Dear Jay,
As I've said here before, my U13 team is pretty good. We've played six matches and have had trouble building the attack. The problems stem from comfort with the ball under pressure and proper runs off the ball. We are working on that.
This week, we worked a lot on supporting runs, joining the attack, off-the-ball running and passing accuracy, At one point the other night, we were struggling with both the concepts and the execution. Half-joking, my assistant says to me, maybe we should just play direct.
Interesting.
In one of our six tournament matches, we played a very good team from Virginia. We lost 3-2. Neither of our goals came from any kind of build-up. On one, we won the ball and the girl hit a great shot. The other was off a corner that we created by banging the ball into their end and pressuring. The entire game, we played direct. Not by choice, but because the of the reasons I stated earlier -- comfort under pressure and naive movement. So why not just play direct? Why don't we just whack it down the field, pressure it and try to win games on effort, heart and hustle, qualities we rarely lack.
I think we all know the answer -- it's wrong. It does the players no good, it creates a false sense of how good you actually are, and it hinders (perhaps halts) development.
So we will continue working on the things that make us better, smarter soccer players and the goals will come. But let's be honest, there is a time and place for direct soccer. It should be one of your team's offensive weapons. But never the sole means of attack.
When I think of more, I'll write
Thanks
You know who
Friday, September 7, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Why I Coach, Part III
Dear Alex,
I was reminded the other day of one of the reasons why I love coaching. My players make me laugh.
A few years ago, one of my players was running high school cross country. At practice one day, she came to an intersection, and there was a car on her left at a stop sign. The car stopped, my player started running across the street. The driver, however, looked to his left and turned right, slowly. He ran into my player.
That's not the funny part.
The girl was fine. The car barely hit her. But when she told the rest of the team, they couldn't stop laughing -- after seeing that she was okay, of course.
Okay, so about three weeks later in a game, a big girl on the other team steamrolled another one of my players. This girl is pretty flexible and rarely -- if ever -- goes down with an injury. So when she stayed down, I assumed she was in a fair amount of pain. When the ref waived me on the field, I jogged over to the player, still concerned about her.
When I got there, she was laughing. When I asked her what was so funny, she said, "Remember when Kristine got hit by that car? This was just like that."
We laughed all the way to the sideline.
When I think of more, I'll write
Thanks,
You know who
I was reminded the other day of one of the reasons why I love coaching. My players make me laugh.
A few years ago, one of my players was running high school cross country. At practice one day, she came to an intersection, and there was a car on her left at a stop sign. The car stopped, my player started running across the street. The driver, however, looked to his left and turned right, slowly. He ran into my player.
That's not the funny part.
The girl was fine. The car barely hit her. But when she told the rest of the team, they couldn't stop laughing -- after seeing that she was okay, of course.
Okay, so about three weeks later in a game, a big girl on the other team steamrolled another one of my players. This girl is pretty flexible and rarely -- if ever -- goes down with an injury. So when she stayed down, I assumed she was in a fair amount of pain. When the ref waived me on the field, I jogged over to the player, still concerned about her.
When I got there, she was laughing. When I asked her what was so funny, she said, "Remember when Kristine got hit by that car? This was just like that."
We laughed all the way to the sideline.
When I think of more, I'll write
Thanks,
You know who
Friday, August 31, 2007
Slanting the Line
Dear Farrell,
The Slanty Line concept is a great one for youth soccer coaches. The idea comes from the old game kids used to play in PE. You have a rope stretched out with two kids holding it at each end. One by one, the kids jump over it. Then you raise the rope higher and everyone jumps over it again. Whoever misses it is out. They go sit and wait for the activity to end.
That's where the problem arises. The kids who end up sitting out are the kids who need the activity the most. But should we dumb down the activity so everyone can participate? Well, no. That punishes the better athletes, the kids who want to accel and have the ability to do so. So what do you do?
You slant the line. Make it higher at one end and lower at the other. Let the kids choose where they want to jump over it.
That translate into soccer training, but not always so obviously or easily. I have a 1v1 activity that slants the line without the kids even knowing. You set up a grid of about 20x20. Two teams are at opposite corners facing each other (think of a diamond, one line at the top, one at the bottom of the diamond). One team has balls. The first player in the line with balls (usually no more than 4 in a line), plays the ball to the first player in the other line. Then they go 1v1. The dribbler gets one point if he makes it safely to one of the corner cones. If he/she makes it to the cone where the defender started (the other corner), it's three points. They switch lines after each dual so the defenders become attackers.
I like this activity because it's combative, it forces players to make moves, there is no outlet pass to use as a safety net, and it's competitive because one team wins.
