Why give a patch or a reward? Why would players want to do this? Why might coaches want to implement this? Why might parents want to implement this? Badges earned for self improvement & only competes against themselves Goal kicks patch/drill Obstacle patch The Juggling patch Throw-in patch Badges earned for efforts during games and/or practices The_General Brave Heart True Blue Special Effort Patch Team Attacking and Scoring Patch Big D for Defense Patch The Two-Way Player Patch
Why would players want to do this? Do players like getting a trophy? Sure they would, everyone likes & needs to feel important. Everyone likes to be successful and they also like to have those successes recognized. Giving a player a trophy at the end of the season is somewhat akin to getting all dressed up, with no place to go. How long will they really get to enjoy or appreciate their season ending trophy. How much improvement will they make as a result of that trophy? Most will simply take their trophy home and put it along side any others that they have. Instead why not give out an award that they earned after each game or practice. That way each week they and their friends can share in their accomplishments. It makes sense that if players are proud to get one trophy at the end of the season, then they re likely to be happy if/when they receive an award during the season. Success is a relative term that can mean many different things. But success is definitely contagious! 2
Practice breeds Success Enthusiam breeds a willingness to try even harder Sucess breeds Confidence Confidence breeds enthusiasm Why might coaches want to implement this? Do you want your players to come to practice and to be on time? Do you want your players to practice on their own, between team practices? Do you want your players to be willing to work hard without having to be constantly pushed? Do you want your players to pay close attention to you when you re speaking? Do you want your players to learn, grow and be successful? ( duh) Do you want your players to be able to look back at their time with you in a positive light? Do you want your players to exceed their expectations for the season? 3
If you answered yes to these questions then keep reading and you may be able to find that you and your players can achieve many, if not all of the above. And who knows your team may even win some games along the way. By the way all of things listed above apply to any soccer or basketball team as well as to someone taking piano lessons. If you feel that your players will benefit by listening to you the coach, then you re also likely to feel that you too can learn from an experienced life coach. Here is an article that if understood and applied can provide tremendous gains to any team. You can find many people who consider themselves knowledgeable coaches. But a good coach is better defined not based off of what they know about the game, but what they can teach their players. Wouldn t it be a shame to have a very talented & experienced coach, yet the players couldn t or wouldn t learn from the coach! The following link is aimed at helping coaches to better help their players by applying basic human principals. Click on the following link to learn about The Secret Behind Learning ANY New Skill Quickly. Once you ve read the secrets behind learning quickly, you may find that you need to alter or tweak it some for your unique situations. But one thing is for certain, if your players aren t having fun then they won t work at home, nor at practice. If they won t work, then it s likely that they won t accomplish enough for them to look back and feel that the season was a success. The opposite of success is failure and nobody wants to come to practice just to be a failure? Using the motivational patches coupled with implementing how to learn new skills quickly, should go a long ways towards having a successful season as a coach, a player, a team Why might parents want to implement this Here are some links to recently published articles that pertain to things that our children enjoy, but could be having a not so good affect on them. The complete articles are just a click away, but the captions do a good job of summarizing the content. Date Published Study : TV, Video games corrode kids attention July 7 th, 200 Study: Nearly a third of children globally are couch potatoes March 29 200 4
Study : 33 percent of Central Virginia adults are obese The payoff is immeasurable, for children as well as adults. July 200 In general our children have many choices to make each day. When making choices we quickly way the pro s & con s. There is a theory that all human behavior is motivated by two things seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. You can read a summary of the pleasure principal by following the link at the bottom of this page. So here is the challenge for we parents & coaches, as well as the motivation behind implementing a soccer patch reward system. We need to strive to help our children find pleasure in working together as a team and thereby gain a since of pride through accomplishment. That way they don t mind the pain or discomfort that can come with running up & down the soccer field. Because as they mature they will realize that they are benefiting from their efforts and hence they found what they were looking for pleasure. Giving patches can have a very positive impact for an unskilled player as well as for a skilled player. Just like school, working at home after school can make a big difference in a student s progress. The challenge is getting them to choose to spend more of their time working on their own, instead of watching TV or playing video games, etc. Thus the motivational patches may prove to be an effective tool in helping kids to reach a higher level of success in soccer, in school, in life. Why give a reward? Should every player be given a trophy or should trophies only be given to standout players? Before considering an answer, consider this question: What goals are we hoping to achieve by participating in Amherst County Youth Sports? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pleasure_principle_(psychology) 5
