Though it may seem to contradict common sense, in the case of American Youth Soccer it may be the case for many youth soccer teams, specifically because of the coaching. The idea being, the more you subject yourself to bad training, the more these bad habits are ingrained into the players, the more difficult it is to accept the correct way of playing as players mature with age. The fact that we are repeating the same cycle of coaches that teach our youth systems at the top level in the nation, how are we supposed to develop world class talent. Instead of emphasis on training more it should be on replacing the vast majority of these bad coaches. Here is an article that goes further into depth. https://aysessoccerblog.wordpress.com/2016/08/28/first-blog-post/
Interesting question the problem is most of our youth coaches for our very young players are not experienced coaches. I think of coaching players like your building a house. Want a strong house starts with creating a strong foundation at the beginning. Most youth coaches are not experienced coaches so the player is not starting with a strong foundation. I always thought experienced coaches should go back to coaching young kids later in their coaching career to build that strong foundation in young players. That had not happened as yet in this country. When and if it every does that is when are football program will become very successful.
I agree 100% with this statement This statement, i am not 100% sure what you mean, which is why at first glance i disagree with this being the solution to bringing in good coaches at the youth level. the reason i disagree is because there is a difference between coaching professionals and coaching youth players. at the professional level, you are making the best of what you have with the players that you are given, therefore, development is out of the question (unless your arsene wenger). the main objective at the professional level is to win games regardless of how you do it and it is much more based on tactical analysis and development. you dont have the luxury to develop the players game or you will get fired without the results. at the youth level, that hurts you in the long run.
Experienced doesn’t necessarily mean professional, at least not uber, make a living professional…. I guess when I read Nicko’s comments, I was thinking he meant more "experienced" coaches along the lines of those who have made their way up the youth soccer food chain (U13 and higher, high school, college, etc), but guys who are still basically dealing with non-professional, still developing players…it’s about those guys, going back and starting with the U-littles…
Sure. I think a lot of players become disinterested when the sport is not represented correctly. Which leads me to my fundamental issue with the article you posted. It is not wise to draw a comparison to Germany who at their WORST, had an elite player pool that we would drool over. We are presently over the moon with their throwaways. There is an old saying in Martial Arts, "a good student is one in ten thousand", a good teacher is one in ten million". Player Pool. Football is the national passion of Germany. Kids dream of being Mehzit Ozul, Thomas Mueller, Marco Reus, read through the current roster and call ups (I just did) ridiculously deep and all easily recognizable as many historic clubs are represented. Yes, they can feel undone when they do not represent well in tournies, BIG TOURNIES. They should, they have elite players...The article represents an argument\discussion I have a lot with parents. We are still mostly a country that at best PLAYS the game but does not watch and follow. Yes, I believe the game is growing exponentially BUT it seems the gains seem to modest for most. What makes this so important. A country with soccer ingrained in its national identity does not spend a ton of time teaching fundamentals. The core principals are picked up from early non structured play with large groups of kids that are all ages. IE, the barrios, favelas, and villages foster the game until it is time to train with a club. This often means getting your first uni,cleats, and in some parts shin guards... We here have our kids ready to go with all the gear but we expect them to be shown proper technique, a pass, dribbling etc. Try asking a person from a soccer nation who "taught" them to dribble,to pass, to head, this usually gets a smile... And this is analogous here...By the time I was of age to swing a baseball bat no one had to show me anything.
I meant guys who have gone up the line. Like started with little kids and are now doing teams of under 19. Or moved up to coaching their clubs adult teams. On teaching professionals did Tim Howard improve his game from working with the coaching staff when he first went to Manchester United?
first of all, @bostondiesel, thanks for your comments. im glad you see thing in a different way so that it gets me looking at this issue from a different perspective because i know i probably am not seeing all the details that make a difference, which you bring up. Please let me know your comments to my responses. i would disagree with the statement i highlighted. germany has had some bad times such as in euro 2000, and world cup 2002, and i can tell you, there is not a single field player outside of michael ballack in both of these teams, that I would want any american player to be like. Especially in 2000, that german team was horrendous! and dont forget, in the quarterfinals, germany was VERY LUCKY to beat the USA in World Cup 2002. in terms of youth players playing soccer in america you are right, there are probably far more kids playing soccer in germany than america. having said that, if im not mistaken soccer is the most popular sport among kids in america. therefore, the more teams there are, the more coaches there are. im not saying that usa has to be on germany's level because there are other countries also ahead of the US. The point made, is that the difference of emphasis on coaching is what makes germany great and USA average. remember, even a country like germany with a large player pool and players dreaming to be the best with a hundred years of history can still turn out to be abysmal with bad coaching and scouting as seen in Euro 2000 and WC 2002. i do agree with you that soccer in america is not heavily followed as a whole compared to other countries. i also know that compared to 15-20 years ago, the amount of kids following soccer now are much higher than before, and the availability of soccer matches on tv is much greater. and you're right the south americans and the africans have a history of top players playing the game as kids without formal coaching. though i dont think thats the case with the present day german national team for the last few years that has performed at a top level.
