Competition and Children

Is competition good for children in activities and sports? Children engage in competitive endeavors on a daily basis, whether we call attention to it or not. How many times have we seen a group of kids chasing one another on the playground playing tag? During these games children are competing against one another in order to get, or not get, tagged. How many times have we seen a child on the monkey bars trying to get past the third bar in a series of eight bars leading to the other side? The child gets to the third bar and falls, then tries repeatedly to get past that bar. He competes over and over again against himself and his personal best until he reaches further, or decides he does not want to try anymore. In sports children compete all the time, whether coaches stress it or not. For example, consider a child playing a soccer game against another team. Each participant is competing in order to attain some reward; whether it is a goal, a joyful feeling of playing the game, pleasing mom or dad, or winning.

In each of these examples children are competing. While the soccer example makes it easy to spot competition, the first two examples show children competing spontaneously against someone or against themselves. Moreover, in each example the competition yields successes and failures; from the child on the monkey bars making it to the fourth bar then quitting, to the youth soccer player losing the game or feeling great having just played soccer for 50 minutes. It is our role as coaches and parents to teach kids that there is a healthy way to approach competition. An appropriate and healthy way to approach competition is to help kids see that it is more about getting better and improving than winning at all costs.

Achievement Goal Theory is commonly used by sports researchers to investigate and explain children’s competitive approaches in sport. The theory basically states that coaches create climates that either suggest that you are successful when you are winning or beating others, or that you are successful when you are improving or getting better. These are extremes as most of us involved with children likely stress both. However, the research would suggest that there are a whole host of benefits for stressing one over another in a competitive situation.

The basic idea is that a coach who stresses things such as trying hard, attempting skills or getting up after being knocked down during competition will be developing players that believe their success is due to effort (as opposed to innate ability that can’t be changed), players that persist (as opposed to those that quit), and players that ultimately will enjoy the game more (as opposed to those that say this “stinks”). Whereas a coach that stresses winning (with words or those pesky nonverbal gestures like a head shrug or hands thrown up in the air) will be developing kids that get anxious, may cheat to win, get frustrated and will not enjoy it if they do not win. Of course, striving for a win and discussing winning isn’t inherently bad, but think about it. Oftentimes winning is not in your control, especially in soccer. Let’s play out a scenario.

Team A has five great games in a row and loses all of them 1-0. The coach, thinking he was doing a service to the kids, says, “Why did you do that? That’s not going to help you win,” or “Get out there and win,” or “If you don’t win don’t even come over here at the end of the game.” Then the kids lose. Instead of telling the kids, “Hey, great job working hard we’ll get them next time,” the coach shrugs his shoulders and says, “You didn’t care enough to win.” Or, he says “You didn’t work hard enough to win.” Or the extreme says nothing and gestures for them to get out of here (don’t say you haven’t seen something like that).

The truth is very few kids will have the wherewithal to deal with that type of pressure. Those kids are likely the ones with high ability (very good players who, let’s be honest, at the younger ages are bigger stronger and faster and as a result have high confidence and more success in many cases anyway) or have parental support that suggests, “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get ‘em next time.” A more likely occurrence, is that the coaches’ behavior, if it persists, will drive many kids away from the game. The reason is that by placing emphasis on the win it takes a lot of control away from the player. This leads to higher anxiety, less confidence because he or she is not pleasing the coach and, at the end of the day, more questions in the child’s mind like, “Why would I subject myself to this when I can be doing other things.”

So what does all this mean to people who work with children in sports? While some will sit out there and condemn youth sports for being too competitive too early, or all about winning and losing, the truth is it can be a real opportunity to teach children valuable ways to approach competition; namely with the goal of working hard, focusing on getting better and having fun while doing both. Winning is always going to be in the equation, and I say good. When children lose and are upset about it, which they might be, it can be explained that it is ok to want to win but winning is sometimes out of their control and that in order to be successful they can try to work hard on the skills that it takes to win games. If you have ultra competitive kids, for example my son who hurls Candyland figurines across the room after a loss, it takes time. But ultimately youth sports can be the ideal place to teach and mold these behaviors as life is a series of wins and losses, and if we can promote the attitude to keep on chugging it is a good thing.

Dr. Lee Hancock is a USSF A licensed coach, professor in the Kinesiology Department at CSUDH in California, and sport psychology consultant for youth, college and professional athletes, teams and coaches. If you would like to contact Lee e-mail him at Lchancock@gmail.com or visit his Web site at www.developmentalsolutions.net .

