http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=101008/Chile

In the Striker School blog I take it upon myself to provide readers with articles, videos and ideas on how you can become a better coach. Three months ago I enrolled in the LMA e-course which I have to say has been very beneficial in my coaching progress. I would like to tell you about it and how much fun it is watching the EPL after completing the course because I feel I have more insight into the behind the scenes. I have had the chances to actually have some interaction with some of the actual managers, plus the networking available with colleagues from all over the world.

The English League Managers Association has developed a series of e-learning Football Management Courses known as the ‘LMA School of Football Management’ as leadership education for coaches. The first course ‘Creating a Culture of Excellence ‘is now available. The course includes over 4 hours of video interviews with Sir Alex Ferguson, Roy Hodgson, David Moyes, Fabio Capello, Arsène Wenger and Howard Wilkinson . These videos together with interactive tasks, online activities and scenario based problems make up the first course. The learning tasks are most definitely based on practical problems with opportunity for reflection, & discussion

The first course will take approximately 15 hours to complete and is recognized by UEFA as well as the English and Scottish FA’s. To date over 500 learners have enrolled on the course since May 2010 from over 30 countries including at least one member of the coaching staff of 50% of English Premier League clubs

Email Robin Russell at this address lmaschooloffmenrollments@gmail.com to find out more.

I have arranged for you to get a free copy of the LMA World Cup Report on ‘1st Goals ‘if you to mention that you have heard about the course from me.

ROBY STAHL
www.thestrikerschool.com

You have decided to play soccer at the college of your choice. It’s good to aim high. If you aim for heaven and you miss, you’ll still hit the stars or at least the tree tops).
You must have a master plan to enable you to head toward your goals. The mistake most players make is making athletics their number one priority. Without hitting the books, you probably won’t get into the school of your dreams.

Academic requirements of admission get tougher each year. Contact the NCAA for a free copy of the latest “College Bound Student Athlete Guide” http://www.ncaastudent.org/NCAA_Guide.pdf to make sure you are well informed. The guide details the courses you must complete and the GPA you must attain to be eligible for collegiate athletes at NCAA Division I, II and III colleges. Honors courses help. The guide also defines the rules of conduct during recruiting.

You should take the SAT or ACT exams early and often. You may submit your highest scores. Coaches will often ask your SAT score, generally expressed as the sum of your math and reading scores. A 500 in reading and a 600 in math will create an 1100 SAT score; pretty average scores for soccer players today.

Participation in extracurricular activities is important. Volunteering for key clubs and charity events helps build character and shows college admissions officers that you are well rounded. Why not get involved in your community as a volunteer assistant coach with a lower age group team. It will look good on your resume and might actually help you develop into a better player!

College coaches look for serious players. This doesn’t mean you have to be the best player on the team. Now is the time to get serious. This entails taking care of your body, i.e. making sure you maintain a balanced diet, undertaking a strength and fitness program (including sprint training and plyometrics) and getting the proper amount of sleep.

Show the proper respect for yourself, your teammates, referees, fans, and most important, the game…especially when you are in the public’s eye. A coach watching you perform will give you negative points in his book if you look sloppy or act like a bum on the field. This means: tuck in your shirt, walk with an air of confidence, no weird haircuts, and watch your mouth. First impressions are lasting impressions. Last impressions are equally important. Don’t throw away all you hard work in the last 10 minutes of a game by doing something stupid.

Recently I asked several major college coaches what they thought of one of the top senior players in a high school tournament. All said they liked his playing ability, but all had crossed him off their lists because of his poor attitude. First and last impressions…

Seek out a good learning environment. Find clubs with experienced coaches who will help you develop, not coaches that just want to win games. My own definition of a good coach is that individual who develops you to be successful at the next level of your career. Good competition during leagues and tournaments is a must. It is vital that you train and play year round. Ask your high school coach and club coaches to constantly evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Continue to develop your strengths and ask them for a program to eliminate your weaknesses. Remember that even the professional players in every sport seek advice and spend lots of time relearning the fundamentals. Also play in good club tournaments; if your team doesn’t go often, try to be a guest player on a good team.

Participate in ODP if you can. It is a good program and should provide you with good competition, an honest evaluation, and if you progress, a chance to be seen by an enormous amount of college coaches. Take the case of Danielle Bordman of Cincinnati. She never was involved in ODP because she heard negative things about how political it is (it usually is only if you aren’t selected). She finally tried out her sophomore year in school and progressed from district, to state, to regional, all the way to the U-16 National Team. She has been a constant fixture at the last two U-20 national team camps and will be attending perennial national champions University of North Carolina. All because she took a chance! A great example of my motto – HIGH RISK, HIGH REWARD. Of the 85 players currently on our U-23, U-21, U-18, and U-17 men’ s national team squads, 78 came through the state ODP program.

During the summer, find a good training center to attend. Do your homework and find an environment that challenges you mentally, physically, technically and tactically. Not just one that plays a lot of games (see the article: Selecting a Soccer Camp). This is a good time to develop your master plan. Your staff coach will love to help you with it.
Far too many players and parents think that being a good player is enough. IT’S NOT! Start today developing your master plan, a road map to take you where you want to go.

