A Weekend in Iowa - Day 1

I love the drive down to Iowa.  Weird, I know, but that's me sometimes.  270 miles from my door in Woodbury to the Sheraton (except when I detour through Rochester on my way down to see family) and as many parents I'm sure will understand, heavenly peace and quite when you've spent four out of the past six months dealing with a colicky baby girl.  As long as Andy (our U12 girls coach and my roommate for the weekend) doesn't snore, I'm in for a two good nights of sleep!

The grass turned green somewhere about 15 miles north of Des Moines.  Nice.  Tournament officials had been in constant email contact with coaches warning of possible field changes for some of the games this weekend due to the poor weather conditions of late, and I was happy to see that there was no snow or standing water around. 

I flew by the University exit that I would normally take off I35 to get to the Sheraton in order to take a quick jaunt over to the Hidden Valley field complex to check things out.  The complex looked fantastic, as did Field #1 where we would open up tomorrow morning.  I stepped off 108x68.  A little short, but decent size.  But moreover, coming off the field in Virginia a few weeks back, this one was flat and had grass on it.  Lots of grass.  Thick grass.  This would be our biggest challenge in terms of getting accustomed to the conditions down here as we are coming off of 5 months of fast turf play.  The girls will get tired more easily and their feet/legs will feel heavy, and I'll need to make sure to stress the importance of over hitting ground passes early on.

I made my way back to the hotel (10 miles away), and then over to the Marriott (3 miles away) to check in our teams.  This is another reason why I like this event.  Everything is in easy driving distance from everything else once you're down here.  I've been to some larger regional/national events where you need to drive close to an hour to get from tournament hotels to fields.  Not here.  Moreover, at this event all the teams play at one complex which helps generate the excitement in the girls with all the hubbub surrounding the games.

We had set a 7:30PM Friday night meeting time for the players who were in town to go out for a light jog and stretch.  We had 30 girls among the three teams in town in time to participate, so we took them out to a large grassy area just across the hotel parking lot for some light movement activity and fun group games.  The munchkins (U11s) were a little nervous to be around the older U13s.  We divided the girls into five groups of six players for the evening activities, with each "team" comprised of some U11s, some U12s, and some U13s.  By the end of the 30 minute of relay races and other team challenges, each team was full of smiling faces.  Nice way to start the event.

We finished the short session by talking to the group about the importance of hydration this weekend, about focusing on things that were in their control (see Controlling the SEA), and about being courteous to other hotel guests this weekend.  We set curfews and pool restrictions, let the teams know what time to be at the fields tomorrow morning and what uniform combination to wear for the first game, then send the kids off to hang out together prior to the 9PM in the room curfew.

Training - Thursday, April 12

I was not happy with our final session prior to taking the trip out to Virginia a few weeks ago.  I think I tried to pack too much information into a too short an amount of time, and I think the girls left that session a little bamboozled.  I have to continually remind myself to minimize the pressure and stress on the girls leading up to events like this if I can, for I know they perform better when relaxed and confident.  So, I came into last night's session wanting it to be active and competitive for the girls.  They know that we focus on finishing at Bielenberg on Thursdays, so I didn't change that (when I usually would have been going over our attacking and defending set pieces). 

I. Synchronized Ball Dancing

Set Up

• Ball per player, each player working with a partner

Procedure

• Partners go off on their own for 8 to 10 minutes and work on developing a synchronized ball dancing sequence that then will then perform in front of the rest of the team

Comments

Same as last week, but instead of giving the pairs assigned sequences, I let the pairs come up with their own routine to do in front of the group. 

The idea was to have the girls work on their ball familiarity in a fun and competitive setting by trying to have them work with their partner to master the sequence, then challenge the pair to execute the moves as a unit at speed. 