Bumper Cars

Generally I just post things about soccer. Well, here it comes, me on the boys trip to Seattle. We laughed so much simply because... who rides bumper cars any more? We were at the space needle, saw it and couldn't pass it up. Enjoy the sillyness. featured: Bobby Ginn and Brandon Haug

Q & A with Chelsea FC Academy Director

In a recent article found in Success In Soccer Magazine they asked the Youth Academy of Chelsea FC a multitude of questions regarding the academy and its welfare...

One of the questions was this:

What are some improvements that could be made here (in reference to the England based academy, not the Florida based academy) in England?

Neil Bath Replied:

Any problems we have are not with the Charter itself, but with those entrusted to execute its philosophies. There are more, but two elements that should be addressed are hypocrisy and the overemphasis on athleticism.

In regard to hypocrisy, there are those who forsake the development of a player in order to achieve results on match day. Too many times I have seen other academies play it safe during a youth match by sending the ball forward and not giving their players an opportunity to build out of the back or challenge their technical skills in their own half. These players will ultimately suffer because of this. This actually feeds into the other issue I see, which is the selection of a young player for his athletic potential versus his ability to play football (soccer). A common approach should apply here. I'm an admirer of Spanish football, and when I see their better players I know I'm witnessing the game as we preach in the charter: a group that moves effectively, with and without the ball, and glides along the pitch. Of course a better athlete can make a better soccer player, but to have the physical characteristics be the final determinan tis risky and ultimately ineffective. Here at Cobham we seek balance and build it whenever the situation allows.

Recent Article in Success in Soccer Magazine

I read the following article in Success in Magazine. It is always nice to know that even the most well funded, and most experienced clubs/programs have similar ongoing issues that Infinity SC and other clubs in Utah have. I have highlighted things that seem to be issues in nearly every club I've ever encountered.

The evolution of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy

Part 3: The road ahead: Combating threats to youth development
by Pat Johnston, Success in Soccer contributing writer

The U.S. Soccer Development Academy can only be labeled a success to date. In trading its originally passive role for a much more proactive one, U.S. Soccer has done a excellent job of getting its objectives across. One of its biggest accomplishments has been to rein in the over scheduling rampant in American youth soccer, making each game meaningful and providing elite players with true challenges. Another advance has been to create greater player movement within dubs, which has made it possible for club directors to control player development with much greater precision.

These are just the highlights of what the Academy's curriculum has achieved for U.S. players and their coaches and clubs. Other benefits that are a direct by product of its involvement in the scene include more routine scouting by college and professional coaches, training regimens prescribed and monitored by the best U.S. coaches, enhanced instruction and assessment provided by corporate sponsors, and the list goes on. Meanwhile, despite high Iy selective criteria for entry, the Academy has undergone impressive growth, adding 16 new clubs to its initial roster of 63 clubs plus the U.S. Residency Program. (For more details on the Academy's creation and evolution, see SIS 4/09 and 5/09.)

Future Challenges

In the previous issue, we discussed some of the obstacles the Academy now faces, such as the costs associated with registration, professional coaching, travel, etc., and the geographical challenges posed by running a nationwide league in a nation as large as the U.S. While these issues have not yet been totally resolved, the progress that has been made on them so far has been extremely encouraging. However, these are all comparatively straight forward problems based on controllable factors, making it relatively easy for Academy personnel to conceive and execute a plan to remedy them.

U.S. Soccer's efforts have given elite youth players the opportunity to play in more meaningful matches.

The human element, on the other hand, is a complex issue that will require exceptional patience and attention on an ongoing basis. In the history of soccer there have already been many clubs and organizations that have put development-based curriculums in place, and all too often these curriculums have gone by the wayside to satisfy people who lacked an understanding of the bigger picture: parents, coaches and/or board members who valued the result above all else, even though they professed to be proponents of player development. Not surprisingly, this type of hypocritical behavior is just as much a problem for the Academy as it is for every other soccer organization. The Academy has already revoked the membership of one club to date, and several others are under review for failing to adhere to the philosophies and practices that were outlined to them as requirements when they were accepted as participants. To realize the Academy's ambition of player development, all those responsible for executing its philosophies and principles must adhere to the spirit of the charter. While it is always necessary to play to win from the standpoint of attitude, tactics may not necessarily be what is best for the result. Truly embracing player development means setting aside ego and doing what is best for the players in the long run.

