Horst Wein, author of more than thirty books on the subject of Player Development, shared some of his thoughts and conclusions on training players. Wein described the coach as an artist who selects appropriate exercises for his/her players, manipulating the activities in a way that the players find solutions to the problems they are confronted with without the coach directly giving them the answers. This method of coaching, often referred to as the Discovery Method, calls for the coach to observe each activity closely and formulate questions. These questions should steer the player to the proper solutions on their own. Wein cited statistical analysis that showed that three months later players remember about 18% of what you instructed them, in contrast, they remembered 68% of what they experienced on their own. He concludes that a coaches’ objective is to open the mind of the players in a way that they both improve, but also extend their learning potential.

Wein is a firm believer that players develop best through small sided games. He referred to the 11-aside game as “the cancer of youth soccer”. Wein used several variations of 3 vs. 3 soccer to show how a coach can manipulate an activity to grow the players’ game intelligence without dictating orders. Two very interesting conclusions Wein shared with the coaches about developing game intelligence were:

1. Don’t Count Passes
2. Play odd numbered teams (3v3 or 5v5) to multiple goals.

The reasoning for not counting passes is very logical. With the restriction of counting passes, players tend to get rid of the ball when they are under no pressure and don’t learn the proper time to release the ball. “The pass is born out of necessity” was a phrase Wein uttered on multiple occasions. Instead of counting passes, ask your players to maintain possession for a certain amount of time. Example 10 seconds, instead of 5 passes.

Playing odd numbered teams to four goals (attacking 2/ defending 2) creates numbers up situations. If you were to play 4 v4 to four goals the defensive team can establish an equal balance to defend each goal limiting the obvious visual cues for the attacking team, therefore, limiting their growth of game intelligence. In the 3 vs. 3 game to four goals, the player on the ball should recognize which goal the defenders are guarding with greater numbers. If they appear to be balanced, the attacker on the ball should run at one of the defenders “fixing him” to create a 2 vs. 1 situation. These small sided activities promote repetition on the ball, multiple opportunities to make decisions and still maintain all the elements of larger game.

A final reason, for playing games with multiple goals, Wein shared with those in attendance was lack of flank play in youth soccer across the world, particularly in the US. Wein felt that playing too many competitive games at too young an age has hindered our
player development. We have done a good job of “teaching players to win, not become soccer players.” If we become more patient and less concerned about results at a young age (prior to U14) we will be doing a great service to our players. Let the players discover the answers to the questions the games we present them in training. If we choose these exercises wisely we will develop more educated players that will continue to advance soccer in the US.

1) As a coach, am I allowed to tell the referee to watch out for player safety? No. The BAYS Zero Tolerance Policy specifically says: “Absolutely no disputing calls, during or after the game, no direct or indirect remarks to the referee to watch certain players or attend to rough play.” (emphasis added)

2) If I’m not allowed to address the referee, how can I communicate with him/her? The only individuals in the game who are allowed to address the referee are the players. If you are concerned for player safety, send a message to the referee via one of your players.

3) If rough play continues, what options do I have? If you feel like continuing the game will put your players’ safety at risk, you should abandon the game. This is how BAYS suggests going about this: “Coaches may abandon their team’s participation in a match if they become concerned that by continuing with the game their players would be exposed to a risk of serious injury due to player infringement of the Laws, outside interference, weather conditions, or field conditions. To abandon a game, coaches shall call their players to the sideline in front of their bench and request that the captain or another player inform the referee that the team is abandoning the game. Coaches are required to follow the Zero Tolerance Policy when communicating to the referee that they are abandoning the game. The game shall be abandoned when the referee signals that the match has ended. “

4) If I abandon the game, won’t this be an automatic forfeit? No, not necessarily. The other team could even be assessed a forfeit. BAYS has policies to recognize that in situations where player safety is deemed at risk, teams should not be automatically penalized for abandoning the game. The BAYS Guidelines for Resolution of Terminated and Abandoned Games outlines the procedure to report the game, and possible outcomes of the game. To reiterate, the coach should never address the referee even when players are getting injured due to rough play. Instead, communicate via players, and as a last resort, abandon the game. The above scenarios also apply to player safety due to bad weather such as lightning, or poor field conditions, such as standing water and muddy fields.

