Bullying in sports happens.
Hazing is likely one of the first things that comes to mind when the topic bullying in sports is introduced. Despite laws being passed, hazing still occurs, but it is not the only form of bullying that occurs in sports. Far from it. I do not possess the expertise to delve clinically into why bullying in sports happens. That said, I will offer my thoughts on this based on personal experience and observations as I provide examples of bullying in sports. And this might come as a surprise but I will also raise the proposition that bullying in the context of sports might have or might of had a beneficial purpose. So, let's get started.
For our purposes we will define bullying in sports as the physical or verbal abuse, intimidation, humiliation or threats practiced by individuals or groups in order to exert some amount of influence and power over others. These actions can be acute and overt therefore appearing extreme in nature or can be covert taking place subtly and over a longer period of time.
Hazing has taken on an evil connotation in recent years, but can actually be a productive means of acclimating new team members into the culture of a program. Forcing the rookies to pick up equipment, get water for the team and carry the seniors bags or sing a song in front of the team are all rather benign and harmless ways of initiating players into the team setting. It's bullying because these are tasks the newbies probably do not want to do, but are forced to do because of their status on the team. Placing icy hot in someone's underwear, taping someone naked to a goal post or the introduction of alcohol to the proceedings are also examples of hazing and the reason we now have laws against it.
So, I believe bullying in team sports can be classified into two general categories; acclimating individuals socially into the program or intimidatingly establishing a pecking order on the "team". In today's politically correct society any form of bullying is likely to be frowned upon. I'm not here to debate you on that matter. Rather I would like to explore the effect bullying can have on your program, the team and individual players.
I once coached in a program considered to be among the best in the region. The teams that program produced won a lot year in and year out. It produced all-state players and many went on to play in college. Then the program began to slide and fell on some hard times. Why? Bullying.
I will point out one case that demonstrates the point. "Travis" was not a great physical athlete but he was a very smart one. As captain of the JV team he was a tireless work and often pushed his teammates further physically than they thought they could go in training. Travis demanded nothing of his teammates that he himself did not give. Travis gave a lot though. He was one of the up and coming stars of a very strong JV team. Travis was called up to varsity late in the season and played in the teams tournament run to a District championship.
The bullying had begun while he led the JV team. A parent of another player felt Travis blocked or threatened her son's advancement to the varsity. Mary rode Travis unmercifully from the stands. Derogatory and offensive comments directed toward Travis that were in extremely poor taste and abusive. The head coach of the program at the time chose to ignore this behavior. In doing so, he condoned it. And people noticed.
Throughout the next off season, Patrick and a group of friends harassed and bullied Travis to the point that Travis decided it wasn't worth it. The head coach and JV coach met with Travis to convince him he was a valued member of the team and would play a strong role on the field. Their words were not supported by their (in)actions however and the bullies won. They opened a spot on the roster and a role on the team for a friend. This was the beginning of the end. Everything did not come crashing down right away. Rather it was a slow slide into mediocrity.
This is a more common occurrence than the casual observer might be aware. Bullying often comes with an agenda. A senior player who feels his role on the team is not secure might choose to bully whomever he views as a threat to what he feels entitled to. The prospect of being relegated to the bench or being cut from the team based on merit is unconscionable to them so a campaign is waged against the perceived threat. The often underclassman object of the bullying decides not to play or play poorly enough during tryouts to be relegated to the JV team.
Of course, what we are describing is very selfish behavior by bullies. Isn't this often the case, though? Bullies as described above are not team oriented. No, they are "me" oriented.
As mentioned earlier, bullying is not always so dramatic. Freshmen having to pick up equipment, wash pinnies, carry a senior's bags - each of these examples could be considered bullying. And it is fact that being forced to perform has caused people to quit a team. There is also a servant attitude that can be developed through the performance of such tasks. A player can be humbled and taught to appreciate doing for others. Coaches often preach to the players the need for them to play for one another. There is also an element of earning your way through performing "menial" tasks. And it would be remiss not to mention the mental toughness that can be developed through bullying of this type. As coaches we must be vigilant that the performance of tasks like preparing water coolers for and getting them to practice does not escalate into something worse.
It's important to remember the transformation Adam Sandler's character undergoes in the movie Water Boy. Bobby Boucher went from a bullied water boy to the star of the team. Paying one's dues is okay as long as in the balance is the maturation of the player into a competent contributor, starter and even a star for the team. Bullying that makes life so miserable for a player that it brings physical, mental or emotional harm to the athlete and forces him from the team and or sport cannot be allowed nor tolerated.
Monday
Saturday
Factions: The Founding Fathers were extraordinary coaches.
In Federalist Paper 10 Madison addresses the existence and inherent dangers of factions. What does this have to do with the world's beautiful game?
Everything.
