at playing positions, but not quite ready for the offside trap... :D

[usscouse]

My only experience so far is with 5-6 year olds. First game we gave up a goal because our keeper got distracted by a grasshopper and wandered away.

By the end of the season they were a bit better at playing positions, but not quite ready for the offside trap... :D:D :D Shades of Charlie Brown..!

16 year old boys, they get distracted by girls and wander away.

[liverbird]

MiniLB has joined a new team and while he has played well as a striker and a wing he is now 6 feet tall anf with this team he is playing the left side of a 3 man back line tasked with marking the right sided striker. This weekend he had the task of marking a young man in the national team pool at U-15. The next Carra:D

[usscouse]

Went to watch the local High School JV match last night. Funny how one gets to know so many people in a small town. My photo being in the local paper most weeks helps.
Four of our team were starters and freshmen. It was funny to see them lined up with players with "full beards" and one I coached two years senior.
The team did well and were unlucky to lose.....sounds familier but 2 defensive slips left the goalie 1 on 1 with the forward with the ball.
While at the other end we hit the frame 3 times with the goalie beaten, had several close misses including one from Joey who got too much foot on the ball when it just needed redirecting. And a few shots that made the keeper look better than he was. 0 - 2 final score.

We have another "Selection Saturday" I need a couple of taller players all I have are whippets...!

[Twenty26Six]

I try to be as active as I can in coaching/administrating teams.

. I am a volunteer assistant at my local high school. I enjoy that to no end. It is always a struggle for us to field a full 3 sides, so we usually only have a Varisty and Modified/Junior High Team[7th/8th Grade]. I hope to be able to attain of the sub-varsity positions within a year or two.

. Most of the players are of low experience and I really relish the chance of helping some kids understand the finer points to the sport. I'm unique from a sense that I am born out of a generation of Americans who grew up 'in' the game. I have not just been exposed to the American adaptations of the sport, but I can also claim to have seen countless interpretations from overseas. I think that helps a great deal in formulating my own opinions about how the game should be/is played.

. I think it helps me see a broader picture of the game and gives me an advantage over your average HS or travel coach. I've played many games as a player but not always at the highest levels and I find it hard at times to gain respect for how I see the game without a pedigree of a locally respected professional and/or transplanted European.

. Unfortunately interpreting the game isn't the same as coaching and I try very hard to learn new coaching skills every time out. I have found at times the transition from being a player [even though I have been considered a leader and have been a captain of many sides] is difficult. I have always sought about receiving respect from players through my actions on the field and have found new challenges in asserting my position only through coaching actions.

. I play as an amatuer in my local city and help organzie a Adult Soccer Club which has many teams. We have a great deal of fun and are usually realistically successful in our pursuits.

. I try not to make any pretensions about my talents as a player and only hope that if I work hard enough I can become a respected coach at the collegiate or high [national] travel levels. I would love to one day be able to coach professionally [which in the USA is somewhat realistic] but I am a long ways away from anything that profound, but I figure I have 40 some odd years left to get there. :)

. Most importantly I enjoy soccer. So much so, my family may be convinced I am crazy. :)

[USvsIRELAND]

YMCA u-8 LADYHAWKS!!!!

[usscouse]

YMCA u-8 LADYHAWKS!!!!Go Ladyhawks...!!!

[liverbird]

YMCA u-8 LADYHAWKS!!!!

LadyHawks rule!!!

[usscouse]

Second round of selections today, I've heard we have some new faces coming, that'll make life interesting.

One kid, we've had for 3 years I sorta hope doesn't show. We've all got one but he's such a great kid I can't tell him he can't turn out for the team, then at matches I have to play him somewhere. If we get ahead I can play him a few minutes at a time on the left wing. Even that's scary at times.

I'd better get organized...!

[usscouse]

We picked up 3 pretty good players today, tall and fast. One will make a good attacking mid got a hell of a leg. His dad said when he played U14s....and I quote because I've never heard the likes before....
"The ref was going to give my son a red card if he took anymore free kicks. He [the ref] said he was going to hurt some one."

I'll be working with this boy taking free kicks..:cool:

16 kids on the roster and not a single left foot. I asked one kid after he'd hit an excellent shot into the bottom corner. "Do you have a left foot?" He looked at me like I was missing a brick off the load, looked down, lifted it and said "well yeh..!"
(Like wadda ya think I stand on when I kick the ball?):rolleyes:

Should be a interesting season.

[USvsIRELAND]

Ladyhawks weekend roundup:

1st game 2-2 tie
2nd game 1-0 win
3rd game 2-0 loss

So we had a decent showing. Only 8 girls so we were a little bit tired at the end.