5) What happens if the referee cites me for a Zero Tolerance violation in his/her game report? For the lowest level violation, level 1, LUSC will notify the coach that he/she has been cited. For a level 2 violation, BAYS will notify LUSC, and LUSC will impose an automatic one game suspension after the second level 2 violation. For a level 3 violation, BAYS will notify LUSC, and BAYS will impose an automatic one game (or more) suspension.

More information

• Support for Referees of Zero Tolerance Policy: BAYS Match Rule 15 – Support for Match Officials
• Guidelines to refs for game reports: BAYS Zero Tolerance Rating Guideline for Game Reports
• Game feedback for sportsmanship and referee issues: Login in to bays.org using your coach login (ask Registrar). Click on “Game Feedback”.

Lexington United Soccer Club July 2015, last revised June 2023

This is a favorite question of a former colleague of mine that has really impacted the way I look at not only my coaching, whether it is for a single team or directing a club, but making life choices.  I’d encourage all parents to consider this question when signing up their child for youth sports, and ask that all coaches ponder it before volunteering their time.  There are very few instances when it’s time to make an important decision that pausing to reflect upon it isn’t helpful.

Players generally arrive at a soccer club or any other athletic endeavor through their parents signing them up.  So the starting point of a child’s experience stems from a decision their parent makes.  When clicking the mouse to register, I ask parents to please consider “What are we trying to accomplish here?”  There are so many positive reasons to sign a child up, but they are worth listing.

• To have fun playing
• To make new friends
• To instill the values of sportsmanship and fair play
• To be active and healthy
• To acquire new skills
• To learn to deal with both success and failure

If the program the parent signed up for provides their child with these opportunities, I think we’d all agree it should be considered a success.  Now that a parent has made the decision to enroll their child, it’s our duty as a club to ensure the experience is a positive one.

How do we ensure this? 

If there is a single quality that I hope to instill in the coaches that I work with and the parents that I come across, it’s perspective.  Without perspective all the other qualities a coach may possess, whether it be technical proficiency or tactical knowledge, he or she will always be limited in the development and enjoyment of the players they are charged to lead.  The good news is that in my experience, perspective isn’t a constant, but something that grows deeper over time and comes through experience.

Before going any further, I think it’s important to establish a definition of perspective.  Perspective can be defined several ways, but the definition I like to focus on is:  the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance.  I believe as the adult, the parent or coach, in the decision making process for the child we have a responsibility to truly understand the “relative importance” of youth sports.  If we allow the “relative importance” to guide our decision making process we should be on solid footing with the decisions we make.  Is it important to play our “best players” to win a U11 game or is it more important to provide all players an opportunity to play knowing kids develop at different rates and the child that may struggle now could emerge as the one we turn to a few years down the road?  Do we view the result of the game as the bench mark or the team’s performance and the effort they gave as our measuring stick knowing the result is often out of our control?  Do we praise effort or talent?  https://lexingtonunited.org/praise-effort-or-praise-talent/  If we as adults model proper perspective, over time, as the child matures, they will become more involved in the decision making process both on and off the field.

When a coach has perspective, they do things that are appropriate.  Not the flashiest of words, but solid as an oak.  I had the opportunity to watch Tosh Farrell, former Director of the EvertonYouthAcademy, run a session at this year’s NSCAA Convention where he used the phrase “provide the kids with the appropriate diet”.  A good coach does just that.  A good coach runs practices that are age appropriate by choosing exercises that are developmentally appropriate and delivered in a manner that is both verbally and visually appropriate.

I want to expand on the visually appropriate comment since this is an area that can often be a shortcoming for many coaches at all levels.  Dick Bate, Cardiff City Academy Director and a world class coaching educator, posed the question, “when is a coach communicating?” in a lecture on communication skills that I was fortunate enough to attend a few years back.  The answer:  all the time.  All eyes are on you as the coach, so how do you want to look?  When a kid shoots wide of the target and you toss your hands in the air or turn your back to the field, before regaining your composure and offering “good try” or “unlucky” as words of encouragement what message have we sent our player?  The demeanor of a coach has a profound impact on the game our children are involved in.  When a coach has perspective and behaves in a composed manner, he encourages players to attempt new things and to take chances without reprimand.  When doing so, he sets a tone that is often emulated by the parents on the opposite sideline.  This creates a wonderful experience for all involved.  By contrast, when a coach lacks perspective we often observe players deferring to teammates in an effort to avoid making mistakes or taking ownership of their game.  When the fear of failure enters youth sports, the values we signed up for begin to diminish and we need to rethink our investment.

“What are we trying to accomplish here?”

