My first year coaching thread

What age group do you have?

 

Re: 8/5/02

Houston, we have a problem. If your coach said the following: "Ran 2 miles in 15 minutes. Sadly, need to get that down to 2 miles in 12 minutes according to the coach"about children, then he is an imbecile and your kids are likely to end up as useless as the lost generation of footballers we in England have endured for the past twenty years though now, finally, our coaches have learned the lesson and we seem to be emerging from the shadows.

Football for kids is fun. In very general terms, the important thing is not tactics and fitness, but learning to work with the ball and make the ball do the work, learning the confidence to take a man on and beat him, being allowed to make mistakes and still feeling secure enough to make them again until that daring move comes off, playing football with a smile on your face. Results do NOT matter. They are not what kids football is about. The great kids coaches develop players who love football, not teams that win games. Winning is utterly meaningless until the mid-teens. Any great developmental soccer coach will tell you that.

Please believe me. I hope for the kids sakes that you do. They're the losers if your coaches present obsessions continue.

 

Sorry, the earlier one didn't come up for some reason

One idea that you might want to use is one I picked up from #1 Striker Camp (best camp I've ever attended): have a practice session where every drill ends in a goal.

A classic is having 2 goals about 40 yards apart with keepers. Split the kids up and play shortside. In the event that you have 16-18 kids show up someday, split them up into teams of three. Have two teams take the field, and have the other teams waiting behind the two goals. As soon as one team scores, have another team go on the attack with a new ball. Stresses tons of shooting, and also how to get back on defense; instead of having a turnover be the cause of the counter though, it is a goal.

 

When is your season starting? If you are only two weeks away, I hope you aren't working on fitness in place of ball skills

To second, gaining a love for soccer is primary. Take the kids to games (Pro or College), suggest they watch some top Euro teams, hell, play some FIFA. Another one of my favorite adages: practice doesn't make perfect, it makes permanent. Most of the times I did a 1 v. 1 move in a game, it wasn't a result of conscious thought - you just react. How you will react is determined in practice.

Have the kids be fearless as well. It's OK to make mistakes, especially in attack. Be creative, play with some flair. Unfortunately, this also means sometimes initially ignoring results, but the long term goal is the development of the kids as soccer players and fans.

 

For the drill, play with keepers (otherwise you get kids chipping from 30.)

You can play something like first to 5 goals or 15-20 minutes (I think that's what we usually did.)

 

Re: Re: 8/5/02

Syd all things considered fitness is a very important component of soccer. I agree skills are the most important, but these are no longer children they are young men playing varsity sports in high school were the commitment is much greater than they have previously experienced. They are not 9-12 years of age, they are 14-18 years old. At this point results do matter. Certainly the most important thing is to improve player performance, but we would be lying to say results don't matter at the varsity level.

pething, good luck remember these simple rules.

1. Alway treat your players like men. Make them responsible for their actions.

2. Always praise your players when they learn a new skill or become more proficent at one they have trouble with.

3. After watching them practice for a week and once you are satisfied with your evaluations of each players strengths and weaknesses. Develop a list of goals you like to see the players achieve on a personal level. Discuss it in private with each player. Develop a set of goals for the team to achieve. It's should not be based on wins and losses, but might be play to hard each game. Give your best effort for yourself and most importantly for the team. Avoiding mental mistakes. Thinking throughout the game and being aware of how ones actions affect the game. The development of team unity. Growth from 20 strangers in August to a team in October.

 

What else can you tell us about your team and the league you play in?

How many players do you have? Are they showing up for practice? Are you practicing daily?

How good are your fields?

Are the players gringos, hispanic, Afro-Americans, native Africans, Asian, etc? Are there other groups not represented from your school where you could draw some experienced players?

Why are they playing? Have they just taken up the game? Sounds like they are inexperienced.

Where do you fit in the league? Doormat, middle, or top?

 

Okay I've got some experience coaching so I'll give you my best advice.

1) Get Louis Van Gaal's book - it gives you a lot of quick information that you can use. I recommend it HIGHLY.

2) Fitness v ball skills - Use the ball to develop fitness. As much as your coach loves the Cooper test, it's useless. Sorry Alberto, at that age they shouldn't be that far out of shape.

Plus long distance running is not the same as playing the game. Interval training would be more appropriate - If you coach disagrees, have him read the Van Gaal book, if he can read.

3) Not sure on the basic skills of your team, but you need to work on 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and then 4v4 - once that is done, try to do 8v8.

