E M A G G N I V L O THE EV December 2012
Issue 2 Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Coaching Newsletter
Planning Weekly Training Sessions for Your Team
Mike Barr EPA Youth Soccer Director of Coaching
A coach’s role becomes more complex when a team is in an elite category or the coach has to arrange training around other sports or other soccer teams. There may be a tendency to follow your normal schedule but following routine methodology may cause possible injuries, make for minimal progress in team preparation and cause your team to not play up to potential in matches.
What if some of your players have outside soccer training on Thursday or play basketball games for their school on Tuesday or Friday evenings? How would that impact your team training and the individuals who have extra training or play other sports? Would you have conUidence in your expertise to alter individual training to get the full potential from your team on match day? Can you expect players to reach maximum potential if they never A coach should have the complete schedule for each train at peak overload with the ball? individual player at least a month in advance. This schedule includes academics, family outings, The modern coach must become aware of intensity activities, other sports and further potential levels of training for their team, when to lower or conUlicts. Each schedule should be examined before increase training loads for individuals, when to arranging the weekly schedule for your team, with lower expectations of individuals or even cut down an understanding that individual players may be on playing time because of participation in other training but work at different workloads based on sports or outside training by an individual player. If their schedules. a coach ignores these conUlicts he or she may jeopardize the player’s health, the quality of play of In a perfect world where a team is training three the individual and the type of soccer your team plays days a week with games on Saturday, the team in matches. would train on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Sunday would be a complete recovery day with no US Soccer is becoming more active in presenting to training. During that weekly micro-‐cycle the team coaches the progression for training players in not would train between 75 to 85% peak capacity on only practices but weekly, seasonal, out of season Monday, 85 to 100% on Wednesday and 65 to 85% and yearly timetables. on Friday.
National Coaching License Program Updates
Gary Stephenson EPA Youth Soccer Assistant Director of Coaching
Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer is now in their second year of a three year education partnership with Maryland Youth Soccer (MSYSA) and Delaware Youth soccer (DYSA). This Partnership allows our three states to work together and guarantee a National C license and National Youth license will take place every year within the three states for the next two years. Proposed schedule is as follows: 2013 National C License (DYSA) & National Youth License (EPYS) 2014 MSYSA National C … DYSA National Youth License We encourage PA coaches who have held a National “D” for a year to apply for this course. We will inform you when the registration is open.
COACHING EDUCATION HONOR ROLL National E License Plymouth Meeting • • • • •
Thomas Beckett Sarah Brown Rachel Davis Hicham Elmoustaarib Tracie Heckman
• • • • •
December 2012 Coaching Licenses Awarded
Jon Irey Bakhtyar Khan Brett Krelich Jeff Rhodes Jason Ross
UPCOMING COACHING COURSES E License Capitolo Rec Center Philadelphia (Spanish Class)
D License Lititz SC Lititz 25-27 January, 2013
14-15 December
1-3 February, 2013
E License Penn Legacy SC Millersville 8-10 February, 2013
E & D License Parkland ASC Allentown 8-10 March, 2013 15-17 March 2013
For more information, details and registration, please visit EPYSA.org
GAME WATCHER
NATIONAL TEAM
This section will highlight must watch games scheduled to be played in the month from; National Teams, MLS, Champions League, EPL, College, High School and local club.