I believe as coaches we have a unique opportunity to develop not only players, but people.  That is what we should be “trying to accomplish”.  When we rotate a player to different positions and “weaken our chances of winning”, but know it is the right thing to do, we need to do it without hesitation.  When we ask our players to take risks or play out the back and the ball gets turned over, we need to encourage them to do it again or as Samuel Beckett says, “Fail Better” https://lexingtonunited.org/fail-better/ the next time.

Just as parents begin the process with their child by signing them up to play, they often are the ones that put closure to the weekend’s game on the ride home.  This is a responsibility that can have a lasting impact on the player’s mindset.  Please take great care in this responsibility.  Instead of analyzing the game, John O’Sullivan, Founder of the Changing the Game Project, recommends sharing these few words on the ride home  “I really love watching you play”.  What a wonderful comment for a parent to share with their child.  What a great perspective on what we should be trying to accomplish.

I typically spend much of my summer recharging the batteries for the coming year and going back through new and old videos, past curriculums, books, etc. in an effort to refine and enhance the product and experience we offer our players.  This summer was the same in many ways, but I also had the opportunity to be coached by a master coach without even being aware of it.  The words that follow aren’t intended to be a promotion of P90x, but to share some of the commentary Tony Horton, P90x creator, uses throughout the program and how we can apply them to our coaching.

“Do your best, forget the rest”.  Very simple philosophy, but isn’t that what we should ask of both ourselves and our players?  No more, no less.  If we, as coaches, come prepared to do a great job and attempt to make each interaction with our players meaningful and productive for all involved, aren’t those the values that sport is supposed to instill?  If we have done this and our practice comes up short of our expectations, it’s not a failure, it’s just an opportunity to re-evaluate our approach, or the plan itself, and learn.  If our players compete to the best of their ability, but the game result doesn’t reflect their effort, does that minimize what they gave?

“It’s not about being perfect”.  Mistakes will be made and we should embrace, not run away from, this reality.  Struggle is part of the learning process.  Getting better at something takes time.  There are no shortcuts.  Things our players struggle with during weeks one or two are often mastered by weeks four and five, it just takes patience and perseverance and perhaps an encouraging word from the coach to guide his/her players through the development process.  Can we replace the “I can’t” attitude with “I presently struggle with…”?  It’s amazing what a positive outlook can accomplish over time.

“Write it down”.  Take a few minutes to keep a log of your practices and games.  Write down what worked for you and what didn’t work.  By keeping a journal, you provide yourself a reference point to chart your progress as a team.

“Keep pushing play”.  Be present.  There will days that will be hard to lead and you may want to be somewhere else, but by being committed to the process and by being present (“pushing play”) you’ll continue to grow.

“Enjoy the Journey”.  No team or experience is ever the same.  New faces are welcomed into the team while others depart.  Former role players become key figures and once quiet voices begin to emerge.

This happens every season.  What an awesome experience coaching can be when we embrace the challenges and opportunities each new season brings.  If we embrace all that the new season brings with it, we can’t help but to enjoy the journey!

“Coaching gives one a chance to be successful as well as significant. The difference between those two is that when you die, your success comes to an end. When you are significant, you continue to help others be successful long after you are gone. Significance lasts many lifetimes. That is why people teach, why people lead, and why people coach.”

A wonderful answer to an important question, but that is coach Holtz’s answer not mine. Every coach will have a different answer and it may evolve over time. An answer I often here from volunteer coaches is, I coach because I love my child and want to participate in their life, or no one else would, so I thought I’d fill the void.  Both legitimate and good reasons to coach, but I ask all coaches to reflect on their own reasons for coaching.

Like many coaches, I have considered this question and have had many varied reasons for coaching over my twenty years in the role. I love the game of soccer, I like the competition athletics provide, it’s fun, but what I have come to understand during my time in Lexington and being a part of such a wonderful community is that I coach because I love the growth that it provides in my life and in the lives of the people that I come across.

Being a father of three boys under the age of five, I’m always awestruck at how quickly they “grow”.  Growth involves struggles and obstacles along the way. Mistakes will be made and set backs will occur, but it’s amazing to watch a child persevere to take their first steps, or draw a sea monster better than before, or write a letter a little more clearly.  The joy they exhibit in this personal growth is one I cherish and get to share with them. Coaching allows me to share these types of moments with so many different people. Their growth inspires me to keep growing in turn.

