Can Youth Coaches Be Blamed For Poor INTERNational Teams?
WEEKLY
SOCCER COACH DEADLY Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy
AROUND THE BOX
December 18, 2013 Issue 347 $5.99/£3.99 < sergio AGUERO
MAN CITY’S DANGER MAN
COACH PLAYERS TO PASS AND SCORE IN TIGHT SPACES
GOAL LINE TECHNOLOGY
HOW TO DEAL WITH A DISPUTED GOAL – GRASSROOTS STYLE!
WHAT NOT TO
SAY AT HALF-TIME FOLLOW OUR HANDY TIPS TO AVOID RUINING YOUR TEAM TALK
12
TIPS FOR XMAS TRAINING
IF PLAYERS ARE TOO ‘ill’ TO train, SHOULD THEY PLAY ON MATCH DAY?
Contents
Grassroots Goal Line Technology Can YouTh CoaChEs BE BLamED For Poor InTErnaTIonaL TEams?
Technology won’t solve goal line disputes in grassroots soccer
WEEKLY
SOCCER COACH DEADLY Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy
AROUND THE BOX
December 18, 2013 Issue 347 $5.99/£3.99 < sergio AgUero
MAN CITY’S DANGER MAN
COACH PLAYERS TO PASS AND SCORE IN TIGHT SPACES
GOAL LINE TECHNOLOGY
HOW TO DEAL WITH A DISPUTED GOAL – GRASSROOTS STYLE!
WHAT NOT TO
SAY AT HALF-TIME FOLLOW OUR HANDY TIPS TO AVOID RUINING YOUR TEAM TALK
12
TIPS FOR XMAS TRAINING
IF PLaYErs arE Too ‘ILL’ To TraIn, shouLD ThEY PLaY on maTCh DaY?
Soccer Coach Weekly Issue 347
Soccer Coach Weekly is published by Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford GU5 0AB, UK.
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Editor Chris Hunt chris.hunt@greenstarmedia.net
Head Coach David Clarke david.clarke@coach-soccer.com
Contributors Keith Boanas, James Evans, Dan Cottrell, Luke Nicoli, Alistair Phillips Illustrations Mike Ronald Pictures Action Images, Nick Webster Production ATG Media Production Designer Jamie Leeson Publisher Kevin Barrow kevin.barrow@ bettersoccercoaching.com
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We had our own goal line technology outrage at the weekend when the opposition manager thought his team had scored from a free-kick that clattered the crossbar and bounced down into the safe hands of the keeper. The roar from somewhere back past the halfway line that greeted the shot was enormous and the manager was calling for a goal to be awarded. Our team was winning the game 1-0 and the shot was just after half-time – had the opposition manager got his way we would have been on the back foot. Having had the lion’s share of the possession I’m sure it would have been a huge coup for the opposition if they had managed to equalise. As the furore died down we all looked across to where a granddad of one of the players was standing, level with the goal line. “Nowhere near,” he said. “It was well out of the goal!” I had been in a good position to see too and the ball was a good foot outside of the goal. I’m sure the opposition manager could see it wasn’t in, even from the distance he was standing. And you can always get a good idea from whether the players clamoured for a goal to be given. In this case, only one player claimed it was a goal and he had been claiming everything all game. One thing you can be sure of with most young players is that all they want
In this issue...
3 deadly around the box
Improve short passing around the box by getting players to model their game on the skills of Kun Aguero
4
RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
5
TIGHT COMBINATIONS
6
WHAT NOT TO SAY
Try this session to help players develop that magic touch in the area
If players pass quickly they can create scoring chances under pressure Think carefully about what you want to say in your half-time team talk
7
FOOT SOLDIERS
A simple unopposed warm-up to get your players moving their feet
“Most young players want decisions to be fair and to be sure they haven’t been cheated” is for decisions to be fair and that they haven’t been cheated. However, the manager wouldn’t let it drop and let himself down by constantly shouting. “Try to forget it, boys,” he cried. “If the referee decides it wasn’t a goal, then it wasn’t a goal!” The boys had forgotten about it long before the manager. He was still at it when the match was over, shaking his head and muttering to himself. In a youth club there has to be some measure of fair play and managers and coaches should be setting the example. No one likes to see a young team not given a goal when they have scored it, but they have to score it first.
