Patience and a Sense of Urgency
An Interview with Bill Walsh
(added 11/06/2005)
Jim Thompson caught up with Bill Walsh recently, and one of the greatest
coaches of all time (and a new member of PCA’s National Advisory Board)
talked about coaching and teambuilding.
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My Kid is Going to Make it to the Big Leagues!
By Dan Freigang, Sport Psychologist with the U.S. National Team (added 08/12/2005)
We have seen parents try to advance their children’s sport career by changing teams or manipulating the coach. Is this a parent’s need to live vicariously through their child or does the 8 year old need a coach with better technical skills? My advice to parents is to proceed with caution, as the results can be destructive.
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“Improving Vision and Decisions”
Attacking Oriented Training for U10-U16 players
(added 08/12/2005)
Soccer is chess in motion where players, regardless of age and ability, are in control of their own destiny. It is important that coaches put players in situations in training where they have to learn to improve their vision and decision making without coaches telling them where to go, where to run, when to dribble, pass, or shoot.
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Winning vs. Winners (added 06/27/2005)
Understanding the Difference between Winning and Being A Winner
by Dan Kapsalis
Indiana Youth Soccer Association
Why do we play sports? Why do we compete? Is it about how much money you can make? Is it about being called #1? Is it about winning?
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Strikers Handbook-Pt 1 (added 06/27/2005)
Coach Roberto Giannini
IYSA Coaching Education Staff and IYSA ODP Staff Coach
A soccer player “plays” with the ball 5% of the game time and 95% without the ball. Translated into minutes and seconds, a midfielder touches the ball an average of 4 minutes and 30 seconds per game, with strikers adding up a mere 3 minutes!
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“Smart Pressure” (added 04/25/2005)
This session has been printed in the NSCAA Soccer Journal and is one that is geared for the advanced level player ages 14 and up. It is designed to get your team to think a little more when they are defending and to get them to play smarter, not necessarily harder. Getting the team to win the ball back as a unit requires for them to think and use their wits, not necessarily their strength.
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Imagination is more important than knowledge! -Albert Einstein (added 04/25/2005)
Tom Turner, Director of Coaching. OYSAN
June 2000
Coaching players to be subtle and creative is perhaps the most compelling and complicated challenge facing the Western soccer world today and, as fewer and fewer creative players emerge from the natural and traditional route of unorganized play, the burden of “manufacturing” gifted and talented players has been assumed by national coaching organizations through the implementation of systematic training programs.
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Teaching Psychological Skills for the Ages (added 01/10/2005)
Dan Freigang Ph.D. is a sport scientist working with the U.S. National Team in Sport Psychology. Dano travels the country doing clinics and workshops with players, parents and coaches. Dano was an international athlete and national teams coach whom presents his workshops as unique blend of scientist and coach. This article helps us to look at all aspects of youth sports.
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Finishing Session (added 01/10/2005)
Coaching Points: Toe down, ankle locked, head, chest, and knee over ball, head is steady, strike top half-center of ball, land on striking foot, placement of non-striking foot, hit the target.
Finishing Topics: Developing a mentality to finish, from long range, from crosses, finishing from close range
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Over Coaching (added 11/30/2004)
by:DaveSimeone
U.S. Women's National Staff Coach
Most of the sports that are currently predominant in our culture involve the coach as an active participant. Although the coach is along the touchline, in the coaching box or on the bench the opportunity for being overly involved with the players constantly exists. These opportunities are aside from the usual timeouts or substitutions. These typical stoppages in play already contribute to many sports being coach oriented rather than player oriented. Combine the standard loud encouragement (i.e.- screaming & yelling ) with animated cheerleading and you have an excess of over - coaching.
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Passing and Receiving (added 11/30/2004)
Coaching Points:
-Passing: Approach to ball, Ankle locked, toe point up, strike middle of
ball (shorter passing), strike ball at angle for longer passing, strike bottom
half of ball for longer passing, placement of non-kicking foot for short
passing and long passing, head steady, eye contact.
-Receiving: First touch and importance of cushioning ball, take a touch away
from pressure, first touch sets up 2nd touch, get in line with the ball,
select controlling surface early, open body up to see as much of field as possible,
read the path of the ball, keep ball moving-don’t stop ball.
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