My first year coaching thread

[Lloyd Heilbrunn]

Do you have the girls' varsity or JV like you did the boys'???

[pething101]

Originally posted by Lloyd Heilbrunn
Do you have the girls' varsity or JV like you did the boys'???

I will have the JV's to myself and will help out with the Varsity during matches.

[CG]

My team took a hiding tonight. I have all 7th,8th & 9th graders. We lost 6-0 then some of our varsity girls were there watching and the other teams fans were like,"Oh yeah, she's on varsity and so is she and oh yeah, she is too." I don't feel so bad anymore.

[pething101]

I was on the wrong end of several of those 6-0 scorelines. It was not a pleasant experience.

But then I realized the vast difference between programs in my area. My school has less than 5 kids, boys and girls, that play year round. Contrast that with 3 other high schools in the area that have whole teams that play club year around. It can get depressing going into a seasoning knowing that you are playing for fourth place.

But I saw a lot of improvement so I was, in the end, pretty happy.

[CG]

Originally posted by pething101
I was on the wrong end of several of those 6-0 scorelines. It was not a pleasant experience.

But then I realized the vast difference between programs in my area. My school has less than 5 kids, boys and girls, that play year round. Contrast that with 3 other high schools in the area that have whole teams that play club year around. It can get depressing going into a seasoning knowing that you are playing for fourth place.

But I saw a lot of improvement so I was, in the end, pretty happy.


I'm basically in the same situation. I tell my girls that JV is about individual development. I'm just looking for improvement.

[pething101]

Lower turnout today. Only worked with eight players. A lot of our players must be cheerleaders or bowlers... yes, I typed, bowlers.

Anyway.

Did some ...

Controled dribbling in a 10 by 10 yard grid...
Team sprints around outside of square, with and without the ball...
Some 4 v 1, monkey in a barrel game ...
Some 3 v 1, monkey in a barrel...
5 suicides with ball...
Some 6 v. 1 emphasizing spacing
finshed with some 3 v 3.

[Dan Roudebush]

You can print out Coerver moves from my old web site at:

http://www.soccercommentary.org/Training.html

Each move has a rear view ( kids have difficulty with mirror imaging), foot position like a dance step, and a front view.

Note the site is "dead". Dan Branes my old partner has left it up for reference only. even my e-mail is wrong.

Once you have the moves printed out you can zerox enough copies for each player.

The pages are from a booklet I wrote called "1000 Minutes". In addition to the moves the booklet had a chart the player keeps on their frig. You can draw up your own using thre rows of "blocks" or small "squares"

Then it's filled in like:

2/3 2/4 2/5 etc (date line)

10 15 10 (amount of practice done at home)

10 25 35 (cumulative amount)

When they reach a 1000 you can do some sort of reward.

An alternative to the home practice is to have the kids bring their sheets to school practice. Then as they arrive at the field they start their practice of the moves, interspersed with stretching. (Think you had an earlier post on & minutes of ball touches)

Hleps to have a couple of poles or trash barrels around a player can "attack".

[pething101]

Here we go again ...

For those that have kept up with this thread, you will remember that turnout and participation has been a real problem.

First scrimage is on Thursday. I had 5 players show up for essentially a JV practice.

[CG]

Originally posted by pething101
Here we go again ...

For those that have kept up with this thread, you will remember that turnout and participation has been a real problem.

First scrimage is on Thursday. I had 5 players show up for essentially a JV practice.

I'm having similar problems. I have a game tomorrow and will have 5 girls out of 17 missing. 1 is sick, 3 have a band competition and 1 has a show choir competition. So I'll have 12 to play against a team that thankfully we have a chance of beating even with 12.

[pething101]

First scrimage of the year postponed until tomorrow night. Apparently thier field was still wet from all the ice and rain and stuff.

Sucks.

Practice was decent. Tried to do a little five star with the players. They had no clue. I did not think it was all that complicated.

Apparently, it was.

[CG]

Originally posted by pething101
Practice was decent. Tried to do a little five star with the players. They had no clue. I did not think it was all that complicated.

