As I see it ...

Introduction into the Game of Soccer; Soccer for Kindergarten Age Children

2010-02-11T11:59:00.000-08:00

There is a tremendous amount of literature on the shelves of libraries in many countries regarding soccer instruction and the game of soccer, in general. However, next to nothing has addressed kindergarteners, the 3 to 6 age group. It is as if this age group does not exist and is incapable of a cultivated, organized introduction to the game of soccer.

Most general texts and books dealing with specialized soccer instruction begin by telling their readers that the game of soccer should be introduced to children between the ages of 6 to 8. This is assumed to be the optimal age group for beginners. After the age of 8, the learning curve for soccer becomes too steep, and the chances for strong success are said to narrow. While this belief is correct in so far as this is a good age to commence soccer instruction in an organized way, it is only a half-truth that does not address kindergarteners. In Europe and South America, for example, kids play in an un-organized way all day long and at every age. It is this un-organized play that I am trying to transplant and introduce to American players at a much younger age and make it an organized, purposeful endeavor. This will improve the success these players experience as they move on to the next or first level of organized soccer.

Because it was such a great surprise to me that I could not easily find any books on the methodology of teaching soccer to this age group, I find I am constantly searching for new books and information on how to teach kindergarteners and how to understand their sports psychology. As a coach, I try to integrate the best principles I can find into the basic teaching methods of the Laureano Ruiz Soccer Academy. And it is the reaction of our young players, the joy on their face, the bounce in their step and the improvement in their game in just a very short time that tells me that I am on the right path.

How, then, is it done? Before discussing my method for teaching the game of soccer to the kindergarten age group, we have to first become familiar with their biology, psychological capacity, and the appropriate pedagogy. Naturally, there are a myriad of such qualities, but here I will only highlight and discuss those which are absolutely necessary when teaching the kindergarten age group. The path to instructional success can only be found by paying attention to these vital qualities.

Biological Characteristics: - Rapid Growth in Height and Weight
(2-3 inches and 4-5 pounds per year)

- Brain size is practically the size of an adult’s

- Corneal surface is almost completely developed

To me, it is the first biological characteristic I mentioned that we need to concentrate on. The rapid process of growth in this age group leads to enhanced physical capabilities; for example, the quickness in and of movements accelerates. What does this mean to the soccer coach? It means simply that there is significant improvement in the motor skills, coordination and accuracy in the physical ability of the children, allowing them to vastly expand their soccer skills. It should be very clear to the soccer coach instructing kindergarteners that these children should concentrate on developing individual dexterity, technical ability, and quickness. However, emphasis only on physical fitness, making children uselessly run, or do push-ups, for example, is harmful to the physical and psychological load this age group can bear. Increases in speed and/or repetition of drills should only be done in small increments and after many breaks. Improving stamina or physical endurance should be done at a measured pace, without the players noticing the increase in physical load, and with the understanding that this, above all, puts a tremendous stress on both the muscular, skeletal, circulatory and respiratory systems of the children. At this age, our foremost task as a coach is to advance and improve technical ability with the ball, improve coordination, and develop in each child a love for the game, as it is only in this way that we can work with them in the next phase of development.

Pedagogical Characteristics:
- Playful instruction (lesson content should match the age group).
- Skills/lessons must be explained and demonstrated.
- Constant repetition must be applied.
- Correcting mistakes.
- Systematic praising, awarding and rewarding.

Since play has the greatest positive effect on the development of children in this age group, games become a principle activity for instructing them in soccer. And because there are so many different games to choose from, and because different games involve various levels of complexity to play, it is important that a soccer coach 1.) carefully plan a practice by selecting age/skill appropriate games, 2.) pay attention to how the children will be instructed to play the selected games, and 3.) decide how best to coach the children while they are playing the games. Youngsters in this age group learn more quickly and more easily when instruction is given in a playful situation, since it is easier for them to develop in a lighthearted atmosphere. When a coach follows these simple steps, the children’s skills and enthusiasm for soccer will grow and grow, creating a virtuous circle that will lead to the accelerated development of their skills.

Returning to our knowledge of children in this age group, it is not enough to understand their biological or psychological qualities, a soccer coach should be aware of the youngsters’ talents and developments and put this awareness into practice. We will only be successful as coaches if our practice sessions and drills are geared toward their current abilities and capabilities. Just as we should not try to teach them to run before they can walk, we should respect the developmental steps of kindergarteners and take things step-by-step.

How a coach demonstrates drills and models skills during practice is of the utmost importance for kindergarteners. Children learn visually at this age and are especially responsive to visual stimuli. But this does not mean that the coach should ignore the verbal aspects of instruction, since this is how the children will learn the terminology of soccer, such as “full instep,” “laces,” “step over,” “outside of the foot,” “heel,” etc. So, in order to demonstrate a drill or technique to this age group, the coach should be aware that the children will first and foremost react to the visual presentation of skill, the bodily movements of the coach as a skill is demonstrated, and, secondarily, they will be aware of the verbal instruction accompanying the physical demonstration.

Teaching must be methodical in nature. Movements (such as swinging the leg) and skills (such as kicking the ball) should be repeated over and over. Even when children begin to develop a mastery of more advanced abilities by putting together a sequence of movements or skills, it is important to go back and revisit the basics once again. A player can be said to have learned a soccer movement or skill when the player is able to perform the skill or sequence of skills in a game while under pressure from other players. It is through repetition that a movement or skill becomes automated, meaning it happens and is carried out automatically, without hesitation or thought. It becomes second nature. When this level of mastery has been achieved and can be applied in a game situation, we say that a specific movement or sequence of movements has been learned.

Mistakes must be immediately corrected! My rule is as follows: Do not look past a mistake as it is much more difficult and tiresome for the child to correct a movement that is learned and automated the wrong way. Improper movements, I should add, can also lead to injuries. Movements need to be taught and learned correctly from the first. For example, children at this age need to learn how to run without dragging their feet and how to shoot the ball with locked ankle.

Constant praise and awards are crucial for kindergarteners. Encouragement and praise should occupy a very important place in each and every practice session. Because of their mental and emotional needs and development, young children respond especially well to positive reinforcement. Encouragement and praise leads to increased enthusiasm and rapid skill development, while increasing a child’s confidence and self-esteem.

And lastly, a few thoughts on planning practices: 1.) At the beginning of a session, we can transition the children into the practice by assigning them some “work” at hand, such as having them place cones, set-up the goals, and distribute pinnes. 2.) If at all possible, parents should be away from the children, waiting in the club house, but not on the bleachers or standing around the playing field. Remember: parents are not allowed into their children’s kindergarten classroom during instruction. Similarly, it is best to keep them away from practice. In this way, outside pressures and anxieties will not affect the children as they play. 3.) At this age, there should not be more than 12-15 players to a practice group. With groups this size the work at hand is transparent and more effective.

By putting all these factors on paper, and paying attention to them, a coach can learn to be aware and understand the qualities of the kindergarten age group. If a soccer coach lacks this knowledge and if practices are not tailored to an awareness of this method, then the soccer instruction will not be geared to this age group and the children and the sport of soccer will suffer.

In conclusion, I wish to all of my colleagues dealing with this age group all the patience in the world, delight in rich experiences and success in producing many happy young players who will love them and remember them fondly for the rest of their lives.

The Daily Responsibilities of a Soccer Coach

2010-02-08T16:20:00.000-08:00

A common trait in the world of soccer is its state of constant change. The presumptions of these constant changes are perpetual analysis, planning and prevalent decision making. Decision making is nothing more than perpetual action, which consists of organically related activity. These activities in turn are what we call part of the leadership role. In this train of thought, it is not the actions, and decisions of the game and typical playing situations that I want to focus on but on the contrary I would like to shed light on the responsibility and accountability of the decision made by coaches and club officials. I always live with the hope that all the directors, officials and coaches are very clear with the responsibilities entrusted to them either by fate or by their own volition when they agree to lead a team or a club. How does the Latin phrase put it? “Navigare necesse est” or “Everyone needs to decide!”

I would like to pepper my material with known and little known quotes by those who have influenced our universal thought process through the centuries.

“Success is nothing more than the result of a good decision.
It's in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped”

(Anthony Robbins)

These leadership functions are multi-layered and are all part and parcel to the development of the soccer institution.
A basic criterion for a successful decision is, for the deciding official/coach to anticipate and react to the constantly changing conditions expectations and opportunities. But in order to act and react there is a need for good, current and appropriate information. The peculiarity of good information is that it mirrors reality, it is defined in scope and it is timely and needed. On the contrary; erroneous information is useless to the venture and it can even worsen its state.

In order to carry out the various duties the officers/coaches are in need of two kinds of information. One is for the completion of the long term goals and its components they are in charge of and the other is for the effective operational duties of the venture; meaning the immediate short term goals, taking into consideration their constant volatility. Therefore; the long term orientation is strategic, as the short term orientation is operative.

There are three basic problems of the strategic orientation for leadership:

How to unearth all of the factors, which will only affect the venture in the future?

How to determine their existence and reality?

How to measure their future impending impact on the venture?

In order to come up with feasible answers to these questions the officials/coaches need to not only be well grounded in their preparation and schooling but they must have a high degree of openness in their thought process as well as a great degree of imagination as well. The organization of the orientation system demands a concurrent step by step method and that those involved in the information process have their functions and objectives in this realm clearly defined.

“Do not start anything of which you don’t decide the outcome”

(Hermann Kant –German Writer)

Operative and Strategic Orientation substantially differ from one another, as the source for both internal and external information necessary for orientation can be accurately defined. The ones in charge of running the operation are charged with the responsibility of unearthing and transmitting the information, in other words, those working around the officials and coaches/managers.

From the point of view of the coach who are these people?

The technical advisor
The Assistant Coach (goalkeeper coach, and other coaches)
The team physician (where available)
The masseuse
The players themselves!!!!
The office staff in charge of analyzing data

It should be mentioned that there is an inner trap or contradiction within Operative Orientation. All information seems to be in a matrix and appear objective. At the same time those preparing the information and those receiving and unearthing the information before them do not have the same goals and are not always on the same page, therefore; the objectivity of these reports and all information can at any time be brought into question. In other words, those dispensing with the information could be very subjective.

What type of situations demand a need for a decision?
Above all to solve the problem!

From the perspective of the officials/directors/coaches by forthcoming problems within the organization we mean just that, forthcoming or anticipated forthcoming problems, which were not taken into consideration at the time of initial planning of the club because none of these issues were even thought of!
Changes in our everyday life have become more cumbersome, and more numerous in occurrence, which demand immediate attention from the club/organization by the leadership of the front office and by all of the staff around them. In other words, we should immediately adept to the situation.
We could say that this demands that an organization is always in a state of “instant response” mode.
Yes!
The real positive result of this adaptability depends upon the timeliness and the quality (the how) of the intervention on the forthcoming or current changes (problems) at hand.

Timely and correct reaction demands a lot of preparation time. The quicker the leaders can identify the development of the change (problem), the more time they will have to prepare for its resolution.

Let’s be honest, in our rapidly changing world of even amateur status soccer the problems amongst team members, parents, directors, legalities keep growing by the day. The reason for this is that the requirements for a great club, draw with it more and more tension and create a myriad of problems and added responsibilities.

Leadership qualities and attributes are necessary for identifying problems, potential problems, however; to estimate the real weight of such problems and to separate them from the pseudo problems and imagined ones, it is practical and expedient to resort to and use problem solving and fault finding methods, as an elementary technique in identifying problems.

