Ending on a high note!

         As we are coming to the end of your season...remember to take a moment to reflect on how much fun you have had coaching. Breath in and think about where your kids were waaaay back in August compared to the juggling, upper 90 shooting, lightning quick, dribbling superstars they are right now.  Okay maybe they aren't all getting call ups to the national team, but I am sure they are hitting their stride....because you've done a good job so far. Each player is more confident and has even more love and passion for the game because of one major factor in their life, You. 

So...the end is in sight. The holidays are just around the corner.  You already have visions of yummy turkey legs and maybe even sugarplums bouncing around your head. How do you feel?   Raise your hand if you thought "Relieved!"  It's okay. It's been a long 4 months or so. You can be a little tired. We aren't over yet, but its coming.  So strap in, stay focused, and have fun while you finish up Fall 2012.

For those of us coaching the u4's up to the u12's....keep in mind that it's not all about where you are in the standings come that final whistle of your last match.  At these levels, its about cultivating a relationship with the game and a loving bond with the ball. If your kids go home each day smiling and come back every week ready to go, then you are doing a great job. So be proud of yourself.  Take pride in the fact that you, coach, are helping to grow this game in a positive way.

So with just a few weeks to go....have lots of goofy fun! Play games and focus on building team spirit. Many of the kids will head off to basketball, hockey, or flag football for the Winter break. And that's ok. Sure, soccer can be played year 'round. Futsal or indoor soccer calls many players to continue to feed their obsession. But these other sports teach our boys and girls valuable skills that they will surely use when they strap their boots back on and get back on the pitch this Spring.

 If mom or dad asks what you think they should do, tell them to take a little break. Play another sport. Reenergize. Come back to soccer fresh and ready to play.  Yes, I know...Blasphemy, right!?!?  Ok, if you just cannot stay away...or if maybe you have an Academy or Select team, then plan to have a couple of sessions just to kick around over the break.  Give them a little bit of homework here or there. Maybe offer a pizza party if every player reaches a juggling goal. Whatever you decide to do, your goal should be to avoid burnout and keep those kids loving the game.  What is that saying, "If you love something, let it go..."?

To recap -

• Thanks for what you do!
• Play lots of silly games to end the season.  My favorites are:
•  Head/Catch - line the players up or stand in a circle (with you in the middle) and yell out Head or Catch while you toss the ball at the players. They must do the opposite of whatever you say. Head = catch with their hands / Catch = head the ball back to coach
• Duck, Duck, Goose - simple enough, right!?! same as you remember, but the player walking around the circle is dribbling a ball. Once they choose a goose that chases them, they have to dribble as fast as they can around the circle (while retaining possession of the ball) to sit in the Goose's spot.
• The Farmer & The Foxes -  Foxes tuck flags (pinnies) in the back of their shorts as tails.  Farmer tries to grab the tails.  Foxes try to avoid losing tail by running around in penalty area and turning, etc.  Once a fox loses his tail, he becomes a farmer.  
• ·        Make more complicated by having foxes also dribble a ball.  This gives them two lives.  Farmers must grab tails and kick balls out of square.
• Let the kids take a break from soccer for the Winter.

Thanks again for being who you are and doing what you do. Coaching, there is nothing more rewarding!

Activity of the Week - Slow Soccer

Slow Soccer credit to Steve Watson @ wwwfooty4kids.co/uk

I've played  Slow Soccer with children aged from eight to 15 but some players couldn't do it, no matter how hard they tried, and some found it easy.

The one thing it did was make every player really think about what they were doing!

Objective: To play soccer thoughtfully, to plan ahead.

Age range: U8s and upwards.

Set-up: Play a 4v4 or 5v5 "match" on a small pitch. For U8s, 30x20 yards is a good size.

How to play: Tackling, shooting, scoring and passing as in normal soccer.

There is only one condition - running is not allowed.

When the ball goes out of play, the game can be restarted in a number of ways:

• A normal throw-in.
  
• A kick-in.
  
• With a goal kick.

Note: Speed walking is allowed in Slow Soccer but if anyone breaks into a run, even for a second, a free kick is awarded to the other team.

