In the May/June and July/August 2003 issues of Soccer Journal, we offered a special two-part series focusing on player development. As a service to NSCAA members and soccer coaches in general, NSCAA.com has compiled the articles of that series into a special section. Please read the articles below.
"The biggest difference between the Brazilian players and the American players was that the Americans did not demonstrate any understanding of the subtleties of the game. And that affects what coaches do during every training session."
"Subtleties of any game usually are developed “in the sandlot” when the players are young. We all learned how to play sports as we grew up by playing with other kids in the neighborhood. We learned what we had to do to win. If you lost, your team was off the court or field."
Taken from LACKING SUBTLETY an article that can be found below.
* The Craft of Coaching
* Introduction and Phase I of Player Development (U-12)
* Phase II of Player Development (U-14)
* Phase III of Player Development (U-16)
* Phase IV of Player Development (U-19)
* Fitting Practices to Ages
* The Game is the Best Teacher
* Training with an Eye on Detail
* The Progression of a Goalkeeper
* Demands of the Up-Tempo Game
* Making Soccer Drills Work
* From Looking Good to Winning
* Lacking Subtlety
* In France, c'est la Technique
* Trim Down the Training Session
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Guided Discovery
By Sam Snow, US Youth Soccer Technical Director
The traditional way sports have been taught is with the coach at the center of attention. The coach told the players what to do {command style} and expected them to produce. With the command style, the coach explains a skill, demonstrates the skill and allows the players to practice the skill. In contrast to 'reproduction' of knowledge in the coach-centered approach, the guided discovery approach emphasizes the "production" of new talents. The approach invites the player to think, to go beyond the given information and then discover the correct skills. The essence of this style is a coach-player connection in which your sequence of information and questions causes responses by the player. The combination of information and question by you elicits a correct response, which is discovered by the player. The effect of this process leads the player to discover the sought tactic or technique. Guided discovery simply means that you raise questions and provide options or choices for the players, guiding the players to answer the questions for themselves because they become curious about the answers. The novice player in a command style setting thinks too much about what they are trying to do, a form of paralysis by analysis. Instead if you guide the players in a player-centered training environment then they gradually become capable of holistic thinking in their soccer performance.
Holistic thought is opposed to the analytical type of thinking. Analysis means to divide the whole into parts which can be studied more closely. Holistic thinking considers the thing as a whole. Soccer performances {training sessions and especially matches} are better suited to holistic than analytical treatment because they involve an integrated set of movements which must all happen at the same time. There simply is not enough time during a match to perform each of the movements separately and then string them together. Holistic thinking has been linked anatomically to functions carried out in the right hemisphere of the brain. The brain has both a right and left hemisphere connected by a bundle of nerves called the corpus collosum. The right hemisphere coordinates movements and sensations associated with the left side of the body and the left hemisphere does the same for the right side of the body. In addition, the left hemisphere is known to control analytical thinking, which includes verbal expression, reading, writing and mathematical computation. The functions associated with the right side of the brain are nonintellectual ones or those having to do with sensory interpretation, coordination of movement, intuitive or creative thinking and holistic perception of complex patterns. This hemisphere can grasp a number of patterns simultaneously.[i]
Sports tradition has emphasized left-side brain functions to the exclusion of the other. We acquire pieces of knowledge one at a time. In soccer, the traditional coach teaches separate points of technique, ignoring the 'flow' needed in actual performance. Some coaches use the holistic approach. In soccer we draw upon right-hand brain capabilities of holistic perception, rhythm, spatial relationships, and simultaneous processing of many inputs. Left brain functions are largely uninvolved. Novice players often go wrong in trying to control their movements with a constant, specific internal awareness. They engage the left-brain functions of analysis and sequence to interfere with holistic coordination of physical movement, which is a right-brain function. Obscuring a player's awareness with too many instructions {over-coaching} will make him or her so preoccupied that he or she can't 'chew gum and run at the same time!' It's called 'paralysis through analysis'.
It is often argued that effective coaching is as much an art as it is a science. Guided discovery in coaching soccer is a balance of the two. In a broad sense our coaching style of the American soccer player must move away from the 'sage on the stage' to the 'guide on the side'.
""I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.""
