Attitude. Commitment. Culture. What of it?

I suppose I should have included "Patience" in the title as well.

As I enter my third year (second as head coach) in the Lima Senior soccer program I find myself fixated on Attitude, Commitment and Culture as the areas key to the Spartans rising to another level. I am fond of saying "culture can win or lose you games" and am of the belief this was proven true this past season .  Our culture did, in fact, both win and lose us games during the 2016 season. On the surface, that might seem like an odd statement, but just as technical skill and tactical understanding impact the game so too does a teams culture.  Sometimes skill and tactics are enough to win games. Sometimes it is one teams culture that separates it from the opponent.

I want to be clear that the culture was not excessively poor when I took over the program. If we used Jannsen's Commitment Continuum to rate the culture of the program I took over last season we would find it in the compliant range.




That is, the team and individual players largely tried to do what was asked of them. They did enough to get by. Where they were lacking is in the areas of accountability and responsibility to one another, the team and the program as a whole. One year later we have made progress, but are still probably in the compliant range as a team.

As I ask myself why our progress has not been swifter or more dramatic I keep coming back to the three words in the title of this article - Attitude, Commitment and Culture. I think sometimes we use these words interchangeably and that does each a disservice. They are related and interconnected yet different and unique each in its own way.

Attitude alone is not a guarantee of a win or a loss. I have seen teams with great attitudes lose games to teams with lesser attitudes. And there are certainly teams with poor attitudes that manage to overcome them and win games. Still, there can be no doubting the importance good attitudes. This set me to thinking about what attitude can provide ... or deprive a team of.

Attitude is not static - that is, it must be nurtured to grow in a positive direction and if this is not diligently attended to one's attitude will surely regress.

Attitude is not a substitute for technical, tactical or physical competence.

Neither can attitude alone be substituted for experience.

In short, attitude cannot change facts, but attitude can change how we deal with facts.

For example, attitude can make the difference in how we deal with one another - our relationships with each other.

Attitude can also make a difference in how we deal with adversity and challenges.

One positive attitude can be a beacon shining bright that draws others to it. A team with a collective good attitude can become something greater than the sum of its parts.  And that is what I am seeking to create at Lima Senior.

So, what are the obstacles slowing our progress?

Change.

More is being asked of individual players and the team alike. Everyone is being asked to step out of established comfort zones and embrace growth. This can be an intimidating task, especially if one's attitude is not positively energized.

Fear of change leads to indecisiveness, inaction, drains positive energy and generally inhibits potential from being reached. Fear also magnifies adversity, challenges and problems when affecting change. In the absence of a positive attitude discouragement can gain a foothold.

Energy is contagious whether it be of a positive or negative nature.  So, how change is approached is of vital importance. Positive energy will allow for smoother transition than negative energy will. Those who are reluctant to change may have to be eliminated from the program in order to foster an overall positive energy. I faced and dealt with this problem last fall. There were a few stragglers with poor attitudes who refused to buy-in to the changes being made. They were energy drains to our positive attitudes. They have been removed from the program. More may yet decide to leave as they find their energy, their attitude to be in conflict with the growing majority.

The 85% rule.

The 85% rule refers to having 85% of your team members being either Compliant, Committed of Compelled on Jannsen's Commitment Continuum.  This would represent 85% of your team having "good" attitudes. What I have done is to make a list of every player on our roster.  Not as easy of a task as one might think in our situation. I had 57 student / athletes express interest in playing. Of those, we had 46 who actually participated at least one day.  We lost several to academic ineligibility. Others were dismissed from the team due to disciplinary problems. Still others self-selected and just stopped showing up. We finished the season with 33 players. These 33 are the players I have on my list. Beside each of their names I have written their commitment level in my eyes. I have also asked each player how they would rate themselves. There are differences of opinions - some subtle and others quite dramatic.

Resistant: Complainers. They complain about coaching, teammates, program rules. They are generally selfish and against team goals and in favor of their own goals.

Reluctant: Skeptics. They are hesitant, wait and seers. Go through the motions but without much, if any conviction. Have not totally bought-in.

Existent: They are present but not completely engaged. They give little of themselves and expect little from others or the team as a whole.

Compliant: These student / athletes do what is asked of them, but give no extra effort. Generally not self-motivated. Not disruptive, but not fully engaged.  They neither provide energy nor drain energy.

Committed: Self-motivated.  They will do what is expected of them and then some. Take initiative to improve self and team.

Compelled: The Standard Bearers. No matter the adversity or challenge they are 100% engaged. They prepare, train and compete at the highest level. They are driven to achieve team goals and achieve team success.

In general, the 85% rule states a successful team needs 85% of its members in the Compliant, Committed and Compelled ranges in order to be successful. Obviously all of those falling in the Compliant range would not be satisfactory. There must be some in the Committed range and at least a few in the Compelled range. A balance among these three ranges is necessary with the more towards the top of the range the better. But I would submit there is value to each of the ranges being represented. Can you imagine the disconnect between 11 players in the Compelled range and a couple in the Compliant or lower ranges with no one representing the in between?

Culture.

Some combination of Attitude and Commitment define the culture of the program, team and its individual players. Where program rules meet team goals success if found.  So it is moving forward we will continue to work on our attitudes and foster commitment in search of a winning team culture. That is a key consideration to take from this writing - attitude and commitment, culture, must be worked on. All coaches work on technique and tactics, physical conditioning. We must also give conscious effort to the psychological aspects of the game We must train attitude, commitment and culture until these things become second nature in the same manner as technical ability, tactical understanding and physical conditioning.  This is our platform for success,

Never say never.