Madison warned of the dangers of factions and proclaimed there were limited ways of dealing with them. We could deny factions the liberty they need to exist or force everyone to believe the same way or manage the effects factions have on the whole. Madison argued in Federalist Paper 10 that the only viable solution was to manage the impact factions have on the whole and that the proposed constitution offered the best form of government to do so. Basically, factions exist so deal with them and limit their disruptiveness.
In soccer terms, a program must have a strong constitution or culture to deal with the factions that form within the group we refer to as a "team". Two of the most talented teams I have ever been associated with underachieved because of factions. Those two teams constantly fought among themselves. Conversely, two the best teams I have ever been associated with overachieved due to their ability to place the pursuit of a common goal above any factions that existed.
This is where the old "I don't care if you like one another, but we must respect one another" speeches coaches sometimes feel compelled to deliver originate from.
Dealing with factions. This was a primary concern of those who gathered in Philadelphia the summer of 1787. What was right and proper for the good of all the people was the over-riding concern. This led to the amazing order of checks and balances we operate and live under to this day. We coaches strive to establish similar order in our programs for the good of all involved. How we deal with factions is as important as the X's and O's we employ. Maybe more so.
Program
Team
Individual Player
This forms the template for the process of my decision making as a coach. The good of the program, the whole, takes first priority. Next, what is good for the team is considered. The individual player is third on the priority list of considerations. The individual as a player is third priority. The individual as a human being would, of course, take a higher priority. It is important to remember the context in which we are dealing with an individual.
Everything.
Madison warned of the dangers of factions and proclaimed there were limited ways of dealing with them. We could deny factions the liberty they need to exist or force everyone to believe the same way or manage the effects factions have on the whole. Madison argued in Federalist Paper 10 that the only viable solution was to manage the impact factions have on the whole and that the proposed constitution offered the best form of government to do so. Basically, factions exist so deal with them and limit their disruptiveness.
In soccer terms, a program must have a strong constitution or culture to deal with the factions that form within the group we refer to as a "team". Two of the most talented teams I have ever been associated with underachieved because of factions. Those two teams constantly fought among themselves. Conversely, two the best teams I have ever been associated with overachieved due to their ability to place the pursuit of a common goal above any factions that existed.
This is where the old "I don't care if you like one another, but we must respect one another" speeches coaches sometimes feel compelled to deliver originate from.
Dealing with factions. This was a primary concern of those who gathered in Philadelphia the summer of 1787. What was right and proper for the good of all the people was the over-riding concern. This led to the amazing order of checks and balances we operate and live under to this day. We coaches strive to establish similar order in our programs for the good of all involved. How we deal with factions is as important as the X's and O's we employ. Maybe more so.
Program
Team
Individual Player
This forms the template for the process of my decision making as a coach. The good of the program, the whole, takes first priority. Next, what is good for the team is considered. The individual player is third on the priority list of considerations. The individual as a player is third priority. The individual as a human being would, of course, take a higher priority. It is important to remember the context in which we are dealing with an individual.
Friday
Still learning after all these years.
I have a stated goal to learn something new every day. In pursuit of this I often try to look at things from different perspectives. That's never been more true than this off-season. Immediately after the conclusion of the season I wrote a self-evaluation / status of the program review. I have often debated if taking on this endeavor so close to the conclusion of the season is wise or whether waiting on the passage of time to reflect more objectively might be a better course of action. Of course, I wind up doing both.
I firmly believe in preparation being the key to succeeding on and off the pitch. I spent from November 2016 through early June 2017 preparing for the Lima Senior soccer season. Due to real world job considerations I ended up changing coaching jobs and found myself being introduced as Fairlawn's new soccer coach in mid June 2017. I balanced my need to work with my desire to coach. In retrospect, I am unsure how wise a decision this was.
We laid a great foundation for a successful 2017 season at Lima Senior, I followed the Spartans from afar this fall and was surprised they struggled. And at Fairlawn our struggles were just as mighty. Both programs struggled with having adequate time under new direction to prepare for their respective 2017 seasons.
I suffered an on-the-job knee injury in May of 2017 that greatly limited my mobility throughout the summer. I bring this to light because it impacted my ability to properly prepare for the season. Hindsight tells me I should not have coached this fall. I just wasn't physically prepared to do so.
There were an inordinate amount of obstacles to overcome in pursuit of a successful soccer season.
The knee injury suffered in May.
Being hired in mid-June.
The person I contracted with for summer camps backing out at the last minute.
The person the previous coach had contracted with for summer camp backing out.
Low attendance at the summer activities we held.
My wife's hospitalization which drew my attention and energies away from soccer.
It was a recipe for the disaster the 2017 Fairlawn soccer season came to be. My self-confidence convinced me I could overcome these obstacles. I was wrong. I was wrong in part because many of these obstacles were beyond my control.