CLOSE YOUR EYES, FEEL IT, SMELL IT, HEAR IT. YOUR MIND IS LIKE A GUIDED MISSLE. WHEN YOU PROPERLY PROGRAM IT,
YOU CAN’T HELP BUT HIT THE TARGET!

By Roby Stahl

This article will focus on my 10 day visit to Sporting Lisbon’s new “Academia” in February 2003 with two of my colleagues and friends, Håkan Jansson and Anton Publik as the guest of Mr. Laszlo Bölöni, head coach of SCP.

Håkan Jansson is an old friend and my former co-coach at Tyresö FF in Stockholm, Sweden and has developed many youth players for Sweden’s AllSvenska (Elite League).  He is currently working with 2001 Swedish champions Hammarby FF and as an instructor for the Swedish Trainer’s Association.  He and Anton authored the Scandinavian best seller, “Techniques for Developing High Speed in Soccer”.  I had the pleasure to work with them in translating this outstanding book into English.

Anton Public is famous figure in both Hungary and Romania where he played for both the Romania national team and for the Bucharest team for many years.  He is a well renowned sports writer in both countries and is currently living in Sweden training elite players.  Anton has a unique ability to spot and train technique with elite athletes.  His ideas are very insightful.  Anton’s relationship with the SCP coach, Laszlo Bölöni afforded us this unique opportunity.

Sporting Lisbon is coached by Laszlo Bölöni who played professionally for Steaua Bucharest, clubs in Belgium and for A.S. Nancy in France.  During this period he played 108 times for the Romanian national team.  While playing he attended the prestigious French Football Federation coaching schools, obtaining his youth diplomas and his professional license involving studies with Ajax of Holland and Juventus of Serie ‘A’.   After retiring as a player Laszlo coached A.S. Nancy, gaining promotion from the Second Division to the First Division.  He left France to become the national team coach for Romania for one and one half years before accepting an offer to train SCP, recognized as one of Europe’s biggest Clubs.

The SCP Academia:

Sporting Lisbon has built a 13 million dollar facility (The Academia) that houses training for all their teams from U13 to the professional side.  Opening in June of 2002, it is one of the finest faculties in Europe.  There are five lighted fields exclusively for training, one artificial grass field and one small stadium with seats for 1000.  The ‘B’ team and youth teams for league games use this facility.  There is a 65 X 45 yard roofed artificial field for training in special conditions.  All the modern training necessities, i.e. free kick walls, portable goals (both regular and special size), pendulum balls etc. is provided for the coaching staff and set up by the managers

The Academia has a hotel with 46 rooms, half on the youth side for players’ aged 14 and above who might live there and half for the professional players who use them between their frequent two-a-day training sessions.  Player’s lounges, dinning rooms, and club official’s offices are housed here.  The youth facilities are separate for the profession ones and include state of the art weight rooms and special rehab rooms.  The locker rooms are kept separately and the large staff cares for all the equipment each day.

Youth Training:

The emphasis in the youth program is several-fold; the identification and recruiting of players and development both athletically and academically once they are in the SCP program.  Sporting has teams from 13 years of age until 18 under the heading of Infantile and Juniors.  Once a boy reaches the age of 18, he is promoted to the ‘B’ team, loaned out to another club to develop or is released.  Following the French model, academic opportunities are provided at a nearby school if the player lives at the Academia.  Players under the age of 13 are brought into the SCP program but do not train at the Academia but at various locations surrounding Lisbon.  Occasionally they will come to the training center in order to see what lies ahead of them if they continue to develop.

Jean Paul oversees the youth set up.  Under him each team is assigned two coaches, many of them former SCP players. Working as trainers (although with the professionals) are players such as Hilario who played as left back in Portugal’s semi-final appearance in the 1966 World cup and Jordanov, center-back in Bulgaria’ semi-final spot in World Cup 1994.  All the trainers could play and demonstrate at a high level.

The emphasis on youth training is changing since Laszlo Bölöni arrived in 2001.  The emphasis is now on the smallest of details within the individual player’s techniques.  The players work on one certain technique for long periods of time.  Lots of coordination training takes place first without the ball.  All the players received large doses of balance activities beginning with the proper running styles yet in a relaxed manner. In the U.S. we tend to concentrate on explosive type activities but that comes later in the learning process for the SCP players. The French are very good at taking small portions of the game and then breaking them down into the precise movements needed to improve techniques.  This training begins at age 6 while the player is still flexible in his learning process. These are very simple but important exercises.  Even the stretching at the beginning of training and after activities is very soccer related in terms of moment.

As the player’s technique and ages grow so does the focus on the understanding of the simple procedures that are necessary to play soccer.  The focus now shifts on understanding the player’s roles during 1 v 1, 2 v 1, 2 v 2, 3 v 2 and 3 v 3 play.  Again it sounds simple, but these points are central to the player’s success through his career.  The training was highly organized, realistic and is dependant on the coach’s knowledge and ability to instantly see and correct the smallest detail or fault.  Each player was involved in each part of the session and was constantly moving.  Juggling activities while moving were included and once again the emphasis was on balance and coordination.  Even throw-in techniques were incorporated in to the training.

