WEST COAST FC WEST COACHES MANUAL 2013/2014 AUTO GROUP Play the West Coast Way
TABLE OF CONTENTS West Coast FC Coaches Manual... 1 Play The West Coast Way... 1 Philosophy... 2 "Play the West Coast Way" 10 commandments... 2 Master the ball... 3 Play out the back from the 'sweeper keepers'... 4 Play through the 3rds... 5 Play an attack minded passing and moving style of football... 6 'Straight' Line Passing... 7 Triangle Passing... 7 Diamond Passing... 8 Ladder Passing... 8 'Y' Passing... 9 Cross Passing... 9 Play possessive but penetrative football... 10 Non Directional... 11 Directional... 11 Two Directional... 11 Multi Directional... 12 Transitional... 12 Train players to be comfortable receiving the ball under pressure... 13 Develop the difference maker...the "No 10"... 14 Implement a Synonymous Playing style (4-2-3-1) and (2-3-1-1)... 15 8-a-side... 15 11-a-side... 16 Provide a minimum of 50% playing time to all players... 17 Get on with the ref, get on with the game, and accept EVERY decision... 17 Play the West Coast Way and stay true to it!... 18
PLAY THE WEST COAST WAY Dear coaches, It is with great pleasure to introduce to you our new innovating club philosophy that is "Play The West Coast Way". Over the next few weeks, months and years, our aim is to create a single club environment where by all of us are accountable and credited for implementing this synonymous playing style. Most clubs around the world have a distinguished style of play that is reiterated, reinforced and demanded throughout their club, at all ages. We believe we need to have the same continuity and cohesion if we want to be at the forefront of elite player development in this country. When you think of the world's top clubs, inevitably a style of play is associated with that club. The likes of Barcelona, Ajax, Arsenal, Manchester Utd and so on, all train their players, their way, and year after year these clubs not only produce some of the world's best young talents for their own professional team and respective international sides, but also for other professional teams around the world. I believe we can achieve those same objectives for our players both on a domestic and international stage. If we do that, West Coast FC will be the most innovating soccer club in Canada. This manual is designed to be informative for our coaching team to help get this philosophy across to our players as quickly as possible. There will be a series of exercises that will help create and develop the type of skills and players we want to produce. We want all of our players, coaches and parents to understand the importance of having a long term plan when it comes to football development and throughout the years it will take a lot of bravery to support our vision. Bravery is most commonly recognised as tackling, heading, being strong, 'putting your head in where it hurts', but our bravery will be defined as sticking to our values and principles of trying to play the game in the right way...the West Coast Way! 1
PHILOSOPHY "PLAY THE WEST COAST WAY" 10 COMMANDMENTS Objective "To develop the most technically superior players" Below are mandatory asks that all coaches, players and staff must adhere to: 1) Master the ball. 2) Play out the back from the 'sweeper keepers'. 3) Play through the 3rds. 4) Play an attack minded passing and moving style of football. 5) Play possessive but penetrative football. 6) Train players to be comfortable receiving the ball under pressure. 7) Develop the difference maker...the "No 10". 8) Implement a synonymous playing style (4-2-3-1) and (2-3-1-1). 9) Provide a minimum of 50% playing time to all players. 10) Get on with the ref, get on with the game, and accept EVERY decision. Play the West Coast Way and stay true to it! 2
MASTER THE BALL Master the ball will be a term used often in and around the club when it comes to training. In order to have the adequate technical skills to play the west coast way, our training must be highly focused around technique on the ball. Master the ball will specifically relate to the core fundamentals of technique, control (juggling), passing, turning and dribbling and the best way to incorporate these will be in a ball orientated warm up. We have to maximise the contact players have with ball and a 1:1 ball: player ratio is the best way to do it. The smaller our ratios are, the smaller our exercises are and the smaller our lines are, all mean the more practice our players have on the ball. There will be a Master the ball juggling template to monitor your players progression and spending the first portion of your training session practicing this will improve the players overall performance. Mastering the ball is also a good way to have the players engaged at arrival and / or if the coach needs time away from the players to set up. In addition to practice, master the ball is a simple homework tool to give to players to practice in their own time. Under our guidance, players have to be given specific time to practice on both the left and right side of the anatomy, and with all surfaces of the body. Our players need to comfortable receiving the ball with any part of the body on either side and that takes time and a lot of repetition. In a confined area, have the players stationed next to a cone. Their objective is to go through the Master the Ball juggling sequence trying to stay as close to their cone as possible. Progression I: Have the players complete the sequences from one point to another, so they are on the move. Progression II: Have the players perform the sequences in pairs A simple but effective way to warm the players up with the ball and practice their skills at the same time. In groups of 3, the players will be asked to work on their dribbling skills throughout the cones and then practice a turn when heading towards the top mannequin. After the turn, the player on the ball passes to the outside player who opens up and plays into the awaiting player to restart the exercise Progression I: Inside, outside, laces and sole of the foot for dribbling, various turns at the top. 3