It is no secret that after having coached the Lima Central Catholic girls team I proclaimed I would never coach girls again,  Time passed has allowed me to gain better perspective and realize that one bad experience with a challenging group of players (and parents) should not be an indicator that all experiences coaching girls would be the same  These last two weeks of camp have been extraordinary and both involved coaching girls teams. 

Last week I worked with the Coldwater girls team whom I found to be sincerely polite, eager to learn and hard working. They were attentive and readily tried and bought into the ideas we presented. The improvement they made over 5 days of camp was noticeable to myself, the coaches and players alike. It is a good thing to see confidence blossom and grow throughout camp and manifest itself in their play during the Elida pre-season tournament this past weekend

This week I have been at Liberty Center. This is my third year in a row working with the Lady Tigers and the improvement has been startling over that time frame, but especially so this week.  The improvement is evident in technical and tactical ability, physical fitness and soccer IQ.  The girls have been a delight to work with and the team chemistry is at its best since I have been associated with the team.  I was granted permission to coach this team in camp as if they were my own team I was preparing for the season.  It has been a blast! I have thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Good players and better people. Great experience.

So it is that I have once again learned not to deal in absolutes.  The LCC experience, as I have come to refer to it, was not without its rewards or satisfying moments despite the difficulties and stress.  I found it easy to focus on the negatives of that situation allowing these to overshadow all the good that came from the experience.  These last two weeks have "restored my faith" in those that play women's soccer.  Two young and improving programs whose current teams hold the potential for record breaking seasons ... all due to the incredible young women who comprise their rosters. 

Thank you Lady Cavaliers and Lady Tigers!  You have been a blessing to me.  I sincerely hope you have benefitted from our camps and I wish you the very best in your 2015 seasons! 

The Four Elements. No, not a rock band.

As I have conducted camps and clinics this summer a theme has developed during question and answer sessions - What can I (the coach or parent) do to help players develop properly.  I have settled into a somewhat standard response that I will share with you in today's writing.

There are five basic elements that need to be given attention in properly developing soccer players. Yes, I realize I titled this article The Four Elements. I will list the four elements with brief descriptions in a moment, but first we need to concentrate on the most important and sometimes overlooked element - the passion for the game a player must have. 

The Four Elements

Technical
Tactical
Physical
Psychological

A good coach will have at least a basic understanding of these four elements and know enough to incorporate all of them in each training session.

A players technical ability references the ability to perform fundamental skills or the quality of mechanics in the skills being performed.

For example: When executing a "push pass" are the athlete's toes up, heel down and does he strike through the ball with the ankle bone?

The tactical element refers to the decision-making involved in playing the game. The who does what, when and where in game. And maybe most importantly why and how it is done. This includes both decisions made "on-the-ball" and of at least equal importance the decisions made when not in possession of the ball.

For example, before a player receives the ball he should already have made a decision based on data gathered via scanning the pitch. He then decides how to properly position himself to execute that decision before his first touch on the ball. The amount of space he will have to play in will impact the decision he makes. Shoot, advance into position to shoot, pass to a teammate in position to shoot, advance the attack, maintain possession for his team possibly by dropping the ball back to relieve pressure or by executing a switch of fields to change the point of attack. It's a complicated yet simple process that requires constant attention in training. These are all components required to achieve a fast pace of play.

The physical or fitness element of the game is exactly what it sounds like.  Physical speed, explosive strength, quickness, agility, flexibility and balance are all necessary to performing at peak ability. 

Unlimited substitutions in youth and high school soccer might diminish the importance of being properly conditioned to some small degree, but if you want playing time and a lot of it physical fitness is paramount.

For a lack of a better description the psychological element refers to the intangibles a player can bring to the game. Attitude, confidence, mental toughness and other controllable emotions or mindsets that result in an even keel or stability in the athletes approach to the game.

The athlete can train for these things as well. This often includes asking or forcing an athlete to step beyond his established comfort zone to redefine a new comfort zone.  It involves problem solving  and overcoming obstacles the game or opponents present in  successful manner. In that regard it is very much about developing and maintain confidence.

A sound understanding of these elements of the game will help the player (and by extension the coach and parents) enjoy the game to the fullest extent possible. 

Good training session will address all of these elements of the game. That holds true whether the session is an organized team activity or simply an athlete working on his own.  The role of coaches and parents to provide the athlete with the opportunity to experiences all elements of the game as a set as often as is reasonably possible. It is then up to the fifth element of the game, the athlete himself, to decide whether to take advantage of the opportunity he is presented with.  If the passion is present in the athlete he will embrace the opportunity.

I firmly believe the game remains the best teacher. This is when athletes demonstrate their technical proficiency by passing, receiving, executing a move to defeat a defender or tackling the ball away. It is also when they make the decisions that impact the pace of play, possession and general flow of the game - the tactics of playing soccer. Physically they walk, jog, run, backpedal, shuffle, change directions, jump and play the ball. And psychologically they learn to deal with both success and failure with failure often preceding success when failure is handled appropriately,

 

In conclusion, it takes a team environment to help an athlete develop - the parents and coach play critical parts secondary only to the athlete himself. Understanding the four elements will help the parent and coach understand a players strength and weaknesses enabling them to help the athlete address these.

