Writing and Reading - the beat goes on.

By my standards ... we had a bad season. And just like after a poor performance in a game, I am champing at the bit to get right back out there to put things right. The self-evaluation is on-going and will be until I can get back to working with this team.  Hungry? I'm starving! And surviving on leftovers right now.  Leftovers in terms of reading through notes on past seasons.  I write and read and re-read constantly.  Reading and writing are two of my favorite pastimes.  They have proven to be both cathartic and educational throughout my life. This is certainly the case this off-season.

What I am discovering ... or remembering ... is I have been here before. It has been awhile, fore sure, but nonetheless I have traveled this path before.  There is some solace in this. There is some frustration in this.  Two main themes have emerged (as they always do).  First is to focus on what I could and can control. Secondly, ask and answer the question "why?".  

Did I do a good job with what I could control? For the most part, I believe I did. Yes, that response indicates there was room for improvement in some areas. For me recognition and flexibility are key words in this process. I took some things for granted and therefore was slow to respond. I am coming to believe I was also too ridged in my consideration of the best formation and systems of play for this team.  In fact, where I once believed I was on the cutting edge in terms of formation and systems of play in local high school soccer I now realize this is no longer true. I allowed myself to become comfortable in success.

The past couple of seasons I have not been pleased with the defense played by my teams. Where my teams were once feared because of our vaunted defense we were now average at best.  I approached this from a fundamentals standpoint - we went back to basics and drilled the basics.  Some improvements were made but it seemed like opponents capitalized on every single mistake we made. Something was amiss and I was blind to what it was.

My teams have played with 4 in the back since the late 1990's.  It worked because of the prevalence of 3 forward systems. In today's high school game the preponderance of systems we face have 2 forwards and occasionally only one forward.  Four in the back is unnecessary. In fact, I am coming to the realization 4 in the back has contributed to our defensive woes these last couple of seasons.  If a defender has no one to pressure he is in a supporting role. Four in the back saw a redundancy in supporting roles and a decrease in concentration levels in those filling non-direct support. In a sense we were lulled to sleep by a false sense of security.  it turns out this impacted our effectiveness on both defense and offense.

So it is that in addition to reviewing and analyzing my own teams' performance I have gone back to analyzing the high school game in general.  Next years team will play a different formation and adjusted systems of play. I'm already moving into design mode on this.  No, I am not going to share the changes I am contemplating and instituting for I know some rival coaches read this blog.  Our readers will need to wait until fall of 2018 to fully appreciate what is coming. Suffice it to say, we are going back to forcing opponents to adapt to what we do.  The problems we are going to present opponents next year are going to be very different from those we have presented them these past couple of seasons.  

What a coach does.

When you look at what a coach does

it comes down to 4 basic things, 

it is leadership, 

it is communication, 

it is teaching, 

it is motivation. 

It really comes down to just those four things.

Is there anything more beautiful than teamwork?

I recently stumbled across a link I had saved a couple of years ago.  Truth be told, I save links all the time with the intent of reviewing the content at a later point in time. Sometimes I actually follow through and do so. Other times, not so much. And then there invariably comes the moment when I decide I need to clear old links out. While doing just this I rediscovered this link I had titled TEAMWORK.  I found a shorter version of the original. Go ahead and take a look.

I think what makes this work is the range of ages participating. It looks to me the youngest are perhaps 10 years of age while the oldest are perhaps in their 60's?  I've watched other clips of this group as well and they are all outstanding.

When I consider the near complete lack of ego that must be present to make this work so beautiful I can only admire and be a bit jealous of the commitment and selflessness in evidence. 162 people of all ages working collectively towards a common goal!  The product is beyond beautiful, whatever beyond beautiful might be.

Like being welcomed into Heaven.

A fuller version with a bit more background.

A choir with roles and responsibilities being seamlessly fulfilled!  I wish for my teams to aspire to such greatness in their teamwork. A sense of community.  A sense of oneness.  One heartbeat in pursuit of a common goal.  Wow!

The Second Team

In my day they were called second string. Second team, second unit, it doesn't really matter what the designation for these players is.  What is important is the vital role these players play on winning teams.

There can be no question starters play a key role in a teams performance, but so too does a team's substitutes. Players on the second unit may not often be directly responsible for winning goals, but they also cannot be responsible for allowing game winning goals. 

So what do substitutes need to bring to their teams when their chance to play comes?

Being fair.

There invariably comes a time each season when a player will have a conflict with the soccer schedule and some other aspect of his life. This is true in both club and high school soccer.  As a young soccer coach, having a player miss practice time or a match to attend some other activity was very frustrating for me. Not only that, when such an incident would happen it created some very difficult situations to deal with. I have very specific rules for what is to be considered an excused or unexcused absence.  In either case, the athlete risks losing his starting or rotational position.

I freely acknowledge that parents loath this stance I take in regards to absences. Each year I seem to have a discussion with parents of a player who will miss practice and or games about losing their place in the lineup or rotation. The parents invariably feel I am punishing the player for attending the non-soccer activity.  A few years ago a parent went so far as to suggest I was being vindictive for the player being disloyal to the soccer team. This is absolutely untrue!  Unfortunately the emotional level was heated and the parent did not want to listen to the rest of the story.  It wasn't for almost two weeks later until I had the opportunity to fully explain the TEAM perspective of the players absence.

Yes, players do lose their starting spots and or rotational position when they choose another activity over soccer. However, this is not a punishment levied against them for having done so. Absolutely not!  Someone has to move into the starting lineup or rotational position in the absence of the player.  In fact, if a non-starter rotational player becomes the starter, this then creates an opening for a new player to enter the playing rotation, does it not?  Someone(s) is going to take the minutes of the missing player.

I consider the new starter to be receiving a reward for being present. I consider the new player entering the rotation to being rewarded with an opportunity to make his mark.

The player who chose to miss time with the soccer team should hold no expectation whatsoever that his place will be held for him. If the replacement player performs well, he will continue to enjoy the rewards of both his effort and loyalty to the team.  The player who missed time will be provided every opportunity to regain a starting position or a position in the rotation, but he will not be given anything including the spot in the lineup or rotation he voluntarily relinquished.

