Author: Alan Merrick

I provide content, curriculums, topics and detailed coaching points to the MOTI Soccer Training Platform.  I am pleased that a product like MOTI Soccer Training Platform is now available to all players, coaches and soccer enthusiasts.

Volunteer Parents are the lifeblood

Volunteer Parents are the lifeblood of every Youth Soccer Club or Association.  They make the organization work and determine the short- and long-term success of the youth soccer club.

My experience and understanding of youth soccer are that most organizations lose up to 50% of their volunteer base predominantly in the coaching ranks each year.  By stopping a revolving door of losing these coach volunteers the Club can enjoy coach and management experience with continuity. Clubs need to offer age and gender specific programs that fit the organizations culture to make volunteer coach experiences rewarding and enjoyable, so they will sign on for another year or even more and continue to volunteer.

In the recreational level so little is offered as support to the volunteer coaches.  One hour of training at the start of the season is never enough.  Volunteer coaches quickly get overwhelmed, frustrated and unrewarded.  Retention and proper support of recreational volunteer coaches will transform the experience and grass roots fun that players and coaches should associate with Soccer.

Volunteer coaches need to have all the tools at their disposal to create a safe soccer learning environment.  Very often coaches need a line by line curriculum in their hands so they can follow tasks in order of their group’s development stage.  Many coaches immediately feel the pressure of curriculum materials and feel overwhelmed.  They never get off square one.  These coaches need well curated curriculum that is easily implemented and is relevant to the age and ability of their squad of players. Volunteers have the best intentions but will often not be able to find the time to develop curriculum materials and practice plans that are meaningful to their players’ needs. 

New technology is now available where coaches and players can have age and gender specific 3D animated soccer curriculum in their hands via our MOTI App.  Learning ball skills during a practice is imperative.  Players can see their peer group doing ball manipulation and gain experience under the watchful eye of their coach.  Now players can also take initiative by practicing these moves and skill sets at home, allowing them to enjoy the health and physical gains in an athletic event using their own initiative, personal desires and disciplines.

Clubs should recognize the efforts of all their volunteers.  Everyone enjoys positive feedback on their hard work.  Recognizing coaches is imperative to maintaining the coaching ranks within the organization and improves the coach retention. 

Have parents write a note, send a card or text to the coach thanking them for their time and effort  during the season.  Make sure to mention the positive impact this season has had on their child and their family soccer experience.  Each note is rewarding but collectively they speak volumes.

Some clubs have an end of season awards banquet which should be focused on all the members who have contributed time and immense effort.  Getting an award as simple as a Certificate depicting the Success of the Season in front of all the other volunteers strengthens the culture and size of the Club.

Remember teams are very self-centered during a season being myopic with a single focus.  Congregating with all the other age groups and volunteers brings all members in connection with the community.  Making the coaches feel valued and integral to the Club’s success will generate loyalty and many more hours, weeks and years of volunteering.  Volunteer coaches seeing and mingling with other coaches who are getting recognized for multiple facets of coaching experience helps build the Club’s culture.  It also makes coaches return to do even more good work for the good of the kids and the game.

Coaching U10 Players (and their parents)!

At this age the coach’s task is to provide the opportunity to play soccer.  These students have minds and bodies that are like sponges and we need to keep their attention.  The instruction can be directed at the development of the entire player, their physical, cognitive, social and psychological needs.

Remember U10 players are still children not adult players, their attention span is getting a little longer than last year but still not fully developed.  Their motion is gaining in balance and strength but not yet fully developed.  Psychologically U10 children are becoming stronger in understanding how to cooperate and share with others.  Boys and Girls are beginning to develop at different speeds, girls getting their growth spurts a little earlier.  Motor skills overall are becoming more refined.  Muscle memory is very elastic and receptive to good instruction.  At this age player memory is absorbing content as fast as it can be delivered and players are able to think ahead because they can tap into new information they have recently experienced.  

 A love for the game starts to come when students have fun, players see their accomplishments and their own level of skill begins to grow.  Creating an environment where students are praised for their efforts will boost their confidence and will help each player to gain respect amongst their peers.

