Coaching Soccer For Dummies

by Greg Bach

  Midfielders: A midfielder has the responsibility of covering a lot of territory, and because the position requires a large amount of continuous running, she’s better prepared to handle those duties if she has strong aerobic fitness.

  Forwards: Much like midfielders, players handling these positions do large amounts of running. The more aerobically fit they are, the more success they are likely to enjoy.

  Defenders: You count on defenders to do far less nonstop running. Because these positions entail short bursts of speed to cover attacking players, their bodies are better able to fulfill their responsibilities if they possess strong anaerobic fitness.

  Goalkeepers: Clearly, the goalie position doesn’t entail much running compared with the other positions on the field. Yet goalies are required to move with short bursts of speed to make plays when under attack.

  Youngsters who are fatigued are much more likely to suffer injuries than those players operating on a full tank of energy, because they become sloppier in their technique. So keep an eye out during games for players who are tiring. Giving them a breather for a few minutes is usually enough for them to catch that second wind and get back on track.

  The most effective conditioning takes place when you incorporate it into your practices and the kids don’t even realize it’s happening. If you played sports growing up, you probably remember the end of practice, when your coach announced that it was time for conditioning. You and your teammates let out a groan, and you began running endless laps around the field until you heard the whistle blow. Having kids run laps around the soccer field gets them into shape — and probably makes them dread coming to practice, too. Some may even decide to conserve energy toward the end of practice so that they fare better in the running, which compromises their development. Utilize drills that emphasize constant movement and eliminate standing around, and the youngsters on your team will emerge as well-conditioned players.

  Challenging Drills

  Are you looking to add some flair and excitement to your offensive drills? How about giving your players some situations that really test their defensive abilities? The following drills are designed to push players who have already become pretty proficient in the sport to the next level.

  Wall Pass–Heading Combination

  This drill (see Figure 17-1) has it all: throw-ins, ball handling, dribbling, passing, and heading.

  What you need: Area of field with goal. 5 players. 1 ball. 2 cones.

  How it works: Use the following steps to run this drill:

  1. Player A, on the sideline, begins the drill with a throw-in to Player B.

  2. After Player B receives the throw-in, he dribbles to the center of the field and delivers a pass between a pair of cones to Player C.

  3. Player C executes a wall pass back to Player B.

  4. Player B sends a long pass to Player D, at the top of the goal arc.

  While all this movement takes place, Player A, who delivered the throw-in, runs the length of the field to play defense against Players C and D.

  5. Player D sends a side pass to Player C, who executes a chip pass that Player D attempts to head into the net.

  Figure 17-1: This drill gives five players the chance to work on their skills.

  You can increase the difficulty of the drill by incorporating another defender into the mix to make the passing that much more complicated to pull off.

  Coaching pointers: Begin by keeping a close eye on the youngster executing the throw-in. Your team should never turn over possession by committing an illegal throw-in. Stress the importance of executing this drill at full speed, mimicking a game situation. You may even want to let them know that you’re giving them only 10 seconds to perform the drill to reinforce the emphasis on being fast with the ball and making quick decisions.

  Near and Far Post Crosses

  This drill (see Figure 17-2) helps players become proficient at delivering crossing passes to both the near and far posts while facing defensive pressure.

  What you need: Area of field with goal. 4 players. 1 ball.

  How it works: Use the following steps for this drill:

  1. Player A starts with a ball at the top of the penalty area and delivers a pass to Player B, who is moving toward the end line.

  2. After Player A delivers the pass, she moves toward the near post and receives a crossing pass from Player B.

  Player B has to focus on making an accurate pass that can’t be intercepted by the defensive player stationed in the penalty area.

  3. After Player B delivers the crossing pass, and Player A attempts to head the ball into the goal, Player B sprints to the corner-kick area.

  4. Player B delivers a corner kick to the far post that Player A attempts to head into the net while dealing with the defensive player.

  Figure 17-2: Practicing passing while facing defensive pressure is important.

  Coaching pointers: This drill can get pretty competitive with older and more skilled kids who battle for position in front of the net to get off headers or defend them, so keep a close watch to make sure that they aren’t pushing illegally or committing penalties.

  Spin and Shoot

  This drill helps players, while dribbling the ball, make quick and accurate ball-distribution decisions when a goal-scoring opportunity presents itself.

  What you need: Area of field with goal. 5 players. 1 ball.

  How it works: Use these steps for Spin and Shoot:

  1. Position a sweeper in the penalty area to put extra pressure on the attacking players to make an accurate pass.

  2. The drill begins (see Figure 17-3) with you (C) throwing a high pass to Player A, who must trap it with his chest and gain control of it.

  3. The players on Player A’s left and right near the top of the penalty box execute spin moves and head toward the goal.

  4. Player A immediately sends a pass to hit one of the two players in stride.

  5. The player who receives the pass dribbles forward and either takes a shot on goal or passes to the other attacking player for a shot on net.

