and
Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today's featured "activity" is a bit different than the normal ones I write about on FineSoccer.com. Instead of being an exercise or activity it's actually a way to get organized quickly for an exercise or activity.
The first four sessions of the 2003 Full Season Youth Training Sessions are now online. To learn more about them, please go to http://www.finesoccer.com/full_season.htm
A few weeks ago, there was a Soccer Newsletter about Teammanship (see http://www.finesoccer.com/soccer_edition_174.htm). One of the things that cause problems with teams is when players have to get into small groups for various activities and they always get with the same few players. This helps to cause some separation in teams since friends always work with friends and some players feel left out. Today's activity is a game helps prevent this from happening.
This numbers game is a simple game to play and I use it as a season long game. Whenever I call out a number, the players must get into groups of that number as soon as possible. Whoever isn't in a group "loses". For example, if there are 16 players at the training session and I call out "4" the players will quickly get into 4 groups of 4. However, if I call out 3, they will get into 3 groups of 3's and one person "loses". When I first introduce this game, there might be a "punishment" for the loser, which could be something like 5 star jumps or 5 donkey kicks. Real quickly the players learn that whenever they hear a number, they grab whoever is closest to them without regard for whether it's a "friend" or "foe".
This is a great way to get players to work with different teammates throughout a training session or season. It even works with larger numbers (if you want to split 16 players into 11 and 5 just yell "11" and those 11 become the first group right away. If a player wants to be in the group of 11 they will do so and if they don't that is their decision (this is a great way to figure out who wants to do things because the players will frequently figure out what you are thinking with the numbers and will get into the bigger group quickly to participate.
Sometimes I will assign players into the groups but other times I will yell out the number and let the players do it, which saves time and avoids potential conflicts.
Next time you need to break your teams, play the numbers game and see how many potential problems you can avoid.
Any questions, comments or suggestions should be sent to Lawrence@finesoccer.com or they can be posted on the FineSoccer Forum at
http://finesoccer.net
To subscribe to any of the FineSoccer Newsletters, please go to http://finesoccer.com/subscrib.htm
Have a great day!
Lawrence
Check out the FineSoccer Forum at http://www.finesoccer.net
Welcome to the Soccer Newsletter. Today's subject deals with playing offense and defense.
First, the Full Season Training Sessions are back for their third year with a major twist! Instead of showing how an older, college program runs it's training sessions, this years sessions will be with two youth teams (one girls and one boys). To learn more about the new Full Season Training Sessions, please go to http://www.finesoccer.com/full_season.htm. If you are more interested in the older ages, the 2002 sessions are still available from this page as well.
I have run a number of camps this summer and the one thing that always amazes me is if I ask young players what position they play many respond by saying either "I play defense" or "I play offense". Until we can break people of this mindset that they either play offense or defense we will continue to struggle to develop total soccer players.
With most high-level teams, the forwards establish the first line of defense. They are the ones who will dictate what part of the field the team will defend in, whether the team will play high pressure or low pressure, whether the ball will be forced wide or towards the middle and much, much more. However, if the forwards think their job is simply to play offense, the team will be unsuccessful.
True keepers know that they are frequently their team's first line of attack. When they make a save or have the ball in their position, rather than thinking that their job is done, they realize that they simply make the transition from being the last line of defense to the first line of attack and work to try to either penetrate the opposition with a pass or they look to maintain possession in some way.
Teams who separate their players in training on a regular basis so that the defending players work on one thing and the attacking players work on something different will struggle in games because they wont know how to work together as a team. An example might be that if the forwards are wanting to receive the ball with their backs to the goal by checking back to the ball and the backs on their team weren't involved in this type of training, how will the backs know when or where to serve the ball into? There are different skills involved in playing in back vs. playing upfront (for example, the forwards might spend more time working on turning with the ball and getting a quick shot than the backs and the backs might spend more time working on driving a ball to the feet of a player checking back to the ball) but if they don't do this type of training together they will fail as a team.
Also, one of the best ways for a marking back to understand how to defend against a forward is for her to play some as a forward. A great way to learn how the opposing player will react in a given situation is to get the opportunity yourself to play in that given situation. A back that is an accomplished dribbler with the ball will know what the opposing forward might do when the opponent is dribbling at her. A back that has never played up front won't have as good an idea.
Lastly, the player who is a back for her current team might be asked to be a midfielder or forward for her next team and the absolute last thing a coach wants to hear is "I don't know how to play up there". The well-rounded soccer player will, in most cases, be the successful soccer player.
Give your players the opportunity to succeed by exposing them to various roles on a field during games and in training and start to really develop the total soccer player.
