Coaching Soccer Weekly: Methods, Trends, Techniques and Tactics from WORLD CLASS COACHING

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**Coaching Soccer Weekly: Methods, Trends, Techniques and Tactics from WORLD CLASS COACHING**

Get an in-depth look at the methods, strategies and techniques used by a youth coach working full time with players of every age and skill level. This includes training plans, team management and planning ideas, latest trends in coaching and education, as well as interviews with other coaches and trainers that are on the cutting edge of soccer development.

Latest Episodes:

**#252 Training the #6** Oct 16, 2020
Show notes

Two weeks ago three of my teams participated in a tournament. That meant that I had 10 games from Friday to Sunday. It’s not a huge physical challenge to coach 10 games in a weekend. But it is a mental challenge because you’re focused and intense for each of those games. It can be an emotional challenge to if you get too carried away.

Last weekend one of my teams traveled to Omaha for NPL (National Premier League) games. They only play one game a day so I only had two games all weekend; one Saturday and one Sunday. It’s the first time I’ve traveled with a soccer team since last fall and it was really different. I talk about all of the differences at the start of this week’s episode.

This weekend is my last really busy fall league weekend. I have eight games spread out over the three days. That’s what I get for coaching four teams! (Who am I kidding..I love it!)

Finishing up the fall league season will leave me with a couple of tournaments including State Cup for my 2005’s. Then it’s indoor for Futsal!

Today’s question comes from Steve. He’s asking about training high school age teams to play out of the back.

Steve says,

“*I wonder what kind of priority if any you place on teaching / training your HS age group teams to play from the back, with distribution by the goalie?*

This has become something of an item of faith at professional levels and I’ve heard youth club coaches discuss how it’s a way to teach possession, come way may during a game. I’ve also seen, however, teams that were very faithful to this during a game but exhibited basic defensive vulnerabilities in goal and along their back line, which seemed to me more fundamental to the game. How do you rate this, emphasize it?”

Thanks for your question Steve!

One of the first things I do with teams of every age is working on building up in our own half. That usually starts from a goal kick or from a ball I shoot to the goalkeeper. Correcting defensive vulnerabilities would be something we work on in transition; when possession is lost and we need to get pressure on the ball and close the openings with covering players. When you train in game-like environments (6v5 starting with a goal kick) the players are going to have to react in those moments when possession is lost.

I prioritize building from the back because I agree that it’s a great way to teach a possession-based style of play. The fact that spreading out in this way in our own half of the field leaves you open to counter attacks is something that the players can learn how to deal with.

since last winter so I’m looking forward to it but also a bit apprehensive. We’ll see how it goes.

**In this Episode**

The Holding Midfielder, often referred to as the #6, is one of the most demanding and important positions on the field. Today I’ll share some of the methods and activities that I’ve used teach my players the roles and responsibilities of this vital link in your team.

**Future Episodes**

Thanks to a great suggestion from a parent of one of my players who is also a coach, next week I’m going to share my thoughts on how to encourage creativity and confidence in your players. Thanks Dario!

**#251 Soccer’s Biggest Problem** Oct 02, 2020
Show notes

I had a pretty easy schedule last weekend. With just four games over three days. One game on Friday and Saturday as well as two more on Sunday. That’s almost a weekend off by my usual standards.

One of the games was on a grass field. It’s the first game I’ve had on grass in years. Fortunately, the fields were great because they haven’t been used. We had to play on grass because of the limited space on the turf fields. One whole complex we usual use was closed because the county won’t allow any non-professional sports this fall.

I would prefer to play on good grass fields. Unfortunately, keeping grass fields in good condition is difficult in this part of the country. Even if you can maintain them, it’s just not cost effective.

This weekend I have three teams in a tournament so it’s going to be a busy one. Playing on Friday really helps spread things out but playing at least nine games in three days really takes it out of me. Hopefully the teams will play well which will make it fun and exhausting at the same time.

Next weekend I’m traveling to Omaha with my 2005’s for NPL. It’ll be the first time I’ve traveled since last winter so I’m looking forward to it but also a bit apprehensive. We’ll see how it goes.

**In this Episode**

The conversation I’ll share this week is pretty long so we get right to it. Mike Saif, Mark Francis and Barry Warmsley discuss how diving is a black eye on the beautiful game as well as ways that it could be stopped.

**Future Episodes**

As I said in the introduction, I’m traveling with a team next weekend so I won’t have a podcast. I’ll be back in two weeks with a new episode.

**#250 Training Players to Recognize and Create 2 v 1 Situations** Sep 25, 2020
Show notes

What is it about round numbers that make them more meaningful to us? Getting to 200 episodes was huge and now 250 seems like another milestone. I suppose it is but I’m looking at it as being halfway to 500. That’s my goal at the moment.

I had two teams in a tournament over the weekend. Both teams are playing 11 v 11 so I didn’t have any small-sided games over the weekend.

My 2005 group when 4-0 winning their games 1-0, 1-0, 1-0 and 1-0. They scored late in every game so we were always looking to adjustments that could help the team find that winning goal. I was impressed with the way the players stayed calm and eventually found a way to make it happen.

