One of our readers from Ohio truly believes his U14 son has a great coach who can develop players. He is Coach Everett Palache, from Cleveland United Soccer Club, and with his permission I’m sharing an email he sent to his team.
Pay close attention to the soccer philosophy …
Hello all,
Here is the roster for the CASA tournament this weekend.
This weekend we will be looking to build on our success from the US Club State Cup. This means we want to continue to show our growth technically, tactically, physically, and mentally as individual players. Your goals as individuals are to play the ball on the ground with short passing to create opportunities to get behind the defense using our outside backs or diagonal run from our attacking players. We want to use short passing to maintain possession and establish a psychological advantage over the other team to demonstrate we can possess to defend. In order to possess to defend we must utilize our technique (far foot turn, inside & outside of foot turns, shielding, etc) to put us in good positions to look forward first and be able to change direction if the play we saw is no longer available. As an individual you have to be committed to finding open space to help your teammates find angles to execute a short pass that may lead to a long pass to release another teammate. Lastly, our decision making with and without the ball is very important (mental). Once we make a decision with the ball we have to play it quick and if we find we have made a bad decision and we have lost the ball we have to work extremely hard to win it back.
As a team we have to be committed to communicating what we see at all times to aid each other in our decision making process. Soccer is a lot about processing multiple variables of information and responding based on what YOU see. The team must be committed to keeping shape defensively, if you see a right or left back not returning to the line on a goal kick, punt from other team’s keeper, or set play; we must hold them accountable. They should either communicate to the defensive midfielders to cover for them or the center backs should communicate to the defensive mids to cover. But the responsibility if first on the backs to get into position and if too tired must communicate. It is the team’s responsibility to encourage the attacking players to continue to move and off the ball so we can possess as a unit (team) and create opportunities for the team to get forward and score. If we find, while playing, runs are being made after the ball is being played, tell the attacking players to move early so the ball can be played quicker. We are all too often at fault of making runs after the fact and not anticipating the play. Those that participate and anticipate are showing signs of being engaged into the game, not spectating and reacting. Lastly, as a team we play together, we fight together, we defend together, we attack together, we score together, we get scored on together, and we win & lose together (Just to mention a few)!
I am taking the whole roster to this event because the tournament is a test on the material learned throughout the fall season. I have written a small cheat sheet above of a few things that should be thought about before playing this weekend. I will coach each game based on performance and TEAM NEED based on situations in the game. I look forward to a good weekend of hard fought soccer!
Here are some clips I want all to watch…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDyQmRcYRSc&feature=related
In the link listed above the player shielding and dribbling the ball at 2:06 – 2:08 is a former Cleveland United player now playing for New York Red Bulls first team. He came to speak to the club last winter at PSA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXnvIKSnvdo&p=590363C1B29FB87F&playnext=1&index=1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS1TgoF8htg&p=590363C1B29FB87F&index=3&playnext=2
One of my favorite links on possession! This is beautiful! Please notice the technique and movement off the ballhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UhOA5gX7ng&feature=related
One this one watch a few times and listen to the announcer each time as you watch the players. This is what we strive to have happen as a unit before we turn 18 years of age. But this requires great technique and patience (maturity).Hope you all enjoy!
Thanks
yours in Soccer,
Coach Everett
Force Indoor Sports
Director of Soccer Programing
Director Academy of Excellence
Head Coach, Cleveland United Soccer Club
Now, obviously there are many tools a coach must possess in order to truly develop a player and a team. But I will say that the philosophy evidenced by Coach Everett’s email is on the mark. And one’s philosophy is the starting point – get that right, and there’s hope.
What do you guys think? Does your coach communicate like this? How does your team’s philosophy compare?
Well I will have to say that I really like the way this coach thinks… My son’s coach is a little like this guy on the technical part but he is to much about wining games then developing players.. but again most of the coaches in Southern California are except for a hand full…
But again the reason most of the coaches are about wining then developing players is because of the parents.. not all parents think about developing there kids but about wining games.
The academies have an advantage because win or lose the coaches still have a job and the parent know from the beginning that they are going to focus on the developing of the players then wining games.. but in a regular club if the coach wants to keep the team and keep on getting paid then they need to win.
If every club focused more on developing players that would be the best thing ever!!!!
You said it Raul!
The pressure to win is very big. Perhaps there are more capable coaches out there than I think, it’s just that they can’t work in peace and hence choose to play games in a way that is detrimental to development (ie kickball).
Interesting …
Then again, I have see tons of academy games where supposedly coaches can work without this pressure, and the teams still play horribly.
I really should start writing on the winning vs development argument and how it doesn’t have to be an either/or proposition.