Any questions, comments or suggestions should be sent to Lawrence@finesoccer.com or they can be posted on the FineSoccer forum at http://finesoccer.net
To subscribe to any of the FineSoccer Newsletters, please go to http://finesoccer.com/subscrib.htm
Have a great day!
Lawrence
Check out the FineSoccer Forum at http://www.finesoccer.net
FineSoccer Drill 167
Here is an interesting activity that works on spreading the field offensively while also staying compressed defensively.
Break the field into three sections as shown in the diagram below. The size of the field will depend upon the numbers of players available but the bigger the better.
The basic rule is that the offensive team must have at least one player in all three sections of the field at all times. It's not a case of a designated player staying wide but rather players must be aware at all times to see if there is a player wide on each side and if not, than they must cover the space. At the same time that the offensive team must be spread out, the defensive team must stay compact. The rule for the defense is that when the ball is in the middle zone, all defenders must be in the middle zone. If the ball is in a wide zone, defenders can be in the middle zone and that wide zone. See the two diagrams below for examples (X's have the ball)
There has to be a short period of time for players to shift properly and as an example of a coach wanting the players to play the game rather than do a drill, if an outside player makes a run to get to a cross and in doing so scores a goal BUT leaves the outside zone open, the goal counts because you want them to understand the benefits of doing things the right way.
This game is an excellent way to teach spacing and balance both offensively and defensively.
Give this game a try and let me know what you think on the FineSoccer Forum
Have a great day!
Lawrence
Welcome to the Soccer Newsletter. Today's subject deals with "calling" for the ball.
First, because of a number of emails I have received recently asking for help with getting quality soccer equipment at a good price, FineSoccer.com will now offer to sell all Kwik Goal equipment at a 25% discount from Kwik Goals suggested retail price. To learn more please go to http://finesoccer.com/kwik_goal.htm.
If your team is on offense and you want the ball, there are three basic ways to "call" for the ball. First is the obvious one. If Mary has the ball and you are her teammate and want the ball you can verbally call for the ball. The two most common things to call would be either her name "Mary" or "ball". The problem with this is neither is specific enough. If Mary hears three players yelling "Mary" or "ball" it doesn't help her know exactly what these players want and even if she assumes they want her to pass them the ball, it doesn't tell her where they are or where they want it. Instead of just calling "Mary" it's much more specific if the call is "square left" which tells her that she has the option of passing the ball square toward her left. Or the ball could be "Mary back" which lets her know she has the option of passing the ball back to a teammate. By adding this second word to the call, it makes the decision making process for the player on the ball much easier.
The second way to call for the ball is nonverbally. A player could clap her hands to get the players attention, or they could wave for the ball, or simply by making eye contact with the player on the ball, it could let them know to pass the ball. The problem with this type of non-verbal communication is if the player on the ball has her head down or isn't looking in the general direction of the player using non-verbal communication, it's ineffective.
The third way to call for the ball is also non-verbally but is different enough to make a separate category for. This would be by making a run. It's amazing how making a hard sprint can draw the attention of the player on the ball and let them know you want the ball. If you are playing right midfield and want the ball played into the corner for you to run onto, you can call for the ball to be played there, point there for the non-verbal communication or make a hard run there which will really show the player on the ball what you want and where you are going.
If you are on the field and want a pass from a teammate, the real key is to do at least two if not all three of these methods for "calling" for the ball. Combining verbal, non-verbal and runs to ask for the pass is the most effective way to either get the ball, or create space for another teammate to get the ball.
Also, it's important to realize that even if you do two or three of these methods to call for the ball, there are 10 other players on the field who also want the ball so don't get discouraged the first time you make a hard run for the ball, pointing where you want it played, verbally calling for the ball and you don't receive it. Just do it again and the next time you might get the ball.
Any question, comments or suggestions should be sent to Lawrence@finesoccer.com or they can be posted on the FineSoccer Forum at
http://finesoccer.net. To subscribe to any of the FineSoccer Newsletters,
please go to http://finesoccer.com/subscrib.htm
Have a great day!
Lawrence
PS Here is a comment written about SoccerAtEase (for more on SoccerAtEase please go to http://finesoccer.com/socceratease.htm) "I just wanted to let you know that I purchased your book for my entire U13 boys team after reading it myself. We had our team meeting last week and reviewed the book. It was amazing how well they comprehended and retained the information. I think this is a credit to the format in which you wrote the book. Hopefully it will help them continue to improve both individually and as a team. Thanks for all your contributions to myself and other coaches! Best regards, Tim McDonald"
Check out the FineSoccer Forum at http://www.finesoccer.net
FineSoccer Drill 166
Here is a simple passing game that works on passing, receiving, movement, vision and communication.
