Soccercoachw306

CRYING GAME HOW TO COPE IF YOUR PLAYER IS REDUCED TO TEARS

WEEKLY

SOCCER COACH Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy

DRIBBLE & SCORE RUN AT DEFENCES AND CUT THEM OPEN

TACKLE LIKE A WINNER EFFECTIVE MIDFIELD BALL-WINNING

LOOK FOR POSITIVES LEARNING LESSONS FROM DEFEAT

THE BEST COACHING SESSIONS EVERY WEEK!

March 6, 2013 • Issue 306

BEND FREE KICKS HOW TO SWERVE THE BALL THEO WALCOTT ARSENAL’S TOP GUN <

10

WAYS TO BEAT DEADLY RIVALS

9v9

FORMATIONS

A GUIDE TO LINING YOUR TEAM UP

ONE-UPMANSHIP DOES IT HAVE A PLACE IN SOCCER TRAINING?

Contents

The Glory Of Winning?

CRYING GAME HOW TO COPE IF YOUR PLAYER IS REDUCED TO TEARS

WEEKLY

SOCCER COACH Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy

DRIBBLE & SCORE

March 6, 2013 • Issue 306

BEND FREE KICKS HOW TO

RUN AT DEFENCES AND CUT THEM OPEN

SWERVE THE BALL

TACKLE LIKE A WINNER EFFECTIVE MIDFIELD

THEO WALCOTT ARSENAL’S TOP GUN <

10

BALL-WINNING

LOOK FOR POSITIVES LEARNING LESSONS

WAYS TO BEAT DEADLY RIVALS

FROM DEFEAT

THE BEST COACHING SESSIONS EVERY WEEK!

9v9

FORMATIONS

A GUIDE TO LINING YOUR TEAM UP

ONE-UPMANSHIP DOES IT HAVE A PLACE IN SOCCER TRAINING?

Soccer Coach Weekly Issue 306

Soccer Coach Weekly is published by Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford GU5 0AB, UK.

Telephone

+44 (0)1483 892894

Editor Chris Hunt chris.hunt@greenstarmedia.net

Head Coach David Clarke david.clarke@coach-soccer.com

Contributors James Evans, Alasdair Gold, Luke Nicoli Illustrations Mike Ronald Pictures Action Images, Nick Webster Production ATG Media Production

Earlier this year when the weather was bad and training was cancelled I was playing Connect 4 with my wife.

After a close contest over a number of games we were drawing, so the result rested on our final game. But as it was coming to an end I realised I was going to lose however I played, so I said, “You win” and walked off.

“Just a minute,” called my wife, “you’ve taken away the glory of winning. You’d have something to say if we were on a football pitch.”

There is a glory in winning that should be embraced by both the winner and the loser. But when we lose we should congratulate our opponents and think about our own glories and what we did during the game, because although winning is important, it’s not always a true measure of how your players have performed as a team.

I have successful teams but I don’t start out with the word ‘win’ buzzing through my brain – I think of developing the individual and creating a team.

Rather than looking at the result, it is better to ask key questions about your team: Did they create chances? Did they have a good shape defensively? Did the players make good decisions when in possession? Did they play a mixed passing game? Did they control the tempo of the game?

If you want to get a real measure

Designer Jamie Leeson

In this issue...

Publisher Kevin Barrow

3

kevin.barrow@ bettersoccercoaching.com

Customer Services Duncan Heard duncanh@greenstarmedia.net

Managing Director Andrew Griffiths

DRIBBLING AT GOAL

Get your players to master this high risk but high reward skill

4 DRIBBLE TO SCORE

A drill to develop dribbling into the area at speed

5 CLEVER DISGUISE

(c) Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fool defenders by disguising the direction of your players’ dribbling

Click here to read the full disclaimer.

