Simple words of pure genius!

"When I was younger

I was trying to do what I wanted to do,

not what the game wanted me to do."

 ~ Thierry Henry ~

Oh if only I could impart this wisdom to every player I coach!  This knowledge is something all the best players I have coached possessed and understood. It's what has separated the true soccer players from the highly skilled gifted athletes who never reached their full potential on the pitch. 

"Players taught to watch the man with the ball

leaves them totally unprepared for the next move,

which is always dictated

by a player without the ball."
  Tommy Docherty

"The Doc", is a former Scottish player and manager. Docherty represented Scotland 25 times. He managed a total of 13 clubs between 1961 and 1988, including Manchester United and also managed the Scottish national team.

College Soccer Scholarships: The Facts.

Every so often someone sets a spark off that ignites my frustration and I feel the need to report this article.  Tonight was such a time.  I met the parents of two little boys ages 7 and 9 who seem to think the boys are USMNT material.  They already been have been involved with a local club for 4 years. Have already spent thousdands of dollars. They are now somewhat disenchanted and are looking to move to a more prestigious club in a larger city. The nine year old already has attitude and was damn near uncoachable when we tried to work with him.  This is NOT what youth soccer should be about. These parents (and by extension their sons) are more than likely going to severely disappointed. They need desperately to read an article like this. Don't get me wrong, I honestly hope the kid succeeds and makes one of the USMNT teams. I see zero indication this will happen though. The parents are about to spend enough money on soccer to fully fund their children's college educations  and will have little to show for it when all is said and done.  Such a shame when youth sports are reduced to this. 


This is a reposting of an article originally publish in March 2013 concerning available scholarships for playing soccer in college.  I have not re-researched NCAA regulations since the original writing.  I have received numerous requests to re-post this article. So, here it is... again!

With club tryout season upon us once again I deemed it appropriate to move the article to the front page.  Do not be fooled by clubs who advertise they have helped "x" number of athletes obtain college scholarships for playing soccer. Investigate the claims.  If talking about the prestigious D I programs, you are more than likely to find no one, not a single solitary individual, listed as a scholarship recipient received a full ride. Most will probably have received a fraction of a fully funded scholarship. A quarter to a third and in rare cases 1/2 of a full ride are the norm.  Those who did receive full rides likely did so at NAIA or NJCAA schools.

Bottom line?  If you are looking for money to pay for college, study hard and get good grades.  All the money being spent on playing club soccer?  Invest it in the stock market or even a savings account. The return on investment will be much higher for the overwhelmingly vast majority of you.


NCAA Divison I

At the NCAA Division I level men's soccer is considered to be an equivalency sport. This simply means the number of scholarships that can be offered is determined in part by Title IX. Fewer men's scholarships may be funded due to women's sports not having an equivalency to football.  A school is not mandated to fund it's full allotment of scholarships.

Schools offering Men's Soccer:  199  (this number is in decline in part due to equivalency standards)
Schools offering Women's Soccer: 320  (this number continues to grow in response to equivalency standards)

Mens Soccer Scholarships:  9.9
Women's Soccer Scholarships:  14

Scholarships can be full or partial rides at the Division I level.  With rosters often approaching 30 players the money is distributed very carefully. 


NCAA Divison II

Schools offering Men's Soccer:  179
Schools offering Women's Soccer: 227

Men's scholarships:  9
Women's scholarships:  9.9

Many NCAA Division II schools do not offer football and so there is less discrepancy in scholarship numbers between the sports. Partial scholarships are the norm as coaches can distribute the money to as many players as they wish.


NCAA Division III

Schools offering Men's Soccer:  401
Schools offering Women's Soccer: 424

Scholarships are not offered at NCAA Division III schools.  Student / athletes often rely on academic scholarships and financial aid to assist with costs for school.


NAIA

Schools offering Men's Soccer:  218
Schools offering Women's Soccer: 223

Men's scholarships:  12
Women's scholarships:  12

Partial scholarships are common.  Coaches often reserve monies for student / athletes that do not meet requirements for academic aid.


NJCAA I

Schools offering Men's Soccer:  136
Schools offering Women's Soccer: 118

Men's scholarships:  18
Women's scholarships:  18

Many scholarships awarded at the Junior College level are full rides although partial rides are common as well.

We Will

Sprint to set our defense

Execute our defense with multiple efforts to completion

Be strong to and strong on the ball

Play unselfishly with SPACE and PACE to create great chances

Dominate with our EFFORT plays

Reflections on this Summer's Camps

Conducting summer camps is, obviously, something I really enjoy doing. The hours are long. The days are hot. The travel can be exhausting. The players and coaches make it all worthwhile. And that is what I take from the camps we conduct - the relationships built with the people we meet.

On a personal level, I enjoy seeing teams improve under our tutelage.  It is rewarding to see the concepts and ideas about the game come to life for the teams that camp with us.  To see them take the pitch for a summer tournament and witness their excitement over improved play and success is heart warming. And still it is the relationships that leave an enduring impression.

