Trust The Process

First thing to remind yourself, parents, and players, Training takes time. It will take at least two seaons for players to understand concepts or up to two years for teams to work well together. Training is a process and the most important thing is you are improving. 

Good Sportsmanship

We are raising a community and that means teaching players the following to be better people.

• Have Fun – It is a game and following the rules makes it more fun.
• Focus – You cant improve if you don’t listen to coaches, you cant trap the ball if you don’t focus on it.
• Respect – Parents, coaches, teammates, opponents, referees, themselves.
• Responsibility – Be on time, have all your gear and full uniform. Know the rules, your position and its role. Know who you are subbing in for and their position.
• Effort brings Merit – You have to give your best effort. You will be rewarded with more fun, improving faster, and winning.
• Team Effort – You cannot win alone, it takes a team. You must do your part and work together for everyone’s success.
• Consequences – If you don’t do the above, it wont be as fun, you will improve slower than others, you will get less playing time, you may not make the Elite Team, your team will not win.

Ball Control 

Foot skills are key to confidence and playing the game. Nothing else matters if you cannot dribble, trap, or pass the ball properly. Low confidence leads to kick and run games, not what we want. Each practice should devote time to ball handling, and first touch at every age. Time on the ball is key. Players should play with a ball every day at home for at least 10 min of juggling and footwork.

Scan the Field

You can’t pass to your teammates if you dribble with your head down. Keep your head up, always scan the field. Your head needs to be on a swivel so you always know where your teammates and opponents are.  Look for your options before you receive the ball.

Go to Space

You can’t pass or dribble if you are surrounded by players. Go to open space to receive a pass. Dribble to space to make a pass. Stay wide on the attack. Wings should be practically on the sideline. Don’t go down the middle. Conversely, get compact to defend and take up the opponent’s space. Push opponents to the outside.

Don’t Dribble Too Much

Dribbling is just to get out of a tight space or to regain control. Once you have control, keep the ball moving to the next teammate. Dribbling will tire you out. Pros only have the ball for about 30 to 90 sec total each game. Dribbling too long is the best way to lose the ball.

Soccer is a Game of Possession

The only way to score and to keep your opponent from scoring is to maintain possession. You maintain possession by passing the ball and passing it often. The ball is always faster than the player. Playing backwards is a good option to maintain possession.

Keep the Ball on the Ground

If you kick it in the air, without purpose, it is a 50/50 ball. That is a great way to lose possession. It is much easier to trap a ball that is on the ground.

Find Feet

Make sure each pass has a purpose. It should find the feet of a teammate. It is Soccer not kick ball. Never “boot it” or simply “clear it.” No kick and run. No 50/50 balls.

Be Aggressive

Win the ball, win the game.  Soccer is a physical contact sport. You will need to go to every 50/50 ball and win them. Tackle through the ball. Use your upper body to shield. Short sprints are key, just don’t chase the ball.

You Have 2 Seconds

Shoot or pass, dribbling is just to get out of trouble or to draw in the defender to create space. Know in advance what your options are and use them quickly. The game changes every second. Always work to be faster.

Play Out From the Back

Learn to work the ball out from the back and you will be able to move the ball anywhere on the field. Be patient and establish good habits early. Don’t kick the ball high to just get it forward.

Work Together

Do not separate from the back line or the front line. The entire team is on defense or offense at the same time. You need to stay together so you can work the ball up the field and provide support for each other from the front or the back.

Communication is Key

If you don’t talk you cannot play as a team. Yell, “I got ball,” “man on,” “time,”” turn,” “you have support,” “cross it,” “square,” “down the line,” “here,” “on your left,” “press”. Use your hands to show your teammate where you want the ball.

Get Into Shape

Players should be in the shape of diamonds and triangles on the field. This creates options for teammates to pass too. This way a player always has two or more options for passes in case one option is closed off. We don’t want to play flat with players in a line. Lines are not shapes.

Move Off the Ball

The ball is faster than the player. The player with the ball should be moving the least. If you don’t have the ball, you should be the one moving. Move to space to create your team shape and for options.

Practice Makes Progress

While we want you to do your best and the goal is to win, the most important thing is if you are improving. To improve we have to do lots of repetitions. Keep practicing and learn from your mistakes. Mistakes are how we learn and losses are lessons. The wins will come down the road, if you don’t take shortcuts. Don’t say “I can’t” you just haven’t practiced it enough yet. Even the professionals do the same exercises and footwork over and over and over again.

Work on Your Weak Foot

You have to practice every time with your weak foot at an early age. The more you do it the better and more confident you will be. Your dominant foot will get better too even if you only work on your weak foot.

It is a Marathon of Sprints

You need to sprint to the ball then walk to space or to position. Sprint to space when you have the ball then slow down and pass. Keep moving to space if you want the ball back. Do not jog the whole game. It will tire you out and you will not be fast enough when the time comes. You will feel like you are doing something but in reality you are not helping your team at all. Don’t be the player that jogs all over and does nothing. Remember, don’t chase the ball.

Stay in Your Position

Again, do not chase the ball. Be patient. Half of the game is being in the right spot at the right time. If you are not there when your teammate needs you, you will never get the ball. Your team can not move the ball up the field or maintain possession if there is a hole in the formation. You can’t defend or win the ball back if one of you are out of your defensive shape. Most goals happen on crosses and being in the right spot when it comes to you.