The interesting part is that the line is slanted. If a player chooses to go for one point, they can do it and still have to work hard, think and be creative. If they choose to go for three points, it's even harder.
If you pay attention to it, you can start asking the kids why they never go for three. That could bring them out of their comfort zone and get them to try new moves and use more courage. You see kids bust out toward one of the side cones (1-pointers) and they quickly change direction and accelerate to the three-pointer.
I like it. One of my teams has an issue with 1v1 attacking and 1v1 defending. They elect to pass the responsibility to someone else instead of taking a defender on and cracking a shot or then making a pass. They are a very good passing team -- I'd call them advanced -- and this is a missing element.
As with any team, we have a pretty wide range of skill. But this activity seems to slant the line enough to keep everyone challenged while also being demanding.
When I think of more, I'll write
Thanks
You know who.
The Slanty Line concept is a great one for youth soccer coaches. The idea comes from the old game kids used to play in PE. You have a rope stretched out with two kids holding it at each end. One by one, the kids jump over it. Then you raise the rope higher and everyone jumps over it again. Whoever misses it is out. They go sit and wait for the activity to end.
That's where the problem arises. The kids who end up sitting out are the kids who need the activity the most. But should we dumb down the activity so everyone can participate? Well, no. That punishes the better athletes, the kids who want to accel and have the ability to do so. So what do you do?
You slant the line. Make it higher at one end and lower at the other. Let the kids choose where they want to jump over it.
That translate into soccer training, but not always so obviously or easily. I have a 1v1 activity that slants the line without the kids even knowing. You set up a grid of about 20x20. Two teams are at opposite corners facing each other (think of a diamond, one line at the top, one at the bottom of the diamond). One team has balls. The first player in the line with balls (usually no more than 4 in a line), plays the ball to the first player in the other line. Then they go 1v1. The dribbler gets one point if he makes it safely to one of the corner cones. If he/she makes it to the cone where the defender started (the other corner), it's three points. They switch lines after each dual so the defenders become attackers.
I like this activity because it's combative, it forces players to make moves, there is no outlet pass to use as a safety net, and it's competitive because one team wins.
The interesting part is that the line is slanted. If a player chooses to go for one point, they can do it and still have to work hard, think and be creative. If they choose to go for three points, it's even harder.
If you pay attention to it, you can start asking the kids why they never go for three. That could bring them out of their comfort zone and get them to try new moves and use more courage. You see kids bust out toward one of the side cones (1-pointers) and they quickly change direction and accelerate to the three-pointer.
I like it. One of my teams has an issue with 1v1 attacking and 1v1 defending. They elect to pass the responsibility to someone else instead of taking a defender on and cracking a shot or then making a pass. They are a very good passing team -- I'd call them advanced -- and this is a missing element.
As with any team, we have a pretty wide range of skill. But this activity seems to slant the line enough to keep everyone challenged while also being demanding.
When I think of more, I'll write
Thanks
You know who.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Soccer Parenting 101
Dear Donna,
I told this to a parent on my U13 team once, and I don't think she appreciated it. "As the kids grow up," I said, "so will the parents."
That was reinforced in my mind this past weekend. I took my U18s to a tournament and the parental involvement was exactly what a coach would want it to be. The job of the parent, as I see it, is as follows:
1. Get the girls to the field on time
2. Disappear until the game starts
3. Sit, watch and cheer.
And that's exactly what they did. Of course, being the veterans that they are, they threw in a couple of nice extras. They set up the tent for the girls, but didn't linger and distract them. As soon as warmups started, they were gone. They brought coolers full of extra water, ice and cold towels -- which was nice because by halftime, my bottle of water was nearing the boiling point. They brought oranges, grapes and bananas. And they didn't carry the girls' bags for them -- a huge pet peeve of mine.
They were just there.
After the games, they are always ready to do what needs to be done. Get the girls to a cool place, feed them and get them back on time.
Plus, they have always been great to me. They understand the commitment I make to their daughters and go out of their ways to support what I do. I always get "Thank-yous" from them and they send truly heart-felt emails. I told them four years ago that I would take care of and protect their daughters. I proved it, so now they trust me and know they don't have to overstep their boundaries to do it.
Anyway, that's a great bunch of parents. Next week, I'll compare it to the group of parents who haven't grown up yet.
When I think of more, I'll write
Thanks
You Know Who
I told this to a parent on my U13 team once, and I don't think she appreciated it. "As the kids grow up," I said, "so will the parents."
