D.O.C. Message-It is Game Time!

It has been an exciting fall already; teams have been accepted to play in the Iowa State Cup tournament, the U13A team won the 2007 Elkhorn Fall Soccer Festival earlier this month, the unification of CBYSA and CBFC has produced an academy that has 70, under 10 boys, and 70, under 10 girls being trained by Brad Silvey, and other CBFC coaches, and everyone is finding success on the training and match pitch. It is a joy for me to be up on the Kirn fields 2-3 times a week and watch our coaches develop themselves and their players. There are many great things going on in this community and CBFC is one of them.

As I receive feeback from parents and players about their experiences with the club, it is generally positive and/or constructive and rarely negative. I applaud the CBFC families for understanding that we are in the developmental stages of building a soccer community that will endure the early stages for the good of the long term development. The hard part for us to sometimes grasp is that we have unpaid coaches that are trying to learn and develop at an accelerated pace. We forget that these are people that may have never played the game and are learning soccer for the first time through the experiences as a coach. I would like to remind everyone that the focus for now is to develop members of our community to be great coaches for years to come and not to hire coaches that are here for a monthly paycheck that may just get up and leave after a few years in our community. We are investing in the future by going through the bumps and bruises of the developmental years...so far, so good if you ask me. Sometimes we have a difficult time understanding why our coaches do what they do and to be honest sometimes we simply just disagree. This is healthy and good for our growth. It seems that everyday I open an email with a suggestion on how to improve the club, a coach or our vision. Honestly, it is discouraging at times. However, I have always invisioned that this club would take ten years to be a powerhouse in the metro area. We are barely past two years in to the process and I think we are beyond 30% of the way towards being where I saw us being in 2015. Back to the coaches developing over time and the soccer family learning to deal with different coaches and mentalities...

...I sent an article to all of our coaches titled "Game Day Coaching" by Pat McCarry. I wanted to share the article with you so you can compliment the "Game Day" experience by preparing your children for the day to "show off to mom and dad."

Focus: Coaching 0 Agcs: U-IS and younger
Game Day Coaching
The weekend contest should be viewed
as an extension of the weekday training sessions
By Pat McCarry
Director of Professional Development
U.K. Elite Soccer

The weekend soccer game at the youth level should be viewed as the second or third coaching session of the week, not as an independent entity It is a wonderful opportunity to observe how effective our training sessions have been up to that point, specifically those that have been delivered in the previous week. For example, if we have been working on passing and movement in training but see no evidence of it during the game then we know that we need to reinforce and supplement our work in this area. Thus our primary consideration is continual development.
With long-term development in mind, the coach should produce a flexible, season-long plan that ensures sharply focused timing sessions and continuity between sessions, Each practice should build on the previous ones — reinforcing what has already been covered, and the game should be an integral pan of that “coaching unit” (i.e. keeping possession). There is a temptation to coach everything on game day However, if the coach does not remain focused on this key unit, why should the players? If the players do not focus on the key unit, how can we assess learning?
Unfortunately within the frenzied excitement of game day it is all too easy to be caught up in the thrill of winning. The coach sometimes Feels judged on his/her record of wins and losses and this can undoubtedly affect their approach towards the game. This often manifests itself in a risk- free “kick the ball hard and chase” philosophy which may be supported by an unknowledgeable parent audience. Worse still, one may see the hysterical berating of young children which so often accompanies a results-driven approach. Of course, this strategy may win games in the short term but it will surely hinder the longer term development and enjoyment of the players.

Game day is an exciting experience for everyone concerned, but it first and foremost is about the children. Parents should have a simple but important role to play: they should constantly encourage and cheer for their team. Their role is to support, not coach, the players. This should be made clear from the start of the season; otherwise the children are exposed to too much conflicting, subjective and varied instruction.

THE WARMUP
On game day the players should arrive at a set time period before kickoff so that they can prepare physically and mentally for the game. The coach should find a suitable area — preferably Free of distractions -- and have the players perform some activities with a ball before they stretch a little. At the youth level it is not necessary to spend a great deal of time stretching, but a basic routine will educate the players in good habits.
Some teams like to have a set warm-up structure that includes some passing and shooting, while others prefer to tailor their warmup to the theme of the week, which may be defending, passing, shooting etc. Either way the routine should increase in intensity as game time gets closer. During this time the coach also should take the opportunity to talk to individuals as necessary with respect to their role for that game.

PREGAME INSTRUCTION
Before the game begins it is important to take five minutes to deliver clear, simple pre-game instructions.
During this time the players are notified of the starting lineup and are given three key points as to what the team will attempt to do. Any more than this will overload the young players. They also should be told to go out and really enjoy the game and to do their best for their team.

COACHING THE GAME
The first 10 minutes of the game should be used to observe as much as possible. Let the children play and get into the flow of the game. If you are over-coaching and too involved at this point, you will not be objective in your observation. Points to consider during this observation:
• Are the players attempting to carry our your instructions with relation to the theme of the week?
• Are they maintaining their basic shape as a team as they move up and down the field?
At a more advanced level you also would be looking at your opponent’s formation, style of play strengths and weaknesses. However, at this age the main factors for winning are typically not tactical but more linked to athleticism (speed and strength), basic skills and technique. With this in mind if a match-up between two players clearly is biased in the opposition’s favor, you may consider a positional change. A player often develops quickly when playing against someone who is slightly stronger, but loses confidence against someone clearly superior.
The temptation for most youth coaches is to over-coach during the game and give the players too much information to assimilate. They simply are too involved. This is particularly the case when the player in possession of the ball is being coached. The coach should never address this player or be making their decisions for them (though it can be tempting!). For instance, there is no educational value in shouting “Pass! Pass to a player dribbling up the field. If he or she passes after our dictate, what does that tell us about the learning process? We will be more effective by speaking calmly and concisely to players who are not immediately involved in the play or after they have just made a play. It also can be good practice to instruct players when the ball is out of bounds. In this way they are listening to you and understanding you rather than making every single play based on your demands.