When a player and or parent complain it's not fair for the player to lose his spot for missing soccer activities, I ask if it is fair for the player who assumed the missing players role to lose his new spot in light of his being present to seize the opportunity?

It is all about being fair.

Only too often fairness is only considered from one side while other perspectives are not considered or are ignored.

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!

Let's discuss TRUST

On May 10, 2017 I sustained an injury at work.  The attending physician put me off work pending an MRI to discover the full extent of the injury.  I've been waiting for the Workers Compensation process to play itself out ever since.  The down time has provided ample opportunity to think about and analyze various aspects of my life. I have rediscovered a recurring theme -TRUST.

My twitter profile (Timotheus @TJBrown6083) includes the following:  Trust is the glue of life, the most essential ingredient in effective communication. Trust is the foundational principle that holds all relationships together.

I believe this to be true.

The job I had was working as a 1 on 1 aide with a 6 1/2 year old boy with severe developmental and behavioral issues.  The behavioral issues being so bad they usually precluded any attempt to work with him on developmental issues. I only shared 4 days with the young lad before the injury prevented me from working but in that time (and since) the lasting impression I had was one of TRUST.  That is, the student could not be trusted. More importantly, the student did not trust anybody.

We shall call the student, "Addison".

When I arrived for my first day of working with Addison I felt isolated from everything going on around me. In a classroom of developmentally and behaviorally challenged students I was not provided a list of classroom rules and was given only the merest of expectations.  I found the space Addison and I would work from to be isolated from all other students, the classroom teacher and other aide. Addison did not even have a proper desk as the other students did. I was most curious about this isolation and determined to be open minded about what I was observing.  Another way to state this would be to say I wasn't sure who or what to trust.

My welcome into the classroom by the other adults was cold.  Not even an introduction to provide me the names of the adults I would be working with. It was basically, "this is your space. Here's a binder and a few books Addison can work on" and that was it. Well, okay then. I was going to have to learn on the fly which means I would be making a lot of mistakes.  I'm good with that. Mistakes are a great way to learn.  I have written articles posted on this blog about the value of making and learning from mistakes. Mistakes do not intimidate me. I embrace mistakes. I learn from mistakes.  I move on from mistakes.

The challenge working with "Addison" presented was gaining his trust. This is not unlike working with a new soccer team. Establishing trust is the first step. Building a working relationship based on trust is the next step.  Honesty is paramount to developing trust. We have to be able to trust the communication we have with others. That's where relationship building begins ... and can end.

To be perfectly honest, the relationship I had with the school system in terms of non-coaching employment was in distress.  I had tried to obtain a full-time position, any position, for several months. Bus driver, cook, custodian, grounds, paraprofessional, substitute work, any number of administrative jobs to no avail. Communication from the school system was inconsistent at best and at its worst was downright deceitful.  It wasn't until 6-7 months into the process that I began to figure out how to play their game. Then, I was "hired" on three different occasions without the school actually following through and awarding me a position. Internal politics and union contracts seemed to play a strong role. Regardless, a lack of effective communication from the school to me regarding these situations was eroding my trust in them.

I relate this not as sour grapes. It was what it was, but what it was was not good.  I had the distinct impression I was awarded the one on one position with Addison with great reluctance on the part of the supervisor.  They had no one else to work with him. I was the last gasp to get them through the school year.  I feel I was treated accordingly. All this went into building a relationship with Addison.

Addison was isolated in the classroom. Physically he sat apart from everyone else.  Addison was also isolated developmentally as he was a minimum of 2-3 years behind his classmates. Addison was isolated at lunch as we were forced to sit by ourselves at a table away from everyone else. Addison and I even rode the bus to and from school by ourselves. This child was alone. In that, we were alone together.

Addison and I built a rapport fairly quickly.  He tested me to see what limits I would set. We got in trouble together when my limits did not mesh with the established classroom limits. How was I to know what those limits were without communication from the teacher or other aide?  These became bonding moments for Addison and I. We got in trouble together. We took the consequences and moved on, together.  How I responded to adversity became important to Addison and he usually followed my lead.

At the end of that first (and only) week (due to injury) with Addision I was informed it was the best week he had had all school year. This was attributed to my being a man.  A backhanded compliment, I suppose. I was also dressed down for not following classroom rules and not being a team player.  I took the criticism even while thinking of how difficult it was to be a team player without knowing the team members, their goals, their mission, their system of play and most specifically what my exact role was supposed to be. Lack of effective communication had scuttled my ability to be a team player.

So, last fall was my first year as head coach at the school. We achieved the best record in many a year and people took notice.  I was not satisfied due to believing we had left as many as 4 wins on the field. Instead of 10-4-3 I felt we could have been 14-4-0.  Why the discrepancy?  TRUST.  Much of the year was a battle of wills from a lack of full buy-in of the system to the changes in culture we were instituting.  Despite my best efforts to define and communicate expectations, roles and responsibilities there was reticence present especially amongst a certain group who wanted to do things their way instead of the team way. On some level, they did not trust the process.

I knew this coming fall would see more of the same unless I cut the cancers from the program. If I cut the cancers from the program the team's record might suffer. So why even consider cutting three of the better skilled players from the team?  Because effective communication demands give and take.  When players refuse to respond to communication from the coach, it isn't so much about disrespect towards the coach as it is disrespect towards the team. No way are we all going to like one another, but we should be able to respect one another. That's what being a team member is all about - the ability to work cooperatively together towards a common goal.  I knew it would take another season (and maybe three more) of turmoil before the program fully turned the corner unless certain student athletes matured and put conscious effort into building trusting relationships with teammates and coaches.

