Learning 'in public' is a fundamental part of sport and life.

I realized when planning for this practice that this tryout period was awkward/sensitive for the boys, particularly when they badly want to stay with the ‘better’ team and to keep their ego strong. I also know that upset boys (and adults) can think in very black and white, good and bad terms when making a complaint about team selection, so I wanted to tease these out by being specific and clear about how players were chosen, and how they could move up from Classic (second level select) to NCSL (premier), or back down.

My goal was thus to normalize, educate and make-clear the tryout decisions by talking openly and with balance about how each player’s strengths and needs go into players’ placement: That these abilities would make a big difference in their enjoyment and development in the game, especially at an extremely challenging premier level. I repeated several times with player examples– that EVERY player shares strengths and also needs: I also repeated that some players are temporarily developing more physically, while others are developing more in skill & tactics. In a nutshell, the message was that the players who made NCSL had either worked a lot harder and longer on their game, and/or were temporarily ahead because of natural differences in rates of growth.

This is a very important message for players to learn–one that, if honest about one’s ability, can help players learn and grow.

For clear down-to-earth examples of how all players develop differently, I talked about what the players already know about themselves and others from prior practices and games: How one player was chosen for NCSL is an amazing athlete, shooter and defender, but needs a lot of work on his ball control and dribbling. I also talked about how one of our keepers was a great shot stopper, as shown at the practice last night, who also needs critical work on his deliveries.

These are not new embarrassing revelations, as I have always openly coached the boys with these with many other positive and constructive comments during practices and games. To keep these needs all private would be impossible, and would not educate all players about the demands of the game to all teammates. These players are very comfortable about admitting their areas of needs, and about being proud of their strengths.

This is another important thing for players to learn.

It is quite possible, despite my attempts to normalize and clarify how players were chosen, that this unfortunately led to complaints of embarrassment from the players to their parents: However, I thought it was better to continue how I always have– openly and truthfully, with balanced positives and needs-based comments about players– among players. It is well-known that respectful openness about strengths and needs is what makes teams, families, and company’s function at their best. I think this is one major reason that players both enjoy and improve on our teams. They are lucky not to have the type of coach who focuses 95% on negatives to be improved, and screams at players during tight games. They are also lucky to not have a coach who simply makes these kinds of decisions without clear and extensive feedback.

My biggest hope and strong belief is that any accidental temporary hurt caused will heal to a stronger player in the long run.

1. When playing classic, there are 1) many more lower pressure chances to try challenging skills, 2) much more success for players at a stage where skills are not yet worked on enough to be fully automatic, and 3) more chances for players who’s athletic prowess and development will take longer–these will be major factors in determining who plays where.
2. We coaches will put lots of energy into improving each player–most players will agree that they get lots of positive and correcting individual feedback each practice. Most players on other teams never get the level of positive feedback and formal evaluations that we provide.
3. Playing at either level will be fun, challenging, and game-improving–i.e., my son made the Olympic Development team while two years younger than his age group– while playing rec, then classic soccer. We will have three players double carding–playing in two leagues–assuring that both teams be competitive.
4. Players in both leagues have good chances to change to a known team and coach between seasons. There WILL be turnover each season, with more chances given to those who clearly show a lot of work on their skills.
5. Getting to Classic games will be much easier, and parents are rarely out of hand at this level.

Thanks for being caring, flexible, optimistic and patient.

The trick, as in the much researched and pondered theories of ‘Flow and Zone,’ is to find the teams’ and individuals’ ideal graced balance of simple and complex/difficult, and coach there with enjoyment and fun among relationships and the game topping the ‘hard-tedious-work’ aspect.

The listed skills are not in any order of importance, except the first–attitude, which maybe far ahead of the rest, and technical skills (dribbling, passing, controlling, shooting, tackling) coming in close behind.

The rest are debatable by importance, and perhaps incomplete, and I’d enjoy a good discussion about this if anyone cares/dares to comment or add….. Who knows, your ideas may come up in a future blog!