The 1v1 should be done in a small space, maybe 5x5 yards at most. This will teach the players how to shield the ball as well as some basic 1v1 skills.

The idea is to dribble past your opponent, and stop the ball between two cones. If you can't stop the ball, you aren't in control. When you stop the ball, count 1,2,3 and that is a point.

2v2 - must pass the ball between cones or dribble through, stopping the ball and counting as well. 15x15 is the biggest.

3v3 three, bigger field maybe 20x20, cone goals and let them pass the ball through, no dribbling. Start the give and go, and third man running off the ball.

4v4 - Fun stuff, I like to add goal keepers to this or any thing bigger.

6v6 and 8v8 - Want to get the team in shape, play a 6v6 game on a U10 field. In order to score a goal all members of the attacking team must be in the attacking half of the field. Normally the width of a full size field will be fine.

8v8 - If you can move the goals - move one set to the top of the 18. Play and make sure they are running.

After a goal you can have the defending team run a line drill. 6 yard line, goal line, 18, goal line, midfield, goal line. Jogging to the various lines, and always sprinting to the goal.

Okay that should keep you busy, and get your boys in shape.

 

cool thread... never coached soccer myself

 

you guys going to do 2 a days?

 

I've coached Varsity HS boys for 4 years now-starting a 5th in a couple weeks. Couple of points:

1) I concur with panicfc-small sided games and 1v1's are the way to go rather than just straight conditioning, live drills, or 11v11's. Especially for inexperienced players, they need to get comfortable with the ball, learn to keep their head up and see the field under pressure. It's up to you to make sure they keep their intensity during such drills. That doesn't mean the Bob Knight routine, just constant talk, alert them of options they don't see or technique errors, and praise them when they get it right or try something knew. Push them to move away from the ball-you'll get ball watchers on both teams away from the ball. I watched Bob Bradley run a simple practice with IUPUI players at the Indiana Coaching Symposium, constant, business-like talk, calm correction of mistakes, with praise for effort and ingenuity. VERY PROFESSIONAL and no-nonsense.

2)Coerver video series is pretty good for foot-skills. There is a series of books by Kentwell on Dutch Soccer Drills that can be useful. Read everything you can get your hands on and judge what works for you. If you can go watch proven coaches give clinics, that helps too. Find what fits for you.

3) Don't get to caught up in results, especially if you coach JV. Help the kids improve and have fun. Encourage them to try and risk failure. The results will come. Besides, you are at the mercy of the talent level. I went from coaching a state-ranked team, 18-3-3 record, and a sectional Finals team to a 4-18-3 team the very next year. I had 1 returning starter and he got hurt. If you're doing it for results or ego, you're in for a fall at some point.

4)Video's of WC games or pro matches are useful, just to give inexperienced players a taste of what it is supposed to be like. Some kids don't even know that you can pass the ball back-all they've heard are parents screaming to boot it long.

 

Since trapping and passing are their big problems I would suggest you do some monkey in the middle. Start 4 versus 1. Make sure they understand 2-touch (trap/pass). They don't need to look where they pass, just simple square passes. Then move them to 3 versus 1, so they can learn to cover spaces. Again, they need to master the trap and quick pass. If they aren't getting 10 passes together then there is a problem. If they master that, go to 1 touch.

This drill teaches them the importance of a good trap and the need to deliver a ball in a decisive manner. Good luck.

 

Thought of another drill that works on trapping and passing and also gets them in good soccer shape.

Do 4 versus 4 in, about, a 10 yard box. No goal. They just pass to each other. They have to run a lot (believe me, it is very tiring.) The ball has to stay in the box. I usually make it more interesting by counting 10 consecutive passes as a goal. They should be doing 2 touch on this. That is hard at first, so maybe start with 3. Eventually they should be able to do 1 touch.

This drill helps in developing trapping, passing, physical shape, off the ball movement and field vision.

 

What's the heads coaches prior experience

pething, I know we talked about it previously, but do take the F license USSF coaches course. I would also advise you to take the E and D courses too since you are dealing with high school aged players and you and your players will benefit from a more sophisticated understanding of the game. Get the school to foot the bill for the registration particularly for the D course.

Also, if there are any local coaching clinics attend them. There's the pro woman's team in your state. I'm sure they offer coaching clinics.

If there are any good club teams at the U15-U19 level and find out if you can watch or monitor a practice. You can learn a lot about good coaching by watching one. to find a good local club team in that age group contact the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association. Better yet ask for permission to monitor an ODP team practice. There the level of coaching is much higher and is monitored both at a state and at a regional level. Hope this helps.