As I have reflected on life while laid up these past several weeks TRUST has been a recurring theme. Just this morning I received a call / message from my father-in-law who wanted to know if he could mow our yard since I am unable to do so due to my injured knee.  On the surface, this is a nice gesture and I suppose I should accept it as such and leave it at that except past history raises red flags. I have never enjoyed a good relationship with my in-laws. I have never felt I was welcomed into their family. More like I have been tolerated to some small degree.  There is a long history of me asking the in-laws for help doing something or other with always a negative response if they respond at all.  If we, my wife and family, seek assistance from my in-laws and expect them to actually help, my wife must be the one to initiate that conversation. If I initiate it, all I will have accomplished is wasting my breath.

Lack of effective communication.

Lack of TRUST.

I have no idea why my in-laws are non-responsive to me. They don't like me? I'm not good enough for their daughter?  There has never been direct communication from them to me regarding this.  I hear things through the small town grapevine and even through family channels now and again but never has there been direct, effective communication and so there is no trust.

An unsolicited offer of help from my in-laws? Did my wife put him up to this? I immediately begin to wonder what their agenda is?  I suspect it might have to do with an offer to pay for an MRI on my knee?  I only say this because my wife made mention of such. I'm not sure if she approached them or if they approached her with the idea. I just know I was not in the communication loop until after details were worked out.  I'm not inclined to be beholding to the in-laws given the past 35 +/- years of dealing with them.

In reflections on situations as the ones related here my mind often returns to sports. This has been the case over these past several weeks. In a general sense, teams underachieve, play to potential or overachieve.  The underlying reason for a teams performance can be traced back to TRUST and the relative level of effectiveness in communication that has been established, nurtured and grown.

The very best teams I have been around in sports and life have had excellent communication and abundant trust.  The most unsatisfying team experiences I have been associated with always revolve around suspicion, distrust, poor communication.  A lesson learned is to not devote time, energy and other resources to people and situations that are mired in ineffective communication and distrust.

We are not always successful no matter the effort we might put into developing an effective relationship. It's okay to recognize mistakes even if said mistake is in the form of "wasted" or ineffective effort.  Step back. Regroup. Find the silver lining. Learn.  Get back into the game of life.

That's where I am now.

I gave up worrying about being accepted by the in-laws years ago because I have no control over them. It's easier on me to limit or restrict interactions with them. I am generally cordial with them and supportive when needed. I control these things.

I also cannot control the Lima City Schools. It took forever to get a foot in the door for non-coaching employment. They are fighting the Workers Compensation approval for an MRI and treatment of my knee. Why?  I do not know. They have not communicated with me. I have attempted communication with them on multiple levels and no one from Lima City Schools has responded.  Now we communicate through lawyers.  I find that bizarre, but out of my control.  I am moving on.

Those truly special teams I have been a part of?  Parkmore Little League basketball, St. Matthew Men's softball, NBC - Tech Men's basketball, Sumeno's, Botkins Soccer, the Grand Lake United 2012-14 soccer team. They all revolved around effective communication and a strong bond of trust forged in respect and overcoming adversity together.

Trust is the glue of life, the most essential ingredient in effective communication. Trust is the foundational principle that holds all relationships together.

When trust is absent, either through being broken or never being properly established, there will be a struggle.  Trust, once broken, can be extremely difficult to reestablish.  This is why the divorce rate is so high. It is why sports teams are constantly trading, waiving and searching for new players. The absence of trust often drives change for the sake of change.  I just cannot emphasize enough the importance of TRUST in sports and in Life itself.

Freedom comes with Responsibility

We must not take our teammates freedom away by avoiding or abandoning our own responsibilities.

As a functioning member of a team each individual player has a role he must buy into and fulfill through his play. There are expectations for positions within a system and for the players that fill those positions.  While we encourage freedom of movement on the pitch we also stress the increased responsibilities that come with such movement. In essence, we seek free-thinking game watchers. Some players eagerly embrace this concept while others really struggle before "getting it", if they ever do.

Those who struggle with freedom of movement and the associated responsibilities are the players who seek to infringe upon their teammates freedom of movement. These players tend to be ball watchers instead of game watchers.  They follow the ball about the field with their eyes without seeing the game in its entirety. Their body also often follows the ball about the pitch without consideration or regard for their teammates. Essentially they steal their teammates rights to freedom of movement by avoiding or abandoning their own responsibilities.

The selfish, ball oriented player, takes their freedom of movement without accepting responsibility for the freedom they have been given. In doing so, they restrict their teammates freedom of movement.   Teammates are forced to "cover" for the wandering teammate. The selfish player also transfers a greater burden of responsibility onto their teammates by ignoring or eschewing their own responsibilities.

One ball watching, ball chasing player can disrupt an entire system of play. 

This cannot be allowed to happen.

 

Play it safe or boldly go where you have not been before?

A ship is safe in harbor,

 

but that's not what ships are for.

 

This is one of my favorite motivational quotes. For some reason it seems to be one many young players need help understanding. A similar quote states, "The game begins at the end of your comfort zone." To me, both quotes are challenges to explore the entirety of the game.

 

One of the great unfortunates of the youth game is the pigeon holing of players in positions and narrowly defined roles. Soccer is considered the beautiful game because it is robust and full of life, constantly changing and evolving. A soccer match is a breathing living thing with a heartbeat all its own. It must be nurtured and fed so it can grow and blossom in full maturity.

 

There was the Division I athlete who only knew the forward position and so spent 3 years playing JV soccer. Or the player who was absolutely convinced he was a forward and resisted moving to center midfield before eventually embracing the move.  One was able to break down the boundaries of his imagination while the other remained in his safe harbor.

 

Players: get out there and explore the game! Do not be afraid of mistakes for mistakes are the seeds of growth and learning.

 

Coaches: Do not be afraid to allow players to explore the game simply because this process might cost you a good result. Look long term. Grow the knowledge base of your players. Encourage players to be fearless in pursuing the entire game. Embrace mistakes as opportunities for player development and team growth!

Sometimes a player's greatest challenge

is coming to grips with his role on the team.

 

All great teams play for one another.

Each new season starts anew the process of becoming a team.  A group of individuals gathers, some familiar and others new, to share a path for awhile.  Will they travel that path as individuals, in small groups or cliques, or will they learn to travel the path together as a band of brothers?