Watching a young player struggle with the ball at his or her feet, and then spend hours working to master a command of it is a form of growth. Observing a player that is shy come out of her shell and begin to interact with her teammates is a form of growth. Observing a player pick up after himself and help clear the field instead of having a parent do it is a form of growth. Watching a coach go from a tentative novice to one that can take charge and lead a group is a form of growth.  The opportunities for growth are endless, which to me is what makes the game, and life, so special. Not only do the children (and coaches) benefit in these moments, but they begin to progress as people whether it is from the discipline to put in the necessary effort, learning to cooperate with their peers, or to begin to take ownership of a task. It’s awesome to observe and be a part of.

Two of the great motivators for me in my coaching are the children and the volunteer coaches. Can I provide a better practice, a more understanding ear, and a more thoughtful voice? Searching for ways to do this has helped me grow.  I’ve made mistakes along the way, but I’ve learned to embrace them and grow from them. At the end of my practices I’m very fortunate that I often have people say thank you. Those are two wonderful words that often don’t get said enough, but I would be remiss if I didn’t say thank you in return. Thank you for allowing me to coach and continue to grow. Whether it’s taking our first steps, or watching our children do the same, there is always a joy and satisfaction that only growth

“Coaching gives one a chance to be successful as well as significant. The difference between those two is that when you die, your success comes to an end. When you are significant, you continue to help others be successful long after you are gone. Significance lasts many lifetimes. That is why people teach, why people lead, and why people coach.”

A wonderful answer to an important question, but that is coach Holtz’s answer not mine. Every coach will have a different answer and it may evolve over time. An answer I often here from volunteer coaches is, I coach because I love my child and want to participate in their life, or no one else would, so I thought I’d fill the void.  Both legitimate and good reasons to coach, but I ask all coaches to reflect on their own reasons for coaching.

Like many coaches, I have considered this question and have had many varied reasons for coaching over my twenty years in the role. I love the game of soccer, I like the competition athletics provide, it’s fun, but what I have come to understand during my time in Lexington and being a part of such a wonderful community is that I coach because I love the growth that it provides in my life and in the lives of the people that I come across.

Being a father of three boys under the age of five, I’m always awestruck at how quickly they “grow”.  Growth involves struggles and obstacles along the way. Mistakes will be made and set backs will occur, but it’s amazing to watch a child persevere to take their first steps, or draw a sea monster better than before, or write a letter a little more clearly.  The joy they exhibit in this personal growth is one I cherish and get to share with them. Coaching allows me to share these types of moments with so many different people. Their growth inspires me to keep growing in turn.

Watching a young player struggle with the ball at his or her feet, and then spend hours working to master a command of it is a form of growth. Observing a player that is shy come out of her shell and begin to interact with her teammates is a form of growth. Observing a player pick up after himself and help clear the field instead of having a parent do it is a form of growth. Watching a coach go from a tentative novice to one that can take charge and lead a group is a form of growth.  The opportunities for growth are endless, which to me is what makes the game, and life, so special. Not only do the children (and coaches) benefit in these moments, but they begin to progress as people whether it is from the discipline to put in the necessary effort, learning to cooperate with their peers, or to begin to take ownership of a task. It’s awesome to observe and be a part of.

Two of the great motivators for me in my coaching are the children and the volunteer coaches. Can I provide a better practice, a more understanding ear, and a more thoughtful voice? Searching for ways to do this has helped me grow.  I’ve made mistakes along the way, but I’ve learned to embrace them and grow from them. At the end of my practices I’m very fortunate that I often have people say thank you. Those are two wonderful words that often don’t get said enough, but I would be remiss if I didn’t say thank you in return. Thank you for allowing me to coach and continue to grow. Whether it’s taking our first steps, or watching our children do the same, there is always a joy and satisfaction that only growth can provide.

What’s your philosophy on player development?  This question is at core of any coaching course and should be given plenty of consideration by all coaches since developing players is in essence the number one priority of a youth coach.  The answers that follow can vary from coach to coach, but I’m always surprised by how long winded and rambling the answer to this question can be for both candidate and instructor.  That is why it was so refreshing to hear Charlie Cooke explain The Coerver Player Development philosophy at The Coerver Youth Diploma Course I had the pleasure of attending this summer.  Coach Cooke stated that Player Development should be “Serious Fun”.   Serious Fun, Clear and Concise.

