Helpful Post Database

[Twenty26Six]

This could be a precursor to a "wiki" type text that will contain useful posts that have been accumulated over time.

Please, post up any really useful posts that you've come across during your time on the forum. In the long run, it's too hard to search the forum for all the posts we "remember" as being good. So, if you come across something you think needs to be saved - copy a link to it here, with a quote bubble of the original post. Also, don't be afraid to offer up more than one side to a debated question. In my eyes, there is always more than one correct answer.

Thanks.

[Twenty26Six]

Thanks for the props, BigGuy! My site is JB Goalkeeping (http://jbgoalkeeping.com). Also free, with lots of tips on technique, tactics and psychology along with photos and video clips. There is also a section on training sessions with quite a few exercises and activities.

FWIW, while I don't make my keepers learn to punt left- (or off-) footed, I have on occasion done it myself. I do ask them to throw and bowl with their non-dominant hand, which certainly comes in handy at times.

GoalkeepersETC (http://www.goalkeepersetc.com) looks like a great site too, and I have links to several others at my site. The more goalkeeping info out there, the better IMHO.

Original Post: http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=574569

[KevTheGooner]

It's actually about even more than looking professional, a proper warmup is essential for preparing the body of a young soccer player for the punishing workout that a soccer game can be. Google information about "Functional Dynamic Soccer Warmups". I have a book that is fantastic.... but I loaned it out and for the life of me can't remember the name!

A good friend of mine coaches the U14's at Preston North End, and sent me a copy of their SAQ warmup. These Speed, Agility, and Quickness movements have completely replaced the normal warmup runs and stretching that many top clubs are doing. Personally, I put my teams through about 10 minutes or less of these movements, then begin ball work. If you do them right, in the correct order, it warms and loosens the muscles up in the proper order, to the point that even older players (I coach two U23 mens teams as well), need only a minimum amount of stretching.

The other considerations, like looking professional, feeling like a team, and getting focused on the game, are just icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned. Important, but secondary to the needs of the indiviual kids to be prepared from head to toe to endure the hard physical cauldron of a game.


http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12973135#post12973135


I bought this book and would highly endorse it.

[Val1]

Here is a forum that I moderate that is dedicated to coaching. The forum is free, though the main site is subscription based.

http://www.grassrootscoaching.com/forum/

The next is the best site I have seen if you are taking your FA Level 2 Badge (roughly equivalent to the USSF D License). Each SSG topic you may be given is broken down with a complete lesson plan.

http://www.footballcoachingcourses.com/

And lastly, my season-long session plan for beginning to moderate U9s to U11s for working on communication, first touch, ball movement, which I have posted before. Read posts 12 and 15.

http://www.grassrootscoaching.com/forum/building-your-team/157-building-girls-team-league-blog-2.html#post3218

[Twenty26Six]

Here's a particularly good post about size and ability as it relates to youth soccer and professional success.
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=13348188&postcount=13

I have a daughter who is small and not a naturally aggressive personality, so the physical part of the game has been difficult for her. Her strength is definitely her skills though. She has very quick feet and this has allowed her to compete against bigger, more physical girls. However, to continue to progress, the physical part of the game needed to be addressed. For her, height is not as big an issue as is the fact she is a light weight.

Two things that have helped her with the physical part of the game. 1.) A coach who has been patient, but still demanding who has taught her what is expected of her within her physical capabilities. 2.) Participation in a fitness program (strength, speed, agility, etc) outside her regular soccer practice. This program has been invaluable and may have even helped her more with her confidence then anything else.

So my suggestions would be to find a coach who will teach him how to effectively use his limited size, continue to polish his technical skills, watch and read as much as possible to improve his tactical knowledge of the game and work on improving his physical game through strength, speed and agility work. And least we forget the mental side, get the book, Sports Slump Busting by sport psychologist Alan Goldberg. It's a great book that I guarantee will help him. Also in the meantime, here's some info on small players that may keep him hopeful:


On Paul Scholes, from an article in the Daily Telegram on the Manchester United Youth academy:
Les Kershaw (ManU Academy director) worked with them (Beckham, Giggs, Butt, Scholes and the Nevilles) and is passionate about giving tyros time to blossom. "How many clubs would have taken Scholesy on at 16?" mused Kershaw.........

