With no games last weekend I had time to complete the individual player and parent meetings for my high school girls team. They're all freshman and sophomores getting ready to start high school tryouts. We discussed their feelings about the year, expectations for high school, interest in college soccer and plans for next year. It's such a great group and I've really enjoyed working with them. Fortunately, I have two or three more years with them since we … [Read more...]
#261 The Role of the Assistant Coach
It was nice to have a break over the holidays. Although it was a strange time since we couldn't see our extended family in person. We kept it to just my wife and children. That's not the way we wanted it to be but it was the most responsible decision under the circumstances. It was a very "2020" holiday season; where Zoom meetings replaced family get-togethers. The extra time did give me a chance to catch up on administration of the recreational program. As … [Read more...]
#251 Soccer’s Biggest Problem
I had a pretty easy schedule last weekend. With just four games over three days. One game on Friday and Saturday as well as two more on Sunday. That's almost a weekend off by my usual standards. One of the games was on a grass field. It's the first game I've had on grass in years. Fortunately, the fields were great because they haven't been used. We had to play on grass because of the limited space on the turf fields. One whole complex we usual use was … [Read more...]
#248 Playing with a Triangle in Midfield
The season started quickly and we've packed a lot into the first six weeks. When I was planning the season I decided that Labor Day weekend would be a good one to take off for all of my teams. The break would be just as important for me as it for the players. Getting the teams up and running at the same time as working on the recreational league took a lot of time and energy so a chance to recharge my batteries over the long weekend seemed like a good … [Read more...]
#247 The Solution to Recording Soccer Games without a Camera Operator
As I write this post it's Thursday evening which marks the end of another week of training for me and my teams. I feel very fortunate to be able to train with my teams on the field because I know where are some places in the U.S. that haven't been able to start their fall seasons yet. I was reading an article about how the clubs in New York can't get permits to use the soccer fields despite the fact that the parks are open to the general public. Other places … [Read more...]
#246 Interview with Exact Sports
I've been focusing my teams on a few key areas at the beginning of this season. Our attacking focus has been on finding 1v1's, 2v1's and through balls. I think you can break down just about every attacking situation into one of these. I want the players to have a plan BEFORE they have the ball. This is becomes more important the more challenging the game is. You just don't have time to think about what you want to do when you're on the ball; you have to have … [Read more...]
#245 Coaching Conversation with John Murphy
We had our first 11 v 11 games of the year. Two teams played in the preseason tournament. The first is a 2009 team that's playing up with the 2008's. These were their first games in the larger format. Luckily we were scheduled on one of the smaller full sized fields in the area. This gave the girls a chance to experience their first 11 v 11 games in a more controlled environment. It would be great if all of our games were on a 3/4 sized field but that's not … [Read more...]
#244 Creating Confident Female Players
Last weekend my teams were finally able to get back on the field and play games. My youngest two teams played three games each as a way to get a jump start on the season. There was definitely a lot of rust but they both played better and better throughout the weekend so it was a good start. In our second week of outdoor practices I'm finding it more and more uncomfortable to coach in a mask. It's so difficult to connect with players. I know it's something … [Read more...]
#243 The Pros and Cons of Counter Attacking Tactics
Tonight was the end of my first week of training with my teams. My schedule is a bit crazy this fall. I'm at the fields every night until 9 pm expect Thursdays when I come home to record the podcast. Being on the field for three to five hours every night is going to take some getting used to. I'm really enjoying the chance to work with the players on the field again. Three of the team train twice a week. One team, the U16's, trains three times a week. I … [Read more...]
#242 Club and Team Culture
This was my last week of 'Summer Training'. It's been great to get the players back out on the field. I thought it was important to do something this summer to get them started. These sessions have also turned into a bit of a Pre Season for my teams. They gave the players a chance to train once a week after not training together at all for months. This was great for them in all areas of the game. It was also good for me. I missed being on the field with my … [Read more...]
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