PLAY OUT THE BACK FROM THE 'SWEEPER KEEPERS' It is imperative in today's modern game that the goalkeeper is just as comfortable with the ball at their feet as in their hands, and just as comfortable in possession of the ball, as the outfield players. All too often goalkeepers are neglected when it comes to technical development, maintenance and perfection and we must make the change in our own club. The goalkeeper is the first point of attack in our team and so we must teach and train the individual and team, to play out of the back. Nothing is more detrimental to player development than seeing a goalkeeper 'boot' the ball 40 yards in the air and end up bouncing in the other team's box. The reality is this type of play confuses opposition and young players naturally struggle to deal with it, many times ending up in a chance or goal. We must understand, this only happens at the youth level and once this 'threat' is dealt with, players do not possess the ability to create and score goals, because of the years of neglect and ill practice. We must encourage the goalkeeper to play with their feet and interact with the outfield players when in possession of the ball. We must train the goalkeepers with the outfield players in most technical drills and exercises and we must ensure the goalkeeper is the starting point, when in possession of the ball. Playing out from the back will guarantee us one thing...mistakes. Therefore we must be patient and revert back to our bravery of trying to do the things the right way. Every ball must start with an attempt to play short and build through the zones. We must defend our philosophy and principles of play as the challenge is not to change our style, but to perfect it. By playing out of the back, we are then able to move into "Playing through the 3rds" with a better understanding. In an area relevant to the age group, set up a 6/7 v4 in favour of the attacking team, in this case our defenders. The exercise can start with a pass or shot into the GK after which the blue defenders split 'high and wide'. The objective will be to play out from the GK and try to play through the midfield players, eventually hitting either of the small goals. Condition the players to play a pre-determined pattern of passes with only passive defenders. Progression I: Use active defenders Progression II: Must use the GK twice. Whenever moving into a small sided game, encourage the formations and shape of both sides to replicate that of the practices. This way the players have already been given the tools to play out. The coach must make it mandatory for the GK to start with the ball and actively participate with their feet while in possession of the ball. Every restart begins with the GK, no corners, no throw or kick ins, always from the goalie. Progression I: Touch limit (2 or 3 touch) Progression II: Condition the amount of passes before a team can look to score. 4
PLAY THROUGH THE 3RDS In general, it is understood that the soccer pitch is divided into '3rds' or 3 zones on the field. The 3rds are the defensive 3rd, the middle 3rd and the attacking 3rd. The idea of playing through the 3rds is to actively pursue the complete team goal. A team goal that is constructed by all players, through all 3 thirds of the field, producing the perfect end result of a goal. The first step of playing through the 3rds is to start with the goalkeeper playing into the defenders in our own defensive 3rd. Once our goalkeeper is in good possession of the ball, the team's objective is to get their 'shape' as quick as possible. That shape is to get "high and wide". High and wide means the players go as high as they can and as wide as they can on the field, in their 3rd. Defenders will go "high and wide" in the defensive 3rd, midfielders likewise in the middle 3rd and strikers in the attacking 3rd without being in an offside position. Once our shape is complete, we can now attempt to play out of the back and through the 3rds. Set the field up into 3rds and have the players equally divided into teams but overloading the defensive 3rd's (3v1 or 3v2) to increase the players chances of playing out. The goalkeeper always starts with the ball at their feet to start the exercise and looks to play to the player with the most space. The player s objective is to dribble the ball into the next zone and by doing so, they will create a 3v2 overload in the middle 3rd of the field. This pattern will continue into the attacking 3rd before having an attempt at goal. Progression I: Players can only pass into the next zone before supporting into the zone. Progression II: Players can pass or dribble into the next zone. Progression III: Any player can support the pass into the next zone after the ball has gone in. 5