Answer To help each participant to grow as an individual and also to help instill the value of effective team work. Players come in different shapes, and sizes as well as different abilities. In the working world of adulthood, it is normal to work with people that have many different talents, cultures, strengths, attitudes and weaknesses. One person s weakness may well be a co-worker s strength. Hence a major goal of youth sports should help the players to interact with their teammates in a manner that helps the entire team. ( United we stand Divided we fall) Organizations are composed of many different roles, just as teams are comprised of many different positions. Businesses often have a sales staff, a support staff, a maintenance staff as well as a development staff ------------ Roles on the team----------------------------- Soccer team Forwards Goalie Midfielders Coaches Manufacturing business Sales Support Staff Maintenance Dept Engineers In soccer we have forwards and goalies. In business there are people who need to reach out to find opportunities and to sell the firm s products. The midfielders/support staff must find a way to get the ball to their sales staff/forwards. The forwards then must advance the ball and work to figure out how to close the sale/score. It s common that every sale will not be made, nor will every shot go into the goal. Hence the process of getting the ball from the opposing team and to their forwards will be constantly repeated. Now back to the second question that was posed What are our goals for youth sports in Amherst County? The goal for youth sports should be very similar of any business. They must identify their strengths and weaknesses and then take action to improve. A major goal should be to help those departments/players that are having less than adequate success and another major and just as important goal should be to work with the departments/players that are having good success to figure out how to help them improve to gain even more success. 6
This is where the engineers/coaches come in. Their role is to analyze the needs and then find ways to improve and naturally, every area can be improved. The overall point is that there are many different needs and skills as well as lack of skills. Hence one player may not understand how to make a proper throw in where another player learned the proper technique years ago. So to give the same trophy to both players may not have as positive of an impact as we hope. Question Should patches be given for individual improvement and/or success in games ie (goals scored, or stopped) Here is possible Answer - Definitely for individual improvement and probably for success in games. However determining what success looks like is a challenge in and of its self. It would be unwise of a student to not prepare and then show up for a test with the expectation of a good outcome.true some people are blessed with great minds and may still come away with a good grade, but they are also not reaching their potential and could achieve even more if they tried or were challenged to. It s been said that you should practice like you re going to play. Many professional athletes have stated that they attributed a recent win to the fact that they had had a good week of practice & preparation. It stands to reason that achieving/ winning is a mere by-product of learning and practicing the fundamentals. All that being said, people feel better about themselves when they feel like they re accomplishing things. Last season a U6 player scored for the first time and she was so excited and proud of what she had accomplished. She celebrated and wore a huge smile for the rest of the game. No one had the heart to tell her that she had scored for the other team. So did this player really succeed? Well look at it this way. The object of the game is to kick the ball in the net, which she had never done during a game. So this was quite an accomplishment for her. Chances are after scoring that goal she was even more enthusiastic about playing that enthusiasm is likely to help her succeed in many ways, including scoring her first goal for her team. Practice Drills to consider giving patches for Here are some examples of giving patches due to self improvement that if achieved by individuals should pay dividends in games for the entire team 7
