E M A G G N I V L O THE EV February, 2018
Issue 44 Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Coaching Newsletter
U.S. Soccer will be unveiling its Grassroots Licenses on January 31. The four Grassroots licenses include 4V4 (U8), 7V7 (U10), 9V9 (U12), 11V11 (13+) I have been part of the study group that has developed the player-centered, holistic Grassroots Curriculum that will become the foundation of all licensing. The curriculum will provide easy to follow guidelines in the six tasks of a coach: Coaching the Game Leading the Team Managing Performance Environment Coaching Training Sessions Leading the Player Developing Personal Leadership Skills These licenses will be offered on-line through the U.S. Soccer Digital Coaching Center and on-site from Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer and their educational instructors. Each individual on-site Grassroots License is four hours in length. The preferred schedule is a one-hour introduction, two hours on the field with candidates working with age appropriate players utilizing the play, practice, play model and a one-hour power point presentation reflecting on the on-field portion, grassroots roadmaps, leadership and key qualities of both players and coaches. But in some ways, the schematics are secondary to the philosophy. Each training session going forward should, according to this model, open with free play, usually small-sided. Coaches will then pose questions for their players, not to get answers, but to stimulate their thinking. A practice session would follow based on the topic of the coach's choosing. During practice,
coaches should reestablish the key themes from the question period of the "play." The training then closes with a scrimmage and a self-reflection period from the coach: how did I do today? What worked? What didn't? In this new model, players are Mike Barr actually playing for most of Eastern Pennsylvania practice. We're trying to give Youth Soccer Technical Director back to the players to keep them actively involved and enjoying it. Players and coaches are both more engaged, and that starts with the licenses. One of the most common questions we’ve received so far is what happens if a coach has a National E or F License? Within U.S. Soccer’s pathway, the Grassroots Licenses will take the place of the current National F and E licenses. Coaches who have taken the E license are eligible to take the new D License when it is introduced in the spring if they complete the introduction module on the DCC (20-minute video). F license holders must watch the introduction module and take two in-person Grassroots Courses, one of which must be the 11v11. We are examining the possibility of providing coaches who have taken the E previously to attend a portion of a Grassroots course to gain an understanding of new terminology and methodology. We will be providing more information regarding the new D License at a later date. We hope to be a constant resource to any coach who needs assistance or has questions regarding the coaching pathway.
Inside: Interviews with Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Youth Award Winners
Check out the new coaching pathway
Saturday, February 24 at 5 PM. Â Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue (4200 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131)
Game Watcher NATIONAL TEAMS
Mar 1, 7:00PM USWNT v Germany
EPL
Jan 31, 3:00PM Tottenham v Man Utd. Feb 3, 7:30AM Burnley v Man City ["2]
MLS
Mar 3 Union v Revolution
MEET THE COACH
Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Award Winners Girls Recreation Coach of the Year: Kim Casey When Greater Pittston Stoners Youth Soccer Association needed a coach in 2011, Kim stepped into the job. She hasn’t left since. It started as a way for her to make a difference for her two daughters and their friends. Now, she’s coaching two teams—U13 and U16—and still strives to improve by attending coaching clinics and all educational opportunities available to her. Kim emphasizes to her players concepts of fair play, sportsmanship and fun, while assisting the girls year-round by offering the opportunity to play and train in indoor soccer.
MEET THE COACH - 4 QUESTIONS WITH KIM CASEY Girls Recreation Coach of the Year: Kim Casey, Greater Pittston Stoners
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
How did you get into coaching and how long have you been coaching?
I'm proud of how much I learned about soccer. With the help of many other great coaches I have grown to love the game.
I started coaching in 2011. I was asked by our organization, Greater Pittston Stoners, to help with my daughters’ teams. I was starting a new job with better hours, and I was able to say yes. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from coaching? The most important lesson I learned is it's easy to help in the community. Yes, it takes time, but I feel it’s time well spent. Having my husband and daughters helping with me makes it even better.
What qualities do you look for in a good coach and/or what qualities do you hope to establish in your players? I've always felt strongly about good sportsmanship. We once came in second at a county cup game where we cheered louder than the winning team. Our main goalie was out and a player stepped up. For the girls to understand and cheer even when we lost was a great moment for me.