Progression: After five or 10 minutes, lift the "no running" restriction and allow your players to play normally.

Why this works: Not being able to run to get back in defence or chase after a misplaced pass, makes young players see the importance of accuracy and anticipating what might happen next. And, believe it or not, it's great fun!


Please give me some feedback on how this worked for your team!

Discipline Problems? Read on...

Credit to Steve Watson @ www.footy4kids.co/uk

How to deal with discipline 'problems'

During the years, I have received hundreds of emails from coaches asking me to help them restore order to undisciplined teams and there is no doubt that "misbehaving" is the biggest single concern for many youth soccer coaches.

The coaches who write to me complain about a range of problems: Players not showing them any respect, mud slinging, chatting during team talks and even players who would rather fight each other than play soccer.

While there are several control techniques that will help coaches with "difficult" players, they do not address the real cause of the coaches' frustration, which include:

1. False expectations

Many new youth soccer coaches walk onto the field expecting their players will turn up ready and eager to be taught how to play soccer.

These coaches spend a lot of time and effort planning their coaching sessions and they expect their players to reciprocate by hanging onto their every word and to do exactly what they are told. That is their perception of what coaching should be like.

It doesn't take long, however, for these eager new coaches to become disappointed and frustrated by their players' lack of attention and apparent refusal to engage with their carefully crafted plans.

But they have forgotten soccer is a child's game. It is "play time" for the players and they really don't want to be told what to do.

If the coach and the players are unable or unwilling to adjust their expectations there can only be one result: Frustration and anxiety for all concerned.

2. I want to be liked!

New and inexperienced youth soccer coaches who are worried they are not controlling their players also want to be liked but these two interests are seen as incompatible. 

"If I am friendly, I can't control them," and "I can control them but they won't like me." Thus many coaches think they have to choose between being friendly and not in control or tough disciplinarians who are disliked.

Unfortunately, both of these approaches have undesirable consequences.

Friendly coaches may feel that their players are taking advantage of them while tough coaches usually cause young players to feel resentful and make them want to fight back.

3. It's all my fault...

As my email inbox proves, some inexperienced coaches who have difficulty managing their players place the blame squarely on the players: "They just won't listen to me!"

Others, after several unsuccessful attempts to restore discipline, become increasingly frustrated, start to think that it's all their fault and that they will never become a good coach.

That's why many youth coaches decide that coaching children is too stressful and they pack it in.

So what's the answer?

As we have seen, discipline problems are often the result of the coach and the players having different expectations and needs.

It would be unreasonable to expect your players to adjust their expectations in line with yours so the answer is obvious: Realise that young players play soccer because they want to play, not listen to lectures or be regularly stopped from behaving in a child-like way.

Your job is to help them enjoy their play by teaching them skills, not trying to force them to conform to what you think soccer coaching should be look like. 

So relax and fun with your players!

Joe Cannon 5 P of Performance

Joe Cannon 5 P of Performance

From NSCAA.COM

After spending lots of time reflecting on my last coaching session, I have come to my own critical formula for the sessions I want to run. There are certain elements that I need in place to make sure the goalkeepers I train are getting the most out of the sessions and growing as goalkeepers. It is important after every session to evaluate not only the performance of the kids you teach, but also your own performance.
Here are my 5 P's to great performance:

Passion: All the best coaches I have ever played for and even against have a sincere passion for the game or in my case, the position I play. It is important to bring a level of enthusiasm that is contagious. Whether you have to spend time in your car talking to yourself beforehand or remind yourself the impact you will have, one needs to find a way to convey this passion for what you are doing to your players. Be very conscience of the tone which is set during training.

Persistence: Do not be afraid to take more time than you want to drive home your most important points. Many times, players who are exposed at something for the first or second time have a hard time grasping what you are trying to convey. Break down the drill and use a step-by-step process. When I coach the collapse dive, it takes awhile to get the right technique down before I even have goalkeepers try to do it with a live ball. Persistence means working time and time again on the basics.