No one is immune

The failure to follow through on player development is not limited to anyone club, league or even country-for example, Neil Bath of Chelsea's Academy says that he has witnessed it within his league, and I can confirm his statement from personal experience. Having witnessed one of England's "big four" academies from the inside and in competition, I can unequivocally say that coaches, even at the elite level, do not always practice what they preach. On a crisp Sunday morning in April, I watched a match between a pair of U9 academy teams from the English Premier League, and what I saw was extremely disappointing. These youngsters-some of England's best simply hoofed the ball every time it came to their feet. And to make matters worse, there was no instruction from the sidelines to do otherwise.

Winning a championship is always a great accomplishment, but youth coaches, players and parents need to remember that development comes first!

Why was this happening? The answer is simple: The safe and direct path to the opponent's net was the easiest way to extract the desired match result from the day's competition. I had visited the same academy in February and heard the directors describe their ambition of making these players "artisans," but now it seemed that everything I had heard was mere lip service. When I moved to the next field, I was able to watch the U11s doing exactly the same thing. Ironically enough, at the conclusion of that match I overheard the losing coach tell his comrades that his side had lost because the winning side had "forsaken all semblance of development"! I couldn't help laughing, because as I watched the game, his side was matching the opposition hoof for hoof. But of course, it was convenient for him to blame the result on his opponents' deviation from the guiding philosophical principle of player development. Why was he discussing the result and apologizing for it, anyway? Why not talk about what his team did right and what they needed to improve on? So much for Howard Wilkinson's Charter of Quality and its influence on the development of the young English player. Here were two of England's foremost representatives of what player development should be, and they were being compromised before my very eyes.

Of course, that was just one day on the pitch, and I have no real way of knowing whether it was a typical one. My experience of hypocrisy in U.5. youth soccer, on the other hand, is much more extensive. Having spent five years coaching at a club that was recently accepted into the Academy, I have seen firsthand some of the insidious practices affecting youth soccer and the reasons behind them. One reason is that ego-driven coaches and parents are running clubs and compromising player development. They portray themselves as dedicated to the improvement of the player-all players-but in fact they are primarily concerned with results. And often their directors of coaching do not have the courage or the wherewithal to right the ship: Because their livelihoods are at stake, they have little choice but to acquiesce to a self-serving board of directors whose only interest is the success of their children's team.

Too many coaches are too dependent on the income they earn from coaching at the youth soccer level. And the perception of failure is too often associated with wins and losses. So when faced with the decision to either play it safe and kick it down the field or take the risk of putting players under pressure in their own half, a coach who's worried about the result will be inclined to take the safer path. Unfortunately, I have never seen a player improve by watching the ball sail over his head and into the opposition's half of the field. Another tactic often employed is to "soften" the schedule, skewing the results in a way that improves the ratio of wins to losses. Naturally, not having to compete game in and game out will result in a better record, but it won't facilitate an environment in which players are required to excel. These are just some examples from my personal experience as a coach. Of course the Academy is aware of this problem and has taken significant steps to remedy it, but its reach only extends so far. Will it be far enough? Only those personnel directly involved in the handling of the Academy's teams can truly say.

In conclusion

The U.5. Development Academy has made a significant impact on the elite of American youth soccer in a very brief period of time. In two years they have established the Academy as the primary pipeline through which America's best young players will travel to reach the next level.

Though it does not have all the answers, U.5. Soccer has succeeded in creating a vehicle that appeals to the group it is seeking to influence and monitor: emerging talent. It has established a league and a curriculum in which the best U.S. clubs seek to be involved, and it has created a culture that has the potential to directly influence the evolution and well being of the sport across the entire nation. The Academy's founders and current members are now in a position to help capable American players compete in domestic and international leagues at a level undreamed of just a few years ago.

While U.S. Soccer still has many hurdles to overcome in its quest to be among the world's elite, ultimately nothing it does will have any effect if it fails to deliver on its stated intentions. Academy staff need to educate and communicate to all concerned what the final product is supposed to be: not a one-dimensional decorated winner of medals who can only play right back for Soccer Club FC, but a player capable of lacing them up and performing comfortably on any pitch. And then, most importantly of all, the clubs need to actively work toward the realization of this objective- then, and only then, will the efforts of John Hackworth, Tony Lepore and all their colleagues at the Academy be realized.