The 2009’s played up in the 2008 division. They ended up going 0-1-2 on the weekend. They’re still adjusting to the space they have on a full sized field. We often look like we’re playing 9 v 9 on an 11 v 11 sized field. Our best spacing is on goal kicks because that’s a situation where everyone knows their role. We spent a lot of time working on that during the beginning of the season. When we win the ball in open play we are having a tough time spreading out to create space. We’re working on that this week. If what we do works well I may share it next week.

This week’s question comes from Mike. He’s asking about how to deal with a situation where the referee is not dealing with fouls and players are getting injured.

Mike says,

“My team has played against a few teams that are overly aggressive, in my opinion. One the opposing coaches was getting on her players “you aren’t being physical enough.” To boot, the referee seem to be here to start and stop the game only.

I’ve never been a coach to get on the referees. In my experience in other sports (specifically basketball) the more coaches complain, the worse the referees get.

When is it appropriate to call out the referee? At half would be appropriate, but I lost both players in the first half.

Have you ever called out the other coach?

Any tips on how to instruct my players to combat aggressive players/play?

Bottomline, I want to protect my players and any guidance would be appreciated.”

Thanks for your question Mike!

In those situations I work to protect my players in two ways: I let my girls know that they need to play ‘tough but fair’ to protect themselves and be ready to move the ball quickly but I let the referee know that I’m not happy with the overly aggressive play and that I’m not going to be quiet about it.

This is a very different situation from one where coaches ‘work’ the referee to get calls in their favor. I’m working the referee to make sure that calls are made to keep the game safe. The safety of my players is more important to me than anything else and I’m going to do whatever I need to do to ensure that.

I have looked down the line at the other coach after a bad foul (or series of them) to see how they react. That’s usually the extent that I engage with the other coach.

**In this Episode**

The training session that I’m sharing this week is related to last week’s session on creating team awareness. It will train players to find and create 2 v 1 situations.

**Future Episodes**

I’m not sure what the topic will be for next week. Let me know if there’s something you’d be interesting in hearing about. It could be to expand one something I’ve covered in the past or something new that I haven’t addressed.

**#249 Training Team Concepts with Young Players** Sep 18, 2020
Show notes

My teams were back to a full schedule of games last weekend. On Friday evening my U12 goalkeeper broke her hip taking a goal kick. It was the strangest injury I’ve ever seen. I watched the replay on the Veo recording and it look like it happened when she landed on her right foot after striking the ball. She can be seen collapsing after landing. She’s going to be out six to eight weeks which pretty much ends the outdoor season for her.

I go through a description of a couple of other game situations in this week’s episode as well. There are some situations that I discuss that I’m sure you’ll be familiar with.

On Monday I was interviewed for the, *Efficient Coach Podcast*. The host, Marcus Walfridson, and I had a great conversation. We talked about the history of this podcast as well as general coaching and management topics.

This week’s question comes from Jason and Don. They’re coaches in the SBV Recreational program but their question is a common one so I thought I’d share the answer here. They’re asking about ways to train the players to keep their shape during the game.

Jason says,

“When our girls start the game they are able to get in their positions. We have three defenders three midfielders and two forwards however shortly after the game begins and especially after substitutions the girls are all bunched up on the field. Do you have a suggestion for us to work on at practice to help the girls maintain their shape and stay in their designated positions?”

Thanks for your question Jason!

Maintaining the team shape and spacing is the most difficult thing for young players to understand. Here’s a link to a video I did explaining a way that I’ve used in the past. It was made back when we played 8v8 instead of 9v9 but you’ll get the idea.

**In this Episode**

It’s been awhile since I shared a training session. Now that many areas of the US are getting back on the field I thought this would be a good time. This training session will help you turn your group of individual players into a team that understands that they can achieve more together than they can individually.

Here’s a link to the video that shows a version of the 3 v 1 transition activity that I talked about in this episode.

**Future Episodes**

Next week I’ll share a session that compliments this one. The focus is on recognizing and creating 2 v 1 situations on the field.

#247 The Solution to Recording Soccer Games without a Camera Operator Aug 28, 2020

Show notes

As I write this post it’s Thursday evening which marks the end of another week of training for me and my teams. I feel very fortunate to be able to train with my teams on the field because I know where are some places in the U.S. that haven’t been able to start their fall seasons yet.

I was reading an article about how the clubs in New York can’t get permits to use the soccer fields despite the fact that the parks are open to the general public. Other places have been able to start playing but under sever restrictions. In Massachusetts they’ve altered the laws of the game to allow for less contact and more social distancing during the game.

We’ve have guidelines and restrictions that we have to follow as club, coaches, players and parents but once the game starts it’s still soccer being played with normal soccer rules.

The hard thing about this fall so far has been training my teams while wearing a mask in the 90+ temperatures and 80%+ humidity that Kansas City is known for in August. It’s made for some very long evenings but I feel fortunate to be on the field with my teams when so many coaching around the country have not been able to start yet.

In this Episode

Teams and individual players at every level can benefit recording their games and reviewing their performance. There are things that you just can’t really understand until you see them for yourself from a different perspective. The coaches and clubs at the highest level have known this but until recently it’s been to expensive, time consuming and labor intensive to be accessible to amateur youth teams. My guest on today’s show is out to change that. If you ask me, he and his company already have.

Click Here for more Info on the Veo Camera.

Future Episodes

I’ll be taking next week off from the podcast for Labor Day weekend but I’ll be back in two weeks with more training sessions, interviews and commentary.