WEEKLY. Wing commanders A fast-paced session that rehearses positive wing play... WELCOME. Wing commanders. Soccer Coach Weekly 1.

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June 8 2011 Issue 215 Under 4s - Under 16s WELCOME...to the new issue, in which we have an exclusive interview with UEFA Technical Director Andy Roxburgh.

1 June Issue 215 Under 4s - Under 16s WELCOME...to the new issue, in which we have an exclusive interview with UEFA Technical Director Andy Roxburgh. The Scot has been a figurehead in youth football for the past 17 years, and he has agreed to share his thoughts and concerns with readers of Soccer Coach Weekly. We d love to know whether you agree with his comments. Enjoy the issue... Wing commanders A fast-paced session that rehearses positive wing play... Flying wingers are the attacking darlings of any team, spreading play wide and exploiting the space behind a retreating defence. Stretching that rearguard by passing from the wings creates gaps infield, enabling team mates to adopt attacking positions; in doing so putting the opposition under pressure. In order to do this, wingers need to be able to stay out wide so as to pass balls into the danger areas, because a good winger can move to the ball, control, turn, pass, or advance into space. So getting your team used to moving quickly so the opposition has less time to respond is crucial. To practise this you need to work your wingers so they are moving, turning, receiving, and playing killer passes to split defences. This session is played in an area measuring 20x15 yards. Mark out as many pitches as you need so that your whole squad can practise this there will be four players in each. You ll also need bibs, cones and balls. Place a player on each side of the area. On the short sides are servers, while the long sides have working wingers on them. Each player stands midway along their touchline. Getting started: The ball starts with the server on the far left. On your call, he plays short to his left where winger 1 must run back towards him to receive. At this point, winger 2 begins to run the opposite way towards the other server. As soon as winger 1 retrieves the ball, he controls, turns and hits a pass across the area to his fellow winger. Winger 2 receives and passes short to the server on the far right. This server now passes short to winger 1, whose job it is to run back towards him to receive, and the game continues. Play for three minutes, then rotate players, so in time each becomes a server and each has the chance to play long and short passes across the area. Developing the session: Add goals at both ends and make the servers goalkeepers. When the long pass is made the player must control and shoot at the goal. Again rotate players around the square at three-minute intervals. Why this works: This session works well because players have to work hard in retrieving and passing the ball. Controlling under pressure of movement and giving the right pass with correct weight and direction is difficult, and practice will help players in matches. The development also strengthens the notion that there must always be a positive end product for wingers in this case it s a shot at goal player movement shoot Wing commanders Servers and wingers combine to complete the passing move Now in reverse, the winger at the bottom must retreat quickly Adding in a goal encourages a positive end product to the winger s run pass Now performed with a ball, players must dribble to each cone before Soccer Coach Weekly 1

2 a Create a playing square measuring 15x15 yards. On each corner place a cone. On opposite cones, place an equal number of players from one team. On the other opposing cones, set-up players in the same way from the other team. KEY ELEMENTS SAID WARM-UP LIKE A PRO Go Follow left or my go leader right Dribbling Passing Coordination Awareness Getting started: Both teams are trying to get across the area but each has a different role. The grey team must dribble their ball across. The white team must pass their ball using two touches. The players must avoid each other by looking up and seeing an opportunity to get across the area successfully. Once they get across, the player at the front of the queue comes back the other way. On your whistle, the groups immediately switch roles. A useful way of progressing this is to increase the intensity. To do that, simply make the distance between the cones smaller. Why this works: This is a great warm-up because it practises basic dribbling and passing, yet in conditions that mean players have to be aware of team mates and opponents. And by switching the role of each team, players can t relax into a rhythm so remain on their toes at all times. dribble Follow my leader pass Greys and whites must negotiate a route between cones without colliding TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES How to block the special one Every now and again in youth-team football you ll encounter an opposition player who threatens to run rings around your side. So what can you do to stop this standout player in his tracks? Key coaching tip: Stop the player before he gets started by denying him the ball By using the technique below, called Defending the target man, your players can practise denying the special player the ball. Defending the target man four easy steps Designate someone as the target player. This should be one of your players who best shows good fitness and ball skills. Alternatively, a player older than your team will have the same effect - maybe an older sibling of one of your kids. 2. Put the target player in a different colour training bib. 3. Divide your players into two teams and play keep ball. Assign the target man to one team, with one defender (or two if necessary) on the other team to mark him. It s important to use the same defenders you would have marking the target man in a game. 4. Their job is to deny the target player the ball and immediately close him down if he gets possession. 5. Tell the marking defenders that they must organise so as to be ball-side and goal-side of the target player. But whoever is goal-side must be alert to run ball-side when a pass to the target man is coming in to feet. In essence, they re doubling up to act like a screen. This is not the same as conventional marking. In this situation you are going all out to deny the player possession of the ball in the first place. YOUR SESSIONS IN PRINT! As you know, Soccer Coach Weekly takes pride in bringing you an evolving range of new and innovative training ground ideas and values. And because a lot of what we do is about harvesting the best soccer coaching ideas from around the world, it seems only right that we should reach out to you directly. Soccer Coach Weekly would love to hear if, like us, you re passionate about unique, modern and original training practices. Have you devised a training ground move that you feel is worthy of a wider audience? Is there a specific practice that has done wonders for your side? Or does your side perform a drill that you ve rarely seen played out elsewhere? If so, please get in touch, ing us details of the session and why it works so well for your team. We ll be selecting and reproducing in words and pictures sessions sent in Look by our out subscribers over the next with few the issues aim of for showcasing our series them on top in future soccer issues. tips and james.evans@coachsoccer.com talking points... Soccer Coach Weekly 2