6

BEATING YOUR RIVALS

7

BETTER TACKLING

To subscribe to Soccer Coach Weekly call Duncan Heard on +44 (0)1483 892894 or subscribe online here

Ten handy hints how to beat your rivals in the big game Look to Scott Parker if you want a ball-winning defensive midfielder

After a defeat, assess what needs to be worked on

“It’s natural to be deflated after a defeat so you will not see the positives immediately” of their performance, it’s always good to write down your thoughts straight after the final whistle. But as it’s a natural reaction to be deflated after a defeat, you will not always see the positives immediately, so an hour later you should again write down what happened and compare your notes to what you wrote earlier. That way, you might find it easier to look for the positives and that will then allow you to work on the negatives more effectively.

My team played a game recently where they started off as easily the best team. We outpassed the opposition and created twice as many chances but we lost 3-2. Afterwards I wrote down my answers to the key questions and what actions I needed to take. Yes, we did

8 NO THROUGH ROAD

A simple session aimed at improving players in 1v1 situations

create chances (praise the team); no, we often left dangerous spaces when we didn’t get back quickly enough after attacks broke down (work on defensive positions and recovery movement); yes, we made good decisions and passing was good (praise the team); but we failed to control the tempo and allowed the opposition back into contention (work on closing the game out).

Try this process and you can then see what you need to talk about, what to praise and what to work on at your next coaching session.

David Clarke

TIP OF THE WEEK

9 STAND AND DELIVER

Help your midfielders become tough-tackling ball winners

10 FORMATIONS

Examining the strengths and weaknesses of the 3-3-2 formation for the 9v9 game

11 SOCCER SURGERY

Your problems solved, including advice for a coach wanting to show his players how to bend free-kicks

12 THE BIG DEBATE

Two coaches debate whether one-upmanship has a place in youth soccer?

Know Your Players Try to get to know your players as individuals. Spend time talking to them one on one – it doesn’t have to be for hours, just a couple of minutes will do. It will let them know they’re important as people, not just as players on the soccer pitch.

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DRIBBLING TO SCORE Dribbling at speed can create panic in the box

Dribble And Score Dribbling at speed is a high risk but high reward skill. Get your players to master this and you may have the next Theo Walcott on your hands

I

f your players are blessed with lightning pace and have the ability to glide past defenders with the ball at their feet, then your team is going to be a major danger to opponents when attacking. To develop these skills, you could try getting your players to watch Theo Walcott making one of his mazy runs on goal.

Among the best exponents of this skill in the Premier League, he drives fear into the opposition with his combination of speed and dribbling ability. “You’d need a pistol to stop him,” said Pep Guardiola, when his Barcelona team faced Walcott’s Arsenal in the Champions League in 2010.

“I can only speak from experience but he is one of the most dangerous players I have ever played against,” added Lionel Messi, undoubtedly the best player on the planet today.

Many wide or attacking players have plenty of pace, but it needs to be utilised in the right way and this is where the Gunners favourite stands out from the crowd. Granted, he might not be the

most technically gifted player from a standing position, but what Walcott does better than most is find himself in good positions, ghosting behind defences ready to run onto the ball.

Whether he finds a path into the channels, or is primed to pick up a ball over the top of the centrehalves, he’s already running at pace.

Then, with the ball at his feet he can use his dribbling skills at speed to leave his opponents bamboozled.

Walcott is able to use his dribbling ability to cut both inside or outside his marker, which is a major advantage especially when playing on the wing.

Dribble, with a drop of the shoulder, on the outside and you’re primed to put a dangerous cross into the box for your team-mates. Cut inside, then it opens the opportunity to score a goal yourself.

But Walcott, as we have discovered this season, is not just a wide player. He has also been utilised in the centreforward position, where his ‘speed dribbling’ has often left the less mobile centre-backs trailing in his wake.

He can twist and turn past defenders with the ball at his feet to leave himself with a clear sight at goal. As we saw against Newcastle in December when he waltzed into the box past four defenders, he can finish a move himself, or if a defender has mis-timed a tackle, then there’s always the chance of a penalty.

Yet dribbling at pace is not something that just happens, it takes work on the training ground. Try the drills on the following pages and your players could be dribbling like Walcott too.