II. Ball Masters - Individual Skills Development

Fast Feet

• Taps
• Zig Zag Zaps
• Stop Taps
• Step On Taps
• Triangle Taps
• "U" Taps
• Cut Behind Taps

III. Double 1-2s

Set Up

• Players work in pairs
• 50x35 yard field with goals and GKs at each end
• Passing and Target disks on each side of the field (see below)

I had 16 girls at training.  With the two GKs, that left 7 groups of 2.  3 groups started at one end and 4 groups at the other as in the diagram below.

Procedure

• When it is a pair's turn, one girl jogs out to the Target disk, the other girl has the ball at the Passing disk
• (1) Blue 1 passes to blue 2 and holds their run (at the same time, green starts their sequence up the other side of the field)
• (2) Blue 2 lays a ball off to blue 1 then spins away
• (3) Blue 1 gets to the ball and (4) passes a through ball to blue 2 for blue 2 to go to goal
• Blue 1 chases as a defender
• After blue is done with their sequence, they retrieve their ball and wait at the other end to come up the other side of the field

Make It Competitive

• +1 point for each goal
• +3 points for goals scored on the ground

Coaching Points

• Talk about speed of play.  It's quicker if the passer plays a laid back pass first time through to a forward, so the forward needs to lay back a pass that will allow the passes to play first time - this means a softer lay back pass to the space in front of the passer, not a firm pass back to the passer's feet that may force a control touch prior to the pass
• Target spins AWAY from the lay back pass to force a marking defender to choose to see the ball or the target
• Target also spins away laterally, not forward, in order to not risk running into an offsides position
• As target spins, find the ball quickly and be ready to run forward onto a ball
• Communicate verbally ("Through!") and visually (hand out extended in the direction where you want the pass)

Comments

My college coach, John Leaney, used to tell the men's team that one of the downfalls of coaching women was that female players usually did what the coach told them to a fault.  Stereotypical?  Maybe.  But I see the same thing at the younger female ages.

I demonstrated the Target peel away move for the girls using the words "spin away".  Most girls processed the spin part of it, and for the first few minutes I watched in amusement as the Target would most definitely spin; sometimes to the inside, sometimes while running forward, sometimes twice.  It was a funny few minutes but I like to have the girls fight through things prior to coaching right away.  There were a lot of other teams in the dome and we were looking a bit silly, so I stopped it earlier than I would have though.

I brought them in to break this movement down and explain why I was asking the girls to spin away from the laid back pass (see coaching points).  It got better fast.  I then let them work a bit more then brought them in again to talk about a lateral run after the lay back to stay onsides, as well as about the Target's body position and communication. 

IV. Reverse Passes

Set Up

• Same as above

Procedure

• (1) Blue 1 passes to blue 2 and makes a run forward down the line
• (2) Blue 2 touches the ball inside the field (away from the runner), then (3) plays a reverse pass to the space in front of blue 1
• Blue 1 goes to goal and blue 2 trails the play to be a passing option for their teammate

Make It Competitive

• +1 point for each goal
• +3 points for a goal scored on the ground

Coaching Points

• In this setup, Target should touch the ball inside the field (towards the middle of the field away from the runner) with the outside of their right foot if possible
• Pass should be made with the left foot or outside of the right foot
• Runner continues their run forward even when their teammate goes in another direction, trusting that their teammate saw the run made and may still opt to play the runner into goal

V. Reaction to Runners

Set Up

• Same as above

Procedure

• Blue 1 passes to blue 2 and does 1 of 3 things
• (1) Blue 1 holds their run which then triggers a lay back pass and double 1-2 (see above)
• (2) Blue 1 makes a run down the line which triggers a touch by the Target inside the field for a reverse pass (see above)
• (3) Blue 1 makes a run inside the field which triggers a touch by the Target to the outside (away from the runner) and then a reverse pass up the middle of the field (see below)
• Whichever partner does not go to goal trails the play to offer a passing option to their teammate

Make It Competitive

• +1 point for each goal
• +3 points for a goal scored on the ground

Coaching Points

• As the ball is being played to the Target, the Target must realize what the passer is doing and react to it
• Looking for sharp, crisp passes and good pace throughout the sequence

Though some coaches may see all this as providing too much structure for the girls in an unstructured game, I see this as giving the girls ideas of what can be done with two-player combinations.  There are a ton of individual technical coaching opportunities in exercises like this, as well as a lot of activity and shooting.  The girls also see some marked improvement in a short time which helps increase their willingness to put the work in.  It was a very good session for them.