The youth program is paying dividends as several of the youth players have been or will be sold to other teams.  Hugo was just sold to Newcastle of the English Premier League at a cost of 13 million dollars.  Two other players, Quaresma and Christiano Ronaldo aged 18 and 19, will possibly be sold to top clubs for 10-20 million dollars.  This is a two-edged sword as the money is necessary to finance the new Academia and the new stadium that is being built in time for Euro 2004, yet it is hard to compete with Portugal’s best when you are always selling your top young players. *2004 – Quaresma is now playing for Barcelona and Ronaldo is playing at Manchester United.

The Professionals:

Sporting Lisbon has a proud tradition as one of the top clubs in Europe.  Winner of the league and Portuguese Cup in 2001-2001, SCP was in third place as we visited.  The coaches and players are under tremendous pressure from the fans and players, as the media reports on their every move.  Last year two players, Jardel (Brazil) and João Pinto (Portuguese national team) scored 61 goals between them.  This year, both have missed games through injuries and suspensions.  It is important that SCP finish in the top two in order to automatically qualify for the Champions League.  Qualification brings in large amounts of money.

The Sessions:

Laszlo Bölöni is a very intelligent, reserved coach and man.  His training sessions are brilliant and always relate to small precise sections of the game.  All of his tactical trainings are done through the use of small-side games building up to large.  Teaching is simple to complex and everything on the weekly schedule is done to a tee.  Everything is timed and appropriate water breaks accounted for.

Usually the attacking players had functional training while the rest of the team was working on tactical ideas.  Laszlo feels that they do not need to be involved in much of the work in the middle and defensive thirds of the field.  He does have some strong ideas about their participation in the attacking third however.  Of course the focus was on their tactical understanding in attacking schemes and options.

All activities ended up going to goal and especially the fitness training.  I have never seen professionals work as hard as the SCP did during their explosive training sessions. 

The fitness staff was more than willing to share ideas with us.  All the players are tested and then put in four groups.  Training was on a two-week schedule with three precisely planned activities depending on the group you were in.  For example the older players did not do as much explosive work as the younger players, working instead on strength training.  Emphasis was on explosive training (Force Max) for the legs and arms, strength training for overall and explosive training for the legs only.  The last grouping worked outdoors.  Each activity during the plyometric sessions ends with a ball function activity derived from the game and always at top speed.  The players are tested every eight weeks and their individual program planned.

The players are extremely technically and can play at high speed.  They however have a great ability to be relaxed on the ball under pressure.  Tactically they are not as sophisticated as their professional counterparts of other European nations.  Laszlo is bringing this dimension to the team.

Paulinho: 

There is a very special story at SCP.  In Lisbon there was a young boy who was hit by a car and lived for months in a coma.  During this time his family abandoned him and he was given very little chance to survive.  During his coma months the only thing that seemed to get any response from him was when the doctors would start talking about Sporting Lisbon.  When he eventually got better the doctors asked if he Sporting would take care of him.  He has been at the club for 20 years now helping to take care of the equipment.  He is loved by all the players and fans and is one of the most recognizable personalities on the team.  The times when he leads the team out, the biggest cheer is for Paulinho.  He never pays for anything when out in Lisbon, lives by himself and the players take turns inviting him to their houses for the holidays.  In 2000 FIFA recognized him with a special award at their world awards ceremonies.  It was truly heartwarming to see how the players played with Paulinho, now 34, and teased him but always looked out for him.

The Games:

Lisbon has three Division One teams and we saw them all.  We had the privilege of meeting and dinning with my old fiend and current Portuguese national team goalkeeping coach Dan Gaspar.  Dan is one of the top goalkeeper trainers in the world and has been the coach for many professional goalkeepers and teams including Sporting Lisbon, Grampus Eight (Japan), the Metro Stars (MLS) and the Connecticut Wolves of the ‘A’ League. Over the years Dan and I have had many long discussions on developing youth players.  I value his principles and innovative ideas.  Dan was just returning from the Portugal – Italy national team match, which they lost.  Together we traveled to watch Belenenses defeat Varzim 4-1 in the afternoon.  Afterwards Dan presented me with his Portuguese national team shirt, which I will always treasure! *Note – Dan is now the assistant coach at Benfica.

That night we were Laszlo Bölöni’s guests at the Sporting – Braga game at the Estádio José Alvaladehe t (30,000).  We walked out the same tunnel the teams came out just prior to kickoff and were treated to a superb 2-0 win.  Afterwards we sat with Laszlo in his stadium office, went back to his home and then out to dinner to his favorite restaurant.  It was a priceless opportunity to pick one of the great coach’s brains.

Midweek the Columbus Crew of the MLS played a game at the Academia versus the ‘B’ team.  The Crew was just starting preseason-training camp and despite the 2-1 loss looked very promising.  The next day we visited with the Crew coaches at the Rio Maior training facility.  That night we were USISL (‘A’ League and PDL) president Francisco Marcos’ guest at his beautiful coastal home and at his favorite restaurant.  Obviously the discussions were about cooperation’s between MLS and youth clubs and their Portuguese counterparts.