Practice: Make sure that you give your players something they can go home with. Whether it's a drill or video or a little story about a famous pro, try to give them a push to be self-motivated and give them the tools to succeed on their own. Too many coaches will try to suggest that goalkeepers need to see them all the time to improve. As coaches, you will have more success in the long run with goalkeepers and players who can evaluate their own play even when you are not there.  

Psychology: I talk about this on my own blog probably more than anything else. As coaches, remember that a good player who thinks he/she is great will most likely will beat a great player who doesn't think he/she is any good. Confidence is a huge issue with children and younger players. Self-esteem through sport is one of the best contributions we can make as coaches. Do not be afraid to take time out of your session if you feel that maybe someone needs a few words or reassurance or just a reminder of how
important they are to the team and it's goals.

Planning: After failing to organize a few recent sessions properly, I realize how important this is to my coaching. How many players are going to be there? What level are they? How old? These are all questions which need to go into your thinking before the session. I recently was bombarded with 15 goalkeepers of all ages and skill levels. After spending 30 minutes of trying to teach them footwork, I realized I needed to change my strategy.  I ended up playing team handball the last 20 minutes of the session due to my mis-assessment of the situation.
It is important to have the confidence in yourself as a trainer or coach. Realize the important impact you have on our youth. If you invest yourself into the lives of these children in a positive and sincere way, you will not only benefit their lives, but your reputation and business as a coach will thrive to greater heights.
Feedback is also key. After every few sessions, try to find out what is working and what might not be.


The NSCAA Coaching Academy launched its Goalkeeping Academy in 1998 to focus attention on the education of coaches working in the specialized area of goalkeeper training and to improve the ability of all coaches to integrate goalkeeper training into total team training. Courses are offered both residentially and non-residentially. [+] Find out more

David Beckham Surprises Team GB fans in Photo Booth http://t.co/0mcHRBnv  Little kid cries he's so star struck. -- Jared Montz (@JaredMontz)

There’s a simple solution for forwards enduring a goal drought, say boffins – think BIG http://t.co/3RSqSk1l  -- FFT Performance (@FFTPerformance)

In case you missed Michael Bradley's goal from earlier tonight -> http://t.co/nBD2efKT  -- Over There (@socceroverthere)

#MLSAllStar game video highlights ... http://t.co/hv0oUOuN  via @socceramerica -- SoccerAmerica (@socceramerica)

Unlock any defence with this passing drill from West Ham United's academy director, Tony Carr http://t.co/i1bWRwIW  #WHUFC -- FFT Performance (@FFTPerformance)

FC Barcelona - Competition for training groups of tarda.mp4: http://t.co/mwsVN5Cm  via @youtube -- Del Shaffer (@delshaffer)

SKILLS Karim Rekik's flick + a City physio goes round the world

Control, shoot, score. Fine tune your first touch and finish with a flourish, by practising this drill from @CoerverUK http://t.co/UdA6Z0N6  -- FFT Performance (@FFTPerformance)

This speed endurance drill from @Think_Fitness will ensure you're too quick for your opponents next season http://t.co/cbD0ibuJ  -- FFT Performance (@FFTPerformance)

Video :: #USMNT Terrance Boyd’s Bicycle Kick Goal vs Michael Bradley’s Roma – Preseason Friendly

Video :: #USMNT Terrance Boyd’s Bicycle Kick Goal vs Michael Bradley’s Roma – Preseason Friendly

Awesome video ----> URBAN GAME

Neymar - Give Me Everything - Skills & Goals - HD

Video :: That moment when Steve Zakuani and Brian Mullan Exchanged Jerseys #Awesome

Sportmanship and Forgiveness. This is amazing to see after being out of the game for 15 months due to Mullan's tackle.

Video :: That moment when Steve Zakuani and Brian Mullan Exchanged Jerseys #Awesome

WARNING: This is a disturbing video...it will stick with you. This is the injury to Zakuani.

1000 Touches

The following activity will improve your skills and help you get ready for

the season.  It is imperative that we not lose sight of the most important skill of soccer.

