private lessons???

I do not like private lessons because it is boring for the player and it can get expensive. I definately don't like it if it is done by someone like the trainer or assistant or the coach by some one already with your club team.

I do like it if it is done in a small group. Then it can be fun for the players. You can work on more things and group training is less expensive for the player. Do it with a different trainer not already with the club.

Why, you are paying them to improve your game. Someone already with the club you are already paying them they should do their job. Not ask for more money to do their job.

 

Private lessons = no unless its g/k only.

I would get 10 kids together and have them play 3v3 twice a week. Don't charge anything - just let them play.

If your not familiar with the game read up on it so you can relay the basics. The fast one touch play will help with ball control. They will also learn to find open space, anticipate and talk.

We've been doing that for 2 summers now, this kids love it and it's at no cost to the parents.

 

I am trying private lessons for my u12 (u13 in the fall) for the first time. He is getting great training with his team, but I feel like that the training is targeted to maximize team development over individual development. Obviously this is a team sport so team development is very important, but for balance some professional advise on the individual game is needed from time to time.

 

Private training is a new trend in many youth supports. If you find the right trainer, it can be an exceptional for development even at the younger ages...especially at the younger ages. You can also find other trainers who will provide little value. Buyer beware! Can a player be successful without one? Yes, but the path to success is easier with the support of an outstanding private trainer especially if you can find a great one. While every hour of training helps, I think the benefit comes from work with a trainer over months and years vs. a session or two. If you listened to any of the interviews with Cari Lloyd after the World Cup, she attributes a lot of her success to her work with her private coach over many years.

How the private training is performed can be customized depending upon what you work out with the trainer. One of the things I have found is that some coaches only know what to do when they have a full team. If only half the team shows up for practice, they send the rest home! Others are at their best working one on one or in small groups. It depends on the trainer and how they have learned to work. If you spend some time watching, you should be able to get a sense if your sessions are productive or not.

Yes, it can be expensive, but if one has the means, it is something to consider. The fee should be commensurate with the knowledge and experience as well as the ability to teach. I would be reluctant to pay big bucks to someone who hadn't accomplished something significant in the game AND/OR didn't have the demonstrated ability to get the info across to youth players.

Beyond the skills training, one benefit I would point out is more individual TLC than one can get in a team setting. There are times when that really matters. I am not sure my son would still be playing soccer if it wasn't for the support and encouragement he got from his private trainer during middle school when he was going through a rough time in his game. My son certainly wasn't getting that from his club coaches, and at the time he was playing for one of the most reputable clubs in the country.

The trainer we use does private lessons, small groups, and larger groups. Players travel from all over the area to work with him. At this point, he doesn't coach any teams....just works with individual players as there is less drama. In his case, not only does he teach and train skills, but he builds an individual relationship with each player and really gets what makes each of player tick.

My son trains with him in the winter, the summer, and occasionally during the season depending upon the frequency of team training. We usually opt for small group sessions as they are most cost effective for us.

If I had a ULittle starting the game...and if I had the means....and if my player had a genuine passions for the game....and if I could find the right trainer, I would absolutely use a private trainer.

If I were in your shoes, starting at ground zero and trying to figure out how I would proceed with my comments, I would look for a coach who was Coerver certfied and was willing to conduct some small group skill sessions. Try a couple and go from there based on what you learn.

 

IMO (and since my kid has a passion for the sport already), I would rather see my kid go bike riding or have a play date at the younger ages.

If parents are getting private lessons for their u8/u9 etc... than youth soccer is going to s**t with parents leading the way.

 

I don't recommend privates for players without the passion.

Whether we like it or not, this is the way our society is moving IMHO. To fight is a bit of howling at the moon.

 

Kids should be playing together and learning natural moves. Private training won't do this. Kids are way over trained now, they need space to figure things out themselves and not become robots.

 

There is absolutely a ton of skill work that can be done to build touch and first touch if you know what to do. These are the building blocks of the game.

As an analogy, musicians don't start as jazz musicians. You learn the fundamentals before you start improvising.

 

I'm not fighting it at all. Just see no reason for it unless your a keeper.

If you are in the right program with the right coaches, there should be little - if any, reason for private lessons.

As Todd Bailey once said: If you need private lessons than your kids coach isn't doing their job!

 

Yes - yes and yes!

The bold part especially. IMO that's what makes the great players fun to watch!

 

Like I said - wrong coach, wrong club.

Drive further if you have to to find the right environment.

 

I would show the kids clips of good players and let them practise on the lawn outside before paying for lessons. Before most great players grew up playing ball in the street with friends until it was dark. But this is a bigger thing. Kids don't play out anymore.

 

Well, the good news is that everyone is allowed to have their opinions and choose their preferred path for their players.