Even as I have reviewed the recently concluded season I have begun preparations for the 2018 soccer season. Very much on my mind have been distinguishing between the things I can and cannot control. The most concerning to me has been attendance at necessary off-season workouts, weight training, conditioning and small group work. And attendance during the 10 days of contact I will have with the team during June and July of 2018. Player attendance at these activities is in the purview of the players. I can exert some modicum of outside influence on their decision making process, but ultimately it is their decision whether to attend, to prepare, or not.
This is where my personal decision making process is as it concerns returning to Fairlawn as head soccer coach. Player attendance. Player willingness to prepare for the 2018 season. Their decisions on attendance will directly impact my decision on coaching.
To be perfectly honest, we got out of the 2017 season exactly what we put into it. Due to time constraints and my knee injury I was able to put into the 2017 off-season but a small portion of the time and energy I typically devote to preparing for an up-coming season. A majority of players put in less effort and time than I was able to. We got what we earned. Meritocracy in action.
I am determined to prepare for the 2018 season with the best effort I have. I am already champing at the bit to get started. I have an unquenchable thirst to be better at what I do. I need to be better for the players who will be the 2018 soccer team at Fairlawn. I must be better before I can expect them to become better. This is what motivates me. Drives me. I am determined to build a proper foundation through preparation and execution of the season-long plan I am working on.
The perspective of time, both backwards and forwards in contemplation, has sharpened my focus. I have used reflection of the past to glean useful insight to the present and future. I will control those things I can in preparation for the 2018 season. I will exert what influence I can over the players to prolifically prepare for their 2018 season. A meritocracy simple means we will get out of the 2018 season exactly what we are willing to invest into the 2018 season. I am hopeful our investment will be significant.
Tuesday
Doing what you say you will do.
Doing what you say you will do:
One time brings hope for more times.
Ten times begins to build confidence that you will continue to do so.
One hundred times breeds trust that you will continue to do so.
One thousand times means you are accountable.
One time brings hope for more times.
Ten times begins to build confidence that you will continue to do so.
One hundred times breeds trust that you will continue to do so.
One thousand times means you are accountable.
Sunday
Don't worry about a thing ...
Soccer fans are some of the most passionate people in the world!
Don't worry
Ajax fans rocking Bob Marley's 3 Little Birds!
Liverpool not to be outdone!
Enjoy!
Don't worry
Ajax fans rocking Bob Marley's 3 Little Birds!
Liverpool not to be outdone!
Enjoy!
Friday
It's all about the kids until it becomes about the money
If a child wishes to play but is truly unable to afford to play, I make it happen for him or her. Over 4 decades of involvement with youth and amateur sports I have found a way on many an occasion to make sure lack of money was not an issue for anyone wishing to participate. From funding them through a "scholarship" to finding them work to pay for their expenses to digging deep into my own pocket, I've never knowingly turned anyone away due to lack of funds.
There have been a few kindred spirits along the way. Those who think as I do on this subject. Individuals willing to "sponsor" a child or even a team to make it happen for them.
Of course, there have been others who take a much harder "it's a business" stance when it comes to financing youth sports. I have heard, "Can't pay / Can't play" far more often than I should have over the years.
Today, a (former) trusted agent, someone who had seemingly shared this vision I have took the money and ran. After I did all the leg work in setting up an opportunity for him only to see the people who he would be serving become unresponsive, I stepped in and found an alternative opportunity. I couldn't promise the same amount of money from this new opportunity to him on such short notice, but as expected he quickly asserted "the money doesn't matter."
Only this time it did. A friendship of nearly 20 years thrown away for less than $1000.00? That's the value this former trusted agent placed on our "friendship."
After weeks of being ignored by the first group and after alternative arrangements had been made and those plans put in motion, my long time trusted agent finally heard from the original group and promptly broke his promise to the alternative group and me. Left me hung out to dry with a sullied reputation.
Why?
Money.
I gave him $10.00
They gave him $20.00
He felt they offered a better deal because they gave him more money.
But they had $200.00 in their pockets.
I had $10.00 in my pocket.
Today's lessons?
1) It's all about the kids until it becomes about the money.
2) Some value money more than friendship.
Yes, I am disappointed. Trust has been broken. A long-time friendship is in peril.
I will now dig deeper to provide a quality experience for the second group of kids I promised it to. Not exactly sure how with my knee injury, but I am confident God will provide the answer. I have this feeling a new trusted agent is about to enter our lives. I'm not sure who he or she will be just yet, but I'm eagerly anticipating opening the door to discover who is behind it.
To be honest, I recently changed jobs because my family situation changed and I needed to make more money. So, karma? Maybe. I had to remain true to my family or risk losing our house. My former friend? No such close connection. In fact, he will not even know any of the people he will be working with by name. I brought him to the opportunity. I was his link to the group. This is about lining his pockets. Does he need the money as bad as I do? Extremely doubtful. He was all about serving the youth until he was all about the money. Sad.