 

If I had to choose one word to focus on in developing players it would be confidence. It is the parents and coaches role to help instill confidence in the athlete.  I often refer to the necessity of coaches to give their confidence to the player. This is accomplished with honesty to praise and critique.  The same holds true for the role of parents. Give a realistic assessment of your child when and only when your child asks for one.  Otherwise, cheer the efforts of your child and his teammates... even the opponents. Do not coach your child from the parent sidelines or when you play with him in the backyard. Enjoy the experience of watching your child play, compete and grow as a player and more importantly as a person.  Remember, soccer is something your child does, but is only a very small part of who he is in the grand scheme of life.

 

 

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What is development?

In re-reading the recent article on coaching to win I found myself pondering what exactly is development. I apologize in advance for what will almost assuredly be a rambling article. I often write as a means to gather my thoughts on a subject and this is the process I am following today. Process is a good word to begin with for development is most certainly an active on-going process.

The idea of playing, in this case playing a game of soccer, is fun.  So, soccer development should be oriented in fun activities.  We often have the most fun when being challenged. Curiosity is a good thing. We explore to learn. The process continues when we apply our new found knowledge to take ourselves somewhere we have not been before. So, developmental activities should be designed to promote thinking, exploration and attempts to succeed.  Failures will be part of the process. Success will be relative, ever changing, ever elusive and yet always attainable.

Drill work should be limited to introducing new techniques and demonstrations of new tactics. There is nothing stimulating about drill work. It is tedious, can lull the mind and cause it to wander from the task at hand as it seeks stimulation from other sources. Development then must be centered on activities designed to promote thinking.

I have sometimes thought how promoting players to think for themselves in sports might be considered heresy or anathema to American coaches. Most American sports are coach driven, after all. Free thinking creative problem solving players are often looked upon as trouble makers or non-conformists in most American sports.  Yet, in soccer ingenuity and creativity are prized traits attributed to the elite of the sport.

Development needs to take place in the context of the Four Pillars of Youth Soccer.

Technical: The skills of the game.  Running with the ball, dribbling, receiving, passing, heading and defending.

Tactics: Player decisions and application of techniques in problem solving.

Physical: The ability to perform at a sustained high level of play.

Psychological: Freedom, Responsibility and Positivity in play.

Each of these four pillars of youth soccer are grounded in FUN.  Skill development is a critical component of FUN.  The attempts, failures and successes found in application of tactics is FUN.  Being physically fit to execute techniques and tactics is paramount to having FUN. Being psychologically challenged with the freedom to explore, fail and succeed responsibly is definitely about having FUN.

I think we could describe the process in a number of ways, but two in particular come to mind. Truthfully, they are one and the same.  First is giving ownership of the game to the players.  I have repeatedly stated my belief that soccer is a player driven game.  Ownership of game occurs when the players are allowed to think for themselves, decide for themselves while playing the game.  For this reason, training the art of decision making should be a primary consideration in every practice session. Player decision making.

With all this talk of development it might seem I am devaluing the importance of winning. I am not. However, I do believe winning should not be equated to a team result in a match, especially at the younger ages. Winning implies a competition is taking place. Competing is what athletics are all about. I am suggesting that the opponent in terms of development is one's self.

The intrinsic rewards of self-knowledge, self-worth, self-esteem that stem from competing against one's self will last a life time. Whereas the extrinsic rewards of victory, relative fame and glory are fleeting at best lasting only until the next game or next season. Where sports are about elimination in a search for the best we cannot allow this to overshadow the benefits of competing against our self to make one's self a better player, a better person.

The Four Pillars of Youth Soccer

When constructing a building the formal or ceremonial corner stone is given a lot of consideration, but the other cornerstones are just as important to establishing a firm foundation upon which the rest of the building can be built.

At a recent meeting with a local soccer organization I posed this question to its board members; Name the four pillars of soccer development.  Everyone immediately agreed upon technique and tactics. Then there was a pause before someone mentioned "conditioning" or the physical aspect of the game.  There was a longer pause before someone ventured a guess for the fourth pillar, mental?  Psychological is the actual term most often applied to the fourth pillar.

Technical

The technical component of the game simply refers to an individual player's relationship with the ball. It is important that players learn to obtain and then manipulate the ball in order that they may maintain possession of the ball. It may help to consider developing technique as empowering the player to solve the problems he will encounter when playing the game.

Establishing the ability to gain and maintain control of the ball is a critical element to the development of young soccer players. However, the end game does not necessarily equate to producing 1 v 1 phenoms.  How the player utilizes his technical skills is more a function of the team environment - the system or style of play the coach / team / club employs.

The real purpose and value of technical skill with the ball is developing player confidence on the ball. Confident players tend to play in a clam and poised manner.  It is confidence with the ball that allows players to combine their techniques in tactical applications for the game.

Tactical

Tactics are often misconstrued to mean strategy for winning games. While tactics can certainly be used in pursuit of winning games an over-emphasis on tactics too early in the process can stifle Technical development.  Tactics are actually the process of empowering teammates to combine their skills sets to solve the problems they encounter in the game.

Introducing tactics  too early goes to the heart of the Development vs Winning debate that continues to permeate discussions on how to fix the approach to youth soccer in the United States. It is generally accepted and acknowledged that too early an emphasis on winning subverts the development of well rounded technical tool sets required to compete successfully in older age groups. 

The development of tactical understanding should be about exploring the relationship between a player and the game itself, not a particular or specific style or system of play. Establishing a general understanding of the game early allows for a much larger range of tactical possibilities later in a players development. 