8 mAKE TRAINING FESTIVE
Make your last training session before Christmas memorable by trying some of our 12 fun tips
The ref had an excellent game, but I’m sure it must have bothered him to have his decision questioned. It also adds a nasty element to the atmosphere with parents wondering if their manager was right and they had lost by foul means. Fair play is an important lesson for children to learn. I like to think all the players that I coach play fairly and don’t question decisions when they know they are the right ones.
David Clarke
TIP OF THE WEEK
9 BEAT THE GRINCH
A festive game where players save Christmas from the Grinch!
10 SNOW BALLS
A game to give players plenty of chances to score spectacular goals
11 SOCCER SURGERY
Your problems solved, including advice for a coach whose players are too ill for training but fit for matches
12 THE BIG DEBATE
Two soccer coaches debate whether youth coaches can be blamed for underperforming national teams
Assert Your Authority After defeat you must show leadership and give the team some direction. You may not be able to put your finger on why you lost, or there may be too many elements to deal with in just one session, but by exerting your authority you can give players focus. Set achievable targets for training and players can start to believe they can win the next match.
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LETHAL WEAPON Roy KunHodgson Aguero and is deadly with Gordon Strachan the ball near prepare for battle to the goal
Deadly Around The Box If you want your players to improve their short passing around the penalty area and their finishing in front of goal, try to get them to model their game on the skills of Kun Aguero
A
guero’s scoring attributes made him a big star with Argentine club Independiente and then in La Liga with Atlético Madrid, but there were those who still had their doubts when he signed for Manchester City in 2011. Could he live with the physicality of the Premier League given his lack of height? Would the close attention from the uncompromising defenders see him drift out of games? Well, he has answered his critics emphatically. He has been a revelation at the Etihad Stadium, the talisman behind the club’s Premier League success in 2012 and, of course, the scorer of the final goal of that season, clinching the title five minutes into injury time of the last game. That goal encapsulated Aguero’s ability and also his mindset as a footballer; his drive and desire saw him, 35 yards from goal, place a pinpoint pass into the feet of Mario Ballotelli before continuing his run forward at pace. He then picked up the return pass from the Italian striker, skipped past two challenges before sliding the ball into the back of the net. Not only did he show determination
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to sprint for the return ball, but there was also a legitimate opportunity for him to go down in the box and win a penalty once he received the pass. Instead, he had enough confidence in his ability and focus to stay on his feet and score the goal that decided the title race. He gained respect throughout the football fraternity for his professionalism that day. With his small frame and low centre of gravity, Aguero glides past opponents in the box – as he did that day – and his style is pretty unique in the Premier League. He is reminiscent of Argentina team-mate Lionel Messi in that he can twist and turn around defenders, using a step-over or a drop of the shoulder along the way to make space for a shot at goal. He can also do this at pace, making him doubly difficult for opponents to stop and his finishing is lethal – with 63 goals in 103 games for City proof of his goalscoring ability. Yet it’s not just inside the box where Kun shows his worth; he is always alert, and can change the pace of the attack with a quick pass to a team-mate around the penalty area, either picking
up the return himself or threading through a ball between two defenders to release a team-mate. To sum up the player, Aguero has it all: skill, intelligence, incisive passing, determination, focus and a lethal shot. Without a doubt he is one of the world’s best strikers – and your players could take on board some of his skills if you run the two training sessions on the following pages.
Words by:
Luke Nicoli Activities by:
David Clarke
“He is one of the seven or eight top strikers in the world. He has an impressive balance in his lower body, speed to slalom and it is incredible how he finishes. Kun is a very decisive player and has the capacity to change speed with the ball and start and stop with incredible velocity” – Manchester City team-mate Pablo Zabaleta on Kun Aguero
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LETHAL WEAPON
Right Place, Right Time If you want your strikers to be as lethal as Kun Aguero around the penalty area, try this session to help them develop that magic touch
WHY USE IT
s 10yd s 20yd
SET UP
Set up a 40x20-yard pitch split into a central zone of 20 yards and two end zones of 10 yards. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve used 13 players. You need bibs, balls, cones and two normal goals.