Freedom

"It's never been my team, its always been the players team. Thats just how it is, the players are what get it done on the field, I just do what I can to help prepare them. It's a players game, not a coaches game. In soccer the title should be manager and/or trainer. The title of coach makes little sense. Managing a group of talented individuals to be successful, that is the goal. Having the drive to win comes from the confidence the individuals gain from being trained in highly competitive and demanding atmospheres. It is the responsibility of the players to get the win and my job to allow them the creativity to earn the win in a fashion that allows each individual to express themselves on the park. Freedom on the field, freedom in my homeland. Express yourself without consequence. Long live soccer in America."

-Jeff Ginn

Parents Seeing The Big Picture

By Jim Thompson

I have long been a fan of "The Family Circus" comic strip. Perhaps my favorite strip of all time features the family dog barking up a storm in the middle of the night. Dad, irritated that he's been awakened from a much-needed sleep, clomps down the stairs to yell at Barfy, who dutifully hangs his head. Dad climbs back up the stairs while the cartoonist has a surprise for us. He pans back so we see in the far corner of the yard a burglar retreating.

We who see the "Big Picture" know Barfy has protected his family from a burglary. The dad, seeing only the "Little Picture," is angry at being disturbed.

This comic strip can serve as a metaphor for youth sports. Youth coaches and parents are often overwhelmed by so many Little Pictures filled with barking dogs that they miss the Big Picture entirely. How our children do in any given sporting event is Little Picture. Whether they win or lose, play well or badly, laugh or whine after the game - all Little Picture.

What children take away from youth sports to help them become successful, contributing members of society is the Big Picture. Whether they remain physically active throughout life, learn to bounce back from difficulties with renewed determination, discover how to support other people within a team context - these are the Big Picture.

THE BIG PICTURE AND YOU. This book* describes a model of sports parenting that focuses relentlessly on the Big Picture. We call it the Second-Goal Parent.

There are two broad goals in youth sports: striving to win and building character so kids develop into successful, contributing members of society.

As important as winning is, Second-Goal Parents let coaches and athletes worry about the first goal of scoreboard results. Second-Goal Parents have a much more important role to play: ensuring their children take away from sports lessons that will help them be successful in life. Remember, that is the Big Picture. And attending to this is much more vital than being an extraneous backseat coach.



Now, there is nothing wrong with caring about whether your child's team wins or loses. Go ahead and care about it! Likewise, there's nothing wrong with giving pointers when your child asks for them.

But the lifelong impact you can have - that no one else can in quite the way you can - is on the life lessons your child takes away from the sports experience. No one can be there for your child in this way better than you. No one.



If you embrace your role as a Second-Goal Parent, it will transform the way you see youth sports. It will help you seize the teachable moments that will come your way again and again because you are looking for them.

What might have seemed like a disappointing loss or a failure by your child becomes an opportunity to reinforce resiliency. A tough competition in forbiddingly hot, cold, or nasty weather can prompt a conversation with your child about learning to enjoy challenges. Whether your child succeeds or fails on the playing field, you will be able to use the experiences to reinforce the kind of person you want him or her to be.



*(Excerpted from "Positive Sports Parenting: How 'Second-Goal' Parents Build Winners in Life Through Sports," the fifth book by Jim Thompson. It is available for $8.95 at www.positivecoach.org/store . Thompson is the founder of the Positive Coaching Alliance.)

For Kids Only …

By Mike Woitalla

This column is for the kids. Adults can stop reading now (but really Infinity parents... read it, but make sure your kids do too :)

Dear Soccer-Playing Children of America,

The fall season is underway and I’m hoping you’re having a great time. I’m hoping that you’re playing soccer more than you have to stand in line and do drills.

I hope you’re falling in love with the soccer ball and keep it with you as much as you can. Juggling it. Kicking it against a wall. Dribbling it around in your backyard.

And I especially hope that your parents aren’t screaming at you during your soccer games.

~view 30 second video ~


I worry that you probably do get yelled at, because that’s what I see at almost all the youth soccer games I go to. Hopefully you just ignore it. But I don’t blame you if it bothers you.

No one enjoys getting screamed at. Sure, if you start crossing the street on a red light or throw a toy at your little sister or brother, your parents are justified in raising their voices. But they shouldn’t scream at you while you’re playing a game.

If they do, it doesn’t mean they’re bad people. But, unfortunately, sports does something to adults that makes them behave in ways they usually wouldn’t.

