My teams were back to a full schedule of games last weekend. On Friday evening my U12 goalkeeper broke her hip taking a goal kick. It was the strangest injury I've ever seen. I watched the replay on the Veo recording and it look like it happened when she landed on her right foot after striking the ball. She can be seen collapsing after landing. She's going to be out six to eight weeks which pretty much ends the outdoor season for her. I go through a … [Read more...]
#182 Teaching the Five Core Soccer Skills
We were finally able to play some early season games last weekend. With the stops and starts we've had to our training during the late winter and early spring seasons it was hard to know what to expect. Add to that the fact that we were missing a number of players from each of my teams because they got a head start on their Spring Break trips. That gave us the opportunity to bring in some guest players from the teams below ours. The players we brought up did … [Read more...]
#169 Don’t Just Follow Your Pass
My teams didn't have any games this weekend fortunately because the weather in KC was more like winter than fall. I took the extra time I had to start my player evaluations. I spread them out over two weekends so that I can take the time to focus on each player. The way I plan the transition between the fall outdoor season and winter Futsal season indoor is to make sure that my teams don't play for the first week so that we have time to prepare for the … [Read more...]
#148 Focus on Technique Before Speed
Last weekend I feel like I coached three great game and one awful one. The players weren't awful, it was me. I have a team that's playing up an age group and there were promoted to the first division after a very good fall season. The difference between DI and DII is substantial and it's been a difficult spring for the team. They played well in the first half this weekend and were up a goal at halftime. We talked about ways we could improve in the second … [Read more...]
#137 Attack vs Defense Game to Train Decision Making
This weekend is the US Youth Futsal National that are held here in the KC area. I have one team in the tournament and I’m looking forward to seeing how they do against some very good opposition. It’s great to finish up the season with an event like this. It lets me see how far we’ve come and gives me ideas on how to improve in the future. Last year we were down a goal and the other team packed it into a tight diamond. We couldn’t break them down. This year … [Read more...]
#054 Controlling the Ball Out of the Air
One of my favorite things about doing this podcast is the opportunity to talk about soccer training with other coaches. I want to share one email conversation I had this week. I thought that it was on a topic that a lot of coaches can relate to. Hi Tom: I enjoy your coaching podcasts. Relevant topics with good substance. I coach a U14G's team in Canada. We have 1 game per week, and three team practices per week. None of our team sessions focus … [Read more...]
#047 Finding the Moment to Go for It
I was listening to a podcast from Soccer Wire about the upcoming changes to age groups and small-sided game format. You can listen to the episode from this link. It got me thinking about all of the questions we have about the process and how the state associations, leagues and clubs will handle it. I'm putting together a round table discussion on the changes with an Executive Director of a State Association, a league administrator, and club director and … [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...]
#035 11 Different Diamond Drill Variations
At the end of each season the coaches in our club complete evaluations on the players in their team. The evaluations focus on the four key areas of player development: technical, tactical, physical and psychological. We make comments in each area about the strengths and weaknesses of the player and give them feedback on their progress. We use a website called ZoomReports.com to complete evaluations for more than 60 teams in our club. The online format allows … [Read more...]
#002 Training Session to Teach Turning
In this episode I share a session on turning. This is obviously an important skill for players at every position. Turning away from pressure and into space is one of the foundational skills required to possess the ball. Turning the ball with control also works on the first touch since you have to have a plan for where the ball will go and how you will get it there. It’s very important that the players know where the pressure is so awareness is a key element of … [Read more...]