The neutral player assists the team in possession and combines in attack but cannot score
s yd 30
Timing runs to meet the ball and beat a player is one of Agueroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main attributes. He is lethal when the ball is played through into space and he can work his magic. Giving players the chance in training to practise this art will help them to do it in matches.
The game starts with a pass out from the keeper to his defender in the end zone
s 10yd
Players can only go into the end zone once the ball has entered the zone
Here the attacker has timed his run to meet the ball with the defender out of position
HOW TO PLAY
Use two teams of six, with four attackers, one defender and one goalkeeper. Play 4v4 in the central zone plus one neutral player who plays for the team in possession. Players stay in zones until a pass is played into one of the end zones for a player to run onto. If the pass into the end zone is one touch the goal counts as double.
TECHNIQUE
Players learning to read the pass and finding their first touch when they get to the ball is vital to the success of the move. There is lot of technique involved here, with movement, passing, first touch and shooting being the main areas.
This time the defender is in a good position but clever play by the attacker creates space for the shot
Player movement SoccerCoachWeekly.net
Ball movement
Shot
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LETHAL WEAPON
Tight Combinations Use this session to improve the short passing of your players in a crowded penalty area. If they pass quickly enough they can create solid scoring opportunities under pressure
WHY USE IT
ds 6y
The short passing game of Kun Aguero is one of the keys to his success in and around the penalty area. There will often be very little space in the area and short passes help him to get the ball in positions where he can shoot.
The drill starts with the server playing a pass into the three attackers
6yds
SET UP
Use the penalty area of your pitch with a 6x6-yard box in the front part of the penalty area. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve used six players. You need cones, bibs, balls and a goal.
HOW TO PLAY
The defender must work hard and press the attackers, trying to stop them from making passes
After the three passes have been made, the player must time his run out of the box when the ball is played
You need a server and a goalkeeper. The other players split into one defender and three attackers who cannot leave the 6x6-yard box until a pass is made for a player to run on to. The attackers must make three passes before they can release one of them to run at goal and shoot. The defender can follow the attacker out of the square and pressure him, forcing the attacker to act quickly. Switch players around often because the defender has to work hard and the server is a good position for a rest.
The attacker can shoot first time or try to go around the goalkeeper. The type of finish is down to him
TECHNIQUE
Quick feet and quick passing are both key to this session. Attackers must be able to pass and shield the ball from the defender and then react to a pass played out of the square.
Player movement SoccerCoachWeekly.net
If the attacker is slow out of the box, the defender will have time to follow him out and get across to cover
Ball movement
Shot
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THE ART OF COACHING
It’s the ref’s fault
And another thing That wa s poo r
Don’t Say This At Half-Time… Think carefully about what you say to your players at half-time. Your team talk can turn a lacklustre performance around, but there are also a few things that you shouldn’t say… “And now for my fifth point…”
As soccer coaches, we have all experienced a lacklustre first-half performance. Whether the scoreline reflects it or not, the players will know themselves that it hasn’t gone well. So yes, in your half-time team talk you have to acknowledge that it was poor and make your players know they can play better. However, it is not helpful to blame them or belittle them. It is better to dismiss the first half by looking ahead, saying something like: “Right, we did not perform like we should and we know that – let’s put it right but you need to work harder in these areas of the game…”
However long you have to speak to the players at half-time, they are only going to return to the pitch for the second half with the capacity to remember a limited number of points. Try to keep your team talk short and simple, using focused messages. Repeat the key points and deliver them with energy – and make sure there are no more than three messages for the players to take in.
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“You have to win the game from here” It is fairly pointless to use your team talk to give players long-term
targets to achieve in the second half. They will be tired and just need to think about the next five or ten minutes. So chop down your message into what should happen in terms of pressing the play, or how you want them to defend, or maybe how they should attack from the kick-off.