THE ART OF COACHING CHILDREN Carrying the ball close to your heart.

.. I think it s good and healthy to constantly assess where youth football is, on a European and on a global scale. It s something we do regularly at UEFA.

The bulk of the cake is the grass roots, and the majority of that is youth football - children s football right up to the teenage game so this is tremendously important to us.

Football as a tool But the premise of grass roots is so far away from that top level. In its most basic form, it really is football serving the purpose of giving kids the opportunity to play.

3 THE ART OF COACHING CHILDREN Carrying the ball close to your heart... In the first of an exclusive two-part interview, UEFA Technical Director Andy Roxburgh assesses where youth football is in its successes, its failings, and where we go from here... I think it s good and healthy to constantly assess where youth football is, on a European and on a global scale. It s something we do regularly at UEFA. The analogy I like to use is that football is a bit like a cake. The bulk of the cake is the grass roots, and the majority of that is youth football - children s football right up to the teenage game so this is tremendously important to us. Of course, as you move up through the cake, you reach the academies, then the lucky few that get the opportunity to become professional players - that really is the icing on the cake. Football as a tool But the premise of grass roots is so far away from that top level. In its most basic form, it really is football serving the purpose of giving kids the opportunity to play. It s to try to help them develop into the best players and individuals they can be, but there are by-products to it. And by that I mean it s not just football it s about helping them build wider skills, maybe by embracing football through technology, through administration, through journalism, or even just as a fan. If we didn t have grass roots football, we wouldn t have anything else, because it s all crucial preparation for the differing goals and ambitions that we all live out in the football world, and the wider world. And this philosophy applies to the coaches too, because for me they are two different things. Developing young people and educating them is something entirely different to the football itself and arguably much more important. They need to be trained sufficiently to do both of these things and that s what we try to promote at UEFA. Coaching qualities There are a number of critical attributes in play here - the first is coaches passion for the game - they need to love football. We have a line at UEFA which is: Carry the ball close to your heart. It s that mentality that we want coaches to take on board. If they don t love the game then that can t transmit any sort of passion to their players. They need to be pitch people, they need to feel at home on a pitch. Then they need to know something about football and the subtleties of the game, and it shouldn t be let s just boot it up the park and fight! They need to know how to teach football as well, about the repetition, something that is today called deliberate practice. They need to understand and appreciate the process of developing children and teenagers, the stages that you go through. Most youth coaches at clubs who work with youngsters know that their education is crucial because the possibility of their students becoming top players is minimal. The trouble with modern day football is that the expectations are so great. In a way, that brings us round to the big conflict going on at the moment between youth teams playing for fun and youth teams playing competitively. It s a tricky one to call because everyone involved in the game goes in with passion and desire, and we don t want to dilute that. But our stance is that in youth football, tomorrow is more important than today. There s a danger that some coaches think the game is about themselves, where winning medals, cups and leagues is more important than developing young players. Yes, of course everybody tries to win and nobody plays to lose games, but the obsession shouldn t be about victory at whatever cost, particularly when the players are so young. It s more about development, more about nurturing kids along. When you get to academy level, it s different - it s more about what the young player can do for football, what they can do for their club. But before then I don t believe that s the mentality we should be adopting or encouraging. Expectations But the trouble with modern day football is that the expectations are so great. You are talking about players of the age of 12 or 13 who have agents. It s no wonder kids have higher expectations than ever before, as do the adults! PROFILE Andy Roxburgh has been UEFA Technical Director since Prior to that he managed the Scottish national team at youth level, plus took the Tartan Army to the 1990 World Cup in Italy. One thing Sir Alex Ferguson stands by is that his players feet are always on the ground. If you want to become a player, of course it helps if you are talented, but you have to retain a sense of realism; you have to be humble and you have to realise the pitfalls. And I suppose that goes for coaches as well. Yes we want enthusiasm, ambition, innovation and desire, but there is a social responsibility involved here as well. And I must say, for the most part, I believe coaches are fulfilling all of these needs. For me, the coaches who run youth teams and clubs are the salt of the Earth. They re usually volunteers who give up their time, they are passionate about football and they want to help young people to develop. They invest their time and their energies they are the heart of soul of the game. NEXT WEEK: Assessing UEFA s impact on the game Soccer Coach Weekly 3