Words by:

Luke Nicoli Activities by:

David Clarke

“He is one of the most dangerous players I have ever played against. Barcelona players are not scared easily, but I can tell you that when we played Arsenal he truly worried us” – The world’s best player Lionel Messi talking about Theo Walcott Issue 306

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DRIBBLING TO SCORE

Dribble To Score A fast game to develop the ability of your players to dribble into the area at speed and create goal scoring chances

WHY USE IT

This game helps to get your players dribbling past defenders and shooting at goal. It will help your players win 1v1s and get them finishing off good moves.

Players must dribble into the goal zone and then attack the other end – players can only get into the larger area by dribbling the ball in

s yd 40

SET UP

HOW TO PLAY

Play a 3v3 with two floating players who play for the attacking team.

Play takes place inside the smaller area and the ball must be dribbled into the larger square before the team must then attack the opposite end – play must go back through the smaller square and be dribbled into the opposite goal zone before a player can put the ball in the net.

TECHNIQUE

This is good for fast dribbling and game-like play. Very relevant in an individual development context, it should be part of every coach’s training schedule. Players need to build confidence on the ball and take that confidence into the match with them. It also helps players learn how to turn with the ball when in possession.

Player movement

5yds

ds 5y

Set up a playing area 40x40 yards with a smaller 30x30yard area inside it. We’re using eight players for the session. You need balls, bibs, cones and four mini goals.

s 40yd

A goal can be scored once play has reached the opposite end and the ball is dribbled in to the goal zone

The two blue players only play for the team with the ball to give an advantage to the attackers

The defenders must try and win the ball before the attacking team can get into the larger zone so they can become the attackers

Progress the session by allowing one defender to go into the goal zone when the attacker is dribbling in

Ball movement

Shot

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DRIBBLING TO SCORE

Clever Disguise Help your attackers to develop their dribbling skills and encourage them to fool defenders by disguising the direction they are going to take to shoot at goal

WHY USE IT

e or sc

SET UP

Set up a playing area of 20x20 yards. You will need balls, cones and two mini goals placed at an angle at one end of the pitch. We’ve used three attackers and three defenders here.

e lin

s yd 20

This drill is aimed at helping young attackers make decisions about which way to attack the goal and using a clever trick or disguise to fool the defender. Dribbling at pace is vital to the session and speedy players with good control can beat the defender through pace alone.

The defender must pass to the attacker and react to the attacker’s forward movement into the scoring zone

s 10yd

s 10yd

The attacker tries to create space as the defender closes in. The attacker cannot shoot until crossing the line

The attackers can score in either goal by using skill or speed to beat the defender

HOW TO PLAY

The defender passes to the attacker and when he receives the ball the drill commences. The dribbler must disguise which of the two goals he is going to score in by fooling the defender. Rotate attackers and defenders.

TECHNIQUE

This is excellent for young players to find different ways to get past the defender. They will also be watching each other and learning from the mistakes or successes of their teammates. Success on match day can be achieved by simply making correct decisions when players are faced with a 1v1 against a defender.

Player movement

The defender must try and win the ball before the attacker can cross the ‘score line’. If the defender does this, he can become an attacker

Progress the session by adding goalkeepers that the dribbling attacker must beat to score

Ball movement

Shot

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THE ART OF COACHING

10 Steps To Beating Your Deadly Rivals Playing rivals can put pressure on a young team but a good coach can prepare players to give them every chance of winning. David Clarke offers his ten-step plan

01

IMAGINE YOUR WIN

In your last training session before the game, tell your players to visualize themselves in their kit as they are lying in bed on the night before the match. Get them to imagine what they will do if the ball gets crossed into the box and what movement they will make to get on the end of it. This can help them cope with the real thing on match day.

02

BE PREPARED

03

DEMOTIVATE PLAYERS

Your team stands more chance of beating rivals if you are better prepared as a manager. If you’ve got time, watch your opponents and work out their weaknesses. Make sure you’ve got your team selection and tactics right – if you prepare your players better, it will stand them in good stead.

Coming into a game against school friends, best friends or bitter enemies, your players will be on a high.