Leaders must conduct their investigations from the event of the fault (problem) to the identification of the original problem which caused the change (problem) and need for action.
What kind of leader is a coach who makes a decision based on the quote below?

Men are cowards. In need of a decision they keep rethinking it several times in the hopes that the decision could be adjourned.

(Canetti, Austrian essayist and writer)

The fate of an organization depends on constant daily decisions and decision making and on following a step by step method in these decisions leading to a set goal. Those coaches who make these daily decisions clearly understand this responsibility. When a coach brings and makes a final decision he can only count on himself and of course on the instruments and vehicles he has on his disposal. Many times we hear in interviews and conversation that a fellow coach or official states that they had a feeling….. I have often wondered if there is a sixth sense when a coach listens to his feelings and intuitions.
Earlier we have described and touched on the fact as to how important it is to gather all the information and only than make a decision.

Conversely it is also true that there is such thing as overwhelming data, too much information which can only lead to a mental block and a delay in decision. If a coach/leader wants to take every information factor into consideration they become indecisive and this state is sure to bring the wrong decision. It is for this reason that it is imperative to sort through and only keep the important information. For the coach, selection and filtering of the information at hand is the most important aspect. For this reason it is very important that coaching staff is comprised of professionals who worked together for a long time and are familiar with each others whims.

We must admit it; to make a decision is easy!
It is the road leading to the decision is hard!

There a many responsible decisions to be brought in the daily operation of a team and many more in the club. These decisions are not only relevant to team personnel, team selection or the game at hand. It is in these cases when and where the emails, comments, concerns of all those who love and care about the team and the club and their own children within it surface – all respect to them – they view everything in laymen’s terms that the team, the line up should have been this and that and their kids is not playing because of politics or if they are playing and have a bad game it is do to an illness etc. But for the coach, the line-up and team personnel is not the foremost dilemma or problem.

How close are these terms to one another?

To Give – To Receive
To Gift – To Confiscate
To Respect – To Humiliate
To pay attention – To expect
To condone – To coerce
To forgive – To get angry
To trust – To suspect
To have sympathy – To be indifferent
To believe – To doubt….

The know choice is simple,
But real knowledge is making a decision.
A good man rarely errs.

(Tacitus)

The processes put in place around the club and teams are the primary responsibility the coach should focus on! In other words, since everything around the life of the club and organization is an organic process from trash removal to scholarship awards, the coach and directors need to be in constant “momentary” contact with all those in the leadership who are present and have a voice in the everyday operation of the entity. The coach, coaches officials must inform the leadership of the everyday problems because if this is not done, at a later time this can be used against them.

The basis of a successful decision is that the coach/officials recognize the problem.

The coach needs to compose the problem, not only to himself but project it outwards towards his environment.
This is very important!
The coach must not talk about his inner bouts and frustration before certain decisions are made. This info should only be divulged to the most trusted person in his inner circle, one whom he can trust unconditionally. But the fact is that it can not be more than one or two people.

After recognition and orientation as to the nature of the problem, the coach/official must resolve the problem, namely a decision has to be made.
In the majority of the cases the solution and/or resolution is unambiguous and the decision becomes routine.
At the same time, we must be careful that our outward communication does not seem routine as this would degrade the inner struggle the decision maker has undergone and the process making decision in general.

As for the quick reasonable decisions:

Coaches and officials must intimately know the workings of their club and within them their teams, their possibilities, our competitors and the whole environment surrounding the game of soccer and our entity.
It is important to analyze collected information not only to ourselves but in their context and correlation to the whole.

The secret of highly successful people is this;
They have certain habits not prevalent in the average folks and due to this they are capable of making better decisions.

Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.

Success always sides with those who dare to innovate and are always ready to solve new problems created by the new situations.
In view of a great decision making process the coach must:

Be very clear in the hierarchy of the institution, he must know where and with whom he can turn to with any problem, without infringing on any personal interests within the organization (with the exception of the owners).

He must have a transparent view of the players under his charge, the inner structure, and public relations as well.

He must be familiar with the leaders of the players both positive as well as negative influences.

He must understand based on playing ability that are the gems of the organization.

Who are the players on whom he can always count on?

The coach must know the rules of the game, the playing system, the training method, the functionality and responsibility on each player for each role).

He must have perfect self control at all times.

He must be a good “coaching” Coach one who can read the game. One who can think ahead not only analyze after the fact.

The coach must be an individual a personality, who:

Can decide in a rational fashion in vocational questions, accepts responsibility thus helping the club.

Can also be emotional meaning that he uses that sixth sense in some aspect of his decision making, - bringing his feelings into the equation- for example when he is loyal to a player.

Can bring auxiliary decisions, meaning that he sheds light on all the opportunities and deficiencies thus bringing management to a position to face decision making

All in all coaching is not an easy vocation!

COLLECTIVE DEFENSE

2009-02-14T05:48:00.000-08:00

Today on Friday, February 13, 2009 we have started our journey into understanding the concept of what it means to defend as a team mainly how to function and carry out our individual defensive duties in a team setting. Defending in this way as a team is referred to as collective defense. In today’s game, even heroic Individual defensive activities are not always enough to defeat an attack. The approach is generally made with several attackers participating in the attack (usually 5 attackers). Consequently, collective defensive efforts must be made to cope with the attack. It is specifically this teamwork of the forwards that must be countered with coordinated defensive activities.

The basis of collective defense is the exact and almost automatic application of individual defensive methods. A player who is not familiar with the means of individual defense, such as positioning, tackling, and so on, cannot fit into collective defensive tactics.

It is also obvious that even an adequate knowledge of the individual defensive methods alone does not enable the player to hold his own in a collective defense. It is the basis and nothing more.

In the following paragraphs the defensive methods that require cooperation between two or more defenders to achieve the tactical objective will be dealt with. We have practiced all of these schemes during practice and now it is up to you to master them and learn them as you follow my lines and pictures. I can guarantee to you, that if you do your homework, the job at hand on Monday will miraculously become much easier than anticipated and we will be able to triumph albeit under a lot of stress and very difficult opponents.

THE POSITIONING OF THE FULLBACKS

Remember, that I have said during practice that deception will always be built into our formation and our schemes. So, we will show at all times that we play with a flat line of defense and we will show this constantly, especially in the attacking phase of our game. But the surprise to all of our opponents is when we go into a staggered defense during the defensive phase of our game.

Except for the “sweeper” (the last man used by most teams) the defenders (the full backs and the other center back in a four man defense and a holding mid. in a three man defense) in the system of play adopted by us cover, as a rule the spearhead strikers of the opposing side, especially is most teams today play with only two forwards some even with just one up front. However, if we encounter another team playing a similar formation to ours with three forwards, than the two fullbacks and one of the center backs must mark the opposing teams wingers and their center forward. Each defender positions himself and performs his defensive duties in accordance with the general principals already understood by all of our team members, namely, ball side, goal side, do not be flat but approach at an angle, poke the ball and delay, etc. The sweeper is positioned some yards behind (5 to max 8 yards) behind the line formed by his three fellow defenders and has zonal defensive duties to perform. (This means that he does not mark man to man but defends the zone that he is in and the zone behind his fellow defenders).

As has been pointed out earlier the tactical objective of the defense is rarely achieved if individual defensive tactics are adopted. In today’s game and systems the backs must cooperate very accurately. The trio or quartet of defenders, as the case might be, can only be successful against the opponent’s attackers if, instead of playing independent of their own defensive teammates and of the positioning of their opponents, they position themselves individually as required by the given situation and to correspond to the interests of the collective effort. This is drilled into every session that we do.

FACTORS ON WHICH THE POSITIONING OF BACKS DEPENDS

The positioning of the backs depends in the first place on where the ball is being played, on the focus of the game! The positioning of the backs varies according to whether the ball is being played in front of the opponent’s goal or if the focus of the game has shifted to one of the touch lines. Obviously, they have to position themselves in a different manner if the opponent’s attackers constitute an immediate danger to their goal.

The backs should position themselves in the following manner if the ball is being played in the middle of the field and immediately in front of the opposing side’s goal:
The fullbacks (left back and right back) should stay in the vicinity of the opposing wingers if any or any players on the wings. Where the defenders have no previous experience of knowledge of the opposing forwards (you might know the guys you will play against as friends but might not know them as players) and are not yet in a position to know anything about the relative speed of their opponents, they are well advised not to position themselves too close to the men they must mark. That is why it is the wisest for a back to position himself slightly towards the middle and some 3 to 4 yards behind the man he must cover at least in the early stages of the game. This applies to all the backs except the “center back” or in our case on Monday one of the holding midfielders, who is allowed to position himself before the opposing forward because there is the safety measure of the sweeper lying behind the others as the reserve or free defender. The positioning of the defenders is illustrated in Figure 1. Please note that in our case #5 represents not the second center back but a holding midfielder as we have practiced.

There are several reasons for the backs positioning themselves in the manner shown in the figure and our practice session. If the two fullbacks were to position themselves very close to the opposing teams wide attackers, they could be caught by unexpected through balls from behind, as they would have to turn before pursuing the ball, while the attackers would have the advantage of sprinting for the ball before the defenders covering them. That is why it is correct for the two fullbacks to position themselves a little distance from the opposing forwards attacking on the wings. This method is known as I have mentioned on the field loose man-to-man marking.

The sweeper lies behind the line of his defensive teammates partly because in some respect his central position places on him the responsibility for the utmost care and dependability!!!! He must always have in mind the fact that the forward who breaks through in the middle is always the most dangerous. But if he lies fairly deep, he can, in most cases, easily intercept a pass from behind the opposing forward, however; fast that attacker may be.

The question that I ask and you should all ask is, whether this deep positioning of the defenders really does give greater security. There is no doubt about it that positioning of this kind makes it easier for the opposing forwards to receive the ball rapidly, but only if the pass is made from close range. In the event of the long pass (which most of our opponents will play) the distance to be covered by the ball allows enough time for the back to give CLOSE man-to-man marking, to intervene to a tackle when the attacker is in the act of receiving the ball.

The use of a sweeper is especially justified against fast attackers because by lying deeper than his defensive teammates he is in position to move easily to the aid of a fellow defender who has been outwitted by an opposing forward attacking on one of the wings.

Tactically inexperienced sweepers are inclined to make the mistake of following an opposing forward moving back towards his own half. In doing so the other center back moves in front of the line of his defensive colleagues and this leaves him at a disadvantage if he has to chase an opposing winger who has successfully evaded the fullback marking him. In general the attacker who has broken through by outwitting a fullback must be intercepted by the sweeper or perhaps the other fullback. As illustrated in Figure 2.

The fullback at the other end of the defensive line is at quite a distance and very often has a practically no chance of making a successful intervention. The sweeper is the most effective defender in the case described above but only if he has not moved too far ahead and holds his position behind the line of his defensive teammates.

It goes without saying that defenders can and must modify their positioning in a way when they are familiar with their opponents and know that they are inferior to them in respect of speed. In this case they can run the risk of tighter marking (closer to the opponents), a method which enables them to prevent development of an attack when it is about to be started; they can more easily intercept the ball or tackle (unfortunately not allowed indoors) while the opposing attacker is trying to take possession of the ball.

In some cases the defenders may position themselves in front of the attackers they must cover. This applies, in particular, to the left and right backs. I emphasize, however; that this method should only be adopted exceptionally, for in general a defender should not be allowed to position himself in front of the man he has to cover.