As players experience mutual respect, the bonding and enjoyment of their fellow team members magnifies their feel of appreciation and pride gained during a season of play. These players will reflect back in time as to when they were turned on by this great game and what an opportunity their coach gave them to benefit in many life lessons that will give them good footing later during their life in the real world.

During the first meeting of the season the coach will need to conduct an organizational meeting where the coach, like it or not, has to educate the parents on how to behave as a parent during the season. The first topic the coach needs to address is why young players want to play soccer – because it is Fun!  That then grows into an appetite for the game that develops into self-esteem and self-worth as their skill and experiences are developed.  Players always talk about their team mates as they learn to cooperate and have good social interactions.

The coach will have to inform parents of the team’s expectations of their behavior.  Parents can support their child by watching their efforts and giving positive body language.  A player looking over to the side line and seeing their parent continually on their cell phone is not ‘Support’!  Spend the entire game watching your child.  Actually tell your player that you enjoy watching them play and mean it!  That is support!

Parents should not be coaching from the side line.  It is counterproductive and very confusing if the information is different to what the coach has just informed players, especially tactically.  Parents should always give positive feedback to their player and talk up the good things that happened:  the pass, the control, the effort.  Parents should stay away from the won-loss record and focus on each game building upon the last output.  For instance the number of consecutive passes, the shots on goal, the counter attacks, inter player communication, etc.

As the parents and players become more instructed into the correct coaching philosophies, parents can ask and develop their soccer understanding with the major topics to be found in the game.  Teaching points and moments in the game come from Attack which is broken down into penetration, one and two touch play, support, mobility, range and shape.  On the other side of the game Defense teaches pressure on the ball, cover, balance, support, shape and distances.  

These nuances of the game can be focused on with individual players then collectively with the team.   You can open up conversations that include team shape in attack and defense, the tasks and roles of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd attacker, and the tasks and roles of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defender.  Then move into observations on the speed of play, and the transitions between offense and defense.  To complete the analysis you can discuss the positional play of players with and without the ball during the entire game.

Coaches are responsible for facilitating a positive coaching environment so players can have fun and get feedback that promotes development in accordance to their individual needs and standing in the game.  Enthusiastic coaching is always preferred and promotes activities and experiences that are positive and geared toward players achieving success within the game.

Learn about Coaching Children U6 – U8 here

New Coach? What do you do now?

Are you a new coach involved with Soccer for the first time asking – What do I do now?

What follows will give you enough pointers to begin coaching and give you a solid foundation to plan practices, identify and teach relevant soccer skills that will hopefully lead to bolstering your involvement in and ultimate enjoyment of the great game of soccer.

Soccer is a game of great skill and technique if it is to be played correctly and enjoyed immensely. When first starting out it is important, as a coach, that you not try to instruct the new player too much at one time. In the initial stages of development your concentration should be focused on having your players familiarize themselves with fundamental ball handling techniques. It is important that young players learn to control the ball with different body surfaces such as feet, thighs and chest. Being able to comfortably juggle the ball on all surfaces of the body is a natural progression to close ground control. Creating positive practice environments, especially during the beginning sessions, and allowing players to experience the many moves and technique skill sets together as a team is vital. Only with perseverance and repetitions will players attain the feel and touch required to have maximum control of their body and the ball.

Encourage players to work on their own, doing practice routines at home in the back yard, garage or anywhere that can handle the wear and tear. This only accelerates the learning curve. There are really no shortcuts, nothing magical, just practice, practice, practice. However, having the MOTI 3D Technical’s in the player’s hands on a mobile device and being able to go frame by frame or watching it from any angle or perspective keeps them engaged for longer periods of perfect practice.

Before starting any coaching session, always keep in mind your objectives by going over your Coaching Philosophy. Practice plans should be planned in detail prior to walking on the field. The MOTI plans give each coach wonderful content to be used in its entirety or as a template for adjusting content.

All practice time should have as much activity and enjoyment as possible.

Keep ALL players active and involved.

Do not lecture.

Put more time into viewing the activities so that clarity of the content is easier to demonstrate and more touches on the ball is achieved.