Allot half of your practice hour to getting the drills in and then using the remaining time for the entire team to work together. It s recommended to not track times at your first practice as your players will have to spend time just learning how to do the drill. Goal kicks patch/drill Objectives Score as many goals as possible in the shortest amount of time. Benefits Conditioning, concentration, foot work/agility Directions for the player. Start on the side line directly in line with the ball. 2. Player kicks every other ball into the net. 3. Once the first 4 balls have been kicked, the player must run to the opposite side line & touch the line, then return to score the remaining balls and return to the starting side line. # of patches available Each player on the team can earn and receive one of these patches if they meet the defined criteria Only patch per team member. Setup directions - Always start directly across from the big box corner. Place the balls in front of the goal along the semi-circle that is in front of box. Scoring - The total score is derived by taking the elapsed time that it took to complete minus 3 (seconds) for each ball that went in the goal. Any player that reduces their time/score by the specified % is awarded the C Patch. 6 balls, get from rec dept stopwatch, get from Rec dept time keeper and team stat sheet, volunteer to retrieve and reset the balls Start on the side line Goal. Coach 4 & 5 & 6 yr old boys 7 yr old boys 6 yr old girls 7 yr old girls Total players 40 Avg based on real age De Novais/De Novias Denton/Wilson 5 4 0 0 0 6.69 5 0 4 0 0 6.27 Fielder/Fielder 4 2 3 0 0 7.3 Ware/Neblett 4 2 3 0 0 7.36 8
The juggling patch. This patch is given to a player who can bounce the ball from one foot to the other foot 5 consecutive times, without the ball touching the ground and without losing control. This will require a lot of practice and effort and it s best done on a one on one basis, at home in the basement or outside and the player only needs to have a soccer ball. The player can and should practice this at home and then demonstrate to their coach that they can do it. Scoring Scoring for this patch is simple as the player must juggle the ball at least 5 times. Only a few if any U8 players will earn this patch as this is a very difficult drill. # of patches The coaches will only be given patch per player. Equipment needed none Benefits Foot work/agility, confidence builder. Great for parents to try to do at home with their players. Coach 4 & 5 & 6 yr old boys 7 yr old boys 6 yr old girls 7 yr old girls Total players 40 Avg based on real age De Novais/De Novias Denton/Wilson 5 4 0 0 0 6.69 5 0 4 0 0 6.27 Fielder/Fielder 4 2 3 0 0 7.3 Ware/Neblett 4 2 3 0 0 7.36 9
Obstacle patch Each week a player will run through the defined obstacle course and their time is kept. After the 5 th practice, if they have beaten their very first time by 0% then they get a patch. They aren t competing against anyone but themselves. Objectives Develop directional dribbling skills. Benefits Conditioning, concentration, foot work/agility Directions for the player. Start at one end of the field. 2. Player needs to dribble to mid field and back through the traffic cones. Directions for the coaches. Always start directly at the corner 2. Place the cones 6 yards apart and in a straight line ( preferraly not on the actual side line but parallel to line because if your players constantly run on the side line then the referees may not be able to see when the ball was out because they can t see the side line.) Scoring - The total score is simply the time that it took, There are no time penalties in this drill. Any player that reduces their time by the specified time is awarded the Obstacle patch # of patches available Each player on the team can earn and receive one of these patches if they meet the defined criteria by the end of the 5 th practice Course design Place the obstacles 5 yards apart. Pole, pole, bracket, pole bracket, bracket, pole, pole, bracket 0
Throw-in patch Objectives Players need to learn the proper throw in technique. Some players will naturally be better at this than others, due to physical strength. However if a player has good physical strength but the throw is not legal then the ball will be turned over to the other team. In the U8 division a player who does not have a lot of upper body strength but has the best technique may turn out to be the player most suited to this role. Scoring - The ball that gets the closest to the goal is the only ball that is counted. Measure the distance from the goal line to where the ball stopped rolling. This is the player s score. Any player that increases their distance by the specified from the first event will receive the throw-in patch. http://www.livestrong.com/video/3899-do-throw/ http://www.ehow.co.uk/video_2367724_throw-soccer-ball.html Benefits Concentration, increased accuracy, thrown-in distance increased Setup directions. Put four balls across the designated line. 2. Place one cone 0 feet behind the line and the other cone & hoop 30 feet from the line. 3. Have the start at the back cone and run to the first ball, then run back and touch the cone and repeat for the remaining balls. 4. Try to emulate game like situations, meaning that they the player needs to run to where the ball is that the coach has placed the ball in order to make the throw. Scoring - The total score is determined by the following: The player has minute to complete this drill, and usually players will only need 30 seconds. Therefore any player that takes more than a minute will have a penalty assessed of point for every 0 sends over minute. Any player that increases their score ( the distance to the goal) by the league factor is awarded the Throw in patch 0 points for hitting the cone 8 points for hitting in the circle 4 balls, get from rec dept stopwatch, get from Rec dept