Saturday
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!
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!
Friday
Wednesday
and -again is back on-line !!!
Greetings loyal readers,
Today's posting is to inform you the and-again site is back on line and the coaching forum is up and running again.
This was the best soccer coaching forum on the Internet at one time. There are truly some of the great minds in the game who are contributing members there. Names you might well recognize if they chose or choose to divulge their true identities. Posters from every corner of the globe. That said, almost all are welcome. Have questions about anything soccer / futbol related? This is the forum to ask on. Members are patient and extremely helpful. And-again has been one of my best resources and research tools for coaching the beautiful game. Come check it out!
** I have no direct affiliation with and-again. Just a contributing member such as you can become.
Today's posting is to inform you the and-again site is back on line and the coaching forum is up and running again.
This was the best soccer coaching forum on the Internet at one time. There are truly some of the great minds in the game who are contributing members there. Names you might well recognize if they chose or choose to divulge their true identities. Posters from every corner of the globe. That said, almost all are welcome. Have questions about anything soccer / futbol related? This is the forum to ask on. Members are patient and extremely helpful. And-again has been one of my best resources and research tools for coaching the beautiful game. Come check it out!
** I have no direct affiliation with and-again. Just a contributing member such as you can become.
Tuesday
The strangely strange case of Thoughtful Soccer.
It was on the old and-again soccer forum that I encountered Russ Carrington. As I recall, he appeared on the forum one day with the intent of publicizing a book he was authoring. Self promotion in Internet forums is probably second only to trolling to set a forum's regulars against you. And Carrington did take a fair amount of flak on and-again for promoting himself and his book. I was one of the regulars who took the time to engage with Carrington and in January of 2003 he sent me a free copy of Thoughtful Soccer to read and review.
Thoughtful Soccer is written as a children's book with a target audience of new soccer coaches. There are fables, hisa's, thoughtscrims, comos, tries and cutesy names such as alligator river and one layer - two layer for long established exercises. Generally, an experienced coach will take a brief look at this book and label it utter nonsense or rubbish. I would like to think I saw through that and appreciated the presentation to be ingenious in the context of targeting first time parent coaches of U6 - U8 players. The children's book approach melded with diagrams clearly targeted for adults reaches out to parents of K - 3rd or 4th grade children. This assessment proved to be a stumbling block for in discussions on the and-again forum Carrington would insist the book was targeted for and would work for coaches of all ages and all levels in youth soccer. This in spite of the introduction to the book being titled "Great News for New Coaches" After all, how many new coaches begin their coaching careers as head coaches of high school teams? None that I am aware of. They tend to at least of come up through the recreational youth ranks before being handed the reigns of a high schol team. Anyway, as those discussions on and-again would (d)evolve over the years, Carrington would insist the book provided excellent methodology to prepare high school aged student athletes to play in college.
Coaches steal from one another all-the-time. It's why most attend clinics and coaching courses or buy books and videos - to find the latest best way to train a team. People who conduct clinics / coaching courses or publish books / videos do so to share their ideas ... and to make money, of course. I believe Carrington's motives were at least pseudo altruistic in the beginning,
What's the newest hot drill or exercise to train individuals or a team? Carrington tapped into this with incredible energy through the presentation style incorporated in his book. Still, aside from presentation, there are no truly new or revolutionary ideas in the book. And Carrington manages to get some of the ideas he does present wrong - his ideas on zonal defending for example. The windshield wiper player is another. Misinterpretations of long established concepts that Carrington would argue are actually new ideas. They are not.
Carrington's inability or unwillingness to accept constructive criticism in regards to anything Thoughtful Soccer related eventually led any discussion of the book and its contents to devolve into very ugly exchanges on and-again. These "Russ centered" discussions eventually led to the down fall of a once great on line coaching community and resource center.
Russ Carrington not only sabotaged his own work so thoroughly that it is now widely ridiculed and mocked, but he helped bring about the downfall of the and-again site and forums as well. His staunch and steadfast defense of Thoughtful Soccer in the face of constructive criticism from some of the brightest minds in the game soon relegated the book to discount bargain bins and clearance areas. That's a bit of a shame for the book is not completely worthless. It's value was degraded by an egotistical stubborn author who took exception to any offer of help to improve his product. Carrington was a know-it-all and completely unafraid to proclaim himself as one to anyone who dared challenge his beloved Thoughtful Soccer. And so he destroyed his own work and subjected himself to ridicule. A strangely strange tale indeed.