Confucius
CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THIS TOPIC
The traditional way sports have been taught is with the coach at the center of attention. The coach told the players what to do {command style} and expected them to produce. With the command style, the coach explains a skill, demonstrates the skill and allows the players to practice the skill. In contrast to 'reproduction' of knowledge in the coach-centered approach, the guided discovery approach emphasizes the "production" of new talents. The approach invites the player to think, to go beyond the given information and then discover the correct skills. The essence of this style is a coach-player connection in which your sequence of information and questions causes responses by the player. The combination of information and question by you elicits a correct response, which is discovered by the player. The effect of this process leads the player to discover the sought tactic or technique. Guided discovery simply means that you raise questions and provide options or choices for the players, guiding the players to answer the questions for themselves because they become curious about the answers. The novice player in a command style setting thinks too much about what they are trying to do, a form of paralysis by analysis. Instead if you guide the players in a player-centered training environment then they gradually become capable of holistic thinking in their soccer performance.
Holistic thought is opposed to the analytical type of thinking. Analysis means to divide the whole into parts which can be studied more closely. Holistic thinking considers the thing as a whole. Soccer performances {training sessions and especially matches} are better suited to holistic than analytical treatment because they involve an integrated set of movements which must all happen at the same time. There simply is not enough time during a match to perform each of the movements separately and then string them together. Holistic thinking has been linked anatomically to functions carried out in the right hemisphere of the brain. The brain has both a right and left hemisphere connected by a bundle of nerves called the corpus collosum. The right hemisphere coordinates movements and sensations associated with the left side of the body and the left hemisphere does the same for the right side of the body. In addition, the left hemisphere is known to control analytical thinking, which includes verbal expression, reading, writing and mathematical computation. The functions associated with the right side of the brain are nonintellectual ones or those having to do with sensory interpretation, coordination of movement, intuitive or creative thinking and holistic perception of complex patterns. This hemisphere can grasp a number of patterns simultaneously.[i]
Sports tradition has emphasized left-side brain functions to the exclusion of the other. We acquire pieces of knowledge one at a time. In soccer, the traditional coach teaches separate points of technique, ignoring the 'flow' needed in actual performance. Some coaches use the holistic approach. In soccer we draw upon right-hand brain capabilities of holistic perception, rhythm, spatial relationships, and simultaneous processing of many inputs. Left brain functions are largely uninvolved. Novice players often go wrong in trying to control their movements with a constant, specific internal awareness. They engage the left-brain functions of analysis and sequence to interfere with holistic coordination of physical movement, which is a right-brain function. Obscuring a player's awareness with too many instructions {over-coaching} will make him or her so preoccupied that he or she can't 'chew gum and run at the same time!' It's called 'paralysis through analysis'.
It is often argued that effective coaching is as much an art as it is a science. Guided discovery in coaching soccer is a balance of the two. In a broad sense our coaching style of the American soccer player must move away from the 'sage on the stage' to the 'guide on the side'.
""I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.""
Confucius
CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THIS TOPIC
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Barcelona's tradition sets it apart from the rest
The foundation for the club's Champions League triumph was set 307 years ago, in 1702.
By Grahame L. Jones, On Soccer
7:46 PM PDT, August 1, 2009
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-jones-soccer2-2009aug02,0,2834168.story?page=2
It's the sort of tale that historians love, the sort that spans centuries and weaves together past, present and future.
It was in Rome on May 27 of this year that FC Barcelona won the European Champions League, but the foundation for the Catalan club's triumph was set 307 years ago, in 1702.
That's when workmen in Barcelona completed a two-story stone farmhouse that still stands today. La Masia, they call it, and it is nothing less than the soul of FC Barcelona.
It was where architects more than half a century ago laid out their plans for the giant Camp Nou, Barcelona's magnificent home stadium which, with a capacity of 98,772, is the largest in Europe and stands nearby.
Thirty years ago, in 1979, La Masia began a new incarnation. It became the primary residence for young players being groomed by Barcelona for future success.
Very young players.
The Barcelona team that defeated Manchester United in the May final in Rome is a virtual blueprint for the way a successful soccer team should be built.
The team's coach, Josep "Pep" Guardiola, and seven of the 11 Barcelona starters that day passed through La Masia on their way to international stardom.