I think you make my point perhaps better than I could. You list a "bad time" as a year they made the WC final and lost to Brazil....(We have never made a Final), they have won WC's. Miroslav Klose was a field player on the squad you mention, (13 years of service to his country 71 goals). Ollie Kahn though not a field player was also on that team, I think he bears mentioning also. IF I felt Germany was very lucky to beat us, does that now historically look more like an aberration for both teams ? No. I think you miss the quote and point. The fact that Germany has MORE athletes playing soccer, produces a more ELITE crop of coach able talent. Until we produce more ELITE players in large numbers the coaching is secondary. The USA is average ONLY because our players are middling talent mop and bucket (I mean that in the nicest way). We have not placed consistent starters on the biggest squads, we are poking around the egdes NOW of NOT being Euro rejects (again I love all our players but Real Madrid, Barcelone, Juventus,Arsenal, etc....). I believe we currenytly have a guy not getting time for Chelsea and I think that, that is a big step. I also think Pulisic is a huge step forward or seems to be. Yes. This is it in a nutshell. And I go back to my problem comparing Germany to USA...They have had a century of Bundesliga.....And MLS is in its infancy BUT yes I agree there is hope. When kids here reach for the Pulisic jersey ahead of the Messi or Ronaldo or Pogba jersey., then yes its time to celebrate another milestone.
I believe this premise to be fact. Good coaching can make very good players ELITE. BUT they first need the stone to sculpt. A young Derek Jeter can be coached and developed into being who he would finally become (and this is coming from a Boston person). A very Elite pro. But ANY coach first needs a young Derek Jeter. (ie, needs a player with all the tools to be honed and developed, work rate, athleticism, durability, list goes on and on). May seem like an obvious point but coaches are not responsible for making players, the players have to exist first.
That's correct, but they chose to reflect on how they aproached things up till the moment of change, that was triggered by being outclassed by other countries, while still winning many matches. The key fault they identified was that they didnot bother about premium development, because of the size of the country and the huge pool of players to pull from. In that big pool you were always to have at least 15 good to very good players. But other countries, especially the Netherlands were able to produce even better players from a pool, compared to Germany's a fraction of its size. So they went to their neighbours, like the French and the Belgians did, and incorporated the practices into their systems by making a blend of the typical German virtues with those of the Dutch. It is a mistake though to think all little kids in Germany, the Netherlands etc. get coaching from well qualified coaches with FA licenses. It's not. The system though makes a early selection possible that delivers the best kids in the hands of well qualified coaches at the academies to develop to the best of their possibilities. And that's what I always miss in the discussions about the development of kids in the US, the missing link of the amateur clubs like we have in the Netherlands giving the opportunity to play for a minimal membership fee. Here's a pdf of an instruction to kid coaching of an amateur club to illustrate what I mean> You have to google translate it, but it gives you a good insight in what really is done in contrast to mythical perceptions. http://www.hvvodb.nl/images/stories/word/Oefenstof E en F.pdf
Yes. I pretty much agree with all. I have highlighted the quote to focus on the fact that they rightly felt the system was under performing and needed tweaking. My issue being that until we have young Rudy Van Istleroy, Edgar Davids, or Arjen Robben showing up as young talent. Until then we are a nation hoping to punch above our weight. Yes this speaks to everything. IF a young talented guy here is trying out to make a squad, say he is great but the team is deep at his position, his family may have to look at serious travel etc. Even places that are represented "well" here have usually one pro team.