They play 6 a side. 1 keeper 5 in the field. Personally I hate having a goalie. They are only 7 we should have little goals and not have to have a goalie. :mad:

[usscouse]

Ladyhawks weekend roundup:

1st game 2-2 tie
2nd game 1-0 win
3rd game 2-0 loss

So we had a decent showing. Only 8 girls so we were a little bit tired at the end.

They play 6 a side. 1 keeper 5 in the field. Personally I hate having a goalie. They are only 7 we should have little goals and not have to have a goalie. :mad:No wonder kids nowdays are whimps. We played 11 a side, full field, 45 minutes each way in any weather from 2 years old onward.
I'll bet you even have subs........

:D :D

[liverbird]

No wonder kids nowdays are whimps. We played 11 a side, full field, 45 minutes each way in any weather from 2 years old onward.
I'll bet you even have subs........

:D :D

and you played up hill, into the wind, in both halves

[USvsIRELAND]

and you played up hill, into the wind, in both halves

barefoot and with a ball of rolled up newspaper.

[usscouse]

We're having our first practice of the season today. (U16)
It'll just be a get together really got a few new kids and we'll keep it light. Then we'll have a chat on the style of game we'll play and what I expect from them. Finish with a scrimmage so I can watch how they interplay and end up with a Barbecue for all.
Nice to get going even though our season doesn't start until Sept. Got a couple of tournaments planned as well.

What's nice about that is, they're all coming off the high school season and will be fairly match fit. The past couple of years we've been punished in Tourny's because we started late but by the time the season started we were hot and did well.

Today will tell a story.

Nice to see most the kids I've coached in the past 5 years are playing for the Varsity and JV teams at the High School. This season I've lost 4 of the team to premier teams in the area but the kids call and tell me how they're doing.

I was asked to get on the town sports council for soccer and put up a plan for expanding the soccer base in town. As a result they're putting in 4 new pitches, we'll start our own prem teams and are making plans on to run our own tournaments here for the area. Good tournaments= good ways make to raise money.
All I needed was another unpaid job......

[Twenty26Six]

We're having our first practice of the season today. (U16)
It'll just be a get together really got a few new kids and we'll keep it light. Then we'll have a chat on the style of game we'll play and what I expect from them. Finish with a scrimmage so I can watch how they interplay and end up with a Barbecue for all.
Nice to get going even though our season doesn't start until Sept. Got a couple of tournaments planned as well.

What's nice about that is, they're all coming off the high school season and will be fairly match fit. The past couple of years we've been punished in Tourny's because we started late but by the time the season started we were hot and did well.

Today will tell a story.

So your club travel season runs Sept 'til when? While your high school season runs in the Sprinp, say March-June?

In NY our outdoor club travel season runs April-July and Schools run Aug 22nd - Early Nov.

[usscouse]

So your club travel season runs Sept 'til when? While your high school season runs in the Sprinp, say March-June?

In NY our outdoor club travel season runs April-July and Schools run Aug 22nd - Early Nov.High School finishes next week, we'll be starting regular practices from then. Our Season runs from Sept until Jan unless we qualify for State again but with the calibre of the 4 players we've lost, I can't see that.
We will play in 3-4 tournaments in the summer, it's really the only chance we have to play against anyone pre season. We don't have a team we can play friendlys with.

Yesterday was fun... After a week of 70 degree temps and nice sunshine....it pissed down...!!! It didn't dampen the kids enthousiasm though, 14 of them showed up so we went through a short chat laying out how we're going to play this season "Possession and Passing" is the mantra. Pass before you're tackled! a concept that seems alien to some. I put it on the board like this:
Prior,
Planning (&)
Preparation (of)
Possession (&)
Passing,
Prevents,
Piddley
Poor
Performance.

We finished up with a 7 a side full field scrimmage (Fit little buggers) and a competition of who could slide the farthest on their belly after a 10 yard run.
Impressive. :cool:

There's a covered area at the side line so we could have the barbecue and goodies.

Everyone, including the parents had fun and are ready for the team to play.

[USvsIRELAND]

In GA:

CLub:

August-November (Most High level teams do tourney's in late November and Early december).

HS:

February-April (Training starts in January) But some teams continue into May (like mine) because of playoffs.

[Twenty26Six]

In GA:

CLub:

August-November (Most High level teams do tourney's in late November and Early december).

HS:

February-April (Training starts in January) But some teams continue into May (like mine) because of playoffs.

It is just so funny to see it in other frames, because from a kid until now it has always been the same for me. Snow melted and April-July was Travel Club. 3rd week of August until end of October was High School.

Make me envious to see that you guys actually start training in January. Most of the time we were stuck shoveling off tennis courts to get a game in January.