Thoughtful Soccer is written as a children's book with a target audience of new soccer coaches. There are fables, hisa's, thoughtscrims, comos, tries and cutesy names such as alligator river and one layer - two layer for long established exercises. Generally, an experienced coach will take a brief look at this book and label it utter nonsense or rubbish. I would like to think I saw through that and appreciated the presentation to be ingenious in the context of targeting first time parent coaches of U6 - U8 players. The children's book approach melded with diagrams clearly targeted for adults reaches out to parents of K - 3rd or 4th grade children. This assessment proved to be a stumbling block for in discussions on the and-again forum Carrington would insist the book was targeted for and would work for coaches of all ages and all levels in youth soccer. This in spite of the introduction to the book being titled "Great News for New Coaches" After all, how many new coaches begin their coaching careers as head coaches of high school teams? None that I am aware of. They tend to at least of come up through the recreational youth ranks before being handed the reigns of a high schol team. Anyway, as those discussions on and-again would (d)evolve over the years, Carrington would insist the book provided excellent methodology to prepare high school aged student athletes to play in college.
Coaches steal from one another all-the-time. It's why most attend clinics and coaching courses or buy books and videos - to find the latest best way to train a team. People who conduct clinics / coaching courses or publish books / videos do so to share their ideas ... and to make money, of course. I believe Carrington's motives were at least pseudo altruistic in the beginning,
What's the newest hot drill or exercise to train individuals or a team? Carrington tapped into this with incredible energy through the presentation style incorporated in his book. Still, aside from presentation, there are no truly new or revolutionary ideas in the book. And Carrington manages to get some of the ideas he does present wrong - his ideas on zonal defending for example. The windshield wiper player is another. Misinterpretations of long established concepts that Carrington would argue are actually new ideas. They are not.
Carrington's inability or unwillingness to accept constructive criticism in regards to anything Thoughtful Soccer related eventually led any discussion of the book and its contents to devolve into very ugly exchanges on and-again. These "Russ centered" discussions eventually led to the down fall of a once great on line coaching community and resource center.
Russ Carrington not only sabotaged his own work so thoroughly that it is now widely ridiculed and mocked, but he helped bring about the downfall of the and-again site and forums as well. His staunch and steadfast defense of Thoughtful Soccer in the face of constructive criticism from some of the brightest minds in the game soon relegated the book to discount bargain bins and clearance areas. That's a bit of a shame for the book is not completely worthless. It's value was degraded by an egotistical stubborn author who took exception to any offer of help to improve his product. Carrington was a know-it-all and completely unafraid to proclaim himself as one to anyone who dared challenge his beloved Thoughtful Soccer. And so he destroyed his own work and subjected himself to ridicule. A strangely strange tale indeed.
Monday
Looking for recommendations and an offer to help you.
So, I injured my knee at work a couple of weeks ago and am under doctors orders to stay off of it until all the testing on it is complete and a course of action is settled upon. With little else to do I have been reading. Not strictly on soccer or even sports. I just finished up A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution by Carol Berkin. Friend of the CBA Blog, Graham Ramsay has also kept me busy searching for out of publication soccer / football books from around the globe. I am happy to announce I have been successful for him with one exception - a book titled Making Teams by Tom O'Neil. This book was self published in 1994 with a print run "possibly" following a couple of years later. The publisher is long since out of business.
Long ago when I first started coaching soccer I recognized the need to become a student of the game. At this point in my coaching career I have a decent library of books / videos and other sources of soccer knowledge. I continue to seek out information on the game anywhere I can find it.
Anyway, what I want to do is to solicit book recommendations from you, the readers of this blog. Soccer, or as the world knows the game, football related books are the priority although I will entertain recommendations of books on other subjects as well.
In return I am going to publish a listing of soccer / football related books I have in my own library. I can make recommendations, provide reviews and or help you track down copies to add to your own library. Sharing knowledge of the game is the best way I know to grow the game.
Contact me at coachtjbrown@gmail.com
Listed Alphabetically
Long ago when I first started coaching soccer I recognized the need to become a student of the game. At this point in my coaching career I have a decent library of books / videos and other sources of soccer knowledge. I continue to seek out information on the game anywhere I can find it.
Anyway, what I want to do is to solicit book recommendations from you, the readers of this blog. Soccer, or as the world knows the game, football related books are the priority although I will entertain recommendations of books on other subjects as well.
In return I am going to publish a listing of soccer / football related books I have in my own library. I can make recommendations, provide reviews and or help you track down copies to add to your own library. Sharing knowledge of the game is the best way I know to grow the game.
