Kick and run is a natural starting place for novices. The positives are its energy and rhythm. The objection to "kick and run" is when the kick is not intended as a pass (I consider a pass to yourself as a pass). The coaching objective is to build on that energy and rhythm and convert "kick and run" into "pass and move." To do that coaches have to teach off-the-ball runs in addition to fundamental ball skills. An opponent playing "kick and run" is a coach's best friend for teaching a team how to defend in depth. Learning how to defend in depth and successfully shutting down "kick and run" attacks is also a great team-building and morale-building experience. Rotating the players through positions is what makes it a shared team-building experience, instead of crediting team success to a few individuals. My experience also is that an opponent playing "bunch ball" where a pack chases the ball all over the field, will naturally teach your players to pass diagonally (to avoid the "bunch"). I may as well finish the tour of novice tactics by talking about "bunch ball" defenses. It too is a natural starting place for novices. The positives are its aggressiveness, compactness and pressure. The objection to "bunch ball" is when it lacks balance and cover. The coaching objective is to build on that aggressiveness, compactness and pressure and convert "bunch ball" into "defense in depth." To do that coaches have to teach how to play off-the-ball, the 2nd and 3rd defender roles in addition to how to defend on the ball and man-mark.
Coerver method follows the pyramid of player development. At the base is ball mastery followed by passing and receiving THEN 1v1 play in consecutive levels. A vast majority of hose that coach Coerver stop at ball mastery and 1v1-this is where most of the misconceptions stem from. There are many fantastic passing pattern drills within the method. Just like the dribbling skills its performed in isolation. Which are followed in the same practice by activities that allow for trying out the skills in a game setting.
i think the youth diploma course was money well spent. it confirmed a lot of what i've been doing and gave me ideas on how to expand on it. the pyramid is spot on. ball control first. then receiving and passing. then 1v1s. then group play. you aren't going to be successful at doing the next step without being able to do the previous one consistently. the coerver philosophy aligns more closely with my own mindset than what i picked up from us soccer courses so far. i don't think that the importance of everything in training looking like soccer (ussf) is greater than the exercises giving kids the skills to play the game when they do get to playing the game. also, charlie cooke was great to listen to all weekend. he's a very entertaining and engaging guy. i was disappointed that they didn't distribute the video dvds. instead we got an access code to watch them online. surely, that's a cost cutting move. i'll see whether i like the online interface, and if not, i'll see about getting the dvds. that's what it said we'd get when we signed up, after all.