Some of my earliest memories of participating in sports revolve around the idea of "team".   In fact my first two experiences in sports were defining moments for me.  One was a basketball team and the other a baseball team. The basketball team was ultra successful.  I suppose we had the best talent, but what I remember most about that group was how we all got along.  It showed in how we played the game.  In contrast, that baseball team was not very good and to be quite truthful although we were in elementary school, we just didn't like one another. Teamwork was always secondary to personal agenda.  In elementary school?

Yes.

Now, the personal agendas on that baseball team were fostered by the coaches who were fathers of players on the team. Their kids played the "key positions" and batted lead off or cleanup whether deserving of doing so or not. And trust me, even at a young age players detect favoritism.

The basketball team was coached by a former major college player who enjoyed working with kids. He did not have a son on the team. Everyone earned their spot and had to work to keep it.  Certainly a pecking order was established in terms of best to worst players, but also a recognition that each player was important to the team in their own right.

I grew to love basketball and became largely disinterested in baseball. 

As a 10 year old I did not appreciate these things even though I did recognize on a certain level what was happening. It really wasn't until my family moved to a new location that some of these lessons began to be driven home to me.  At the new school I had a terrible experience with basketball. Despite being a talented group, wins were few and far between. This became the norm for my experiences with team sports throughout my school years.  Talented individuals, but poor teams.

Two different other teams from my teenage years really standout in my memories.  One was a basketball team that to this day was as talented a group of individuals as I have ever seen at the high school level. They had good skill sets and the physical attributes required for success, yet they struggled to reach a .500 record. Height, size, speed, athleticism... they had it all in abundance. Ball handling, shooting, passing, game intelligence... it was all present.  They could never move past their disdain for and jealousy of one another. Instead of competing against other teams that were constantly in competition with one another. To say they underachieved would be an understatement and I really struggled with this.

The other team was a men's softball team.  Now, softball was huge in the area during those years. I began playing with a church team in an church league. We won and won a lot. We moved on from church competition to playing any and all comers... and still we won, a lot.  We did not even have all the best softball players from the congregation playing on this team. Some played for their work based teams or on teams with friends they socialized with.  What was the key to our success?  We liked playing the game together. 

That is far different from liking one another.

In all honesty, there were some people on that team that forced me to struggle upholding my Christian beliefs at times. I just did not care for them as individuals, but I certainly appreciated their abilities as ball players.  As individual players some of us were quite talented and others not so much, but everyone was valued as equals for what they brought to the team. Appreciation of and for one another was our most valuable trait.

Now some 30+ years later as I coach teams I find myself putting a lot of effort into recreating the team atmosphere of those successful teams from my youth.  There is an understanding of  team building being a process and team bonding a critical part of that process. 

It's been a few years now that I have participated in email groups with other coaches.  A couple of these groups have had profound impact on how I approach team bonding. I found that some coaches have made a science of team bonding. They have studied it, defined it and developed methodology to develop and nurture it.  I have learned from them.

I am not about to tell you that I can take any group and mold them into a successful team. No, that remains largely dependent on the players that comprise the team. What a coach can do is make the individual players and collective group aware of the necessity of sacrificing individual agendas for the common good of the collective team. 

"Buy in" is the term I hear used often these days.  Coaches speak to the importance of players buying into the philosophy or system.  Just another way of stating the need to put personal agendas aside for the good of the team.  I refer to this as the need to play for one another. In soccer, we ask players to make a run for a teammate.  I implore ball carriers to pass the ball to the second runner - the first runner manipulates defenders away from an area allowing a teammate to run into the space just vacated to receive the pass.  That's an example of playing for one another.

It goes beyond simply making runs for one another. Another aspect of becoming a team is the defining and accepting of roles on a team.  Coaches often speak of starting the 11 best instead of the best 11.  This is an acknowledgement that the 11 most talented are not always the 11 who work best together.  Sometimes a more talented player is passed over for a player who recognizes, accepts and fills a role on the team. This might be a player who sacrifices his favored position to play where needed.  Sometimes the motivation to do so may well be selfish in the sense the individual just wants to play, but the sacrifice is still very real and tangible to and appreciated by teammates.

It's the attitude of gratitude.

Whether consciously recognized or not players on great teams consistently ask of themselves "what can I do for my team?" instead of approaching things with an attitude of "what can this team do for me?"

In this sense, the decision to be a great team is a choice made by each of its individual players. Buy in or team chemistry is a product of those choices, those decisions. In you are not for your team, for your teammates, then you are surely against them. Even one dissenter can hold a team back from achieving to its full potential.  So, what is your decision?  Are you for yourself or are you for your team?

Versatility and Unpredictability.

Our style of play is entrenched around responsibility. We want you to experience and enjoy freedom in your play. In order to achieve this, an understanding must be developed that with freedom comes incredible responsibility. You simply cannot have one without accepting the other.

I believe in complete interchangeability throughout our lineup. A player may begin at right back and through the course of play move to a midfield position, a forward position or a different spot in the back line.  It takes time to develop this type of flexibility, but it is time well spent in my opinion.

Of course, most players have a preference for playing a certain position, but with this group almost everyone has bought into playing a variety of positions.  I have made season long plans for their learning and development. With some we are simply using "their" position as a starting point and working with them on "branching out" to surrounding positions.

It is this versatility that makes our team very difficult to mark in a man marking system. When we are fluid with our movements we can destroy an opponents shape with our interchangeability.  Our player movement does not significantly impact our own shape as long as we communicate and / or are observant of the game about us. We must be game watchers. It is only when we are ball watchers that our player movement or lack thereof can lead us into trouble.

This versatility also serves us well against zonal defending as it keeps opposing backs from getting comfortable defending against certain and specific forwards. They cannot just keep an eye on one or two primary threats because the personnel is constantly changing as dictated by the run of play.  As each player has a different style, different strengths and weaknesses it is keeps us unpredictable and defenders guessing.