Contact me at coachtjbrown@gmail.com
Listed Alphabetically
| 101 Teambuilding Activities | Dale & Conant |
| 2 v 1 Attacking Drills and Exercises | David Goladstein |
| 248 Drills for Attacking Soccer | Del Freo |
| 300 Innovative Soccer Drills for Total Development | Wilkinson & Critchell |
| Attacking Down the Center | Henk Mariman |
| Attacking Down the Flank | Henk Mariman |
| Attacking Drills | Edited by Mike Saif |
| Attacking Soccer: A Tactical Analysis | Lucchesi |
| Attacking Soccer: A Tactical Analysis | Luxbacher |
| Build-Up Play | Henk Mariman |
| Captain for Life | Harkes |
| Catch them being good | Tony DiCicco |
| Championship Team Building | Jeff Janssen |
| Coaching & Motivation | Warren |
| Coaching Soccer | Bert van Lingen |
| Coaching Soccer (2) NSCAA | Edited by Tim Schum |
| Coaching Team Shape | Cecchini |
| Coaching the 4-2-3-1 | Steve Grieve |
| Coaching the 4-2-3-1 | Harrison |
| Coaching the 4-2-3-1 Advanced Tactics | Harrison |
| Coaching the Dutch 4-3-3 | Robert Podeyn |
| Coaching the Goalkeeper | Tony Waiters |
| Cobi Jones Soccer Games | |
| Complete Conditioning for Soccer | Sigi Schmid & Bob Alejo |
| Conditioning for Soccer | Joe Luxbacher |
| Defending & Goalkeeping Drills | Edited by Mike Saif |
| Design of a Soccer Training Session Based Upon the Physiological Match Demands of Competitive Soccer | Coyle |
| Developing Game Intelligence | Horst Wein |
| Don Howe - Super Soccer Skills | |
| Dutch Soccer Drills: Game Action Drills | Kentwell |
| Dutch Soccer Drills: Individual Skills | Kentwell |
| Dutch Soccer Drills: Practice Drills for Attacking | Kormelink |
| English Premier League Academy Training Sessions Vol. I | |
| English Premier League Academy Training Sessions Vol. II | |
| Feeding the Young Athlete | Lair |
| Flat Back Four: The Tactical Game | Andy Gray |
| Focused for Soccer | Beswick |
| Full Season Training Program | Lawrence Fine |
| Games Girls Play | Caroline Silby with Shelly Smith |
| Game Situation Training for Soccer | Wayne Harrison |
| Gender and Competition: How Men and Women Approach Work and Play Differently | Kathleen DeBoer |
| Goalkeeper Medicine Ball Training | Dicicco & Caruso |
| Goalkeeper Soccer Training Manual | Dicicco |
| Goalkeeping Drills | Thissen & Rollgen |
| Goalkeeping Drills: Volume II | Thissen & Rollgen |
| Hotshots #1 Workbook for 9, 10 & 11 year olds | |
| Hotshots #2 Workbook for 9, 10 & 11 year olds | |
| Hotshots #3 Workbook for 9, 10 & 11 year olds | |
| How to Play and Beat the 3-5-2 | David Platt |
| How to Play and Beat the 4-3-3 | David Platt |
| How to Play and Beat the 4-5-1 | David Platt |
| Improve Your Soccer Skills | Pavla |
| Indoor Soccer | Sterling |
| Inverting the Pyramid | Jonathon Wilson |
| KNVB Coaching Course | |
| Learning & Teaching Soccer Skills | Eric Worthington |
| Making Mistakes | Brown |
| Making Teams (photo copy) | Tom O'Neil |
| Modern Tactical Development | Allen Wade |
| NSCAA Regional / Advanced Regional Course Book | Ken White |
| NSCAA Match Analysis Notebook | |
| NSCAA Goalkeeping Level I Course Book | Tippin, Waiters & Murphy |
| NSCAA State Goalkeeping Course Book | Ken White |
| NSCAA Goalkeeping II Adavanced Course Book | Mike Coles |
| NSCAA National Goalkeeping Level III National Course Book | George Parry |
| NSCAA High School Coaches Course Book | Doug Williamson, Jeff Vennell, Matt BillMan, Mike Barr |
| NSCAA State Course Book | Ken White |
| NSCAA Regional & Advanced Regional Course Book | Ken White |
| Nutrition for Soccer Players | Enrico Arcelli |
| Organizing Successful Tournaments | John Byl |
| Passing & Possession Drills | Edited by Mike Saif |
| Peak Performance Playbook | Jeff Janssen |
| Playing as One | Tom O'Neil and Alex Saltonstall |
| Positional Play: Back Defenders | Wade |
| Positional Play: Goalkeeping | |
| Positional Play: Midfield | |
| Positional Play: Strikers | |
| Practice Games for Winning Soccer | |
| Practices & Training Sessions of Worlds Top… | |
| Principles of Play | Allen Wade |
| Principles of Teaching Soccer | Allen Wade |
| Pro Coach - Coaching Pad | Simon & Reeves |
| QuikSkills Folder | Edited by Mike Saif |
| Recognizing the Moment to Play | Wayne Harrison |
| Secrets of Soccer: Practices & Secrets | |
| So Now you are a Goalkeeper | Machnik & Hoek |
| Soccer Attacking Schemes & Training Exercises | Fascetti & Scaia |
| Soccer for Girls | Graham Ramsay |
| Soccer for Thinkers | Malcolm Allison |
| Soccer Guide to Training and Coachin | Allen Wade |
| Soccer - How to play the Game | USSF - Edited by Bobby Howe |