I post an article to highlight what I mentioned a few posts ago. I had to correct Google translate, otherwise it would have been like a drunk's talk. http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/v...__Pupillen_Nederland_besten_van_Europa__.html KNVB postpones introducing small parties for youth soccer players possibly for a year Pupils Netherlands best in Europe Today, 01:00 Marcel van der Kraan The KNVB still do not know whether it can meet the planned date of the introduction of junior football in small parties for 300,000 children (after this season). The Football Association hopes clubs to experiment quickly and wants to give more explanation to volunteer s at 80 meetings. If it shows that the clubs have too many problems to make the big transition to new leagues on smaller fields or is there a lot of resistance, the KNVB wants the plan possibly delayed for a year. But in Zeist they still donot want to shoot it down, lets the KNVB know in a comment. "We want this, our department technical matters determined this after a recommendation in the report 'Winners of Tomorrow", "said KNVB spokesman Hans van Kastel. Who the 'experts are that imposed the pupils template with 2 vs 2 and 4 against 4, was last night still not clear. The KNVB said to have spoken with Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV, but they are not all for the plan. Remarkable is that abroad thinks we have better organized junior football in the Netherlands than anywhere else in the world. Clubs and trainers licking their fingers in the way youth football takes place Saturday at the age catergory 5 to 12 years. Superb sports facilities in every village and every city,for the general width well organized soccer leagues. Quality wise precisely also nothing to criticize the junior football. Thanks to the broad-based and transparent competitions the professional clubs can scout amateur clubs extensively and thorough. At top clubs like Feyenoord, Ajax, PSV, AZ and Vitesse the top talents are then brought together. And those show internationally to be the best. Robin van Persie organizes ten years already the most prestigious tournament pupils (F & E) in Europe. He brings the creme de la creme of Europe and even Africa together. But Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Sporting Lisbon, Borussia Dortmund and Sparta Prague, they are all swept from the field by the Dutch and Belgian clubs. In the last four finals were the Feyenoord and PSV pupils. Premier League clubs and Germans were already sent home. After each tournament are foreign clubs lining up with requests to send along trainers/coaches and educators from Feyenoord and PSV, who can teach how their pupils may also play just as well in the space of a half-field as their own players. At that age - exactly the category to which the KNVB now wants to change course - there is nothing wrong with the development of Dutch talent. The Dutch professional clubs would only like to see the KNVB create much stronger leagues at half fields in that category. It keeps stinging amateur clubs in the Netherlands, according to all the comments, that they had no say in the 'revolution' of the KNVB. The question is whether the 'experts' have been on the touch line in recent years with the matches of the F- and E-pupil against the best players from Bundesliga and Premier League clubs. Robin van Persie was indeed there all times. The top scorer of Orange saw with his own eyes how high the bar is set at the Dutch pupils.
that time for germany was really bad. i mean, if you look at germany in euro 2000 as well, it was poor, even the wc 2002. but i see the point your making. but you are forgetting all the previous years that gave germany its high prestige because of all those years of proper development. I assure you, that if germany had always emphasized this type of poor scouting and coaching throughout its entire history, then 2002 WC would have been a high point even for a team like Germany. in addition, when you have a history of producing world class players, then even through bleak moments you will still produce some top class players here and there, which is the same case as modern day brazil at least for the past 10 years. if im not mistaken, i think @feyenoordsoccerfan made a good point which you repped. but relying on huge numbers of players playing soccer isnt going to cut it if the coaching and scouting is bad. the fact that germany is better than the the USA is not the sole fact that they have so many players playing and america does not. because the USA has a lot of kids playing soccer. the problem is that the development is poor. you can have all the athletic players and coordinated players you want, but if you are being coached by coaches like John Hackworth, you are not going to be world class. i think its possible that kids can reach for pulisic jerseys in the next few years considering where he is at now. it seems like a clear possibility. and yeah, you are correct in saying that the background of bundesliga gives a huge advantage to germany over america. but i believe it goes deeper than that. i mean, how many countries have been playing soccer much longer than USA? bolivia, ecuador, greece, etc. but can we honestly say that their leagues are better than the MLS. of course, there are several other factors that come into play. but above all, i believe that coaching and player development should be the number one emphasis above all. in any case, @bostondiesel, i could have misinterpreted some of your answers. feel free to correct me if i am wrong
@ko242 sorry,yes so in very very short you seem to think that the talent is here and it just lacks coaching whereas I think that the talent is just not here yet in earnest and that makes pointing the finger fully at coaching a little cart before the horse. And as I have said countries that feel they under perform France,Germany,England,Brazil at least can "tweak" their systems, fire coaches and scouts, because if you are say Brazil at any point your bench players are earning millions on storied teams. Though I complain about our National team I honestly think at the end of the day they are maybe stretching a top ten team definitely not near a top four team or 8 for that matter. Thus I think for now they are playing to their potential and not under it. We do not need tweaking we need time to grow into a fully realized squad.