“The referee is having a shocker” You might have received more than your fair share of poor calls in the first half of the game, but rather than blaming the referee for the situation, it is far better to help the players learn to live with the official and his decisions in the second half.
If they are wound up by you, they are far more likely to take that to the referee and wind him up, all to the detriment of your team.
“I think we need a new game plan” Half-time is not the moment to introduce any new tactical concepts to the team. All the messages you give them should be a repetition of advice, tactics and skills that you have talked about in training. Yes, you might adjust a plan, but only if the players have used it before. It’s better to give the players confidence in their ability than mess up their minds with new patterns.
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Words: Dan Cottrell Picture: Paul Wilkinson
“That’s the worst I have ever seen”
WARM-UP Play starts on both sides with a pass to the server who plays a one-two with the working player
The player dribbles towards the cone and passes to the player at the cone
s yd 10
s 10yd
The player at the next cone must be on the move to receive the ball and be ready to make a one touch pass to the next cone
After making the long pass to the next cone, players must follow the ball and keep moving around the square
The player receiving the long pass can take two touches because the following onetwo with the server needs to be an accurate move with a good weight on the pass
Run with ball
101
Player movement
Ball movement
Soccer Warm-ups
No.7: Foot Soldiers This simple unopposed warm-up is easy to set up and is perfect to get players in the mood for training or to get their feet moving before a match To use this simple warm-up session mark out a 10x10-yard square with cones. Position a cone as shown for each of the central servers. We have used 10 players in this activity, including two servers. You will need balls and cones.
HOW TO PLAY Place the two servers inside the square and arrange the remaining SoccerCoachWeekly.net
players around the four corners of the area. The outside players must use the central players to make one-two wall passes on opposite sides of the square and a first-time pass along the other sides. Players should sidefoot their passes to the central players, who must make sure that they control the ball and pass it back to the running players so they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to break their stride.
You should swap the players over regularly, changing the two central wall passers. You must have two balls in play at once.
TECHNIQUE This is a great activity for getting cold feet warmed up and ready to play in a match or a training session. Players should pass and move quickly around the square using crisp passing movements.
DIFFICULTY RATING
HH This is an easy activity to set up and it can be used for different distances, long and short passing coupled with a one-two skill. It is a simple unopposed warm-up but it needs good coordination.
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Activity by: David Clarke
SET UP
CHRISTMAS CRACKERS
12 WAYS to
Make Christmas Training Festive
Make your last training session before the Christmas break a memorable experience for your players by giving it a festive theme and by trying some of our 12 fun tips… MAKE IT FANCY DRESS
Pre-warn all the players of your plans a week early, giving them an idea of the Christmas fun and games you’re planning. Ask everyone to come to training wearing something festive. Full-blown fancy dress might hamper the session so restrict it to one item, such as Christmas socks, fake antlers or a Santa beard.
02
USE FUN NAMES
Rename as many items of kit as you can, using a festive theme – and tell players that for one session only they have to use these terms. So the ball becomes the ‘Christmas pudding’, socks are ‘Christmas stockings’, and when someone has to tie their laces, they have to ask if they can ‘wrap a present’.
03
RECRUIT REINDEER HELPERS
Appoint some ‘reindeer’ to help carry your kit to and from your car. Get others to assist in laying the table for Christmas dinner (set up) and then ask the rest to clear the table (pack up the kit) afterwards.
04
PASS THE PARCEL
Warm up with a drill that involves ball retention through passing – only do it to music and when the music stops the person in possession is out or has to do a forfeit. It’s effectively ‘pass the parcel’ with the ball, but call it ‘pass the Christmas pudding’. SoccerCoachWeekly.net
05
WEAR SANTA HATS
Instead of wearing bibs in training games, why not get some cheap Santa hats for the players. Chasers in possession games can wear these hats until they swap over.
09
DRINK CHRISTMAS PUNCH
Fill water bottles with a mixture of diluted squash for breaks in training – tell players that it’s ‘Christmas punch’. It’s a bit of fun and the kids might just take on more fluid that normal.