| Soccer is Fun - 1 Workbook for 6, 7 & 8 year olds | |
| Soccer is Fun - 2 Workbook for 6, 7 & 8 year olds | |
| Soccer is Fun - 3 Workbook for 6, 7 & 8 year olds | |
| Soccer Offense For Winning | |
| Soccer Referee | Clive Thomas & Tom Hudson |
| Soccer Restart Plays | Simon & Reeves |
| Soccer Rules - OK | Geoff Hales |
| Soccer Skills & Tactics | Moore |
| Soccer Star | |
| Soccer Strategies: Defensive & Attacking Tactics | Jones & Turner |
| Soccer Tactics Made Simple | David Clark |
| Soccer Techniques and Tactics | Jolex |
| Soccer Systems and Strategies | Bangsbo and Peitersen |
| Soccer's Dynamic Shortsided Games | Andrew Caruso |
| Sports Psychology Basics | Andrew Caruso |
| Success in Football | Mike Smith |
| Systems of Play | Allen Wade |
| Team Defense is a Dance | Brown |
| Team Training for the Goalkeeper | John Murphy |
| Technique & Skill Drills | Edited by Mike Saif |
| The Best of Soccer Journal | Jay Martin |
| The Brazilian Box Midfield | Dos Santos & Reis |
| The Champion Within | Gregg |
| The Complete Book of Coaching Youth Soccer | |
| The Complete Book of Soccer Conditioning | |
| The Complete Keeper | Greiber & Freis |
| The Full Season Goalkeeper Training Program | Murphy |
| The Great Book of Inspiring Quotations | Jeff Janssen |
| The Handbook of Soccer | Don Howe & Brian Scovell |
| The Scottish FA - Goalkeeper | |
| The Seven Secrets of Successful Coaching | |
| The Soccer Games Book | Simon & Reeves |
| The Soccer Coaching Bible | NSCAA |
| The Soccer Goalkeeper | Puxel & Lawniczak |
| The Soccer Goalkeeping Handbook | Welsh |
| The Spanish Goalkeeping Bible | Ruiz |
| The Team Captain's Leadership Manual (5) | Jeff Janssen |
| The Ultimate Dictionary Of Sports Quotations | |
| The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Soccer | Robert G Price |
| Thoughtful Soccer | Russ Carrington |
| Training Sessions of Europes Top teams | |
| Training to Win Football | Wolfe |
| Triangle Midfield | Robert Podeyn |
| Umbro Conditioning for Football | |
| United States Youth Soccer Association Handbook for Small Sided Games | |
| USSF D Manual | |
| USSF E Manual | |
| Usborne Superskills: Improve your Soccer Skills | Ian St. John |
| Warm Up Drills for Soccer | Chris James |
| Warm Ups for Soccer: A Dynamic Approach | Critchell |
| Winning Soccer | Yeagley |
| World Class Coaching: Training Sessions… | Edited by Mike Saif |
| Zonal Defending: Flat Back Four … (2) | Jack Detchon |
| Zone Play: A technical & Tactical Handbook | Pereni & Di Cesare |
Friday
It doesn't help.
Another one from Facebook, Equally as good as the previous. Credit for this one goes to Mark Maguire and CoachUp Nation. The original article can be found here
During the 2014 season, I asked my then 11-year-old son: "What do all the children in the dugout think when their parents urge them on with ‘instructions’ and ‘encouragement’ as they are playing the game?" He said bluntly, “they don’t like it.”
I further pressed him, "What about when I call out some last second reminders just before you bat, you know, the things we’ve talked about during the week and to help you remember what to do?" Again, he didn’t mince his words and said, “Dad, it doesn’t help.”
He then went on to say, “When I am in the batter’s box, I follow the instructions of my third base coach and put myself in the zone to block every other noise out. It doesn’t help me, or any other kid when our parents are yelling things out.”
I was staggered by his confident appraisal of the situation.
I went away and talked to a couple of players from our club who had played for Australia and in the MLB minor leagues. They said their fathers always watched them quietly and never said a thing. Let me say that again: never said a thing. They may have cheered when their son and his teammates made a nice hit or play, but they never put their own egos out there to think they would make the last minute difference to their son’s success or failure in the game.
I saw Zac Shepherd's dad in the stands one day at a Sydney Blue Sox game -- Zac is from the Hills district in Sydney and playing in the Detroit Tigers' franchise. I watched him closely, very closely, looking for any signs of him shouting out encouragement or frustration from the stands. Nothing. Even when his son made an error in the field or was struck out -- nothing. I also saw the dad when he was watching his thirteen year-old son play -- and he acted the same way. He just looked pleased to be there and allowed the coaches to do their job without him interfering.