MEET THE COACH
Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Award Winners Boys Recreation Coach of the Year: Ed Hart Ed’s dedication to Mountain Top Youth Soccer and the Wyoming Valley Soccer League goes beyond the field. In August of 2017, one of the league’s families was struck by a car as they were taking a walk. Ed organized a moment of silence before his next game and approached the league about doing a fundraiser to help the family with medical expenses. A coach for 20 years, Ed started coaching his son in soccer two years ago and has stayed with it. He has established respect and sportsmanship in his players and greets opposing coaches and the referees before and after all games.
MEET THE COACH - 4 QUESTIONS WITH ED HART How did you get into coaching and how long have you been coaching? I started coaching about 20 years ago. I began coaching in basketball for my daughter. Two years ago I began coaching my son in soccer to be able to support him and try to help other children learn about soccer and acquire skills. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from coaching? Standard or typical drills do not always work the best for younger players learning basic skills. By watching how players circumvent the drill, you can often come up with a new drill to practice the skill that eliminates much of the typical circumventions. What accomplishments are you most proud of? My proudest accomplishment is not letting a chronic personal challenge or my work schedule prevent me from supporting my son and his teammates. From a team perspective, while our teams have been pretty strong competitive wise, I am proud that I don’t lose sight of the primary purposes of the recreational league: to teach the children soccer and for them to have fun. What qualities do you look for in a good coach and/or what qualities do you hope to establish in your players?
A coach should take pride in seeing a player acquire or improve a skill taught in practice. They should have sufficient discipline to create an environment fostering respect, but still enjoyable and rewarding for the players. Players should give their best and leave the rest on the field. I want them to try hard each time on the field, to have no regrets, and to always be proud of their efforts and achievements. Any shortcomings on the field should not be seen as a failure, but instead as motivation to improve the outcome next time.
MEET THE COACH
Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Award Winners
Girls Travel Coach of the Year: Sam Griggs Sam splits his time between four teams under the Nether United/1776 United umbrella, but it is with the 1776 United 01 Xtreme that he made his mark in 2017. Sam led the girls to their second consecutive Eastern Pennsylvania NCS State Cup, where they defeated PA Classics, 4-0, in the final. In the state cup run, the Xtreme outscored opponents 11-0. They narrowly missed out on reaching the US Youth Soccer National Championships, falling in the semifinals of the Region I Championships after going 3-0 in the group stage.
MEET THE COACH - 4 QUESTIONS WITH SAM GRIGGS How did you get into coaching and how long have you been coaching?
focus on the process rather than the score it is a lot easier!
I have been coaching seriously for just over 20 years now. I had an interest from as early as about 15 years old when I would help with the younger teams in the club. I then helped the women’s university team, who were badly short of resources and coaches (the women’s game has come a long way in the past two decades in the UK!) while I was studying and playing there. After college I had the opportunity to have a working vacation for a couple of months where I was coaching every day, and I realized then quite how satisfying it could be.
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from coaching? It is really tough to name one lesson. To me sports, particularly youth sports, mirrors life and it brings out the very best and very worst in people! You can’t please everyone all the time, but if you have been honest with yourself and with your players then you can feel a sense of accomplishment, regardless of the score of the game. Learning not to get too high after a win or too low after a loss has taken some time, and I am still working on it, but once you really
Without trying to sound sentimental, I think the best accomplishment is when people want me to coach them or coach their children. It is an honor and a position that carries huge responsibilities as you are helping shape a young person to a certain degree. Coaching players at big regional or national events is obviously fun because of the competitive nature of it, but often the biggest accomplishments I have had as a coach have come with lower level players or teams and getting them to buy into the idea they can improve with hard work. What qualities do you look for in a good coach and/or what qualities do you hope to establish in your players? I think the three most important traits for a coach to have and to pass on are honesty, empathy and integrity. Being honest is critical, because this is the only way to really understand what needs to be improved and you have to be honest with yourself as to the effort you are putting in. The coach-player relationship needs to be based on trust. I think you need to have a degree of empathy with your players and with other teammates – you all want to achieve the same goal so you need to understand what or why they are struggling before you can come up with an action plan to improve things. Finally, if you are not competing with integrity or with high ethical standards then you can never really enjoy, or be proud of the results.