What does Serious Fun mean?  Players develop best when they enjoy what they are doing.  Therefore practices should be built around activities that are FUN!  Having said that, we coaches must make a clear distinction between fun and silly.  It is fun to get better and you get better through structured activities which provide a maximum amount of ball contacts and opportunities to make game like decisions in a practice setting.  Coerver Coaching structures each training session with Ball Mastery, Soccer Speed, 1v1 and Small sided games as core components.  This structure is Serious!  There is no winging it when you get to the field.  The activities selected may change from session to session, but they are never done so without serious consideration.

The Coerver Method believes in “stretching” players.  They do this through intense competition in 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 activities where players are constantly transitioning from attack to defense and vice versa.  The small numbers force players to remain engaged at all times, demand technique under pressure and foster a fast paced environment that is ideal for player development.

As coaches, can we take our players outside of their comfort zone and help them grow both on and off the field?  It’s important that we have a plan in place that on one hand doesn’t overwhelm and discourage players, but on the other doesn’t limit development by underestimating what they can accomplish.

“If I were a player would I enjoy participating in this session?”  I believe if all coaches would ask themselves this one question when planning out their practices, we’d go a long way in providing an environment that promotes player development in a real meaningful way.  After all, player development is Serious Fun.

Claudio Reyna:  US Director of Player Development, former National Team Captain

“Ball control is the most important skill a young player could learn. Controlling the ball will simply make the game easier to play and open up more options instantly. The great thing about practicing ball control is that there are many different body parts and ways to control the ball that could prove beneficial in a game. It’s the single skill I find myself doing to this day on the practice field. I look for two things when I am controlling the ball: I find the easiest way to control the ball and I control the ball in the direction that will make my next pass as simple as possible.” 

Horst Wein:  Developing Game Intelligence

1. Soccer starts in the Head
2. Descends to the Heart
3. Finishes with the Legs

Wein is a firm believer that coaches need to offer less instruction and provide more exercise that allows for players to learn to “read the game”.  The phrase Wein uses is “Stimulate rather than Instruct”.  Instead of giving solutions to the problems the game demands, the coach should present problems for players to resolve!

The player on the ball has 3 Phases he/she must process and execute each time he is in possession.

1. Perception- What is happening?  Your eyes need to observe everything.
2. Decision Making- What to do?  Plan, judge, decide.
3. Execution- How to do it?  (Technical ability becomes important).   

Wein provided data that shows that the 2v1 situation occurs over 300 times in a 90 minute soccer match.  He concluded that it is much more important to teach players through small sided soccer situations where they are faced with the 2v1 situation than to play over a larger field where they get less repetition and fewer opportunities to master the 2v1 confrontations that the game presents.  It is just as important, if not more important, to teach a player when to pass as it is to teach the technical ability of how to pass.  “The pass is born out of necessity.”

Jose Mourinho:  Real Madrid Head Coach, two time UEFA Champions League Winner

“A great pianist doesn’t run around the piano or do push ups with the tips of his fingers.  To be great, he plays the piano.  He plays all his life and being a great footballer is not about running, push-ups or physical work generally.  The best way to be a great footballer is to play football”

Exercises to Develop Game Intelligence:  Here are several exercises that a coach can run with his/her team to develop a player’s ability to “read the game”.  It makes sense to choose two or three of these exercises and repeat them several times throughout the season opposed to trying to run a new exercise each week.  This repetition will allow for players to just focus on the soccer aspects of the activity instead of trying to learn new rules each week.

Note:  Many times a team may struggle with an activity the first time it’s introduced, but once they gain an understanding of what is being asked of them, the exercise will become much more enjoyable and productive. 

3v3 to Four Diagonal Goals

The Game:   The red attacks the red gates, the whites the blue.  No Goal can be scored unless you’re in the shooting zone!

If you score you get to keep the ball (coach plays a ball into your team).  This encourages the defenders to work hard since they don’t get the ball back when they concede a goal.

Focus:

• Creating 2 v1 situations.
• Reading the game- recognize which goal is being defended with greater numbers and attack the other goal.
• Changing direction
• Speed of play
• Transition both attacking and defending

Note:  This is a very demanding game physically.  It makes sense to have 3rd team of three ready to come on (play 2 games/rest a game) or have a fourth player per team that rotates in every time a goal is scored.

3v3 Passing through 4 Goals:

The Set-up:  Two teams of three players play 3v3 inside a 25 x 25 yard box, while a third team of 3 players is “on deck”

The Exercise:  Two teams of three players play on a rectangular field vs. one another to 4 gates.  Goals are scored by passing the ball through any of the four gates to a teammate.  Games are to three.  Winning team stays on.  The game does not stop when a goal is scored!  The team in possession keeps possession and tries to attack another gate.