Concerning the issue of a lack of talented players in America, Let me put it this way... if every coach, scout, and youth director from Germany were to suddenly move to the USA, and every American coach, scout, and youth director were to move to Germany,... who do you think would have the superior team and players in 20 years? Germany or USA?
The Yanks, as they would copy the smart move of the Germans and look at how the Dutch do it and apply it then in Germany in a better organized soccer environment.
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/...ulisic-Julian-Green-and-Alejandro-Bedoya.html Thought this article which I read a while back had a reservoir of talking points relative to our discussion. I just needed time to search for it, most notably for me and tangential to the weekends Brad Friedel vs Alexi Lalas "discussion".... Broadly Wynalda asserts there are MLS coaches who do not know talent...(and so said Brad Friedel pretty much)... And to take their assertions further. The same coaches and systems are entrusted with developing the Academies.
Very good question, and even better answers! I do not think training more is hurting American youth development at all as long as it is the right training. For example, I came across an article that opened my eyes on the importance of youth to play multiple sports as opposed to just one. With participating in a number of sports, a young athlete can still train without overusing specific body parts pertaining to that specific sports. For example, an aspiring soccer player could play basketball during the winter instead of year-long soccer and still train in the area of stamina without overusing their feet which is suited for kicking a soccer ball. The article is from Cisco Athletic and is very informative. Check it out some time!
Our son having had the benefit of an A licensed coach from the Netherlands and an A licenced coach from USA learned those basic must do's starting at age 7. Formally educated coaches from Holland go through so rigorous a training, I'd find it difficult to believe many Americans would sign up. Here just completing with good attendence is likely to warrant credentials. There things are different. Beginning with studies on early childhood education and finishing with managing professionals these coaches know their shit. There is so much less emphasis on fixtures against other teams that Americans could never wrap their head around the concept of winning games not mattering and the value of individual development. Never. Thirdly kids playing these fixtures with absolutely horrible officiating are going to have to really suffer to get anywhere. Our mediocre number of yanks abroad is embarrasing. I'm so jelous of coaching and officiating in every other sport. If US coaches and refs in soccer were half as savvy as other sports we'd be able to meet other countries standards with ease.
For older kids training more is probably a good thing - but only if you're training with the same level and intensity (or greater) than your normal team training and doing some sort of cross-training throughout the year. For girls, I wonder if it's the focus on winning at a young age that is more the problem. Playing fast-paced, intelligent, technical soccer is often the goal in other countries up to U14/U15 - not winning. Because winning the Surf Cup at U14 often just means your team has a collection of fast, strong, semi-technical girls who want it more and have played with each other for years. My daughter and I have been watching a lot of Div 1/top conference women's college games on-line - and the passing, first touch and decision making of a lot of players is awful. I am assuming that these teams are made up of top ECNL players. They must have been good at one point in their lives to be recruited. Why are they unable to transition to college soccer? The best tactical players on these teams are often international players.
Striker mom that is all true. It takes years to become a good decision maker in our game unless your a prodigy. You have to be able to pass well using both feet and know tactics. Tactics don't work without the skill needed to make them work. They also need a great first touch practice and good coaching and good vision of the field as a young kid can help with that. But this is what the women's game is missing. That is the ability for the player to beat one or even two players and the keeper in the final third and score. But good team movement off the ball can put that player in a position to do that a lot in a game. The women players that some people call great are the ones that can score on a chance or a half chase by them selves off the dribble. We don't teach our women to be selfish enough in the final third to do that. So being selfish can be a good thing once they are good decision makers.
great observation @StrikerMom thats an excellent point that you make! when i played soccer at the university level for 4 seasons, i would often watch women's games and though i was subconsciously aware of it you are just now bringing it to my attention (that international's are better technically and tactically then Americans at the college level, though being in a much smaller number). the reason i can imagine that many american girls cannot make the jumo to college soccer is that now that the number of athletic girls is much higher and the chemistry is not of the same advantage as years of club soccer, the lack of technique and tactical development becomes more apparent. i also think you make a great point about the girls progress at a young age.
Charlie was An American who earned his A with a lot of work. As a player he was traded for a case of wine and some chickens. what higher rating is there then an A licence?