You may have noticed this if you watch sports on TV. A coach, for example, dresses up in a fancy suit and throws tantrums like a 3-year-old.

Get adults around sports and all of a sudden they forget the same manners they try to teach you. In a way, sports are like driving. A grown-up gets behind the wheel and all of a sudden forgets you’re not supposed to pick your nose in public.

And when grown-ups go watch their children play soccer, they, for some reason, think it’s OK to scream like maniacs. Perhaps they don’t realize what they’re doing. Like the nose-pickers on the freeway who think they’ve suddenly gone invisible.

I hope you’re able to block out all the sideline noise. But maybe you do hear their shouts. Telling you when to shoot the ball, when to pass it. Ignore all that!

You need to dribble the ball. Try to dribble past players. If you’re dribbling too much, your teammates will let you know. And they’ll help you make the decision of when to pass and when to dribble.

You decide when to shoot. When you’re dribbling toward the goal and the goalkeeper is 20 yards away, and the adults are screaming at you to shoot, don’t pay attention. Because if you get closer to the goal, it will be harder for the goalkeeper to stop your shot.

One of the really cool things about my job is that I get to interview the best coaches in America. And you know what the national team coaches tell me? They say young players are far more likely to become great players if they’re allowed to make their own decisions when they play soccer.

They say that coaches should coach at practice, and when it’s game time, it’s time for the children to figure things out on their own. It’s like at school. The teachers help you learn. Your parents help you with homework. But when you get a test, you’re on your own.

That’s just an analogy. I’m not saying soccer is school! Soccer is your playtime.

I hope you have lots of playtime, on the soccer field and elsewhere. But I bet that you don’t have as much time playing without adults around as we did when we were children.

When we were kids we had summer days when we would leave the house in the morning, be only with other children all day, then see our parents when we got back in the late afternoon.

Things have changed. The reasons adults are much more involved in your activities than they were in your parents’ when they were children are complicated, and a result of your parents’ good intentions.

But sometimes we adults forget how important it is for you to play without us interfering. We love watching you play, especially on the soccer field, because it is such a wonderful sport. But we need to be reminded that it’s your playtime.

You should decide. Ignore the shouts if you can. But don’t be afraid to say, “I’m trying my best. Please, don’t scream at me.”

(Mike Woitalla, who coaches youth soccer in Northern California, is the executive editor of Soccer America. His youth articles are archived at YouthSoccerFun.com.)

~have fun watching this soccer video~

Out of the Mouths of Babes

By Emily Cohen

Driving the school or sports carpool always affords the opportunity to eavesdrop on what's really happening in kids' lives. While kids may not tell their parents about an embarrassing or unsettling experience with a teacher, a coach, or another authority figure, they'll almost certainly tell each other, especially if they're in the backseat of a car and they don't think the parent is listening.

It was just this situation in which I found myself, driving my daughter and some friends home from a soccer game. In between surfing radio stations, I heard the girls comparing the coaching styles of various coaches. One girl said to the others about a past coach, "One minute, she yelled, 'Go to the right!' The next minute, she yelled, 'Go to the left!' I was so confused, I didn't do anything. I stopped to figure out what she was telling me to do, and the girl with the ball dribbled right by me."

I laughed to myself and wondered if the coach realized that her yelling was completely counterproductive. In fact, I wonder if most coaches really think about how their bellows and screeches from the sideline, which they think of as helpful instructions, are perceived by their players.

If coaches ever stopped to ask players whether instructions yelled from the sidelines motivate the player to do what the coach wants, the collective response would be a resounding "No!"

All but two of the 15 kids — ages 7 to 17 — with whom I spoke said that their coach's yelled instructions didn't help them at all. In fact, it made it difficult to focus on what they were doing — playing soccer. And the two who did say that shouted instructions or directions by the coach helped them perform better qualified their answers by saying that they thought the coaches were trying to help but, when they thought about it, what the coach was trying to explain to them would have been better communicated off the field, during a substitution or at halftime — or, better yet, at a practice.

But enough of my interpretations. Let's hear it from the kids themselves:

"Getting yelled at by my coach isn't helpful at all because it makes it harder to concentrate. It's more difficult to control the soccer ball when someone's yelling at me."

"When the coach yells at me to mark someone or run somewhere else, I can't focus on the game. I think I make more mistakes because I was listening not playing."

"Both the coaches were screaming instructions. I tried to do what one of the coaches said, but it was hard to figure out, because the coaches were saying different things."