Apparently, it was.


Happens to me all the time. The other day we played an end zone game where you had to pass into the end zone to get a point and then you kept possession and went the opposite direction. You'd have thought I asked them to translate the Koran into Russian. It was basically make it-take it with switching directions.

[pething101]

First scrimage of the year.

Observations:

Riding home on a bus ful of 15 year old girls is not fun, esp when they are singing teeny bopper crap...

we have no seniors ... I did not know this till tonight ...

we played better than I expected. Lost 2-1. Thier second goal was freakish but they all count...

we have one player that is great. I mean, she stands out by far. She also got hacked to death and I almost got kicked out by the ref for complaining ...

the ref was drunk according to the head coach ...

we are young but athletic and tenacious.

Could be an interesting year.

[pething101]

Also,

we have a keeper ... she is very good. Trained with the Revs, lived in Germany and Japan. Actually plays year round.

Problem is, where to play her.

For around here, she has some good ball skills. Paired her with our third decent player in the mid field during the second quarter. Put our "star" player up top and we looked very good. THe two mids combined well and we got our one goal.

But our other keeper is going to end up being a 9th grader if we do this. And she could be on the losing end of some big number games ... matches where the first string keeper might keep close.

A quandry to say the least.

[boydreilly]

Originally posted by pething101
Also,

we have a keeper ... she is very good. Trained with the Revs, lived in Germany and Japan. Actually plays year round.

Problem is, where to play her.

For around here, she has some good ball skills. Paired her with our third decent player in the mid field during the second quarter. Put our "star" player up top and we looked very good. THe two mids combined well and we got our one goal.



If she is a keeper, play her as a keeper. Granted, what she does best for the team is in your best interest, it is better she play the position she wants to play.

Also, I'd put your star player in the center mid spot, especially if that is her position. If she is that good, she needs to learn how to control the play and, also, help elevate the play of the team.

You didn't speak of her leadership abilities. But, good players don't just play the game, they need to bring the team up to. Other players know who the top player is and they follow. Use that to your advantage. Speak to her about what being a leader is all about.

[pething101]

Interesting.

I think she wants to play in the field. If I had my way, I am the JV coach, I think I would play her in mid and let someone else be between the pipes.

The head coach thinks differently than I.

[Elroy]

Originally posted by pething101
The head coach thinks differently than I.

Again?

[Elroy]

Originally posted by boydreilly
If she is a keeper, play her as a keeper. Granted, what she does best for the team is in your best interest, it is better she play the position she wants to play.

Also, I'd put your star player in the center mid spot, especially if that is her position. If she is that good, she needs to learn how to control the play and, also, help elevate the play of the team.

You didn't speak of her leadership abilities. But, good players don't just play the game, they need to bring the team up to. Other players know who the top player is and they follow. Use that to your advantage. Speak to her about what being a leader is all about.

I don't know your team well enough to make such specific reccomendations. But, in general, it is a good idea to play people where they want to play. Happy players seem to play better. So:

1. Intensify the training of all your GK's. If you don't have one, get a GK coach and integrate the keepers into your regular practices. If your best player doesn't really want to play in goal on your team, rotate her with the freshman until you have more confidence in the younger player. Then, if you need the starter on the field you can make that change with more confidence.

2. Improve your defense in front of the goal. Teach your defenders to deny shots on goal and to keep possession when they gain it. If your team plays better defense and possession, they will not have to rely so heavily on the goal keeper.

3. If your star player is a scorer, for heaven's sake leave her there. Natural scorers are very hard to find. If you have one, her best use is to finish your chances. You can always train a ball control midfielder or defender, but true scorers are born - not trained. If it's going to take awhile to gain midfield control, you can change to a formation that adds to midfield strength. There is nothing unfair about asking your scorer to carry a little more of the scoring responsibility.

[pething101]

Originally posted by Elroy
Again?

Same coach.

[Elroy]

Originally posted by pething101
Same coach.

Bummer!

[pething101]

You have no idea.