The defenders should change their positions in the following manner if the play (the ball) moves towards the touch line from the middle of the field:
Depending on the play and on the movements of the ball the backs can position themselves along a diagonal line. If, from the angle of the defenders, the ball goes to the left flank, the left back moves to give closer cover to the forward he is marking. The sweeper moves to his left to a position slightly in the direction of the ball and behind the fullback while the right back moves deeper and towards the middle sometimes as far as 10 to 15 yards from the man he is covering. (Figure 3)

If the ball is transferred to the other side of the field, the positioning of the defenders and the direction of the diagonal lines change accordingly. In each case the “marking center back” or with three defenders the “holding midfielder” should position himself close to the opposing spearhead forward.

The above described positioning of the backs is the most rational method of effectively placing the defenders to prevent an opposing attacker from breaking through. As we stated earlier, if the opposing right winger evades the marking by the left back, the “sweeper” is in a favorable position to challenge and stop him. At the same time extra safety is provided by the other fullbacks moving in towards the middle of the diagonal; if the ball is played near the touch line at the far end, he can safely move towards the center of the defense. In case the attacker on the right side should make a cross field pass to the unmarked attacker on the left side, it will not be difficult for the right back to move quickly and mark his attacker. (We have demonstrated this at our session) The fact that the ball must travel across the field from the other end allows him time to run into position.
The defenders should position themselves in the following manner when play is in the area of the goal they are defending:
When the ball is being played near our goal area, the defenders should adopt close man-to-man marking. Also this was explained and covered in our session) The nearer the ball moves to the goal the closer the backs must be behind or next to the opposing attackers. This kind of close man-to-man marking lessens the danger of a fast attacker breaking away from his marker, because he is not given room to take advantage of his superior speed. (Figure 4)

If the opponents do succeed in breaking through following a successful dribble, faint or fast pass combination, there is still the sweeper in reserve to block the path, the player who in principle is the final obstacle confronting the attacker in his trust and attempt at our goal.

POSITIONING OF THE MIDFIELD PLAYERS

Here I want to mainly concentrate on the two defensive or filtering midfielders. They are also referred to as wing halves!!!! The wing-halves or holding midfielders have the DUTY of keeping an eye on the opponent’s second line of attack, that is opposing midfield players. Wherever the opposing side is in possession of the ball, the midfield players must find and position themselves in the vicinity of their opposite numbers. While the team is on the defensive the midfield players must give close man-to-man marking to their respective opponents. It is important that they do so, because generally it is the midfield players who engineer attacks. The opposing midfield players must be constantly disturbed in their efforts to build up an attack. Close man-to –man marking involves little if any risk in the case of the wing-halves. They are the true, first line of defense after the good delaying work of their forwards; and if one of them is beaten there is still behind them another obstacle confronting the attackers, the second line of defense.

The positioning of the holding midfielders is very largely dependent on the MOMENTARY situation of the ball, the actual state of play. If the ball is in the position of their own attack, the midfielders are allowed to position themselves in front of their mark because in this case they are in a more favorable position to intercept a pass back by an opponent (Figure 5) or if necessary they can join in the offensive movement as the second wave of attack.

If the attack is being made down one side of the field, the holding midfielder on that side should move forward while his teammate at the other end should move towards the middle. (Figure 6) Again this is in ATTACK! We did not go over this but you can see where you need to be on the attack!

In these changes of position, the holding midfielder is required to position himself closer to his own goal and is never allowed to move too far out in front of the opponent he must cover, for he must be able to return to marking the abandoned opponent as soon as possible after his side’s attack has been stopped or foiled in any way.

The holding midfielders should NEVER rush at the man he is covering immediately after the opponent has managed to take possession of the ball. Instead, he should jockey or channel him until the time is right to win the ball (outdoors a tackle MUST be thrown) with the minimum risk. To rush at the opponent is a serious mistake especially if he is a good dribbler and feinter; a successful evasion of the tackle or attempt to win the ball puts the opposing midfielder in a position to quickly achieve numerical superiority in the attack.

When the holding midfielders are about to challenge, tackle or intervene, they must always bear in mind the great responsibility they carry for the whole team, but especially their responsibility to the defense.

COOPERATION BETWEEN FULLBACKS AND HOLDING MIDFIELDERS

Although I can not emphasize enough the importance of the tackle in the central zone or middle third of the game, during indoor season this is not possible as the rules do not allow it. Therefore, since it is impossible to tackle the midfield player is advised to retreat in the direction of his own goal but while doing so he should always challenge the man he is marking.

Inside what is called the “danger zone” (which begins some 20 to 25 yards from the goal line), the holding midfielder must offer MAXIMUM resistance to the attacking opponent. Failure to do so will allow the attacker to try a shot at goal. A quick forceful challenge can be made here with greater possibility of success: the defenders are much closer to one another and if the challenge does not succeed a covering defender can quickly follow with a second forceful challenge. (Again, outdoors here a tackle is a MUST)

A holding mid may often be beaten in midfield by the opponent’s attackers.
In this case the beaten midfielder has the following duties:
If he was beaten in the central zone he should run after the man he marks at full speed and challenge him again for possession of the ball. If he fails to catch up with him a change of position or marking involving the midfield players and fullbacks may prove necessary, depending on the extent of the danger.

When the opposing attacker is thrusting at goal he should if possible be challenged by one of the fullbacks (left or right) and only where absolutely necessary by a center back. It is more advantageous if the fullback makes the first challenge to the oncoming attacker because for the moment the man it is his duty to mark on or close to the touch line is now a lesser danger than the opponent bearing down on goal in the middle. So, it is imperative to go counter reflexes and leave the marked man on the sidelines momentarily unmarked. The center back should only move forward to challenge if the attacker has broken through in the middle and the outcome of the challenge by any of his defensive teammates on either side would be highly doubtful.
When a holding mid has been beaten and another defender comes to his aid, the beaten midfielder should take over the job of covering the opponent the other defender has been marking. (In figure 7 the holding mid moves into the position of the left back or more exactly, the holding mid moves to cover the opponent that the left back has marking.)

In general the holding mid who has been beaten and thereby left without an opponent to cover or challenge should always mark the attacker who, at that particular moment constitutes the lesser danger to goal. In that case the slight interval before the holding mid is in position to mark should not cause any serious trouble as we have demonstrated during our practice session.

When the center back moves to cover the opposing attacker thrusting at goal through the middle and so replaces the player originally marking that opponent (change of marking), the opposing forward should be covered by the sweeper whose position should be taken by the beaten holding mid as quickly as possible as in (Figure 8).

This situation is rather dangerous because a change of marking involving three players is necessary to solve the problem.

The success of these defensive activities will be even more hazardous if one of the defenders is somehow rendered ineffective either as a result of the opponent’s tactics or of an error committed by the defender himself. Again this was covered during our session and all questions and most possibilities of what can go wrong were demonstrated. A rapid change of marking may momentarily make it possible to avert immediate danger, but however smoothly the change is effected there must be moments during the movement when some attackers are unmarked. Please note that due to the narrow field it was the outside backs who in our session made the inside cut to pick up the dribbling opponent. However, on a wider and bigger field it is the job of the “second holding mid” to make the cut in and pick up the dribbler!!!! If the opposition is able to take advantage of these critical moments for the defenders, scoring opportunities are virtually bound to be created.

It is obvious that the even the most perfectly organized collective defensive move is vulnerable and has critical moments. From the point of view of positioning the biggest problem is in countering numerical superiority on the part of the opponent’s attackers. This is the point at which a change of positions or marking becomes necessary for the defenders and however smoothly this move is performed, a highly dangerous gap may open up in the wall of defense even if for a moment or two only. Where the defenders have a good understanding, they can reduce the danger to the minimum.

The examples we have practiced and discussed at the session of a few salient plays. It would not be possible for me or for anyone and it would also be unnecessary to describe all the possibilities in detail. The objective of these examples has been that of bringing to attention the FUNDAMENTAL principles governing collective defensive activities in our system of play.

Collective defensive activities are founded upon mixed defensive activities on the basis of the principle of mutual safety. Basic to this concept is that the opposing forward who offers the greatest threat to goal should always be marked by at least one but possibly two defenders. Close man-to-man marking should be maintained only for as long as no attacker moves clean into the vicinity of the goal, because such an opponent who is not covered is, therefore, comparatively more dangerous. In such cases the defenders should adopt the change of positions and marking while sticking to the principles of mixed defense. (Meaning zonal and man2man) The change of marking however can only avert the immediate danger temporarily. The numerical superiority of the attackers can only be countered if the beaten defender who is momentarily missing from the defense can again join in the collective defensive activities. (THIS IS ONE ASPECT OF OUR GAME THAT IS LACKING!!!!!)

CHANGE OF MARKING BY THE DEFENDERS

In discussing the positioning of the defenders I referred to the fact that the defenders must position themselves so as to serve the success of defensive tactics exclusively.

At any moment of the game irrespective of whether the play is in the opponent’s half or in front of the defender’s own goal they should position themselves so that if necessary they can give quick and effective aid to the other defenders.

The best way in which one defender can aid another is through change of positioning or marking. The attacker who has beaten a defender should, as a rule, be challenged by the nearest defender. The defender who leaves an opponent unmarked temporarily to challenge an attacker who has evaded cover, has virtually switched his duty under the man2man marking system, he has changed position by running from one into another.

The question arises: when and in what manner a defender should change position?

A change of marking is necessary when one of the defenders has been beaten and an attacker is left free to thrust at goal. This is the VITAL moment at which the changing move has to be started.

The position changing move, however; must be started with utmost care. If the opponent’s attack develops at a fast pace and at a distance from goal and the defense is not yet ready to counter the offensive, the defender on whom the duty devolves to make the switch of marking should delay his move; in other words he should not leave the man he is marking immediately and run to challenge the attacker thrusting towards goal. His first duty is to make every effort to slow down the pace of the offensive, so that the other defenders or midfield players who have moved too far forward and into the opponent’s territory may have time to fall back into their own half and help in defense.

The change of positioning or marking, however, should be executed without delay when the ball is in front of the goal because in that case any unmarked opponent is an immediate potential danger to the goal. If the defenders are grouped in front of the goal area it is much easier to change the marking since the distances among the defenders and, for that matter, between the attackers and defenders are considerably reduced.

Let us examine through examples the ways in which the change of marking involving defenders takes place. Supposing that the opponent’s right-winger has beaten the left-back in the vicinity of the half-way mark and his path towards the goal is no longer blocked.

What should the nearest defender, the centre-back or the sweeper do in such a case? To rush immediately to challenge the right-winger would be a mistake, because both the beaten full-back and the holding midfielders who have moved far up in the field are absent from the defense. When an attacker has made a break-through the position is one of great danger and if the defenders want to counter the offensive with any hope of success, it is vitally important that they should reestablish at least numerical balance between the attacker and the defenders. The best way to achieve this objective is to delay the attack. This should be done by the centre-back or the sweeper by moving circumspectly towards the attacker who has broken clean while the other defenders fall back into position as rapidly as possible. Meanwhile the defenders should move so as to prevent a situation in which the winger can pass to the unmarked centre-forward in an open space. By jockeying, channeling and impeding the line of approach to goal the defenders make it difficult for the attack to make direct progress and the opponents are left with the possibility of square or diagonal passes. Meanwhile the right-back who is moving in towards the centre of defense and left back are given enough time to cover the forward; all the other defenders may be able to run back into position.