Confusing or manipulating a defense is a king consideration in opening seams to attack through. The idea behind this is actually quite simple - Movement of the ball is predicated on player movement off the ball.  With nearly unrestricted player movement, ball movement becomes very dynamic... and unpredictable. A second key consideration is the ability of our players to fill out our defensive shape without the need to scramble back into "their" position. We fill the position we are closest to and the versatility we have established allows each player to know the role of the position in our defensive system.

I am likely making us sound a lot better than we actually are.  We are not consistent enough in our movement for my liking . A couple of our players "abuse" the freedom of movement we allow them by roving mindlessly at times instead of moving purposefully .  They lose sight of positional responsibility in equating freedom of movement with positionless soccer.  We do not play positionless soccer, we just are not overly concerned with which player mans a specific position through the run of play. At dead ball situations we sort positions out and begin again. 

We do grant our players a LOT of freedom, but in return demand they accept a LOT of responsibility.

It is a wonder I have survived as a soccer coach.

The very first soccer team I coached was a group of U6 boys known as The Raptors who went undefeated in their recreational league.   

My training in soccer consisted of a brief lecture given by the local high school coach and a few handouts explaining basic rules and restarts. We were given 4 practices before a season of 10 games began and were told it would be a good idea to hold a pizza party at the end of the season to pass out trophies.

I used the four practices to teach kickoffs, throw-ins, goal kicks and corner kicks. 

On the first game day, I put the players in a 1-3-3-2 formation for no other reason than that is what the high school coach recommended. We proceeded to thrash the opponents and a budding career as a soccer coach began. 

What a train wreck.

Great things have never come from comfort zones

I have a vision of "total football" that includes complete interchangeability amongst the 10 field players on the pitch while they are supported by a sweeper/keeper. I have yet to coach a team who has achieved this.  Followers of this blog will appreciate I am a bit like a 4 year old whose favorite question is, "why?"

This spring I am coaching as talented a group of individuals as I have ever assembled.  By and large they are physically gifted soccer players with solid skill sets and above average game intelligence. I was sure this was the spring I would see a team I coach achieve total football.  It has not come to fruition as of yet.

Why?

Comfort zones.

I think it is a bit like having a well trained pet.  They know the established boundaries of where they are allowed to roam. The existence of an "invisible fence" prevents them from straying.  Giving that animal its freedom back is no small thing.  So it is with soccer players.

As I watch this group of young men play I have noticed two very important things; they have well established comfort zones from having played a single position for years and when they reach the end of their comfort zone they lack the courage and imagination to break through in order to explore the game to its fullest. In short, they are predictable or robotic players reluctant to step away from what they have always done.

I touched on the idea that individual players, when stressed, will revert back to a previous comfort zone in another recent article. That's what I see time and again with this group. When I was coaching the Lima Central Catholic girls team the biggest obstacle to overcome was what I termed a fear of success.  Those girls had never experienced a winning season and as strange as it may sound, they were comfortable with losing. I fell back to my old mantra for building a successful program:

First learn to give intelligent effort
Next learn to compete
Then learn to win.

Those girls liked the idea of intelligent effort for they almost immediately recognized the rewards for the effort they gave increased. They were absolutely thrilled with "moral victories" where they lost a match 1-2 instead of being pummeled 0-5.  Learning to win was a real struggle for them simply because it took them completely out of their comfort zone. Even in our second year in that program when success on the pitch came to be expected, they knew not how to handle success.  They suddenly knew it all, wanted to abandon what was working well in order to incorporate elements of their past comfort zones into the success they had begun to enjoy.  Such is the pull of past comfort zones... even when said comfort zone is littered with bad habits that had previously hindered the pursuit of success.

I had pictured a young colt who found the gate to the pasture open. The colt would race out of the gate and frolic in its new found freedom. Running here and there to explore the world outside his previous restrictions.  Instead what I got was more a picture of the grounds of an asylum whose security doors had been left open while the outer gates remained secured.  Patients wandering about aimlessly enjoying their freedom while not actually being free at all. So, maybe freedom is a relative thing?

In an attempt to artificially break down the barriers that are established comfort zones I have moved players around on the pitch. That is, I have changed the positions I have asked them to play. This is something I had hoped they would explore on their own in embracing the total football concept but it has not happened with any noticeable consistency.

Our outside backs have taken advantage of their freedom by moving aggressively into the attack notching assists, goals and generally creating problems opponents have been unprepared to solve.  There is a recognition their positional responsibilities must be fulfilled should their aggressive play not result in a goal - a midfielder usually drops back in to "cover" the backs position.  That's fine... except when I see the back running back to his position in the midst of an opponents counter to exchange positions with the mid who has been filling in for him.  What I want to see is the midfielder to become the back and the back who has advanced assume whatever unmanned position is closest to him - be that a midfielders role or a forwards role.  Sort out "their" positions at the next dead ball or as the run of play allows.

In a recent match our left back made a run forward. He first looked for our wing to play him behind a defender via an overlap.  His teammate chose to switch fields through the holding mid.  The outside back did not simply break off his run and return to "his" position. No, he bent his run towards the middle of the field and as the ball was played out to the opposite flank made a diagonal run to towards the flag.  Great play!  He had just went from left outside back, to wing midfielder, to forward on the opposite flank in a span of a few seconds.  The opponents, who were man marking, had no answer. Perfect!

At least until we lost possession and had to regain our defensive shape.

There was the left back making the long diagonal run across the pitch to reassume "his" position.

This is not total football. I would have greatly preferred to see the left back assume the responsibilities of the forward position.  This might have entailed a midfielder becoming the left back and a forward becoming a midfielder and that would have been perfectly okay by me. That would have been closer to my vision for total football.

I watched my son's high school team this past fall (2013) with a general restlessness.  A coaching mantra for their wings was to have their "heels to the touch line".  Wing forwards were chastised, benched and lost their positions if they dared to read the game on their own and make an inside run.  It was unfathomable to me that a coaching staff would seek to reduce or limit players effectiveness by making them predictable. In turn, the teams attack was ponderously slow and predictable. 