That was reinforced in my mind this past weekend. I took my U18s to a tournament and the parental involvement was exactly what a coach would want it to be. The job of the parent, as I see it, is as follows:
1. Get the girls to the field on time
2. Disappear until the game starts
3. Sit, watch and cheer.
And that's exactly what they did. Of course, being the veterans that they are, they threw in a couple of nice extras. They set up the tent for the girls, but didn't linger and distract them. As soon as warmups started, they were gone. They brought coolers full of extra water, ice and cold towels -- which was nice because by halftime, my bottle of water was nearing the boiling point. They brought oranges, grapes and bananas. And they didn't carry the girls' bags for them -- a huge pet peeve of mine.
They were just there.
After the games, they are always ready to do what needs to be done. Get the girls to a cool place, feed them and get them back on time.
Plus, they have always been great to me. They understand the commitment I make to their daughters and go out of their ways to support what I do. I always get "Thank-yous" from them and they send truly heart-felt emails. I told them four years ago that I would take care of and protect their daughters. I proved it, so now they trust me and know they don't have to overstep their boundaries to do it.
Anyway, that's a great bunch of parents. Next week, I'll compare it to the group of parents who haven't grown up yet.
When I think of more, I'll write
Thanks
You Know Who
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Why I Coach, Part II
Dear Caroline,
They certainly are a fun bunch. When I talk to parents of my U18 girls, they seem to think I am some kind of saint -- or at least have the patience of one. Who in their right mind, they ask, could tolerate eighteen 17-year-old girls? I've never claimed to be in my right mind, and since I enjoy the girls so much, I guess it's obvious that I'm at least a little odd. Besides, it's a lot better when they are 17 than when they were 14.
It's amazing to me how competitive they can be, while at the same time laugh at each other, joke with each other and still get results. We played our first tournament this past weekend and won our division, pretty easily actually.
We are not the most skilled team, but after four years with this group, I have found a system that allows them to be successful. That, to me, is an accomplishment. Not because we win more games than we lose, but because at 17 years old, these girls are still playing soccer. The alternatives to playing are not good for teenagers these days. They have too many options, too many ways to get in trouble.
The system plays to their strengths, protects their weaknesses and produces convincing wins. I have a new assistant coach this year who was skeptical of a system that utilizes one forward. After outscoring our three opponents by six goals, shutting out two teams and leaving with a pair of wins and a draw, she told me that my 4-5-1 formation may actually allow them to play better than they are capable. That's an interesting point.
Anyway, the best part is that the girls had a blast. This is their last year playing with each other and the core of the team has been together for seven years. That's a lot of history. All they want is to be successful and have a lot of a blast doing it. So that's my job.
It's a fun job, too. They make me laugh. I feel bad for them when they get down, but I am able to bring them back up -- partially because I know their personalities and the intracacies of their lives. That's a piece of coaching that I believe is very important and often overlooked.
For example, I know who wants to play college ball, so I demand more of them. I know who needs to bust out of their comfort zone, so I force them to do that. I know who is there for mostly social reasons so I permit as much of that as possible.
And, by the way, the parents are great. More on that later.
When I think of more, I'll write
Thanks
You know who.
They certainly are a fun bunch. When I talk to parents of my U18 girls, they seem to think I am some kind of saint -- or at least have the patience of one. Who in their right mind, they ask, could tolerate eighteen 17-year-old girls? I've never claimed to be in my right mind, and since I enjoy the girls so much, I guess it's obvious that I'm at least a little odd. Besides, it's a lot better when they are 17 than when they were 14.
It's amazing to me how competitive they can be, while at the same time laugh at each other, joke with each other and still get results. We played our first tournament this past weekend and won our division, pretty easily actually.
We are not the most skilled team, but after four years with this group, I have found a system that allows them to be successful. That, to me, is an accomplishment. Not because we win more games than we lose, but because at 17 years old, these girls are still playing soccer. The alternatives to playing are not good for teenagers these days. They have too many options, too many ways to get in trouble.
The system plays to their strengths, protects their weaknesses and produces convincing wins. I have a new assistant coach this year who was skeptical of a system that utilizes one forward. After outscoring our three opponents by six goals, shutting out two teams and leaving with a pair of wins and a draw, she told me that my 4-5-1 formation may actually allow them to play better than they are capable. That's an interesting point.
Anyway, the best part is that the girls had a blast. This is their last year playing with each other and the core of the team has been together for seven years. That's a lot of history. All they want is to be successful and have a lot of a blast doing it. So that's my job.
It's a fun job, too. They make me laugh. I feel bad for them when they get down, but I am able to bring them back up -- partially because I know their personalities and the intracacies of their lives. That's a piece of coaching that I believe is very important and often overlooked.
For example, I know who wants to play college ball, so I demand more of them. I know who needs to bust out of their comfort zone, so I force them to do that. I know who is there for mostly social reasons so I permit as much of that as possible.
And, by the way, the parents are great. More on that later.
When I think of more, I'll write
Thanks
You know who.
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