"I hate it when the coach screams at me to 'play better' or 'run harder.' I mean, really, I'm trying my best already and that just makes me feel worse. It doesn't make me play better or run harder."

"Most of the time, when the coach yells something to me, I saw it already and I'm trying to get there. But I can't yell that to them because I'm too busy running!"

And my personal favorite:

"I don't like it when a coach yells at me to do something because I usually figure out what to do on my own."

There it is, in a nutshell. Isn't that really what youth soccer is about? Figuring out how to play the game and gaining a sense of accomplishment from doing just that?

I wonder how many of those screaming coaches could play an hour of soccer (or play a tennis match or a run a 10K race or cycle up a steep grade) with someone yelling at them the entire time to "run harder," "cycle faster" or "play better." Most would likely lose their patience and yell back at the offender.

I just hope the next time one of them coaches a kids' soccer game, he or she thinks twice about yelling at the players and decides to just let them play.

(Emily Cohen is a freelance writer living in Berkeley, Calif. She is the mother of a son, 12, and a daughter, 9, who both play multiple sports. She has been a team manager for her children's soccer, baseball and softball teams.)

"Experiment, Take Risks, and Be Creative"

What this means and why...

Children that are allowed to experiment, take risks, and be creative with a soccer ball develop the most gifted soccer skills. Unlike other countries, the United States treats youth soccer players as if they are "robots" in the words of Eric Wynalda. Many children in the United States lack the idea of creativity in the game of soccer. They are taught to defend, pass, and shoot. There is a middle game between those three important topics... space and freedom. To pass and shoot a player needs space on the field, weather the space be 6 inches or 30 yards. Creating this space is easiest when a player is extremely comfortable with the ball at his or her feet. Quick touches, tight spins, sharp turns and instantly generated ideas can get players out of tough situations. This also seems to be what is enjoyed the most by the youth soccer players as well as any other player or spectator of the game.

Eric Wynalda is a US Soccer icon. He played for the national team, has the second most goals ever scored by an American male (behind Landon Donovan). Wynalda has been the commentator for most of the national matches until recently he spoke out about a few controversial soccer items. One of those items was about how the current soccer programs in our country are failing our kids.

Eric Wynaldas "robot" statement:

Eric Wynalda has a dream of changing the way soccer is coached and played in the United States. Eric believes, that players need to develop personalities and their own style. Players should not be over-coached, play like robots or move from team to team in search of the “perfect fit”. The perfect fit is found collectively in a group of players who are loyal to each others development and the team’s progress.

Experimenting at its finest...
...here's another fun video for the kids to watch it is of Christiano Rinaldo. FIFA, the governing body of soccer, named Christiano Rinaldo the FIFA player in the year 2008.

Enjoy

An email to the u10 Parents & Players from Coach Jeff Ginn

U10 Parents, Players & Coaches,

Thursday the u10 Girls had a scrimmage. In that scrimmage the premier team was having their way with the respected younger U9 team that they were training with/against. Travis Clements, a parent coach to the team, reminded the girls to take players on instead of pass around them. Some parents raised their eyebrows and respectfully asked why.

Before I send you his reply to the parents and my contribution let me please say that we, as a coaching staff, love watching our players pass around players and get excited for the ability to play such quality soccer and do not want to discourage success. In contrast, we do not want to encourage our players to be successful NOW in a way that will jeopardize their long term development.

Travis sent this below email...below it I provided more info and a link I would really encourage each of you to read (even though it is lengthy).

Travis wrote:

Hi,

I hope that I wasn't too confusing to the parents yesterday at the scrimmage, particularly with the Premier team. It may have looked like I was unhappy - or trying to fix things that were being very successful. It wasn't that I didn't have an appreciation for the great soccer the girls were playing. Their passing and awareness was incredible and very fun to watch. The thing we were trying to work on was getting the girls to dribble more and to use the moves they've been learning in practice in the scrimmage games.

Here's the logic. Dribbling to beat an opponent is one of the toughest, if not THE toughest skill in soccer to master. It is MUCH easier to pass the ball and to get rid of it before they are under pressure. The reward of the passing game is at this age it translates into wins and goals. (very tempting, but short-sighted) The Risk of promoting that is that it ultimately limits the ability of the player. The kids spend years passing and getting rid of the ball that should be spent mastering their ability and creativity on the ball. They become afraid to keep the ball and panic with the ball when under pressure. Soccer players who can pass are everywhere. Soccer players who can dribble stand out like a full moon on a dark night.