VI. 5v5 Winner Stays

Set Up

• 3 teams of 5
• 50x40 yard field

Procedure

• Blue vs green with orange sitting out
• First team to score stays on the field, losing team exists and the team waiting jumps in
• The team that scores can immediately grab the ball and attack the opposite goal
• Waiting team must enter and organize quickly

Make It Competitive

• It is

Coaching Points

• Not many, let them play

Overall I was MUCH happier with this final session in prep for the upcoming tournament weekend.  The girls look sharp and are excited to perform better than a few weeks ago.

I also handed out Individual Player Goals for the weekend.  I will be tracking who reaches their goals during this event and who does not.

The Question We Must Ask

Nice commentary by our State Coaching Director, Ian Barker, published in Soccer America.

I work for a youth soccer association and I am convinced that the majority of our youth players have a very good experience in the sport. Beyond that I believe many come to develop a passion for the sport that extends beyond college and into full adulthood and this will create the next generation of soccer parents, referees, coaches and administrators. Much of that positive experience is the due to the dedication of both paid and volunteer adults.

At the same time, our association is constantly dealing with hearings and appeals, requests for priority placement and seeding in league and tournament play, gerrymandering, occasionally legal disputes, and a wide variety of adult complaints. Favoritism, litigation, political machination and personal conflict could describe the day-to-day operations of Washington, D.C. and Capitol Hill, but this is too often the reality of youth soccer in America today.

The money in youth soccer, the associated egos of all involved and the challenges of parenthood present to adults and children alike a very charged competitive environment. Are the diverse motivations of highly paid coaches and administrators, volunteers at all levels of the game and parents irreconcilable?

While it could be argued convincingly that they are it could be equally seen that some of that diversity, if appreciated with a sense of ''getting on the same page,'' could actually serve us well. At the core of all we do is the fact that this is ''youth sport'' and this can be too often overlooked.

The role of parents in youth soccer today is one that receives mixed reviews as it does with other youth activity, including school. The parent is most likely to be the person who brings the child to the game and sponsors that involvement. Without parental support many children would not have access to the game and those of us who make a living at it would not have jobs.

Consistent and ongoing efforts to bring coaches and parents together in better understanding of their roles and responsibilities would benefit the youth and the sport overall. Coaches must appreciate that parents have ''rights'' and investment in the game and parents must respect the coach's and team's ''space'' before, during and after the game.

It should be hoped that parents are encouraged and follow through on reviewing the programs they put their children into. Identifying the best for a child's sport experience merits a higher level of attention than say buying a car or dishwasher.

Clubs, states and national bodies can all help parents understand the programs they are considering for their child. National, state and club associations in conjunction with commercial camp and clinic businesses have a moral responsibility to serve the best interest of the youth player and occasionally defend that position to the paying customer, the parent.

For those coaches trying to put food on the table such a lofty ideal may be difficult to follow, but in the long term trying to do the right thing has numerous rewards.

The challenge then for youth soccer in the America is to ask a single question and to ask it as frequently as possible. The answer will not be the same for everyone, nor should it be, indeed it will be a number of answers. We have too many different motivations and situations to find a one-size-fits-all answer.

The question, however, should always be ''what is in the best interest of the youth players?''

If we can all ask this more and encourage others to do so then we can increasingly make youth soccer in America a better experience for all.

Ian Barker has been the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association's State Director of Coaching for the last decade and has been a Region II ODP coach for 15 years. He also coaches at Macalester College in St Paul.

