40 years ago, Al Michaels gave us this unforgettable call in
the final seconds of the USA / Soviet Union Olympic Hockey Game. Sports Illustrated named the “Miracle on Ice”
the top sports moment of the 20th century.
In celebration of the 40th anniversary, our local sports stations have interviewed several players from that Gold Medal-winning USA Olympic team. Recently I heard an interview with Rob McClanahan. What I found of interest was what he said about his personal preparation for the August USA tryouts.READ MORE
This is the first in a three-part series on coaching
children at this young age.
Introduction
Children at these ages are being introduced to just how much FUN it is to play soccer. By providing a safe and fun environment you can ensure a positive experience for the children.
You are coaching because you care
for children. You may not even know much
about soccer (well, not yet anyway), and that is OK! What you bring to the soccer field as their
coach is your personality! Your
enthusiasm for them will show through any misgivings you might have about your
soccer coaching abilities. Consider
this: these children may not remember
what you teach them about soccer, but they will always remember how you make
them feel.READ MORE
As a professional soccer game announcer and analyst, I was honored to be asked to announce a Pre-Olympic game. With their National Anthems playing and me reading the last names on their shirts, here were all these guys from Central America living the dream. Then I thought “If my child were on the field how proud I would feel.”
These were U-20 players representing their country and dreaming
of playing in the Olympics. Their dreams
came true because of the support of their parents.READ MORE
At this age the coach’s task is to provide the opportunity
to play soccer. These students have
minds and bodies that are like sponges and we need to keep their attention. The instruction can be directed at the
development of the entire player, their physical, cognitive, social and
psychological needs.
Remember U10 players are still children not adult players, their attention span is getting a little longer than last year but still not fully developed. Their motion is gaining in balance and strength but not yet fully developed. Psychologically U10 children are becoming stronger in understanding how to cooperate and share with others. Boys and Girls are beginning to develop at different speeds, girls getting their growth spurts a little earlier. Motor skills overall are becoming more refined. Muscle memory is very elastic and receptive to good instruction. At this age player memory is absorbing content as fast as it can be delivered and players are able to think ahead because they can tap into new information they have recently experienced. READ MORE
There is an old Arnold Schwarzenegger film called
“Kindergarten Cop.” In it,
Arnold becomes a substitute kindergarten teacher who barely made it through the
first day! He felt totally overwhelmed
and under prepared.
That is how many of us begin our coaching careers – feeling
overwhelmed and under prepared. That
anxiety can lead to fear, even before you take the field for the first time
with your team.
“It’s OKAY to be scared. Being scared
means you’re about to do something really, really brave.” Mandy HaleREAD MORE
Are you a new coach involved with Soccer for the first time
asking – What do I do now?
What follows will give you enough pointers to begin coaching and
give you a solid foundation to plan practices, identify and teach relevant
soccer skills that will hopefully lead to bolstering your involvement in and
ultimate enjoyment of the great game of soccer.
Soccer is a game of great skill and technique if it is to be
played correctly and enjoyed immensely. When first starting out it is
important, as a coach, that you not try to instruct the new player too much at
one time. In the initial stages of development your concentration should be
focused on having your players familiarize themselves with fundamental ball
handling techniques. It is important that young players learn to control the
ball with different body surfaces such as feet, thighs and chest. Being able to
comfortably juggle the ball on all surfaces of the body is a natural
progression to close ground control. Creating positive practice environments,
especially during the beginning sessions, and allowing players to experience
the many moves and technique skill sets together as a team is vital. Only with
perseverance and repetitions will players attain the feel and touch required to
have maximum control of their body and the ball.READ MORE
Smart coaching can be as simple as better organization prior
to the season using a mapped out plan for an entire season. Having a practice
plan for your sessions gives you a body of work that can be easily accessed and
be ready for delivery to your team. Being organized and having a plan takes
away an awful lot of anguish, frustration and ultimately failure in producing
the education goals you aspire to.
A coach’s consistency of content throughout the season is
key to instructing and demonstrating to their players that they are
knowledgeable and engaged with the squad of players. Parents from the side
lines will appreciate the coach more when they see energy, movement and
meaningful activities that players are embracing and showing fun emotions while
doing them.READ MORE
When you first
start coaching – be it your initial foray as a parent coach or the beginning of
a new season with a new team for a more seasoned recreational coach, figuring
out what to cover in a practice can be daunting. This is often especially true after
you have seen them in their first competition – the list of “things they need
to work on” feels endless. But you’ve got to start somewhere, and its best to
go in with a plan.
First, give
some thought to the skills you would like to introduce and the topics you would
generally like to cover over the span of the season and work from there. Be
realistic and age/developmentally appropriate with your expectations and goals.READ MORE
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