USWNT vs China PR (Dec. 15, 10pm)
MLS
LA Galaxy v Houston Dynamo (Dec. 1, 4:30pm)
COLLEGE NCAA DIV I
COLLEGE NCAA DIV II
COLLEGE NCAA DIV III
Finals
Finals
Finals
Dec. 9, 2:00PM Men @ Hoover Ala
Dec. 1, 12:00 Men @ Evans, GA
Dec. 1, 2:00PM Men @ San Antonio
Dec. 2, 4:00PM Women @ San Diego
Dec. 1, 3:00PM Women @ Evans, GA
Dec. 1, 6:30PM Women @ San Diego
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Juventus vs Shakhtar Donetsk (DEC. 5, 2:45pm)
Man City vs Man Utd (Dec. 9, 8:30am)
PSG vs Porto (Dec. 4, 2:45pm)
Man Utd vs Newcastle Utd (Dec. 26, 10am)
YOUTH GAMES
Dec. 6 @ Father Judge HS U-15 Boys Philadelphia Coppa vs UGH 97 7:00pm
MEET THE COACH
KELLY CONNOR, Director of ODP & club coach Kelly (Rowland) Connor had one of the most distinguished soccer careers of any player in Pennsylvania. Kelly played at Strath Haven High School in Wallingford, where she achieved All-‐Delco and All-‐ State honors. She played ODP for Eastern Pennsylvania and on the Region I Team from U-‐14 to U-‐17. She was recruited by numerous colleges but chose Florida State, where she started all four years. Kelly missed only one game due to injury in those four years and started a record 93 games. She helped Florida State advance to the school’s Uirst ever NCAA Final Four. Florida State advanced to the Final Four three out of the four years during Kelly’s tenure. During her freshman and senior year she was a member of the US National Team Pool. She was named to Soccer America’s All Freshman-‐Team, and made Second-‐Team All American as a sophomore. She was named to Soccer America’s weekly All-‐ America team eleven times. During her senior year at Florida State she was a candidate for the Hermann Trophy, as the best player in collegiate soccer and was named First-‐Team NSCAA All-‐American in 2007, which was the Uirst time in school history that a Florida State player received this honor. In 2008, Kelly was inducted into the FC Delco Hall of Fame. Kelly is currently coaching with Nether’s U-‐10 Director’s Development Program
and coaching in the U-‐12 Olympic p l a y e d i n t h e Development Program. i n d o o r a n d o u t d o o r s t a t e These interview questions are only cups and went to related to Kelly’s experience with youth m a y b e t w o soccer up until U-‐14. tournaments that did not require air At what age did you begin to play travel (like WAGS or Jefferson Cup). In the soccer? winter we played or trained once a week KC: I played soccer from age six to eleven at an old high school gym. I did not play ODP until U-‐14. with the intramural program for Nether Soccer. I did not play travel until U-‐12. What impact did your youth coaches Did not playing travel until U-‐12 make have on you? it dif?icult for you to adjust to the girls KC: I remember Dr. Larry Wean at Nether who played travel for two or three because he made practice fun and games years? just as enjoyable. It seemed we were always laughing and always had a good KC: I was behind a bit technically but it time. We never felt any pressure. It didn’t take long to catch up. Playing intramural gave me the opportunity to be bothers me today to see girls as young as ten taking the game so serious, because of exposed to other sports and I believe that the undue pressure placed on them by made me a better athlete and appreciate their parents and some coaches. At the all sports. end of the day, soccer is just a game and is How often did your travel team train supposed to be fun. and what was your yearly club -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐Note: Kelly will offer her insight schedule like? into youth soccer today, her opinions of KC: My Nether team trained two times a y o u t h s o c c e r a n d h o w p a r e n t a l week. The practice Uield was within i n v o l v e m e n t i n U l u e n c e s a c h i l d ’ s walking distance, until I played for FC experience with soccer in the full Delco and practices were at USTC. This interview which will appear in the Spring was the schedule I followed in the spring 2013 issue of Touchline. and fall for both Nether and Delco. We
Kelly’s 3 Favorite Exercises
Gate Game As a warm-up, players dribble through gates (can’ t go back to the same gate). Use, both feet, left foot, right foot- all surfaces of the foot. Accelerate after going through gate. Keep score for 1 minute
Four goal game 5v5 Both teams are attacking two goals & defending two goals. Points of Emphasis 1) Switching point of attack 2) Developing width and wide play
5 v 5 (with GK) 2 teams on 1 team off Two teams play (GK -3-2), the third team waits on the side & act as support players. Once a goal is scored the scoring team stays on & the other two teams switch
Game Like Finishing By Mike Barr, Director of Coaching
TECHNICAL WARM-UP ORGANIZATION / OBJECTIVES
COACHING POINT
Warm up in pairs inside 18yd box, players receive balls with back to goal and turn in one touch and one motion or check and make quick diagonal run.
-Passing/Receiving Technical Details -Receive with open body -Clean first touch (preparation) -Strike ball cleanly -Move after pass -Shield ball -Disguise Pass
SMALL-SIDED ACTIVITY ORGANIZATION / OBJECTIVES
COACHING POINT
3 v 2 plus GK to goal 3 servers at the top of the 18yd box with 4 balls each. Also 3 chasers are behind the goal line, collecting balls. After all balls have been served the defense switch with the chasers and the servers with the offense
-strong checking and diagonal
runs to receive the ball, -finding seems between defenders to finish quickly -use of both feet -setting picks to create space.