Assuming there are 12 players involved in this activity (more or less will work), have the players start in 4 groups spread out in the 4 corners of a square (see diagram below)
The first player in lines 1 and 3 start with a ball. Line 1 passes to Line 2 and then sprints to the back of Line 2. Line 2 passes (one touch) back to Line 1 and sprints to the back of Line 1. At the same time that this is taking place, Lines 3 and 4 work together passing one touch and switching lines. See diagram below for an example of the movement
By having the criss-crossing runs and passes, it forces the players to keep their heads up and think in terms of proper pacing of passes and changing speeds in their runs in order to not hit a player with a pass (or not to get hit with a pass).
Next we add a third ball which gets passed around the back of the square. The ball gets passed from the last person in Line 1 to the last person in Line 3. While the pass goes clockwise, the person who passes the ball goes counter clockwise. This continues around the back of the lines of the square. See diagram below
The only way for this to work is for all players to concentrate and communicate and keep their heads up at all times. It takes some practice to get this to work but really does work on concentration, passing, receiving, communication and movement
Give this a try and let me know what you think on the FineSoccer Forum
Have a great day!
Lawrence
Welcome to the Soccer Newsletter. Today's newsletter is actually an email I received and am reprinting (with the authors permission although the author has requested her name not be included). I would love it if you would read it and give your opinions on 'teamsmanship".
Dear Lawrence:
I also wanted to tell you about a disturbing phone
conversation I had this morning. My daughter is on a premier team in the
third division, in a state in the Midwest. Tryouts are over, but we haven't
started pre-season practices with the new team, yet. A girl (who I will call
Sam to protect her identity), had been on the team last year, but didn't try
out again. In fact, she hadn't come to the last practices and games of the
spring season. I called her mother (a month later than I should have)
just to say "goodbye" and say that it had been a pleasure getting to meet
and know them while she was on the team, and that we would miss her. Her
mother thanked us for the call and then really opened up about why we hadn't
seen her during the last half of the spring season.
The team that our girls played together on is
rather new. The team in her age group started 2 years ago -- my daughter
made the team the year it started. Sam tried out and made the team for its
second year. That year, the coach took only 3 new players - Sam being one of
them. It is not difficult to see that the team is divided into cliques and
the cliques within the team are usually made up according to the schools the
girls attended. They all played together, but whenever there was a lull in
the practices or when they were asked to pick a partner and warm up, they
almost always gravitated to their schoolmates or longtime friends. They
rarely partnered with someone new.
My daughter goes to school with only one other
player. Sam has no one from her school on the team. Apparently, as the
season progressed, some of the more socially aggressive girls on the team
decided they didn't like her. For merely the "sport" of it, they went out of
their way to pick on her and make Sam feel more and more isolated and
inferior. I have to admit that I noticed how often she was "alone."
Apparently their disapproval and cruelty was the "kiss of death" and most of
the girls on the team would rarely talk to her or partner with her. They
frequently criticized her during practices and games, and held her to a
higher standard (than they did their "friends"), immediately pointing out
any mistakes she made or at least blaming her for things that went wrong.
They made mean comments to her under their breath so she, and the
surrounding players, could hear, but made sure the coach couldn't, and so
on. Sam's mother said it wasn't everyone on the team, just most of them.
There were about 3 players, including my daughter, who were nice to her.
Since they weren't part of the big cliques, and they weren't included in the
sneaky bullying, they unfortunately didn't grasp the extent of Sam's
isolation, pain, and frustration. Neither did the coach until it was too
late. A few selfish girls literally drove her off the team. My daughter and
one other girl have also been a victim of the team's primadonnas, bullies
and their minions -- the other girl had been driven off the team after the
first season. I am glad my daughter is just too stubborn to let "them" win.
It is really sad that the social leaders on the team lacked character and
maturity, and allowed their behavior to damage the effectiveness of the team
by sabotaging the self confidence of some of its players. When players don't
feel "safe" and supported by their teammates, they can never extend
themselves, take risks, and grow as players.
My daughter is just starting 9th grade (as are most
players on the team). Many parents of girls this age know that, socially,
this is a difficult age. Girls can be very manipulative and mean as they
jockey for social position during the middle school and early high school
years (6th - 10th grades). This is also compounded by lack of maturity and
sensitivity for what isolation and cruelty can do to another child.
Because the social cliques within the team never opened
up and accepted some of the team members, or because they never left their
social hierarchy
behind them when they came to practices and games, the team was destined to
mediocrity. We never climbed the division levels like we could have.