Variations:

• If you have 8 players, play 3v3 with two substitutes that rotate in on each goal.
• If you have 12 players, have two games of 3v3 to 4 goals going on simultaneously

Focus: 

• Passing
• Receiving
• Movement off the ball
• Recognizing which goal to attack

3v3 with Handicap

The Game: 3 white players play against 3 red players to 4 goals with an attacking zone marked off for each team.

Once a goal is scored, the player that scored is off (stands next to the coach). This creates a 3v2 situation.  (Pictured below)

Rule:  No goal counts unless it is scored from inside the attacking zone.

If Red now scores, the white player rejoins the game and the goal scorer stands next to the coach (this would create a 3v2 in the opposite direction). On the rare occasion where the 2 players score against the 3, the goal scorer still goes off to stand next to the coach. This will create a 3v1. If the 3 now score, both resting players join the game and the goal scorer stands next to the coach.

Focus: 

• Spacing
• Taking advantage of being numbers up
• Defending with fewer players
• Decision making

Note: This is an outstanding game in terms of teaching players how to play in numbers up and numbers down situations.

Transition Game w/ Central Goal

The Game: 5 Whites are playing vs. 3 Red Defenders and a goalkeeper, 2 reds resting.  Resting players should remain deep in their zone “stretching the field”.

White needs 3 passes before they go to goal (this will allow for transition as the game gets going).  When white either shoots the ball, red wins the ball, or the keeper makes a save. Play the ball quickly to the resting players & move “transition” to support. Red now is in possession 5 v3 + keeper. They need three passes before they can go to goal.

Focus: 

• Attacking- Quick ball movement, work for a good shot, movement off the ball, balance of team shape.
• Defending- Defend in triangles, communication from the goalkeeper, patience (#’s down).

Transition: Offensively- can we support our teammates quickly?

Defensively- can we get immediate pressure?  Stay organized!

3v3 Make It, Take It!

The Set-up: Divide the team into two groups of 4. One player from each team acts as a server, the other three players play 3v3 to 4

Note: If you have 12 players, divide the group into three groups of 4.  One team would “rest” and keep the servers supplied with balls. 

The Exercise:  A “live” 3v3 game takes place.  You can only score from inside the Shooting Zone!  If a goal is scored, the team that scored quickly moves to take up positions to receive the ball from their server/teammate.

If the ball goes out of bounds, the team who would have been awarded the throw-in or goal kick “check’s back” to receive a ball from their server.

Play games to 3 with the winning team staying on!

Rotate the server after each game.

Focus: 

• Learning through the game (can we recognize the 2v1)
• Quick transitions
• Proper entry passes
• Proper angles of support
• Fitness (the ball is almost never out of play)

Triangle Goal with Counter Goals

The Set-up:  On a 35×25 yard field create a 3×3 triangular goal in the middle of the area with a counter goal (discs or puggs) on each sideline.  Coach should divide the group into two equal teams (4 white v 4 red) and have a supply of balls to keep the game moving. 

The Game:  Play two 5 minute periods!  In the 1^st five minutes, the white team can score by shooting the ball through the triangle (along the ground) or connecting five passes.  The red team must defend the triangle and try to score in any four of the counter goals.  After 5 minutes the roles reverse.

Focus: 

• Keeping possession of the ball
• Penetration
• Movement off the ball
• Communication

Variation 1:  Have the team defending the triangle nominate a goalkeeper (exercise is 4v3 plus keeper) and allow shots goals to score that are below shoulder height.

Variation 2:  (pictured right) Add two neutral players to the game (4v4 plus 2).  The neutral players are always on the team that has the ball.  This should make it easier for the teams to maintain possession.

4 v2 Four Goal Game with 10 Attacks!

The Set-up:  A field approximately 40 yards long x 25 yards wide is divided into half.  Place two mini goals (puggs or discs) on each end line.  Divide the group of 8 into two teams of 4.  Coach should have a supply of balls.

The Game:  A white team of 4 players attacks 2 red defenders guarding a pair of goals while the other two red defenders rest.  On completion of the attack, the white players turn and receive a new ball for the coach and begin to attack in the opposite direction.  (Pictured below)

Rotation:  After 10 attacks, 5 in each direction, the roles reverse.