And that is TOUCH. Touch determines what happens when the ball finally

gets to YOUR FOOT. The other important thing about TOUCH is that players can develop this skill and ability on their own away from team practice! And that is what you

should be doing. That way, we can incorporate these growing skills INTO team sessions and make team sessions far more interesting (i.e. FUN) rather than spending 30-45 minutes of valuable team time learning the very basics. You need to MASTER at least 3 different moves. And I mean MASTER. That means on both the left AND right foot, or in both directions. That means at game speed. And that means as a reflex – without having to think to yourself “ok, I want to do such & such move now, so the 1st step is”…etc. That also means including the exploding acceleration into the space you just created

for yourself every time you use (or even practice) the move. Of course, the more moves beyond 3 that you master, the more dangerous you will be to opponents because they will not know how to defend you. There are over 20 skills, feints, turns, and moves in our basic warm-up for you to learn. Just imagine how deadly a player you can be.

1000 Touches

This is the world's best daily soccer routine

or pre-game warm-up.

50 BALL TAPS

BELL TOUCHES

(50 touches) On this video, a lot of the moves are shown, but the Bell Touches movement is the first one.

  

To continue with the FULL 1000 TOUCH WORKOUT, add the following cycles:

BALL & A WALL

Spend another ten minutes passing against a wall. Use both feet. Use one touch, two-touch, and three-touch pass backs. Pass back with both the instep and inside of feet. Include fake kicks. Keep feet moving and your weight on the balls of your feet. Receive balls with your body square behind the ball and work on accuracy with your passes.

JUGGLING/TOUCH LADDER

Spend ten minutes juggling the ball trying to get 100 consecutive juggles or, if you are not yet proficient enough a juggler, work the Touch Ladder.

PATTERN DRIBBLE

Pattern Dribble for 10-15 minutes.

(IR=inside right; OR=outside right; IL=inside left; OL=outside left)

Begin with easy 1 foot patterns:

IR-OR-IR-OR-IR-OR-IR-OR-IR-OR and IL-OL-IL-OL-IL-OL-IL-OL-IL-OL

Progress to more complex patterns. For example:

IR-OL-IL-OR - IR-OL-IL-OR - IR-OL-IL-OR - IR-OL-IL-OR

IR-OL-IL-IR-IL-OR - IR-OL-IL-IR-IL-OR - IR-OL-IL-IR-IL-OR

IR-OL-IL-stepover-OL-IL-OR-IR-stepover-OR - IR-OL-IL-stepover-OL-ILOR-

IR-stepover-OR

Make up your own patterns. Be Creative. Have fun with it.

RUNNING, SPRINTING & SLOWING WITH THE BALL

Accelerate & Decelerate under full control of the ball. This is different from dribbling. Dribbling is about change of direction. This is about pace and change of pace. The ability to change you pace - explode or come to a dead stop with the ball under full control - is as important as any take-on move you can ever learn. The direction is roughly straight ahead. Start from a moderate pace and then explode for 10-20 yards then bring the ball back down to moderate pace all the while not breaking stride. 10-15 minutes.

Work hard.

Commit yourself to your own soccer future.

And have fun!

(knowing all of these IS fun!)

 

TOUCH LADDER

5 Steps To Mastering Touch On The Ball

This is a progressive 5 step system of developing your juggling skills. It is important to understand that juggling is not a soccer skill, as it were. You don’t see professional players juggling the ball up and down the field during matches. However, what you DO see is spectacular 1st touch by most professional players. And that is something that juggling will help give you. Absolute mastery of the ball is the 1st step in soccer success. And juggling off any desired surface at will and from surface to surface at will IS mastery of the ball. So juggling is something beneficial and to master the skill WILL greatly enhance your game. Here is a straightforward 5 step system to get there.

LEVEL 1 -

(All players start here). The player drops the ball and touches it once with the foot he prefers. The ball then bounces onto the floor, only once, then the player touches with his foot again, then the ball bounces, the player touches with his foot, the ball bounces and so on. If the ball bounces more than once on the floor then the counting starts again. For Level 1, either foot may be used anywhere within the touch cycle. So that the pattern goes

like this:

foot - bounce - foot - bounce - foot - bounce - foot - bounce - etc.

