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Evolving Players, Evolving Coaches: How Coaching Methodology Affects Player Development.
Introduction: The Current State of Women’s Soccer: The women’s soccer game on the international level has been improving steadily over the past decade and a half (FIFA, 2008). In observing the 2007 Women’s World Cup, the 2004 and 2008 Women’s Olympics, the most recent U17 and 20 youth World Cups, it is readily apparent that the [...] -
Street Soccer
Recently, I conducted a session that the players really enjoyed, and we got a lot accomplished in the process. I played what I call “street soccer.” It was a time where the players were given a lot of the decision making power as to how they played. We assigned each player to a team, gave [...] -
ISSUES IMPACTING PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
There are many factors that influence the developmental process in youth sports today. It seems that with every passing year, more and more pressure is placed on young athletes that are trying to compete at the highest levels. The promise of an academic scholarship to a college or university or the possibility of [...] -
NOTES ON METHODOLOGY
Here are some notes that I wrote down on coaching methodology. Included are some good reminders to review every once in a while. They are a list of principles to follow when thinking about our training sessions. 1. CHALLENGING A. The basic thrill of the game is to be found in a simple set of challenges: can you score on [...] -
REASONS FOR USING ZONES IN TRAINING EXERCISES
The use of zones in training exercises can be used as an effective teaching tool. It gives players a simplified and clear visual picture to interpret, thus allowing for increased learning and repetition at initial stages of a training session. The danger of using zones is that play at times becomes “forced” or over simplified. [...] -
TRYOUT PROCEDURES
I don’t know what it is about the Spring, but when this time of year rolls around, I often think about soccer trouts for some reason. Towards that end, I thought that I might inclued a discussion on the tryout procedures that we used in the last club that I worked with back in NH. [...] -
INSTEP BASICS
This past weekend I was working with some high school aged players, and was reminded of the fact that there are very few players that know how to strike a ball over distance, and can do so under pressure. It reminded me of a skills progression that I will use with this group during an upcoming [...] -
STREET SOCCER IDEAS
Recently, I conducted a session that the players really enjoyed, and we got a lot accomplished in the process. I played what I call “street soccer”. It was a time where the players were given a lot of the decision making as to how they played. We assigned each player to a team, gave them [...] -
MID WINTER COACHING REMINDERS
Hey coaches! I decided to post a letter that I wrote to coaches a year or so ago. It was a letter that I wrote to coaches in the club that I was working with at the time, reminding them of what they could be doing to “move things along”. After visiting an indoor soccer event [...] -
EVOLVING PLAYERS, EVOLVING COACHES
The women’s game on the international level has been improving steadily over the past several years. This brings with it the task of attempting to maintain our superiority in those areas of the game that have served as a strong foundation for our success in the past, namely our winning mentality and our athleticism. It [...]