Measuring tape get from Rec dept # of patches available Each player on the team can earn and receive one of these patches if they meet the defined criteria by the end of the 5 th practice How many patches can each team have to give out? The logic behind this answer is akin to money. If everyone could print their own money and as much as they want then the money would lose its value and it wouldn t mean much to anyone. Therefore we should consider whether to give an assorted allotment of patches based on the number of players on their team. The coaches will then be deciding who to give their limited number of patches to. The idea is that if they are willing to work in practice then they will naturally benefit in the games as they will be better prepared when game time rolls around. Remember the old sayings like Practice like you re going to play, Practice makes perfect, If at first you don t succeed, try and try again. All of these sayings have a central theme of repetition. Doing something repeatedly is proven to be an effective method if one truly wants to improve. One point needs to be very clear and that is that every role needs to be filled and done to the best of one s ability. If a co-worker is sick and needs to miss work, then they need to notify someone on their team. The other team members/co-workers will usually have additional responsibilities when a co-worker is out. 2
RED STAR = AKA "Braveheart" The player shows bravery by battling for the ball and not backing down from opponents. There is no player too big or too tall that you are afraid of taking the ball away from. This player is very brave, an inspiration to teammates and leads by example. One good example of being a braveheart is when a player collides with an opponent or a teammate, and then they get right back up and battle for the ball. This player never gives up. This player could be at any position. Players have different abilities, but every player can be a "Braveheart". # of patches available Each team will be given.8 patches per team member. ( ie 0 players = a maximum of 8 patches to possibly be given out over the entire season) GOLD STAR = AKA "The General" This player shows great leadership skills on and off the field and around the other players both at practices and during games. The player takes the initiative to lead or rally the team to victory. This player gets fired up and gets the rest of the team on the same page. This player sets a good example for other players by listening to the Coach and following directions at practice and during games. # of patches available -Each team will be given 8 patches per team as there are 8 games in the 200 Fall season BLUE STAR = AKA "True Blue". One patch should be given out each week but only if a player has demonstrated good & effective leadership. Different situations can cause people to step up to meet the challenge, hence new Generals could be constantly emerging. 2. You could also end up with a 3 or 4 star general. Given to a player who will do anything for the team. This player comes to practice and games, hustles, has a great attitude and always gives 00%. This player believes in the Coaches and in the team. This player is respectful, listens to the Coaches, is nice to 3
teammates, is a role model for other players and behaves in the way the Coach wishes all players behaved. # of patches available. Each player on the team can earn and receive one of these patches if their coaches feel that it has been earned. 2. Each team will be given patch per team member. 3. This patch could be given to many players and also many times to the same player. GREEN STAR = AKA "Special Effort Patch" practice or game that doesn't fall into another category for earning a patch, or in the Coach's discretion. # of patches available. Each player on the team can earn and receive one of these patches if their coaches feel that it has been earned. 2. Each team will be given.5 patch per team member. ( ie 0 players = a maximum of 5 patches to possibly be given out over the entire season) 3. This patch could be given to many players and also many times to the same player. The "A" Patch = AKA "Team Attacking and Scoring Patch" Given to players who do something outstanding that creates the opportunity to score a goal, or assists with scoring a goal, but not really to the one who scored the goal. Scoring a goal is a team effort and this patch recognizes that and rewards the players who contributed to a shot being taken. The player who actually scored the goal will automatically get some recognition. More than one player can earn this patch when a goal is scored. Sometimes the key pass isn't the last pass before the goal, so it will be given to the players who the coach thinks helped the goal occur. This patch will be given for passes OR for runs that create scoring opportunities and lead to goals. This could be for a through pass, for a breakaway run, for an assist, for pulling a defender out of position, for taking a shot that the opposing Goalkeeper blocks and we then score on a rebound, or for stealing the ball or winning the ball that results in a goal, even if the goal wasn't immediately scored, So, it is possible that 3 or 4 players will get this 4