Physical

The physical pillar of development often falls prey to the same type of shortsightedness the tactical pillar is subject to. In pursuit of wins players may be unduly valued for their size, strength and speed relative to others in their age group. This is a dangerous message to send to young players for it devalues the development of technical skill and tactical insight.

The physical pillar is more about active pursuit of physical activities that produce a well round athlete.  Frankly, this is a major concern in today's world of electronics and Internet.  Kids today simply do not spend the time outdoors playing that past generations did.  Think of the neighborhood pick-up games you played as a youngster - baseball in the summer, football in the fall, driveway basketball, kick-the-can, tag or even hide and seek.  Kids were physically active.

The reality of today is kids are not as active physically of their own accord leaving the coach / trainer to address this pillar of the game to a greater extent.  What we find today is parents paying beau coup dollars to physical trainers to get their child "in shape" to play.  Think about that for a moment.

Another aspect of the physical pillar that must be dealt with today is specialization in a single sport at an early age. Studies are showing specialization is directly related to "over use" injuries that are becoming ever more problematic in the game today.  This physical specialization is not unlike an over reliance on the technical pillar to develop players - it leaves the player out of balance.

Personally, I encourage every player I coach to be a multi-sport athlete even if that means I must share him with another sport or that he takes a "season" off from soccer to play another spot.

Psychological

This pillar is sometimes labeled "mental" and while I understand the desire to do so, I do not believe this is appropriate nomenclature. 

The psychological pillar deals with developing the athletes mind.  More specifically it deals with the natural progression of development in young minds and relating this to the game of soccer.

It is said the ability to think critically does not begin to truly develop until around the age of 10 or 11 +/- a year or two.  Until that age children tend to be fairly self-absorbed. They do not like to share and often resent being told they must share. Yelling at an 8 year old to pass the ball may not only be futile and distressing to the coach / parents, but may well be confusing and stressful to the child. 

It is important for the coach (and parents) to address and coach players on the players level of psychological development.  I like to use the following illustration to help explain the importance of this: With young soccer players such emphasis is placed on developing foot skill wizards capable of taking on and defeating opponents in training only to have the coach and or parents scream at the player to pass the ball when playing the game.  Talk about mixed messages!  

We admire international players such as Messi and Ronaldo for their individual flair and ability on the ball.  The foundation for their 1 v 1 skills was learned in their youth when they were allowed to explore the game and learn its lessons through owning and managing the ball. I did not see either man play as a youngster, but I bet they were extremely selfish with the ball until their critical thinking ability begin to develop naturally around the age of 10 or 11.

Conclusion

Each pillar of soccer development is of equal importance to the others.  While emphasis might be placed on one pillar over others dependent on the age and maturity of the individual this cannot be allowed to take place at the expense of the others.  The eye must remain focused on what the finished product - a player in his late teens - should like. Well rounded and balanced in his knowledge of and ability to play the game. 

Individual player strengths will emerge and we do not wish to discourage this happening unless it would be to the exclusion of other areas. Just as you would not wish to live in a house that tilts to one side, four equally developed pillars are necessarily for a firm foundation of success to be in place for a soccer athlete. 

You may also enjoy a "companion" article Winning versus Development

Playing Up

One of the most frequently asked questions I field concerns the appropriateness of young players playing up an age group or two.  I do not have a standard pat response because it really does depend on the individual and the specific circumstances of the situation .There are some guidelines that can help the player and his family make this important decision.  These we will explore in today's writings.

There are four areas of development that must be considered, evaluated and continually re-evaluated in the course of a players development; Technical, Tactical, Physical and Psychological.

A players Technical ability is often the eye candy that prompts talk of moving a player up an age group.  Technically dominant players "need more of a challenge" than their age appropriate peers can provide them is often a keyconsideration.

Tactical development is tied directly to the development of critical thinking skills in the player. We seldom hear of moving a player up because he is tactically advanced of his age appropriate peers.  I have seen a few young players who would meet this criteria, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

A player who is physically dominant - bigger, stronger, faster - always seems to be a primary candidate for being moved up. A player who dominates at his own age group based on physical ability is not a good candidate for promotion unless technical (and tactical) ability is also advanced.

Psychological considerations I will restrict to ideas about how the young athlete will fit in socially with older players. This is an important consideration as the player needs to feel accepted and part of the team both on and off the field.

Freddy Adu is an example of a recent phenom in America.  Adu was promoted through the ranks at a rapid pace and was generally regarded as this countries best soccer prodigy... ever.  Before just reading his name here, when was the last time you heard about Freddy Adu? His is a cautionary tale when it comes to consideration of moving a player up. 

For the record, my sons all played up an age group as youth players. Sometimes it was because we had no choice. For example, two age groups were often combined to make a single team.  U11 & U12 would play together as a U12 team.  Other times they did truly play up an age group or two.  I relate this to make a point that competitive level is also a consideration whether to play up or not.  It is far easier and perhaps more appropriate to play up at a recreational level than it is to do so a Premier competitive level. That said, the more competitive organizations and levels of play are usually more receptive to allowing individuals to play up.

Finally, I want you to consider what has been lamented as the lack of creativity in American soccer players. The eye candy mentioned in the third paragraph of this article is often punctuated by clever on-the-ball problem solving skills that leave age appropriate peers dumbfounded while the young "star" maneuvers to goal seemingly at will.  In my opinion, it is critically important the candidate for promotion retain a strong measure of the ability to problem solve in this manner. To diminish this advantage often equates to stunting the development of creativity in young players. 

