NEFC in truble?!?!?!

[Unregistered]

Losing U12 DAP is a good kick in the nuts!

Dying or folding GDA is the nail on the coffin. Real bad decisions in these past 3 years.
ECNL gained a lot of steam and they are preparing to do their "DA" as second division. Maybe NEFC will apply.

[Unregistered]

Dying or folding GDA is the nail on the coffin. Real bad decisions in these past 3 years.
ECNL gained a lot of steam and they are preparing to do their "DA" as second division. Maybe NEFC will apply.

Thanks ecnl rah rah. So transparent.

[Unregistered]

Are these examples of how you think young kids should be trained? Do you stand around “coaching” by asking U-8 to U-12’s what to do in endless made-up scenarios? I can’t imagine a 8 to 12 year olds standing there for 10 minutes while you drone on about what someone should do in a given scenario. How long before they bolt for the field and actually have some fun kicking the ball around? What do you do if they answer wrong, hit them with a rubber hose?

Seriously, this is nonsense. It’s a game and kids learn by playing it. If they can score by booting it over someone’s head, they’ll figure that out and do it. If they can’t, they’ll figure that out too. If the clock runs out or they do something stupid, then they learn from that. No snobbish “teaching” with words makes up for real learning on the field.

This is one reason I’m very suspect about U-little teams that stress winning. You learn much more by mistakes and losing than winning. Win the majority of the time and it just means you aren’t facing tough competition and learning.

And, this is actually taught at your club, (or HIGH SCHOOL?) hahahaha

[Unregistered]

The training sucks, at minimal inclement weather they cancel. I want my refund and June we wil be some place else.

[Unregistered]

Truble?

[Unregistered]

Are these examples of how you think young kids should be trained? Do you stand around “coaching” by asking U-8 to U-12’s what to do in endless made-up scenarios? I can’t imagine a 8 to 12 year olds standing there for 10 minutes while you drone on about what someone should do in a given scenario. How long before they bolt for the field and actually have some fun kicking the ball around? What do you do if they answer wrong, hit them with a rubber hose?

Seriously, this is nonsense. It’s a game and kids learn by playing it. If they can score by booting it over someone’s head, they’ll figure that out and do it. If they can’t, they’ll figure that out too. If the clock runs out or they do something stupid, then they learn from that. No snobbish “teaching” with words makes up for real learning on the field.

This is one reason I’m very suspect about U-little teams that stress winning. You learn much more by mistakes and losing than winning. Win the majority of the time and it just means you aren’t facing tough competition and learning.

Judging by the number of older teams I've seen where the coach has to tell the kids multiple times during a game to get wide or open up, I don't buy into your 'let the kids play and they'll learn the game over time". I don't think the coach needs to continually stop down practices for 10 minutes to teach a concept but good coaching is the difference between a team that values possession and keeps possession 70% of the time versus one where the team keeps the ball for short 5 second increments before turning it over again and again and counts merely on a few kids athleticism to keep the team in the game.

[Unregistered]

Judging by the number of older teams I've seen where the coach has to tell the kids multiple times during a game to get wide or open up, I don't buy into your 'let the kids play and they'll learn the game over time". I don't think the coach needs to continually stop down practices for 10 minutes to teach a concept but good coaching is the difference between a team that values possession and keeps possession 70% of the time versus one where the team keeps the ball for short 5 second increments before turning it over again and again and counts merely on a few kids athleticism to keep the team in the game.

To each his own. My d got yelled at to get wide all the time, finally got it down, and then along came another coach and he was all about pinching in.

[Unregistered]

To each his own. My d got yelled at to get wide all the time, finally got it down, and then along came another coach and he was all about pinching in.

We're not trying to create robots, rather players who understand why do something and when to do it and can adapt to the situation on the field. There is a time to get wide and a time to pinch in. It depends on where on the pitch you are, where the ball is, what the formation/team shape is and the type of attack that is playing out.

An outside player doesn't need to be wide when making a run to goal on the weak side if the setup is a shot or cross, especially if a midfielder or fullback pushes up. It should be a run to far post. An outside player should get wide from the middle of the pitch if their role is to attack the channel down the wing or stretch the defense to open up lanes for attackers.

Playing a 4-4-2, the two forwards need to support each other, which means staying relatively close instead of wide, but that could be last defender, in the gap between lines or staggered. If there is an attack from a wide area, it will likely happen from an outside midfielder. Again, depends on the teams tactics, which could change based on the opposition, coach, players available, etc.

[Unregistered]

We're not trying to create robots, rather players who understand why do something and when to do it and can adapt to the situation on the field. There is a time to get wide and a time to pinch in. It depends on where on the pitch you are, where the ball is, what the formation/team shape is and the type of attack that is playing out.

An outside player doesn't need to be wide when making a run to goal on the weak side if the setup is a shot or cross, especially if a midfielder or fullback pushes up. It should be a run to far post. An outside player should get wide from the middle of the pitch if their role is to attack the channel down the wing or stretch the defense to open up lanes for attackers.