patch when a goal is scored. This patch makes the point that effort is important, but that we need to "finish" and actually score goals, so this patch will only be awarded when a goal is scored. However, the better the effort, the more likely it is that a goal will be scored, and great effort can earn a Green Star patch even if a goal isn't scored. This patch will encourage teamwork and discourage selfish play. We can only win through teamwork. This patch will cause players to think about and notice the types of actions that result in goals, and to learn that more players are involved in a goal than just the player who actually scored the goal. Sometimes actually scoring the goal is the easy part, and the opportunity to score the goal was created by another player, who could even be a defender who steals the ball, or sends a long pass, or even by the Goalkeeper who makes a great punt or a great goal kick that leads to a goal. # of patches available. Each player on the team can earn and receive one of these patches if their coaches feel that it has been earned. 2. Each team will be given 2 patches per team member. ( ie 0 players = a maximum of 20 patches to possibly be given out over the entire season) 3. This patch could be given to many players and also many times to the same player. This is one of the most common patches and it will likely be given to many players. The "D" Patch = AKA "Big D for Defense Patch" Any player can earn this patch, at any position. The defenders and Goalkeeper will usually earn the most of these, but Forwards and Midfielders should also be thinking about Defense when we lose the ball or when we don't have the ball, so Forwards and Midfielders will also be encouraged to earn this patch. When we don't have the ball, we want good defense. Remember that "Good Defense" doesn't mean just chasing the ball. Players MUST play their positions and follow the Coach's instructions in order to win this patch. Good Defense requires good teamwork. # of patches available. Each player on the team can earn and receive one of these patches if their coaches feel that it has been earned. 5
2. Each team will be given patch per team member. ( ie 0 players = a maxium of 0 patches to possibly be given out over the entire season) 3. This patch could be given to many players and also many times to the same player. This is one of the most common patches and it will likely be given to many players. LIGHTNING BOLT = AKA "The Two-Way Player Patch" Given when a player does as the Coach asks them to do on both ends of the field. This player is aggressive on offense and helps on defense too, as instructed by the Coach. The player understands they must work hard on defense and protecting the goal as well as helping on offense, and that when we lose the ball on our half of the field, that we immediately switch to Defense. Half of the lightning bolt is for defense and the other half is for offense. Remember that if this player is a Forward or Midfielder, they will not go as far back to defend as the defenders, and Defenders sometimes might not Push Up when we attack, so the players who earn this will be those who hustle and follow the coach's directions for playing on offense and on defense. Sometimes, a great defense is the best offense. This will be awarded based on how the Coach thinks players have contributed to the overall game plan for both offense and defense. # of patches available. Only a few players on a team can earn and receive one of these patches and only if their coaches feel that it has been earned. 2. Each team will be given.3 patches per team member. ( ie 0 players = a maxium of 3 patches per team to possibly be given out over the entire season) 3. This is one of the most elite patches as it takes a very special effort, a special attitude,and much diligence to earn this patch 4. You may decide not to award it to anyone, but hopefully it will be earned & given to many players, but not to every player 5. It is common to give this patch only once to a given player. 6. This patch should be held in reserve and awarded sometime after mid season. The reason being, that this is an overall award and players can have good days 6
and bad days. Also by giving it at mid-season, other players could be inspired and challenge themselves to work towards earning this patch of accomplishment Remove Product(s) Quantity Shipping Price C Patch 60 $0.00 $30.00 Red Star/White Incentive Patch 50 $0.00 $25.00 Kelly Green/White Soccer Ball Patch 60 $0.00 $30.00 Blue Star/White Incentive Patch 60 $0.00 $30.00 Green Star / White 60 $0.00 $30.00 Maroon/White Soccer Incentive Patch 60 $0.00 $30.00 Gold Star/White Incentive Patch 50 $0.00 $25.00 D for Defense Patch 60 $0.00 $30.00 Lightning Bolt Patch 20 $0.00 $0.00 A for Effort-Attitude 20 $0.00 $60.00 Gold/Blue Soccer Ball Patch 40 $0.00 $20.00 7
To remove an item, click the box under "Remove" and then click "Update." You can change the Quantity and click the "Update" button to update the Price. Click on any item you ordered above to return to that item. Subtotal: (Subtotal does not include shipping charges.) $320.00 Shipping: $0.00 Handling: $3.95 Volume Discount: -$5.20 (You will be offered additional Shipping Options when you click "Checkout" below) Premium Members: Enter Coupon Code on the Credit Card information page Grand Total: $208.75 8