This generation of young people are an amazing lot as I am sure each generation is. I marvel at their problem solving skills on the pitch and in life.  I am in awe of their time management skills. Astounded by the wide range of activities and interests they lend themselves to with dedication and discipline.

Brittany lives on a working cattle farm and rearranged her chore and work schedule to be able to attend goalkeeper training. Jacob worked 2 jobs and came to training over an extended lunch break having to make up the time at the end of his day. Brianna brought her baby sitting charges to training and those youngsters respected her so much they were hardly even noticed. Nick convinced his parents to allow him to stay home from vacation to attend our camp at his school.

When I see dedication to soccer on this level it sends vibes of positive energy throughout me. I literally get charged up with excitement to work with these young people. But let's remember how I learned of their stories - I engaged these young men and women in conversation.  I showed a genuine interest in them as people. In turn they shared with me and a bond developed. A working relationship centered round soccer was established and we learned a little about one another along the way.

Candace is a young woman who attend our camps in previous years. Now a graduate, I invited her back for this summer's camp with her old team.  No pay. No incentive other than to play some soccer and hang out with friends. She readily accepted and showed to camp despite having totaled her car and being banged up from an accident a few days prior.  That's dedication. That's following through on commitment.  That's working to establish a tradition and legacy in a young program.  I have to believe big things await Candace in her future.

My son Lance and two of his teammates, Hunter and AJ accepted my request to volunteer as instructors for a high school girls camp.  These young men are all 19 years of age and placing them in camp with high school aged girls might seem a cautionary tale, but I have known these gentlemen for years. They are trustworthy, honorable and will someday, imo, become very good coaches in their own rights should that be a path they choose to follow. It turned out to be one of our best weeks of camps ever.  From 9:00 am through 6:30 pm for five straight days we worked for this high school girls team ... and they worked for us.

"Team bonding" is the catch phrase often bandied about when people talk of uniting a team these days. Team chemistry is still an elusive intangible sought after in pursuit of making a good season a great one.  Whatever we call it, it still comes down to the most simple of concepts - building relationships with those we associate with,

I don't care if you like each other or not, but you will respect each other. This is a phrase I have heard repeatedly over the years. It is a phrase uttered by Coach Boone in Remember the Titans as he addresses the team after an early morning run through the Gettysburg battlefield.  In this instance the established relationships were of very poor quality and Coach Boone knew individual change must occur or they were collectively doomed.

With many of the teams we work with changing the way the team plays is the focus of what coaches ask us to work on during camp week. Relationship building with the members of the coaching staff and team is a crucial ingredient in our recipe for success. Establishing a foundation of trust rooted in honesty is our primary objective as camp clinicians. If we fail in this mission, the camp itself will be a failure.

This is the lesson Coach Boone sought to impart on the young Titan squad and his coaching staff. Liking one another is not a prerequisite.  Respect is. And the only path to respect is through honesty and trust.

I have recently written of the two greatest coaching tools being a chair to sit on and the ability to be silent during games.  Both were somewhat tongue in cheek ways of making the point that its a players game. Today I have identified the single greatest coaching tool in existence - the ability to build relationships. This also happens to be the secret to living a productive and happy life.  And for us here at CBA Soccer we enjoyed a wonderful summer camp season. One I would term our best ever for precisely this reason - the relationships established, developed and renewed while "working" in an environment of soccer.  Thank you to each instructor, coach and player who worked with us this summer! It was our best summer so far!

The 2016 Summer Camp Season is Fast Approaching!

We always offer first chance to returning teams we conducted camps for the previous year. Several of you have been in contact already. We are in the process of contacting the rest of you now.  Also, we have had a couple of new programs express interest in our camps. We are working them into the schedule as well.  As of today, it looks like we will have room for 2-3 more teams dependent on specific needs and fitting teams into available dates.

Contact us now!

coachtjbrown@gmail,com
567-204-6083

There are no shortcuts on the road to success.

This is something I preach and teach to my teams.  It is also something I watch for in tryouts. If a player allows himself to take shortcuts in practice or at tryouts he will look to do the same during games and that is a recipe for mediocrity at best.  There can be no place for this on winning teams.

Championships or Champions?

The University of Michigan and the University of Notre Dame are the two winingest major college football programs in the history of the sport. The two schools are linked throughout their storied histories. The Wolverines taught the sport to the Irish way back in the 1887.  Notre Dame stadium is modeled after Michigan Stadium. The Wolverines colors are Maize and Blue while the Irish colors are Gold and Blue.  What does this have to do with soccer?

The two universities also share similar ideas about champions and championships that have served them well through the years.

At Michigan, "Those who stay will be Champions"

At Notre Dame, "Play like a Champion"

It is important to note that neither schools key slogan mentions championships, only Champions.