Training - Tuesday, April 10

7:15PM - 7:45PM Ball Masters - Individual Skills Development

I. Active Touches Warm Up

This is an activity that I first saw the Eclipse Select team at our age go through at an event a few years back.  I use it sometimes as part of a pre game warm-up at tournaments when we might not have lots of space/time on the field prior to kickoff.  It gets the girls touches in a more active setting than simply working with a partner in a static setting. 

Set Up

• Ball per two players, with the players in lines as indicated below

Procedure

• On the coach's go signal, players with the ball serve to the player across from them
• Players receiving the ball work on a specific skill to get the ball back to the server, then shift one player to the left (or right if the coach so chooses to move in that direction)
• Player at the end runs back down the line to work with the first server
• Work for a set period of time then switch roles

Make It Competitive

• My girls yell out "Hoot hoot!" if they make it through a complete cycle (working with every server) without having had any errant touches - meaning that every server they worked with was able to catch the return ball back to them without the ball touching the ground

Coaching Points

• Technical coaching depending on the skill being worked on

Variations

• Inside of the foot volleys
• Instep (laces) volleys
• Headers
• Jumping headers
• Thigh control + volley
• Chest control + volley

II. Technical Relay Races

More skills work in the small space we had to warm up in prior to taking the field

Set Up

• 4 teams of 4 players, one ball per team
• Teams lined up as shown below

Procedure

• A serves to B who executes a specific skill to get the ball back to A's hands
• A then tosses the ball to B, B takes A's place and serves to C
• A goes to the back of the line

Make It Competitive

• Each successful execution of the specified skill followed by a catch by the server is a point
• First team to 15 yells "Whoo hoo!" and sits down
• All other teams take 15 minus their score and do that many push ups, sit ups, or another fun/fitness penalty

Coaching Points

• Technical coaching depending on the skill being worked on

Variations

• You can get as creative as you would like hear depending on the skill level of your players.

Comments

This is a very enjoyable and competitive activity for the girls.  No one wants to be on the losing team and you'll see the players tense up when they know their close to their end goal or they hear other teams nearing the 15 point mark.  Have fun with it... your players will!

7:45PM - 9:00PM Field Training

I wanted to build off of our last session and once again focus on wide play.  My thoughts here are that we may likely face teams in State Cup who choose to bunker in and defend.  One of the best ways for us to break down this type of defense is by stretching the defense out across the field by playing wide.  Some of the stuff I did today was fairly complex.  I demanded a lot from the girls in terms of focus to pick things up, and by the end of practice we were humming right along.

III. Battle in the Box - Early Cross

Same basic set up and procedure as we worked on last Saturday, except that I had to make adjustments for 17 players instead of for 12.  I also varied the angle of the incoming pass today as well to give the wide players a different look.

Set Up

• 4 teams of 4 players in different color vests
• 35x60 yard field set up as in the illustration below (with a penalty box, goal, GK, and starting disks for attackers/defenders and wide players)

Procedure

• Blue team attacks, green defends, gray team on deck, gold team serving
• Gold 1 passes to gold 2 who takes a short prep touch and serves in a cross from the right for blue to finish
• Green tries to clear the ball from the box
• When the ball is dead (in the goal, out of bounds, or out of the penalty box), defending team exits the area and is on deck waiting, attacking team (blue) becomes the defending team, and the team on deck (gray) attacks a cross that will be played in from the other (left) side
• Gold pairs alternate positions after each cross

Make It Competitive

• +2 points for the first team that makes contact with the ball in the box (looking for aggressive movement towards the ball by both the attacking and defending teams)
• +4 points if the defenders clear the box in the air directly from a cross (so +6 total if they get to the ball first and clear the box in the air)
• +2 point if the attackers get a shot off
• +4 points for a goal

Coaching Points for the Crossers

• Good first prep touch, under control but away from your feet to set up the early cross
• Find a target for your cross instead of just kicking the ball (far post, near post, or a player's feet)
• Look up as the ball is being passes to you to see what you are going to do when you get it