This spring as I coach some of those same players I am frustrated that when given their freedom to explore the entirety of the game these players tend to stand and watch.  They are slow in recognizing and making runs. They are slow to recover and help on defense. They are so disengaged from the concept of total football they remind me of those asylum patients referred to earlier - wandering around the pitch with no real purpose other than enjoying not having to have their "heels to the touch line."

With freedom comes great responsibility.

With this springs players I should perhaps amend that famous quote of Eleanor Roosevelt to "With freedom comes greater responsibility."  This springs players seem to have the idea total football means freedom from responsibility. This is especially true of players new to our team, but even some of those who have been with us for 3+ years still struggle some in this regard.

I do not think there is anything strange or unique to what we are experiencing. Just take a look at our American culture and society - we want our freedoms, but are wandering aimlessly about even as they are being taken away from us.  A recent study showed over 51% of the people in the United States receive "government" money.  That means 49% of the people - and it is actually a lot less when we factor in those among the 49% who are children and do not work - provide for the majority of people in this country.  Benjamin Franklin warned, "When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."  This warning has been turned around and become the current strength of the Democrat party in the United States. It is a recipe for disaster.

Put that into the context of a soccer team; five players doing the work for and supporting the other six players.  Those other six players contribute only when it is convenient for them to do so. The "team" might have some success when placed in certain situations but will never achieve to its fullest potential. 

The great teams have unity and operate with one heartbeat in pursuit of a common goal.

I'm still searching for players willing to embrace the freedoms and responsibilities of total football.  I recognize the need to refine my coaching / teaching approaches and techniques in order to achieve the vision I have.  In some ways this spring season has been among the most disappointing I have ever had, but that is only because this is the closest I have been to achieving my vision.

This is where perseverance comes in.

There are only two rules for perseverance. 

1) Always take one more step. 

2) When you don't think you can take one more step, refer to rule #1.

And so my pursuit of a team realizing it's full potential through the concept of total football will continue.  I have a deeper appreciation for the role freedom and responsibility must play in this process. My next challenge is to communicate this to the players.

Epilogue:  We made it!   This spring team became a truly dynamic force in the attack while remaining a virtual wall on defense. Versatile players capable of momentarily playing any field position  Total soccer!  Or at least as close as I have ever helped guide a team to it.  We were close at times with the LCC girls squad, but never achieved it the degree this group of young men did towards the end of their season. Opponents were left confused, dazed and dumbfounded. Those who tried to man mark us were left with no recognizable team shape worth mentioning. 

This fall (2014) I again watched my son's high school team struggle.  The new coach switched to our spring team's formation, a 4-2-3-1 and gave the players freedom ... or did not clearly define roles for them... I'm not entirely sure which?  Whatever the system of play was intended to be, it looked nothing like what I have described my team striving for here.  The high school team looked much like the patients of the asylum referenced above.  Lots of pseudo freedom but little thoughtful purpose behind what they were doing. No one, including the coaching staff accepted the responsibility that comes with full freedom.  The result was a complete disaster of a season. They never did get it figured out.  I'm not sure I have ever seen a team so completely underachieve as this high school team did.  So this becomes a cautionary tale - if players are going to abuse their freedom, the coach must rigidly define roles and demand players keep their "heels to the touch line" so to speak.  The new coach did this albeit very late in the season and the team began to play better, but it was far too late to salvage what should have been a 10+ win season.

Eleven Best or Best Eleven?

Each time I assemble a team questions regrading starting assignments and roles arise.  My standard reply is "We have a roster full of starters".   This is a true statement.  I do not keep you on the roster if I do  not believe you can play. As the head coach I will strive to determine the 11 who play best together.  Not necessarily the 11 best individual players.

That said, I do rank the members of the team 1 - 16 for field players and 1-2 for goalkeepers.  Players will move up and down in the individual rankings throughout the season dependent on their performance in training and ultimately their performances playing in matches.  I will strive to start as many of the top 10 ranked field players as possible.  This is where player versatility becomes important.  If starting is the issue, a back up DM might need to be willing to start as a center back, for example.

This ranking of players is for coaching staff use and is never shared with the players individually or collectively. Parents never see it and I will not discuss a players position in the rankings.  It is a subjective ranking with little in the way of empirical data to support it. 

The only statistic I am mindful of is attendance and promptness - a players commitment to the team.

So, why rank the players?

For me it serves as a reminder for use in late in the game situations.  If we are up a goal and need to hold the lead. If we are even or down a goal.   I might refer to the rankings to make sure I have best personnel available in the game. 

The real value I derive from the rankings stems from the associated notes I make about each player.  From the tryout process through the early preseason I will formulate seasonal plans for each player.  These seasonal plans will focus on accentuating strengths and improving weaknesses.  Players will move up (or down) the rankings based largely on how they address weakness in their games.

I will also use the individual seasonal plans collectively to discern a team seasonal plan. When certain themes repeat themselves amongst a number of players, we will add this to the teams seasonal plan as something we want to address.  By the same token, when a strength manifests itself repeatedly in individual seasonal plans, this is an area we will seek to accentuate in our teams system of play.

The preseason rankings are a starting point.  It is the final rankings that I have the most interest in.  Did the player progress?  Sometimes a player may not move up in the ranks but progress will be obvious through the final notes associated with his rankings when compared to those early season notes. 

And, yes, there are rare occasions when a player remains stagnant and drops down the list.  These players rankings and associated notes are of particular interest to me.  Did I fail this player as a coach and if so, why?  Sometimes, a player self-selects.  That is, he is overwhelmed by the talent that surrounds him.  He will realize his passion for the game doesn't measure up to that of his teammates. He will discover that while his teammates have a ball at their foot away from team activities he would rather be playing video games, working or devoting more time to his studies - he has other activities higher on his priority list than soccer is in relation to where soccer falls on his teammates priority lists.

There are times when we as coaches just do not connect with a player though.  It might be personalities. It might be a coach teaches in a manner that does not fit how the player best learns.  It might be any number of reasons.  If we want that player back for another season, we must do all we can to uncover where the disconnect has occurred.  The alternatives are to be up front with the player and suggest he move on to another team or simply cut him from your team.