50 consecutive touches completes this level.

Hints:

• Visualize the “bottom flat” of the ball.
• Keep the foot straight with the toes pointing down so that the foot presents a flat surface and the ball strikes cleanly.
• Strike flat level surface of your foot precisely to the “bottom flat” of the ball

 LEVEL 2 -

(For those who have completed Level 1). This exercise is very similar to the previous one but this time the player touches the ball 3 times with his stronger foot and lets the ball bounce on the ground and then touches once with his weaker foot and lets the ball bounce (this completes one round). So that the pattern goes like this (assuming your right foot is your strong foot):

right foot - right foot - right foot - bounce - left foot - bounce

(one round)

right foot - right foot - right foot - bounce - left foot - bounce (two rounds) 

right foot - right foot - right foot - bounce - left foot - bounce (three round3) 

right foot - right foot - right foot - bounce - left foot - bounce (four rounds)

And so on....

(Remember that the sequence is always 3 touches with the stronger foot, bounce, 1 touch with the weaker foot, bounce (1 round), 3 touches with the stronger foot, bounce, 1 touch with the weaker foot, bounce (2 rounds) etc.)

25 rounds completes this level.

LEVEL 3

(For those who have mastered Level 2). The player starts with the ball in his hands. He throws it into the air and with his INSTEP (the INSTEP is the SHOELACE portion of your foot; not to be confused with the

The sequence then is: (one round)

LEVEL 5 - EXCELLENCE

hands - instep - hands - other instep - hands - thigh - hands - other thigh - hands - head – hands

25 rounds completes this level.

LEVEL 4 -

(for those who have completed Level 3). In principle, the exercise is the

same as the one in Level 3 except this time there are 3 touches with the

stronger foot, one with the weaker, 3 with each thigh and 2 with the head.

The sequence then is:

hands - r. instep - r. instep - r. instep - hands - l. instep - hands - r. thigh - r. thigh - r. thigh - hands - l. thigh - l. thigh - l. thigh - hands - head - head - hands

25 consecutive rounds completes this level.(one round)

 -inside of your foot) returns it to his hands. He repeats this with his weaker foot, then with both thighs and lastly with his head and always returning it to his hands after each touch.

The same sequence that was started in Level 3 but this time we increase the number of touches for each round.

Eg. -  thigh, hands, head, hands, 2 touches with instep, hands, 2 touches with other instep, hands, 2 touches with thigh, hands, 2 touches with other thigh, hands, 2 touches with head (2 rounds);

3 touches with each surface for round 3 and so on up to 20 rounds.

If the sequence is broken or the ball falls to the ground you start again from the beginning.

Congratulations!

Your have now mastered quality touch on the ball! With this kind of touch quality, you are probably already better than 99% of players your age. And with this kind of touch quality, there is no other soccer skill you cannot learn. You have laid the foundation to every dribbling move, every kind of shot & pass, and every collection method this sport has to offer.

 

FOUNDATION SKILLS
(10 each)

1) Inside-Outside

Video one is going to show just a simple version the move for your foundation. Video two builds into the application on the field.

2) Triangles - you can find a version of triangles called Push Out Pull In at 45 sec mark

3) Vee

PULL-BACK SKILLS

Do sequence with one foot then switch (4 times each foot)

1) Pull, Instep Push

2) Pull a Vee

3) Pull & Take with Outside of foot

4) Pull & Roll Behind

                           TURNS:

From moderate speed, turn 180 degrees and explode/accelerate for 3 touches. Then bring it back down to moderate pace for the next turn (4 times each foot)

1) Pull Turn

2) Drag-Back

3) Inside Chop

4) Outside-Cut- This video chows 3 great moves: Outside Cut, Inside Cut, &Twist Off.

5) Cruyff

6) Stepover Turn

This shows the same move with the full turn and the 90 degree turn 

7) Step-On Shield & Turn

TAKE-ON MOVES:

Explode/accelerate after the move for 3 touches. Then

bring it back down to moderate pace for the next move (4 times each foot)

1) Hip Swivel

2) Roll-Touch

3) Roll-Push

4) Inside-Outside (Mathews)

5) Stepover

6) Rivolino

7) Body Swerve (Scissor Behind the ball) @ the 4:44 mark

8) Scissor

9) Double Scissor

10) Ba-Dink (Cap) @ the 5:11 mark

Complete as indicated in the summer program. Recommended 6 days a week (6000 touches/week).