Over and over again, I read about the players that have gone far in the game and, without fail, the same story appears. The parents watched and enjoyed the game in silence. They let their athletes play and enjoy themselves without putting the heavy burden of having to please the parent.
You might think: but I know my child and I know what helps him or her. Really? Do you?
Baseball is a game designed for you to fail. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on our children when they go to bat or are alone on the mound. And here I was thinking I could make the difference to my own son by sneaking behind the dugout to say some ‘inspiring’ words; or have a special code I could call out that only he would understand; or, as he swung and missed, that my ‘wisdom’ during his at bat would make the difference between him getting on base or not.
My son’s words ring loud and true even as I type this blog, “Dad, it doesn’t help.” But I thought I was helping, and in reality, all I was helping was my own ego and my pride got in the way. Yes, it's my own ego and pride riding on every success and failure of what my child did out there. I know we like to blame the umpire, blame the coach, blame anything to explain why our child may not be doing what we hoped for. Why not stop blaming everybody else and let our children just have some fun out there with their teammates -- let the coach do the talking.
Even then, the coach can get in the way at times when he thinks he can give technical input during an athlete's at-bat. Let me tell you, it doesn’t help either. The time for technical input from the coach or parent is when the player is in the right frame of mind, like when they're training.
Over Christmas I finished a book called the Matheny Manifesto. If you find it difficult understanding the concept of how much us parents get in the way, just read that book. His letter to the parents of the Little League team he was asked to coach went viral and that is what inspired the book. Look it up. Search for it. It is an eye-opener, and this is from the current coach of the St Louis Cardinals.
At the end of a game or practice now, when I am driving my son home, I’ll tell him I enjoyed watching him play and note some good things he and the team did. I’ll try to have a laugh with him about some errors or ground-outs he made. And if he is ready, and I have his ear, I may raise an issue I saw during the game...I may.
However, I’ll phrase it in the right way so he doesn’t think it is my ego and frustration doing the talking. Because, it’s not about me; it’s not about any of us parents. Don’t we wish our big, fat egos would just shut up? I wish mine did.
Don’t get me wrong, I still feel like yelling something ‘beneficial’ out. I still think I can make a difference. Those that know me know I am a fairly loud cheerer and quite the clown at some games. Even recently in Taiwan, during the U12 World Cup, I was loud and having a lot of fun in the stands. But I’ve learnt to stop yelling instruction… because, of course, “Dad, it doesn’t help.”
Oh, and if you find your athlete is always looking at you when he does something wrong on the field, it's probably because he thinks he displeased you. Next time, why not move spots so your child doesn’t know where you are. Our athletes want to please us so much already and it hurts them even more when they know our ego and pride is riding on the game.
Seriously, make yourself and your voice a ghost. Take the pressure off them and let them be athletes that love the game. This game that is set up for them to fail, but also will set up for them to learn some great lessons of life.
I’ve learned my lesson from wise and talented men who played the game at the highest level, from watching a dad who has two talented sons playing the game, and from the honest mouth of my son. It is a hard lesson, and one that will pierce our hearts. Let our children say to us when they reflect back on how much they enjoyed the game, “Dad, you were a great help.”
Why do you pay so much money for your kid to play sports?
I am giving credit for this article to Mark Wolpert of Southhampton, PA. A friend shared it on Facebook and I found it to be a wonderful glimpse into what parents should be thinking about youth sports.
Mark Wolpert
Mark Wolpert
One of my friends asked "Why do you pay so much money for your kids to do all their sports”? Well I have a confession to make; I don't pay for my kids to to do sports. Personally, I couldn't care less about what sport they do.
So, if I am not paying for sports what am I paying for?
- I pay for those moments when my kids become so tired they want to quit but don't.
- I pay for those days when my kids come home from school and are "too tired" to go to their training but they go anyway.
- I pay for my kids to learn to be disciplined, focused and dedicated.
- I pay for my kids to learn to take care of their body and equipment.
- I pay for my kids to learn to work with others and to be good team mates, gracious in defeat and humble in success.
- I pay for my kids to learn to deal with disappointment, when they don't get that placing or title they'd hoped for, but still they go back week after week giving it their best shot.
- I pay for my kids to learn to make and accomplish goals.
- I pay for my kids to respect, not only themselves, but other athletes, officials and coaches.
- I pay for my kids to learn that it takes hours and hours, years and years of hard work and practice to create a champion and that success does not happen overnight.
- I pay for my kids to be proud of small achievements, and to work towards long term goals.
- I pay for the opportunity my kids have and will have to make life-long friendships, create lifelong memories, to be as proud of their achievements as I am.
- I pay so that my kids can be out on the field or in the gym instead of in front of a screen...
...I could go on but, to be short, I don't pay for sports; I pay for the opportunities that sports provides my kids with to develop attributes that will serve them well throughout their lives and give them the opportunity to bless the lives of others. From what I have seen so far I think it is a great investment!
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