* Defender Carles Puyol, 31, joined in 1995 at age 17. (14 years)
* Midfielder Sergi Busquets, 21, joined in 2005 at age 17. (4 years)
* Goalkeeper Victor Valdes, 27, joined in 1995 at age 13. (14 years)
* Forward Lionel Messi, 22, joined in 2000 at age 13. (9 years)
* Midfielder Andres Iniesta, 25, joined in 1996 at age 12. (13 years)
* Midfielder Xavi, 29, joined in 1991 at age 11. (18 years)
* Defender Gerard Pique, 22, joined in 1997 at age 10. (12 years)
How does Barcelona find such players? What does it look for? Where does it look? How does it persuade their families to allow them to relocate to Barcelona? How is the La Masia magic accomplished?
According to Joan Laporta, the 47-year-old president of FC Barcelona, it all comes down to having a philosophy as a club (Barcelona is owned by its 162,979 members), having a soccer identity as a team, and believing in tradition.
In an interview in Beverly Hills on Friday, Laporta traced the origins of the 109-year-old club's current success to 1973, when Dutch great Johann Cruyff joined the team.
Cruyff, a three-time European player of the year and the ultimate exponent of "total football," changed everything.
As a Barcelona player and later as the team's coach, Cruyff developed "the way that we express our identity," Laporta said, the style that Barca teams employ at every age level.
He created the "dream team" that won the club its first European championship, in 1992. The captain of that team was Guardiola, a gold medal winner for Spain at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and a player who had joined La Masia in 1984 at age 13.
Barcelona's playing style, inherited from Cruyff, is all about possession, short passing, movement off the ball, one- and two-touch attacking soccer, and pressuring the opponent when the ball is lost.
The first team plays that way and so does the youngest of the club's many youth teams.
German national team Coach Joachim "Jordi" Low, in a recent interview with England's World Soccer magazine, recognized the importance of such consistency.
"I was in Barcelona and I saw the under-17 team play a game in training against the first team," Low said. "I didn't see any difference. Seventeen-year-old players from Barcelona with perfect technique, perfect position, perfect speed.
"Of course, maybe they did not have the 100% motivation of the professionals, but I saw something special. They practice in training from the age of 12, 13, 14, so when they go into the first team they know what they have to do."
Most of those who come to La Masia are from Spain, but Laporta said Barcelona employs about 50 scouts worldwide who look for players with something unique.
"In order to express our identity, we have to love football and that means that we understand football in a particular way," he said.
"We are searching for players everywhere, especially in Cataluña, but also in Argentina, Brazil, Africa as well, the countries that are producing players.
"It is important that when they arrive they have a particular talent that would allow them to be a player for Barcelona."
Laporta says he believes Barcelona can repeat its success of last season in years to come.
La Masia virtually guarantees it.
"We think that we can replicate it," he said. "We see that in our youth teams there are players who could be maybe a new Iniesta, a new Xavi, a new Busquets, a new Puyol."
Guardiola concurs.
"There are three, four, five players who are at the top level already," he said.
Those who doubt that assertion should take note of some names. They will be heard from soon.
* Spanish forward Bojan Krkic, 18, who joined La Masia in 1999 at age 9.
* Israeli winger Gai Assulin, 18, who joined La Masia in 2003 at age 12.
* Mexican midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos, 19, who joined La Masia in 2002 at age 12.
The list goes on. The tradition continues.
grahame.jones@latimes.com
By Grahame L. Jones, On Soccer
7:46 PM PDT, August 1, 2009
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-jones-soccer2-2009aug02,0,2834168.story?page=2
It's the sort of tale that historians love, the sort that spans centuries and weaves together past, present and future.
It was in Rome on May 27 of this year that FC Barcelona won the European Champions League, but the foundation for the Catalan club's triumph was set 307 years ago, in 1702.
That's when workmen in Barcelona completed a two-story stone farmhouse that still stands today. La Masia, they call it, and it is nothing less than the soul of FC Barcelona.
It was where architects more than half a century ago laid out their plans for the giant Camp Nou, Barcelona's magnificent home stadium which, with a capacity of 98,772, is the largest in Europe and stands nearby.
Thirty years ago, in 1979, La Masia began a new incarnation. It became the primary residence for young players being groomed by Barcelona for future success.
Very young players.
The Barcelona team that defeated Manchester United in the May final in Rome is a virtual blueprint for the way a successful soccer team should be built.