FULL 1000 TOUCH WORKOUT

SEVEN MINUTE DRILL

The footwork activity here is designed to give you about 1000 touches in seven minutes. And I know that everyone can find seven minutes a day to work on their soccer skills. This warm-up should be done daily as a regular part of exercise and training preparation. Ideally, on practice days and match days, I would love to see everybody arrive 15 minutes early and get this warm-up in before we even begin the regular

training session or match preparation.

Guide the ball past your opponent, with this drill from @coerveralf co-founder of @CoerverUK http://t.co/U30wTJEj -- FFT Performance (@FFTPerformance)

Jordi Alba, @juanmata10 & @Javi24kikiteam have all been selected in Spain's provisional @London2012 squad - http://t.co/xHbXPcHZ -- FIFA.com (@FIFAcom)

STATS ZONE @GaryParkinson on how #ESP beat #ITA – not quite as easily as they made it look http://t.co/Il6Qalfm @StatsZone #Euro2012 -- FourFourTwo (@FourFourTwo)

"Football is a game. I'm trying to have fun on the pitch, always, just to play.
That's why I do it. The day I stop having fun is the day I retire...I never want to lose that spark, that passion.
Today, teams are playing more statically, more for the final score than producing good football.
For them, it's more important to win than to play well. We need more players with passion coming up for the good of football."
-Leo Messi

Parent/Coach - A Good Article by Sam Snow, Director of Coaching at US Youth Soccer

I am a dad. I am a coach. Wearing both hats at the same time has been a bit difficult for me and my boy. But after a tough time trying to seperate the two at first, my son now often slips and calls me "coach" at home. It is cute, and I love it. And its pretty funny to see the reactions when other parents and coaches hear him call me that out on the fields. I think they think I must have him trained really well.  But he and I both know it has taken some practice to perfect our on field relationship.To be a coach is extremely rewarding. To be able to coach your child and have fun while doing it is even better.

As we start to plan and recruit coaches for the Fall JIYSC Grassroots Micro Program, here is an article that may give you mom's and dad's some great ideas going forward.

 - Coach AV

Coach your kid in soccer

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Sam Snow

 

Here are five fundamentals to coaching your own child in soccer. Ditch the over-the-top act for a style that will keep your kid happy and engaged.

 

Level the playing field

Sit your child down and ask if you can "join the team." You’ll probably get an emphatic "yes." The point is to let the kid know you’re both on the same side.

 

Be consistent

When critiquing play, always lead by citing something commendable ("Great job dribbling up field!") before giving feedback ("Now try to keep your head up"). Finish positively with another  encouraging comment ("You’ll get it, keep working hard!").

 

Look beyond your kid

If you’re not a coach, hang out with other parents. Their comments (like "That was a sweet pass" or "They’re crowding the ball") can help you lose the tunnel vision for your child and see the whole team.

 

Stoke inspiration

If you see your child’ motivation starts to drag, whip up a game at home to focus on skills while still having fun. For kicking strength, tack up a target on a brick wall and see if he can hit it with the ball. For ball control, offer them ice cream for stringing together five juggles.

 

[Editor’s note: Intrinsic rewards (praise, acknowledgement, fulfillment from hard work) are better long-term motivators than extrinsic rewards, which tend to lose their positive affect in time.]

 

Discipline privately

 

No kid responds well to public scolding, so if yours is acting out or not being a team player, pull her aside; then you can switch to parent mode. Explain why it’s important that she accept the consequences for her actions just like any other teammate does. Don’t make a scene. If she’s not receptive, say you’ll finish the talk at home – but try to avoid mixing at-home disciplinary tactics with on-the-field ones.