Both sayings deal with the process rather than the outcome or goal of the process.  How to become a champion must be discussed on a regular basis. The details of the process adhered to, nurtured and grown. Sometimes what was once an admired detail must be tweaked, modified or perhaps even stored away as a cherished memory of a tradition of yore replaced by a more pertinent or relevant new tradition.

At Michigan it is believed that Defense wins Championships and I will not dispute that point. However, it is the process of building a champion, a team's culture that puts players in position to compete for championships.

Just as we must win first, then play the game, 

we must become champions before 

we can win a championship.

Meritocracy - Dorrance and Harbaugh.

Regular readers of this blog know I am a fan of the University of Michigan.  More than a few of the quotes found on these pages can be directly attributed to former and present Wolverine coaches and players.  With the hiring of Jim Harbaugh as head football coach at Michigan comes a wealth of new material headlined by the word meritocracy.

1. an elite group of people whose progress is based on ability and talent rather than on class privilege or wealth.

2. a system in which such persons are rewarded and advanced:

A recent quote from Coach Harbaugh:  Meritocracy- Process to determine an elite Team. Progress determined by Talent, Execution & Effort

Now, Coach Harbaugh is not re-inventing the wheel as Anson Dorrance's Competitive Cauldron approach is well documented and has proven wildly successful for his teams. Coach Harbaugh is returning the topic to the fore and in using the use of the word meritocracy in defining what the Competitive Cauldron is in reality. 

If I had the staffing to chart every detail of training and games I would like to, I would adhere closely to a meritocracy approach.  First of all, I love statistics.  Yes, I actually do.  This will seem strange coming from someone who doesn't even keep simple statistics like assists or goals scored for his teams. Heck, I rarely know the in-game score unless a scoreboard is present.  Just ask my players. I am constantly having to ask referees the final score after matches because I have no idea.

The reason why I am not overly concerned about assists and goals scored is because I view them as a product of so many other areas of the game that can be charted or documented.  Statistics on the quality of one's first touch, the number of lost possessions directly attributed to a specific player and where on the pitch these occur are much more useful to me.  I want to know how many crosses a defender allows / denies and how many un-pressured services we allow. 

I am anxious to see the Wolverines take the field next fall after a spring and fall camp of Harbaugh "charting everything" and posting each days and cumulative results on the locker room walls for all to see.  It's a form of internal program pressure on the athletes to determine who the "winners" are amongst them.  These are the people Dorrance and Harbaugh want on the field of competition against opposing teams.  Winners, that's what a meritocracy is all about defining.

A Tale of Two Teams

I was reminded of an old tale this morning and decided to adapt it for this blog.  It is a simple tale involving perspective and many lessons. I hope you enjoy it.

There was to be a soccer match between two teams. One team represented Heaven and the other team represented Hell.  Perhaps we should call them the Angels and the Demons.  Both teams prepared  for the match by practicing regularly. Both teams were at full health. These teams were evenly matched in nearly every regard, but one.

The evening before the big match the teams were both treated to lavish dinners prepared by top nutritionist and chefs. There was present on their respective tables every manner of fuel that would be needed to put forth their best performance the next day,

As might be expected the Angels took a moment to give thanks for their meal. They were appreciative of the bounty set before them. The expressed their gratitude for the work put into preparing and serving the meal to them.  They asked Blessings for the meal and for participants in the match the next day.

Meanwhile, Demons went straight for the food before them only they encountered a problem - the utensils set before them to eat their meal with were extra-sized.  The forks and spoons were so long it was impossible for anyone to feed himself.  Some complained about this while others began using their fingers to feed themselves. Soon the Demon's table was utter chaos and quite the mess.

The Angles team were given the same type of silverware with which to feed themselves yet there was no complaining at their table. Instead there was a lot of relaxed conversation and a general jovial spirit throughout the team as they served one another their meals.  The Angels used the over sized utensils to feed the teammate across from them their food.  Working together with servant hearts each of the Angels enjoyed a balanced meal, good times and several hearty laughs as they went through the process of preparing for the next days match.

Of course, this is a story about life even more so than a story about soccer.  It's a story of WE being a much better option than ME.  In life we must work diligently on our relationship with God and in so doing find our servant heart towards all of mankind. A soccer team is not so very different as each player must work diligently on his relationship with the ball, but it is not until we learn to play the game for one another that it truly becomes a beautiful game.  We must take care of ourselves / our game first in order that we might be of service to others, but make no mistake about this - it is only when we are / play in service to others that we become all we should be as a person ... and as a player. When a group of individuals share and live out this philosophy they no know limits as to what they can achieve, together.

Coach, do you remember when ...

As age continues to grow on me I have become aware the issues I deal with on a daily basis are shared by many others. In some remarkable fashion others I know seem to be going through similar struggles at the same time. We somehow reconnect and commiserate with while also drawing strength from one another. I am about to paraphrase a conversation I had with a former player last night about lessons taught, lessons learned and lessons carried over into the future. First a little background.