The last day of our stay we spent at the Academia watching the ‘A’ team train.  It was hard to say goodbye to all the friends we had made on the staff.  Laszlo presented each of us with a Sporting Lisbon game jersey with our name printed on the back.  It is a memento that will be framed and hanging in my den along with other priceless soccer treasures from my travels.

That night we watched Benfica destroy Vitória 6-2.  This game was full of all the flag waving and flares that one sees on television with European games.

Summary:

Over the course of my professional playing and coaching career I have been to many top quality facilities and clubs.  None can hold a candle to the Academia of Sporting Lisbon.  I went hoping to seek more knowledge in the development of training youth players.  I came back renewed with many great ideas and, more importantly, with many new colleagues and friends

It’s that time of year again-homework, car pools and, of course, sports. If your family is like mine, you’re probably headed back to the field to cheer on your kid’s games and practices. As a mom of three active girls, I’ve seen how great organized sports can be, helping kids learn cooperation, discipline and respect while also encouraging lifelong exercise habits. But I’ve also seen how even the most well-meaning parents can undermine the many benefits that sports have to offer.

Yelling advice from the stands, challenging coaches or referees, or putting too much emphasis on winning isn’t the support your child needs. The simple golden rule in youth athletics: Make it fun. As I learned while researching my book Go Girl! Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls through Sports (Sourcebooks), as many as 70 percent of kids quit organized sports by the age of 15. And one of the top reasons why is they weren’t having fun, according to a nationwide survey by the Youth Sports Institute at Michigan State University.

And after two decades as a sportscaster covering the best athletes in the world, and more recently as an anchor on CBS’s The Early Show, I can attest to the fact that even the most elite sports stars play for the love of the game-and so should your child. Follow these tips to nurture that passion without putting on pressure.

Redefine winning and losing. A few years back I enthusiastically took my four-year-old to her first team soccer game. We were both so excited-after all, I loved soccer as a kid. When we got to the field, the coach asked the preschoolers to “take a knee” and huddle right up. Then he told them they were there to beat the other team and win! These little kids didn’t even know what a goal was, much less which one was theirs! While it’s natural for kids to become more competitive as they get older, when they’re little, it’s more important that they simply be participating than winning. Indeed, several studies have shown that kids would rather play on a losing team than sit on the bench of one that wins all the time.

What’s more, your child learns lessons when his team loses a game-like how to give a strong effort, show grace in defeat and overcome setbacks-that are just as valuable to his growth as winning. Kids seem to have an inherent understanding that there are other priorities in playing sports: One national study found that among girls ages 10 to 18, winning wasn’t even mentioned as one of the top 10 reasons they played sports, and for boys it ranked only number seven. Also, when these same kids were asked what they would change about youth sports, they overwhelmingly stated they wanted to see less emphasis on winning.

Help your child set realistic goals. Your child has a lot less control over the final outcome of a game than she does over maximizing her individual potential. To help her keep a healthy perspective, encourage her to set goals that have some wiggle room. For instance, instead of, “I’m going to make every free throw I take,” have her aim at shooting 70 percent in practices and 65 percent in games. Make sure goals match your child’s age and skill level. They might include reaching base at least twice in a baseball game or getting in three out of four first serves in a tennis match. With my daughters, rather than asking, “Did you win?” or “How many points did you score?” I’ll ask your hardest?” or “Did you do something better today than yesterday?” That way, even when the scoreboard isn’t in their favor, they can still walk off the field feeling accomplished.

Show up for practice. Every parent is time-crunched, but try to make room in your schedule to attend at least a few of your child’s team practices as well as the big games. This sends the message that you value his hard work and appreciate the process of playing sports, not just the outcomes. This also gives you a chance to see if the sports program is run properly, such as whether the coach lets everyone play, how he interacts with the team, and whether everyone is having a good time.

Get your head in the game. Learn the rules, since youth guidelines often vary from the way pros play. And when you show up, pay attention, avoiding the temptation to chat it up with other parents on the sidelines. That way, when your kid says, “Mom, did you see the pass I made?” you’ll be able to offer specific praise and feedback. You might say, for instance, “Weaving the ball between those two defenders really helped set up your team to score.”

Keep it positive. As part of a special feature for The Early Show, I recently attended a soccer camp with my 8-year-old. She routinely beats me badly when we play in our backyard, so I hoped to pick up a few pointers from the woman running the camp, Olympic gold medalist Kristine Lilly. It happened that the best female soccer player in the world, Mia Hamm, was also there that day as a guest coach. I’ve interviewed her several times, but took that chance to ask her what was the most important thing her parents did to help her succeed in sports. Hamm said it was giving her hugs! Kristine Lilly also chimed in with this advice: What really matters to kids is a pat on the back and the words “Nice job, I’m proud of you.”

Mind your manners. Sports create so much emotion, and we’ve all heard ( incidents in which parents go to the extreme-like the New Jersey soccer mom who allegedly attacked 17-year-old player on the team opposing her daughter’s, or the Massachusetts father convicted of beating another dad to death in a fistfight over rough play during their sons’ hockey practice. Thankfully, such violence is rare, but parents on the sidelines still indulge in plenty of appalling behavior.