The team's coach, Josep "Pep" Guardiola, and seven of the 11 Barcelona starters that day passed through La Masia on their way to international stardom.
* Defender Carles Puyol, 31, joined in 1995 at age 17. (14 years)
* Midfielder Sergi Busquets, 21, joined in 2005 at age 17. (4 years)
* Goalkeeper Victor Valdes, 27, joined in 1995 at age 13. (14 years)
* Forward Lionel Messi, 22, joined in 2000 at age 13. (9 years)
* Midfielder Andres Iniesta, 25, joined in 1996 at age 12. (13 years)
* Midfielder Xavi, 29, joined in 1991 at age 11. (18 years)
* Defender Gerard Pique, 22, joined in 1997 at age 10. (12 years)
How does Barcelona find such players? What does it look for? Where does it look? How does it persuade their families to allow them to relocate to Barcelona? How is the La Masia magic accomplished?
According to Joan Laporta, the 47-year-old president of FC Barcelona, it all comes down to having a philosophy as a club (Barcelona is owned by its 162,979 members), having a soccer identity as a team, and believing in tradition.
In an interview in Beverly Hills on Friday, Laporta traced the origins of the 109-year-old club's current success to 1973, when Dutch great Johann Cruyff joined the team.
Cruyff, a three-time European player of the year and the ultimate exponent of "total football," changed everything.
As a Barcelona player and later as the team's coach, Cruyff developed "the way that we express our identity," Laporta said, the style that Barca teams employ at every age level.
He created the "dream team" that won the club its first European championship, in 1992. The captain of that team was Guardiola, a gold medal winner for Spain at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and a player who had joined La Masia in 1984 at age 13.
Barcelona's playing style, inherited from Cruyff, is all about possession, short passing, movement off the ball, one- and two-touch attacking soccer, and pressuring the opponent when the ball is lost.
The first team plays that way and so does the youngest of the club's many youth teams.
German national team Coach Joachim "Jordi" Low, in a recent interview with England's World Soccer magazine, recognized the importance of such consistency.
"I was in Barcelona and I saw the under-17 team play a game in training against the first team," Low said. "I didn't see any difference. Seventeen-year-old players from Barcelona with perfect technique, perfect position, perfect speed.
"Of course, maybe they did not have the 100% motivation of the professionals, but I saw something special. They practice in training from the age of 12, 13, 14, so when they go into the first team they know what they have to do."
Most of those who come to La Masia are from Spain, but Laporta said Barcelona employs about 50 scouts worldwide who look for players with something unique.
"In order to express our identity, we have to love football and that means that we understand football in a particular way," he said.
"We are searching for players everywhere, especially in Cataluña, but also in Argentina, Brazil, Africa as well, the countries that are producing players.
"It is important that when they arrive they have a particular talent that would allow them to be a player for Barcelona."
Laporta says he believes Barcelona can repeat its success of last season in years to come.
La Masia virtually guarantees it.
"We think that we can replicate it," he said. "We see that in our youth teams there are players who could be maybe a new Iniesta, a new Xavi, a new Busquets, a new Puyol."
Guardiola concurs.
"There are three, four, five players who are at the top level already," he said.
Those who doubt that assertion should take note of some names. They will be heard from soon.
* Spanish forward Bojan Krkic, 18, who joined La Masia in 1999 at age 9.
* Israeli winger Gai Assulin, 18, who joined La Masia in 2003 at age 12.
* Mexican midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos, 19, who joined La Masia in 2002 at age 12.
The list goes on. The tradition continues.