It was late spring of 2012. One of those blistering hot days in mid June where temperatures soared over 100 degrees and the winds were still.  Not ideal conditions to be playing soccer in, especially with only 11 healthy bodies for an 80 minute match. Two players were on the sidelines injured during previous matches that weekend.  We had no chance of winning the tournament and were closing out a less than satisfying season. Our team was good, but we just hadn't discovered how to play to peak potential.

"Coach, do you remember when you sat Jarod out and made us play with 10 and it was like 110 degrees out?"

Me:  Yes, I do. That became a turning point for our team.

"Coach, I was so mad at you that day.  The other team had like 5 subs and we didn't have any. Then you intentionally made us play a man down when Jarod was healthy and good to go. I didn't understand what you were doing back then.  I think I do now."

Me: Oh?  

"Yeah, our professor assigned us in groups for a project,  It was a big project to be presented in 3 different phases, There were six of us in our group and everyone worked hard together on it except this one girl. She was always doing her own thing and when it came time for our first presentation she insisted on being one of the presenters. It was a disaster. What she presented wasn't bad but she went rogue and it didn't fit with the rest. We got a C- overall and everyone kinda knew it was because of her."

Me: Yes, that type of thing happens in sports, in school, in life.  Do you remember those corny signs they used to have hung all over the schools?  Together Everyone Achieves More?  There is a very strong message contained therein. One that resonates with me daily.

"That's what I mean!  I mean, I was seriously ticked at you not allowing Jarod to play that day. I thought you hurt the team's effort that day. I got it. I mean, I understood why you did what you did, but still you punished the team because of Jarod not being a team player. I didn't understand that. It didn't make sense"

Me: And now?

"We were playing a man down with Jarod on the field because he wouldn't conform to the role and take care of his responsibilities, but our expectations remained that he should. We were frustrated with Jarod. We became frustrated with you, but when I think back now I realize we actually played better after you benched Jarod. We were down something like 0-3 when you benched Jarod and ended up losing 4-2 or something like that."

Me: That was quite the day wasn't it? (I chuckled out loud at this point)

"It really was. I'm still learning lessons from that day. "

Me: Oh, really?

"Yep, we decided to kick Lisa out of our project group."

Me: Oh?

Yeah, she will get the same grade as the rest of the group, but we aren't going to allow her to participate, especially as a presenter. She brought the rest of us down and we feel we're better off without her than we are with her. There was just so much drama and frustration whenever she was around."

Me: And what does your professor have to say about this development?

"We thought we would get in trouble, but he was actually cool with it. Surprised the hell out of me."

Me: Hmm.

"So, anyway, I wanted to let you know that I finally get it.  I understand why Jarod had to be benched that day.  I understand you were not only teaching him a lesson but there were important things for all of us to learn. You used to tell us all the time that it wasn't the 11 best players that mattered but the 11 who worked best together. Sometimes 10 is even greater than 11 when the 10 are working strong together towards a common goal.  That's what we are doing with the project group. We are stronger without her because she wasn't a team first player. We got an "A" on the second part of the project and I'm really confident about our third portion that we present tomorrow.  I just wanted to say thank you coach, for this and all the lessons you taught us over the years."

Me:  You're very welcome. May I ask a question?

"Yes, of course."

Me; Well, you know that Jarod eventually came around. He became a very good team player and teammate, what about this young lady your team dismissed from the group. How is she taking things?

"Well, she's kinda doing her own version of the project which is what she was doing anyway.  She's not getting graded on it but I think she feels like she should do the work?  I don't know."

Me: Does she seem grateful for the "A" grade she received for being part of the group?

"I don't know. She hasn't said anything. None of us has really talked to her since we told her she couldn't participate with the group."

Me: Then perhaps you still have lessons to learn from that day I benched Jarod?  Did we stop talking to him? Did we exclude him from activities? Or did Jarod remain a member of our group. We didn't give up on Jarod, did we?

"No"

Me: Maybe your group shouldn't be so quick to give up on this girl either?  Jarod became a respected and valued member of our team.  Think about this, would we have beaten the Croation Eagles if Jarod had not made the spectacular bangoo play just before half of that game?

" Yeah ... I see what you mean.  You're saying we should involve her.  Maybe not eliminate her activity but just censor it for the good of the group.  Maybe she will come around. If not now, then sometime in the future.  We might actually need her to contribute at some point."

Me: Just like Jarod contributed to our efforts in the years following "the incident."

"Ok, I see what you are saying. I've got more work to do. Thanks again, coach!"

**********

As it so happens I have two or three situations currently happening in my own life where the lessons of the  now fondly remembered "Jarod incident"  continue to bear fruit,  Coaches are sometimes tasked with making difficult decisions in difficult environments. I've made a lot of mistakes as a coach, I second guessed myself over the decision to sit Jarod that day. I didn't know if it was the "right" thing to do. I did not know for sure if it would work. To be honest, I wasn't even sure of the desired results.  I just knew we could not maintain the status quo if we wanted to perform to our peak ability. I took action. Perhaps drastic action. We were all fortunate that it worked out,  This is a success story, but there were many missteps that led to this success.  We don't get it right all the time and we need to be mindful of this when coaching / mentoring / teaching student athletes.  They don't get it right all the time either. We are the examples they will learn from.  When we err, acknowledge it for that is what we wish our players to do. When we are correct, be gracious and share the credit. We are all in this together and Together Everyone Achieves More.