We were in Todd Bailey's program with Todd Bailey's colleagues....whom I hold in high regard. And if it wasn't for the private trainer, my son would be out of the game...and not on the trajectory for success he is on now. It shouldn't take too much intuition to see that the strength of Todd Bailey's club is not the individual attention provided to players. I am a big fan of the Sockers, but I think a fair criticism is that they have mastered the soccer club as a 'mass production factory' model.....and I have shivered on the sidelines for enough years at Olympic to know. I think the large pool practices by age group that Sockers uses are a best practice compared to what I have seen at many different soccer clubs. The downside, however, is the lack of individual attention and TLC. And as you move down the ladder of teams, you get less and less attention. I wish it was different, but sadly, I fear this is just human nature. I think a private trainer can be excellent compliment to what is done at Sockers.

Having observed what our private trainer has done with my son and many others over the last eight years, I can tell you that in my opinion it has been worthwhile. I accept your right to say it is not for you. I don't accept your right to say it was not a great move for others with your not knowing anything about them.

I can also tell you that I watched one of Todd Bailey's club development academy players train with this trainer just Sunday. In my opinion, a big part of that player's success results from the hundreds of hours he has spent and continues to spend with this trainer....such that he can be a key player on the DA first team.

 

As with any sport if given the right coach and the right player it can help.
You will find very few pro/high-level athletes today who did not have small group or individual training. Yes, going out and working on your own helps. But it also helps having someone who knows what they are doing to help with small technique, perhaps correcting bad habits.
The small group/individual training will not help a player who is not motivated to make it to the next level, but it will help the motivated player take it up a notch.
I would say the same with conditioning. In order for a player to excel they must be able to condition on their own. A conditioning coach, however, can help a player pick up their performance.

 

I find it interesting that something that is routine in one sport is so frowned upon in others. My son also does travel basketball and many if not most players do some sort of small group/individual lessons on top of team practices. I realize that youth basketball is something of a money grab playing on parents desire to have their kids make it to the NCAA but I have also seen the difference such lessons can make.

I think it really all depends on what the training is trying to accomplish. General overall getting better at footskills or whatever is probably not a good use of time/money. Working on a specific area where you might be lacking such at shot/passing accuracy, the ability to curve the ball, a defect in your shot motion, working on your off foot, etc is a much better approach.

A team coach is just that, a coach for a team. While player development is a large part of the job, they just do not have time in the limited amount of practice time to work on everything with everybody. Having another person working to allow the reps and give the needed individual attention can be just the thing needed.

It's not for everybody and there are many who would not get any benefit from it. But for those that can ... why not?

 

Yes - it's called un-organized soccer.

Like I said - read up on 3v3 and just get 6-10 players out there to play that style.

You can lightly coach them and you don't need to be an excellent coach - just need to understand some basic principles of one touch, moving to open spaces and talking (player to player).

 

I don't necessarily agree with this.

My main point of contention is at the u8-u11 ages where I think it's not necessary at all.

 

We can agree to disagree. Having been through process with a player and experienced the benefits, I would absolutely introduce small group skills training with a great trainer...even before U8.

 

Very well said. I think this is a mega-trend. We see it in youth soccer, basketball, lacrosse, baseball, etc. Expert performer/teachers can use their knowledge to accelerate the development of students.

I played a lot of soccer as a youth many years ago. I played a lot of un-organized soccer as a youth- much more than kids today. And there is a reason, my teammates, my opponents and I were so poorly skilled relative to kids today.....we didn't have access to coaches with knowledge. We had well-intention-ed fathers who usually had never played as coaches. If kids could just figure it out on their own by playing....we would have been much, much better. In my experience, knowledge usually wins.

 

Where are we disagreeing?

I stated 3v3 is fine - thats small group training. I'm even okay with small sided practice. It's only I prefer the 3v3 moreso because it's less organized - something I feel we lack in the US.

I am against private training at those ages - which is what the OP is on about.

I ask (in the case of a u10 and under), is the child asking for additional coaching because they want to get better? Or are the parents more interested in making sure their kid has a fair shake - which is honest - I can buy that. But then you have the parents who want their kids to be at the top.

I would venture that at u10 and under, it's the parents driving this and regardless of whether or not it's a new norm, it's wrong.

It's likely in these cases the parents will continue to push until the kid just gives up around u12.

IMO at the younger ages - they have to find that passion first. Additional time on the ball has to come from them - that's when you know THEY want to do it. THOSE are the players (IMO) which will thrive at the top.

 

Which is why I run 3v3 in the summer - bring in skilled rec players and travel players from 5 clubs now - all u9/u10 who can come out twice a week for 1 hour.

It's free and they have a good deal of fun.