Now that we’ve started our season, I would like to review my coaching philosophy and my expectations for the season regarding games and practices so parents and players understand the goals towards which we are working.
The United States Soccer Federation’s (USSF) stated best practices, the Dutch view of player development, and my own personal playing experience shape my coaching philosophy. I believe that during practices and games, players should be allowed to experiment and receive as many touches on the ball as possible. At this age, and even through U12, players are first working on mastering the ball and then understanding their movements and decisions in the relation to their teammates. From U9-U12, players are considered people of action rather than thought. They are at a point in their development in which they have an the ability to make great strides in their motor skills and learn new movements with the ball, but do not fully grasp why they make certain decisions on the field. Therefore, it is important to emphasis individual mastery of the ball and basic tactics (decisions and movements related to themselves and or at most two of their teammates and one or two of their opponents) so we can play to their strengths and capabilities.
Practices
During practice, it is my responsibility to act as guide or facilitator; the game itself is the best teacher. For individual skills, players learn best by imitating rather than thinking through their movements. Once it becomes a fluid movement through a great deal of repetition during formal practice and at home, players will feel more confident using their skills at game-speed. Additionally, I need to put them in an environment with a great deal of repetition so they are able to develop an understanding of how to handle various soccer situations. This is best accomplished by taking the 7v7 game format and breaking it down into more player-friendly 4v4 games. These 4v4 games retain all the elements of real soccer, but allow more touches for individual players and more decision-making. Soccer is a free-flowing game with no set plays; each moment in soccer does not have set solution. Therefore, making mistakes and learning from them and picking opportune moments on my part to inject comments to make them think about their play is crucial. Most of all, I try to make the games fun, developmentally-appropriate, and instructional. This is a time where they need to have fun and feel in safe, positive environment to take risks.
My Expectations During PracticeI’m fully aware that practice offers an outlet for players after a long day of academic work. Therefore, I try to include games that are fun, get them moving, and are instructional at the same time. However, I also expect a certain degree of responsibility on their part. I think it is vitally important that players bring a soccer ball to every practice. They should come to practice ready to work hard and have fun. We only have a short time each week to improve (on a side note, players should try to work with the ball at home too!) so I need their attention to instructions for our practice activities and prompt arrival when I call them in from water breaks. They should not be talking when I’m talking or bouncing or kicking balls. It is also important they take the activities seriously so they can develop and not hinder the development of others on their team. If they come motivated to learn and improve, they will surely get better. However, if players do insist on disrupting practices and goofing off too much, I will ask them to sit out of activities or run.
GamesTo put it concisely, the games are for the kids. It is their time to play, have fun, and make their parents proud. Also, winning is NOT important at this age group (or even important through U12 in my opinion). It IS about the individual players taking what they are working on in practice and seeing if they can successfully use their individual skills and teamwork in games.
Paents, do not expect soccer game to even remotely resemble what you’ve watched from the World Cup this past summer. Players will find it almost impossible to hold positions and work successfully with their teammates. In fact, USSF believes that there should not be an emphasis on positions through U10 and to encourage the players to “find the game”. Players will inevitably make mistakes during games and be disappointed with losses, but we should all take a long-term view and use them as teachable moments. Also, players will play many different positions. It is important for their development and understanding of the game. This approach will certainly result in short-term losses for our team, but in the long run, it will help them develop into more well-rounded players.
Hopefully, my own playing experience will put this into perspective. I don’t have a clue as to how many games we won when I was U9. In fact, winning did not become important until I started seeing college scouts at U14-U15 tournaments. The only thing I remember from my young playing years are my coaches who also instilled confidence, encouraged me to emulate the pros, and how excited I would get about each weekly soccer game. After each Sunday game, I would clean my cleats and put mink oil on them to make sure they were in perfect shape for the next game. I loved the game, and still love the game, because my coaches gave me enough space and guidance to develop and were never overly critical.
My Game ExpectationsI expect every player to come ready to play. That starts with warm-ups. Players should be at game 30 minutes prior to the game start time. When players arrive, they should come to the bench (if there is one)/my coaching chair and line up their backpacks in order next to it. They should not begin shooting at the goal, but instead find a partner and begin passing and moving with the ball. During warm-ups, I’ll see who is ready to play and who is not mentally prepared to make decisions for starting lineups. During the game, I expect players to sit on the bench or sit next to me watching the game. They can learn just as much be watching the game as they can from playing it. They should watch out for what correct or incorrect decisions were made on the field, and think about what they can do when put in those situations. Players should not ask when they are going in or request to be put in certain positions. If they do so after an initial warning, it will take longer for them to go in the game. If players insult another teammate or opponent during the game, their playing time will be decreased. At halftime and/or the end of the game, players should run off the field, grab their water, and come see me for our talk. At the end of the game, players should line up to high-five the other team. After that, they should all go thank the referee. This all will be communicated to the players and reiterated throughout the season.
Parents, please stick to general encouraging remarks. No directions should be communicated. As a player, I can tell you that they don’t really hear what you are saying, and if they do, you are grabbing their attention while the game is passing them by.
Again, this is my coaching philosophy and expectations for the season. It is not at all meant to address anyone or group of kids, but instead to give perspective as to what we are working towards. I look forward to the season, and working with this great group of boys!
Coach Ryan