grahame.jones@latimes.com
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Evaluations at Pioneer Cup
Wednesday, July 22nd 2009
Infinity u11 Girls: http://docs.google.com/View?id=ddp5t87f_115kfvjb9g8
Infinity u12 Girls: http://docs.google.com/View?id=ddp5t87f_114gcr5wcgj
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Parents' Role
One of the main problems with parents at games is that they sit too close to the field. Their proximity to the players gives them too much of a presence which, in turn, impacts the players’ behavior, response and performance. It’s very hard for parents to resist shouting instructions to the players because beginner players are visibly unsure of themselves and naturally make a lot of mistakes. Children aged 4 to 8 are naturally dependent on their parents for many of their daily needs. This dependency spills over into youth sports, manifesting as parental coaching from the sidelines. The players themselves will tend to look to their parents for help since they are conditioned to be dependent on them. Therefore, another important objective of the U-6/U-8 programs should be to wean the players out of their dependency on their parents’ help during games. This is so very crucial for the development of soccer players. We all know that soccer is a players’ game, meaning that it’s the players who must make the decisions on the field. In soccer, coaches have a lot less influence and power during games than in some of the other traditional American sports. Soccer players must learn to think for themselves, and the sooner they learn to stand on their own feet, the better. Since results do not matter at these age groups, no one should be overly concerned if players make mistakes that lead to goals. Parents and coaches must resist the urge to tell their players what to do. The following guidelines are recommended for U-6/U-8 game set-up:1) The fields to be laid out in such a way that keep the parents about 20-30
yards from the sidelines. This can be easily done using special lines or ropes beyond
which parents cannot encroach. We all agree that most players want their parents to be at the games, watching them play, and we realize that having the parents sit by the sidelines seems so nice and cozy. But keeping the parents some distance away from the action will enhance the players’ sense of freedom and ease most of the intimidation any players might feel when the parents are right on top of them. And the parents can still enjoy watching the game. What we lose in coziness we gain in giving the players more independence.
2) The parents should not coach the players. All they should be allowed to do is cheer good plays by their team but they should also be encouraged to politely applaud good play by the other team.3) Parents must never tell the players to “kick” or “boot” the ball. Kicking the ball needs to be discouraged. The parents will need to be prepared to accept that a lot of the dribbling attempts will be unsuccessful and that, nevertheless, they will have to bite their tongues and let the players try again and again.
4) The coaches should also keep their instruction to a minimum and let the
players understand that they must make their own decisions on the field and that it’s OK to make mistakes. The coaches should stand on the sideline and only enter the field if absolutely necessary. It must be remembered that we are trying to help the players grow out of their dependency on the adults. The coaches should encourage dribbling out of trouble and discourage kicking.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
We will likely never get this moment again...BOO HOO FOR SPAIN & HURRAY FOR USA!
Spain suffered a phenomenal relapse into their old ways by losing to a disciplined US squad in their semi-final match of the Confederations Cup.
Watch highlights here: http://sports.espn.go.com/videohub/video/video?id=4284720
Iker Casillas and Gerard Pique suffer the onslaught of a case of La caraja
Once again in sport, the favourite was defeated by the underdog, and once again in football Spain underachieved in a major tournament. Five factors had an instrumental influence in the outcome of the match when analysed from the Spanish point of view:
1: "La caraja"
The meaning of this word (not to be confused with its masculine, ruder version) is best explained through examples. With no rhyme or reason, some days your mind is elsewhere and you keep doing dumb things, such as locking yourself out of your apartment with your keys inside, putting salt on your coffee, or calling your current girlfriend by the name of the previous one. Spaniards also use empanada or berza to describe this error-prone state of mind.
On Wednesday night, the Spanish squad displayed a sensational caraja from the first minute of the match. We saw excellent players play like mediocre footballers even when their dedicated rivals were not intervening: poor passing, worse positioning, terrible play selection. Even Xavi Hernández looks ordinary in a day of caraja. If your opponent is focused and knows how to play their cards, as it was the case with the US, the match becomes quite challenging.
On top of that, luck will never go your way in a day of caraja: a half-hearted shot parried by your goalkeeper would hit the post and head for the corner flag in a normal day, but in a day of caraja it will go in. ON a normal day the referee would award a penalty if your playmaker is pushed from behind in scoring position, but will wave play on in a day of caraja. Yesterday was a quintessential caraja day, and only extreme dedication can help you to win matches in those days.
2: Lack of respect for the opponent
I spent the hours prior to the match at the national team hotel in Bloemfontein. I have never seen such a relaxed atmosphere before the semi-final of a FIFA tournament. Even though all of Spain's public statements had recognised the US as a worthy opponent, it felt like the Spaniards were preparing a friendly game for a philanthropic cause.
Supporters were taking pictures with Del Bosque and several players among surprisingly lax security measures. I talked with the representative of the main sponsor of the national team. "Isn't this too quiet?", I asked him. "Other than the tactical chat, they haven't spoken about the match more than half an hour in the last three days", he answers. "I'd rather be playing Italy, they wouldn't be this relaxed".