Coach should observe: 

• Are the attacks being carried out at speed?
• Is the movement off the ball dynamic (overlaps, give and go’s, etc.)
• Are proper decisions being made?
• Are the passes into space or too feet?
• Can we defend #’s down?
• Is the communication Clear & Concise!

Final Phase: 

The Game:  4 white players attack 2 red defenders to 2 goals while the other two red players remain in their half.  If Red wins the ball, they must pass the ball to their teammates in the other zone.

Rotation: The Red quickly move to support their teammates and become the attacking team.  Red would now go on the attack with two white players taking up positions in each half of the field to defend.

Play game for 5 minutes.  Keep score!

“Ever Tried.  Ever Failed.  No Matter.  Try Again.  Fail Again.  Fail Better”

Samuel Beckett

Fail Better.  What an amazing philosophy for a coach to embrace when dealing with players.  I initially wrote “young players”, but why limit that philosophy to a particular age group?  Isn’t it our responsibility as coaches to place players in an environment that is challenging and stretches them as both people and players?  This doesn’t stop when a player hits a certain age or level, but must always remain present for growth and development to occur.

“Ever Tried, Ever Failed.”  Sadly many players haven’t truly tried because they are afraid to fail or they have tried and were punished for failing and decided it wasn’t worth the struggle.  Too many players fall into the latter category because a coach has placed results over development and stifled their creativity by demanding they “play it safe”.  Players that play it safe at too early an age are the ones that never develop the skill set to “take a player on” in the final third or look for the half chance in the penalty box.  Instead they pass the ball to their teammate because they don’t want to take ownership in case they fail.  I’ve watched countless games where coaches and parents alike shout at kids to shoot the ball, but these are the same people that throw up their hands in disgust when a player misses the target or the ball gets saved and exclaim “Billy was open, why didn’t you pass the ball”.  We can’t have it both ways.

“No Matter.  Try Again.”  As coaches, let’s create an environment where our players don’t play it safe and we welcome mistakes knowing that that is how they learn.  How you respond to your mistakes is the key.  Do you quit when things are hard or do you view it as an opportunity to learn and grow as a player while you practice to correct your mistakes?  Can we create a training environment and culture that stretches our players and demands that they persist and persevere through initial failure?

“Excellence is about striving for what is just out of reach and not quite making it; it is about grappling with tasks beyond current limitations and falling short again and again.  The paradox of excellence is that it is built upon the foundations of necessary failure.”

Matthew Syed, Bounce p. 129

“Fail Again.”  Try something new.  Once we accomplish one goal (e.g. performing a scissors move) can we work toward another (taking a player on)?  This will mean more opportunities to fail, but also more opportunities to grow.  A good coach should serve as his/her teams, and each player within that teams, guide.  Can we create a development plan that allows for the satisfaction of reaching certain benchmarks (short term goals), but always keep them striving for more (long term goals).  No player is a finished product and no team is ever without room to improve.  Let’s not get complacent or static, but continue to move forward.  It’s fun to get better, and you don’t do that without striving for more.

A final word on mistakes, everyone makes them, but how we view them and respond to them can be dramatically different from person to person.  Here is world famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma:

“If you are only worried about making a mistake you will communicate nothing.  You will have missed the point of making music, which is to make people feel something”.  Ma goes even further when speaking of his own performances.  “I will make a mistake on stage.  And you know what?  I welcome that first mistake.  Because then I can shrug it off and keep smiling.  Then I can get on with the performance and turn off that part of the mind that judges everything.  And it’s when I’m least conscious of what I’m doing, when I’m just lost in the emotion of the music, that I’m performing at my best.”

Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer
p.87-89

In music, in sports, in all facets of life no matter how old or young, it’s okay to make mistakes.  Some of the greatest in their field even “welcome” them.  It’s how we respond that matters.  Let’s encourage our players to keep making them, but to “fail better” next time.  It’s a sign of progress.

In, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell shares several observations regarding children’s development in a segment that delves into the creation of the show Blue’s Clues. Blue’s Clues drew upon the most successful elements of Sesame Street, but there was a major difference between the shows.  Sesame Street was intended to appeal to both children and adults, whereas Blue’s Clues had a specific target audience.  Blue’s Clues target audience is pre-school children.  Acknowledging that, many of the steps the show uses can still be applied to both classroom education and on the playing fields for children of all ages, if we apply some minor modifications.  