Think of it in this manner - promotion to an advanced age group will undoubtedly force the development of team tactical considerations but this cannot come at the expense of individual in-game problem solving or what we call creativity. You want a well-rounded player and so it is important not to promote the young player based on a single or even a couple considerations.  All, or at least a preponderance of the considerations outlined here need to be met before a player should be allowed to play up.

What do I look for in a player?

It wasn't very long ago that I was asked to observe tryouts for a U18 team of a club. I have known the coach of the team for a long time.  We are friendly rivals on the pitch and friends in real life.  The facts of the matter are, my team has gotten the best of his team more often than not and he wanted to learn more about what I look for in players. Before I agreed to observe his tryouts I felt it necessary to make two points; 1) what works for me might not work for him and 2) I don't always get it right.  With that being understood I agreed to observe their tryouts.

When I arrived at the site there were cones everywhere I looked and I know I rolled my eyes.  I wondered if "cone boy" was here for the tryouts too?  Let me explain.  The club I had been associated with for years had hired a trainer to work with some of its teams. I never met the gentleman, but would see him on occasion at the pitches. He really liked to use cones in his training. One day we counted how many he had placed out in preparation for that days training - nearly 300!  He was instantly crowned "cone boy" by some of our players.  Nothing derisive or negative intended. It was just an observation of a lot of cones being used.

A first glance at the tryout area saw 4 or 5 different spaces with cones laid out for the evaluation of technical and physical abilities. By now I was at least inwardly shaking my head.  We greeted one another and introductions were made with other coaches in attendance.  My role was defined as an observer of the tryouts.  When I asked for clarification on what I was there to observe there was a moment of hesitation. I jumped in and asked if I were to watch the tryout process or was I there to watch the athletes trying out?  It came about that I was there to do both in the sense I could watch the process and perhaps help make personnel decisions on the last few spots. 

Well, alright then.

There were 6 stations set up for the tryout process

1) 40 yard dash
2) 20 meter shuttle
3) Running with the ball over a course of 50 yards
4) Cuts and Turns over a 40 yard slalom course
5) Juggling
6) Striking the ball on goal

I dutifully watched the players perform at each station while carrying around a clipboard with a pen tucked in my pocket.  An hour and a half later the tryout was apparently done as they called the young men in for a final chat. After the athletes were dismissed the coaches gathered and began comparing notes.  I listened as timed results were rattled off, number of successfully consecutive juggles completed were accounted for and consistency of strikes on net were discussed.  There were a few athletes that stood out as the "best" and a few others that were quickly eliminated from consideration for having the worst times.  It came down to making a decision from amongst 7 boys for the final 3 spots on the team.  This is when they turned to me.

I told the group of 6 coaches there that I had nothing to add and handed in my devoid of any notes clipboard.  The looks among that group of men were priceless. They ran the gamut - shocked, snickering, angry, disbelief, curious.  I knew someone would inquire about my reply and when they did my response was simple.

"You tested for technical ability and athleticism. You have those results on your clip boards. You did not test for tactical understanding or psychology, unless observing how the athletes handled your dog and pony show qualifies as a measure of their mental toughness."

After things calmed down a bit I explained there are four areas that should be evaluated.

Technical
Tactical
Physical
Psychological

These experienced coaches knew this. What they didn't know was how to run a proper tryout. Eventually I was asked how I conduct tryouts. They wanted to know what activities I used and what I looked for in a soccer player.  I referred them back to the 4 areas listed directly above this paragraph and commented that while all are inter-related the one I prioritize is the Tactical consideration.  This is the one area their tryout completely failed to address.  The players never played the game during the tryout.

The tryouts I observed that day identified the Big, Strong, Fast athletes present. 

What a tryout like this misses entirely is the fact pace of play is far more about decision making ability on and off the ball than it is about pure physical speed. Soccer is a thinking man's game.

At my suggestion, everyone who had tried out that day was invited back to a second tryout session held a few days later. This time dynamic stretching was performed in groups and then sides were chosen for small-sided play before we ended with full 11 v 11 play.  I asked the coaches (5 of the original 6 were present at the second tryout session) to observe who was leading dynamic stretching. Which players were cutting corners or not finishing a stretch completely.  In small sided play we watched the order players were chosen for teams in. Then we watched for the players who most consistently lost possession of the ball. When teams were selected once again, we observed where the players who constantly lost possession of the ball were chosen.  We looked for how a player prepared to play the ball. We looked for players who played with an economy and efficiency of touches. Did a player receive with hips open to the field whenever possible?  Was a pass made to the proper foot or proper space? Was a player capable of playing 1 touch or 2 touch soccer? Did a player take multiple touches when 1 or 2 touches would have sufficed?  Is the player a disciplined 1 v 1 defender or do they constantly stab at or dive in on the ball? As a defender did they work to make the attack predictable.

The above paragraph is all about on-the-ball abilities.  How a player combines mental decision-making abilities with technical abilities. 

Here's a secret that's really not a secret at all.  A typical player will have possession of the ball for approximately 3% of a match. What is the player doing the other 97% of the time? 

So we also watched players when they did not have the ball. Were they ball watchers or were the game watchers?  A ball watcher typically plays one-decision soccer. They tend to be focused on the ball and oblivious to the greater game at large.  When they obtain possession of the ball is when they begin to decide what they will do with it next. Maybe. They might be so focused on being first to the ball that even gaining possession of the ball is a secondary consideration.

Game watchers tend to be "ahead of the game" and capable of playing one-touch or two-touch soccer in most instances because they play "multiple-decision" soccer.  They know their next play before their first touch on the ball. A game-watchers successful pace of play readily stands out. They appear faster in a physical sense than perhaps they tested to be. 