No matter how heated a game gets, never yell at your child, other players, the coach or referees. Remember, your kids model their sportsmanship from you. How can you expect them to show respect for opposing players and officials if you don’t? If you disagree with the coach’s decision, speak to him after the game once you’ve calmed down and can talk without your child present. Also, never approach a game official: Leave it up to the coach to sort out any problems with the officiating with the referees. And it goes without saying, but never use profanity in a youth sports setting.

Applaud good play– no matter who makes it. Focusing solely on your child sends the message that you’re more interested in grooming the next sports phenom than encouraging team effort. Compliment other players as they get substituted in and out of the game. A great move by the opposing team deserves a cheer, not boos or taunts. And show respect for the other team’s players, parents and coaches by welcoming them onto your field and congratulating them after a good game. Mix things up.

During my 20 years of covering both college and professional sports and hosting four Olympic Games, I learned one irrefutable fact: My children and yours have a minuscule chance at a college sports scholarship, much less a pro career. Elite athletes are few and far between, and while your child may be talented, he’ll most likely go on to do something else wonderful with his life. Nurture a well-rounded child by supporting his interests in several extracurricular activities. I’ve interviewed the greatest athletes in the world, and even they played multiple sports in high school. For example, my friend and former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms was a much better baseball player than football player in high school, even though he went on to become a Super Bowl MVP.

Unfortunately, these days’ parents tend to be overzealous and a bit unrealistic, pushing their kids to win medals or trophies at one sport in particular, hoping they’ll become the next Michael Jordan or Michelle Kwan. Specializing in one or two sports all year can cause burnout and injury, putting too much stress on certain body parts. What’s more, by not participating in a mix of activities, these kids miss out on learning a variety of physical skills and meeting different groups of people. Your child’s chance of going pro may be tiny, but he does have a 100 percent chance of growing up to love sports and physical activity with your winning support along the way.

Introduction

A successful relationship between club, player, coach and parent is the key to success in many ways. The family as an institution has been changing for many years now and the 21st century traditional English nuclear family is pretty much history for a large part of the community and this is a completely different concept to the one we as coaches may have been born into. Also, the extended family has been eroded away with time leaving child care and support more in the hands of formal organisations.

Families maybe in conflict, separated or divorced or merely formed differently. A player may live in a gay family or in a family which is shared with other ‘non blood’ brothers or sisters. But it may not be the structure of the family that is most important but more, the support that the family offers, so you may face a situation where a player who lives in a traditional family gets little support and underachieves in his football, whilst another who lives in a dysfunctional group with support might excel. This support gives the player that essential ‘scaffold’ that enables him to build his career around.

One of the tasks of the coach is to recognise and manage the family setting the player lives in, obviously without intrusion or subjective opinion. Should the support be missing, the coach may be able to provide it, but the coach needs to recognise this first and then act and not assume it will sort itself out. Most importantly, the coach cannot replace the type of support the family offers, so he needs to be sensitive to this.

Continued lack of support and encouragement is bound to lead to motivation and self esteem issues in the player and so a knock on effect on performance and development. This is more than likely to further lead to emotional and possibly behavioural issues too.

Wider cultural changes compound the issues. The growth of formal play at the expense of informal play and the ‘stay at home kid’ has replaced the ‘latch key kid’ that characterised much of our recent past. The importance of coverting young players cannot be underestimated. To help with creativity and freedom of expression kids will need to feel safe and secure and have clear boundaries to behave within. This is an essential role of the players’ family and his support system. Some players have inner strength and get through without apparent support but the majority don’t.

Often parents or carers have little idea HOW they can support their children in their football. They may have good intentions but need help in turning this into action. Here are some ideas for them.

Independence & Responsibility

• Teach the child to be independent. Let him make key decisions around the house. Go to shops, etc

• Make sure the player packs his own bag for football and cleans his own boots (have spare kit in the car in case he forgets).

• Let him feedback to you (parent, carer) about his performances and show a keen interest in what he says.

• Offer your opinion only AFTER his input (Reflect later in the day not immediately after a match or practice).

Practice

The more informal and independent practice the player gets, the better (solo, with mates, in pairs etc).

• Free up an outside wall around the house the child can kick a ball against.

- Pass against a wall. ½ volleys – drop & hit below a line.
- Against a wall with a friend.
- One / two touch.
- Keep the ball up using the wall as your friend.
- Invent your own games.

• If you have a trampoline, encourage the child to practice his skills on it or just use it for developing physical skills like strength and mobility.

• Buy a skipping rope and a ‘core ball’ (large plastic ball) for developing co – ordination and core strength.

• Encourage the child to practice ball juggling and set targets with rewards if appropriate i.e.) 250 ball juggles by a certain time, juggle from one line to another turn and come back.

The key is to explore every possible way to practice without an adult being present.

School football can also be very important to young players. Socially it allows him to stay in touch with friends at school and bearing in mind that most young academy players may return to grass roots it is vital they do not sever the social ties with their classmates.

Behaviour

• Set a good example – language, communication and attitude.
• In public, do not criticise other people’s children on either team.
• Manage the outcome of the game and teach the child to win with humility and lose with dignity.
• Focus on your son as an individual not the team as a whole.
• Encourage / praise – don t criticise.
• Attribute no blame.
• Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion if you have concerns about your child’s welfare or progress.