  

How to Increase Your Value to Your Team.

A very self-aware player recently asked of me, what do I need to do in order to increase my value to the team? This question came about in the context of what the athlete could do during the off season to improve for next fall. Now, I am not the athlete's coach so I cannot speak directly to what areas his coach feels should be the focus of off season work. However, I can address the general concept of increasing one's value to the team.

First and foremost is the players approach to the team, his attitude. As positivity and negativity are both contagious a player with a positive attitude is something all coaches prize.  The conscious recognition that one's attitude is a choice is a starting point. One can decide to have a positive attitude, or not as the case may be. So how we approach the decision making progress in regards to attitude is very important.

Sometimes we have athletes who are very good at talking the talk but struggle when it comes to walking the walk. That is, their words and actions are not always in one accord. So, we might ask if the player is mature enough to take things seriously. Can they adhere to the details of the process even when they would rather not do so?

Another way to phrase this is to ask. what are you personally willing to sacrifice towards the success of the team? Is there present in the student / athlete a recognition that sacrificing for the betterment of the team also promotes an athletes personal agenda? The trendy phrase today is When We Replaces Me. Is the athlete willing to place We before Me?

Respecting authority is another prime example of attitude.  If the athlete disrespects authority this is a manifestation of bad attitude. And when talking about authority the list includes parents, teachers, referees, coaches, captains and those placed in charge of organizing and directing play on the field - goalkeepers for instance. Differing opinions can be a strength to a team, but only when they are expressed at the appropriate time and in a respectful manner. Arguing with referees, coaches, captains, teammates during a match or even during active training is not appropriate.

Much of what has been discussed to this point  might be classified as a players maturity level.  Is the student / athlete mature enough to handle constructive criticism in the spirit it is offered or does the student athlete take such efforts personally as a condemnation of his play?  Can the player give constructive criticism to teammates in the spirit and tone of helping as opposed to placing blame or condemning their play?

How does the athlete deal with adversity? Is there self-discipline and mental toughness present that manifests itself in determination and resiliency to overcome?  These are traits prized by coaches and teammates alike.  They go to the issue of trust.  Is the player worthy of being trusted? Is he honest in his dealings with others - his teammates, his coaches, the referees ... himself?

Attitude is so very important, but has been so overused in the context of team sports it has lost some of its effectiveness in identifying what it is to be a good teammate.  And being a good teammate is at the core of increasing one's value to his team. At the root of being a good teammate is the ability to build productive relationships with all other members of the team.

When an athlete is a good teammate bringing positive energy and enthusiasm to the team and its pursuit of common goals, good things will follow.  Sure, working on technical skill sets and tactical understanding are important and improving in these areas will enhance a players value to his team, but we must not forget the difference attitude makes - be it good attitude or bad attitude.  Be of service to your team and its members and good things will follow.

Yelling Parents

I saw this on Facebook recently. Overt the years I have tried to make this point in numerous ways to numerous people with varying degrees of success. This is short and sweet while driving the point home with precision and power.  

Soccer is a read and react game.

Sometimes we are so close to a situation we cannot see the forest for the trees. When this happens hopefully a ray of sunshine will bring light to the situation allowing one to view things from a different perspective.

Tyler asked, "Should I look to cut face when making this run?"

The team as a whole was looking for a road map for how to attack. In a manner of speaking they were looking for a play to run in a sport that is not conducive to set plays in the run of action. When Tyler asked this question I saw the proverbial light shining through the trees. My response to Tyler was, "There is no definitive answer. You have to read the defender and take what he is giving you. If he is set up outside, cut his face, but if he is set up inside make the outside run to draw him out. This might possibly set him up to have his face cut."

Soccer is a read and react game,

Vision is a greatly valued attribute in soccer players for this very reason. Players who are GAME WATCHERS are far superior players to those who are BALL WATCHERS for the simple reason they SEE more of the game than ball watchers do.

Ballwatchingitis is an article I adapted from a Graham Ramsay handout. It really is a disease that plagues poor teams. Ballwatchingitis can turn a talented team into mediocre lot quicker than anything I know mainly because of its negative impact on the decision making process of players in the game.

In soccer the game tells players what to do. So an important question to be asked and answered is, what does the player see?  Hopefully it is as much of the game as possible for successful players make decisions based on the data they collect while playing the game. Players need to collect as much data as possible for their decision-making process.