“If you think about the world of a preschooler, they are surrounded by stuff that they don’t understand-things that are novel.  So the driving force for a preschooler is not a search for novelty, like it is with older kids, it’s a search for understanding and predictability,” says Daniel Anderson (a pioneering television education researcher & Blue’s Clues designer).  “For younger kids, repetition is really valuable.  They demand it.  When they see a show over and over again, they are not only understanding it better, which is a form of power, but just by predicting what is going to happen, I think they feel a real sense of affirmation and self-worth.  And Blue’s Clues doubles that feeling because they also feel like they are participating in something.  They feel like they are helping Steve.” The Tipping Point, p. 126

Each episode of Blue’s Clues follows the same pattern, with the host, Steve, presenting the audience a series of clues (written or drawn on paw prints) that will help lead them to solve a puzzle involving the show’s main character a puppy named Blue.  The clues begin simple and increase in complexity over the course of the episode.  Steve asks questions throughout the show as he engages the audience and guides them to the solutions.  The show concludes with Steve rehashing the clues in a slow and deliberate manner where he uses long extended pauses that adults can find awkward, but are in line with a preschooler’s thought process.  Perhaps, the most interesting dynamic of Blue’s Clues isn’t the episode itself, but in the decision of the programming directors.  The same Blue’s Clues episode that airs on a Monday will play each day throughout the week.

“Blue’s Clues succeeds as a story of discovery only if the clues are in proper order.  The show has to start easy-to give the viewers confidence-and then get progressively harder and harder, challenging the preschoolers more and more, drawing them into the narrative. . . . The layering of the show is what makes it possible for a child to watch the show four or five times: on each successive watching they master more and more, guessing correctly deeper into the program, until, by the end, they can anticipate every answer.” Id, at 129 

How can we apply the lessons of Blue’s Clues to our coaching?  I believe that if coaches can incorporate four major themes from the show to our coaching we’ll be doing our players a great service both from an enjoyment and developmental standpoint.

1.  Construct your practice in the same manner day to day, week to week.  Consistent structure will help the players establish a comfort level on what is expected of them and how the session will flow.  Being consistent is a very important dynamic for a coach at any level, but even more so with the younger age groups.  Once the players gain a familiarity with the practice format, it should also put an end to the question, “when are we going to scrimmage”.  If you always finish each practice with a game, they’ll know that the scrimmage is coming and can remain focused on the exercise at hand.  On a personal note, I would recommend beginning each practice with a street soccer game as an arrival activity. This helps address the same question listed above as well as giving the players an opportunity to express themselves. 
2. Progress Simple to Complex- Allow for early success to establish a baseline and confidence in all the players.  Increase the complexity and difficulty in a manner that is challenging, but not overwhelming.  It’s okay to make mistakes as the practice progresses, this enhances the learning process, but you don’t want to begin the session with an activity that is too difficult and plants the seed of doubt in the players mind from the outset.  Remember, the proper ordering of the clues is vital to the show’s success.
3. Provide Repetition- “An adult considers constant repetition boring, because it requires reliving the same experience over and over again.  But to preschoolers repetition isn’t boring, because each time they watch something they are experiencing it in a completely different way.” Id, at 125. This is not to say that you need to run the same session with your team for 5 straight practices, but often by repeating an exercise or two from one practice to the next brings out a higher performance level since the players now comprehend the rules or objectives of an activity and can now focus on developing within the activity itself.  I caution coaches against changing the activities for their own enjoyment, when by doing so you may be hindering the enjoyment-and development- of your players.
4. Be a Guide- Steve has many characteristics of an ideal coach.  He poses questions, pauses long enough for the children to respond (a good listener) and methodically rehashes what they’ve learned along the journey.  As coaches, we should look to incorporate Steve’s skillfulness in asking questions with our players.  Asking questions engages the player and makes them active participants in the learning process.  Steve doesn’t provide the answers; instead he leads the children to discover the answers themselves.  This concept of Guided Discovery is one all coaches should embrace and seek to improve upon.

Children learn in stages.  With this reality serving as our starting point, it is our duty as coaches to recognize this fact and cater our coaching style to suit their needs.  Although it can be tempting to try to speed up the development process to make the game look like “real soccer” quicker, if we attempt to force the issue we run the risk of overwhelming the child and stifling the development we were all so eager to see in the first place.  Let’s coach like Steve!  Have a plan and a methodical approach that guides the children, through exercises that offer repetition and age appropriate challenges, where we place the children in an environment where they find the solutions to the game.