The attitude within the media wasn't different. We had only booked hotels for the final in Johannesburg, and even your usually superstitious correspondent broke several unwritten rules to avoid bad omens: I spoke about the game like a sure win with several friends, created a file with ideas for my article on the final and didn't wear my (still unwashed) lucky jersey from Euro 2008 to the match. I should have known better.
3: The wrong formation
In my previous article, I wrote wonders about Vicente del Bosque's array of tactical options. Our gaffer chose the wrong one for this match, or rather Mr Bradley was ready to exploit its weak points.
When Spain apply a 4-4-2 with Cesc Fábregas on the right, he actually roams towards the middle, leaving the right flank open for Sergio Ramos to go forward. This is very similar to Real Madrid's approach back when del Bosque was the gaffer, with Zidane as a fake left midfielder and Roberto Carlos taking care of the left wing.
This approach requires a very disciplined full back (which Roberto Carlos was only to a limited extent), and a great defensive midfielder (Claude Makelele) to cover whatever gaps when the other team counter attacks and the flank is open.
In the current Spanish squad, Sergio Ramos (see factor #4) clearly can't play the Roberto Carlos role, and Xabi Alonso is still far from being a Marcos Senna in defensive tasks. Bradley understood this and, especially during the first half, his team punished Spain every time Ramos went forward, while del Bosque was slow in adjusting the side (and also unlucky because Santiago Cazorla was simply horrendous when he replaced Cesc).
4: Sergio Ramos
Let the record show that I texted a friend of mine as early as minute 15 of the first half asking him what Ramos was doing on the pitch. As explained earlier, the US gaffer decided to give him plenty of space offensively to exploit his back at the counter attack, and Sergio naively swallowed the bait. The US caught Spain's defence out of place at least four times until Altidore scored, in all cases because Ramos wasn't where he should.
His stellar participation in the US' second goal brought me back (not very fond) memories of Christian Karembeu. The Frenchman will always be remembered by Real Madrid fans for three reasons: his collection of trophies, his spectacular wife, and the Karembina.
In 1999, during a Liga match at the Santiago Bernabéu, Karembeu decided to avoid a corner kick for opponent side Celta by backheeling the ball into the path of a Galician striker, who easily scored. The Karembina, meaning an assist from a defender to a rival striker, was hence born. It had been some time since I last saw one, and now I can thank Sergio for his generosity (and yes, I am really bitter).
5. The silly season
The day before the match, Jorge Valdano stated that Real Madrid had paid Golden Ball money for Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká, and that David Villa did not belong to that group. Even if Valdano's statement is accurate, its timing was terrible. Villa played like he had to win the match by himself to prove Valdano and Real Madrid wrong, and was selfish beyond belief.
Fernando Torres was quickly infected by Villa's selfishness virus. We rarely saw collective play between the strikers during the whole game, a strange feat in a side that base all their approach in smart passing.
When you combine all those factors in one give match, it is hard to win. On top of that, if you are facing a team that had nothing to lose after their miraculous qualification for the semi-finals and who clearly knew what to do at every instance of the match, you're in serious trouble.
Del Bosque's words during the press conference point at the right direction: this national team is young and should grow further until the World Cup. This shocking defeat has "overconfidence" written all over it, while the old Armada's failures were a mixture of incompetence, fear to win and bad luck.
Hopefully the players will have learned the lesson for the upcoming World Cup. In any case, they have to go back to Rustenburg to play for the third spot on Sunday, which feels like a harsh enough punishment for them.
ODP Region 4 Camp (1996 Boys)
I am currently in McMinville, Oregon where Linfield College is hosting U.S. Youth Soccer's '96 Olympic Development Program (ODP) Camp for Region 4. Eight months ago I was invited to be part of Utah's ODP staff and assigned the boys that were born in 1996. The Head coach is Patrick Rennie of Sparta (Sandy, UT) whom I already knew real well and have a lot of respect for.
ODP website Go Here to learn about the purpose of ODP Soccer...long story short it is how we identify our national team(s).
SO we got to the airport at 7am MST, boarded the plane with the top 19 boys of Utah that were born in 1996. (While in the airport I ran in to Will McConnell, my best friend my freshmen year at UVSC, he played with me there). The flight was good, the school bus we drove was straight out of a 70's horror flick but we got here.
