Well, I guess we can finally forget about any
outdoor training! :-) Even though there was plenty of snow, it was very
comfortable in the dome. I hope your players are enjoying the current
training. Also remember that this is a great opportunity to watch some
great activities that you can use in your team practices. There are only
two Tuesdays left in the Nov/Dec training schedule.
I know that a number of teams are participating in winter leagues
around town. Winter league play is a great way to keep skills
sharp. But many soccer players play other sports as well. Winter
can be a good time to cross-train in a different activity. I think it's
important that our kids stay active and playing other sports can help strengthen
other muscle groups as well as clearing out the mental cobwebs to allow more
focus when team training starts.
Barry
1. Coach training opportunities
2. Soccer on TV
3. MYSA Winter Symposium
4. Jan/Feb training
5. Website/Videos of the Month - EA Sports Interactive Training
6. Article of the Month - Parents and the Team Concept
7. Drill of the Month - from the FineSoccer Newsletter, www.finesoccer.com - 4 v 4
game working on using width and finishing while maintaining shape.
1. Coach training opportunities - new E and D courses for Jan-Apr have been
announced. There are currently no Y module classes listed, but there will
be more opportunities for those classes. As always, be sure to check http://www.mnyouthsoccer.org/
2. Soccer on TV - over the past few weeks I've sent out a number of listings of
games on TV. I hope you and your players got a chance to watch some of
the exciting NCAA games over the past 2 weekends. These are great to
watch and there is so much to learn from watching high-level soccer. The
NCAA Men's final on Sunday, Akron v. UVA, should be a good one! I won't
be regularly sending out the TV listing, but you can find a very complete list
of games here: http://www.livesoccertv.com/
3. MYSA Winter Symposium - Another reminder that the MYSA Winter Symposium will
be on Sat. Feb. 6. Any coaches can attend and watch the great training
sessions. We have purchased a Club Pass which provides admission for 10
coaches (includes lunch). I'll soon be asking for a list of names of
coaches who will attend (not yet!). You can see the agenda and get more
info here: http://www.mnyouthsoccer.org/
4. Jan/Feb training - you should have already received an email outlining the
Jan/Feb training options. If you didn't receive this info, please let me
know. Basically, U9-U13 players can opt to continue the Coerver training
on Tuesdays at the dome. Older teams may be starting some team
training. Be sure to communicate to your players' families the team's
plans for Jan/Feb. If you have younger players, please encourage
them to continue the Coerver training.
5. Website/Videos of the Month - EA Sports Interactive Training
A fun site showing basic techniques. Great viewing for players and
coaches.
http://interactivetraining.
6. Article of the Month - Parents and the Team Concept (reproduced without
permission)
Interesting article. I agree with parts of what he is saying here, but
disagree with some. I would agree that some parents take their child's
sports participation too seriously...
Parents and the Team Concept
by Jacob Daniel
As parents, naturally you are mainly concerned with the welfare and development of your child. When your child goes to school, you are really only interested in how he or she is progressing in school. Do you really care how the class is doing as a whole? As long as your child is doing well and the teacher is keeping pace with the required academic standards for his or her age, you are happy. You don't go around boasting that your child's class average was higher than the class next door. The class concept in school is seen as a logistical convenience where children of like-age are grouped together to learn academics and social skills within the dynamics of a group. Nothing more, nothing less.
The same concept should be applied to youth sports. Just like a classroom, a youth team should be seen as a convenient way to group players of similar age and ability together, to learn how to play soccer, as well as develop social skills. Nothing more, nothing less.
But parents and coaches seem to have a hard time accepting this notion. They let the team concept take over and become the focus of the soccer activity. It's no longer "my son is going to play today". Instead, it becomes "OUR TEAM is playing against THEIR TEAM today".
People want to be part of a team. They feel safe and comfortable with a team. There are many positives in a team environment, such as building lifelong friendships, sharing common goals, and learning to trust and depend on others. But when the team assumes too much importance or consumes your life, it can lead to tension and conflicts. Games become more stressful. The mood of the family unit for the rest of the day hinges on the game's result.
"What is best for the team" overrides what is best for the individual players. The negative aspects of the team concept manifest themselves in many ways: the amount of playing time players get, rivalry between teams spilling over into arguments and even hostility, coaches fighting over players, referee abuse, etc.
As parents, you should only be concerned with one thing: is your child having fun? Put another way, is he or she being given the opportunity to play and learn the game? How the team is doing has absolutely no impact on the future well being of your child. Mia Hamm and Landon Donovan did not get to play for the National Team because their U-10 teams won the state championship. They made the national team because they developed into skillful and athletic players.
Your child might develop into a high level player, but he or she might not. A lot of this depends on the genes and is pre-determined before your child was even born. As long as he or she is having fun and developing a lifetime habit of healthy participation in sport, that's all you can ask for. Remember: the team is there to serve your CHILD'S needs. Your child is not there to serve the team's needs.
If the team's performance produces strong emotions in you, you need to step back and take a deep breath and suppress these emotions. The team is just a logistical expediency to engage a bunch of kids in play. Nothing more, nothing less. Tomorrow, your child will be part of another team.
Finally, parents must be wary of coaches who seem intent in building a "dynasty" at these young ages. If a coach approaches you with the intent to recruit your child into his team because "he wants to build a strong team", you should question his agenda. The chances are great that he will emphasize the wrong type of development and training, and that he will replace your child down the road when a better player turns up.
About the Author
This article was provided by Jacob Daniel, State Director of Coaching for the
Georgia State Soccer Association. It was excerpted from the Kicking Is Not
Soccer (KINS) Implementation Manual, which was developed for use by youth
soccer clubs in Georgia.
7. Drill of the Month - from the FineSoccer Newsletter, www.finesoccer.com - 4 v 4
game working on using width and finishing while maintaining shape.
The field is 40 x 30 with full sized goals and a keeper in each goal. There are 3 field players on each team and flags making up 4 yard wide goals near the sideline and midfield line.
This is a regular scrimmage with the exception that any ball played successfully through the small goals count as 1 point and goals scored on the big goals count as 3 points. A successful goal through the small goals is one that is either passed or dribbled and successfully possessed on the other side (going forward or back).
The thing that makes this game so interesting (as opposed to other versions with similar set ups) is the size of the field. The field is small enough so that the three players on defense are truly able to work on their defensive shape. In the diagram below, the yellow player is dribbling toward the side goal and the black defender is able to step up and pressure while the other two defenders are able to provide support as the second and third defenders.
If the ball gets switched to the other side of the field, the area is small enough for proper rotation defensively.