DVDs and UK Soccer website

Does the league have any books or DVDs that I could use (or recommend) that would be comprehensive overview of what I should be teaching the boys at this level?

Yes, we have have a collection of DVDs that you can borrow. Unfortunately, I don't think any of them will be exactly what you're looking for, but you are welcome to borrow some and see. I practice at Aviara park Tuesdays from 4:30-6:00 and Thursdays from 6:00-7:30. Let me know if you are coming and I'll bring the DVDs.


The other resource I would recommend is the uksoccer website.

• Click here or go to uksocca.com and scroll to the bottom and you will see “ online curriculum”
  
• User Name – La Costa Region 1282 (input exactly as written)
• password – ukisc (all lower case and input exactly as written)

This will give you access to over 1100 coaching sessions and activities which are sortable by age.

Energize your players and your practices

Energize your soccer team

eleven simple soccer coaching games for very young children

11 soccer games for young players

Off-The-Ball movement

Got anything for movement off the ball????

Ouch. Tough question. For U-8 and below, I recommending reading http://http//www.soccerhelp.com/How_When_To_Teach_Passing.shtml. NOTE: Even though this is written with younger players in mind, there's some really good fundamentals in there that everyone should read. After that, these are the concepts I would recommend introducing to players U-10 or older:

• Having attackers stay a pass apart. Obviously, you can't have players standing right next to each other. They must learn to spread the field. This is probably the key to the whole thing. Even at the competitive level, kids are drawn - like moths to the flame - to the ball. Especially if there's a good 1v1 battle going on with one player shielding the ball from another, the surrounding plays will be compelled to get closer and closer in order to support and help. You've got to teach that any supporting pass less the 10 feet is useless; out of the frying pan into the fire. The defender will just switch their attention from the passer to the receiver, and since the receiver has to bring the passed ball under control, they're often vulnerable. The best support is being wide open; far enough away that they can bring the ball under control BEFORE pressure is applied.
  
• Having receivers move away from the ball handler as he approaches them in order to create space (i.e., so they are a pass apart.) This can be really tough for forwards to do. A lot of the time, forwards are anxious. They've been standing up front, waiting for the ball to come to them, and they often feel it's their responsibility to take the ball and move it forward. I can't count the number of times I've seen forwards run directly at their own player who has the ball and essentially attempt to steal it. We need to correct this. If someone is dribbling toward them, then they need to make a diagonal run AWAY from that person, open up the field and give that player an option to make a diagonal pass. If the left defender starts dribbling up the left wing, your left winger or left midfielder needs to learn, "Hey, this left side is getting crowded. There's no reason for us to both be here. I need to move more centrally." One note: running to the corner is not open; once we get into the attacking third, we want to funnel all balls and movement toward our opponents box.
  
• Passing to open space. The key tactical advice here is to teach the kids to always pass on the diagonal. Square passes slow the game down; especially square passes to forwards. Teach the kids to make through passes to forwards toward the OPPOSITE corner flag. Couple of reasons why: It's much easier for your forwards to receive a ball that's been passed in front of them at a diagonal than it it to receive a ball that's been struck straight up the field to their backs. Also, 75% of straight through passes go right into the goalies hands. This is kick-ball and not soccer. But a long diagonal pass is different. Most goalies will not leave their box to fetch a ball passed to the corner, no matter how deep the pass is. And last, if the action is all happening on the left side of the field, players tend to drift from their position toward the left. If your left midfielder or left defender knows to always try for the long through pass to to the RIGHT corner, and your right winger has learned to expect that pass and so has stayed wide right, that winger is very likely to be all alone. You're not going to see a more exciting fast break than this.
  
• Movement after the pass. Don Boyd tells his kids "Get it, give it, and GO!!!!" Most kids simply stop after passing the ball, as if to say, "Well, I did my job. It's his problem now." Not only is this wrong, it eliminates any possibility for a combination play (wall pass) going forward. You've got to really get on them to move SOMEWHERE immediately after passing the ball. Try to emphasize this during all activities. If we're playing "enjoy your shirt" and a player doesn't move immediately after passing, it's the same as if they lost the ball to the defender or made a bad pass; they get the shirt. Likewise, in a scrimmage, not moving after a pass means the game stops and the other team gets the ball. The good news is, once you get them to move, you can sit back and watch wall passes and other combinations just start happening. The key to combo play is movement after the pass.
  