And movement off the ball or support is not relegated to attacking play. When attacking does a player move to create numbers up situations in his teams favor? Does the player without the ball move to create space for a teammate or recognize and move into available space?  Defensively does a player move into proper support position in relation to the on-the-ball defender?  Does the off-the-ball defender seek to balance the defensive shape? We looked for quality of communication both of the verbal sense and physically. Who directed traffic and did they do so from a ball watchers perspective or that of a game watcher?

We also observed mental toughness.  When a player encountered adversity on the pitch, how did he respond?  I do not want to see a kid hang his head and call out "my bad."  I want the kid who stays in the game and when next he encounters a similar situation has a different solution ready to handle it.  I want the kid, who when he loses possession of the ball immediately assesses the situation and deploys himself in the best possible manner to help his team regain possession. Perhaps that is immediately contesting the ball to win it back or perhaps it entails getting back behind the ball and into a support position as quickly as possible. Either way, I want immediate and decisive action over hanging heads and jogging.  The quality of the decision will expose whether the player was ball watching or game watching in deciding how to act.

The second session concluded after nearly 2 hours of playing the game.  The players were dismissed and the coaches gathered to discuss what they had observed.  Not surprisingly a couple of the better athletes did not grade out nearly as highly as they did after the first session while a couple of the "worst" athletes received surprisingly high grades on their tactical abilities.  In the end, when the coaches asked my opinion on filling the last few roster spots I was able to comment on individual players and communicate to them my opinions based on having seen players actually playing the game they were trying out to play. 

What do I look for in a player?

I want game watchers who place the team above themselves and demonstrate mental toughness in overcoming adversity.

Then I look to technique and physical ability.

All the technique in the world is rendered inadequate if the decision-making process is shoddy. Skill without tactical understanding of how to apply it slows the pace of the game to a crawl and results in self-inflicted pressure.  I want speed!  I want pace of play!  And that starts with communicative game watchers and multiple-decision players. 

Where to from here?

When I reflect back on the last four years and evaluate my performance as a coach and the won/loss/tie records of the teams I have coached I am appreciative of the success we have achieved.  In some ways, last springs Grand Lake United U19 Men's "A" team was the culmination of a four year experiment that saw me establish my own coaching methodology / system / philosophy.  To be completely honest, where I am now is a result of 21 years coaching soccer.  I do not in any way shape or form resemble the coach I was then.

I have changed.

I have become a better coach.

I am still improving.

In 2010 I became the head coach of the Lima Central Catholic girls program.  There was a fair amount of trepidation on part in accepting that position.  It would be my first experience as a head coach on the high school level. I am not Catholic. The then athletic director, Pat Murphy told me point blank "our parents are out of control and the players walked all over the last coach.  And the program had never had a winning season.  I accepted the position anyways based in no small part in the believing Mr. Murphy had my back concerning parents and players.

That's the back drop to the beginning of my grand experiment.  The experiment itself had been percolating for a number of years.  It began to heat up while I was an assistant at Shawnee high school and began to bubble while an assistant at Botkins high school.  While both of those programs were very successful the idea they could be so much better kept nagging at me.  Mr. Graham Ramsay who conducted summer camps at all three schools mentioned and whom I consider to be one of my soccer mentors was a driving force behind this restlessness and undoubtedly a source for many of the ideas I was formulating.  Mr. Ken White, formerly of the University of Louisville and at the time a coach at BGSU was also responsible for stirring the coaching pot of knowledge coming to a boil in my mind.

Those teams at LCC were the first full trial run of my ideas.  They produced the first ever winning season in the programs history, school records for fewest goals allowed and most goals scored. We also produced the schools first All-Ohio soccer player along with numerous all-district players. On the field of play the girls of those teams began to bring my vision of ho the game should be played into clearer focus. It was a start, but nowhere near what I was looking for in a finished product.

In the spring of 2012 I began the second full trial run of my system of play and its associated methodology and philosophy.  The Grand Lake United U!6 boys team was a good group of young men eager to learn about the game.  To be honest, there were a few head cases on the team who likely were with us because they wore out their welcome elsewhere.  It's always been my philosophy to take whomever wants to play. 

I began implementing the same system of play I had used at LCC with the girls.  The results were mixed. We won games and a tournament, if I recall correctly, but I was largely unsatisfied in our performance.  Let me be clear, I was unsatisfied with my performance.  The team had not played to my expectations and that is no one's fault but my own.  It was during the summer and fall of 2012 that I really went back to work studying the game of soccer.  Techniques, Tactics, Physical and Psychological components all came under close scrutiny.  I dissected every aspect of the game I could imagine looking not only at what worked and why, but also studying what did not work and why it didn't. 

The thing that distinguished good play from bad play was the brain. How the brain interprets the information fed to it by the senses and then directs the body to apply the tools the player has available to solve problems is the difference between poor play and good play, the difference between good play and great play.  I had long been a fan of a couple Johan Cruyff quotes and at some point during this time in my life they really came into bright clear focus for me.

"Soccer is a game that is played with the brain."

"Soccer a is a simple game,

 

but nothing is more difficult than playing simple soccer."

 

Both of these quotes address the fact soccer is a game of problem solving.  It is also a player driven game. Therefore it is the problem solving ability of the players that determines the quality of play and directly influences results. 

 

I knew all this to be true, but I still needed to work through the process of putting the pieces together in a manner that was coherent in my own mind before I could ever hope to communicate my knowledge to the players I coached. 