Coaching Points for the Attackers

• Initial movement should be away from the ball to force your defender to work hard to see both the attacker and the ball
• Be creative and careful on your runs (careful about offsides) - lose your defender with quick changes of direction, starts and stops, or bursts of acceleration
• Don't get all 4 runners flat in the box, someone has to stay at the top of the box in the event of a poorly cleared ball from the defenders or to offer a lay back pass option
• Work hard to keep the ball in the box if the defending team gets to it first
• Wanting the ball is about attitude

Coaching Points for the Defenders

• Transition quickly from attack to defense and organize
• Communicate with each other and sort out who is marking who
• Don't lose your mark!
• Attack the ball, don't let it drop in our box
• Clearances should be high and wide
• Kamikaze to block shots in our box

IV. Battle in the Box - Varied Service

Same set up as above with the variation that the crosser can now take a short touch for an early service or a longer first touch down the line to play in a more endline cross.  Also, initial passer can now play a pass directly into the space in front of the crosser for the wide player to run onto.

Now attackers see three different types of crosses and must react accordingly.

V. 3v3+2 to Battle in the Box

Progressing from a more structured exercise, I now wanted to add a bit more free play to the mix while still looking to finish from crosses.

Set Up

• Two teams of 5 players (blue and gold), 2 neutral players (gray), four defenders (green), and a GK in goal
• 60x36 yard field with a 44x18 yard 3v3+2 area marked with cones, extending from the top of the penalty box outward
• Blue and gold wide players outside the main grid at the wide starting disks, with the three remaining players from each team and the two neutral players in the middle grid
• Defenders waiting at the top of the box
• Soccer balls with the coach outside the area

Procedure

• Coach plays in a ball to the middle grid
• Teams play 3v3+2 with the neutral players playing with the team in possessions (making it 5v3)
• As soon as a team completes 5 consecutive passes, the players in the middle grid can play the ball wide to either side of the field
• Once the ball leaves the middle grid, the game is live to goal
• The only people not involved from that point on are 1) the three players in the middle grid on the team that did not complete the 5 passes and spring their wide play, and 2) the wide players from that team.  All 5 of those players take a knee and wait until the ball in play is dead
• Thus, the players attacking the four green defenders are 1) the 3 players who completed the 5 passes and sprung their wide player, 2) the wide player with the ball, 3) the weak side wide player, and 4) the 2 neutral players - this means 7v4 to goal.

Make It Competitive

• +1 point per team for each shot on goal
• +3 points for a goal

Coaching Points

• Good possession in the middle of the field
• After springing the wide players, get organized numbers into the box - meaning see what your teammates are doing instead of blindly running into the box watching the ball the whole time
• Read the crosser to anticipate when the cross is coming

Comments

This would be one of the more complex activities I've run with the girls.  But they worked hard and picked it up, and some real good soccer came from it.

I also talked to the girls today about position specific training for State Cup.  So in the exercises, girls who would likely see time on the wings were the ones who took most of the crosses and girls who would likely see defense practiced in that position more than others.  We still rotated around in training, but not as much as I normally would have.

Training - Saturday, April 7

8:15AM - 8:45AM FIT Training

8:45 - 9:15AM Video Analysis

9:15AM - 10:45AM Field Training

I. Sequence Passing Warm-Up

Same that we've done the pass couple sessions.  I had the girls work through this as I set up the field for the main part of the training session.

II. Battle in the Box - Early Cross

The idea today was to continue to address some of our individual and team breakdowns highlighted in Virginia. 

Set Up

• 3 teams of 4 players in different color vests
• 35x60 yard field set up as in the illustration below (with a penalty box, goal, GK, and starting disks for attackers/defenders and wide players)