"At 16, we could play Scholesy for only 20 minutes a game. He couldn't run. He was a little one. Had asthma. No strength. No power. No athleticism. No endurance. 'You've got a bleeding dwarf,' I remember somebody said to Brian Kidd [the then youth-team coach]. 'You will eat your words,' said Kiddo. If Scholesy had been at a lesser club, they would have got rid of him and he would probably not be in the game now. We stuck with Scholesy, a wonderful technician. How many caps did he get? Sixty-six?!"



On Steven Gerrard:
.......... he admitted yesterday that he struggled through his schooldays, failing to make it into the England Under 16 team and being rejected for the FA Academy.

......Gerrard said: I was lucky because even though I didnt make it to the FA school at Lilleshall, my parents and the coaches at Liverpool kept complete faith with me until I developed more physically.



On Joe Max Moore, not sure the source of the quote:
''We had to fight to keep Joe-Max Moore in the program (ODP). Joey was a very small, slight boy, a late bloomer, and we were getting hammered. He would have been dumped nowadays.''



On Claudio Reyna, from his book More Than Goals:
"But I do remember one frustrating episode."

"I had been selected for the New Jersey U14 state team. My father drove me to Connecticut for games against other state teams from the East. We played 45-minute games throughout the day, and all I was allowed to do was sit and watch."

"Afterward my dad went up to the coach and asked, 'Why didn't you play my son?' The coach's answer was, 'He's too small.' "

" 'What kind of an excuse is that?' my dad asked. 'We just drove three hours. Why wouldn't you play him for 15 minutes? Everybody who gets selected for something like this should get on the field. I work hard. I don't have the time and money to drive to things like this and get told my son's not big enough.' "

"I had that 'too small' label placed on me a few times when I was young, but I saw it ever worse with other players. Children grow at different stages, and coaches who pick the big kids to give their team an edge are doing the game a disservice."



From Laureano Ruiz who coached at Barcelona and Racing Santander:
"The ideal player should be tecnically brilliant, tactically astute and a fantastic athlete, but in reality no one is perfect. The soccer "Greats" became so because of their talent, ability and skill. Their game was never based on physical prowess. I would go further. In order to compensate for their physical imperfections, many all time "Greats" worked on their game to develop extraordinary skill in order to compete against and outwit much bigger and stronger players. Garrincha apparently suffered paralysis as a child and Maradona suffered from an unusual disease that greatly affected his right leg."

"There is no question that tall players have certain advantages: with high balls, fairing better in collisions, more possibility of successfully challenging for the dangerous loose balls delivered from deep and an aptitude for making long runs. However, shorter players also have certain advantages: having their center of gravity much closer to the ground, they are well balanced and able to dart, twist and turn much faster than taller players.

Small players are better at short sprints. They make sudden movements and change directions more quickly and therefore are invariably much better at dribbling the ball. In addition, a short player, seeing that he is often at a disadvantage against taller adversaries, needs to think of ingenius ways of overcoming his difficulties. Little by little he acquires more and more skills and eventually develops a large repertoire of tricks."



One more thought, concerning my own kid. Playing on a team that puts the ball in the air a lot can effectively take her out of a game and she will give up possession of the ball frequently even though she has very good skills to take the ball out of the air and drop it to her feet. Those few milliseconds while she does so makes the difference. But playing on a team that puts the ball to her feet can make her look like Marta. ;) He should probably look for a team that advances the ball on the ground, rather than one that plays a more direct style.

[KevTheGooner]

Having just finished Vision of a Champion I thank whoever started this thread:

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34595

The thread itself is not too interesting but the book certainly is. A must read for anyone coaching girls or parenting girl soccer players.

[Twenty26Six]

The Skill Level of Coaches: Can a crap player be a coach, and what does it take to be a good coach? (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=673498)

[Twenty26Six]

Better Soccer, More Fun on Youtube (http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bettersoccermorefun&p=r)

I'm not sure how much this is needed for some of the coaches here. But, it may be very helpful to the newer coaches.