Throughout the game it is essential that the coach remain positive with the players despite any frustrations. The children are at a sensitive age and seek the approval of adults. Negative, discouraging comments will adversely affect their level of enjoyment. This is not appropriate. Neither is it appropriate for the coach to direct negative comments toward the officials. The referee has a tough enough job without being criticized by the coach. Coaches should try to respect all decisions of referees with a sense of calm detachment, which will then be followed by the players.
The coach is without doubt a role model for the children whether he/she likes it or not. The choice is whether to be a positive or negative role model. Whichever way the children will begin to emulate the coach’s behavior.

HALFTIME INSTRUCTION game may give the player an opportunity to develop his/her all-round

At halftime it is important to give the players a couple of minutes to take a drink, rest and compose themselves before speaking to them. Your instructions can be a combination of what the team is doing well and what the team should look to improve upon. At this point you also may choose to address some of the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses — with a view to encouraging problem-solving. Again, he careful not to overload the players. Individual coaching can take place immediately before the players enter the field for the second half. Send the players out with a positive, motivational statement, not an ultima tum. Remember, they should he playing for fun and development.

SUBSTITUTING PLAYERS
At this age the players all should be receiving playing time and also should at some point during the season have opportunities to start the game. This ensures that the weaker players have the necessary time to develop and retain a healthy degree of confidence. When substitut ing players, ensure that those going into the game have been warmed up and spoken to regarding their role and how it relates to the team’s objectives.

Those coming out also should be spoken to regarding their perfor mance. This is best done after they have taken a drink and have com posed themselves. Begin with a positive statement, give them feedback as to what they may have done better, then end with an encouraging comment. This form of communication has been termed the “feedback sandwich.” It is designed to improve the player while keeping self- esteem and confidence intact.

When considering a substitution policy, it should be remembered that it takes time to adjust to a position. Playing two positions during a
game. However, to place the player in more than two positions during one game can be very confusing at this age, or indeed at any age.
THE ROLE OF THE BENCH

There is a temptation at this age for the players to completely “switch off” when they are not involved in the game. This behavior can range from complete disinterest in the game to acti’ities that are distracting to coaches and players alike. The children should be encouraged to take a drink after being substituted and then stand to. gether on the sideline, near enough to the coach that he/she can speak to them about the game. Their role should be twofold: first to take an active interest in the game and second to cheer for their teammates. The coach could even give them a specific area to focus on, e.g. what is the highest number of consecutive passes that our team makes before losing possession?
Active observation will develop the children’s understanding of the game and also will foster team spirit. If this is implemented, their rest time will be well spent.

POST-GAME COMMZNTS
After the players have shaken hands with the opposition, sit them down and allow them to compose themselves and take a drink. Take this opportunity to address the successes and weaknesses of the game, especially relating to the theme of the week. Most of all send the players away with some positive comments and a smile on their faces. Enjoyment is paramount.

CONCLUSION
The most effective youth coaches:

Do Not...
Become negative
Command players without explanation
Substitute without thought or reason
“Pigeon hole’ players
Berate officials or players
Look to blame anyone
Let frustrations show
Coach players in possession
Presume players know how they performed
Measure achievement solely by results

Do...
Remain positive
Guide players
Have a substitution policy
Vary positions
Respect opponents
Speak to substituted players
Coach players without the ball
Keep things in perspective
Enjoy themselves
Accept decisions calmly for events on the field
It is essential that we understand that in soccer, particularly, the game is the best teacher. Vie, the coaches and trainers, are facilitators whose main work is predominantly done in practice and certainly be fore the game begins. The perfect team performance that we strive for will rarely occur, so let’s be realistic and celebrate the smaller successes as they unfold, regardless of the final result.
Soccer journal September/October 2007

I also find it worthy to note that by having the parents know what is expected of the coaches on game days will help our coaches be accountable for proper game day nurturing and tradition. It also allows the parents to take note in how much the coaches truly care about their players development as well as their own maturation as coaches.

Lastly, I would like to remind all of us that the coaches are to coach at training and allow the players to perform what they have learned at training. The best example of what it should be like is this:

Assume that your child is preparing to be in a play. They have practice and recitals and practice some more. The child does not learn their entire part in one practice, nor does he/she learn a single part perfectly in one practice. But we let the instructor instruct and patiently wait for the big openeing day. Even then the child might miss some lines or steps. The instructor does not get up and yell at the kid, but instead briefly helps them remember their line after they have tried on their own. I think we would all agree that a play would loose its attraction if the instructor was hopping around on stage and telling the kids their lines and where they need to be all of the time. The same is true in soccer, it is free flowing, they players are to repeat game like situations and skills in training until they are so familiar with them that it comes natural to them in games. The sport is not a coaches sport, the coach should sit back, relax and make substitutions and adjustments by briefly reminding players what their goal is that day. Or reminding a player of a simple rule when there is an infraction. "Game Day" is the big opening day and more importantly the last "game day" should have the same feel because every training, scrimmage, juggle and game has led up to the last game day. Our kids are doing well, can their be improvement? YES! That is the beauty of soccer, you are never done improving. The true hope is that these players and coaches grow over time so their final performance is well reheased and remains magical.