PLAY AN ATTACK MINDED PASSING AND MOVING STYLE OF FOOTBALL A clubs style of play and its skill in executing it is what attracts people to particular clubs all over the world. Football is a form of entertainment and more often than not, people enjoy watching teams that pass and move with unequivocal ease and speed. When teams have this control over their opposition, it will ultimately mean more possession, more chances, more goals and that will result in more victories. Those victories are what define history and tradition within clubs. However the process never sways, and the process is to play an attack minded passing and moving style. We must encourage our players at all times to pass and move, to "get the ball and give the ball" and we must reinforce to our players to move after every pass to create a new angle to receive the next pass. Just passing and moving will not create elite players, passing and moving with a purpose will. We must encourage our players to be brave and always look forward first as a forward pass is always the best pass. If a forward pass is not on, we encourage angled passes sideways second and then backwards third. We need to teach players to get excited about penetrating defences but also to understand the dilemma of 'risk and reward' when it comes to passing and keeping possession. Every pass paints a different picture, so the speed at which we can move the ball will dictate where and when we can go forward next. The quicker we can move the ball around and keep possession, the less likely the opposition are to cover ground and get organised to stop our forward passes. As we are keeping possession we need to encourage our players to be creative and cunning with their movement. To move off the shoulder of defenders, to work in between players and behind zones and we want our players to understand the importance of opposite movement off the ball. Opposite movement is a disguised movement to coax defenders into an area away from where the player wants to receive the ball. Movement off the ball is paramount to our abilities to get turned and play forward once again. Below are the first 5 passing combinations strongly encouraged to use within your sessions. Combination 1 - 'Straight' Line Passing Combination 2 - 'Triangle or Diamond Passing' Combination 3 - 'Ladder Passing' Combination 4 - 'Y' Passing Combination 5 - Cross Passing' 6
'STRAIGHT' LINE PASSING Using 3 players and 3 cones, the ball gets played into the middle player who is asked to perform an exercise to get turned and play forward. The ball is returned immediately so that the middle player has to re-adjust their feet and repeat the exercise on their opposite foot. Players will alternate starting points and work continuously for a minute, briefly resting between each set of 2 passes. Restrict the distances of the passes to 8-12m. Players will be asked to work on their opposite movement, 1st touch to open up on their back foot, quality of pass and communication to demand the ball straight back. Progression I: different exercises in the middle TRIANGLE PASSING Set up a triangle with 4 players and 1 ball. Players will be asked to pass in an counter clockwise and clockwise direction working on the same techniques as above. Players will have to concentrate on their opposite movement, 1st touch to open up, quality of pass and information. This time the information will be to instruct their teammate to "turn" or "open" into space. The players will repeat the cycle for approx. 2-3 minutes each direction. Progression I: Different exercises off the cone. Set the ball back and then open up or play a 1 / 2 around the cone. 7
DIAMOND PASSING Set up a 'diamond' with 1 ball to 5 players or 2 balls for 6 players. Players will be asked to continue to work on the 4 main principles of opposite movement, opening up, good passing and communication. In the diamond shape, there are more passing angles and therefore more variations. Practice all techniques and directions as equally as the others. Progression I: Set & then open up, 1/2, 'miss a man' set the ball back and play diagonally to the next cone. LADDER PASSING Set up 4 cones and use 5 players to one ball. Continuing to work on the 4 main principles, we are now asking the players to play through the 3rds in a passing combination. This exercise allows the players to grasp some realism as we are asking them to get open and play forward through the zones. To keep the combination flowing, on the way 'up' players will follow their pass but after the 1/2 at the top, that player will make an overlapping run at which point the new 2 centre midfielders will combine and release the overlapping run to restart the exercise. Progression I: Play set and open Progression II: Play up / back / In. 8