[Twenty26Six]

Tactics Thread (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=760929)

Open-ended discussion on tactics by some reguar posters.

[Twenty26Six]

U4 Ideas (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=767010)

Technical Ideas for U6 and U8 (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=765677)

U8 Ideas (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=754337)

U10 Ideas (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=726436)

[rca2]

I did a search for it and it turns out it was on the first page lol.
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42078
This talks about the coerver method and 1000 touches workout. Basically explains what it is and how to find out more about.

By Richie: "...I have a friend from New Jersey Dennis Mueller that developed a player handout of coerver moves. It is all over the internet now. I myself give out the hand out to young players http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~dgraham/daily_drill.html
It is also called 1000 touches and 575 touches...."


By aek chicago: "...The Coerver method builds the solid core foundation players need in terms of fast footwork, suppleness, close control, feinting, etc..... It is these skills which serve as the base for the technically proficient/advanced player, and assuming the TACTICAL proficiency of competing sides is equal, the more TECHNICALLY PROFICIENT side will win, ALWAYS...."

[Twenty26Six]

Thread on "Vision (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=782342)" from the player forum.

A couple good posts from "Big Guy" with both tactical and technical advice.

[rca2]

A thread on how to start and run a new premier youth club:

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=806522

From Bird1812:

"This is a really good resource: http://www.mayouthsoccer.org/downloa...ent_manual.pdf
The best place to start is with a mission statement - see that section in the manual."

Part of BigGuy's post:

"I don't really want to talk to parents unless I know they really know
the game. I will let them know that I care about their kid like if they
were my own kids. One good rule to have never screw a player to win a
game. Wear your love of the game on your sleave for everyone to see
it's contagious to everyone around you.

Good play praise no matter who does it out loud even the opponent. That
you can talk to the parents about. Helps them know what good play is.
Bad play during games take notes and say nothing. if parents praise bad
play correct them why it was not good play. So the players won't get
confused talking to their kids at home."

[Twenty26Six]

Excellent resource offered up by R...

Besides some good soccer specific books (the NSCAA has a great one), I use this website as a reference for any question on fitness training: http://www.exrx.net/index.html

There is a lot of information there but there is a search function to help. For stretches to prevent common problems see this page and look for the link for "inflexibilities" under "Biomechanical Deficiencies" http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html

[Twenty26Six]

GK WarmUp (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=16276286&postcount=12)

OK, I will try to restrain myself. I am surprised after reading this thread that a goalkeeper coach hasn’t brought this up yet but…

THIS EXERCISE IS ABOUT THE ABSOLUTE WORSE WAY FOR A YOUTH GOALKEEPER TO WARM UP!!!

I have never used all caps before at BS, but frankly, I want to repeat the sentence and use about 50 exclamation points. If I may borrow from a local GK coach, here is the proper way for a youth keeper to warm-up before a game. (My kid doesn’t play for this club, but it is a nice write-up and well worth reading if you are a youth coach.)
http://www.riovistafc.org/programs/goalkeepingA.htm

If you don’t have time for the whole article here is an excerpt:
“Having the Gk in goal and the rest of the team 10-15 yards away taking constant shots will not motivate the goalkeeper into a state of readiness. Take the Gk to the side of the goal to work on specifics while the team does this activity, and then bring the Gk back in when an activity that will provide an equal opportunity for success is used.”

This goes way beyond a pet peeve. Parents, if your kid plays GK on a youth team and this activity is all they do for a GK warm-up, you need to find another team for your kid to play on as soon as possible.

[rca2]

www.insidesoccer.com is a really good site as well And it is :) Age-specific warmups, drills, etc., with videos explaining. Not just diagrams.
Rest of Coaching Drills Websites thread at
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1084189

[rca2]

This nugget was buried in a thread on another subject. What a wonderful idea for the little ones...

...When I started with my daughter's age group when they were not yet in kindergarten, I brought 8 new size 3 balls mostly white space in design and a bunch of permanent markers for them to color them with. I had a couple of players still using their personalized balls last season, 4 years later.