It must be remembered that the defenders should not be too hasty in making the change. If the centre-back leaves one of the forwards unmarked too early to run and challenge the oncoming right-winger, this involves the danger of the winger passing to the other forward before another defender has been able to move into a covering position. While affecting the position-changing move, the defenders must always have in mind which attacker momentarily represents the greatest danger to goal. But there is no time for consideration when the ball or the unmarked attacker has penetrated the danger zone. In this case the change must be instantly executed.

It is also necessary to switch marking when an attacker has beaten the centre-back in the middle. It is the duty of the nearest back to make the position-changing move and challenge the attacker. This duty may fall to either full-back, but most often it is the sweeper who has to challenge the forward who has broken through.

Danger is immediate consequence of unexpected central break-through by the centre-forward following midfield play. The goal is exposed to immediate danger if there is not complete harmony among the defenders, because the slightest lack of understanding or split-second delay can lead to a critical situation.

Naturally the beaten centre-back should not remain at the place where he was outwitted; he must join in the defensive activities as soon as he can to assist his teammates. If he has a chance of catching with the forward he should race after him. But it is rarely the case. That is why it is more rational to cover as soon as possible the attacker left unmarked, by the defender who has moved to challenge the centre-forward, or the outwitted defender can choose another unmarked attacker.

It is quite easy to carry out the position changing move if the defenders outnumber the attackers. In such a case defensive movement over a wide area of the field of play, which is what is required to be performed by the defenders of the three-back system, is rarely if ever necessary.

2008-12-28T20:08:00.000-08:00

“Intelligence is quickness in seeing things as they are”

George Santayana

Dedicated to Dr. James Merrell a true Historian

THE DEFINITION OF THE SYSTEM OF PLAY; SYSTEMS OF PLAY IN GENERAL

The system of play may be defined as the arrangement of the forces i.e. the team formation adopted in the field with a view to accomplishing tasks which have been set in advance and determined in general. I want to emphasize what are these duties which have been set in advance and defined in general. It goes without saying that the system of play alone is not enough to ensure the final objective of the game, all it can do is to help in achieving that purpose. The system of play cannot be relied on to deal with unexpected situations arising during a game. This falls into another sphere of strategy; that of tactics. So the system is only a frame which offers unlimited possibilities for the application of a wide variety of tactical ideas.
The system of play is in fact a relatively permanent form which dos not alter from time to time as tactics do. Similarly, the system adopted does not depend on the special characteristics of soccer in any country. The formation known as the 4-3-3 is now almost as much in use in the USA and the whole of the continent as it is in Europe and Latin America in general. As I have already mentioned, the system is the arrangement of forces in the area of play. In soccer, the line-up is much more flexible than say, in volleyball in which the position of each player is defined by rules. In soccer the formation gives the impression of being somewhat fixed only at the kick-off. Later, each player attempts to fulfill the tasks set by the system of play the team has adopted. Needless to say, the job of each individual player cannot be laid down in detail by any system of play. The wide variety of differences in individual styles, the balance of force as well as the unlimited possibilities offered by time and space make it impossible to describe fully what a player is expected to do. All that the team formation and system of play can do is to give a general direction; one player, for example, is required to act as a defender while another is entrusted with an attacking role.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM OF PLAY FROM THE HEROIC AGE OF SOCCER TO THE PRESENT DAY

And now let us look at the history of the game to see how the modern system of play and the team formation took shape.

THE INITIAL TRACES OF MODERN TEAM FORMATION

The first traces of team formation arose when players began to realize the importance of team work in order to make economic use of their strength. They saw that it was more useful to kick the ball to teammates positioned at various parts of the field than to kick at random. This meant a considerable economy of time and effort since all the players were no longer required to run in pursuit of each movement of the ball.
The next stage in the process was the beginning of an understanding that a more rational approach was required to the purpose of the game: the scoring of goals and, on the other hand, the prevention of being scored on by the other team. It was at this stage that the first traces appeared, however vague, of what is now considered to be regular team formation. The members of the team were now divided into two groups with fairly clearly defined duties; one group of players attacked the opposing goal while the other group tried to hold off the attacks of the opponents.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF TEAM FORMATION UNTIL THE BALANCE OF ATTACK AND DEFENCE WAS ESTABLISHED

In England, the country where modern soccer was born, the first team formation emerged and it consisted of nine attackers, one defender and a goal keeper. (Fig. 1)

Today this division appears to be extremely disproportionate, but this can be explained by the relatively poor technical standards and tactical knowledge of the day. It is unlikely that the players had developed even the most elementary form of team-play, and no doubt a two-man defense was successful against as many as nine attackers who tried to work the ball individually.

With the passage of time the development of players’ abilities and the supremacy of attacking tactics brought an imperative need to reorganize the defense through a more rational and proportionate disposition of the players. Since one defender and a goalkeeper were no longer capable of holding the attackers who not only outnumbered them but were efficient and modern by contemporary standards of play, team formation had to be altered. So, without considerably weakening the forward line, two of the nine forwards, the so called half-backs were drawn back to fill the gap between the single defender and goalkeeper and the line of attackers. (Fig. 2)

This formation was used for quite some time. The three man defense succeeded in withstanding the attack of seven forwards.

Then it was Scotland’s turn to introduce a new element into the formation. The forward line was reduced to six men while the defense was made up of two full backs and two halfbacks (today called midfielders) (Fig.3).

The Scots showed that withdrawing four men from the forward line strengthened the defense to a much greater extent than it weakened the attack.

NUMERICAL BALANCE BETWEEN THE ATTACKERS AND DEFENDERS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE “PYRAMID SYSTEM”

The development of the team formations discussed do far all took place in Great Britain, especially in England. Nothing was known of soccer in other countries at this time. Soccer started to be exported and made its way to mainland Europe than South America in the eighteen nineties or by the end of the nineteenth century, at a time when the playing system was taking yet another step forward towards a formation based on a complete numerical balance between attackers and defenders. This formation based on what was then known as the Pyramid system, was in vogue for many years and as such was developed and evolved by the soccer team of Cambridge University in England in 1883. It was this system that was adopted and used throughout the world. In the pyramid system the forwards found themselves faced with a five man defense, two fullbacks and three halfbacks (midfielders) (Fig. 4.)

The five defenders constituted a double line of defense. The fullbacks took up positions within the penalty area or around it and in front of the six yard box to return the balls that had been “filtered” by the half backs.

The other line of defense was composed of three midfielders. As compared with the strictly defensive duties of the two fullbacks flanking them the center midfielder (#5) was allowed to move relatively freely. When the opponents pressed hard for a long spell, he would help in defense, but normally he acted as a sixth forward to help in attack and in occasional thrusts at goal.

The two outside midfielders #4 and #6 positioned themselves in a line running between the corresponding inside and outside forwards of the opposing team. While they were not required to mark any particular opponent, the outside midfielders had the task of keeping an eye on the wingers as well as the inside forwards (#7 and #8 as well as #10 and #11) of the opposing team. The chief schemer in the attack was the center forward (#9) who often played somewhat deep. At first the attacks were carried out with all the forwards moving in one line. Later inside forwards began to lie back to collect the ball sent forward by the defenders. Wingers moved along the touch line where they were generally given plenty of room to work in.

Although the Pyramid system was later modified by the Italians and Austrians it continued to be the basic formation for many years.

THE SWISS “BOLT”

The Pyramid system was still flourishing when the Swiss (yes the Swiss) reorganized the defensive setup to provide greater safety.

The three spearhead forwards were now marked by the two outside midfielders and one of the fullbacks, with the other fullback patrolling the penalty area as a free or (reserve defender). The center midfielder and one of the inside forwards marked the opposing inside forwards and hampered them in building up attacks. (Fig. 5.)

The Bolt system was based on the reserve defender today called the sweeper. This extra man in the defense was ready to move back and forth in the penalty area ready to tackle an opponent who had slipped past the outer line of defense; while the extra defender went into action the player beaten by the opposing forward had to act as the reserve defender.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE THREE BACK SYSTEM

After seven years of debate and pooling of experiences, the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) altered what came to be known as the second off-side rule in 1925.
This rule which was formulated in 1866 was extremely favorable to defenders. The old rule made it clear that “….when a player touches the ball or throws it in, a team-mate standing nearer to the opponent’s goal line at the moment contact is made with the ball or the throw in is taken, is off-side and is only allowed to touch the ball or obstruct an opponent if there are at least three players of the opposite side standing between him and the opponent’s goal line….” In figure 6, B is offside but A is not in terms of the old rule.

This rule made things very difficult for the forwards and as a result few goals were scored. Attackers found it virtually impossible to be in the vicinity of the opponent’s goal area without the ball since there had to be three defenders between them and the goal line. Under the Pyramid system the defenders made full use of this advantage as one of the fullbacks generally moved forward almost as far as the half-way line. In order to be onside, the opposing forwards were forced to withdraw within their own half of the field of play to start an attack.

In order to maintain and increase interest in the game, the international body modified the rule so that only two defenders were required to stand between the attacker and the goal line. This alteration opened up immense new possibilities for the forwards, and these have been to the advantage of the game as a whole. Forwards were now able to approach much closer to the opponent’s goal line, since, in principle, the whole forward line was allowed to take up position in front of the player acting as a reserve defender (sweeper) as in (Fig.7.)

For a time ascendancy passed to the forwards as a result of the alteration. The new rule put the defense in a highly unfavorable or, shall I say, dangerous position. So it was imperative to make drastic changes in the defensive line up. Instead of positioning in depth, the fullbacks lined up in length (horizontally). As the forwards usually outnumbered the defenders, the center-half (Center Midfielder) had to be withdrawn to strengthen the second line of defense.

The zonal defense of the Pyramid System was no longer capable of coping with fast spearhead forwards. The new situation required a much greater degree of safety in covering, and this led to fundamental changes in the defensive methods. Hand in hand with the modifications in positions in the position of the defenders, zonal defense was replaced to man-marking. Thus, the basic difference between the Pyramid system and the new formation lay in the different methods of the two kinds of defense. The alteration to the rules was followed by a series of experiments and attempts to find a formation capable of regaining the initiative for the defense. Five years later, under the guidance of the famous manager Herbert Chapman, the English club Arsenal evolved the new three-back-defense. The new system was an enormous success, and Arsenal won the English Football League title 5 times in 8 years and the F.A. Cup twice. This unrivalled record was so convincing a proof of effectiveness of the new formation that it spread rapidly to all the European countries.

Since this formation of defense and attack is shaped like a WM when seen from above, the three-back formation has become known as the WM system. The five forwards play in a formation which resembled a W, while the fullbacks and the wingback play in a shape of a shallow and elongated letter M. (Fig. 8.)

DUTIES OF PLAYERS IN THE THREE BACK OR WM FORMATION

Again for the students of the game it is imperative to understand where and how the game evolved and the more it evolved the more it stayed the same with regards to the role of some players. It is interesting to watch today as many managers dip into the pages of “old school” formation do develop so called new systems yet for those who know the history of the game it is easy to see that these new systems are only derivatives of the old ones. So, with that in mind, let’s examine the duties of the players in the aforementioned system and I would like both the Demons and the Devils to ponder upon these roles and realize how close theirs is to this “ancient” system.

When we defined the system of play, we emphasized that the individual duties of each player determined by the system of play adopted by the team in advance, can only be regarded as general indications of what can be expected from the players during the game, while tactical considerations and unforeseeable situations and solutions will arise during the game. For this reason we can only give an outline of the tasks which confront the players in the defensive centre-half game.