Playing a 4-4-2, the two forwards need to support each other, which means staying relatively close instead of wide, but that could be last defender, in the gap between lines or staggered. If there is an attack from a wide area, it will likely happen from an outside midfielder. Again, depends on the teams tactics, which could change based on the opposition, coach, players available, etc.

What you are all describing is what is commonly referred to as talent or more specifically lack there of. If a kid can't absorb a lesson and put it into practice in a game like setting that kid will never become a player. Saying that falls on the coach is like saying teachers are responsible for dumb kids. Some kids just don't have what it takes. You parents would do well to look objectively at your kid and modulate your participation in club soccer according to the level of talent and desire that each your kids actually demonstrates. It will save many of you a boatload of money as well as a whole bunch of heartache. The clubs don't care as long as your check clears.

[Unregistered]

What you are all describing is what is commonly referred to as talent or more specifically lack there of. If a kid can't absorb a lesson and put it into practice in a game like setting that kid will never become a player. Saying that falls on the coach is like saying teachers are responsible for dumb kids. Some kids just don't have what it takes. You parents would do well to look objectively at your kid and modulate your participation in club soccer according to the level of talent and desire that each your kids actually demonstrates. It will save many of you a boatload of money as well as a whole bunch of heartache. The clubs don't care as long as your check clears.

It requires lots of time playing, studying the game, watching the game played by pros, and good coaching. How many can say their kid is a student of the game? Not just going out and juggling or dribbling or shooting on their own to improve, but actually studying the game, tactics and such? How many watch pro soccer not just for entertainment, but for improvement? If we aren't pushing our players to do these things, challenging them at home, to grow as players and take ownership of their own development, we fail as coaches.

[Unregistered]

It requires lots of time playing, studying the game, watching the game played by pros, and good coaching. How many can say their kid is a student of the game? Not just going out and juggling or dribbling or shooting on their own to improve, but actually studying the game, tactics and such? How many watch pro soccer not just for entertainment, but for improvement? If we aren't pushing our players to do these things, challenging them at home, to grow as players and take ownership of their own development, we fail as coaches.

This is the main difference between us and the rest of the world. Those coaches that do these stuff usually are not what big-assembly-line clubs want for their business and they are pushed to the side.

[Unregistered]

It requires lots of time playing, studying the game, watching the game played by pros, and good coaching. How many can say their kid is a student of the game? Not just going out and juggling or dribbling or shooting on their own to improve, but actually studying the game, tactics and such? How many watch pro soccer not just for entertainment, but for improvement? If we aren't pushing our players to do these things, challenging them at home, to grow as players and take ownership of their own development, we fail as coaches.

What you describe is why so few actually rise to the level of the top 1%. The sad part is it's usually just as apparent that the parents don't fully buy in as it is the kids. How many parents allow their kid to miss a practice for reasons other than sickness or death? It basically sends the message that soccer is a secondary priority. Now in most cases making soccer that secondary priority is perfectly understandable because usually the amount of talent is not actually there but so few parents realize that is the reason they SHOULD have for a lot of things in club soccer. Usually they blame the coach when it is really them and their kids.

[Unregistered]

What you are all describing is what is commonly referred to as talent or more specifically lack there of. If a kid can't absorb a lesson and put it into practice in a game like setting that kid will never become a player. Saying that falls on the coach is like saying teachers are responsible for dumb kids. Some kids just don't have what it takes. You parents would do well to look objectively at your kid and modulate your participation in club soccer according to the level of talent and desire that each your kids actually demonstrates. It will save many of you a boatload of money as well as a whole bunch of heartache. The clubs don't care as long as your check clears.

A good coach can at least teach the basics of soccer. Not just sit on their arses and say “ you don’t have what it takes”. That’s just lazy and unprofessional. I’d say a coach that does this, “doesn’t have what it takes” to coach either.

[Unregistered]

What you are all describing is what is commonly referred to as talent or more specifically lack there of. If a kid can't absorb a lesson and put it into practice in a game like setting that kid will never become a player. Saying that falls on the coach is like saying teachers are responsible for dumb kids. Some kids just don't have what it takes. You parents would do well to look objectively at your kid and modulate your participation in club soccer according to the level of talent and desire that each your kids actually demonstrates. It will save many of you a boatload of money as well as a whole bunch of heartache. The clubs don't care as long as your check clears.

I love this post very much.

[Unregistered]

I love this post very much.

I couldn't agree more, anyone can be athletic but not everyone is an athlete; big difference. The mental part of any sport is just as important, and in some cases more important, than being physically athletic. If a player can not show a willingness or ability to grow mentally and pick up nuances of the game then they will never be a good enough player.
Soccer is a players sport, the coach can use the practice time to make tactical adjustments and help players individually grow as a player technically but once that whistle blows the players need to adjust to the game mentally and physically.
It's like a player who just goes in the back yard and juggles all day and never picks up any other part of the game. Yes, they will develop a great touch and yes that is the foundation of the game, but once that whistle blows what else can the do out there? How effective is that player in the other 90% of the game when they don't have the ball. Very underrated, good post.