'Y' PASSING Set up 4 cones in a Y shape. The ball will be played into the middle man who again will have to find a solution to turn and play forwards into the attacking 3rd. As the exercises progress, most will become relevant to passages of play within the game so introducing these patterns until they become second nature are very important. Progression I: Open Progression II: Set & open Progression III: Up/Back/In This exercise can also be used to practice different skills to get playing forward. i.e.: turning. CROSS PASSING Set up a 5 cones with 5-6 players to 1 ball. Again we will strongly highlight the 4 main principles of opposite movement, opening up, passing and communication but we can now start to challenge the player s tactical capabilities. With multiple diamonds and triangles available, the combinations start to increase. Start simply with 'opening up' or 'set and open' through the middle cones and work on a 1/2 on the outside to play back to the beginning and repeat the cycle. Progression I: Think of different combinations that can be incorporated. 'Dummies' 'overlaps' 'switches of play' 'up/back/in'. 9
PLAY POSSESSIVE BUT PENETRATIVE FOOTBALL We regularly hear on the soccer field "keep possession" or "play possession" but how many of those references are done with the knowledge of why? Possession exercises are a vital tool in teaching players to be comfortable on the ball and confident in their technique but we must make sure our players do not become robots and play 'crab football'. 'Crab football' is a term that defines players and teams who only play the ball sideways, never looking to take a risk and play forward. This type of possession will not create chances and not win games. We must encourage our players to be brave, to be penetrative and to be creative. As coaches, we have to make sure that technically and tactically the players have the ability and understanding to do so. We want to train our players to understand that playing forward is the best pass. Every time they go to get the ball, receive the ball and have the ball, they are looking at ways to play it forward first. The thought process that must be engrained into our players is to look forward first, sideways second and back 3rd. All three involve keeping possession of the ball but the mindset is to penetrate. This attitude will create the type of players that we want to educate and produce. The word 'penetration' is used in football to describe an action that will breach defences and eradicate defenders. Each team will usually be broken down into 3 groups (defence, midfield and attack) and these groups individually will form a unit. A defensive unit, a midfield unit and an attacking unit. Our job as attackers is to breach each unit by penetrating the gaps between players. Our defensive players will be responsible for penetrating the opposition's strikers, our midfielders through their midfielders and our strikers through their defenders. If we do this successfully we will have played out from the back, through the 3rds in an attack minded passing and moving style. The dilemma that players face will come as the opposition gets tougher. A well organised defensive unit and team will not let the ball be penetrated with ease so it is down to us create the space needed to play forward. This is when the understanding of possession vs. penetration is needed. If we cannot go forward, we go sideways. If we cannot go sideways, we go backward, but we do so as quickly as possible. By moving the ball we are keeping possession and trying to look forward somewhere else on the field. It may take several attempts going sideways and backwards before we are able to penetrate forward, but as long as we are ready and waiting to do so, we will eventually penetrate through the oppositions units. 10
NON DIRECTIONAL A non-directional possession game is based on the player s ability to keep the ball. Start with a 3 v 1 and after 2-3 passes, progress into a 3 v 2. All of the player s skills and techniques will come under high pressure in a small area so ones footwork, touch, awareness and decision making will be challenged. Progression I: Move into a 5 v 3 or 6 v 4 and repeat the exercise. DIRECTIONAL A directional possession exercise is an exercise that goes to a fixed point and is then finished. In the diagram shown, the fixed point is to goal. By playing with 3 teams, we can utilise a neutral player in the middle to encourage success. After 3-4 passes, players are instructed to get the ball wide and 2 supporting runners attempt a shot on target from the resulting cross. Immediately after the shot is taken a new ball is entered for the other team to start their possession. This allows both teams to get ample opportunity to practice. Rotate the team every 5mins. TWO DIRECTIONAL A two directional possession game is where the team in possession is encouraged to play forward into a end target. The reward in a two directional possession game is that you get to keep possession of the ball and look 'forward' again in the opposite direction. A point or goal can be awarded for each successful, end to end passage of play. By playing with 3 teams, we are again able to utilise the neutral player in the middle to encourage success and rotate the teams after every 5mins or so. Smaller areas and tight spaces make for quick thinking, quick decision making and clean technique in order to achieve success 11
MULTI DIRECTIONAL A multi directional possession game is where players are able to utilise and maintain possession from multiple angles. Particularly useful for central players who have to be trained to improve their general vision and awareness. A multi directional is usually a high tempo exercises so rotations will be short and frequent, 1-2mins per set. Progression I: Touch limit on the inside or outside Progression II: Get a point from going bottom to top in the same line. TRANSITIONAL A transitional possession exercise is where although predominantly ball retention is key, seeing how quickly we can transition from defence to attack or vice versa is a high priority. Being able to get our shape and create space as soon as possible, is vital to keeping possession of the ball. 12