In essence, the goalkeeper’s duties are the same in the WM formation as in any other system.
The defensive line in front of the goal is composed of three backs. The right and left backs mark the opponent’s left and right wingers, respectively the centre-half or the “policeman” as it was called according to popular terminology, must cover the opponent’s center forward.

The two wing-halves (midfielders #6 and #5) form the other defensive line running parallel with the backs. Their task is to mark the opposing inside- forwards. Their role is primarily defensive since their foremost duty is to help the backs. They were only allowed to take an active part in the attack if this is not at the expense of their defensive duties.

The forwards also position themselves in two parallel lines with the inside-forwards securing the line in the rear. Their main role is the preparing and building up of attacks, but they are also required to help in defense.

The first line is made up of three spearhead forwards, the wingers and the center forward who are nearest to the opponent’s goal. They were as today in our system assigned to an exclusively attacking role.

THE 4-2-4 FORMATION

Hungarian soccer initiated changes in the defensive centre-half game which gradually modified it in the early 1950’s. The first signs of these modifications were reflected by changes in the positions of the forwards, and this was a logical development since it was the attackers’ turn to adjust themselves to the new conditions in order to counter balance the supremacy of the defenders.

At first it was a revolutionary change that the center forward was withdrawn to be a deep lying engineer of attacks instead of acting as a spearhead forward. In the memorable game (also dubbed the game of the century, the 20th century that is) Hungary defeated England 6-3 at Wembley Stadium in 1953 (were England was up to that very day undefeated) and the experts were surprised to see the Hungarian wingers moving into attack from behind their inside forwards.

More and more modifications were made to the formation until all parts of the system were affected. For some time, however, the rearguard formation of the defensive center-half game was not affected by these changes, although the growing the distinction between the offensive and defensive roles of the wing-halves showed that something new was evolving.

Despite many tactical variations adopted, it appeared for a time that the basic formation of the defensive center-half game had remained intact.

The 1958 World Cup in Sweden, however, revealed that a new stage of development had been reached in the formation – they called it 4-2-4- system. As the name suggests, the line-up was; four defenders, and four attackers, with a midfield comprised of two players whose role was that of building and initiating attacks. (Fig.9)

This Brazilian system was the outcome of a process in which Hungarian soccer had played a major role between 1950 and 1956. Here it must be mentioned that with the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 many Hungarian soccer experts, players as coaches decided either to leave or not to return to Hungary. Amongst these notables were as players, Puskas, Kocsis, Czibor amongst the most famous and Bela Guttmann one of the major architects of the Hungarian success of the 1950’s. Guttmann ended up as coach of Sao Paulo (Santos) in Brazil as well as the technical advisor to the Brazilian National team. Not only Santos but also Brazil as a national team started on their path of 5 World Cup Victories whereas only four years earlier they were ousted by the Hungarians at the 1954 World Cup.

In the rear line of the 4-2-4 system, the two defenders on the flanks have the duty of marking opposite wingers while the two man in the middle of the line cover the spearhead forwards. In contrast to the modified version of the defensive center-half game adopted by the all conquering Hungarian eleven in the early fifties, the four Brazilian defenders stood almost in line and did not venture over the half way line even when their forwards were besieging the other goal.

The greater security of the four man defense of their own goal gave the two middle line men much greater freedom to take part in attacks than was the case with the wing-halves of the defensive center-half game. This role was played by what would once have been described as an attacking centre-half and a forward drawn back from the attack.

The two forwards on the flanks generally moved along the touch line while the pair inside positioned themselves in line with the wingers.

What came next was again a variation on the Brazilian system as even though they have won the title in 1958 and than went on to defend the title in 1962 other footballing nations did not automatically adopt their system and continually experimented with other formations such as the 3-3-4 formation until the 1970’s again the most admirable system the 4-3-4 was introduced and from that moment on it was always the backbone of every system whishing to play a free-flowing beautiful attacking game. It is this 4-3-3 that I also use in my methodology in rearing young players and it is the 4-3-3 that is still being refined and modified. However, the numerical placement of lines will not change, on the other hand the roles of the players within the system at times can and it is my feeling that will continue to change.

To sum up, the constant struggle between defense and attack always gives rise to new tactics. After a time these variations begin to form a standard pattern and so new systems will still emerge.

It would be difficult to forecast the shape of the future in terms of systems of play. In my view it is the experience of the players and the standard of play rather than the team formation which ensure supremacy in soccer. For example with the Demos using a 4-3-3 we have handily beaten teams playing a 3-5-2 which clearly put our 3 midfielders at a disadvantage against the five lined up by the opponent, but do to the discipline and technical as well as tactical superiority of our team we have prevailed. Thus, players capable of taking the frame of the playing system and filling it out with the activity and initiative, imagination and “soccer magic” to give it life are the all important thing.

Alternate Ways for Player Development; The case for Creating the Laureano Ruiz Soccer Academy

2008-10-07T12:02:00.001-07:00

PART I.

One of the many reasons behind soccer’s popularity is the high level of excitement found in televised games from Europe and South America where the attainment of victory promotes continual development in the sport. If we in the US would like to partake in these loud successes, then we too need to learn the process of how to turn a talented player into a professional player. It is known in the countries belonging to the elite of soccer that it is not enough to be born a talented player in order to become a professional in the sport. There are a number of developmental prerequisites that must be met. Meeting these developmental needs requires financial backing, extended periods of training, and a high level of qualification and knowledge.

Slowly, the development of soccer players is becoming an “intellectual industry” since it requires that a high degree of knowledge be transferred not only into the feet, body, and mind of the players, but “hearts” as well. Due to these necessities, we must pay a greater degree of attention to the learning process as well as work to improve the results and efficiency of this learning.

Highly trained professionals must play a large role in training beginning with the youngest age groups. Players need to learn not only the “who, what, when, and where,” but also how—a critical and oft-forgotten part of soccer development.

We can be sure that the development of soccer will not come to a halt since winning gives every professional player and their club increasing social and monetary compensation. To attain these end results, there is a need for specific skills which can only be acquired under quality supervision and over a long period of time.

There are a number of very talented players born in the USA every year who have the capacity to transform the US into a dominant soccer playing nation, and to allow us to evenly compete with the elite of the sport. If we are in fact serious and determined to create professional players out of the talent at hand, it is imperative that from the very earliest stage these players are placed in a protected environment and all of their needs are constantly provided under a program of intensive development. These needs, and our increased expectations, are only possible under the aegis of a soccer school–in our case the Laurenao Ruiz Soccer Academy.

This academy, however, cannot be an academy in name only, but in practice as well. It must provide the highest possible level of professionalism through a professional staff that would differentiate it from all other such entities. Our academy will function on two tiers: creating soccer players out of all those who love the game; and helping players created by the academy graduate into the elite level. Once at the elite level there will be another two steps: identifying players of the highest quality; and cultivating their development under meticulously prepared, professionally qualified, and pedagogically well versed coaches under cultivated superb conditions.

The operation of this type of Academy will entail a significantly higher financial investment than the ones operating in our area. These other Academies, working with a limited or non-existent capital flow, are unsuccessful in the long run because they are incapable of providing all the conditions necessary to the attainment of their stated goals. Because of this they are forced to reverse the process: they align their goals to their existing means. It is evident that their methodology does not produce high quality players. Furthermore, the lack of results turns off parents who have paid significant fees and pushes blame on real or imagined faults found in the players.

Financial constraints are one of the largest obstacles to professional player development. Lack of funding has prolonged the underdog status of American soccer academies and unintentionally impedes the development of talent in future generations. In my opinion, tomorrow’s top performer can not be brought up in the same way today’s professional was prepared yesterday. The coach-player relationship needs greater commitment, professionalism, and dynamism; goals which will require significantly greater expenditures. The profitability of soccer relies upon investment in, and creation of, quality players. The academy will profit handsomely from the development of players who are capable of reaching the elite level that has been coveted for so long in the United States.

It has to be clear that along with money there are several other factors that are needed for the creation of quality. Work based on invalid knowledge will only produce failure. But in order for our players to become well versed in every necessary department, we must shed the mentality and infrastructure shown in youth soccer today, since the task at hand is greater and more cumbersome, and the avenues of approach have changed significantly. It is these new methods that must be implemented in the hunt for newfound success. There needs to be a program in place and staff available to implement these methods and guide the youth on their road to professionalism. This staff must be comprised of enthusiastic, effective, and efficient professionals and should include: field coaches, goalkeeper coaches, a psychiatrist, a dietician, a physical-therapist, and public relations personnel.

We cannot be satisfied carrying on the status quo and facing the opponents of tomorrow with outdated methods of preparation. Such a situation will lead inevitably to failure. We must establish our own path with the new methods whose success I have demonstrated many times over.

It must be very clear from the get go that; our talented players will only become professionals if in the time allotted to us for their training they receive more, better, and deeper knowledge than their competitors. This might be a foregone conclusion, but many Academies lose sight of this tenet and focus instead on earning a profit from the tutelage of the player.

Studying is the basis for all attained knowledge, and this is as true about the game of soccer as anything else. In our Academy, great focus will be placed on improving the effectiveness of studying which in turn will propel our pupils to develop their talents and create excellence on and off the field. These successes will require a depth of knowledge that takes a long time to attain and master.

In order to achieve these high standards we must branch out with our aspects and use all possible means. Compared to other countries with elite soccer programs, it is clear that our current practices are out-of-date and failing to achieve the goals we all have. It is no longer enough to only teach and concentrate on the physical, physiological, and technical aspects. In addition, we need to develop the minds of our players.

Think about the confidence, emotional stability, inner motivation, concentration, and ability to cooperate required of athletes that perform at the highest levels. Player development that fails to include these factors as well will always fall short of its intended goals. It is only the simultaneous development and tutelage of these factors in addition to the physical which, in the end, allow for the talented player to develop into a professional.

PART II.

The most important factor in achieving our desired level of development in our players is to develop their maturity levels and personalities to the fullest extent possible. Once these faculties are achieved they can greatly aid in the attainment of other means. Maturity, above all, means that the player respects and loves himself, has self-confidence, is reliable, can conquer his fears, accepts his mistakes, stays calm and confident under stressful situations, stays emotionally balanced, enjoys his duties, is a loving and understanding individual, and is happy.

The energy levels of a mature child cannot be sapped by anything which greatly enhances their capacity to learn. They can process and see more of the world in front of them as well as concentrate on the things at hand for longer periods of time. When they are motivated they are easy to work with. Mature children are also better able to overcome difficulties they may encounter as they have the internal drive to recognize their failures and will work to overcome them. It is much easier to teach and mold children with mature personalities because they can handle increased stress levels, are better able to integrate new ideas into their existing knowledge, and they also understand themselves and their emotions better than their less mature peers.

In order to develop the maturity of our players, we, their staff, must ensure that all our actions work to achieving this goal. This is not an easy task because it requires a different attitude and pedagogical approach than that which we, and our players, are used to.

These distances cannot simply be bridged by determination, instruction, nor learning as there are less tangible human qualities involved as well. There are many professionals instructing children who are in their own right thought to be excellent coaches, but who deep down cannot renounce their style of teaching based on authority. These same coaches will never be able to learn the language of cooperative communication and will remain incapable of developing professional players.

In order to develop players with mature personalities mature adults are needed. A mature coaching staff must be able to more deeply analyze the behavior of the players, to be able to react quickly to situation as they arise, and they must be able to provide a loving and secure environment for their players.

In order to become a great professional player it is not merely enough to be technically and tactically superior. We must identify a players’ most important identity assets, those qualities that make players great, and during the developmental stages help our players make these assets part of themselves. In the long run, this inner homogenization will give them added means to succeed.