They’ll sleep less, be more nervous and have more energy burning. You don’t need to wind them up – for this game you will need to keep them calm so you may even have to demotivate them. Try to get them ready as you would for any other game.

04

BANISH NERVES

Watch out for phone calls on the morning of the match from players who find it scary because they fear the backlash in the playground if they lose. Go through the squad and chat reassuringly with any players you fear suffer from nerves. Tell them the team is strong and will stick together, win or lose.

05

PICK THE RIGHT PLAYERS

06

KEEP IT SHORT

07

SCARE YOUR RIVALS

Make sure you’ve selected the calmest heads for the roles that can make a difference. Many players might tell you they want to take a penalty, but the reality could be different, so choose the player with the most confidence before the game starts so everyone is aware of who will be taking it. Similarly, select a captain who can do the job confidently.

Keep your pre-match team talk short and sharp. The players need to be told not to worry about mistakes and that they are all there to cover for each other because they’re in it together. Remind them how they must stick together as a team and how each of them has to do their own job well to achieve this.

The best way to scare rivals is with confidence, so tell your players they need to encourage their teammates at all times. Before kick-off get everyone to go around the team shaking hands and high fiving. An air of positivity will flow through the team and your opponents won’t help but notice this confident attitude.

08

CREATE A BUZZ

09

ENCOURAGE PLAYERS

A team huddle before kick-off is a good way to reaffirm the team’s strength and solidarity. You may want to finish on a buzzword that the team can shout out to encourage a feeling of togetherness. Something like ‘let’s go for it’ or ‘let’s get ’em’ should give that last bit of motivation.

Above: Beat your rivals with your confidence

You know what encouragement works with each player, so tell them on an individual basis what you need them to do. For some an arm around the shoulder will work best, while for others it will take a fist pumping ‘come on’.

Show on a tactics board what’s going right or wrong and point to three key factors that demonstrate what they’ve got to do as a team to get better.

10

KEEP THE PRESSURE OFF

You may be losing so tell your players to relax. If they’re not worried they will start to play properly.

Don’t think you’ve got to motivate them – try and relax them, tell them it’s only a game and to pass the ball around and enjoy their football. It might just help them win the game.

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Left: Keep players calm so they don’t see red

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BETTER TACKLING Scott Parker tackling like he means it

Tackle Like A Winner If you want an effective ball-winning defensive midfielder in your team, try using our tackling drills to model your midfield general on the talents of Scott Parker

E

very team needs a ball winner and they don’t come much better than Tottenham Hotspur and England midfielder Scott Parker. As a coach, you know you’ve struck gold when you come across a young player with the instinct to put themselves in the right place at the right time, and if you blend that with bravery and a sense of timing in the tackle, you might just have the next Scott Parker on your hands.

The England man’s recent return from an Achilles injury suffered at the European Championships is a muchneeded boost for Spurs, as his Premier League statistics from last season say it all. In 29 appearances, he made 107 tackles, winning 71 per cent of them, as well as making 95 interceptions and getting his foot in 307 times in 50-50 challenges. He also uses the ball well, with his pass completion recorded at 89 per cent from 1,561 passes made during the course of the season.

His then Spurs manager Harry Redknapp was in no doubt about the player’s quality, comparing him to one of the club’s legends after a match against QPR. “Parker was just amazing, I haven’t

seen many displays like that,” said Redknapp. “You hate to mention anyone in the same breath as Dave Mackay, who was one of finest players at this club, but it was right up there with the best.

Dave would have been proud of that performance. He won every tackle, he broke things up, his all round play was top class. He’s made a big difference.”

The key to Parker’s tackling lies in a touchline shout heard from many a coach: ‘Stay on your feet’. The midfielder

hustles and harries like a terrier, nipping at opponents’ heels and only diving in when he feels the time is right, even it means quite literally using his head, as he did famously for England against Ukraine.

If you’ve got any budding defensive midfield generals among your ranks, show them some of Scott Parker’s finest displays and then coach your players through the drills on the following pages and they soon could be harrying and tackling like winners.