We played with inconsistency. We lost to, or tied, teams we should have
beaten. Sure we won our share of games, but we never achieved our potential.
We never gelled as a team and as a "family".
Unfortunately young teens sometimes mistakenly
perceive kids that are socially aggressive as leaders, when they are not.
And so the "sheep" on the team follow these bullies, these charismatic
screw-ups, down the wrong path (apparently they would rather be their allies
than stand up to them and risk being the target of their ridicule). How can
parents and coaches teach kids and young athletes what true leaders really
are?
The true leaders are the ones who lead by example, not
by criticism. True leaders share or take the blame when things go wrong.
True leaders help build their teammates confidence by supporting and
encouraging them so they feel safe to try their hardest and risk making
mistakes sometimes as they grow as players. True leaders don't make
criticisms, they make "suggestions" and these are done in a non-threatening
way. True leaders don't tolerate teammates ganging up on other teammates.
True leaders try to raise the level of play on the team by always playing
their hardest - they come to practices and games ready to play and they
leave social baggage behind them. True leaders raise the team morale by
trying to be a positive influence on their teammates and by never giving up,
never pouting, never feeling jealous of another players success, and by
being quick to give credit when credit is due.
Sam is a tall strong girl who has a gentle quiet nature
yet she could be very aggressive and effective on the field. I noticed
through the season that she played with us, that she never seemed to play to
her potential. Now I know why.
Could you please touch on the subject of "teamsmanship?"
Teamsmanship (as opposed to sportsmanship) is the art of being the best
teammate a player can be. The reasons are obvious, yet too little emphasis
is put on this as parents and coaches work to develop young players as
athletes. They should also be thinking about developing them into young
adults with character. I can't imagine the number of talented young athletes
that may have dropped out of a sport because of the social climate on the
team. What a loss. Unfortunately, so much of what is done, is done "under
the radar" of the coaches - they never know what is going on because kids
can be sneaky. They don't want the coach to hear their nasty comments to
their teammates. Plus, kids often don't tell the coach when they are being
picked on because they are afraid of being a tattle-tale, looking weak, or
they are just plain embarrassed that they are a victim. I guess the coaches
have to look for the warning signs: If someone often needs help finding a
partner. If someone starts missing practices and games. If they seem more
quiet or always standing to the side of the groups of teammates when they
gather in the down time. If they consistently "play it too safe" on the
field and don't seem to grow or are afraid to take risks or be aggressive.
Lawrence, I am sure that you can think of many more warning signs.
Hopefully you will find this story worthy of
being the subject of one of your helpful newsletters. I am sure you can
offer a lot of insight and guidance to the coaches and players out there. I
really feel this is important and that it is not addressed by coaches as
often as it should be. As I said before, "teamsmanship" can mean the
difference between a great team and a mediocre team, regardless of the
caliber of athletes that are on the team. If you have already covered this
topic before I became a subscriber, I would appreciate it if you could give
me the link to that archived newsletter.
Thanks so much for your time and consideration. We
really look forward to your future newsletters.
Sincerely, a concerned parent.
Any comments, questions or suggestions can be
sent to Lawrence@finesoccer.com
or they can be posted to the newly reopened FineSoccer Forum at
http://finesoccer.net
To subscribe to any of the FineSoccer Newsletters, please go to
http://finesoccer.com/subscrib.htm
Have a great day!
Lawrence
FineSoccer Drill 165
Here is a fun heading game that requires control with the head and let's players work on proper technique while enjoying themselves.
Start with 5 players in a group. 4 are lined up close together and one is 5 yards away with a ball. See diagram below for the basic set up
Player one throws the ball (softly) to player two who heads the ball back to player one. Player two then goes behind player 5. Player one then heads the ball to player 3 who has stepped forward. Player 3 heads the ball back to player 1 and then goes to the back of the line. The objective is to see how many consecutive headers a group can get in a 1 (or 2) minute period. Any time the ball drops to the ground, a new player replaces player 1 and player 1 goes to the back of the line. See diagram below
Players will work on controlling headers, movement, communication all while having a great deal of fun. If you have 15 players at a training session, have them compete in 3 groups to see who can get the highest number of consecutive headers. Before you know it, the players will enjoy practicing heading!
Any questions, comments or suggestions should be sent to lawrence@finesoccer.com or they can be posted on the FineSoccer Forum
Have a great day!
Lawrence
We would like to thank Lawrence Fine and FineSoccer.com for allowing us to publish this article on the NASL website. Please visit http://www.FineSoccer.com and sign up for Lawrence's free coaching newsletters and articles.
Created:
12/20/99
Last Updated:
03/26/07
Since
February 24, 1999
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