This homogenization (convergence) will help them reach their stated goals. These types of children, from a very young age, consider soccer to be their preferred vocation, believe that they have all ability necessary to become one of the greats, and believe they are ready to do achieve their goals. This inner belief is performance oriented, active, and passionate, making it easier for them to recognize their own actions in molding their fate. With this type of student, there is little need for disciplinarian action because they are largely self-motivated and capable of resolving on their own many difficulties.

From this it is evident that the emotional state of our players greatly influences their perceptions and self image. Their learning capacity is strongly and directly affected by the impact of their emotional influences. Because of this fact we must help them to carry out their duties with joy and teach them to be able to be masters of their present emotional state, rather than becoming a slave to it.

We can effectively teach them how to handle painful and unjust situations, how to consciously channel their emotions, and how to place themselves in the most optimal emotional state and maintain it. Through this development we can guarantee that during soccer games they can stay in this “self-chosen” emotional state and in turn contribute maximal attention and concentration to their roles within the team.

The players in today’s game are required to make ever more decisions without having the time to consciously make them. It is in these instances that they are left to intuition and an unconscious state of decision making. If in these instances our players are not in the right emotional state, perhaps because they are afraid of the opponent, or are just upset, than these extraneous emotions will have a negative effect on the ability to make quality unconscious and intuitive decisions. The player must be in a state of total and secure presence in order to bring out the best available decisions within him. Without these introspective qualities and emotion control it is impossible to produce a professional performance, and at the developmental stage, to produce effective learning. Those players who do not learn how to consciously manipulate and control their inner emotions will continually fall behind those that do.

It is also important to keep in mind that fear leads to loss of self-confidence. Those performing out of fear, anger, or any other weakened emotional state will never be able to put forth their best performance and will always perform slower and more sluggishly than their counterparts.

The key then is recognizing that one must be able to identify one’s own emotions before learning to control them. It is only through conscious ‘work’ that we can teach our players how to do this, and thus control their emotions and open the door to elite performance.

The performance of our students will increase in direct relation to how they experience and how they process their role in the development of their emotional means. With gradual and positive results during practices and games they can further cement their presence and the players can gradually validate their sense of self-confidence which will result in a fortified ‘winning type’ personality.

PART III.

Through the complexities of the developmental work in soccer there are a number of secondary aspects which must be kept in mind because of their affect on the players. One such aspect is attention span. As the attention span increases the player is better able to use their focus to increase their knowledge within a shorter time-frame. With this deeper knowledge they will be more able to apply it under pressure both on and off the field.

As the ability to make decisions quickly and intuitively increases, those decisions become more efficient and will allow the player to expend his energies elsewhere on the field. The pinnacle of the game, perhaps, is the point at which most decisions made on the field are less conscious decision and more intuitive response. This allows the restricted attention span mentioned earlier to be most efficiently used. In this fashion they will be able to mold and turn the outcome of the game according to the plan of the coach and their own design.

Learning and teaching in our country is widespread, but its efficiency needs to be reworked in such a way that both become based a cooperation and confidence and ultimately a partnership. Nearly every soccer academy today fails to establish a cooperative learning process. Instead, players associated learning as a directive from a top-down power structure, often leading to the desire to act out against it. To these unfortunate players, success is but a means to avoid punishment. Such an environment inevitably leads them to only put forth minimum effort. There is no more significant destroyer of motivation. Motivation and discipline are constant problems in such a relationship and it must be clear that knowledge attained only through the execution of orders will only produce limited knowledge and, ultimately, produce only dependent and timid players. The achievement of peak performance is simply not possible in such circumstances.

If we want to transfer the love of this game into our pupils and want them to be active and creative part of our practices than we are compelled to make the learning process enjoyable for all the players. We must draw our players into the learning process, maintain high expectations for them, and pay attention to their thoughts, views, and problems. In this process and at this stage it is very important what they think, where they stand in their own development, what kind of conclusions they can draw on their own, what they deem important to learn, etc. If, throughout their learning we encourage them to take an active role in being responsible, than after a certain time they will not only be able to define their own learning material, but they will also be capable to define the best way to learn this material. The greatest tool we can provide them with is the ability to process the actions of the game independently.

By using my method of teaching and learning through communication based on fairness and trust knowledge gathered by passively and following orders can be slowly replaced by a flexible and self-confident knowledge. The importance of this cannot be overstated because it is the exact mentality that is missing on our soccer fields today.

We must focus on the identification of the base values of real superior players which are unfortunately too often neglected in today’s developmental process. A truly great coach can always be spotted by his ability to be able to release the individual talent of his players to a maximal level and make these players subordinate themselves to the interest and service of the team by providing constant cooperation.

The purpose of this writing is not simply to expound upon unused teaching methods, but instead to channel attention towards these methods and ultimately to create an environment that embraces them and acknowledges their capacity for success. This challenge can begin, by understanding that a soccer player is made and not born. These methods have been proven by me over the past eight years at three different clubs, and I believe that the creation of the Laureano Ruiz Soccer Academy is not only a good idea, but a necessary step in the right direction in order to nurture, develop, and later profit from the hard work of all the professionals involved. It will be in this academy that professionals ascribing to the same mentality and teaching methods will find harmony and will be able to transfer all this knowledge to the children of the Hudson Valley and the surrounding localities. To this end, all the adults involved will have to work very hard for the attainment of great results, but I know from experience that this can be a passionate and enjoyable experience for all those involved. We adults are not much different from our students in this regard; once we experience success ourselves we become capable of continually raising the bar. I can think of no better goal in my life than to create and provide the best environment possible for the development of truly great soccer players.

HOW YOUNG SOCCER PLAYERS LEARN

2008-06-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

I always enjoy conversations with parents and listening to what they think about the development of their sons in the sport of soccer. I often find that they have a fixed idea about what, when, why and how things should happen in the development of their children's sporting carrier. Furthermore, when asked where these ideas come from, at best the answer is ; well I heard it here or there, I have read it in articles relevant to sport, therefore; it could be said that their ideas are a collage of bits and pieces of often times erroneous information gathered from non-sport experts writing in the local or national papers and magazines.

After my conversation this weekend with a few of the moms, I started thinking and immediately immersed myself in the bibliography and my own experiences as to how young soccer players learn and why this is so. I hope that this will clarify most of the misconceptions I have heard at poolside in beautiful Cobleskill NY.

Mastering soccer is a difficult and complex task. What I am proposing here is the ONLY way to learn the game and is directed towards adults, professional or semi-professional players.

From the time they start until they reach a high level of performance, each player will have gone through (or should have gone through) various phases carrying out very different work in each. This long road requires the patient work of EXPERT coaches. They are consciously and constantly modifying the training methods and procedures. This fine tuning is necessary in order to speed up the learning process. Do not confuse good progress with going too quickly without taking into account the possible repercussions.

Unfortunately, when these training sessions are put into practice, I often find that the same content and training methods are being used by the professionals, amateurs, and youth teams. It seems reasonable to suggest that there should be some sort of training progression and continuity starting with beginners and going right through to when skills have been perfected. However; a great majority of the people seem to ignore the idea.

As youngsters grow and develop physically, their understanding and knowledge of the game also increases. A thorough and methodical program of repeated technical exercises, games and small-sided games is the best preparation. This constant and consistent training gradually produces "complete" and "well-grounded" soccer players.

However; what normally happens is that beginners immediately start playing games using the whole field, goals and regulation sized ball. If this does not happen, than they play small sided soccer on small fields 5 v 5, 4v4 etc., which is also a waste of time. This game is played in such a small playing area that the ball spends more time off the field than on it. Moreover; it is difficult to do much with the type of balls used and the best tactic is to use the classic "boot it" up field. The youngsters who stand out, "the good players", are picked to play in all competitions with a team built around them whenever possible in order to try and win matches. Unfortunately, these youngsters ultimately suffer as they fail to adapt to the two very different ways of playing these games.

On the one hand, youngsters love playing the game. They are motivated and impressed by the quality of the stars and want to emulate them. Unfortunately, even the highest level has its ugly side. Every player should have the opportunity to develop creativity and artistry in his play but the tremendous pressure and the obsession with winning does not allow this to happen. They are not even encouraged to try and produce quality technical moves that potentially could lead to lots of goals. Players only produce monotonous, ordinary, uninspired moves lacking in any creativity or vision because they are more interested in the result.

Even more serious is the psychological and educational damage this mentality instills in these players. There are some players who because of the pressure to win are unable to control their temperament. Instead of concentrating on the game they criticize the referee too much and they are unable to distinguish between playing hard and fast or dirty and violently. They are continually criticize their teammates without stopping to think that perhaps they are also guilty of making mistakes from time to time. They also react to the crowd and if what they hear is not to their liking than they often respond by making gestures and/or comments.

Youngsters are like sponges, eagerly absorbing all they see and hear around them. It is no surprise that they copy both the good and the bad behavior of top players. As professional soccer and soccer at grass roots level is very different, it seems only obvious that the style and objective of the training routines should also differ significantly. Youngsters should follow a well organized and well structured program that is right for their particular age group and ability in order not to hinder their development and progression.

Youngsters and adolescents have a natural physiological predisposition to be able to carry out aerobic and non-lactic anaerobic work. By contrast, lactic anaerobic work has a negative effect on their natural development. This is why they prefer playing games that involve a short but intense effort followed by a long active rest period. This type of activity involves non-lactic anaerobic effort and should last somewhere between seven and eight minutes. However, they are not so keen on the long, intense and very tyring types of activities.

During the first few years of learning, youngsters should carry out a variety of intensive and brief exercise routines that in the past formed the basis for all the physical learning. These exercises should go hand in hand with other longer but less intensive sessions. The potential lactic anaerobic ability is not fully developed as youngsters grow. They should avoid games and activities that involve a quick burst of energy as their reserves are more lactic.

Sports scientists have reached the following conclusions:

The maximum aerobic potential is reached at 17 and then reduces progressively thereafter.
The maximum oxygen production in relation to body weight is reached at the age of 16.
The maximum non-lactic anaerobic potential is reached around the age of 15-16.
The maximum potential for lactic anaerobic potential is reached from the age of 20 onward.

As fatigue is the principal enemy during learning, this type of intense activity is also inappropriate for youngsters as the elimination of lactic acid is achieved more slowly than with adults. Youngsters should take more time to recover and need longer breaks between activities.

Cardio-circulation and breathing functions are very important factors when doing any physical exercise but there is a big difference when doing any physical exercise but there is a big difference when comparing youngsters and adults. In youngsters this is not yet very efficient. The heart responds to every muscular effort by greatly increasing the heartbeat in order to be able to pump more blood around the body to meet the demand. This increased blood circulation provides the muscles with more oxygen and glycogen. Hollman says the following: "During a moderately paced two km. run a youngster will reach an average pulse rate of 137, whereas on average an adult will stay constant at 106. This is because the effort needed is much greater in youngsters because the size of the heart is much smaller than that of an adult. When heavy demands are placed on the heart the circulation and heartbeat has to increase as it takes time to fully establish the correct oxygen levels in the muscles after the effort." (This is one of the biological dangers I speak of when HS coaches run the youngsters to their deaths)

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUNG AND ADULT SOCCER PLAYERS

Although this should be very evident and respected by all, it seldom is. The majority of High School Coaches and many unskilled, unlicensed volunteer coaches are the main culprits in ignoring these differences and constantly placing the youngsters under their care in grave danger.