MEET THE COACH
Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Award Winners Boys Travel Coach of the Year: Jamie Scott In 2017, Jamie ended his run with Penn Fusion Soccer Academy Elite 98 Boys by adding more hardware to a full trophy case. Penn Fusion added a fifth State Cup title, a third Region I Championship and a second US Youth Soccer National League Division crown. In the process, Jamie has developed players to progress to the next level at an astonishing rate: 23 of his former players with the 98 Boys have committed to play college soccer, 11 at Division I schools.
MEET THE COACH - 4 QUESTIONS WITH JAMIE SCOTT How did you get into coaching and how long have you been coaching? I completed my first coaching course at age 16 in England, but (I) really didn't start regularly coaching until I was 18. This was at a professional club in England while I was studying at university. I have been coaching in the United States for 10 years now. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from coaching? I think on a personal basis that coaching is a non-stop educational experience and you are always learning. On a player standpoint, I have learned that you always have to treat them as people before players in order to get the best out of them. What accomplishments are you most proud of? I have been really lucky to work with some special players and teams. The 2017 season with La Salle University Women's Soccer was an incredible season to be involved with; we went from a team that won 4 games to a team that won 18. I was extremely proud of both the Penn Fusion 98 and 99 Elite teams last year in what they were able to achieve on the field. I actually get most pride from when we see players from our teams commit to appropriate college soccer programs and the impact they are able to make.
What qualities do you look for in a good coach and/or what qualities do you hope to establish in your players? I believe a good coach is able to teach simple or complex concepts in an interesting way. In my view, the best coaches are the ones that are passionate about their craft and this passion becomes infectious to their players. I always hope that the players that I work with demonstrate core values such as having high integrity, a strong work ethic, and a resilience to difficult circumstances.
Inter Milan Visits Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Inter Milan Visits Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer
"We're exporting our philosophy," he said.
One of the biggest clubs in the world has made an effort to live up to its name over the last decade: Internazionale, literally international in Italian. The 18time Serie A champions have expanded their academy to nine countries permanently and eight on a temporary basis. This year, they will add additional homes in Colombia, Buenos Aires, Indonesia and Hungary. They've also turned an eye to the United States.
Inter's Global Youth Business Director Barbara Biggi drove the initiative, which began in earnest in 2008. Since then Andrea Ratti, Head Coach of the Inter Academy International, implemented a youth development structure that has helped make Inter the most successful academy program in Italy.
Chief Revenue Officer Michael Gandler, who had previously reached out to Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer CEO Chris Branscome about getting Inter stateside, grew up in Brooklyn. Prior to joining Inter Milan, he served as Vice President of Major League Soccer. Now he wants to focus some attention back home. Gandler and his colleagues made a presentation on Inter’s global expansion to Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer coaches at the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia. "For me personally, it's a passion project," he told the crowd. "We want to do more in the United States. We think for us to have a meaningful impact, we need to have a presence. Our coaching and our strategy and the way we approach youth development is a great starting point." "Meaningful impact" doesn't just involve the Inter crest or even outfitting youth clubs in jerseys and calling it a day. For Gandler, it's much more hands on.
Ratti's explanation of that structure mimicked much of what U.S. Soccer has been teaching and will teach: focus on play at a young age, tactics as players get older. But one word in particular stuck out as Ratti discussed coaching philosophy. "Empathy," he said. "We have to create the best relationship (between coach and player)." This was an introductory presentation and one that showed how much soccer is adapting. As more countries grow in the sport, clubs do their best to find players in those countries. Ratti was kind enough to stick around after the event to answer some questions: So what would you say are the long term goals of this academy that is stretched across nine countries? Andrea Ratti: Our goal is to transfer our skills, like as a coach, as a teacher. And to develop this program, to mix our culture, to have the best program possible to develop the skills of the players. When did it start, this
Dillon Friday Sports Journalist Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Marketing Coordinator
global expansion for Inter Milan, and what was the reason for it starting? AR: It started in 2008. It was my boss’s idea. They wanted to share our competence, our skills around the world. That’s it. Just our name, Internazionale, means international. We like to share. We are not selfish about our methodology, our skills. We want to share with everybody. Do you enjoy it? AR: Absolutely, because I share with a lot of people in a lot of countries, our competence, our experience. To learn more about Inter Milan’s visit, head to inter.it