Other sports

Think of the value that other sports have on your child’s football development and encourage them to take part in as many different sports as possible. It’s essential your child has wider personal and sporting experiences, at least up to the age of 14, whilst still focusing on his football. The role of parents / carers will be to work closely with the coach to identify and manage the load and monitor signs for overuse injuries or mental / physical fatigue.

Here are some sports that may relate directly to football and some of the outcomes of each. When children play these games, they simply ‘transfer’ skills and behaviours across to football, some players transfer quicker and easier than others.

• Court games, e.g. Badminton / Squash/ Tennis – understanding angles, hand ball co-ordination, movement.

• Basketball – feet movement, tactical understanding.

• Rugby – Strength, speed and agility, courage, determination.

• Swimming – heart and lungs / upper body, co –ordination.

• Gymnastics – strength, Balance, flexibility, co-ordination, proprioception.

PE at school

• Make sure the child gets to all PE lessons.
• Make sure he is one of the best PE students (irrespective of ability).

Diet

Parents seem to be saturated with information on diet but it is simple really.

• Less fat food
• More fruit and vegetables
• More water and less fizzy drinks

Here are some tips if your child has a morning kick off.

Match day – (2 hours before)

• High carbohydrates – cereal or bagel
• Protein – e.g. eggs
• Isotonic sports drink (still)

Match day (after)

• Low fat food – cereal bars, sandwiches etc
• Isotonic drink – replaces essential minerals in the body lost through exercise.

Away matches

Make sure that you provide sensible, nutritious snacks (e.g. snack-a-jacks, rice cakes etc) should your child have ‘energy gaps’ on long away trips.

Rewards & incentives

Don’t be afraid to offer some incentives for the player for performance and practice but be mindful if you offer a reward for scoring goals it might impact on the other players in the team.

Try to teach your child to get reward from his own performance rather than an ‘external’ incentive for performing well. Often sincere praise and recognition for the player is the only reward they need.

Letting the children ‘be children’

• Accept they will make mistakes
• Accept they will be inconsistent
• Let them play like children and act like children
• Manage (do not ban) computer games and other distractions

• Do not force the players to practice – manage their motivation and recognise they get tired – emotionally and physically
• Make sure they get enough sleep
• Make sure their school work does not suffer in any way because of football
• Go on holiday and forget about football

Summary

Clearly there is a lot a parent or carer can do when supporting the child in his football development. We as coaches must recognise that the family is the place where the player spends most of his childhood and whatever this ‘family’ looks like, it is the bedrock of their emotional development.

We must accept that parents and carers have their own lives to lead too and it is equally unhealthy to be totally immersed in the child as it is to be neglectful or disinterested. It is reaching a balance that is important.

Dan Micciche

Mk dons Assistant Academy Manager (U8 – 16’s)
dan.micciche@mkdons.com

This article was published in Soccer Coaching International, Issue

http://soccercoachinginternational.com/sci_en/

Roger Lemerre, the current FFF national team coach has 15 national staff coaches directly under him.  These are all former professional players and over 50% of them have Physical Education degrees.  This support group works with him in selecting and preparing the national team, and assists in the scouting of opponents.  There are 125 coaches throughout the country working directly under these staff coaches at various levels.

The current FFF structure has the country split up into 21 regions, each with 21 support coaches.  Twice a year these coaches come together at Clairefontaine, the National Training Center, to ensure they are all working on the same page and are all following the technical guidelines set down by the FFF.  Together they plan the technical outline for the next year, implementing a new plan every four years for all the professional level clubs.

During this time four levels are stressed:

1. The Coaching Schools – This is the biggest strength the French have.  Every player that comes through the French system has been or is currently coached by educators certified by French coaching schools. This ensures continuity in technical and tactical development.  In order to obtain a professional license and therefore become a professional coach, an individual must coach or study in a foreign country with a club and write a research paper.

1. The National Youth Identification Program – Here guidelines are developed for the scouting of players for the U16, U17 and U18 national teams.  Each team has three fulltime coaches, a trainer and a doctor.

1. Youth Soccer Curriculums – Coaching for the 6-11 year olds revolves around having fun with soccer.  At age 12-16 it is more focused and the emphasis is on technique and learning how to be a professional player. Players here train two hours daily on the techniques necessary at the top level.

  “In big games, technical ability will make the difference” – Amie Jacquet.

An educator who specializes in youth soccer coaches each of these players.  France is the only country in Europe that requires this certification.  The best players from this group will become professional players, as the clubs know about the top players at age ten.  The French are the current FIFA U17 world champions.

1. Women’s Soccer – two years ago the FFF opened a National Training Center based on the men’s set-up in Clairefontaine.  Their U17 and U19 teams are still in qualification for the European Championships.  The stated goal is to be competitive with the USA women at the 2006 FIFA Women’s World Championship.

The Technical Advisory Board and Team Selections:

For the senior national team, Roger Lemerre has three coaches; one assistant, a fitness/technical coach who also teaches licenses and a goalkeeper coach.  Roger is responsible for the senior, ‘B’ and Olympic teams.  The FFF feels that the Olympic team is the most important as it consists of the top young players who are their future.