Teach skills over all aspects of the game, find rewards for players who spend more time working on the Technical Skills at home. The MOTI Analytics’ allows you to monitor the viewing time of each player on your roster.

Concentrate more time on individual skill development rather than tactics.

Make coaching corrections calmly and precisely, having regard for the individual player.

Treat all players as equal and coach the talented and less talented player with the same enthusiasm.

Do not over-coach from the side-line during games.

Make your players’ involvement a positive athletic experience.

The aim of the player is always to have fun and as much enjoyment as humanly possible. The aim of the coach should be to work within their player’s capabilities and create an environment of positive practice time to develop more skillful soccer players.

Coaching Smarter Saving Time

Smart coaching can be as simple as better organization prior to the season using a mapped out plan for an entire season. Having a practice plan for your sessions gives you a body of work that can be easily accessed and be ready for delivery to your team. Being organized and having a plan takes away an awful lot of anguish, frustration and ultimately failure in producing the education goals you aspire to.

A coach’s consistency of content throughout the season is key to instructing and demonstrating to their players that they are knowledgeable and engaged with the squad of players. Parents from the side lines will appreciate the coach more when they see energy, movement and meaningful activities that players are embracing and showing fun emotions while doing them.

Preparing a practice sessions on the fly- i.e. in the car in transit to the event is not a good idea and does not produce the meaningful experience for players, their parents and to you the coach. Having some structure and purpose within your plan allows for productive coaching moments and growth, all within a calm and calculated learning environment. Hectic behavior from a coach in a learning and instructional situation does not resonate as an ideal trait to present to a squad of impressionable players.

All of these negative situations have now been eliminated with Soccer Training Platforms that are in an App in a Mobile format. Coaching content, coaching points, coaching concepts and coaching ideas are now established and available in your hand or communicated through a headset where you need them most on the coaching field of play. Now the volunteer parent coach or the young former player turned coach can have all of their fears and wishes for solid practice plans delivered in a curated organized format prior to the season, or in an emergency, half way through the season to turn their experience into a positive outcome.

Board Members, Coaching Directors of Clubs Competitive and Recreational programs, sports administrator’s in Park and Rec, YMCA, YWCA and small Soccer Clubs can now eliminate the dreaded 2 by 4 across the forehead at the conclusion of a season when they hear that a coach was less than stellar and parents and players had a negative outcome of content and delivery from their respective coach.

This situation can now be totally eliminated and forever dodged because the solution is available now in a Soccer App that utilizes revolutionary software that has Motion Capture 3D Animation depicting Skills needed to play good soccer. The brain neurons of young players are lit up when they start viewing these visually engaging depictions of skill sets and small sided game activities.  The visualization players get on how to do a move with the ball are available during an actual practice time or even better as ‘Home Work’ in the back yard, garage floor, basement or even in front of a full length mirror in the kids bedroom. They ‘See it Do It’ and can replicate it with audio clues of ‘Perfect Practice’ in their ears.

Having a well charted Practice Plan for 6 weeks, 8 weeks even 16 weeks with either one or two practices a week takes away any of the ‘hectic’, ‘panic’, or ‘no time’ often associated with Youth coaching.

With this coaching resource the coach can and should share the digital content with players and parents to better prepare them all for the tasks the coach is instructing them on. Again the visualization players can gain accelerates the learning curve, just think how much time it saves the coach in verbalizing soccer concepts into the squad of players. An offshoot of all of this is the education of the parents who now are being exposed to the inner sanctum of soccer knowledge and because of this exposure their appreciation of the game is heightened to realize just how difficult and demanding the game is for young players, this results in a changed behavior on the side line as they respect more skilled performances from their own player and others within the group.

The saved time that the coach has because players are seeing the practice activities before setting foot on the field can now be used for more repetitions of correct technique and actual activities that are already well established in the player’s visualization of action and movement.