TRAIN PLAYERS TO BE COMFORTABLE RECEIVING THE BALL UNDER PRESSURE One thing that we can guarantee in the game of soccer is that almost every time a player has possession of the ball, they will be under pressure. Each time a player receives the ball, pressure will be applied in 1 of 4 directions. Pressure will be applied from the front, the back, the side or at an angle so training our players to be comfortable with that pressure and knowing the skills needed to out manoeuvre their opponent, will be the difference between keeping the ball or not. We should be brave in passing to our players who are under immediate pressure as if we have taught our players correctly, they will have the skill set to play under it. It is important to encourage players to play under pressure and by having them constantly practice in small sided and small dimensional exercises, drills and games, will improve their abilities. Smaller areas force the players to think quick, play quick and improve their touch and all of these attributes will help us when we take to our larger respective game fields on a match day. Having the ability to out manoeuvre your opponent is key at any level and players will only ever be faced with pressure from 4 different angles. From the back (top left) from the front (top right) from an angle (bottom left) and from the side (bottom right). Having the techniques to be successful in each scenario is fundamental but also knowing what decision to make and when, is also very important. By practicing these variable situations, players are more likely to make better decisions in the heat of the moment. The technical exercises shown are very simple, very repetitive but very effective and should not be underestimated. 13
DEVELOP THE DIFFERENCE MAKER...THE "NO 10" Developing the No 10 is something I want the club to be renowned for producing, and demanding of the coaches to support. Some of the finest players ever to have played the game usually wore the No 10 shirt and usually they were the players that made the difference in games. Players in the past, Pele, Maradona, Zidane, Bergkamp and in the present Messi and Ronaldo were / are all technically gifted footballers in their own right, but they had / have that little extra to make the difference when it was needed. No 10 is a player that is usually designated in a withdrawn striker / attacking midfield role that looks to exploit the gaps between the opposing midfield and defensive lines. The No 10 is the player that delivers the killer pass or play with absolute precision and they're crucial to the flair and creativity of the team. We must encourage the team to play forward into the No 10 to allow them to get on the ball as frequent as possible. The fastest way to goal is through the middle and it takes the most bravery, skill, intelligence and guile to do this, so the player identified to be a No 10 needs to possess the vision and quality to excel in the role. Coaches need to support this philosophy by making sure we play through the 3rds and play into the No 10. By playing through the No 10, we encourage the natural creativity and imagination of players to problem solve. We must give trust and belief to the players to try things and if what they are trying is productive, give them the freedom to experiment. 'Guided discovery' is the essential coaching tool to use for your players in that role. Enthuse the players to problem solve and get excited by their ideas, as this will enhance their decision making in the end product of a game. Encourage players to visualize what they want to do, what they think the defender will do and how to out manoeuvre their opponent. A player's decision making is considered the art of choosing a particular technique, skill or tactic to out skill an opponent for the greater good of the team so encourage the No 10 to have a clear train of thought, do the unexpected and to take responsibility for the group. Free play will see these players come to fruition naturally so we must recognise the players that are technically advanced compared to the rest of their group. The players who are eager to get on the ball to try and change a game will be the player most likely to step into this role. Producing the difference makers will happen as a bi product of our style of play. I must stress that any player put forward into the No 10 role is NOT instead of the team. The only star is the team itself. These players must not be given any special treatment, privileges or attention as the emphasis is based on developing the group of individuals together. The No 10 is just another player on the team with the exception that our style plays through them. The difference maker or the No 10 is a player that is usually referred to as someone who plays between the lines. The lines as shown are the red mannequins. The No 10 player has been highlighted in yellow and the areas of the field where the No 10 can be most effective, is in the red shaded area. Playing behind the midfielders and in front of the defenders creates multiple problems for defences as neither know who should be marking him / her. We must always be looking to get the ball forward into their feet and get them turned and facing towards the oppositions goal. A lot of the exercises previously shown can use a neutral player...these neutral players should be the players most identifiable as potential difference makers. 14