Words by:

Alasdair Gold Activities by:

Michael Beale & David Clarke

4 GREAT MIDFIELD TACKLERS

Arturo Vidal Nicknamed ‘Il Guerriero’ (The Warrior) for his tough tackling, the Chilean was a key member of undefeated title-winners Juventus last season.

Javier Mascherano The ex-Liverpool midfielder is so good at winning the ball that Barcelona often tend to use him playing as a central defender in La Liga.

Yohan Cabaye The Newcastle midfielder made the most tackles in the Premier League last season: 117 with a 70 per cent success rate, plus 89 interceptions.

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Daniele De Rossi Well known in Serie A for his tackling skills, Roma’s man in the engine room even has a ‘Beware of being tackled’ road sign tattooed on his calf.

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BETTER TACKLING

No Through Road A simple and continuous game aimed at improving your players in 1v1 situations and developing their all-round tackling abilities

WHY USE IT

s yd 10

In the modern game it is crucial that players can defend 1v1 against a range of opponents. Matches at all levels are made up of a series of 1v1 situations so it is important that adequate time is spent working on individual technique in training.

The attackers line up at both ends of the area with one defender in the middle

s 10yd

SET UP

Set up an area of 10x10 yards. We are using seven players in this session. You will need balls and cones.

HOW TO PLAY

This is a continuous 1v1 game in which attackers have to dribble across the area and get past a defender. Start with no tackling, just jockeying (side to side movements to force play) or positional movements to force the attacker out of the area.

Add tackling to progress the session as it develops.

TECHNIQUE

Winning the ball back in 1v1 situations protects your team from attackers bursting through on goal.

This is obviously a desirable situation for your team and will set up counterattacking opportunities.

An attacker tries to dribble across the square The defender must use techniques like jockeying to force the attacker out of the playing area

If the defender is successful, he is rewarded by swapping places with the attacker

Now the defender can use tackling to win the ball

Activity by: Michael Beale

Player movement

Ball movement

Shot

Run with ball Issue 306

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BETTER TACKLING

Stand And Deliver Help your midfielders become tough-tackling ball winners with a session that teaches them the skills they need to protect the back four

WHY USE IT

s yd 30

This session replicates situations where midfielders can find themselves outnumbered and a timely tackle is needed to stop a move in its tracks. Terrierlike action and non-stop running make this a touch session but a good one to give your midfielders.

The session starts with a kick from the goalkeeper into the attacking trio

s 40yd

SET UP

Set up an area of 40x30 yards. We are using 12 players in this session.

You will need balls, bibs, cones and goals.

HOW TO PLAY

In each half of the pitch there are three attackers and two midfielders. The midfielders are defending the goal but what you are actually practising for them is defending in front of a back four. Here they must try to stop the three attackers from getting into goal scoring positions by chasing them down and pressing them to force a mistake in order to win the ball.

TECHNIQUE

The two guarding midfield players must communicate to make it hard for the attackers to create space

Here the attacker has been caught on the ball. A tackle wins it, allowing the pass upfield

The guarding midfielders at the other end must try and stop the attacker but a sliding tackle misses and the shot beats the keeper

A kick out from the keeper results in an attack down the wing but the cross is met by one of the midfielders who heads the danger away

Teams will often find they are under pressure in midfield when an attack has broken down and they need a tough tackler to win the ball back. A strong player can make a huge difference when protecting the defence, making it much harder for opposition players to make an impact.

Activity by: David Clarke

Player movement

Ball movement

Shot

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FORMATIONS Fullbacks support the move by pushing into the space left by the attacking midfielders and can support on the outside or inside

Wide midfielders can push up and use the wings to stretch the opposition defence

ATTACKING 3-3-2 The central of the three defenders must push up but remain alert for any possible counterattacks and defend the goal

The key to the formation is the attacking midfield trio.