Having accurately curated content across age groups assists in the learning curve for coaches and players so the layers of progressions needed to be a competent player are delivered in the correct sequence and in an order of skill and technique building. Moti recognizes and is concerned that the statistics on the attrition of players playing organized sports is running at 70% of them stop playing organized sports, by the age of 14 years old. I attribute that to athletes not being given the opportunity to have exceptional coaching of the best techniques in an ongoing prolonged format. With an App in their hands when they need it, soccer players can ‘self-play’ and gain the satisfaction of gaining ‘self-esteem’ from doing it their way, and on their time. By using the Apps analytics tool, individual players, coaches and parents can make themselves accountable for counting their ‘steps’ their ‘repetition’s’ their ‘Minutes’ doing skill moves, even their time spent looking at the content of the current ‘practice plan’.

This is just another instance where MOTI technology can make not only coaches ‘Smarter’ but it allows players and parents to get a leg up on this shared visual knowledge of the game of soccer. Technology is leading them to have beautiful outcomes of successful play.  Helping to build comradery with team mates while learning how to cooperate and strive for an increased health activity, while enjoying a growth capacity in a complex sport like Soccer.

FUN in Parenting, FUN in Coaching, FUN makes Happy Players.

On the top of the list from all of the surveys, studies, and reports from the Medical professionals is the word FUN as they describe what young soccer players are searching for in the game. It is pretty easy to make the game of Soccer FUN! Here are some of the ways.

Breaking down what makes them pulsate and be engaged in Soccer we find that building a skill set with the ball is very satisfying and enables them to grow and develop in the game.  Learning how to give energy and gain stamina during practice builds inner self esteem leading them to trying their hardest while active in the sport, in both practice and games.

Having measurable progress in ball control and ball maneuverability catapults the player into wanting more FUN, getting rewards by increasing the number of repetitions or doing a dibbling activity a little faster on the stop watch boosts confidence, and sets a bench mark for how to set personal goals while having FUN. Seeing self improvement because of FUN extracurricular activities at home on their own is very rewarding and bodes well for them to do other tasks as self starters.

In Soccer one of the biggest take a ways for young players is how to cooperate, and interface with other players and the coaches.  Players get FUN being paired up with all squad members at some stage of the season and will see body language and human idiosyncrasies of others up close and in person.

Young players learning the rules and regulations of the game build a base line of discipline that gives them further insight on FUN and how to act and react with team mates and opponents during games. Sportsmanship and respect to others is FUN and fully expected in all facets of Soccer player activities before during and after practice and games.

Soccer has so many FUN facets compared to other sports and gives players lots of variety of movements.  In running it can be short bursts of 5 yards to defend a player, or a full length of the field attack to score on a breakaway. Short passes, long passes, ground passes and air passes. Control with either foot, using the inside, outside, sole and even the laces on top of the foot. Then the air balls can be controlled with the foot, thigh, chest and head. Learning goalkeeper skills allows all athletes to use upper body motion for catching high balls or diving skills to stop a shot into the corner of the goal.

Players can draw FUN positive outcomes in their soccer activity when parents have beliefs of their child’s participation in soccer as an organized physical activity and they support it with positive comments made by parents in the home or to and from practices and games.

Coaches need to be conducting practices that are correctly curated and tailored to their player’s physical and developmental level, not just their age.  If the team is learning and trying new things, they are likely to make a lot more mistakes as they gain experience. Encourage them to try new things & encourage the effort even if it doesn’t work. Examples: “Great try; Keep it up,” or “Good idea; try it again.”

Never punish or scold a child for lack of ability. Keep their heads up. All you can expect them to do is their best. Measure each player’s performance by their personal improvement & effort, and not by comparing them to someone else.

Always show positive encouragement and instruction of your players. Never use negative criticism, hostility, abuse or anger.  These are things you do not do.

Cheering or applause when the other team makes a mistake is bad sportsmanship and never allowed. Cheering or applause when the other team makes a great play is a good gesture.

Never criticize the referee or talk to the ref during the game. It is a tough job. There should be no yelling or conversation between a coach and the other team during the game.