IMPLEMENT A SYNONYMOUS PLAYING STYLE (4-2-3-1) AND (2-3-1-1) At all top clubs, one method fits all, from the 1st team to the youth team. In our case from the elite to the grassroots. The basic methods of our philosophy must be instilled at the elite and at the grassroots. This way no player gets lost or confused in our system moving through the years. I believe this commandment to be most important for any grassroots club. If every team or coach is left to do whatever they want, it creates a lack of direction that will affect our players. Everyone must learn to train and play the same way and understand the importance of the philosophy at all age groups. I strongly encourage rotating positions in anything below 11-a-side to allow players to understand and find roles best suited to their qualities. At the U13 age group we will start to identify potential positions for our players with some flexibility and as we approach the U15 age group we would start to focus on a specific position that enhances our player's abilities. 8-A-SIDE For 8-a-side I would prefer to see our teams play a Gk-2-3-1-1. There will always be a discussion over any formation so it is important to understand why the 2-3-1-1 is going to be implemented. The big debate at this level is whether to play 2 at the back or 3 at the back but in line with our philosophy, I believe the 2-3- 1-1 to be the most parallel to the 11-a-side version. Firstly the role of the GK has to be valued. In possession of the ball, the GK will be the 3rd supporting defender to give us the 3 at the back. The 2 defenders will drop wide to replicate the modern day CBK's splitting the field in conjunction with the GK. At times the 2 CBK's will be under severe pressure defensively but by exposing our players to this behaviour, it will undoubtedly improve their 1 v 1 defensive skills and for the long term we will produce strong defenders. The midfield is naturally balanced with a player right, left and centre and by having a slightly withdrawn striker / attacking midfielder, we are inadvertently promoting the No 10. In Red, the defensive shape is set up. Together the 2 centre backs and wide players almost act to form a back 4 with 2 players in the central midfield area. Stopping any gaps is about as much tactics as these age groups would need to know. In Blue, the offensive shape is set up. We have to try and get' high' and 'wide' and try to make the most of the space available to try and play in. These age groups only need confirmation of playing in 'diamonds' and 'triangles' so forming as many of these as possible in possession is the target. We need to be encouraging the team aspect of the game too as we move into a passing and moving phase of development. 15
11-A-SIDE For the 11-a-side I would prefer to see our teams play a GK-4-2-3-1. A back 4 is widely considered to be the most balanced line both offensively and defensively. A back 4 enables us to attack with support going forward and provide balance at the back. In possession of the ball, the 2 CBK's will split providing the same 'back 3' that we have actively promoted in the 8-a-side game and that our players have been accustomed too. With a strong spine placed strategically, we are enabling our wide players to have an attack minded vision that again reflects our approach to the game. In this formation, our years of identifying, training and developing the No 10 will come into fruition. Having the 3 players in front of the No 10 is the most natural way of covering all areas of the field and the lone central striker is a smooth transition from the 8-a-side game. I believe the 4-2-3-1 to be the most flexible of the formations available. A 4-2-3-1 can easily be manipulated into a 4-4-2, a 4-1-4-1, a 4-4-1-1 and a 4-3-3. Therefore this formation is the most adaptable and adjustable, both offensively and defensively. Again being so flexible it will make it easier for our players to understand in an attack minded passing and moving brand of soccer. Both of these formations naturally produce the most diamonds and triangles on the pitch and by doing so, we create better passing angles, cover the thirds of the field more effectively and allow our players to get "high and wide" more efficiently. Both models will open up more passing channels to possess the ball and penetrate forward when available. In Red, the defensive shape is set up. Very tight, very connected and well organised. When a team has strength in numbers through the middle it is best to show the opposition inside. Our set up will enhance our chances of winning the ball back quicker due to more bodies being in a congested area. However in the final 3rd, it would be recommended to force the opposition 'outside' and down the line to force them away from our goal. In Blue, the offensive shape is set up. Firstly as a group we must get 'high and wide'. We go as high as we can and as wide as we can, so basically the offside line to the sidelines. From there we will ask the players to go through the process of receiving the ball. Good opposite movement, followed by a 1st touch or combination to get turned as soon as possible. Then we ask the players to pass with quality (forward preferably) and provide a supporting piece of communication, "turn" "time" "open" "set" which will hopefully allow us to progress once more through the 3rds. 16