 

Sources: Jimmy Nielsen, goalkeeper for Sporting Kansas City; Larry Lauer, Ph.D., of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University

Making my way in the world today

As the position of Interim DOC at JIYSC takes over my life...I couldn't ask for anything more. At least at this time. The challenges laid out, the relationships forged, the hard work and collaborative ideas realized are all worth the effort. This is fun. It doesn't seem like work when it is doing something you love. And I love soccer. I truly, madly, deeply do. For me right now, I want to keep the main focus of my work as an elaboration on my desire to share the game and help these kids fall in love with it as I do. With so many alternative activities and electronics available to stimulate/rot/attack the minds of our children, it is so very important to me to keep things simple and just let them love the game. The ball can become an extension of your body. The pitch an extension of your soul.

And when I think about my Club, the people in it and how good I feel when I'm out there on the grass...an old song comes to mind...

Frustrated Coach? --some good knowlege from Footy4Kids.com

Soccer coaching giving you a headache? Then stop banging your head against a brick wall!

All soccer coaches – no matter how skilled and experienced - sometimes have difficulty with behavioural issues.

But you will have fewer days when banging your head against the nearest brick wall would be easier and less painful than coaching your "little angels" if you follow these guidelines. 

Keep distractions out of sight and the sun behind you

Make sure your players are facing away from potential distractions (such as a training session on the next pitch) and that they are not squinting in the sun. Young players listen and learn with their eyes as well as their ears - don't make it difficult for them to see your non-verbal messages and demonstrations.

Don't speak until everyone is quiet and looking at you

Never compete with players who are chatting by raising your voice. Wait for them to be quiet, even if it takes minutes rather than seconds.

Keep it simple

Only deliver one message at a time. Don't start talking about one topic then allow yourself to get sidetracked or suddenly introduce a completely different subject.

Mind your language

Soccer has its own, peculiar language. "Hitting the channel", being "caught square", "compressing the play", "dead ball", "diving in" and so on might mean something to you but they will only serve to confuse young players.

And six-year-olds won't know that playing "in the hole" means playing in the gap between a team's midfield players and its front strikers, they'll be looking for a hole in the pitch to stand in!

Don't lecture

Your players will stop listening very quickly if you stand in front of them and demand that they listen to your words of wisdom. Remember, they've just spent a day being told to sit still and listen. They don't want you to turn their soccer coaching session into an extension of school.

Don't spoon feed

Ask questions that are designed to get your players to work out the answers for themselves.

If you're talking to your players about supporting the player on the ball, for example, don't simply tell them to move after passing. Ask them: "How can you help a team mate who has the ball?"

When they say move to a place where you can receive a pass, ask: "Where should you move to?" and "how far away should you be?"

And don't assume you have all the answers! Listen to what your players tell you.

Do not tolerate rude or disrespectful behaviour

Remember you are dealing with children who are probably excited and keen to get on with kicking a ball about. So don't immediately crack down on innocent, childish behaviour even if it seems inappropriate to you.

Persistently disruptive, rude or disrespectful behaviour (directed at you or another player) is another matter. Explain why you find the behaviour unacceptable ("if you're talking when I'm talking, you can't hear me") and what will happen if it continues.

Time-outs can be effective but make sure the player knows why he or she is being excluded, keep them short and never threaten a time-out then not carry it out. If you appear weak-willed and "soft", your players will take advantage of you.

I find that telling young players there won't be time for a game at the end of practice if I have to spend a long time getting my point across works wonders.

Never punish misbehaviour by making players run laps or perform press-ups. It's inappropriate, a waste of time and will cause resentment.  

Full Moon days

Sometimes you will have days when your players' energy and mood is such that trying to coach them is clearly a waste of time.

If normally co-operative and hard-working players are behaving as though they've been eating sweets full of E numbers all day, don't fight it. Set up a small-sided game (SSG) that you know your players enjoy and let them get on with it. As long as the game involves a ball, they will learn more by playing than if you try to force them to calm down and listen to you. And you will keep your sanity!

Success over the 11/12 season at JIYSC with the U9 Hurricanes and Stingers

The winners of the SCYS Fall Festival. The JIYSC Hurricanes Select - Here is the link to the standings It was a very fun weekend. The kids needed to be in the Academy division, but we didn't know that before going. This was our first tournament of the year. We scored 45 goals and only allowed 3 in 5 total games. Yup, thats right.