Deal with disruptive players from your own team. Nip it in the bud, correct them and get their parents involved if needed. Deal with disruptive parents of your team. Again, nip it in the bud, correct them and tell them that behavior is not acceptable. Hopefully a representative of your parent group is versed in the Parents And Coaches Together (PACT) initiative and can be an ambassador and Champion of the sideline on your teams’ behalf. All of these ideas bring a discipline and feeling of safety that every young player needs to feel at ease about and allows them to have more FUN.

Parents need to be observant and have a role here to monitor what is being asked of their player and if they are developmentally prepared. If not, can that parent help their player with some ‘Homework’ of remedial skill sessions to catch up thereby removing frustrations from their players’ experience?  The quality time a parent can share with their child is invaluable to connect and share a FUN hour or two.

Coach and parents should continually monitor the FUN level. Do not let overbooked schedules and unwarranted pressures take the FUN away. Most players just want to go out and play.  That was their original plan, make sure they are showing signs of progress in the game.  Their skill sets should be gaining in number and execution, their soccer personality is developing,  and above all they show signs of sheer FUN and enjoyment, showing a strong trust and belonging with their team mates.

 Having camaraderie within a squad of players is a whole bunch of FUN just within itself.

Count how many times I used fun and you will find it was not enough!  Keep on adding FUN to every aspect of this wonderful sport and create environments where your soccer players enjoy FUN Soccer to the fullest.

Learn about Coaching Children U6 – U8 here

TACTICS AND FORMATIONS from MOTI – Part 2

Last month we took a look at different team formations for youth soccer, getting yourself organized and how to organize a coaching session.

This month we will take a look at some foundational Tactics and Systems of Play.

Tactics and Systems of  Play

Simple Principles of Play

  • Support
  • Width
  • Depth

Taking just those basic principles, how does one put together a system of play?  Let’s start.

            GK

            CB

            CM

            CF

It looks like a fair start – a backbone to a team. The spine of the team is not only its foundation it is imperative for all aspects of the game offense and defense start and finishes down the middle.

How do we get support?

               GK

            CB  CB

            CM  CM

            CF  CF  The backbone now has a buddy system installed side front and back!

How do we get width?

                           GK

            RB       CB  CB      LB

            RM      CM  CM     RB

                         CF  CF

This now gives balance and synergy, solid strength as a starting point and reference to all other movement of players.

How do we get depth?

                          GK

            RB     CB    CB     LB

            Correct distances

            RM     CM    CM     LM

            Correct distances

                      CF    CF  

This 4-4-2 System shows a method to maintain balance and always have a buddy system in place. All that remains is dynamic runs and service of the ball.

The shape of the system changes upon regaining possession of the ball and players making runs past opponents and in the future with the ball

I believe you will find that the best tactics and formations come from team balance, adequate support, and a simple understanding of the principles of play.  There is a need for accurate passing and an understanding of the demands of the game.  Have fun making it work for your squad using MOTI to increase learning opportunities for your players and yourself.

View the Tactics and Formations article part one.

TACTICS AND FORMATIONS from MOTI – Organizing Your Practices

Style of Play – Team Formation Recommendations

Playing small-sided games is recommended throughout the soccer community for ages up to U13.  Small-sided games allow the players to maximize their touches.  This will allow the players to improve their skills, confidence, and comfort on the ball, develop intelligence with and without it, promote faster decisions, and develop partnerships within the team.  And most importantly, it makes the game more fun to play!  It’s a good thing you have them practicing their MOTI skills. ?

Below are the recommendations from the USSF for the number of players playing in the small-sided games. Your association may have you playing with different numbers of players in your small-sided games. 

