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 Coaches'' Corner |
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STAY INFORMED
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Master Coaches: Words of Wisdom
Some words of wisdom from some remarkable and inspirational MASTER COACHES.
Bert van Lingen, Dutch Soccer Association(KNVB):
Soccer has to do with the brain and with perception. Our muscles serve our perception.
Techniques have an aim: they are the means to an end. We must bring "controlling the ball" into context. Soccer should not be simplified into movements, but into intentions.
Nancy Clark, author of Sports Nutrition Guidebook:
People typically drink only half as much as they should. The body needs fluids! If you know that you lose two pounds at a practice, the math is easy: every 15 minutes over an hour, drink eight ounces. To the players: "It's your job to bring enough to drink, and it's your job to drink it!"
Andy Roxburgh, Technical Director for UEFA(The Union of European Football Association):
Simulate the real thing: try to make practice as near to reality as possible.
Give each player a maximum amount of ball contact time.
Paul Balsom, Swedish Football Association:
In soccer we define "quick" as: first to the ball.
Dr. Zissis Papanikolaou, Director of Youth Soccer, Piraeus, Greece:
We should focus on the performer-not the performance. We should not treat kids as miniature adults.
The greatest challenge for a coach is to master and manage frustation.
A soccer field is much smaller than the outside world.
We must know each player on our team and we must deal with each as an individual. Our tools: affection, character, communication, humor, and patience.
We must provide accurate and understandable messages. Clear and simple, consistent and positive, again and again.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
From a recent trip to Paris, France in addition to the wonderful sites, I witnessed a lot of soccer playing. They played everywhere, in soccer fields, in the parks, in the streets. The weather was cold and rainy but, they still played!
Current youth training methods in the country of the World Cup and Euro 2000 Champions are an example to all of us and a must to look into.
Here are some comments from Aime Jacquet, coach of France's 1998 World Cup Champions in the USYSA Convention-Feb. 2000.
"France is the world champion because of long term youth development."
Monsieur Jacquet is in charge of the technical department of the French F.A., for both youth and pros. There are 20 regions in France; each region has a technical director, and there is a coach in each "department"; Monsieur Jacquet thus supervises 127 coaches.
The "most important" coaches, according to Monsieur Jacquet, are those "department" coaches spread all over each region. The requirements to become such a coach are tough-both intellectually and in sporting terms. They have two tasks: #1. Educate coaches and #2. Find good players.
"We are specific and demanding about youth coach education: If the coaches are well educated, the kids will follow. Last year we taught 19,000 'basic coaches'."
There is consistent youth training program through all the departments; they look at the program carefully and change it every year. Twenty years of hard work is now paying off: everyone is now on the same wave length.
"We rely heavily on our youth development system."
"My principal mission is to form 'the coaches of tomorrow'."
Ultimately, SUCCESS is a product of a systematic talent promotion system. But, "success" in terms of youth soccer is definitely a lot more than just winning games and titles. When you look at a good program good luck is never the reason for their "success".
Youth Soccer Training demands a lot of commitment of time and energy. At a first glance these might seem impossible, but if we adapt a long-view and a systematic approach combined with a lot of patience the results will be worthwhile.
It is a good idea from time to time to read our PYSA Mission Statement and stay focused to our goals and objectives so we can all "dribble" on the same "field".
More from the USYSA Convention:
Jurgen Klinsmann, the famous German international, contributed: "The qualities of a good youth coach? Knowledge of the game and content. MOST important is how you communicate, how you talk. Can you speak their language? They should have the feeling that you understand them. Bring enthusiasm, joy and fun - and then the technical content. LET KIDS PLAY. When I was free of comments and criticism, I developed my motor skills. I went to watch my six year old nephew play in California, and I was embarrassed by the behavior of many of the parents. I saw six year olds crying, thinking they had 'failed'. I was stunned, speechless."
Arthur D.
Player Development
We have up loaded a new document on Player Development and it is a downloadable file in MS Word format. This document can be very insightful on helping to develop a young players' skills. Please feel free to go the "Handouts" link and download it.
Have A Great Season!
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