The core of the 2002 national team is the same as in Euro 2000.  Probably 17 of these players will remain on the 2002 World Cup roster.  A new and very talented generation of strikers is now arriving on the international scene, providing more depth, and competing for the six new spots on the 23-player squad.  Input from each of the 15 national staff will be in place before the selection is complete.  One national staff coach is present at every league game (and most European games) in which a potential national team player is playing in.  This is a different coach each time.  Reports are then compiled regarding the technical, tactical, and physical states of the players as well as their behavior off the field.  The lifespan of a French national team player is approximately six years.

The team comes together on every FIFA international play date.  France will play at least one game per month until June in order to further evaluate the team. The players are constantly followed medically with weekly conversations with the club doctors.  They are psychologically tested regularly.  In this manner, the FFF can measure the progress of not only the player, but also of the person.

Each player must buy into the team policies, as the team is more important than the parts.  The best players are not necessarily the most important for the team.  Remember how Amie Jacquet did not pick Eric Cantona and David Ginolla for the last World Championships!  In preparation for the 2002 FIFA World Cup the team will go into altitude at approximately 8000 feet to begin training, along with a recovery period from the long European and domestic league schedules.  Following this will be a one-week program at Clairefontaine and travel to Japan eight days before the opening game.

All the national staff will be working during the World Cup at the disposal of Roger Lemerre.    This process allows the head coach to strictly worry about the players, tactics and upcoming match.  There are very few counties that make this big an investment.

During a session conducted by former Scotland national team coach Craig Brown, several interesting observations of the development of French soccer were noted.  France failed to qualify for the 1990 and 1994 World Championships.  This caused the FFF to restructure their thinking and change some things within the professional soccer setup.  At this time many of the top French players were leaving the country to sign lucrative contracts elsewhere. In order to ensure that young French players where being exposed to top-flight soccer, rosters were reduced to 20 players.  This forced the professional clubs to develop their own players.  Previously the professional clubs were not enthusiastic about the youth development schemes as it is easier to go and buy a new player than wait 10 years for one to develop. Monaco provides us with a great example of what happened.  When two senior players were injured the coaches had to bring two young players up to train with the fist team.  The senior staff about the abilities of these youngsters knew little.  Their names were Sylvain Wiltord and Thierry Henry!

The Milan High School basketball team if you remember captured the Indiana state championship in 1954, unprecedented for a small team.  In those days all the schools were lumped together.  The coach was played by Gene Hackman.  I pretty much was there for the sights.

Driving through town (about three blocks) I could feel the sense of tradition.  Unfortunately the old high school and its famous gym have been long gone.

Entering the elementary school I was greeted by all the staff that seemed to be pleased I was there and presented with gifts commemorating the 1954 team.  Stephanie asked that I spend some time with the kids talking about reading. Great kids, great questions.  Right up my alley as I used to volunteer reading to/with at risk kids in my son’s elementary school a few hours a week.  We talked about how reading can open the doors to the whole world, taking you places you might never get to.  Of course we got into sports and soccer eventually.  After an hour of questions they asked if we could go to the gym and play soccer.  Then the fun began…kids running, jumping, twisting and turning and generally being kids (nothing unusual about this for us coaches).

What is unusual is that this is a very depressed community and many of the kids come from broken homes and several of their parents are in jail or unemployed.  Most do not have enough to eat and the school provides breakfast and lunch to the students.  If the parents do not get them to school that day…they do not eat.  This put a totally different prospective on the day.  The whole day seemed more important. The questions they asked seemed deeper and more important to them.  When it was time to say goodbye I wanted to just stay there for longer.  I hoped I gave them some hope for the future.

Here is the letter I received when I returned home:

Roby,

I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to come to Milan to talk to the students.  It is so wonderful to have someone tell them that they can be anything they want.  I tell them, but it meant a great deal coming from someone else.  The students truly enjoyed their time with you.  We had reading groups after you left, and they all were so excited about getting out a book and reading together.  You made a huge impact on their outlook.  Thanks again for your time.  You are an inspiration

Are you kidding me?  They are the inspiration to someone like me!  It’s not about the soccer but about having an impact…this might be the best time of their day, the time they spend with you.  Make it important!

End of story …I visited the Milan 1954 museum and saw all the real life things and photos from the movie then drove around town for a while.  Have to go out and buy Hoosiers today.  I am planning on taking both my Kings team (USL) and my girls team back one day to see history and to help provide some role models for these incredible kids and teachers.

Take a few hours a week and volunteer somewhere to make a difference.  That is what makes America great!

Most players and parents are not aware of those things that coaches look for at the “next level”, and as a result focus on what they feel is important in the short term, i.e. Winning or getting playing time.  Let’s focus in on some of those items.  For our terms, the definition of the “next level” shall be that next progression in your career.  This may be making the high school varsity, the next step in the Olympic Developmental Program (ODP), getting selected by the college of your choice, or making the next age group in a strong travel program.  Far to often the desire to get to the next level is clouded by the immediate result (the last game).  Winning a game or tournament is an outcome goal that we cannot control because of the many variables (referees, conditions of the field, climate, sickness of key individuals, etc.).  What we can control is the progression and monitoring of our individual soccer education.