  Figure 17-3: Player A makes a decision about which teammate to pass the ball to.

  Coaching pointers: Work with the attacking players to make sure that they don’t spend too much time dribbling the ball. Players sometimes have a tendency to want to use too many 1-on-1 moves when, in a situation like a 3-on-1, they need to learn to take advantage of having the defense outnumbered and pass to a teammate to generate a better-quality shot on goal.

  Move and React

  Move and React gives players chances to work on their 1-on-1 moves while being closely defended, as well as to work on their shooting and passing skills.

  What you need: Area of field with goal. 4 players. 1 ball.

  How it works: Player A begins with the ball outside the penalty area (see Figure 17-4). Player B, who is on the attack with her, is at an angle outside the penalty box, facing Player A. A defender starts a couple of yards behind Player B. Use the following steps for this drill:

  1. The drill begins with Player A sending a pass to Player B.

  2. After receiving the pass, Player B executes a spin move to either her left or right.

  3. Depending on whether she’s free from the defender, Player B takes a shot on goal or looks to pass to Player A, who is trailing the play.

  4. If Player B shoots, and the ball rebounds, Player A is there for the follow-up.

  Figure 17-4: Players work on multiple skills in the Move and React drill.

  Coaching pointers: Kids naturally love taking shots on goal, so watch Player B’s execution closely, and make sure he’s distributing the ball to Player A if his spin move doesn’t produce an opening to get off a quality shot. If he should pass the ball instead of shooting, don’t hesitate to interrupt the drill. Show him that a better opportunity for a goal existed by demonstrating where Player A was without a defender near her.

  Specialties Galore

  This drill is good for conditioning because it’s fa
st paced and allows little time for recovery. Besides helping players work on specialty skills like throw-ins and corner kicks, it generates a game-type atmosphere with 2-on-2 and 3-on-2 play.

  What you need: Area of field with goal. 6 players. 1 ball.

  How it works: Position two attacking players and two defensive players in the penalty area (see Figure 17-5). Put an additional attacking player on the sideline. In this drill, you have a total of three mini-games. To keep the drill moving, allow only 15 seconds of play. You can award 1 point to the attacking players if they get a shot on goal (2 points if they score a goal) and 1 point for the defensive team if it prevents a shot on goal. Keeping score helps keep the kids’ interest and ensures that they’re competing as hard as they would in a game situation.

  1. The attacking player on the sideline begins the drill with a corner kick.

  2. The other two attacking players attempt to score a goal while the defenders try to clear the ball out of danger.

  3. While this play is going on, the player who delivered the corner kick rushes up the sideline, picks up a ball, and delivers a throw-in, which produces a game of 2-on-2.

  4. The drill concludes with the player who began the drill rushing up the sideline again, delivering another throw-in, and joining the action for a 3-on-2 opportunity.

  Figure 17-5: Players work on specialty skills in this drill.

  Coaching pointers: Particularly with the 3-on-2 portion of this drill, make sure that the attacking trio is maintaining proper spacing. Whenever the team has a tactical advantage with an extra player, you don’t want to minimize that advantage by bunching up close together, which makes it much easier for the defensive team.

  Crisscrossing

  This drill puts a premium on good ball handling and passing, and also gives both offensive and defensive players work on their 1-on-1 play, which occurs all game long all over the field and plays a big role in how successful the team is.

  What you need: Area of field with goal. 5 players. 1 ball.

  How it works: The following steps set up the Crisscrossing drill:

  1. Player A starts at midfield (see Figure 17-6) and dribbles the ball against a defender to a predetermined spot.

  2. Player A executes a square pass to Player B.

  3. Player A runs at an angle toward the penalty area.

  4. Player B gains control of the ball and sends a pass forward to connect with Player A.

  5. Player B moves diagonally to the outer edge of the penalty box.

  6. Player A sends a pass to Player B in the penalty-box area, and Player B now must beat the defender there and get a shot on goal.

  Figure 17-6: The defensive players try to break up the crisscrossing pattern of passes.

  Coaching pointers: No matter what the age level or ability of your players, always stress the fundamentals when passing and receiving. You never want your players to get into the habit of straying from the fundamentals, which only prove more difficult to correct later.

  Goalie Tester

  Goalie Tester gives your goalie, regardless of his age or ability, the chance to hone his skills and receive a lot of quality practice in a short period of time.

  What you need: Area of field with goal. 1 player. Multiple balls.

  How it works: Use the following steps for this drill:

  1. The goalie takes his normal position in front of the net. You take a spot approximately 10 yards from the goalie and kneel with a large supply of balls at your disposal.

  2. You begin the drill by throwing balls at the net one at a time, so that the youngster is forced to make the save and then quickly return to his starting position to stop the next ball.

  By kneeling, you’re able to send a wide variety of balls at the goalie. You can roll them, bounce them, or throw them in the air.

  A lot of times in drills, goalies aren’t really tested and forced to extend far to their left and right to make saves. By delivering the balls with your hands, you ensure that the goalie gets work making all types of saves that he’ll be called upon to make in actual games.