We want every girl to be confident with the ball at their feet and to not feel pressure to pass the ball so they don't lose it. It may mean missing chances to score, or even giving up goals, while they develop. That is an acceptable price to pay at this age for ultimately having a team chuck-full of players who can handle the ball with skill and confidence.

While we will all cheer goals, especially well-worked goals, I would ask that you cheer louder when your player takes on and beats an opponent or exhibits skill on the ball. Even when they are unsuccessful, praise their confidence to try and encourage them to keep at it. The long-term reward for your player will be unbelievable.

Thanks,

Travis Clements

Ginn Reply:

Travis,

Thank you for reminding us of what the focus is. I agree with Travis's email and have some thoughts as to incorporate scoring by way of dribbling to pass on to the coaching staff as well.

Parents and coaches please, please, please read the following information and document. It will help your players out tremendously this fall as we enter competition.

Before I give you the US Soccer governing body's take on this let me put this in American terms...

1) Play basketball without dribbling, just pass.
2) Think about recent basketball players and take them off of their successful teams; derrin williams, john stockton, gary payton, magic johnson etc, these players made things unpredictable and drew defenders to them which in turn created space for teammates to be successful once they passed the ball to them.
3) Take the running game out of American football (or throw ball as us true footballers refer to it as). All you can do is throw and pass. The game becomes predictable and easy to defend.

In soccer everyone plays on all parts of the field in critical times and non critical times. Even goal keepers need to be brilliant with their feet. In the 2008 European Championship tournament goal keepers used their feet seven times more than their hands!

I would like all coaches and parents to read a document published by US Soccer Federation that shares the priorities at this age group. I added this age groups information below, highlighted the parts of emphasis and added the link to the entire document.

USSF Best Practices: Player Development Guidelines
http://www.epysa.org/pdf/USSFBestPractices.pdf

Ball Skill, Creativity and a Gradual Insight into the
Game: 10 - 14 years old

U-10: 3rd and 4th graders
Soccer for this age is a fun activity for the kids that encourages a lot of games to goals and encourages experimentation with the ball. The ratio of balls to players should be small enough that all your players are involved all the time. The focus is on developing a relationship with the ball in a joyful environment. There should be no standings and no awards (Infinity SC thought: this means no paying your child for goals or saves or whatevers, let the game be the reason they PLAY).

CONSIDER THIS: How can the coach help all his or her players to develop to their potential?

First, help your weaker players to develop their confidence with the ball. At the same time, continue to challenge your stronger players to expand their creativity and confidence. Confidence is the key. The more time they spend during practice and games with the ball at their feet, the more comfortable they will become, the more confident they will become, the more they will look to get involved, and the more fun they will have with soccer (the Infinity coaching staff views scrimmages and match play as additional training to prepare them for the future) . Remember that the level of skill and competence that a 9-year-old exhibits is no indication of the skill and competence that he or she will exhibit at 16 or 18 years of age. You cannot predict which 9-year-old will develop into a real player. Therefore, work to encourage all your players to be competent and comfortable with the ball. This will give all your players the same opportunity to reach their potential. Work during practice to move all your players forward at their own pace. Do not be concerned with match results. Be concerned that all your players want the ball at their feet and they want to score. If you can accomplish this, you have successfully allowed your group to grow as soccer players. Unlike practice, you cannot add more balls/goals during games to give kids more chances with the ball. But you can emphasize certain themes for the players to focus on, such as getting involved, attacking the goal, taking chances, and then spend the length of the game reinforcing these points (the infinity coaching staff is working on taking opposing players on 1v1 with a focus on the scissors/stepover move - click here to see what scissors are). This approach will give your players the green light to experiment and be creative - qualities that, unfortunately at the younger ages, are often discouraged on game day, in the name of being safe and winning.

CONSIDER THIS: At the youth level, games are a forum for players to test their ball skills and game awareness, and should be considered an additional means of development, rather than the objective. Results are important as it gives the players a competitive focus in the match. Coaches are encouraged to promote soccer that:
• is free flowing,
• is coach-guided, not coach-directed,
• demands that all players on the field, regardless of their specified position, participate in defending and attacking.

USSF Best Practices: Player Development Guidelines
http://www.epysa.org/pdf/USSFBestPractices.pdf

Thank you for working with your child at home and encouraging them to fall in love with the ball at home. This is truly where they become great individual soccer players!

-Ginn