Looking For Guidance

Three weeks ago I was involved in a conference call regarding the role of MN ODP. This round table discussion was led by Ian Barker, Minnesota's State Director of Coaching, and involved a number of Minnesota soccer people as well as some USSF National Staff members.

One of the people on the phone was Janet Rayfield, USSF National Staff and Head Women's Coach at the University of Illinois. I had gotten a chance to meet her back in February at the MYSA Winter Symposium and thought that she had some very useful ideas regarding the development of the women's game here in the US. I also thought she brought up some valid points in the MN ODP discussion, so I thought I'd send her and email and pick her brain a bit.

Here is an excerpt from the email I sent:

Hi Janet,

I was on the phone bridge with you yesterday. I don’t know if you remembered, but I was the guy who sat down with you, Mike Dickey, and Roberto Lopez for a while at Bruegger’s Bagels (across from the Augsburg Dome) prior to your presenting at the MYSA Winter Symposium. Always helps to put a face with a name as I’m sure you run into tons of people in your work.

I enjoyed listening to your thoughts here in Minneapolis back in February and again yesterday on the phone. I was a professional player for a number of years both here in the states and abroad, and I’ve been coaching young soccer athletes for nearly 15 years - mainly dealing with the 9 to 13 year old female players. I helped begin the Bangu Tsunami Soccer Academy program three years ago to provide structured, year-round, professional training in a team context for those players interested. We are currently working with some very committed and athletic 10 to 13 year old girls here in Minnesota, and I don't want to pass up the opportunity to pick your brain a bit.

Any thoughts you can provide about what you see as lacking at the top levels of the women’s game would help me design training sessions to better help these young, committed players find success down the road. I think I have a very good eye for talent at the younger age groups, and I personally believe we have a number of Catie Session-type players in our mix right now. These players LOVE the game and I want to continue to get new ideas from those who have experience like yourself in order to help develop these athletes in the most effective way possible.

I know you’re busy, but any thoughts on this matter would be appreciated. Please get back to me whenever you can. Thanks in advance!

I brought up Catie Sessions' name because 1) she is a very talented player from the area who Janet knows, and 2) since I worked with Sesh for a number of years on the WSC Inferno, I know where she was at skill-wise at the 10 - 12 year old age and can compare that to what I see from girls in our program today.

Janet got back to me with the following:

Mark –

Sorry to take so long to respond to your questions. Never enough hours in the day to get it all done...

With respect to what I have seen “lacking” with talented players --- on the attacking side: movement and creativity.  The movement without the ball is predictable – towards the goal or towards the ball.  The vision to see ahead of the game, to make runs away from the ball, to unbalance so that you create a space to attack is lacking in the players that have the technical and physical ability to do more than play one and two touch.  Possession is valued for possession sake – or not valued enough.  Possession as a means to breakdown a defense doesn’t seem to be part of the mentality.

On the defensive side I think it is a product of the environment but TRUE pressure isn’t really understood.  I think because at most level token pressure will result in a turnover and therefore players sense they are pressuring adequately and timely when at the next level the distance and timing are not precise enough to dispossess or pressure an opponent into a predictable pass.  This one is hard to train because the training environment has to be conducive to requiring good pressure and without a compliment of talented players this can be more difficult for coaches to create.  This is where players playing up or girls playing against boys can help the top players develop.

I hope this is the sort of answer that you were looking for.

Interesting.  I'll probably email Mikki over at the University of Minnesota to pick her brain as well.