As there is a big build-up of lactic acid during a match the majority of soccer players should not perform high intensity speed and stamina work during training.

Only professional players should carry out this type of training activity and even then only once a week. However; youngsters should never carry out this type of training as it has a great effect on enzyme functions. This training causes the loss of vitamin B, C, E, plus the loss of minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium and it puts too much strain on the central nervous systems.

The main aim of the sport of soccer is to develop and not to destroy. The growing process burns up a lot of energy in youngsters and hey need plenty of rest. (This is another reason why the generalist approach is counter productive to players as they play the other sports during off days and never get the rest necessary for their recovery.) But moderate physical activity also helps to encourage this development and growth, outweighing the risk related to exercise.

On the other hand, if the physical activity is too demanding the benefits are lost and this can put the body under too much strain ad impede the natural growing process. Studies in the USA have shown that youngsters are put under too much strain when lifting weights and this can produce too much arterial pressure which in turn can cause serious damage.

The frequency of training should also be different for youngsters and adults. A professional trains taking into account the demands of the game, including the physical and mental effort. The amount of training will remain at similar levels during the off season and the period of competition. To make up for this continued effort, and to achieve adequate recovery, the training sessions must incorporate frequent but short breaks. If the breaks are too long then the impact of the physical and technical training will be greatly reduced. Of course the longer the break, the more chance of relaxing too much and the danger of muscle stiffness and the longer it will take the body to get back to optimum working levels. For this reason, breaks should never last more than three days during the season as when this happens there is a marked drop in the players fitness level. During the off season it is a good idea to have a well-deserved rest and relax but to continue light physical training. This total rest should last approximately eight days. The vacations should last a month as players need this amount of time to totally unwind and recover mentally.

Youngsters should always follow a training program that takes into account their biological and psychological requirements to avoid any negative effect on their natural development. This is another aspect that is overlooked by all the zealous winning at all cost mentality coaches. As far as the physical side of training is concerned (bearing that it is always linked to the psychological side), for best results and to overcome the negative aspects of excessive fatigue, youngsters should follow an alternating program of exercise. They should rest every other day and should perform a variety of sessions of ever increasing intensity and others with light and fun activities. This is why we have practice every other day and two days rest after games. No other "cross training" is needed!

Regarding the psychological side of training, youngsters have a different physical resistance to stress than adults. They also have inconsistent powers of concentrations and they are not always able to maintain motivation levels over long periods. For these reasons some youngsters do not find training very appealing; their state of mind is very changeable, although this is usually dominated by irritability, and they lose appetite and find it difficult to sleep. These and other factors are all symptoms that they are not adapting well to the training program. (It is becoming very redundant to mention which coaches do this and respect it and which do not).

To avoid this from happening (apart from hoping for slightly more maturity), it is important for the youngsters to be happy with the atmosphere during training. This will help give him a positive attitude and will allow him/her to produce better results. If the youngster trains close to home, has a good relationship with other trainees and coaching staff, if the weather conditions during the sessions are favorable and he has the help and support from family and friends, then there is a greater possibility that he will be happy and motivated.

A youngster with potential in other sports such as basketball, swimming or tennis knows that if he is to have any chance of reaching the top then he must train at least four hours a day. However; where soccer is concerned, youngsters and their families tend to think they can achieve success immediately without having to put in any hard work.

In most cases, children do not make the best use of the summer months which is the best time to practice their game. The weather is good, the days are long, and they have tremendous amount of free time but they often choose to give soccer a rest in order to take up other activities during this time.

It is very common in the US and now even Europe, that youngsters aged 14 or 15 only train for one and a half hours twice a week. Whatever their potential or aspiration, under these conditions they WILL NEVER make it in the game.

Unfortunately, others train too much, as far as the quantity and duration is concerned. Usually the ones deemed talented enough, with good potential are normally worked too hard. They follow training programs that I feel are excessive and potentially damaging, as youngsters are not designed to carry out intensive activity over long periods. For this reason, the intensity and length of the training should be reduced and more breaks should be incorporated to allow full and total recuperation. Frequently players are required to play 70-80 games a season and this has a tremendously damaging affect both physically and psychologically and also on their soccer.

Studies have shown that playing a game takes a lot out of youngsters and so they need a longer rest period between matches than adults. These are the recovery periods the different parts of the body need in order to get back to normal after a match: Heart-1 hour, muscles-12 hours, glands-24 hours, liver - 36 hours, and the brain-48 to 72 hours.

Perhaps this is the answer to the classic question as to; Why do 15-17 year olds' full of potential leave the game by the ages of 20? Or if they make it in the game an become professionals then why do they run out of mental and physical reserves when they approach the age of 30?

As far as soccer itself is concerned, playing so many matches, combined with the games and practices of "those other sports" means that there is little time to practice and perfect skills. As only light training can be carried out 48 hours before or after a match if they play 80 matches during a ten month period it is obvious that there are not many days left to practice and perfect the game.

It is important for youngsters to play matches in order to pit their skills against others and improve their knowledge and experience of the game. However, playing too many matches has a negative effect sooner or later. During a game a player may see a lot or little of the ball depending on his performance and ability of the opposition. Either way it will always be a lot less than he would be able to achieve during a well-planned training session. For example, during a game a striker may have 2-7 shots on goal, wheres during training session he may be required to practice 35,70 or even more times if the coach thinks it is appropriate. This is also true for heading, dribbling, passing and other skills.

Of course, the training session also allow players to practice and work on the team tactics and moves. This is the only way to work towards perfection and get an understanding, not during games. What future would an orchestra have if it only preformed concerts without ever practicing?

After reading this blog, please revisit the article on the Specialist or the Generalist as it ties perfectly as a continuation to the above blog.

Mental and Psychological Training: Dealing with stress

2008-06-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

There is a notion out there that everybody is referring to once things go wrong or when they can not really put their finger on why their daily performance didn't go as planned. They call it stress. On the other hand, those involved in professional sports know exactly what this is. Yes, it is difficult to find a simple and complete definition for stress. In psychology there are concepts such as anxiety, pressure, arousal, fear that is part of stress or linked to stress. However; in the following passages I will try to make it clear and understandable what actually stress is, as we will examine its causes and hopefully we will find ways to cope with it.

The goal is to reach a state in which you can tell yourself "Right now I feel stressed!" This is the first and most essential step. After this you will always be able to recognize when you are under stress. This will allow you to pass to the next step and learn how to deal with stress. In this stage you will learn how to reach your maximum potential even when you are UNDER stress. One thing must be clear from the get-go, and that is, that stress CAN NOT be dismissed. It is impossible to dismiss it. By following my reasoning (although I am not a psychologist) you will learn how to face stress and regulate it, as well as, how to perform to your full potential even when in a stressed situation.

First, after many years of searching and researching I have come up with a simple definition for stress:

Stress is what you feel and react to in a threatening situation and in uncertainty.

However, the threatening situation can be real, like a car that suddenly appears in your lane, somebody attacking you or an opposing player running towards you in order to tackle you. Threatening situations can also be vague and unreal.

In sports most threatening situations are a result of our thoughts and they exist only in our imagination or mind.

For example the following thoughts:

-What will happen if we lose the game?

-What if I play badly or get injured in the game?

-What if I don't play well and the coach takes me out?

Stress can come suddenly and last a second (a sharp turn ahead while biking) or it can be continuous, like in soccer throughout the whole season.

Stress can cause a bad feeling, however; it can also be pleasant like the uneasiness before "that" first date.

Stress can be negative and can hurt our performance, but it can be positive as well and push us to better functioning (to train and prepare better for the game and try harder).

In soccer there are NO SITUATIONS of real stress - a threat over our lives or over our well being. The only real threat is about being injured by an opponent, when he is wildly running towards you and trying to hurt you intentionally.

We create all other stress situations in sport; as their origin is in our thoughts, imagination and feelings.

One of the main characteristics of soccer and all other sports is UNCERTAINTY.

It does not matter against who you are playing, you can never know in advance what will be the final score and you don't know how good you will perform in the game.

Therefore; UNCERTAINTY AMPLIFIES STRESS!!!

If we would know the score from the beginning we would not feel under any pressure)

It is difficult and almost impossible to cancel the feeling of real stress, but it is possible to cope with it in such a way that will lessen its influence as much as possible.

It is certainly possible to significantly reduce the level of stress that originates in the thoughts that occupy our head and it is possible to regulate the level of stress!

What happens in our minds is the following process (I write this because I lived through it and it is a personal occurrence, as well as a team occurrence as I was talking to my ex teammates and coaches who all experienced these mental turn of events): When our brain recognizes a real or imagined stressful situation, it prepares the body for immediate reaction. People are capable of reacting to stressful situations in one or two ways: fight or flight.

In other words, when we face a threatening situation our brain commands our body to prepare immediately to fight the threat or run from it. This is a survival reaction that dates from the primitive ages of civilization. Accordingly, when the ancient man came across a small animal, he prepared to fight it, but if the animal was bigger and stronger than he was, he prepared to run away. In short: he ate or he was eaten!

When we react to a dangerous situation today - even unreal and based on our thoughts, our body reactions are the same as the instinct to survive: to fight or to flight.

However; as people and especially as athletes we cannot run or fight. On the contrary, we have to remain in position in the game, and function under stressful situations. As soccer players we need more than just function, we need to give our best performance and maximum ability and it is not a simple task.

What happens in our body at times of stress?

As we have stated the body automatically prepares for survival reaction. In this state, our glands release into our bodies various substances. One of them is adrenaline, whose function is to prepare the different body systems for functioning in an emergency.

What do we feel when this happens?

In our body: - the blood pressure rises and the heart rate/beat gets faster in order to provide more blood to the muscles, the sugar level in the blood rise as well providing more energy for all the muscle functions. The body perspiration increases, in order to cool down the body and all the body systems that are not essential for survival stop or decrease their functioning (the digestive system and others)

Our emotions: - there is a feeling of danger and anxiety,

Our behavior: - typical reactions are violence, escape, withdrawal and lowering the reaction threshold.

Our thoughts: - it impairs our concentration ability, we experience difficulty taking decisions and confusion.

All these changes find their expression in the body and thoughts of the soccer player. If they happen before or during the game they hurt the player's ability to play to the maximum of his potential.

How does stress influence the player's ability during the game?

Does any stress hurt performance?

The answer to these questions lies in the illustration you all have in your notebooks from the winter session done at the Union Valle Elementary school that dealt with Intensity and Ability and it looks like an inverted U. This is called an inverted U curve. It illustrates that there is an optimal ability to stress ratio and if you can find it in yourself and keep it under control, you will be at the height of your game.

On the left side of the curve you can see that in the beginning with the increase in stress levels our ability increases as well until it reaches its maximum (an example for such situation are contests or games without a crowd. In such games there is less stress and usually athletes and teams are unable to show their maximum ability). From this follows that a certain level of stress is essential. But still, if stress level continues to rise, ability is impaired. (if we continue with the previous example, usually in big contests, like State Cup Finals, ODP Regional Tournament Finals, League and Tournament Finals, athletes do not break any set records and usually the quality of the game is poor.)

Each player has his own specific curve. In other words, the range of maximum ability changes from one player to another. Some players reach their maximum potential at lower stress levels, any increase in the level of stress will immediately impair their ability, and there are players that reach their maximum only under higher stress levels. Such players will be less influenced by great stress, however; lower level stress will lead them to poor performances.

Your goal: learn how to react to stress, so you can find the level of stress that best fits the range of your maximum potential. After you have achieved this, you should try to bring yourself to this level of stress, before and through the game.