Game watchers see more of the game and thus read and react differently than ball watchers who see a much smaller portion of the game.  This directly impacts the decision making process for each type of player with ball watchers reading and reacting primarily to ball movement while game watchers read and react to player movement, ball movement, space and field position.  In short, ball watchers tend to play one-decision soccer whereas game watchers are capable of playing multiple-decision soccer.  The importance in the difference between a ball watcher and a game watcher is found in the Pace of their Play.  Ball watchers may play with physical speed but this is diminished by slower mental pace of play whereas game watchers combine physical speed with informed decision making speed to play at an optimum pace of play.

Which are you, a Ball watcher or a Game Watcher?

Mental Toughness

Teach them to work... intelligently.

Teach them to compete.

Teach them to win.

Sometimes that last step is the most difficult to achieve. No two situations are alike and there are so many different factors in play in the process. If I were to lump many of these factors together I would call the collective mental toughness. Factors that might be included in this group include the following:

Attitude: The quality of decisions we make directly reflects the quality of our play. In the case of attitude each player has a choice to make between having a positive attitude or a negative attitude. Whatever decision an athlete makes will directly impact his teammates as well.  Both positivity and negativity are contagious.

Concentration: Teams that can bring focus to bear on relevant game related factors have a much improved chance of performing well.  The details of the process are factors we can control because they involve decisions we must make.  These range from executing with proper technique to knowing, accepting and adhering to individual roles on the team. In short, taking care of our individual business so we may be trusted by our teammates.  Are we responsible in our technique, tactics, physical fitness and mental approach to both preparation for and playing of the game?

Preparation: I strongly recommend athletes develop a daily in-season routine with a focus on proper nutrition, proper sleep, proper physical preparation, proper mental preparation to play. Failing to prepare properly is preparing to fail. This is a basic truth, but one many athletes do not give full due consideration to.  Goal setting is also a part of preparation. This means constant monitoring of goals, possibly adjusting goals in-season. And constant discussion of the process to achieve our goals is necessary.

Resiliency:  The best teams I have been a part of have been resilient.  As I have considered this trait it occurred to me that in club soccer while at tournaments I was often times unsure of our opponents playing level. I would research teams on the Internet or by word of mouth through coaching colleagues.  I tell the cub teams we might be in over our heads even while encouraging them to play every minute of the game to the best of their ability and we'll see where we are at the final whistle.  In taking this approach I have allowed the team to think of the possibility they will encounter adversity but also that we will continue playing through it.  Visualization.  Encounter adversity and plan for it. What will be our response?  Develop a clear and strong concept of what we can control and focus on these areas while blocking out all things beyond our control.

Belief: It all comes down to believing in your abilities as well as those of teammates. Being trustworthy and being able to trust your teammates is the backbone of believing, Maintaining your role and positional responsibilities is essential in the face of adversity,  Resisting the temptation to play outside your abilities, role and responsibilities is being resilient, Panicking and attempting to do more than you are capable of is the enemy of resiliency , Being accountable to yourself, your role, your positional responsibilities and your team is key to earning trust.  Trusting each teammate to perform their responsibilities and helping them to put things right in the face of adversity instead of attempting to play hero ball by stepping outside of your own abilities and role is key. Instilling confidence and belief in one another is much preferred over trying to do someone else's job at the expense of your own responsibilities.

I believe each of these factors have a common trait - decision making.  When we make good decisions about factors within our control, good things will happen including learning to win through being resilient and overcoming adversity.

Mail Bag

Although I have shared questions posed to me by colleagues, friends and readers of this blog I have never done so in what is considered a mail bag format, I thought I would give this a try and see what you think.  For disclosure sake, none of this questions relate to teams I coach.

QUESTION I
This first question actually came to me from a number of people and it pertains to Ohio High School soccer: If a referee issues a red card but does not report make out the report does the athlete have to serve the two game suspension?

I admittedly did not have a ready answer and had to ask referee friends of mine what the ruling would be.  The referee is supposed to file a report within 24 hours of the incident, The school administration is then notified so it can enforce the suspension. No report = no card = no suspension is what I was advised by a couple different referees. But wait a minute! OHSAA covers itself by including this disclaimer in the OHSAA General Sports Regulations; It is the responsibility of the local school authorities to ensure this regulation is enforced. This would seemingly absolve the referee from not filing a report while placing enforcement on the coach / athletic director / administration of the offending players school.  I later learned the referee did finally file a report 12 days after the match had been played. Knowing what the rule was, the coach had already sat the player for two games. Technically it might be the player would not have to sat two games until the report was filed but the spirit of the game was observed by the coach and school.

QUESTION II
You have undoubtedly seen the video of two San Antonio, Texas, John Jay High School football players intentionally hitting a referee during a game. If not, click on the You Tube video provided here.

The first series of questions involved what type of punishment I felt the student athletes deserved. I am old school.  I say they should be banned from any further interscholastic participation. Period. Their high school careers should be over.

Now with news that the "hits" were ordered by their coach I still stand by that and would include banning the coach from ever coaching again.

Plus, it seems possible legal and or civil charges could be brought against the players and the coach.

I firmly believe the punishment must be severe to discourage this type of incident from ever being contemplated again.

