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.

Passing and Receiving

Do you have any good drills or games for passing\receiving?

• The basics for younger players: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hRbhncyu4k

• Soft Feet. That’s the phrase you should emphasize during any receiving drill; players have to have soft feet. They have to cushion the ball as it comes into the feet; not just stick a foot in front of it. I ask the players if they've ever been in a water balloon tossing contest, and show them the way you catch a water balloon to keep it from breaking. Then we trasfer that same idea to the feet. One key to soft feet is being light on the feet. I try to get my players to do a little hop or skip before the ball reaches them. You can't just stand there like you're stuck in cement; you have to be on the toes with knees bent and a bounce in your step to really cushion the ball well.

• Centerline. Equally important is where you cushion the ball. You've got to cushion it right at the center line (or equator) of the ball. In order to do this, you have to pick your foot up about 3 inches off the ground. Most rec players do not do this. Shift your center of gravity to your plant foot and lift the receiving foot high BEFORE the ball arrives. I prefer to have the player lift the foot about 6 inches and then come DOWN on the ball (at the centerline) as it arrives. See this video for excellent example of this technique: http://video.kudda.com/clinic/Soccer_Training_to_Develop_Technique/Washington_College_Warmup_1

• Trap with feet; not shins. For any ball that's bouncing higher than 6 inches, many players attempt to just stick a leg in front of it. This results in the ball bouncing ten feet away off their hard, boney shin or shin guards. Instead, teach them to shift their weight onto the plant foot and lift their foot up to meet the ball at the centerline. "We trap with our feet; not our shins."

• Two touch. Whether it’s a scrimmage or a possession type game, restrict it to two touch. Why? Because if you only have two touches, your first touch better be a good one. The kids quickly learn to pay attention to that first touch. Second, they have to pass (no dribbling) which means they often have to think ahead BEFORE they even make their first touch. This is huge. I’ve done this with my sons struggling rec team and was amazed at how much better the soccer was; almost immediately. This is also good for shielding. If their first touch is bad, they learn to shield the ball until a player moves to support them.

• Possession games. My favorite is “enjoy your shirt.” You take two to four pinnies and have players hold them in their hand. Those players are defenders. Everyone else plays possession around them in a 40x40 grid (option: restrict to two touch). If a defender wins the ball (or an attacker makes a mistake), the defender drops the shirt on the ground and the attacker has to pick it up and begin playing defense (At which point I yell, “enjoy your shirt!”) It’s basically a version of Monkey in the Middle, except there’s more than one monkey and no one gets stuck being the monkey or too long (which results in monkeys getting discouraged and lazy.) Smart players figure out that if they immediately hustle right after getting the shirt, they can typically pressure someone into making a mistake, and get rid of it and back on the attack right away. This game is great for coaches in that it's easy to adjust to the skill level of the team. If they're struggling to keep possesion, remove one of the pinnies. If they're getting the hang of it, or the defenders are getting frustrated, add a pinnie. You can also experiament with the size of the grid to increase the speed and pressure (the smaller the grid, the faster the game.)

• Tri-angle or square passing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJk1Im2B3W0

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVZ90KGQV1o – Four square (classic)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwt-3LQ26Swl - passing while running backwards