Making The Ball Roll: A Complete Guide to Youth Football for the Aspiring Soccer Coach

Ray Power

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Chapter 1: Understanding the Argument for Development Over Results

Chapter 2: Understanding the Modern Youth Development Coach

Chapter 3: Understanding Teaching and Learning in Soccer

Chapter 4: Understanding Psychology in Soccer

Chapter 5: Understanding Communication in Soccer

Technique Meaning Soccer Example

Tell the player something that you will both agree on

People agree with people who they are similar to, and who share similar beliefs

“We both know the type of player you want to be – a quarter-back-type midfield player”

“Pacing” People need to be spoken to in a way they understand and at a speed that reflects the way they think and operate

“A quarter-back midfielder is one who takes the ball from the defenders and tries to start attacks”

Tell the player two things that you will both agree on

This reinforces that you have similarities in thought

“Your current position does not get the best out of you. We both want you in the team every week.

Smile! Human instinct tells us to trust people who smile as they offer us no threat

Smile!

“Most people…” Another aspect of human instinct is to be part of a group – it is a method of survival. These phrases help align people to your way of thinking

“Most people understand that this position requires discipline and bravery on the ball”

“Everybody knows…” “Everybody knows that this type of player is coveted by top level teams”

“Everybody says…” “Everybody says that you have the attributes to play in this position successfully”

“Well, you know how…” Using these phrases makes us think “if I already know this, or there is an old saying about it, then it must be true”

“Well, you know how we have been working towards perfecting you in this position”

“There is an old saying…” “There is an old saying that the deepest midfield player is the most important in the team”

“What would you like to know first?”

This is a way of allowing the player to control the conversation, and allow him to focus on himself.

“So we want to get you training for this position. What would you like to know first?”

Pay them a compliment, and then ask them a question.

Paying someone a sincere compliment, rather than an

“You have an excellent way of receiving the ball across

overly obvious one, shows that you are looking deeper at them.

Follow it with a question to take any embarrassment away.

your body to allow you to play forward”

“Where did you learn that?”

Get your player to do the talking

Getting the player to do the talking is an effective way of getting them to share their ideas and feel comfortable with you

“So tell me about your background and the positions you have previously played”

Avoid a question beginning with ‘why’ that your player has to defend

Choose how to use ‘why’ questions carefully. This type of question, asked negatively, puts the prospect on the defensive and forces them to justify their decisions

“Why did you turn into the opposition striker when there were better options?”

Chapter 6: Understanding Leadership and the Team

Chapter 7: Understanding Age-Specific Development Needs

Chapter 8: Developing a Coaching Philosophy and Syllabus

Sample Curriculum – U19 Soccer Academy

Week Topic Monday

Session

Tuesday

Session

Thursday

Session

Friday

Session

1 Basic Possession Technical Tactical Cool-down

Analysis

Episodic

Position-

specific

Physical

2 Playing Out

From the Back

Technical Tactical Cool-down

Analysis

Episodic

Position-

specific

Physical

3 Defending

Individual –

small group

Technical Tactical Cool-down

Analysis

Episodic

Position-

specific

Physical

4 Pressing Technical Tactical Cool-down

Analysis

Episodic

Position-

specific

Physical

5 Position-Specific

DEFENDING

Technical Tactical Cool-down

Analysis

Episodic

Position-

specific

Physical

6 Mop-up week

Episodic Episodic Cool-down

Analysis

Episodic

Position-

specific

Physical

Chapter 9: Understanding Technical Development and Skill Acquisition

Activity /

Practice /

Exercise

Time Possible

Justification? Compromise or

‘trade-off’ with

real game

‘Deliberate’

Alternatives

Warm-up with 2 or 3 laps of the training area

5 – 10 minutes

Players are adequately warmed-up

No ball involved

No soccer player has ever run at the same speed over the same distance for several hundred meters

Use a warm-up game that involves a ball, changing direction, and which involves multidirectional movements that are sometimes slow, fast and medium

Static stretches with players in a circle

5 minutes

Players need to stretch before activity

Dynamic stretches are required to replicate soccer movements

Within the warm-up game, disperse dynamic stretches throughout (and static stretches if required individually – some players feel they need certain static stretches to feel good).

A series of straight line sprints over anything from five to 30 meters

10 – 15 minutes

Sprints are an integral part of soccer

It gets players ‘fit’

Sprinting in soccer is not just done in straight lines. It involves changing direction and over varying distances. Sprinting is only a small percentage of the movements completed by players in games

The warm-up game can easily include some sharp, multidirectional sprints at the end

A constant ‘line-drill’ practice with players waiting their turn in queues

15 minutes

Players are organized and can learn, refine, or practice technique

Constant drills involve little decision-making, without the randomness involved in soccer

Use a variable or random exercise that involves decision-making, problem-solving and which is more game relevant

A shooting exercise involving a long line of players, taking their turn to shoot, then rejoining the back of the queue

10 minutes

Coach can pinpoint specific technical errors

Players practice shooting

Players love it!

Players shoot from the same angle, distance, and without pressure

Distance is often too far for younger players

Players in reality have very few attempts

The coach has more touches than all the players combined!

A shooting game that involves opposition, an overload of defenders, shooting from various distances, angles and under differing pressures

A conditioned game, normally restricting players to 2 touches

What-ever time remains!

Two touches make players pass and move the ball quickly

Soccer involves using as many touches as are needed. It might to two, it might be one or multi-touch

Use an unrestricted game. Change the shape, size or emphasis of game if necessary

Chapter 10: Understanding the Tactical Development of Soccer Players

Chapter 11: Understanding Physical Development in Youth Soccer

Chapter 12: Understanding the Modern Goalkeeper

Chapter 13: Understanding Talent Identification and Assessment of Players

Chapter 14: Understanding Parents

Chapter 15: Look in the Mirror First

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