 

As we moved into the 2013 club season things were coming together in my mind and on our roster of players. We won a league title and a tournament or two that spring.  We were a much better team than we had been the previous spring. I had tweaked how I taught the game and also tweaked the roster.  Still, I was not satisfied.  Our on-field decision making left a lot to be desired at times. We still allowed both the ball and the opponent to dictate the game to us far too often for my liking.  

 

It was while watching my son, Lance, play for Shawnee in the fall of 2013 that he final discoveries for this step of the process came brilliantly into focus. The coaching staff at Shawnee was the same as when I left it. I am unclear to this day on whether the quality of coaching had devolved or simply grown stale, but it was painfully obvious the coaches controlled the game.  Ingenuity, cleverness, deviousness were all discouraged when players encountered problems to be solved on the pitch.  The team was dreadfully predictable and therefore relatively easy to play against.

 

I had sought out unpredictability and creativity in both individual and collective play from every crack and corner I could find to little or no avail. Well, at least to an unsatisfactory extent.  This is when I fully realized the importance of just letting the players play. 

 

I had encouraged interchangeability of positions of the field for years.  This had never come to full fruition or at least not to the degree held in my vision for the game.  Why?  If you are a regular reader of this blog you will appreciated "why" being my favorite question. Somewhere in this journey the idea of re-training the brain or how we think about soccer had taken root and began to flourish. First in my own mind, then in the minds of the players I coached. 

 

Once again, I tweaked our roster and then subtly tweaked how we went about preparing to play.  Previous success and the roster tweaks I mentioned resulted in us fielding both an "A" and a "B" team for play in spring of 2014.  Both teams proved to be very successful in their own rights.  

 

The "A" team came as close to playing total soccer - complete interchangeability amongst field players - as any team I have ever coached.  They were dynamic on both sides of the ball. They call soccer The Beautiful Game and these men played it beautifully.   

 

The "B" team had the talent of an average high school team which normally spells trouble when playing club soccer.  These men got their collective heads handed to then the first couple of times out and then begin to gel into what would become a good club team.  They finished with a .500 record and defeated some good teams along the way.

 

Both of these teams discovered who they were as individual players and collectively as a team through the experience and confidence gained by being allowed to make their own decisions on the pitch.  I provided a defensive shape and basic cues or keys for utilizing the tools (skills & tactics) they possessed. The attack was free flowing with the resonating premise of space and pace being the only guideline.   The players took it from there. Did they ever!

 

So, as I watched my son, Lance, play his final season for Shawnee this fall I was disheartened to witness their struggles. However, not only did their struggles serve to reinforce the soundness of my approach to coaching it also highlighted the weaknesses of what I have done over the last 5 years leaving me to wonder, where to from here?

 

I often watch a training exercise or a warm up activity and wonder the purpose of it.  I believe everything we do should be functional - preparation to train or play the game.  What I have realized is in concentrating on the mental aspects of play I have not brought proper functional emphasis to other components of play. 

 

I always have a pad and pencil with me. I also use the notes and camera / video functions on my phone. Some people I know like to comment on this. A couple of them ridicule me for it.  But if you attend class or a business meeting you ... take notes, do you not?  Well, my journals, pictures, videos are providing the data for where we go from here.  Lot's of ideas.  The excitement is building within me.  I want to take our proven formula and all these ideas for improving it back to the high school ranks next fall.  That's where from here.

Four Phases of Development. Part I

This will be a four part series looking at the development phases for youth soccer. I believe one of the priorities in coaching is to prepare those who wish to move on to a higher level to do so. It is with that premise in mind that I write today. I am going to look at a microcosm of the overall developmental process - U6 through U19 or Kindergarten through the end of high school. So, the end game here would be to prepare an athlete to play in college or professionally.

Romance - a feeling of excitement and mystery that results in one wanting to explore further.

The ages of 5 through 9 years of age are when the game is introduced and the love affair begins.

These are the technical or foundational years. It is important for young players to enjoy this phase of development. There should be an abundance of opportunities for everyone to experience scoring a goal and making a great save. Rotating players through all positions is not an option, it is an absolute necessity. This is the best way to develop individual skills under the pressure of space, time and an opponent with the aim of not only teaching and developing technique but also increasing the speed and comfort level at which the technique can be proficiently performed.

Receiving - The player's first touch on the ball. Inside, outside, sole and top of the foot. Thigh, chest head. Begin stationary but as soon as possible make it practical. Receive by checking to the ball, by being sideways on.

Shielding - The ability to maintain possession while under pressure by lowering the center of gravity and utilizing short share movements such as spins, change of direction and change of pace to gain separation from an opponent.

Dribbling - The ability to run with the ball.

Footwork - Moves to beat an opponent.

Combining Dribbling and Footwork to maintain possession while defeating an opponent.

Passing - The ability to accurately convey the ball to a teammate with appropriate pace. Inside of the foot push pass, outside of the foot flick, laces drive, heading the ball.

Contain - The ability to be patient on defense. Stay in front of the ball carrier to slow forward progress of the attack.

Force - The ability to take options away from a ball carrier and make him predictable thereby allowing your teammates to easily provide defensive help.

Tackling - Teach the cues for when it is appropriate to tackle as well as the proper technique for doing so. Do NOT attempt to tackle when the ball is between the ball carriers feet. Stay BIG when tackling. Do not dive in, stab or turn sideways.