Two advanced midfielders go wide in attack and the third plays deeper and looks for any loose balls or rebounds

The strong attacking theme is reinforced as midfielders move quickly to create a four-man attack

9v9 Formations With the English FA making 9v9 compulsory at U11 and U12 level this year, the time is right to look at formations for this new team size. This week we look at 3-3-2… n FORMATION: 3-3-2

PROS: The simplest of all formations for 9v9, 3-3-2 is easy to understand, good for wide players and has good recovery lines when the ball is lost.

CONS: This formation is weak in attack and relies on good support from midfield for attacking success. It also relies on good support from fullbacks to the midfield.

n DEFENCE

As a formation, the 3-3-2 is naturally a defensive shape. After losing the ball a team can quickly recover and get tight, shrinking the space in midfield and defence.

n PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

In most teams you will have some players who are more developed than others. The theory is that by putting these players in the centre of the field it will give them the best chance to be directly involved in the play.

From an individual’s development viewpoint, you want to give them some time out wide because it gives the players more of a 1v1 situation than they

would experience centrally and there is more space for dribbling.

The midfield triangle in the centre of the pitch can be reversed, with two defensive midfielders and one offensive one (see below diagram), or one defensive midfielder and two offensive ones (diagram above), in accordance with the coach’s game plan and what’s happening on the pitch.

DEFENSIVE 3-3-2

Words by:

David Clarke

Fullbacks drop and tuck in to keep wingers out wide and tighten up the backline

n MIDFIELD

The midfield must link the defence with attack and also support the attack, which has only two players. The formation offers a natural route for wing play from the two wide players supported by the two fullbacks.

n ATTACK

The weakest part of the formation, the attackers will usually be outnumbered and need support from the midfield. They will have to work hard to press the opposition defence when they have lost the ball.

The forward players defend from the front, pressing the ball

The key to the defence is the midfield triangle, which is now inverted to protect the area in front of the defence

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The central defender drops deep to defend the goal

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Soccer Surgery

Your Questions Answered THIS WEEK: Advice for a coach wanting to teach his team to bend free-kicks and an expert opinion on dealing with a player who has cried at training

Q “ What’s the best method for teaching players how to bend free-kicks?

A

Even a player like Ronaldo can cry after a tackle

”

Players love mastering the art of free-kicks. I’ve had some whose competence at dribbling or heading has been pretty low, but who have really perfected taking a powerful, swinging free-kick. And if you’re willing to practise these sorts of dead ball situations, your side might end up with a key weapon in its armoury.

The first important thing is to ensure that the player is positioned so that his head is over the ball, with toes pointed down. When he kicks the ball he strikes it at the lower half (or hemisphere). This will ensure the ball has uplift, which it needs.

At the same time, the player needs to strike off-centre too, with a lot of force. This will send the ball spinning on its axis. Yet as important is the follow-through, whereby the foot must continue to push the ball. The best way to teach this is to ask the player to imagine that the ball is actually slightly further away than it is when he kicks it.

Practice makes perfect, of course, but if you use a set target and set distance, players will quickly get a feel for exactly where they need to hit the ball and with how much power.

A curling free-kick is a fantastic thing for a player to perfect, and of course, it can be a pretty dangerous weapon at the same time!

Answered by Stuart Brain, an FA Level 2 coach who has recently returned from leading a number of soccer fundraising initiatives in Africa

Q “ A player left training crying after a hard

tackle and stayed away for two weeks. How can I integrate him back into the team?

A

It’s unfortunate there was a two-week break, but getting the player back on the horse, so to speak, is really important, and this is a small incident that shouldn’t interrupt his enjoyment or future development.

I think it would be good for the player in question to know there are no hard feelings, which I certainly imagine is the case. Why not bring together the two players involved in the challenge so they can have some ‘clear the air’ talks, if necessary.

You’ll need to oversee the chat, and ensure they shake hands at the end of it.

I always find humour is a good way to take the sting out of any awkward situation, so maybe make a reference to even the best

”

soccer players in the world shedding a tear because of their art (Paul Gascoigne, Ronaldo and John Terry spring to mind, for starters).

What you mustn’t do is make a big deal out of it, so conclude their chat and press on with the training session without saying another word about it.

