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I’ve settled into a regular routine with our Instagram account. Each week I share a complete training session or progression of exercises from one of our books along with a couple of interesting photos or quotes that I’ve come across. I think it’s a great way to share drills and exercises because the comments section allows enough room for the complete description and coaching points.

If you don’t have an Instagram account I would suggest you check it out. Here’s a link to our feed:

You can find us @worldclasscoachingsoccer. Please follow us there if you’re on Instagram already. If you’re not, you should check it out because there are some interesting people to follow there (also check out @433) that relate to what we do.

This week I want to discuss what I think is the most important age group in youth soccer. I’ve had a couple of requests to go over the important technical and tactical aspects of this age group. Since most leagues around the country have started or are getting ready to start I thought this would be a good time to do it.

I firmly believe that the U8 age group is the most important age group we have. These players are the future of the sport and we should put our best resources behind their development.

That’s why I think that coaches who do a great job with U8 players should be considered just as important and sought after, if not more so, than coaches that win States Cups , High School Championships, NCAA Championships or titles at the pro level. Many of those coaches do not have the necessary skills and patience to develop players at this young age. And if we’re not developing young players, who are the coaches of the older age groups going to work with when their current crop of players ages out?

Goals

1. Fun First
   • They won’t keep playing if it isn’t fun
   • Soccer practice should look like play not like training
2.  Teach techniques and tactics at their level
   • They can learn more than you think they can
   • Presentation is the key
3. Create players who are confidence with the ball
   • Encourage experimentation
   • Reward effort over outcome
   • A skill must first be acquired before it can be applied
4. Make them to want to come back
   • The most successful U8 coaches are the ones who have all of their players back next year
   • We want our players to fall in love with the game
   • The only way to get them to progress is to get them to come back

Tryouts

1. Should we have them?
   1. Rec Model
      1. As many kids as possible
      2. Grouped by school
      3. Play with friends
      4. The more players we get started early, the more players we’ll have at u16,17,18
      5. Completely valid for the first two years I think
   2. So why doesn’t this happen
      1. Somebody started putting ‘good’ U8’s together
      2. Those teams were more successful
      3. Parents wanted their kids to have that opportunity
      4. Either for development or bragging rights
      5. Coaches did it for those same reasons
2. Premier Model
   1. There are benefits
   2. It’s easier to coach a group of players at a similar level
   3. It’s better for the development of the top players
      1. Greater challenge
      2. Progress learning faster
   4. It’s not better for the players below that level
      1. They would benefit from playing with the stronger players
      2. Our experiment with two teams together
   5. Important to focus on ‘Talent Identification’ vs ‘Talent Selection’
      1. What’s the difference
      2. Ajax looks for TIPS Talent, Intelligence, Personality, Speed
      3. Liverpool uses TABS Technical, Attitude, Balance, Speed
      4. Beware of ‘He/She really looks like a player!’
      5. Good article from ‘Changing the Game Project’
         1. http://changingthegameproject.com/our-biggest-mistake-talent-selection-instead-of-talent-identification/
      6. Tiered system to put players at the right level
         1. Players develop at different rates
         2. Have a place for the kid that loves the game and works hard
         3. He might be younger or smaller but you’ll want him when he’s older
         4. This helps you avoid ‘cutting’ players

Training

1. Fun First
   1. Organize as much as you can around fun game
   2. Always play a fun an engaging game first
   3. Always end with a ‘real’ soccer game
   4. This will have them excited when they get there and have them leaving wanting more
   5. Make skill exercises competitive whenever possible
   6. This can turn anything into a game
      1. Passing example
      2. Pass and follow
   7. Teach the key skills of the game
      1. Dribbling
      2. Shooting
      3. Receiving
      4. Passing
   8. Teach tactics they can understand
      1. Teach Space instead of positioning
         1. If you want to get frustrated fast
            1. Try to keep most U8’s in positions
         2. You should teach them what the positions are
         3. But more importantly
            1. Move the ball to space and away from pressure
            2. Find open space to receive the ball
         4. Teach pressure and cover defending to avoid ‘Bunch Ball’
            1. 2 v 2 is a great game for this
         5. Defensive posture and patience
            1. A 1 v 1 environment allows you to teach defense and practice attack
         6. It’s ok to start over
            1. Why would you want to pass back with the goal is over there!
         7. The game at the end of the session will help you teach some of these but games against other teams is where most of this learning will occur

Games

1. Let’s assume you’re playing 5 v 5 with goalkeepers
   1. You can use these same ideas if you’re playing without goalkeepers
2. I suggest teaching them to play 2-2 AND 1-2-1
3. Each have their developmental benefits
   1. 2-2 Benefits
      1. Simple
      2. Right – Left = Coach’s Side – Parent’s Side
      3. Balanced
   2. 1-2-1
      1. Teaches three lines – Def/Mid/For
      2. Right – Left – Split
      3. Common shape to the game
   3. Encourage decision making
      1. Avoid ‘Nintendo Coaching’
      2. Some direction is good but asking questions is better
      3. Ask, “What else could you have done?”
   4. Praise Effort not Outcome
   5. Coach don’t Criticize
      1. Nothing kills fun quicker than criticism
      2. That doesn’t mean you can’t coach
         1. Strike the right balance

There’s no doubt that working with U8 players can be a real challenge at times but if you take a moment to see the game from their perspective you’ll be better able to give them what they need to develop a life-long love of the soccer. Not to mention a great foundation for future success.

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In Future Episodes

Next week I’m going to share a training session I did over spring break. It includes a number of competitive shooting games that the kids really enjoyed.