  You can increase the difficulty level of this drill in a couple of ways. One, you can place a defender a few yards in front of the goalie to serve as a screen so that the goalie is challenged on his sight lines, which often happens during a game with players battling for position around the net. And two, you can position players to the left and right of you, and periodically, instead of throwing a ball at the net, you can roll one to your left or right for a player to take a shot on goal. Again, this unpredictability forces the goalie to really be alert and react quickly to all sorts of situations, which is exactly what he confronts during an actual game.

  Coaching pointers: Footwork and form are the key elements to successful goalkeeping. Watch that the youngster uses proper form when he reaches high for a ball or is forced to get low to scoop up a rolling ball.

  Part V

  The Extra Points

  In this part …

  W hat your team does before it takes the field can have a major impact on how well it performs. In this part, we serve up some pre- and post-game routines, including warm-ups and nutritional tips that will fuel your players, and examine how you can best protect your team from annoying injuries. And, in the event you have to deal with a problem parent or child, we provide some useful solutions. For those of you interested in tackling the more challenging role of coaching a travel or select team, you find all sorts of useful information here, too.

  Chapter 18

  Keeping Kids Healthy and Injury Free

  In This Chapter

  Preventing and recognizing injuries

  Staying safe when bad weather threatens

  Fueling young bodies

  Being a well-rounded soccer player requires a lot of skills in many areas. The same goes for being a well-rounded soccer coach. Besides teaching kids the basic skills, techniques, and strategies of the game, you need a handle on the aspects of the game that often slip under the radar of most volunteer coaches: injury prevention, recognition, and treatment, as well as the dos and don’ts of pre- and post-game nutrition.

  Although you certainly don’t need a medical background or expertise in the sports nutrition field, you should at least be familiar with these topics and how they influence kids’ performances on the soccer field. Being healthy and injury-free makes a big difference in how much your players enjoy the game — as well as how successful you are in helping them have fun fulfilling their potential. Dig in to this chapter to see how you can help your kids remain injury-free and fuel their young bodies to perform at their maximum capabilities.

  Injury Prevention

  You simply can’t get around the fact that any youngster who steps onto the soccer field — regardless of age, level of ability, or experience playing the sport — is vulnerable to suffering an injury. Although you can’t eliminate the threat of injuries occurring during practices or games, you can take several steps to help reduce the chance of a child suffering an injury. Having your team follow a sound stretching regimen — both before and after games and practices — goes a long way in not only promoting better flexibility, but also providing added protection against unwanted aches and pains.

  Keep the following points in mind when leading your team in stretching:

  Cover all the muscle groups. You want the pre-game warm-up to involve all the major muscle groups that the kids use during the game. That means stretches for the hamstrings, calves, neck, and back.

  Make it soccer-related. Exercises that focus on soccer-related movements serve the dual purpose of getting the kids loosened up and simulating game action. One simple way to do this kind of exercise is to have each child pass a ball back and forth between his feet, using the inside of each foot. Doing this while jogging in place builds ball-handling skills and warms up the body in the process.

  Keep the exercises light. You want the kids to get loosened up gradually. Remind them to go at no more than half speed in the beginning. You don
’t want them going full speed throughout the entire warm-up so that by the time the game begins, they’re fatigued and gasping for breath.

  Proper warm-up for practice and games

  Stretching the muscles enhances a youngster’s agility and flexibility, improves his range of motion and soccer technique, and reduces his chances of being injured. Setting aside a period of time to get the heart rate up and the muscles loosened up before practice and games clears the way for a productive session.

  For younger kids, your warm-ups don’t need to be elaborate. Simply having the kids perform a soccer-related activity to get their hearts pumping and their muscles loosened up gets them ready for action. Have each player place her ball in front of her and alternate putting her right foot on top of the ball, and then her left foot, to get her heart pumping. Have the kids start slowly and gradually build up a little bit of speed. You can also have all the kids dribble their balls in a designated area while maintaining a slight jog. By confining them to an area, you force them to dribble around their teammates so their bodies are getting warmed up and comfortable moving in all directions. It also provides good dribbling practice because the kids have to keep their heads up to scan the area so they don’t bump into one another.

  With older children, you want to ensure that they loosen all their muscles properly, because they rely upon all of them during the course of the practice. Stretching the hamstrings, the quadriceps, the calves, the neck and upper back, the lower back, and the area around the waist are all important, so make sure your warm-up touches on all those areas. Here are some tips to keep in mind when it comes to stretching:

  Passive stretching: This is the most beneficial type of stretching for children. Rather than bouncing and straining to reach a desired position, which can result in injury, you slowly move to the desired position, just slightly beyond discomfort, holding that position for a short period of time and then relaxing. Remind kids that mild tension — not pain — is what they need to be striving to achieve on any type of stretch. For example, they want to slowly bend down and touch their toes, count to five, and then relax and return to an upright position.