From time to time the kids we oversee will surprise us. They’ll do things which make them seem every bit the adult in waiting, yet at other times their actions remind us that they are minors, and sometimes need to be treated with kid gloves.

Answered by Scott Logan, a Confidence Coach from Hornchurch, Essex

GET YOUR SOCCER PROBLEMS SOLVED Ronaldinho bends it

If you have a coaching problem or a training dilemma that you want the experts at Soccer Surgery to cure, send your queries to Soccer Coach Weekly…

editor@soccercoachweekly.net

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SOCCER COACH WEEKLY

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THE BIG DEBATE

Does One-upmanship Have A Place In Soccer?

THIS WEEK’S DEBATE: Your players are constantly trying to better each other with harder shots, tricks and flicks, and by staying behind longer after training. Should you encourage this kind of one-upmanship and competitiveness?

YES, ENCOURAGE ONE-UPMANSHIP

Tariq Khan Liverpool

“One-upmanship is something that can be seen in almost every aspect of kids growing up.

It’s not anything new and it’s certainly not bad for them.”

“

If you’ve got players who are willing to stay behind after training voluntarily, assemble the said players, bottle the air around them and then sell it on the internet. You’ll be a millionaire within weeks!

Seriously, you have to ask yourself what would be more irresponsible – to allow players to be competitive, or to tell them to stop playing soccer and go home? Having players who carry with them a passion for going the extra yard is so valuable, so you mustn’t lose that.

One-upmanship is actually a pretty harmless quality. It shows that players really care about what they’re doing and that they have an interest in their sport.

Surely that’s no bad thing.

One-upmanship is also something that can be seen in

HAVE YOUR SAY

almost every aspect of kids’ lives growing up. It’s not anything new and it’s certainly not bad for them. Whether it’s a rivalry over school work, sticker collecting or racing friends to the sweet shop, kids love the competitiveness of getting one over on their mates, so I definitely wouldn’t treat this as anything bad.

Competitiveness has become a dirty word in youth soccer these days, but overly so in my opinion.

If we didn’t want our players to be competitive we wouldn’t be playing in leagues and cups – it would be friendlies all the way.

I think it’s good for players to challenge themselves, whether that’s in a proper game, by performing tricks in training, or anything else for that matter. Encourage it and you will soon see your players blossom.

”

DOES ONE-UPMANSHIP HAVE A PLACE IN YOUTH SOCCER? Visit our Facebook page and log your vote at www.facebook.com/SoccerCoachWeekly or email your thoughts to editor@soccercoachweekly.net

NO, DISCOURAGE ONE-UPMANSHIP

“

Matt Holcombe London

“There’s a level of respect players need to adhere to in youth soccer. There are plenty of ways to express their talent without it being at the detriment of others.”

“

The risk you run if you decide to indulge their desire to outdo each other is that players are ultimately taking an eye off the ball, if you’ll excuse the pun.

I’ve seen it many times before.

The problem with players and one-upmanship is that they become so focused on outdoing a mate that it consumes them during training. So a simple pass to a team-mate will be ignored because a certain player wants to nutmeg his nemesis on the other team. Other players will ultimately lose out because some lads are too intent on settling scores.

This also creates cliques between players, and cliques in any soccer team are bad news.

Resentment, jealousy and distrust can quickly follow, and some players can feel genuinely left

out because they’re not involved in ‘the joke’ or ‘the challenge’.

There’s also a level of respect – for themselves and for their team mates – that players need to adhere to in youth soccer. There are plenty of ways for players to express their talent without it having to be to the detriment of others. You wouldn’t want players mocking opposition players by trying to make them look foolish, so why should they do it to their own team-mates?

And while staying behind after training is good in theory, you may begin to incur the wrath of worried parents.

Remember, while the kids are on the training pitch they are your responsibility, and really you should be the last one to leave. Are you willing to wait behind?

HOW YOU VOTED

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Here are the results of a poll that we ran in issue 304 of Soccer Coach Weekly, when we asked the question: Do you tell your player to stop the flashy skills?

26% said yes 74% said no Issue 306

SOCCER COACH WEEKLY

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