06
PLAY CHRISTMAS GAMES
Divide your squad into groups and play festive themed games such as the activity on the next page. Use Christmas-inspired names for the different teams. In our game Father Christmas plays a one-two with the reindeer, while the goalkeepers are the Grinches, trying to spoil the fun. Or you can adapt any of our sessions and use team names such as ‘Elves’ or ‘Scrooges’.
At the end of the session give a ‘Shepherd’s prize’ to the three players who have most led by example rather than followed like sheep during training. Also give a prize to the ‘three wise men’ – those players who have made good decisions, showed presence of mind and generally used their brains during the session.
07
USE FESTIVE FORFEITS
11
If a team concedes a goal or comes out second best in a drill, get them to sing a verse of a Christmas carol as a forfeit. You may have to lead this but as long as it’s done as a group, no one should be too embarrassed and it will get everyone laughing.
08
WEAR RUDOLPH’S NOSE
Get hold of a couple of comedy red ‘Rudolph’ noses and award them like yellow cards, giving them to players who handle the ball, commit a foul throw or even if they make a poor pass. Insist they wear the nose until the next person does something similar and then pass it on.
10
AWARD YULETIDE PRIZES
REMEMBER THE STOCKING
Dish out some Christmas chocolates at the end of the session. Chocolate coins are good, or if you’re feeling generous you can get small selection boxes quite cheaply.
12
FILL SANTA’S SACK
Finish training by getting players to chip the balls into the ball bag (Santa’s sack). Use two teams with five balls each and the winning team get to share a bar of chocolate or some other Christmas treat. Not only are the children playing a game and practising a skill (chipping), but it’s also a great way to clear all the balls away and the coach can get off early for Christmas shopping! Issue 347
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Words: Alistair Phillips Picture: ©iStockphoto.com/greenstarmedia
01
CHRISTMAS CRACKERS
Beat The Grinch In this festive themed training game, Santa and his reindeer have to find a way to get the presents in the sleigh and save Christmas from the Grinch!
WHY USE IT
Christmas is about players having fun but this game is not only fun, it is great for skills, both goalscoring and goalkeeping – and it’s all in the name of saving Christmas from the Grinch.
The two Santas go head to head to see which one can get all of their reindeer out to load presents (balls) onto the sleigh (score goals)
HOW TO PLAY
There are two teams of five, of which four are reindeer and one is Father Christmas. One reindeer from each team is placed in each of the corner squares, with the Father Christmases in the middle. One team shoots in one goal, the other team in the opposite goal. The keepers are the Grinches, who must stop the teams putting parcels onto the sleigh (scoring goals). To win, Santa must play a one-two with the reindeer to release them to get a ball and try to score. If they score they can go out. The winner is the first team to get the reindeer and the Santa out.
ds 7y
Set up an area of 50x30 yards with a 7x7-yard box in each corner and a goal at each end. Create a box on each touchline, just off the pitch – and fill each one with balls. We’ve used 12 players.
s yd 30
SET UP
Reindeer are trapped in the squares, and the presents are in a box outside the main area of the pitch
s 50yd
7yds
Father Christmas can release the reindeer with a one-two to the players in the boxes
As soon as a reindeer has been released, Santa must quickly go to release the other reindeer – there can be any number of reindeer in play at once
Once released the reindeer must run to the box of presents and try to score against the Grinch
The two father Christmases are the last players to try to beat the Grinch
TECHNIQUE
Quick passing gets players breaking out and shooting. Good awareness is needed with a lot of movement, as players look to find the space to shoot. Activity by: David Clarke
Player movement SoccerCoachWeekly.net
Ball movement
Shot
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CHRISTMAS CRACKERS
Snow Balls Before you stop training for Christmas, use this fun game to improve the volleying of your players – it will give them plenty of opportunities to score spectacular goals
WHY USE IT
This is a great way to get players shooting on the volley. Players practise their volleying technique with plenty of shots at goal. There are lots of options to get shots away, firing at one of the four goals.
The attackers pass the ball around quickly to keep the defender at bay
SET UP
Set up an area of 20x20 yards in the shape of an octagon, with goals on four opposite sides. We’ve used 12 players in this session. You need balls, cones, bibs and four goals.