When we arrived the Semi- Final match of the Confederations Cup that showcased U.S.A vs Spain was in the 25th minute. Right after all of the boys crunched in to a room, Jozi Altidore scored, the Boys blew up! The likely hood of USA beating Spain (recognized as the best team in the world) was slim to none. An hour or so we celebrated a second goal scored by USA's Clint Dempsey. And a few minutes later celebrated when USA had somehow knocked off the best team in the world.
We do not have transportation so we walked with the boys to the nearest grocery store (we hadn't eaten yet all day. The day from there went as such:
5-6pm Dinner (Cafeteria food)
Training Session 630-730pm
GK Session 730-830pm
TEAM Meeting 830-930
Regional Coaching Staff Introduction Meeting 1015-11
If you want to be realistic and push all of those times back an hour to adjust the MST time we were still feeling, we were going from 6am-midnight.
I was out like a log, but the first one up, showered etc. This is what has allowed me the time to update the blog.
One day down 5 days to go. We return Monday evening.
I will try to do a daily blog if I have the time and energy.
Breakfast in 45 minutes...maybe I will get a little nap in?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Back in the day...
Remember back in the day when you and your dad would go outside and play catch or shoot some hoops just to spend some time with dad? Well, sometimes we are not sure what we can do with our children that allows us to hang out with them. So what are some activities we can do as parents that will allow us to spend time with our kids and help them with their soccer skills? Here is the first idea for you... The timed test. You could do this every day and see the improvement. Watch the video, the last 30 seconds is dedicated to timing how many touches the player can get on the ball in ten seconds. Have fun with it and use it to help your child learn to set and accomplish goals!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Infinity SC fares well in Utah's State Cup
By Jason Turner
Published:
Sunday, May 24, 2009 2:33 AM CDT
It wasn’t the ending they were hoping for, but a pair of youth girls soccer teams from Cache Valley took a significant step forward in challenging the best clubs in the state.
Locally-based Infinity Soccer Club had two teams advance to the championship round of a prestigious state tournament. The two-week 2009 Spring State Cup concluded Saturday in Orem, and it’s the first time a local club — girls or boys — has ever played for a State Cup title.
“It’s kind of a neat thing because we kind of made history here in Cache Valley,” said Sherri Dever, Infinity’s director of coaching. “... It’s a great accomplishment.”
Unfortunately for Infinity’s U11 and U12 squads, they struggled a bit against a pair of teams from the renowned Utah Avalanche club in the finals.
The U11 Infinity SC 98 Premier team was defeated by Avalanche 98 Premier, 6-1, while Infinity SC 97 fell to Avalanche 97 Premier Black, 3-0.
However, both teams made plenty of noise at the tournament before bowing out. For starters, both squads were dominant during pool play. The U11 squad outscored the opposition 18-3 over the course of three matches, while their U12 counterparts didn’t allow a goal in three pool games and found the back of the net an eye-popping 19 times.
“The girls worked very, very hard,” said Robson Chaves, who coaches both teams. “They pushed it to the limit, their parents too, and look at the results. It’s very exciting.”
In the quarterfinal round, the U11 squad beat Hobble Creek Storm 98, 5-3, and then edged Sparta 98 Premier, 2-1, for the right to play for all the marbles. There were 14 teams in the U11 bracket.
It should be no surprise the 11-year-olds made it to the finals, considering they won the regular-season title with a record of 8-2 and had two of the top three goal scorers in the league.
Demi Lopez and Takesha Saltern netted a combined 31 goals during the regular season, with Lopez leading the way with 17. Other team leaders for Infinity SC 98 Premier are goalkeeper Samantha Loosli, defenders Brianna Sims and Berkley Hellstern and midfielder Hannah Anhder.
Evidently, the U11 team also displayed good sportsmanship at the Spring State Cup as none of the players were issued yellow or red cards.
As for the U12 squad, it rolled over Avalanche 97 Premier White, 5-2, in the quarterfinals before pulling out a 3-2 overtime victory over LaRoca Premier — one of the state’s most respected clubs — in the round of four.
Unfortunately for Infinity SC 97 Premier, it couldn’t replicate its strong play in the finals against the Avalanche team — a squad the local girls beat at home 4-3 during the regular season. In fact, this Infinity squad is 4-2-1 against Avalanche Black over the past two years, Chaves said.