The BIG 15 Skills for Excellent Play
Perform at least 60% success rate the following:
1. Winning attitude: Self-control: positive attitude, focus, discipline, confidence, no-fear, endurance/toughness toward pain and physical/mental/social intimidation, problem-solving/creative, supportive, forgiving, and appreciative toward self and others.
2. Finishing: from all angles and places, off all kinds of service/dribbles/first and second touch, using both feet and head, esp. off cross
3. Communication: positive talking-listening, looking up–especially near and far with anticipation of potential plays on O and D.
4. First touch: tight receiving/redirecting control from all parts of body: control (Aikido’s) away from pressure while shielding
5. Marking, Covering & intercepting: control to self, pass, or clear?
6. Goalkeeping: shot stopping angle, coming out timing, catching, punting diving, throws, punts, kicks, rolls
7. Tackling: timing & commitment shield & turn, flick, block, poke, slide
8. Showing/support: (TWAD) Timed, Quick, Disguised, Wide and Deep, long and short, angled, run to clear dribblers or other teammates space
9. Passing plays: overlap, wall pass, drop, to line and cross out, takeover, double pass, through, back and around, dummy,
10. Passing tactics: one and two touch, passing to feet or space, ‘TD’/ assist passes, finding open players/switching, width-depth-center; changing pace
11. Heading: up & out, and down, jumping
12. Dribbling: deceptively make space and penetrate under pressure by, shielding and turning, use of four main moves-fake kick and swerve, step over, Cruyf, pull backs, fake step,
13. Set plays and quick restarts:-corners, kick offs, goal kicks, PKs, Throw-ins,
quick free kicks
14. Fitness-Endurance, Agiliy, Power—fundamentally important: potential is unlimited
15. Positional play on offense and defence-know where to play and how to switch with others

the wide beginning position of the receiver (Henri)
the eye contact between passer and receiver,
the timed run into the channel,
the vision to see the run and pssing channel,
the disquise before the pass,
the perfectly timed, placed and weighted pass,
the first touch away from pressure to balanced shooting spot,
the well- placed-not-over-powered far post finish,
the lack of pressure/narrowing on the passer,
the lack of cover on the receiver?
the slow reaction and recovery to the pass?
the too-close-to-goal cut off angle of the goalie?

Hit reply all and let us know what you think is most important and/or what skill is NOT mentioned..

Socrates-a master of disguised passes

What the ‘Gods’ of Wisdom and Soccer Coaching Say is Important

Plato-“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation”….”Let us take care of our physical being to grow our spirit.”

John F. Kennedy-“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body; it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson-“Sport is the bloom and glow of perfect health.”

For A lighter look at ‘serious’ competition: Someone Funny said: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO4ZqrHBAd0&NR=1

Webster’s Dictionary-“Competition is the struggle for scarce resources.”

Karl Marx-“Sports are the opiate of the masses.”

Margarete Meade-“The purpose of Competition is to prevent the realization that cooperation can occur”

The following sections are edited collections of what nationally respected coaches who’ve been at the pinnacle of their game wrote:

John Wooden’s teams at UCLA won 10 national championships and wrote a few key coaching texts. His holistic “Pyramid of Success” is what each of his players learned before starting actual basketball practice. This would be great to download and stick on the wall in your players’ rooms. http://www.coachjohnwooden.com/pyramidpdf.pdf. Here is his take on SUCCESS that has little, but ultimately much to do with winning games:

Success in coaching or playing should not be based on the number of games won or lost , But rather on the basis of what each individual did in comparison with others when taking into consideration individual abilities, the facilities with which you had to work, the caliber of your opponents, the site of the contests, etc.

True success comes only to an individual by self-satisfaction in knowing that you gave everything to become the very best that you are capable of. As George Moriarty once said, “Giving all, it seems to me, is not far from victory.” Therefore, in the final analysis, only the individual himself can correctly determine his success. You may be able to fool others, but you can never fool yourself.

It is impossible to attain perfection, but that should be the goal. Less than 100% of your effort toward obtaining your objectives is not success, regardless of how many games were won or lost.

Others may have far more ability than you have, they may be larger, faster, quicker, able to jump better, etc., but no one should be your superior in team spirit, loyalty, enthusiasm, cooperation, determination, industriousness, fight, and character. Acquire and keep these traits and success should follow.