QUESTION III
This one comes from a coaching colleague in Arizona.  Robert writes,  "I have one player who refuses to get with the program. While everyone else is striving together he is marching to the beat of his own drummer. When he is challenged about his me first behavior he disengages by looking away, rolling his eyes and smirking. Then at first opportunity he talks about whoever challenged him behind their back."

Unfortunately this is not an uncommon occurrence, It tends to happen more in teams with weaker culture. Regular followers of this blog will recognize my favorite question when confronted with difficult situations is, why?

Why does this athlete do this?

Because he believes he can get away with it.

The student athlete in question here is apparently pretty talented and no one wants to offend him so they tolerate his selective effort and abrasive behavior. There are two basic levels of intervention that can be attempted with both being largely dependent on the programs culture for success.

Informal:
Non-verbal prompt - Temporary benching or removal from an activity

Gentle verbal prompt - A reminder of expectations for the team and position

Assertive but non-confrontational request to change behavior - A one on one talk specifically identifying the problem and expected modification of behavior

Formal:
Official warning - The behavior will be modified or specific consequences will be meted out. Loss of playing time for instance.

Removal from the environment - Benching for game or dismissal from training.

Public recognition of detrimental behavior and consequences - Player is suspended from or removed from team.

These are steps I follow and in most instances there is no need to progress from the informal to the formal. Generally speaking if unacceptable behavior is identified and consequences made clear people are not likely to violate the standards or norms for acceptable behavior.  However, human beings tend to be boundary pushers so incidents of inappropriate or unacceptable behavior will occur once in awhile. In over 35 years of coaching I have only had 3 individuals who pushed the boundaries to a point that dismissal from the program was necessary,

QUESTION IV
Gretchen from Kentucky wrote; "My daughter has been a forward since she began playing. She is a dominant player. We moved to a different club this year so she could play on a stronger team and against better competition. This new coach has her playing as a right defender. How can I approach him and make him understand that my daughter is a forward?"  With a little further research I learned the daughter is a U14 player participating on a good club team.  I'm pretty sure Gretchen did not like what I had to say about this situation.

It is the coach's role to decided positions and playing time. It is quite possible the team has better or more experienced players at the forward positions, in the coach's opinion. It is also possible there is a need on the team for a  right back. In many of today's systems of play the outside backs are expected to be main cogs in the offensive flow. They can be primary goal scorers or assist givers.

My response: Ask for a meeting with the coach. Ask what he sees your daughter's role on the team being and listen to what is being said instead of listening for what you want to hear. You just might find out the coach has an expanded role in mind for your daughter that will enhance her overall game.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Okay, I hope this was informative for you.  I know when people ask questions of me it is a learning opportunity for me as well.  If you have questions you would like answered and don't mind my sharing them as part of a mail bag article, please send them to coachtjbrown@gmail.com
As always, thank you for reading!

Playing Soccer is very Simple

Playing soccer is very simple, 
but playing simple soccer is the hardest thing there is.

Johan Cruyff

Johan Cruyff is one of my favorite soccer people of all-time.  Today's youth players may well know "the Cruyff" but not many will know anything about him as a player or even as a manager.  And that is a shame for the man was a brilliant soccer player and possesses one of the truly brilliant minds ever in the game.

The quote at the top of this article has long been a favorite of mine. Soccer truly is a simple game complicated by ...  And this is something I have pondered for countless hours over the years.  How do we manage to so complicate such a simple game? Maybe more importantly, why do we insist on complicating such a simple game?

I have spent the last few years defining a vision for playing soccer in its simplest form.  To be honest, I have borrowed and stolen from others as I have formulated these ideas based around certain truths of the game.

For example, we know there are four phases of play:

1) attacking

2) transitioning from attacking to defending

3) defending

4) transitioning from defending to attacking

Each of these four phases of play must be acted upon in as simple a manner as possible.  The actions required to act within each phase of play are the techniques we will employ. The decisions of how to employ these techniques are our tactics. Technique and Tactics can be influenced through physical and psychological aspects of play.  There, we just defined the four pillars of play in soccer: Technical, Tactical, Physical and Psychological.

The game itself has four elements necessary for simple play. These are Penetration, Depth, Width and Mobility.  When any of these are not present or exist in unnecessary duplication clutter and chaos exist. Or we might say we have complicated the game.

Within each of these concepts for the game of soccer are opportunities to complicate the processes involved. And boy do we take full advantage of those opportunities!  

Attacking play is all about establishing rhythm.  

Allow that to sink in for a minute.

Utilization of proper technique helps to establish attacking rhythm.  

Toes up / heel down / strike with the ankle bone is a mantra soccer coaches repeat ad nauseam and one that many likely cry out in their sleep in-season. Why?  Because when improper technique unnecessarily self-inflicts pressure and breaks the teams attacking rhythm possession is commonly lost. 

A defender dives in or stabs instead of adhering to channel first, close down second, use of a bounce step and the cues for when to attempt a tackle unnecessarily complicating the process by self-inflicting pressure.  Why?

