Local Coaches are poor

[Unregistered]

I can do all those things but don't have a chance of getting a coaching job at any of the larger marquee clubs. If you are not part of the insider boyo clique and sport a nifty accent from the UK you don't have a chance. I have a National C, and over 25 years of coaching experience at all levels but have not had so much as an offer in the last 5 years. I am so frustrated that I have given up. I still have a lot to offer young people but the discrimination against american coaches is so blatant that it is beyond the pale. I watch most of the coaches run training sessions and I know I can do better. But this is what we deserve. The soccer moms just love those little accents and how nice they look in their adidas warmups and out come the checkbooks.

Correct, and just part of the bigger problem. Lot of the coaches run in packs, connected by other present or former affiliations, like college jobs. When you leave the whole operation to the coaches, nobody is selecting coaches based on performance. The coaches then get holy indignant if the parents act critical.. It's an organizational problem - clubs should have a license and organizational charter from the state that mandates a stable independent board, one that has real power over the coaches, including the DOC. The club and its board have to have the support of the player community, including the parents. This way, there's input to the coaching operation, not just a carte blanche/gravy train for some clique from the UK.

[Unregistered]

Not really. It totally depends upon the tactical situation and where the player is on the field. In fact I would argue that one of the major problems with american youth soccer is the inability and unwillingness to create opportunities by dribbling in the attacking zone. Passing when you are in a 5 v 8 situation in or near the box is going to fail more often than not. If you are isolated in a 1 v 1 situation why not encourage players to beat the defender? This one touch all the time nonsense is just another reason why the US sucks.

It always depends on the tactical situation whether you pass, shoot or dribble. Near the box, you shoot or dribble if you don't have a teammate more open. How often do you see a fancy dribbler going 1 v 1 while 3 open, disgruntled team mates are open at the top of the box or back post? If a youth player is attacking 1 v 1, most all are watching their feet or the ball unaware of the rest of the team or seeing the field. Even worse is when they do this in their own third. Of course, with direct long ball play, you always head toward the goal no matter the probability of success, right? The answer in a 5 v 8 situation isn't to dribble, it is to pass, be patient and build up the attack.

[Unregistered]

Ultimate Board of Directors

Correct, and just part of the bigger problem. Lot of the coaches run in packs, connected by other present or former affiliations, like college jobs. When you leave the whole operation to the coaches, nobody is selecting coaches based on performance. The coaches then get holy indignant if the parents act critical.. It's an organizational problem - clubs should have a license and organizational charter from the state that mandates a stable independent board, one that has real power over the coaches, including the DOC. The club and its board have to have the support of the player community, including the parents. This way, there's input to the coaching operation, not just a carte blanche/gravy train for some clique from the UK.

You sir could not be more wrong. The consumers do have say, they have the Ultimate say, when you write the check to the club you endorse the club.

WPS/MPS would not be the giant it is if it were not for all of the satisfied consumers.

The Board of Directors has spoken!

[Unregistered]

You have way over-stated your point. Parents can go with one club, are stuck with a coach that's crap, go to another and then another.. by the end of that their kid is toast. The bolts had the chance to hire Robbie Mustoe - the kids loved him - but they didn't.. wonder why? He had the accent, but maybe he was too good, if you get my point.

The US got its club system for historical reasons, because it hasn't developed into a soccer power yet, the clubs are all pretty unprofessional they way they are run. In europe where there's a vast well developed club system, any decent club with a pro team (even at 3rd or 4th division) has a professional board and administration that is very critical of coach performance and fires them accordingly. They look at the level of their players and the performance on the field - if the two don't match up or better, the coach is gone. And they do that for the youth teams, not just the pros.

If the USSF can figure out how to fix the coaching system, US soccer will really improve. So far, with DAP, they are trying to tell the coaches what to do. But they aren't picking the personnel. And they aren't doing anything about the college system, which isn't leading towards improved play or tactics.. for the same reasons. Its a big problem for the US - the coaches and not easy to solve.

[Unregistered]

I can do all those things but don't have a chance of getting a coaching job at any of the larger marquee clubs. If you are not part of the insider boyo clique and sport a nifty accent from the UK you don't have a chance. I have a National C, and over 25 years of coaching experience at all levels but have not had so much as an offer in the last 5 years. I am so frustrated that I have given up. I still have a lot to offer young people but the discrimination against american coaches is so blatant that it is beyond the pale. I watch most of the coaches run training sessions and I know I can do better. But this is what we deserve. The soccer moms just love those little accents and how nice they look in their adidas warmups and out come the checkbooks.

You are right to point most clubs will hire people they know from other clubs for a few reasons if they know how they coach and can put up with them. I think the most important reason would be if they can draw players away from the club they just left.
I don't know you so I don't want to come off bad but some clubs my think your a bit old it has nothing to do with how great a coach you are just your age. Lets face it most clubs your made up of young kids and young coaches seem to fit better. For the older teams in a club are many coached by coaches that have been there for years they normally don't bring in coaches for older teams.Lets face it some of these older coaches left their clubs I don't think the big clubs would hire them.
What sometimes you have to do is start off in a town travel team or a real small club and if your good then the bigger clubs will find you.

[Unregistered]

You have way over-stated your point. Parents can go with one club, are stuck with a coach that's crap, go to another and then another.. by the end of that their kid is toast. The bolts had the chance to hire Robbie Mustoe - the kids loved him - but they didn't.. wonder why? He had the accent, but maybe he was too good, if you get my point.

The US got its club system for historical reasons, because it hasn't developed into a soccer power yet, the clubs are all pretty unprofessional they way they are run. In europe where there's a vast well developed club system, any decent club with a pro team (even at 3rd or 4th division) has a professional board and administration that is very critical of coach performance and fires them accordingly. They look at the level of their players and the performance on the field - if the two don't match up or better, the coach is gone. And they do that for the youth teams, not just the pros.

If the USSF can figure out how to fix the coaching system, US soccer will really improve. So far, with DAP, they are trying to tell the coaches what to do. But they aren't picking the personnel. And they aren't doing anything about the college system, which isn't leading towards improved play or tactics.. for the same reasons. Its a big problem for the US - the coaches and not easy to solve.

You nailed it. If US Soccer is to improve, it starts with getting better coaches.