Tactics in this developmental phase should have a heavy emphasis on 1 v 1 situations with appropriate attacking and defending emphasis. 

Small group tactics should be limited to 2 v 1, 2 v 2, 3 v 1, 3 v 2, 3 v 3, 4 v 1, 4 v 2, 4 v 3 and 4 v 4.  Remember when working on attacking in small groups the attackers should begin numbers up and work towards competing at even numbers. The same holds true when working on defending in small groups.  Defenders should defend with numbers up and work towards defending with even numbers.

* This is extremely important. As playesr advance in age and development they will learn to look for, create and utilize numerical advantages in games. It is best to begin playing in those conditions ASAP.

Positions - Players in this initial development phase must play a variety of positions This is the only way to develop an awareness for the  game in its entirety. Emphasis must be on developing an understanding of all principles of play and exposing the player to the total game.

Physical Training - Any and all fitness work at these ages should be done with the ball.  It should also be done with partners or in small groups whenever possible. Playing the game is enough, but make sure the practice activities or games have a large emphasis on FUN!  Lot's of competition, scoring and blocking of shots.

Psychological Training - Keep it FUN!  Encourage players to explore the game to their fullest ability. Allow and encourage players to make their own decisions on and off the ball. Praise effort.  Mistakes are okay. Mistakes are learning opportunities. Kids are expert game players. They learn from mistakes. They go back to the start and work their way through the process until they advance to the next level. Trust them to learn from the mistakes they make on the pitch and praise them like crazy when they do.

The Game - If we are truly focused on developing players and not winning games, these age groups should play 4 v 4 without goalkeepers or 5 v 5 with goalkeepers included.  There are 4 basic elements to the game of soccer - Penetration, depth, width and mobility.  4 v 4 covers all of these without duplication.  There is no clutter to the 4 v 4 game. The problems encountered will be in their simplest form and the decisions to be made will not be complicated by excess.

For a number of reasons local leagues will play games at 6 v 6, 7 v 7, 8 v 8.  These are recognized as acceptable if not optimum numbers for play for the 5 - 9 years of age groups. Anything more than 8 v 8 is frowned upon as unacceptable and even a disservice to the youth.

1-4-2-3-1 The Role of the Goalkeeper.

As promised, I will be writing on the roles for various positions within a 1-4-2-3-1 and 1-4-1-4-1 formations.  A teaching moment to begin today's writing: the correct way to designate a formation is to begin with the number 1 as the first in the sequence.  Many, perhaps most, times we will see a formation designation that omits the goalkeeper: 4-2-3-1 for instance.  Since I will be referring to positions both by name and the number designation they have traditionally had, I will make it a point of emphasis to refer to the goalkeeper as the #1 position and the formation as either 1-4-2-3-1 or 1-4-1-4-1.

Also a word on the two designations for the formation under discussion. I view them as a single formation that takes on a couple of different looks. Since I believe a formational alignment is nothing more than a starting point this makes perfect sense. In fact, I would caution not to get overly caught  up in numerical descriptions of formations. A teams shape in the run of play is far more important and our team shape will change and shift based in large part on how the center midfielder labeled with #8 is deployed and utilized, but more on that in future writings.

The goalkeeper is these formations and the accompanying systems of play must play as a Sweeper / Keeper.  His is a blended role necessitating the ability to play both with his hands and with his feet. We will look at four man areas sweeper / keepers must be proficient in; technical, tactical, physical and psychological. Each hold equal importance in the role of the sweeper / keeper.

The GK must be technically proficient in playing the ball with both his hands and his feet. The quality of first touch with both hands and feet must be excellent. A ball not fielded cleanly serves a rebound to the opponents.  A misplayed ball with the feet can lead directly to a goal.

Once in possession of the ball the GK becomes the first attacker. He must be able to distribute the ball with both his hands and his feet.  He must be technical excellent, comfortable and confident in each type of distribution; roll, throw, push pass, laces drive, drop kick and punt.

Tactical considerations include playing without and with the ball.  I put those in that specific order because playing without the ball is preparation for playing with the ball.  Being in support of or backing up the backs is the GK's first role. He must be well positioned to field opponents through balls with his feet and hands. Quick decisive decisions making and flawless execution are predicated on being properly positioned based on reading the game accurately. He must command and dominate the penalty area and most especially the goal box. These are his domain and intruders - the ball and opponents - are not welcomed.

From a physical standpoint GK's need to possess strength, explosiveness and quickness. Soccer is a physical game and goalkeepers in particular can find themselves in physical confrontations with opponents where they are susceptible to collisions while focusing on playing the ball with their hands. Strong yet soft sure hands are a must. Explosiveness in changing directions and elevating to play high balls should be a prerequisite.  Quickness is far more important than speed. The best goalkeepers both anticipate (read the game) and possess quick reactions to unexpected clever payer by opponents and deflections.

The true strength of the goalkeeper position is found in psychology necessary to play the position. The Sweeper / Keeper must have a commanding presence exuding confidence and assurance. Courage is extremely important in his role as the last defender. The ability to organize, lead and communicate is vital.  The one trait I prize as highly as any is the ability to give steady consistent emotional performance. A Sweeper / Keeper cannot afford to get too high or too low. He must be the rock that his defense is built on.

Tomorrow we will continue exploring the spine of the formation.  The spine are those players whose starting position designated in a formation are centrally located.  The center backs, the midfielders and the striker. I intend to take these out of order from that which I have just presented them and move straight to the #6 position - the DM or HM or as I have begun referring to it, the linking midfielder.