HOW TO PLAY
The defender must try to put pressure on the attackers and prevent them passing
s 20yd
The attackers must create space so they can pass the ball to one of the servers
The pass must be chipped into the server’s hands
Three attackers and one defender start inside the playing area, with four goalkeepers. Four servers stand between the goals. The attackers pass the ball and at any time can chip the ball to one of the servers. The server throws the ball to any of the attackers, who must volley at a goal in an attempt to beat the keeper. The defender adds pressure to the attackers. Tell goalkeepers to stay on their line to make it easier to score with an accurate shot.
To score a goal the attackers must hit a volley into one of the nets from a throw from one of the servers
TECHNIQUE
Volleying technique can create spectacular goals. This is purely about players seeing if they can hit the ball cleanly without it bouncing.
Activity by: Keith Boanas, coach of Estonia women’s national team
Player movement SoccerCoachWeekly.net
Ball movement
Shot
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Soccer Surgery
Your Questions Answered THIS WEEK: Advice for a coach who wants to ban chewing gum, and an opinion on how to deal with questionable non-attendance at training If you have a coaching problem or a training dilemma, send your queries to editor@soccercoachweekly.net
Should players only get game time if they train?
Q “Am I being too
harsh by enforcing a ban on chewing gum at our weekly training sessions? My players think I’m being far too strict
A
Picture: ©iStockphoto.com/greenstarmedia
Answered by Andrew Abbott, a level 2 soccer coach from Burnley
Picture: Tom Childers
”
With the best will in the world, your players aren’t the best ones to pass judgement on this matter! After all, if players dictated every aspect of training they’d probably spend all their time performing shooting drills! Chewing gum is an interesting one, but you’re certainly right to ban it, if for no other reason than players could end up accidentally swallowing it whilst running. They know this, and will undoubtedly tell you that they were chewing it before they arrived at training and forgot to remove it, but it’s dangerous and generally makes a mess of pitches and paved areas. Yes, with chewing gum it’s often down to wanting to look cool, but with all sweets and confectionary there will be the potentially divisive nature of some players having something that others don’t. You want all your players to exist on the same level, without distractions and certainly by avoiding running the risk of them harming themselves.
Q“Supposed player ‘illness’ for training has
reached an all-time high, yet everyone seems fit for match day! How can I put a stop to this?
A
I’m not sure what day of the week soccer training takes place for you, but if it’s a midweek night then you’re always going to have players dropping out. This could be because of other evening commitments or tiredness, and by that I mean either tired players or tired parents. Of course, if your players are crying off from Saturday training sessions, then I think you have a much bigger problem on your hands. If it was me, I would certainly make it policy that any player who misses training doesn’t start the next league game, and there would be no exceptions to this rule. But more than that, I’d put some of the
”
pressure back on yourself, and ask why training has become so much of a turn-off. Maybe you could spring clean the exercises and drills that you run, or incentivise players with the offer of a hot chocolate at the end of the session, and take some of the pressure away from training so it becomes a fun environment. There won’t be one player on your team who doesn’t enjoy playing soccer, and that’s exactly what training is. Perhaps you just need to review what you do and rebrand it. If you do it well they’ll soon be back onside. Answered by Alex Finlinson, an international soccer school director from Toulouse
Want more training sessions?
Should gum be banned at training?
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THE BIG DEBATE
Can Youth Coaches Be Blamed For Poor National Teams? THIS WEEK’S DEBATE: It seems that youth coaches have become an easy target for those looking to apportion blame for the poor performances of those at the very pinnacle of the game – our international teams. But is the criticism deserved?