have to give in and let someone else run the team for the day. I had to do it last week. My Under-10s were playing in a tournament and I had commitments which I just couldn t get out of.

4 Preparing your team for matches that you can t attend is difficult, but it s a situation that most coaches will confront. Overworked mums and dads running teams will often find that work or family commitments get in the way of matches, and however hard you try to rearrange functions outside of football, at times you have to give in and let someone else run the team for the day. I had to do it last week. My Under-10s were playing in a tournament and I had commitments which I just couldn t get out of. The important thing was for me to have absolute faith in the dad who stepped in to take my place. I knew he would be relishing the opportunity, so it felt only right to let him lead the team in the way that he saw fit formation, tactics, the lot. What I did was arrange a session in the week leading up to the tournament, taking time to talk to the players to ensure they were in the right frame of mind for the games that followed. I worked with them DAVID CLARKE S TOUCHLINE TALES This is a great game for angles of defence and changing roles in attack. The stand-in coach on positions and put them through a few exercises. I also decided it would be a good idea to meet with the stand-in manager to talk about what might happen during the game stuff such as what to do should injuries occur, and which players would be best to cover in the event of others having to withdraw. On the day of the tournament, I got my replacement to ring me to let me know that everyone had turned up and all was well. And I asked him to pass on a message from me to the players, telling them to have fun and that I was thinking of them. And although he may not have appreciated the hassle, I asked him to keep in touch with scores and updates too. All of this may seem a bit excessive, but there were multiple reasons for me wanting to still be involved, albeit from afar. Firstly, I genuinely wanted to know every shot and pass, and it was difficult to be away from the lads on a big day. But it was important too to show players and parents that I was committed, keen to know every move, even though I couldn t be there. If you don t get to tell parents beforehand the reason why you can t be there on matchday, then being in phone contact will make them realise that your absence wasn t just down to the fact that you couldn t be bothered! And as it turned out, the Under-10s played well, so I was quick to congratulate my stand-in. Oh and one final thing entrusting your team to someone for one game is just that... for one game only. Don t be paranoid that people will want them to take over from you parents aren t that callous! I m not sure my son s coach is Q demonstrating correct passing and shooting technique. Any advice? Thomas Stoddart, Wakefield. As a parent you will be always thinking A about what coaches are doing and whether their methods are right for your child. In that respect, football is no different to anything else in life that your kids are involved in. It s not unusual to feel that a coach should be doing things differently, but you have to trust that he has a plan, a method, and that the team is in good hands. Maybe speak to the coach about your son s development. This way you can subtly analyse his methods by listening to his responses. If, after that, you still have concerns, then talk to other parents and formulate a plan of action. The reality though is that I can give you countless examples of kids blaming coaches (and even parents!) when someone has pulled them up over their technique, rather than accept it might be their fault. SCW SURGERY This week s coach: Mike McDonald Group: 9 to 12-year-olds Mike runs a pro soccer camp in Prescott, Arizona... My 10-year-old son keeps suffering Q knocks and injuries in school football training sessions. What should I do? Ralph Lambert, Sale. There could be a variety of reasons A for him getting injured. He could be overzealous in his approach to the game and be tackling incorrectly. This wouldn t be rare at all - most children at this age are very enthusiastic and many like to emulate their heroes in the way they play the game. It s worth exploring this further though, just to put your mind at rest that the injuries aren t being caused by other kids who have a different agenda. Remember, no matter whether your boy is playing football at school or with a local team, coaches have obligations and a duty of care towards their players, so don t be afraid to raise the issue of why these injuries keep occurring. Got a question for SCW Surgery? it to us at james.evans@coach-soccer.com I think I ve been pushing my players Q too hard to win things. Some parents have complained and I feel very embarrassed. Should I quit? Tim Caine, Bury. Firstly, wanting a side to be competitive A is not a crime, so don t be too hard on yourself. Unfortunately (for you), we live in an age now where there is a strong belief that youth football should just be about enjoyment. Whether you agree with that or not, it s clear that some of the parents do, and their wishes must be taken into consideration. If you re embarrassed by events, speak to the parents and reassure them that their concerns have been listened to. To be honest, I agree with them youth football is about preparing for tomorrow, and there s plenty of evidence to suggest that pushing kids too hard too soon is not good for them. There are still competitive elements that you can embrace maybe in training, for instance tasks that won t wear your players out, nor incur the wrath of concerned parents! Soccer Coach Weekly is published by Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford, GU5 0AB, UK. james.evans@coach-soccer.com Tel: +44 (0) Fax: +44 (0) Editor: James Evans Publisher: Kevin Barrow Managing Director: Andrew Griffiths Customer Service: Duncan Heard Designer: Steve Southern Contributors: David Clarke, Paul Dargan, Chris Galea Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved. Soccer Coach Weekly 4