This brings us back to the tryout process where the final rankings from the previous season can come into play. Tryouts are about forming the best team possible. It might be a prospective new player would rank higher on your individual player rankings than the last returning player on your list. At that point, a change in the teams roster might occur.

A ranking such as we are discussing here should never be the "be all end all" in determining a teams roster, starting positions or any other spot on a team.  We all know at any given moment a player is capable of "getting hot" or "finding a zone" and we would be foolish to grant this more significance than player who performs consistently over a long period of time.

We have also seen the talented player who is a train wreck of a teammate.  While he might rank high in the individual rankings he is not one of the 11 who play best together. 

Team chemistry is so very vital to team success that it simply cannot be overlooked. I have had players who were clearly among the top five players of our individual rankings who we simply could not start or play on the field at "crunch time" because they had no clue how to fit their talents cohesively into the team. Chances are pretty good that would have been one of the points of emphasis in that players seasonal plan.

In the end, I use the player rankings and associated notes as part of my personal self-evaluation.  I identified strengths and weakness in each players game. Did I place the player into a position and situations on the pitch from where he had reasonable expectations for success?  Did I help the player address his weaknesses as I identified them?  From the final rankings and my self-evaluation springs the beginnings of a new season.

What position do you play?

I often think about "Greg" who came to us as a varsity ready athlete as a freshman. It just so happened the varsity had an opening for a wing defender that year. Greg was physically gifted enough to man that spot. Through summer workouts and team camps Greg was worked with to prepare him for the role. He played as our left back during scrimmages and acquitted himself well.  If I recall correctly it was after our first regular season match that Greg came to the coaching staff and proclaimed "I'm a forward. That's all I have ever played and that's where I want to play in high school." Greg spent the next 3 seasons toiling away as a forward on the JV squad. As a senior he played forward for the varsity.I guess he was happy with his decision even as his coaching staff and teammates were not.

One might think "Greg" is an exception, but that really isn't the case.  I see this attitude on a regular basis.  In recent years I have had a goalkeeper who believed she was a center midfielder until it became clear to her that she was the teams 4th or 5th best option as a center midfielder.  I have had a defensive midfielder who insisted he was a forward. I have had a center defender who insisted he was a attacking midfielder. The commonality between all these players and others like them is a "me first" attitude.

Other players are more than happy to fill any role asked of them. Perhaps they have a different type of "me-first" attitude, one that serves the team. These are the kids that sacrifice the position they want in order to play and help their team by doing so.  In exchange they have almost always expanded their game and become better all round players. If one looks at the youth playing expeience of our national team players you will discover almost all have changed positions as they advanced through the ranks. I have to wonder about those who refused to change positions or stubbornly proclaimed they were "a forward" as Greg did all those years ago.

To paraphrase John F Kennedy, "Ask not what your team can do for you, ask what you can do for your team." 

It's such a great quote.  It speaks to sacrificing for the greater good. I think it is an indicator of the quality of "team chemistry" that is present in the individual and by extension the collective team. I believe it speaks to embracing opportunities instead of blaming obstacles. It speaks to an open mindedness instead of a closed mind. 

As a coach, give me the kid that wants to play. Period.  One of my favorite players of all time was a starting defender / center midfielder who when the need arose to train an emergency goalkeeper volunteered without hesitation to fill that role too. "Kevin" worked with the goalkeepers every day in addition to working as a center defender and center midfielder. His goalkeeping abilities improved to a degree that he would have sufficed in a pinch. Thankfully the need never arose, but I love, love, love the attitude and spirit!

My advice to players is this, if a coach asks what position you play, your response should be "I prefer _____, but am more than willing to play wherever you and the team need me to play"  and mean what you say.

What I expect players to see and execute on the pitch.

It seems difficult for many youth players to understand that purposeful off-the-ball movement predicates the movement of the ball when attacking. There are so many advantages to moving without the ball it really is a wonder players do not embrace this idea more than they do.

If you watch a typical youth soccer game there certainly is off-the-ball movement but it will mainly consist of teammates of the ball carrier running in the same direction as the ball carrier and at the same pace as the ball carrier. These movements are usually accompanied by cries of "play me through" or "cross the ball!" Watch off-the-ball action when a cross is about to be made. Typically the potential targets for the cross are aligned with the crosser rather than trailing and staggered near to far.  In the grand scheme of things defenses like this type of straight line off-the-ball movement.  It is predictable and rather easily defended in comparision to other possibilities.

The purpose of off-the-ball movement is to move the defense.  I call it manipulating the defense. We want to move individual defenders in a manner that causes the defense to lose shape opening seams that our team can attack through. Purposeful off-the-ball movement can make attacking so much easier.

Let's look at some examples of purposeful off-the-ball movement.   A forward who makes a run at the backs only to execute a "V" cut and show back for the ball will 1) push the defense back and then 2) draw defenders forward as he receives the ball at his feet. This is simple target play but the benefits can be enormous. If the target forward plays the way he faces, that is he drops the ball back to a midfielder or his withdrawn partner forward and takes a diagonal step or two away from the pass, the defense is likely to step forward again opening up the possibility to play a third man running in behind the  defense.

Two forwards making simultaneous runs across the face of the defense can bring the defense to one side of the pitch. Whether the runs are diagonal or flat to be bent off, the first can often serve as a decoy to open space for the second runner to be played to. The combined movement of the two forwards in one direction across the defense can open space on the back side of their runs for a ball to be played into against the flow of the defense.

When the ball carrier is under light to moderate pressure a strong diagonal run toward him from in front can set up a wall pass or give and go sequence. This purposeful isolation of a single defender to play 2 v 1 against him is known as playing numbers up, something teams should want to do as often as possible both on attack and when defending.  The overlap sequence is another example of isolating a defender and playing 2 v 1 against him.  These are situations that create or extend time on the ball for the ball carrier and when combined with the type of forward play described above the effects on the defense can be devastating.