EXPANDED SMALL-SIDED ACTIVITY ORGANIZATION / OBJECTIVES
COACHING POINT
3 v 3 plus GK to goal 3 servers at the top of the 18yd box with 4 balls each. Also 3 chasers are behind the goal line, collecting balls. After all balls have been served the defense switch with the chasers and the servers with the offense
-recognition and use of tight combination play -accuracy of finishing -decision making and accuracy of passers -setting picks to create space.
GAME ORGANIZATION / OBJECTIVES
COACHING POINT
3 v. 3 v. 3 (25x35) -Players passing and moving in groups of 3 -Progress to 3 v 3 +3
-Passing/Receiving Technical Details -Receive with open body -Clean first touch (preparation) -Strike ball cleanly -Move after pass -Shield ball -Disguise Pass
Passing - Basic Technique
By Gary Stephenson, Assistant Director of Coaching
TECHNICAL WARM-UP OBJECTIVES
COACHING POINT
Cones set out in to numerous gates Players in pair with one ball Players pass the ball through a gate After the pass they dribble to another gate, continue Use both feet. Keep score.
-make eye contact -communication -plant foot beside ball -heal down toe up -make contact with inside of foot - correct weight on the pass
SMALL-SIDED ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES COACHING POINT Passing around a gate Each pair are allocated a gate The ball is passed outside the gate. The receiver moves to be inline with the ball. Controls the ball across their body and to the other cone and passes the ball back to the partner. Timed, then use other foot.
-make eye contact -communication -plant foot beside ball -heal down toe up -make contact with inside of foot - correct weight on the pass-
EXPANDED SMALL-SIDED ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES
COACHING POINT
End Zone (25yd x 25yd) 3v3 plus target player Must try and pass the ball to the target player then switches place with the target player.
-correct technique -make eye contact -communication -correct weight
GAME OBJECTIVES
COACHING POINT
6 v 6 plus GK (GK -3-3)
-Passing technical details -Clean first touch (preparation) -Strike ball cleanly
ORGANIZATION • Players set up in formation as shown – cones can be used to allow the players to understand the spacing • Target goals, both sides SEQUENCE & PROGRESSION • Left center back plays the ball to the center midfielder. Center back makes an arced run immediately to receive the ball back from the center midfielder. The center back plays a ball to the left midfielder. Center midfield makes an arced run to receive the ball from the left midfielder. Center midfielder plays the ball to the forward. Left midfielder makes an arced run to receive a pass from the forward. The left midfield
ORGANIZATION • As above – target goals are added • Outside defenders and outside midfielders/wingers are added to involve all field positions. These positions are located on the field in the area they would operate in a game – out wide. They are going in a different direction as the team. This allows the session to flow. There is no opposition in the exercise! SEQUENCE & PROGRESSION • Ball and player movement as before • Center midfielder plays to the right back (instead of the target). Right back plays the ball to the right midfielder’s feet, then drops the ball back to the
ORGANIZATION • Area 20 yards wide and the length of the playing area marked out with cones • Small goals located centrally, four coned goals on the end line as shown • Two teams (8v8) in game formation 2-1-2-3 SEQUENCE & PROGRESSION • Team scores by either shooting in the central goals or by dribbling through the wide goals • Players can only play one or two touches in the center channel • Unlimited touches in the two wide channels • Player can go anywhere on the field not limited to channels
plays the ball through the target • Each player takes the spot of the player they first played the ball to (e.g. center back becomes center midfielder, center midfielder – left midfielder etc…) • Pattern starts from the other side and progresses – through the right midfielder • Try to play one or two touch COACHING POINTS • Ball striking – correct technique • Checking runs • Runs are “arced” and bent in • Balls played back are into the run of the player and not at the player • Don’t watch your pass, look over shoulder and check for next ball
right defender, right defender players a straight through ball, right midfielder arc their run and dribbles the ball through the gate. • Each player takes the spot of the player they first played the ball to (e.g. forward become right defender, right defender – right midfielder etc…) • Pattern starts from the other side and progresses – through the right midfielder • Try to play one or two touch COACHING POINTS • Mobility off the ball • Correct flight and weight on the ball • Play quickly
COACHING POINTS • Mobility off the ball • Play quick in the middle channel lots of supporting runs • Team keeps its shape (depth and width)