• Classes for coaches and assistant coaches

• Common terms and their meaning

• Some ideas on coaching

Coaching

Note: The section below is meant to generate ideas for how you will want to organize your practices and teach important concepts. I believe the four most important concepts to always keep in mind are:

1. Be positive with the kids, building life skills and self esteem are more important than any soccer concept you'll ever teach them. Players, and teams, will perform at or above their current abilities if they believe in themselves and believe that the team is becoming something special.

2. Make it fun for the kids and yourself! Remember, its a sport and its supposed to be fun.

3. Try your best to teach them soccer skills that will help them down the road.

4. No two coaches are a like, one team may be very organized and structured and the other may just go out and 'wing it'. As long as you do #1-#3 you're doing a good job. What follows below definitely falls into the 'structured' category but there are some good ideas in there that may be of benefit.

• Have a plan

  • Training plan for a season, what do you want to them to learn this year?

  • Typical practice structure

·         The basics, what every player needs

o        Conditioning, building a base ("practice shape")

o        Ball Mastery, general comfort with the ball

o        Dribbling and 1v1 attacking skills against a defender

o        Passing and "1-2" Passing Combinations

o        Shooting

o        Trapping and First Touch

o        Defense and 1v1 defending skills against an attacker

o        Communication

o        Know the basic rules of the game

o        Play soccer!

·         Next Step...

o        Conditioning, specificity ("game shape")

o        Creating space, turns and shielding

o        Possession passing with a purpose

o        Defending, small group skills (2v2, 3v3)

o        Playing balls out of the air (e.g. chest, thigh, instep)

o        Headers

o       Chipping and longer flighted balls (through balls)

o        Up-back-long (third player) passing combinations

o       Play soccer!

·         Team skills, what every team needs to perform well

o        Team "shape", teach the players the formation you will be playing

o        Attacking group skills: working the ball into the attacking third and finishing

o        Defending positional group skills with a special emphasis on the fullbacks

o        Linking attacking groups together: forwards and midfielders

o        Linking defensive groups together: fullbacks and midfielders

o        Transition with a special emphasis on transition from the fullbacks and keeper

o        Play soccer!

·          Goal Keeper, the basics

o        Catching the ball: eye hand coordination, 'soft' hands, "W" hand positioning, catching techniques

o        Movement and Stance

o        Positioning and Angles

o        Collapsed dive, the basics

o        Communicating with the Fullbacks

o        Punts

o        Goal Kicks

o        Sling Throws (if the player is big enough to control the ball)

o        Know the basic rules that affect the keeper

o        Play soccer!

·          Goal Keeper, Intermediate

o        Collapsed dive: low shots, high shots, and coming forward

o        Extension dive and parrying: low, mid and high shots

o        Defending against 1v1 break-aways

o        Punches and Tips: defending against crosses and chips

o        Defending against Set Piece Plays: direct kicks, corner kicks and penalty kicks

o        Directing the Fullbacks

o        Controlling the box

o        Coming out of the box and the "sweeper keeper"

o        Build-up out of the back (transition from the keeper)

o        Play soccer!

• Who is going to play where?

  • Age group and general considerations

  • Deciding which formation your team should play

  • Who should play where?

   

• The Season

  • Seeding tournament

  • The season itself

  • Tournaments

   

• Misc. thoughts

  • Coaches and assistant coaches

  • Team manager, uniforms, snacks, banners etc.

  • League volunteers

  • Parents

  • Problem kids

  • Referees