Raul,
As I tell the parents, the TEAM doesn’t get selected to play in college or the national team, it’s the INDIVIDUAL player. Keep the focus on your child’s development and measure his or her success based on their technical and tactical development, not wins and losses at U14. Think about it this way….would you care about your child’s CLASSROOM grade point average?!!
It’s all about the individual at the youth level. It’s to bad so many parents never understand this.
Bill,
You are right! Thats what I do, … when the team dosent win I really dont care because I saw my son having a great game..
Interesting take Bill. I never thought about it from that angle.
I think the lack of understanding or metrics plays an important part as to our condition. What I mean is:
How can a parent tell if their child is developing? I truly think this is very difficult.
So … they heavily lean on the only metric available – the win/loss record in conjunction with what level (ie bracket) the team is at. How is the team doing over time? Then by deduction, the player is either progressing or not. In other words:
“A rising tide lifts all boats”
A parents lack of understanding is the issue. Because they’re not educated in the game, the only thing they can grasp is winning/losing. It’s the coach’s job to get rid of this mentality, especially at the U14 and below ages. There the game should just be about technique.
Coaches that don’t stress technique at the younger levels and resort to kickball (to get the W) are doing their players a disservice and should be banned from the game. They just keep the game in this vicious cycle of not developing quality players.
Great post Gary, and interesting comments. I think first and foremost a coach should create a great environment. And that means that for youth coaching U14 and below, results should be thrown out the window. The emphasis should be solely on development. I wrote a blog today about this very topic, and if you want to check it out, here’s the link http://www.zoomreports.com/blog/bid/49773/soccer-development-you-don-t-build-a-house-and-put-the-roof-on-first
Raul, you said it man! I wish all clubs would focus more on developing players rather than winning meaningless trophies at the youth level.
Nice Comment! I think is the way of the Soccer Coach minds.
I love some of the ethos in the message and it’s great to see focus on the style of play, and playing in the right manner rather than the result. However, it does seem to be telling the players how they’ll play, rather than allowing them to come to their own conclusions about the right way to play the game?
Simon
Hi Simon,
Well that’s what a coach is for – especially at U-14 and up. We can’t expect teenagers to just figure out “the right way”. That would be a mess.
This coach’s philosophy guides the kids and places them on a good developmental track.
this is not mine , but I wish it was , but i AGREE 100 % …… THANKS ANGEL CAPPA
it’s transelated to english
If football is not joy, not work.
There are so many phrases to justify the horrors, and I’m not just talking football, that is sometimes difficult to refute because both repeat end accepted as true. For example that counseling for those who prefer to enjoy that experience, “If you want to go to the circus show.” Then comes the Barcelona and with a performance that rejoices the soul, win, crushes, rather, to Real Madrid no less and gives a memorable performance. There was no need to go to the circus for fun, enjoy the best of this game and get excited with each play. The football team returns to the true essence, all the concepts that make it the best displayed renewed after passing through the story with its load of lasting memories. Barcelona played with the infinite patience of someone who feels confident that the move is not sought goal, it is. And the most direct way is to confuse the enemy in the maze of deception. And then retrieves the ball immediately when it loses because he plays in the attacking, that is, shrinking spaces forward and organized pressure. Go to the ball and the possible recipients. No appeals to the muscle to recover, but the intelligence and collective labor. Who reads? All. Who plays when they have it? All. Involve everyone in every moment of the game and in all circumstances. Have fun, so they’re serious. The touch is not a waste of time, but a necessity in the game if you want to reach situciones goal advantage. In the last 3 official matches Barcelona scored 16 goals, was not asked any and manufactured at least 30 chances. Touching, turning, starting again if necessary. And the live football? Another phrase from genuine sellers of smoke. Can you imagine the trick live? What about live chess? We have to win as, is it that makes the Barcelona? Because if so, I concur also with the vendors of smoke that they repeat endlessly. Let me advise them to keep this party, because it is historic and to see him again when we return to ask what is playing well? And I made a last question, Iniesta, Xavi, Messi and company, also used the jumpsuit? And it’s a trick question, because surely use it, but not to lie on the floor or hit it hard and high, but to play, and retrieve the ball as soon as that is what they like, they pressure to play, not to press play. How beautiful it is well played football!
I just wish the translation was better.
yea gary , maybe ill take some time and do it myself , I thought that he was going to do good in river plate . Not enough time in soccer either , you need results right away , if not you’re out …………………
oh , the part where it says “live soccer ” I think is one of the most important . He talks about the “modern ” style as “direct ” How do you play direct chess ??? How do you play direct poker ?????? ” the play of goal is not sought for , (get this ) is found ” cappadt.blogspot.com for you spanish readers