For this small-sided game, create a playing area measuring 50x30 yards. You ll need a good supply of balls and two goals. The game is 2v2 plus two keepers.

The rules: SMALL-SIDED GAME Repel for reward player movement ball movement player movement ball movement How defensive dominance turns to attacking ambition in a split second.

The grey team must pressure and try to stop the attacker. If they manage to win possession of the ball they take it on, moving into the opposition half.

If they score, play restarts at the halfway line and the coach serves a pass for one of their players to restart an attack.

5 For this small-sided game, create a playing area measuring 50x30 yards. You ll need a good supply of balls and two goals. The game is 2v2 plus two keepers. You should ensure teams regularly rotate players with other squad members waiting by the side of the pitch. The rules: SMALL-SIDED GAME Repel for reward player movement ball movement player movement ball movement How defensive dominance turns to attacking ambition in a split second... SKILLS Defending Attacking Teamwork Stamina You start the drill by passing into the white player who is on the central line. He attempts to score in a 1v2 situation. The grey team must pressure and try to stop the attacker. If they manage to win possession of the ball they take it on, moving into the opposition half. Here they have a 2v1 against the lone white defender, and must try to score in the goal. If they score, play restarts at the halfway line and the coach serves a pass for one of their players to restart an attack. However, if the greys lose the ball in their 2v1 attack, the white player can attempt to make a pass through to his team mate in the other half of the pitch for a free shot at goal. Play at a high tempo for 10 minutes, rotating players of the same side in a tagteam fashion regularly. The team that scores the most goals is the winner. Why this game works: This quick exchange of defending and attacking principles is great for players, because it means that even when attacking with an overload, they have to be wary of the consequences of losing the ball. There is a strong teamwork element in the game too, with pairs working quickly to win the ball in defence, before negotiating the best route to goal in their opponents half. Pace and quick thinking are key principles, as is the need to pass and tackle well Repel for reward One of the white players receives the ball and attacks 1v2 The grey duo wins the ball and can now launch a counterattack. Their reward for defending well is a 2v1 attack. Can the defender win the ball back when outnumbered? This game was taken from Perfect Defending by Michael Beale. Perfect Defending contains 67 easy to coach drills and games to develop marking, tackling and blocking. Get your copy here: player movement ball movement Soccer Coach Weekly 5

SoccerCoachWeekly. The skills corridor. David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly. Wicked 1v1s for your players. How to play it

SoccerCoachWeekly. The skills corridor. David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly. Wicked 1v1s for your players. How to play it Issue 270 Wednesday, June 27, 2012 The skills corridor TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly Wicked 1v1s for your players I like to give my teams a skills workout every