I am trying to find a pic of the James Island Cup. The Hurricanes lost in the semifinals to the MT. P Water Mocs. It was a shootout and we lost by one goal. This was a heart breaker, but a lesson lear

ned in focus. We were up 3-1 with 5 minutes left.

Over the winter, I picked up a new team, the JIYSC Stingers, another U9 team.  We moved some players around and put them with boys that would be moving up or staying the in the same age group in Fall '12. We went to a couple of 3v3 tournys and did pretty well. The Hurricanes placed 2nd in the North Charleston 3v3 after losing to a bunch of young ladies from Mt. P. They took that pretty hard. All the girls were huge compared to my guys. They pushed a lot. I told my boys to stop crying and push back. The Stingers got man handled by a NASA team and took a little time to get used to the 3v3 game. They ended up placing 3rd in the tourny. Our next 3v3 was in Hilton Head. Both teams were placed in the same group. The Stingers lost in the 3rd place game to those NASA boys again, while the Hurricanes made second place.

These are the Hurricanes 3v3 Select. I will try to find some pics of the Stingers and add them.

Over the Winter, we also played Futsal. We finished in 4th place, but that wasn't important. It was all about developing skills and relationships. The Futsal season helped these boys really understand how important it is to practice your footwork.  

Next we had the JI Soccer Festival. The Hurricanes had an amazing shootout in which Nathan Leader made to great saves. The shootout was to determine which team would go on to the semifinals to face...The Stingers, of course! There were approx 150 people around the field watching the young men go through the grueling kicks from the mark. The tension was high and so was the excitement. Each goal, save, or miss enduced a loud response from the crowd. It was really a memorable experience. So after the emotion of the shootout, the boys had just a few minutes to get ready for their game against the high flying, high scoring Stingers. Unable to coach  both teams, I had help from Coach Andrew Guinn with the Hurricanes. The Stingers put a hurtin' on the Hurricanes. I did my best to limit the damage, but kids are kids...they see a goal and they kick at it. After the game the boys all got together for a few pics and tried to move on from the intense game. After all, this was the beginning of the Spring season. And these boys were about to practice, train, and play together for the next 4 months.

The Stingers lost to arch-rivals DISA in the final. The first of several Final encounters with the team from DI.

Next tourny was in Columbia for St. Patty's Day. This time it was only the Stingers Select that went to play.

We went to win and that we did. In fine style, too. We played some great teams from across the Southeast. The best part of the weekend was the performance of the boys. They were amazing. The conviction they displayed was altogether impressive. They knew they were going to come home with the Championship.

In March, we played back to back tournaments for the Stingers. They met up with the DISA boys again in the final and lost. IT was a tough one, as the Hurricanes were also in the final of their group...at the same time. I had to pick my son's team. Had to. It was hard, but I believed in the Stingers and knew that they would do a great job. The Hurricanes played against a SCU-MP team that the Stingers had beaten on St. Patty's day the week before. Those boys dropped a division and ran into my other squad...and lost again. I was extremely proud of the Hurricanes for beating a team that tried to take the easy route to victory. The Hurricanes won 5-2.

The Kohl's Amercan Cup was in April. Both teams competed. The Hurricanes played up a division. They came out flat on Saturday, but ended the tournament with an amazing game on Sunday. The boys pulled out a 2-1 win with every last player giving their very most. They truly left it out on the field. Pics to come...

I am so proud of my Stingers. They ended the State Cup tied for 1st place, but kept out of the final by goal differential. These young men put together some fantastcially remarkable plays. Very proud coach. I lost my voice this weekend. So pumped up and excited for the boys. Next year, we win it all!!!

Our last tourny was in Myrtle Beach at the Coast Spring Classic. After an absolutely thrilling semifinal game that went into overtime, we had to play...guess who....yup, DISA!!!! Dang-it. And we lost again. I don't want to use them as our measuring stick, but they have definitely become our Achilles' Heel.