When talking about the U12 team, Chaves gushed about the play of offensive leaders Erin Richenbach, Alexis Sims, Annalee Davidson and Hayley Oldham, midfielder Madison Siddoway and backline stalwart Katelyn Whipple. Sims also logs in some minutes in the back, while Viridiana Gomez and Rebecca Jenson shared the GK duties.
The U12 squad went 6-2-2 during the regular season and competed against 15 other teams at the Spring State Cup.
And while a chance at capturing that elusive State Cup championship will have to wait a little while longer, the possibility certainly became that much more realistic.
“The teams from smaller places can beat the teams from big places with proper training and proper technique,” Chaves said. “... I think we showed that this season ... and it’s a big thing for Cache Valley.”
For more information about the tournament, go to www.uysa.org and click on the Tournaments State Cup link.
Published:
Sunday, May 24, 2009 2:33 AM CDT
It wasn’t the ending they were hoping for, but a pair of youth girls soccer teams from Cache Valley took a significant step forward in challenging the best clubs in the state.
Locally-based Infinity Soccer Club had two teams advance to the championship round of a prestigious state tournament. The two-week 2009 Spring State Cup concluded Saturday in Orem, and it’s the first time a local club — girls or boys — has ever played for a State Cup title.
“It’s kind of a neat thing because we kind of made history here in Cache Valley,” said Sherri Dever, Infinity’s director of coaching. “... It’s a great accomplishment.”
Unfortunately for Infinity’s U11 and U12 squads, they struggled a bit against a pair of teams from the renowned Utah Avalanche club in the finals.
The U11 Infinity SC 98 Premier team was defeated by Avalanche 98 Premier, 6-1, while Infinity SC 97 fell to Avalanche 97 Premier Black, 3-0.
However, both teams made plenty of noise at the tournament before bowing out. For starters, both squads were dominant during pool play. The U11 squad outscored the opposition 18-3 over the course of three matches, while their U12 counterparts didn’t allow a goal in three pool games and found the back of the net an eye-popping 19 times.
“The girls worked very, very hard,” said Robson Chaves, who coaches both teams. “They pushed it to the limit, their parents too, and look at the results. It’s very exciting.”
In the quarterfinal round, the U11 squad beat Hobble Creek Storm 98, 5-3, and then edged Sparta 98 Premier, 2-1, for the right to play for all the marbles. There were 14 teams in the U11 bracket.
It should be no surprise the 11-year-olds made it to the finals, considering they won the regular-season title with a record of 8-2 and had two of the top three goal scorers in the league.
Demi Lopez and Takesha Saltern netted a combined 31 goals during the regular season, with Lopez leading the way with 17. Other team leaders for Infinity SC 98 Premier are goalkeeper Samantha Loosli, defenders Brianna Sims and Berkley Hellstern and midfielder Hannah Anhder.
Evidently, the U11 team also displayed good sportsmanship at the Spring State Cup as none of the players were issued yellow or red cards.
As for the U12 squad, it rolled over Avalanche 97 Premier White, 5-2, in the quarterfinals before pulling out a 3-2 overtime victory over LaRoca Premier — one of the state’s most respected clubs — in the round of four.
Unfortunately for Infinity SC 97 Premier, it couldn’t replicate its strong play in the finals against the Avalanche team — a squad the local girls beat at home 4-3 during the regular season. In fact, this Infinity squad is 4-2-1 against Avalanche Black over the past two years, Chaves said.
When talking about the U12 team, Chaves gushed about the play of offensive leaders Erin Richenbach, Alexis Sims, Annalee Davidson and Hayley Oldham, midfielder Madison Siddoway and backline stalwart Katelyn Whipple. Sims also logs in some minutes in the back, while Viridiana Gomez and Rebecca Jenson shared the GK duties.
The U12 squad went 6-2-2 during the regular season and competed against 15 other teams at the Spring State Cup.
And while a chance at capturing that elusive State Cup championship will have to wait a little while longer, the possibility certainly became that much more realistic.
“The teams from smaller places can beat the teams from big places with proper training and proper technique,” Chaves said. “... I think we showed that this season ... and it’s a big thing for Cache Valley.”
For more information about the tournament, go to www.uysa.org and click on the Tournaments State Cup link.
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