  1. U6 through U8, we recommended that you play 4v4 without goalkeepers. We recommend you use a 1-2-1 or 2-2 style of play. For the 1-2-1, one player protects the net, two players play mid-field, and one player plays forward. For 2-2, have two players playing each half of the pitch.
  2. U9 through U10, it is recommended that you play 7v7 with goalkeepers.  We recommend you use a 2-2-2, 3-2-1, or 2-3-1 style of play. Learning to stay connected is the key both in attack and while defending.
  3. U11 through U12, at the 9v9 (with keeper) level of play we recommend a 3-2-2 style of play, ensuring that players always have a counterpart or ‘buddy’ to play to, to support while in possession, to cover on defense, and to interact off each other at appropriate angles and distances. This cooperation works in both offense and defense.
  4. U13+, having the above concepts installed at an early age, makes players a good transition into the 11v11 game.  MOTI uses the defensive back four – as flat as possible with two central defenders dropping for each other, prompting the fullback to tuck in and provide cover and depth: Midfield four, two central midfield and two wide, and two target players as a starting point.  Advancing a midfield player or two gives us much flexibility to change the team’s shape to suit the game’s demands. Coaches, players, and teams should also be familiar with playing a 4-3-3 style of play with both a narrow front three and one wide front three. Coaches must experiment with formations and tactical concepts to suit game situations and the squad’s personnel.  Flooding players into areas to take advantage of or secure moments in the game is part of the journey and development of experience.  Be brave!  Take chances.

How do tactics and structure affect Your Team?

I believe that tactics and formation structures help minimize inaccurate passes and improve players’ field-of-view, resulting in better ball control and more significant time of possession while encouraging players to support each other; systems of play can also protect/hide less experienced players.

Sweeping Statement – Let’s get into the fray of proving it.

This session is intended to help your organizational skills, getting you familiar with the MOTI App.  Tactics and formations can only be implemented by organized coaches!!

Organization is a two-fold concept:

    (1) Self-organization         (2) Organization of a coaching session

(1) Self-Organization:  Before communicating coaching ideas to players, the coach must thoroughly understand the concepts. There are many sources to gain this knowledge.  I encourage you to investigate the MOTI Soccer Training Platform and use the Age and Gender-specific practice plans that can navigate you to conduct great sessions with engaged and aware players on your squad.

(2) Organization of Coaching Sessions:  MOTI has an expansive library of available session plans but is also flexible enough for you to develop personalized plans. If you set up your sessions, several questions must be asked as you create each training session.

  • What is the theme, and what am I trying to teach?
  • What field area will be needed?
  •  How many players will be present?
  • How can maximum transfer of training occur?

Realism

All practice is artificial to a greater or lesser degree.  The maximum transfer is gained when the practice is more realistic.  Five factors help ensure realism:

  1. Off-the-ball activity – What are players doing when not possessing the ball?
  2. On-the-ball activity – What are players who possess the ball trying to accomplish?
  3. Targets/Direction – What are the Targets (either other players or objects, such as goals) players should be looking for?
  4. Supporting players – Creating passing opportunities or denying lanes for passing?
  5. Opponents – How does what a player does affect their opponent?

Having practice sessions in your players’ hands on a digital device gives them many opportunities to view, review, and analyze the Tactical activity and the review Techniques (Skills) needed for success.

Observation

Observation is aided by:

  1. Good organization
  2. Knowledge of key factors of successful performance.
  3. Ability to recognize the absence of these significant factors in the coaching session.
  4. The ability to concentrate on the topic at hand.  Avoid distractions staying focused.
  5. The Animated 3D content gives everyone content clarity and deeper visual understanding.

Observation must be done QUICKLY.

  1. To rectify a fault immediately.
  2. So that the situation has had little or no time to change.
  3. So that the player can recall the fault immediately.

Instruction

“Think before you say anything.”

If the function of the coach is to communicate, then he/she must be understood.  Players’ understanding comes from:

  1. What the coach does
  2. What the coach says
  3. What the coach organizes
  4. How the coach demonstrates
  5. Recognizing situations, familiarity, and experience.

Demonstration

The phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” is accurate in soccer coaching.  MOTI was developed to magnify the ease of visual coaching points to unwrap the inner workings of the beautiful game. The demonstration must be:

  1. Accurate
  2. Effective
  3. Realistic

Remember, players will attempt to reproduce what they see.

Progress

The decision as to “when to progress” is dictated by the player’s ability under varying degrees of work pressure.

Evaluation

To what degree was the session successful or otherwise?  Why or why not? Possible changes for the next session. Next month, in part two of this article, we will dive deeper into the tactics and systems of play.

View the Tactics and Formations article part two.