Blog
Heading Against The Wall
A two minute explanation of proper technique followed by 15 minutes of practice on his own was all that was necessary to introduce my son to the concept of heading. While reaching his Day 1 goal of 5 headers against the wall, I saw his confidence grow in a very short period of time.
Purist Or Pragmatist?
Which coach are you?
Tactical Inflexibility
“Does your team have the ability to shift their tactical approach based on the game they are playing? Or does your team try impose the style they adopt from the opening kick of the ball until the final whistle?
Sweeper Keeper
“Why does it seem that most coaches are so hesitant to develop the GK position? Why is that I rarely hear another coach talk to his GK during the flow of play?”
Recycle
The past few weeks has been a joy to watch more and more players react positively to the call, “RECYCLE.” The ball is moving backwards to a supporting player in order to retain possession and provide time for the player on the ball to make better decisions.
That Chance Encounter
…Cruyff has been my favorite soccer personality. Of course as a player, but even more so, as a manager. As a player, he was an artist. As a coach/manager, he was an innovator. I’m intrigued by his thought-provoking outspokenness.
What’s The Rush?
Recently, I found myself in a conversation with a group of youth academy (U9/U10 age group) directors from a neighboring club…a big club.
Attitude Is Everything
How do we change the mentality/attitude of young players? Is the development of a strong mental attitude in the control of youth coaches?
Simple.
Too often, we as coaches, look to make things (training sessions) too complex for our players when simplicity would be a more valuable solution. We want to progress from one activity to the next…continually adding another layer – increasing the difficulty and demand on the players.
The Hate To Lose
Here is my dilemma…if our youth system is set up to chase wins, medals, trophies and accolades – why doesn’t it show at this crucial time in a young player’s developmental process? Is it these particular players? Is it something we are neglecting them in the youth soccer developmental process?
Winning vs Development
Win. It’s become a taboo word, not just in soccer but in all youth sports. Most recently the debate has become an issue of coaches choosing winning or development, as if they are mutually exclusive.
Cruyff: Teach The Basic Skills
By Johan Derksen. A lot has changed in international football since I quit coaching in 1996. The clock hasn’t stopped ticking. Bit it’s still disappointing to see how football, the world’s No. 1 sport, is not No. 1 when it comes to development.