What sets us apart from other coaches is that we have the welfare of the player in mind above all.  We are looking at the long-term development of the individual, the team, and the coaches.  Of course winning is important, but not at the expense of these people.  If we continually address technical (skill) training, the tactical elements, physical and psychological ideals, provide good, solid role models, and leave our players with a life-long passion for the sport of soccer, we are succeeding in our goals. A coach is that person who is a friend, who sometimes reminds you of those things you already know.  They also have the ability to spot the minor things in your game which make a major difference in the way you perform.   My definition of a good coach is that man or woman who prepares their players to have success at that next level.  

There are six areas that I am charging you as a parent, player, and coach with developing in your players.  These are the six areas that experienced coaches look for in selecting players.  Development in these areas will help enhance long-term success in a competitive arena.  You must develop one trait in each one of these topics to make yourself be noticed on the field.

•   ATHLETIC ABILITY

 Each player that has attained any degree of notoriety has at least one outstanding physical attribute.  The most obvious is pure speed.  This unfortunately is obtained by choosing your parents wisely.  Speed can be developed to a small degree.  Strength, power, flexibility, quickness, lateral mobility, and endurance are a few example of athletic ability.  Maybe you have the ability to jump high winning crucial headballs in the offensive or defensive areas.  Can you showcase your ability to accelerate by pushing the ball past defenders into space and penetrating?  If a defensive player, can you tackle harder than anyone else on the field when challenging for the ball?  When you determine what your outstanding athletic ability is, work on it to make it even stronger.

• TECHNICAL ABILITY

 This is the demonstration of mastery of one or more skills necessary to excel at the game.  Do you have one skill that you are so good at that everyone in the stands starts to sit on the edge of their seat when you get the ball, in anticipation of what will happen next?  Very few players do.  A wing player might have dribbling abilities so creative and effective that they stand out as they beat the defender at speed and serve perfect crosses to the forwards.  For a defender, you might develop the ability to win balls without having to resort to a huge physical challenge, or make perfect distribution passes out of the back line.  For a goalkeeper the ability to collect high crosses under a physical challenge is crucial and gets you noticed.  A good forward not only scores goals but also can hold a ball in the attacking third under extreme pressure.  A midfielder must learn to play both penetrating balls and to switch the field of play.  If you can combine your outstanding technical talent with your outstanding athletic ability you are ahead of most players in our area.

• THE ABLILITY TO MAKE YOUR TEAMMATES BETTER

 Determine for yourself how you can make your teammates more effective in practices and games.  Communication and positive encouragement is one way.  Giving your teammate a properly speeded pass at the right time so they do not have to slow down or run faster in order to receive the ball is another.  Is the pass easy to control or does it come in too slow or too hard?  If your partner gives you a bad pass, you should seek to make them look good  by you ability to easily and correctly controlling the ball. As a defender you can cover for your teammate when they make a mistake?   Good players have the ability to bring out the best in those around them.

• THE ABILITY TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON THE GAME

 Does the game change when you enter or leave the field?  Does your team elevate their level of play when you are in the lineup or does it only stay the same?  Hopefully it changes for the better.  I see very few examples of this impact in players of all ages across the country.  I am constantly citing examples to teams as I work with them. 

• COACHABILITY

 When college coaches call and ask my opinion of players, one of the first questions is always “is this player coachable?”.  There are so many players competing for spots on the collegiate level and coaches are looking for those that want to listen and learn.  Why would they waste time on the uncooperative individual?  When your coach stops during training to make a point, do you accept that or do you roll your eyes thinking you know better?  Coaches are only trying to make you and your teammates better when they make corrections.  With the younger players, I have been using the example of the “teacher’s pet” in the classroom.  What is the “teacher’s pet”?  It is that person who is usually very cooperative, willing to learn, please and go the extra yard.  Guess who also gets all the benefits?  It is no different on the athletic field.  The player who listens, absorbs, and tries to please is the person who plays.  The uncoachable player sits and never develops.

• BEING A WINNER

 Being a winner is a constant thing.  It means being first class in all that you do, weather in the competitive arena of athletics or in the classroom.  If I came to watch you play in a game and didn’t know what the score was or if it was at the beginning or end of the game, would I be able to tell by your play?  Are you playing as hard when your team is down by three goals as when you are winning by three goals?  There should be no difference in your game no matter what.  In fact, your game should get stronger in the above five areas if your team is playing badly.  When is a player like Michael Jordan the most dangerous?  It is when the Chicago Bulls are losing!  This is what an impact player does.

SUMMARY

I have given you some food for thought.  Now that you know what college coaches are looking for, it is up to you to develop these abilities in yourself, your player, and your child.  Spend the next year working on these and the path to your goals will be much clearer.  Players should be constantly asking their coaches for feedback on their strengths, weaknesses, and how to improve their game.  My challenge to you is simple: develop one noticeable part in each of the above six areas.  It will make you a more valuable player, make your future rosier, and make us a much stronger state.