The truly good teams have common characteristics beginning with why they have come together to play the game.  The "why" in the case of good teams manifests in a desire and willingness to play for one another.  It is important to the members of such teams not to let teammates down through inattention to details of the process - things like having their toes up / heels down and striking through the ball with their ankle bone or not diving in on defense.  The good teammates hold themselves and their teammates accountable allowing for the collective team to develop, establish and maintain a simplicity to their play that weaker teams cannot begin to ascend to due to self-inflicted pressure.  

 

Change the Channel

 

Cross the Lines

Intelligent Effort

I've watched a lot of soccer this month. I always marvel at how hard high school athletes compete.  Rare are the occasions when I witness a lack of effort from individual players or a team. That said, I don't always see intelligent effort and that is often the difference between winning and losing a match.

I recently caught up with a couple of our camp teams each of which demonstrated they were in different places of the process.  The first team came out and played a very solid opening 10 minutes of intelligent team soccer. As the opponents began to settle into their own game our camp team began to unravel. It wasn't long before intelligent team effort gave way to strong individual effort or what we call "hero ball."  The result was predictable and it did not end well for our camp team.

A second camp team entered a match in which they were likely considered underdogs if only because they lacked the same quality depth as their opponents.  This camp team came out and gave great intelligent effort for 80 minutes against a quality side and came away with a good result. They did not dominate the match but they held their own in a battle of styles and wills.

The difference between the two camp teams at this stage of the respective processes? 

I've been giving that a lot of thought these past few days. One obvious factor is the 2nd team referenced has been camping with us for a number of years whereas this was the first year we have camped with the first team referenced. I don't think that fully explains the differences though. Both teams started out well but while one team continued their strong intelligent play the other faltered mightily. I suspect the difference is trust.

Trust in the process. Some will call this buy-in. And buy-in itself can be a process. There has to be a taste of success to whet the appetite. Once the hunger is there the process can thrive and confidence grows.

Trust in each other.  The second team played with a spirit of camaraderie that carried them through the rough patches in the match. They bent but never broke. They were resilient in the face of adversity. The first team panicked in the face of adversity. They were good until the opponents counter-punched at which time they retreated from intelligent team effort to a previous comfort zone of great individual effort. They did not trust the process nor did they trust one another as teammates. They went from possessing the ball to whacking the ball and the rout was on.

I really believe in both of these teams. The talent is present on both squads to have very good seasons. Each team is at its own point in similar processes.  Where each goes from here will be extremely interesting to observe. I am expecting good, possibly great things from the second team.  If they build upon their recent performance good things will follow.

In regards to the first team, I believe good is an obtainable goal this season if, and only if, they can build upon and sustain the level of intelligent play I witnessed them give in those first 10 minutes of of a recent match. It's a start. Can they build 10 minutes into 15 minutes and progress from there?

Next week I am off to check on another of our camp teams.  This particular team just completed their third year of summer camp with us. I was amazed by the improvement witnessed last month and early results are indicating something good may be happening with them.  Where once technique was a weakness they have developed a strong understanding not only of how to execute skills but are now able to apply these skills in a cohesive intelligent manner. They are not a finished product, but from what they demonstrated in camp I am excited for them.

When WE replaces ME.

I recently purchased an e-book titled When "WE" replaces "Me" by Denise Schilte-Brown. I'm not entirely sure why I did and admittedly fretted over having the luxury of spending $10 necessary to do so given our current work status.  I suppose it was the title that captured my attention. This is a short book of 120 pages written in novel form. I cannot say it is especially well written yet it delivers its message in a powerful and meaningful way. It is the best $10.00 I have spent in a very long time.

Throughout reading this wonderful book I was reminded of my son Lance's spring soccer team.  We achieved extraordinarily on the pitch and I think everyone would be in agreement it was in no small part to our team culture we carried with us on and off the field.  Many of the concepts and ideas addressed in When "WE" replaces "Me" we had amazingly stumbled upon. From shaking one another's hands in greeting and departure to caring enough for one another to help each other out on on the training pitch and in life.  WE definitely replaced ME over the course of those 3 extraordinary years and especially culminating in that last year together.  The comparisons and similarities drawn to our own team is not why I am in love with this book though,

It is the message delivered by a women's soccer coach to a men's football coach and his team that makes this book worth the investment. It is a message pertinent to athletics and even more so to life, There are four simple yet effective principles put into play:

1) Positive Self-talk
2) Make Time for Fun
3) A Servant's Heart
4) Breathe and Be Here

I like very much that I have come to incorporate some of the ideas presented in When "WE" replaces "Me" into my coaching philosophy and life. I am in awe over what I have learned in the two short days it took to read this book.  I am motivated with enthusiasm previously unknown to explore more thoroughly the concepts, ideas and philosophies that have obviously touched me deeply.  I highly recommend purchasing a copy and giving When "WE" replaces "Me" a read. You will not regret it.