Last week I looked at formations for the 9 v 9 format that will be used for U11’s and U12’s in the US next year. A coach pointed out that I missed an important one, the 3-2-3. It’s the formation that is often used by Ajax and others when they are playing 9 v 9. As I looked at it, the formation has all of the qualities you need in a balanced system. It gives you numbers in attack, cover in defense and central midfielders that can work together. It’s a … [Read more...]
#058 Systems of Play for Third Stage of Soccer Development
Last week reviewed the possible formations for teams playing 7 v 7. My focus was on U9 and U10 teams but I received an email from Bryan, a coach in Maryland, who coaches a U15 girls team. He found the episode useful for his team even though they play 11 v 11 but they usually play 7 v 7 or 8 v 8 at the end of training sessions so he will use the different formations I described to focus on various aspect of the game that he wants to highlight. So even if you’re … [Read more...]
#057 Formations for the Second Stage of Soccer Development
Last week I shared a complete training session for running with the ball. If you missed that one I’d suggest you go back and check out the podcast and printable show notes for all of the details. This has been a crazy week. I’ve jammed a week of work into four days. When this is released I’ll be on my way to Cincinnati, Ohio for the Flying Pig Half Marathon. It looks like it’s going to be a wet one! If anyone listening is going to be out there running or … [Read more...]
#055 Should You Work on Free Kicks?
I made some great progress on several projects last week and I’m looking forward to sharing more about them in the coming weeks. We’re streamlining the way we share all of our information here at WORLD CLASS COACHING and I think it’s going to be great for coaches that listen to the podcast, read our blogs and watch our videos. Look for more info in the coming weeks. Thanks to everyone that gave the podcast a ranking or review in iTunes. I appreciate you … [Read more...]
#052 Coaching the Most Important Age Group
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 … [Read more...]
#045 30 Scoring Methods for Small-Sided Games
In response to feedback we received from our recent survey to our members we've started to add more content to our YouTube channel. Each week Mike Saif or I will add an animated drills video that focuses on one of our favorite games or exercises. You can find our YouTube channel by clicking here. This week I talk about how using different scoring methods can change how your players approach small-sided games. I talk about more than 30 different methods … [Read more...]
#044 The Key to Being an Effective Coach
I'm sorry that last week's podcast wasn't released until Sunday. Our internet was out from Thursday afternoon until Sunday afternoon. I've prided myself on releasing a new podcast every Friday so this was extremely frustrating. If you missed the episode I'd encourage you to go back and listen because there's some great information there on shooting activities you can do with your team during the winter months. This week I want to focus on what I feel is … [Read more...]
#040 Technical and Tactical Q&A
This week I share some of the questions I've received from coaches around the world. One of my favorite things about hosting a podcast is that it gives me the opportunity to exchange ideas with a large number of coaches. Most of the times it's just me talking about what I'm doing with my teams or with one other coach. I prefer a dialog where I get to learn from other coaches as well as sharing what I've learned over the years. That's why I'm always excited … [Read more...]
#030 More than 20 Adjustments to Small-Sided Games
This week I discovered that the training session I did on give-and-goes helped my young players better understand how to stay onside. The coaching point for the wall passer is to stay on the shoulder of the defender. This creates an angle to receive and pass around the defender. When one of my players was offside a couple of times during the game I told him to, 'Stay on the shoulder of the defender until the ball is played just like in the give-and-go.' You … [Read more...]
#029 Getting the Most Out of Uneven Match-Ups
As we reach the midpoint of the fall season here in the Midwest my training sessions are becoming more focused on small-sided games. Early in the year I spend a lot of time on technical training and individual skill development. This provides a foundation of understanding for dribbling, fakes, passing, receiving and shooting. The players have heard the coaching points from me over and over so we have a kind of short-hand that makes it easy for me to help them … [Read more...]