PROVIDE A MINIMUM OF 50% PLAYING TIME TO ALL PLAYERS Club policies put in place already demand that in the non-select levels of the club, everybody receives a minimum of 50% playing time. Our objective must be to provide this to all our players in all our teams. There are a few reasons why some players do not receive that time as ones career progresses, but our long term vision has to try and offer this throughout. A coach is perfectly in their right not to give the playing time if the time is not earned. Our strong team ethics and focus on hard work and not giving up are the minimum efforts required to earn minutes. After that, ones attitude to training, in training and developing is also fundamental to playing time. Should a player not adhere to these or any off field code of conduct, rules or regulations, our coaches hold to right to modify the playing time. However, what must be eradicated throughout our club is the lack of trust and confidence in players technically or physically and / or the fear of costing the team a result. If a player is not up to standard to the rest of the group technically, to the extent that a coach is afraid to put a player in, then the club has failed that player in placing them in the wrong environment. We cannot jeopardise any player's future for the sake of a numerical preference. If a player is not good enough to be at a level, then they should be placed in a more suitable level of competition. We need to affect every player positively and if the coach does not have trust in a player, the result will be a negative experience for all, potentially losing a player from our club. Lastly, we must not be fearful of a player costing us a result due to ones physicality. Our objective is to produce technically superior players who play the game the same way. Regardless of opposition, the score or the importance, be brave and trust our players to "Play The West Coast Way" GET ON WITH THE REF, GET ON WITH THE GAME, AND ACCEPT EVERY DECISION The brand of soccer we play and the style in which we do it is important to the aesthetics of the football club but probably more important is way we approach the game in general. Officials play a huge importance in our game and without them; we wouldn't be able to play. As a coach of the West Coast Football Club, publically supporting the officials is paramount to our success as a club. We must educate our players to be respectful, accepting and understanding with officials and it starts with the coaching team first. Part of our teaching is that what is done is done; you cannot rectify a mistake that has happened because it is in the past. And in the same fashion that we would ask our players to forget about their mistake and focus on positively getting the next one right, we have to remind the players to do the same with the officials. If a coach is aggressive, volatile and threatening to an official, their players will replicate and inevitably, so will their parents. This is not the image that we want to portray for our club. Trust the players to make mistakes and learn from them, and trust the officials to do the same. Our pride in our philosophy is in our ability to play the right way, all of the time. Acting the right way, all of the time, is of the same importance. It is vital that this football club and all its members as directors, coaches, players and parents act in the appropriate manor at all times. When representing the club it is our duty to be punctual, professional, disciplined, and hold high standards for ourselves, our players and our parents, both on and off the field. It is our duty to be respectful to officials, other players and other clubs. No matter what the situation is, no matter what the result was and no matter what other clubs and their personnel do, we must never drop our standards at any cost. There are channels in place to voice concerns, issue complaints and demand action, but it has to be done the right way. We must educate all of our members to win with humility and lose with dignity. 17
PLAY THE WEST COAST WAY AND STAY TRUE TO IT! Buy into the philosophy, believe in the philosophy and be brave in teaching the philosophy. We must all be focused on the long term development of our players. Our style of play will cost us goals and results in the short term and you will have moments of doubt throughout the process. But our unwavering belief in what we are doing and trying to do, will get us through the tough times. A youth development coach will never be judged on results and a youth development coach should never judge themselves on results. We are there to provide the best educational environment to all of our players and if we do that, we will truly cement the cradle to grave ideology. We will produce the best players, the best people and be pioneering for soccer in this country and you will reap the rewards in the end. "It is not where you start that counts, it's where you finish" Kind Regards, Adam Day WCAGFC Director of Football. 18