NO, COACHES ARE NOT TO BLAME
YES, BLAME THE COACHES
Keith Torren
Bakewell Youth Under 8s
“What frustrates is that we’ve been talking about the failure of youth coaching for many years, yet only very recently have we seen any real moves to repair the damage”
“
Anyone who has spent time following their soccer ambitions abroad will know that it’s not just the specific coaching that is different. What we’re really talking about here is a whole leisure and sports mindset, and that comes from the players, the coaches and the parents. In Britain I feel that parents look on soccer coaching as an opportunity to escape childcare duties for a couple of hours. We just don’t have the community engagement that is present in other countries, and because of that, there isn’t the investment in the sport or in player development. What frustrates me most is that we’ve been talking about the failure of youth coaching for many years, yet only recently
HAVE YOUR SAY
have we seen any real moves to repair the damage. At the same time, other countries were being so innovative and progressive in what they taught to their kids. And still today I see the same kids stuck on the sidelines desperate to play. It’s still largely a competitive environment, and that doesn’t encourage players to fully explore their potential because the onus is on them to do the ‘right’ thing rather than do the most ambitious thing. I also see some coaches going the other way and over-coaching. Perhaps this is a reaction to the criticism the coaching fraternity has received in the UK, but coaches need to learn to let go a bit – allow players make their own mistakes rather than constantly feeding them advice or instruction.
”
Can Youth Coaches Be Blamed For Poor National Teams? Vote at www.facebook.com/SoccerCoachWeekly or Tweet your opinion to @SoccerCoachWeek or email your thoughts to editor@soccercoachweekly.net SoccerCoachWeekly.net
“
Michael James Beckenham Boys Club
“As coaches, we are governed by regulations and a blueprint for how we should go about what we do. If the powers that be are slow to react to the global changes then we are hampered by that”
“
far behind as some people seem to think. There’s a lot of sensationalism around youth soccer, which is hardly a surprise when you look at how the professional game is represented. And why does the blame for the failure of national teams have to come back to the coaching, anyway? Should we not just accept that the players aren’t good enough, and that they will never be good enough no matter how much coaching is given to them? Why should we always expect players to be world-beaters? If football skills were judged on population size, our home nations would be punching above their weight to qualify for any World Cup finals, let alone expect to win them.
I can only speak for my own country, but is the problem poor coaching or poor direction from those who oversee the coaching? As coaches, we are governed by regulations and a blueprint for how we should go about what we do. If the powers that be are slow to react to the global changes in coaching programmes and ideas, then we are hampered by that. I don’t subscribe to the idea that coaching is to blame. In Britain I would rather point to the lack of opportunities for homegrown players in the professional game as the main cause. I also feel that although my own country is behind other major nations in terms of coaching, we are not as
”
HOW YOU VOTED Here are the results of a poll we ran in a previous issue of Soccer Coach Weekly, when we asked the question: Can direct criticism be positive for young players?
50% said yes 25% said no 25% said it depends on the player Issue 347
SOCCER COACH WEEKLY
12
BECOME A BETTER COACH THIS CHRISTMAS Get ahead of the rest this festive period. Buy one of these best-selling coaching manuals now and make sure you and your team are ready to hit the ground running after the Christmas break
Michael Beale
The Ultimate
67 Easy to Coach Drills for Marking, Tackling & Blocking
SOCCER
WaRm-UpS
WAS £27
£17
WAS £27
SOCCER COACH
WEEKLY
WEEKLY
SOCCER COACH
manUal
Win back possession with Perfect Defending! Perfect for coaches who want to develop defensive technique without losing their players’ interest. CLICK HERE NOW!
WAS £27
£17
Score more goals with Soccer Attack! 80 tried and tested drills to get your players banging them in. CLICK HERE NOW!
£17
WAS £27
£17
126 quick, easy and fun ways to kick-start your coaching sessions by MICHAEL BEALE
COACH YOUR PLAYERS THE DUTCH WAY
Keep the ball better! Small-sided games are the best way to coach soccer skills. Use this manual and your team will keep the ball better. CLICK HERE NOW!
WAS £27
£17
Help youngsters achieve new skills! Get a more rewarding coaching experience with everything you need to help three to five year olds develop and enjoy their soccer. CLICK HERE NOW!
Get off to a flyer! With this warm-ups manual your players will come out of the blocks quicker than your opponents – get ahead of the game. CLICK HERE NOW!
WAS £27
£17
Maximise your players’ potential! Continue youngsters’ progress with this definitive development plan for six to eight year olds. CLICK HERE NOW!
Offers end 31 December! click on the book you’d like to buy or go to http://bit.ly/1b1JkKt