Procedure

• Blue and green teams attack and defender first and both teams start at the attacking/defending start disks
• Gold team crosses and has two players on each side of the field with all the soccer balls split between the two starting disks with gold 1 and gold 3
• Gold 1 passes to gold 2 who takes a short prep touch and serves in a cross from the right for blue to finish
• Green tries to clear the ball from the box
• When the ball is dead (in the goal, out of bounds, or out of the penalty box), both blue and green teams "reset" back to their starting disks and gold 3 passes to gold 4 to start the crossing sequence from the left
• After the cross from the left, blue and green switch roles and green now attacks 2 crosses, one from the right and one from the left
• Gold pairs alternate positions after each cross and each player get 5 chances to cross
• This means that the blue and green teams in the middle are dealing with 20 crosses in total
• Rotate team positions after the 20 crosses; blue sends two girls to the each side of the field to cross, and green and gold battle in the box

Make It Competitive

• +1 point for the first team that makes contact with the ball in the box (looking for aggressive movement towards the ball by both the attacking and defending teams)
• +1 point if the defenders clear the box
• +1 point if the attackers get a shot off
• +4 if the defenders get to the ball in the air (before it bounces) and clear the box in the air with a header or volley
• +4 points for a goal
• +2 points (1/2) for the crossing team for each assist on a goal

Coaching Points for the Crossers

• Good first prep touch, under control but away from your feet to set up the early cross
• Find a target for your cross instead of just kicking the ball (far post, near post, or a player's feet)
• Look up as the ball is being passes to you to see what you are going to do when you get it

Coaching Points for the Attackers

• Realize that the crosser has time and space and will likely serve the ball, so get into danger areas
• Be creative and careful on your runs (careful about offsides)
• Don't get all 4 runners flat in the box, someone has to stay at the top of the box in the event of a poorly cleared ball from the defenders or to offer a lay back pass option
• Work hard to keep the ball in the box if the defending team gets to it first
• Wanting the ball is about attitude

Coaching Points for the Defenders

• Communicate with each other and sort out who is marking who
• Attack the ball, don't let it drop in our box
• Clearances should be high and wide
• Kamikaze to block shots in our box

III. Battle in the Box - Support and Serve

Set Up

• Same as above, except for the start positions for the wide players

Procedure

• Gold 1 passes down the line for gold 2 and follows in a good supporting distance
• Gold 2 turns out of trouble and lays a ball back for Gold 1 to cross in first time
• The rest is the same as above

Make It Competitive

• Same as above

Coaching Points for the Crossers

• Follow the pass down the line at a good distance - too close to your teammate will allow a defender pressuring your teammate to pressure you immediately after the back pass, too far away and other defenders may intercept the back pass and the "surprise" of the cross will be lost
• Verbal communication - "Set it!"
• Visual communication - point with your hand to the side of your body where you want the back pass laid off

Coaching Points for the Attackers

• Make runs as if gold 2 was going to cross the ball
• Hold up and check back when the ball is played backwards in support to gold 1 in the event the defense pushes up
• Read the pace of the support pass to anticipate a first time cross

Comments

This was a very fun and useful drill for the girls!  I will likely build off of this for our next session. 

For right footed players crossing from the left side, they worked on their weak foot as well as cut the ball backwards (away from goal) and served in with their stronger right foot.

IV. Possess to Score

Set Up

• Two teams
• 35x50 yard field with one goal and GK set up as shown below
• All the players' soccer balls with the coach on the endline opposite the goal

Procedure

• Rock, paper, scissors to see which team attacks goal first
• Coach plays a ball in to the attacking team (blue) and the attackers go to goal
• If the defenders (green) with the ball and complete 5 consecutive passes without the attackers touching the ball, the defending team now becomes the attacking team and goes to goal
• The team that was attacking now plays defense and must win the ball and complete 5 passes in order to go to goal again
• If the ball goes out of play, the coach plays in another ball to a random player on the team who would have been awarded possession

Note: Coaches can also use Situational Restarts in this activity.  For example, if you wanted to concentrate on throw ins, every restart, no matter where/how the ball went out of play, would be started by a throw in.

Make It Competitive

• +1 point for each shot on goal
• +3 points for a goal

Coaching Points

• It's more fun to go to goal, right?  So attackers must transition to defense quickly and try and win the ball back from the defenders to keep attacking the goal
• Defenders need to work together to win the ball then make the field big by spreading out to keep possession