Cruyf Youth Training System is among the World's Best

For the young ones, we think that’s enough,” Riekerink said when we talked in his office one day. “They have a private life, a family life. We don’t want to take that from them. When they are not with us, they play on the streets. They play with their friends. Sometimes that’s more important. They have the ball at their feet without anyone telling them what to do.”

By age 15, the boys are practicing five times a week. In all age groups, training largely consists of small-sided games and drills in which players line up in various configurations, move quickly and kick the ball very hard to each other at close range. In many practice settings in the U.S., this kind of activity would be a warm-up, just to get loose, with the coach paying scant attention and maybe talking on a cellphone or chatting with parents. At the Ajax academy, these exercises — designed to maximize touches, or contact with the ball — are the main event. “You see this a lot of places,” a coach from a pro club in Norway, who was observing at Ajax, said to me. “Every program wants to maximize touches. But here it is no-nonsense, and everything is done very hard and fast. It’s the Dutch style. To the point and aggressive.”

Kaka's shot is the result of hours of perfection!

How much optimism, creativity and focus do you have to get better? How high is your juggling score? How feinted, accurate, and fast is your right and left foot shot, chip, long pass, both sending and receiving? How fast, far enough, feinted, and well-chosen are your moves? How swift, shouted, spaced and angled-into-channels are your supporting runs? How good are your headers?

Players who constantly challenge themselves to higher levels of these, just like in video and computer games, are the ones who have the most fun. Parents should provide unique personal home incentives for practice, ie. no tv or video games until practice is completed (minimum 10 minutes of juggling or wall practice shooting, receiving, making moves), or $10 for 10 juggles completed, $20 for 20. Players who do not improve in these skills will get a lot less playing time, but more important, will not enjoy the game as much! “

Each of our lives are touched by various levels of miraculous heroism–sacrifice, courage, hard work, cooperation, discipline etc.. Yes, soccer is only a game, but heroism in it leads to a lot of priceless happiness and miraculous creation.

The biggest heroes of football/soccer are not so much the goal scorers, but moresoe, the backs and goalies, who’s skillful heroism is too often uncelebrated for its greatness. We see heroism numerous times from backs, many of whom would love to and are capable of playing up, but sacrifice their wants for the better of all: They do this with little or no selfish complaint or demand to avoid the hardships of this task, often taking unearned critiscm for losses.

We owe them a big thanks, and also their families, for giving them this heart.

Zidane & Kaka-Play that is Beyond Stats?

1. Stats can be great, but they’re difficult to capture and share accurately and sensitively. For example, I thought the boys played at 100% of their potential during the game, and need to clearly know that–not that they performed at far below their best. Their potential in the future is huge if they continue to work hard on tactics, skills and fitness. Stats on their potential are harder to capture…….

Meaningful Stats measuring game performance of skills are difficult to measure specifically, objectively and individually: This is because opponents and the flow of the game varies each game and moment in the game. Difficult moves and passes, unlike long ball, often meet failure for the first year or two when bravely attempted in games, so stats showing success don’t tell the whole story. Tom took some of these kinds of stats last Sunday, but needs a helper for future games–please see him if you like stats!

Probably the worst kind of stats to measure skillful play (not long ball) is the score of the game or scoring chances created. Winning by the score is why many coaches prefer long ball to skillful development that includes possession play along with counter-attacking play. Particularly at younger less skillful ages, long ball wins by avoiding turnovers in the back or midfield.

Another questionable stat is when it is a guessed estimate. Since there are so many plays and potentials in each game, soccer coaches are famous for inaccurate game recollection–with exaggerated focus on either the failures or successes.

2. Individual comments: These can be great when given accurately and to all players. When players get left out, they and their families may feel neglected, wonder why or may resent that others are given special treatment.

Another concern is when recognized players aren’t given credit for specific goals, assignments or game focuses. For example, we talked at half time and had worked the previous week on quick countering balls and shooting off crosses that went away from the goalie. This happened numerous times in the game, but can anyone really remember who and how many times? If we acknowledge one or two without the rest, is that fair?

A famous coaching quote says, “It is amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” On the other hand, we often do highlights at the end of each half and practice, giving each player a chance to ‘shine’.

I hope the above ideas lend helpful discussion with your team!