Simple switching of the attack forces a defense to move.  When accomplished through the backline the actual off-the-ball movement might be slight in terms of those actively involved in the switch, but what of the forwards and mids in front of the action? Player movement away from the eventual destination of the switch even as others are moving toward that destination forces the defenders to watch contrasting movement - do they follow the ball and general flow of play or mark the runners against the grain thereby guarding against a quick switch back by the attackers?

Deception, sneakiness or clever play are all a part of off-the-ball movement.   A simple takeover well executed can serve to change the flow of play and even the point of attack suddenly. If the player gaining possession on a takeover is able to pass to a player making a strong diagonal run in the original direction of play a double sudden change of attack can occur that correspondingly forces two quick changes of directions from defenders.

Introducing purposeful off-the-ball movement can be difficult and often requires a lot of pattern play followed by shadow play just to establish the ideas talked about in this article. Patience will be rquired.  Lots of explanations and demonstrations as to why players need to move purposefully without the ball will be necessary. Any means necessary to help players visualize and see the disruptions off-the-ball movement creates in a defense. You may have to sell  some on these ideas more than others.  Many players look at purposeful off-the-ball movement as a lot of work in comparision to how they have always been allowed to play and will be reluctant to buy-in until they experience success.  the effort put into teaching and developing purposeful off-the-ball movement will pay off in enhanced attacking play resulting in more goal scoring opportunites. And often in better goal scoring opportunities!

Options for Wing Play

Options for wing play  

A wing player or wingers responsibility when attacking is to draw defenders to himself. If in possession of the ball, the winger needs to engage the defense. If by engaging a defender with an individual move the winger can defeat that defender he will have succeeded in taking two defenders out of position as a second defender must come to defend him. This is one method a winger can use to break down a defense. 

The winger can also defeat multiple defenders by passing the ball. If we think in terms of the traditional cross from the flank we recognize the possibility of eliminating several defenders with one “pass”.  It is also possible to defeat many defenders at the same time by utilizing an early cross to switch fields (width)  or by playing a runner forward down the line or in behind the backs (penetration). The early cross can be particularly disruptive to a defense attempting to establish its shape around the ball in a pressing method.  

The opposite wing should remain very wide while his teammate attacks on the other wing. This will help spread the defense out making his teammates job easier. The opposite wings path to goal is through the corner of the 18 to the corner of the 6 to the post of the goal. A common mistake made by young or inexperienced wingers is to move central when the ball is on the opposite flank. Think of it these terms: the space we wish to utilize for a shot on goal is that directly in front of the goal. By moving into that space prematurely we bring defenders there with us thus cluttering or reducing the very space we want to use. 

The Early Cross 

As the wing player approaches a position on the field that extends from the top of the 18 yard area he should consider beating a defender to the inside. Traveling with the ball long the top of the 18 causes multiple defenders to move   towards the wing carrying the ball leaving the middle and opposite sides of the field open. 

If defenders do not engage the wing carrying the ball, the wing should take the shot towards the back post of the goal. If defenders do move to engage the wing carrying the ball the wing should look for a short cross to the back post of the goal.

The opposite wing should remain very wide while his teammate attacks along the top of the 18 yard box. This will help keep the defense spread out making his teammates jobs easier by creating space in front of goal. The opposite wings path to goal is through the corner of the 18 to the corner of the 6 to the post of the goal. 

The Traditional Cross 

When the wing possesses the ball below the top of the 18, a traditional cross is often the best option. The ball should be played across the 18 yard box through the area between the 6 yard line and the penalty mark (12 yard line).

If the wing is attempting to cross the ball to a teammate attacking the near post the ball should be driven below waist high. 

If the wing is attempting to cross the ball to a teammate attacking the back post the ball should be played, driven or lofted as circumstances dictate,  head high.  

The opposite wing should remain very wide while his teammate attacks along the opposite side of the 18 yard area. This will help keep the defense spread out making his teammates jobs easier by creating space in front of goal. The opposite wings path to goal is through the corner of the 18 to the corner of the 6 and then on to the post of the goal. 

The Deadliest Cross

A third option for the winger is to attack along the end line towards the goal drawing defenders and attention to himself and the ball. The winger can then execute a “bangoo” or cross from the end line cutting the ball back across the defense to the penalty mark.  This is the deadliest cross as it is nearly impossible for a goalkeeper to defend against. 

The opposite wing should remain very wide while his teammate attacks along the end line. This will help keep the defense spread out making his teammates jobs easier by creating space in front of goal. The opposite wings path to goal remains through the corner of the 18 to the corner of the 6 and then on to the post of the goal. However, he also needs to be alert to the possibility of flattening his run and bending it off towards the penalty mark to play the deadliest of crosses.

 

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.

Every time you step onto the pitch is a tryout.

This is a point I drive home to our young athletes every opportunity I have.  You never know who is watching you. It might be a future employer.  It might be your future spouse. It might be a rival coach seeking a guest player.  Such has been the case this spring. Being undefeated in our league makes our roster a prime target for league coaches seeking guest players.

The simple truth is when a coach seeks a guest player they almost always ask for a specific player either by name or number. Such has been the case this spring.  Each coach who has contacted me did so with a "list" of specific players he was intersted in having join his team as a league or tournament guest player.  Sometimes the request is based on need and other times it is based on the coaches perception of "best player available."  Perception is the key word here - the impression the athlete made on the coach.  The athlete might have had a career day on the pitch the one day the coach observed him play, but that is the lasting impression of the athlete the coach has.

When a need arises for me to go outside of our club for a guest player I do the very same thing.  I maintain a list of players we have played against in league, at college showcases, at ODP that I would ask to guest play if a need arose. Within the league I know the goalkeeper, defender, wing mid, center mid and forward I would ask to play for us if the need arises. I also have contacts for a couple of ODP individuals we might ask.  These players are the ones that made favorable impressions on me with their play and their deportment in limited exposure.

By extension, every waking moment of every day of your life is a tryout.  You just never know who is watching you.  Opportunities are gained... and lost... based on your deportment and demonstrated abilities.