• NOTE: I haven't provided many drills here. That's because truthfully, I haven't found any movement off the ball drills that work. Movement is best taught as a part of the game. As a coach you need to set up a scrimmage or possession game, and then be on the look-out for the common mistakes (too short passes, not getting out of the way of your own players, passing square or straight, stopping after a pass) and make a correction. It may be best to take each of these on individually; for example, only correct not moving after a pass in one practice. Next week you emphasize passing diagonally....etc.
• That said, this is the classic drill to introduce movement off the ball. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVZ90KGQV1o
• Uneven numbers. One technique is to create games in which one team is "numbers up." 4v3 or even 3v1. This makes the use of movement and space more obvious to the attacking team.
  
• This drill can emphasis movement after the pass, and (with slight modification) passing to space. NOTE: You can also run this with five players in a square. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJk1Im2B3W0
• Here's another drill you can try: http://www.footy4kids.co.uk/movement_off_the_ball.htm#
  

Additional Training dates in San Marcos

If you cannot attend our coach training sessions on the 17th of July, or are looking for Intermediate training, you can attend the training in San Marcos. San Marcos Coaching Clinics

Coaching Philosophy

What's your coaching philosophy? it's one of the first questions you may want to answer at the start of the season, whether this is your first season or your tenth.

Can you sum up - in one sentence - what your goals are for this team, this season?

Examples include:

• Developing skill, sportsmanship and the value of teamwork without sacrificing fun
• Improve skills and have fun
• It doesn't matter what the score of the game is at the end, if you have learned something NEW, then you have WON the game anyway

Spend a minute or two thinking about your goals, and write them down. For inspiration, check out http://www.finesoccer.com/coaching_philosophies.htm

Once you've written it out, share it with your team; both the kids and the families. It should be amoung the first things you go over at your team meeting.

YouTube soccer

There is a bunch of great training ideas out on YouTube. I've gone through and attempted to collect a few that are appropriate for Rec level players. Enjoy.


U6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZgZH6pAn2o – stuck in the Mud
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TijmIGxTG4 – red light, yellow light, red light, crash!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BilrRgwXqqA – hit the coach
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5XWVfoYgLc - dribbling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92rY1x0exGI – teaching how to strike the ball
http://www.soccerhelp.com/U-4_Coaching_Ages_2_3_4_5.shtml - Not a video, but some great advice on teaching young players.
http://www.soccerhelp.com/How_When_To_Teach_Passing.shtml



U8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml3AGLeR8NM – Body dribbling – excellent warm-up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPQCU_f9MVI – Hand Tag (Watch what he does at the 1:14 mark for great coaching technique. Nothing like competition to get kids to work harder!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG6gdwUoe_Y – Shadow Dribbling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hRbhncyu4k – Passing ( “hit the ball at the equator”, “Soft feet; like a cushion”)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drIbja06e8sl – Musical dribbling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyN56Eb6228 – 3v3 small sided game (the most important part of your practice. Break ‘em up into small team and everyone will be more involved.)
http://www.soccerhelp.com/Coaching_Soccer_Things_To_Teach.shtml



U10 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtyR_V07hxY– Dribbling technique (note how he taps the ball at the equator of the ball and keeps it under him rather than pushing or shoveling the ball out in front)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqifI4RR7NM – Quick Draw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hRbhncyu4k – Passing ( “hit the ball at the equator”, “Soft feet; like a cushion”)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJk1Im2B3W0 – triangle passing (follow your pass. This is one of the “classics”)
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22soccer+drills+for+kids%22+touch&aq=f – The First Touch (technical series)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJJvDR2q46I – 2v2 with three goals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtM8gW13Isc – 2v2 to target players (tusing target players instead of goals is a great way to encourage passing.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS0UVrx5qsUl – Dynamic dribbling warm-up
http://video.kudda.com/coach/Badmington - A whole series of videos. All of them are excellent and age appropriate (click the “more clinics” link)
http://video.kudda.com/clinic/Under_11_Soccer_Goalkeeping_Fundamentals_and_Basics/Goalkeeping:_Diving – He does a nice series on goalkeeping too.



U12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7CEM5G0FPU - Shield the Ball from the Defender
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVZ90KGQV1o – Four square (classic)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbE8jWIQO8Il – skills drill with movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwt-3LQ26Swl - passing while running backwards
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Soccer%20-%20Defending%20Against%20the%20Dribble%20Soccer%20-%20Defending%20Against%20the%20Dribble&search=Search&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&spell=1 – Series of Defending technique videos ( offense wins games, defense wins championships )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADq6LR1Ygq8 – 2v1 to goal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8IsaCa5Es0l – 5v5 against goal in the penalty box.