This is not an easy goal- but it is certainly possible!!!!

Let's check now how does stress express itself in athletes before and during the game.

Sings of stress before the game. (I will try to list the most common ones I used to experience and some that through my conversations with teammates and coaches were revealed to me.)

Some players can show the sign of stress a couple of days before the game, and others can only feel stress the night before the game:

-Difficulty falling asleep.
-Difficulty to engage in activities that require concentration, like reading a book.
-Lower reaction threshold, being easily irritated by, siblings/friends/parents.
-Lack of tolerance.
-Difficulty remaining in the same place.
-Stomach aches, feeling uneasiness in your stomach, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
-Strong perspiration, frequent urination (everyone who has been around players before a game has experienced the never-ending urge of the players to go to the rest room.)
-Headache, dryness of the mouth.
-Cramp of muscles.
-And any additional reactions that each of us has developed through the years.

The closer the day of the game gets, the stronger the feelings and signs of stress become. Usually the peak level of stress is reached in the minutes before the game. Your personal feeling of stress and its signs get stronger the more the result of the game is important to you.

Although the list of stress signs is long enough, every one of you have your own typical signs of stress too. Certainly, not every sign is present in all of us. While I was working with girls, I had a superb player who would vomit almost before every game and with another excellent player at ODP who was yawning exaggeratedly in times of stress. (Thank God, I have recognized early that I was not boring her to tears, but this was her clear sign of stress before the game.)

I do think that there is only one way to know and recognize the signs of stress. Every player should be aware how he experiences stress and its intensity, and be able to say "Now I am under stress" or "I feel under more intense stress than usual".

Only the moment when you accept that you are under stress and you recognize its level of intensity, will you be able to deal with it.

From my personal experience and the knowledge of others, we know that athletes prefer to deny the stress and not to recognize it. Athletes treat stress as a personal weakness.
I have met players who were having all symptoms of stress before every game. These same players never connected these symptoms to stress. They always had the same answer which they thought it was a reasonable explanation to the situation (they ate something bad, 24 hour virus, etc.)

In my opinion the biggest mistake of a player is the denial of the stress he feels. This denial prevents him from dealing with stress and causes an immediate harm to his performance on the field.

Therefore; gaining stress awareness is the first step in coping with stress.

Stop here and please read again through the stress signs and try to find which of them fits your reaction when you are under stress.

I have also found an additional mistake many players and coaches fall victim to. That is their belief that once they are on the field and the game begins the stress disappears. This is a wrong conception and this is the reason why even those players who are conscious about the signs of stress, still don't do anything to cope with stress, because they are sure that with the entry to the field for warming up or later when the referee blows the whistle, the stress will disappear and they will play to their best.

This belief is completely wrong. Stress does not disappear on the field, it simply shows itself in a different way.

Usually, when players enter the game, the physical signs of stress disappear (there is no urge to go to the rest room, stomach aches disappear, etc.) This is because the body "knows" that there is no possibility right now to continue to go to the toilet, but it does not mean that stress has gone.

A player who was under stress on the sidelines or the locker room before the game will continue to be under stress on the field as well.

Signs of stress on the field:

Lack of concentration: - difficulty performing successfully even the simplest passes.
Mistake in perception: - wrong calculation where the ball will go and mistakes in approach to the ball.
Violence:- committing crude, unnecessary fouls.
Low reaction threshold: - easily getting angry, yelling, cursing, (usually yelling and cursing at teammates or referee over mistakes in their play.)
Coordination troubles:- lack of eye-feet coordination that hurts performance.
Feeling heaviness in the legs: - even before the player has started to run, he already feels that it is hard for him to run and move around, his speed is lower and his flexibility is limited.
Easily giving up: - loosing hope and not trying harder.
Tendency to run away from the game and not to cooperate: - this finds its expression, when every time you try to pass the ball to another players he is already well guarded by a defender. Sometimes he even signals not to pass him the ball (a midfielder who does not come to get the ball). Sometimes you can see a tense forward that tries to hide himself behind the defender who is marking him. Looking from aside, you can see that not the defender follows the forward, but on the contrary, the forward attaches himself to the defender. In this way he can not receive the ball and nobody can criticize him afterwards. In many cases it's the forward that complains to the other players that they don't pass him the ball.
Difficulties breathing and dryness in the mouth: - Feeling of lack of air, that is felt not at the end of the game, but even before the first sprint - the air is gone.

These signs of stress change from player to player and not all of them appear in all the players. Specific signs of stress develop in every player during his career. It is understandable, that the appearance of a part of these signs in the players, even for short periods of time, hurts their performance and leads them to making mistakes.

It is important to recognize the signs of stress that are typical for you. This way if you were unable to cope with the stress before the game you will be able to deal with it throughout the game. This is a more difficult task but it is possible.

Stop here and read through the list of stress signs on the field again and try to understand in what way they appear in you. I have comprised the list that I have mentioned at least one for all of the players in the team. Some of the players are ready to admit that they enter the field tense. However; they are wrong when thinking that this is not a big problem, because after a couple of minutes in the game they already get rid of the stress and succeed in showing their maximum ability.

Sometimes this is true. The tension can disappear after a couple of minutes, but what will happen in these minutes, until the stress is gone? When we are dealing with competitive and later professional sport, we don't have the opportunity to play poorly in the first five minutes of the game and then to improve our play. Sometimes you won't be able to correct the first five minutes of lack of concentration with 85 minutes of excellent game.

Remember, that mistakes you make in the 5 minute block of stress in any part of the game could be the difference between winning and losing.

Everyone who is interested in soccer knows that many goals and missed goal opportunities happen in the first 5 minutes of the game, and usually the reason for this lack of concentration as a result of tension in the players. The main AIM of every player (in order to show his maximum ability from the start to the end), should be the recognition of his feeling of stress and its intensity BEFORE a game, and the ability to handle these feelings BEFORE he enters the field.

The secondary goal should be to correctly and immediately identify the feelings of stress and their intensity in a player during the game. In this way the player will be able to deal with this feeling or (not less important) can change his game to fit the existing situation.

Step3: Stress is a normal reaction but it is necessary to control it!

In this step you should achieve:

-The right recognition of stress

-Estimation of stress intensity

-Regulation of the level of stress to the most suitable level in order to best fit your maximum potential.

After you gain an understanding about the signs of stress and you admit that the denial of stress is a mistake, you will learn how to cope with stress before the game and till the final wistle. Your goal should be to deal with stress before the game, so when you enter the field, you will be able to fit your level of stress to your best game potential.

The ability to cope with stress during the game is a lot smaller compared to the ability to do so before the game. It is important to leave the unnecessary stress at home or in the dressing room.

Before you learn how to cope with stress it is important to learn what your stress level is at a certain time and what is the stress level that you need in order to reach your maximum potential. To achieve this I offer you to build for yourself a stress-meter. It can be much like a speedometer of a car or like a digital meter or like scales or any other measure that fits. Now concentrate on the stress signs that happen in you in this moment (your breath rate, stomachaches, uneasiness, inner turmoil, lack of concentration, etc.) and try to give them a number value from one to ten.

Do this now!

This value in fact indicates the level of your stress reading this article, (I hope it is low).

Now, try to close your eyes and remember your last game. Go back with your imagination to the minutes before the game and try to think of a number that will describe the level of stress that you experienced before the game.

Do this now!

Close your eyes again and try to remember your best performance - the game in which you felt you reached the maximum of your potential. Try to remember how you felt before the game and write down according to your stress-scale the level of stress you experienced before the game.

Do this now!

The three different values express your stress level at the moment, the stress level you experienced before your last game and the level of stress you need in order to reach your maximum performance.

What is left for you to learn, right now, is how to control your stress level and always reach the best suitable stress level for your maximum performance on the field. This is what we will discuss in the next article. Meanwhile, try to train yourself to work in different situations with your stress meter. Give yourself a stress value that describes the level of stress you experience the night and the morning before the game, couple of hours before stepping on the field, with the blowing ot the wistle and in other situations.

In your free time try to train and find the level of stress you need in order to achieve your maximum ability. You have had for sure a lot of good games. Try to remember them and remember the stress level you had before the game, till you reach the right value for achieving the maximum of your abilities. Be aware that we don't speak about one value but a range of values. (For example: Stress in rest 1-2, stress as I put on my soccer shoes before the game 8-9, the best suitable stress for your performace 6-7, etc)

Please practice and work on this for a week so that next Saturday as I will post my COPING WITH STRESS article, you will know exactly how to react and what to do. Please ask me for any assistance you need in mastering this step. I would also like to ask the parents to try and assist all the players in understanding the concepts put forth in this article.

Mental and Psychological Training; MOTIVATION

2008-05-31T08:15:00.000-07:00

As previously promised, I will now embark in explaining the importance of motivation and how and why all athletes should perfect the method in which they can motivate themselves. Regardless of the sport played all participants, at one time or another experienced an accelerated heart beat, a dry mouth, butterflies in the stomach, trembling muscles, or the inability to concentrate and think clearly. The reason for this is tension. For this reason I always asked myself as a coach, whether prior to games, should players be fired up or as relaxed as possible before a game? I find that the best state is a happy medium somewhere in the middle.

Students of sport have researched this subject in depth and are convinced that a well balanced emotional state helps the psyche send out the right signals, which are essential for a magnificent performance. On the other hand, negative thoughts such as frustration, fear, anger, or worry normally cause more possibility of muscular injury, lack of concentration and numerous errors.

These can all be addressed by motivation, which can be seen as a real energizing force that is responsible for making the most of the body's resources when up against vigorous and intense activities. This state is also perceived as a continuous feature from dreams at one extreme to panic attacks at the other.

According to Landers, there is a strong link between motivation and performance.As we progress from sleepiness to a state of alertness performance improves. But once the motivation goes beyond the state of alertness into a state of over-excitement there is a progressive decline in performance. This phenomenon is very evident in many of our players during our games. Simple tasks that are almost performed automatically during practice, with and without pressure and counter pressure, become cumbersome and almost impossible to perform during the game.

It was always thought that the emotional state was a mere reflection of how a player was performing. Over the years people believed that performance had a direct link on how the player was thinking and feeling.

Although these points of view seem to have nothing in common, to a certain extent, they could both be right. It is reasonable to suggest that positive thinking helps produce a better performance and a good performance produces confidence and positive thinking.

However; there is no doubt that a certain psychological profile is linked to brilliant performance. Although it is true that each player will differ physically, technically and psychologically, in nearly every case, the psychological characteristics are these:

Great self-confidence

Great powers of concentration

Great self-control (highly charged but not overly so)

Positive concern about the sport (imagination and thinking)

The ability to make difficult decisions.

Acquiring these qualities is not easy, and most athletes have to be shown the proper techniques. But fortunately sports psychologists have made these techniques available to athletes, although they take some time to learn.

However; Loher maintains that these qualities come easily to the truly great player. They have been learning to increase or maintain this state so that they are able to spend time practicing and perfecting physically, technically and psychologically.

In summary, motivation for athletes (or anybody) is a necessary as wheels on a car; it gives us energy, strenght and direction, Hare are a few thought on the subject:

According to research, most people say that their best performances have been when they had nothing on their mind. They were so immersed in the action that not a single conscious thought was going through their mind.

However; the sport-psychologists suggest that athletes have irrelevant and disturbing thoughts during practical training (practice), during matches, and even afterwards and that this thinking affects their self-confidence and performance. For this reason it is important for the coaches to help show the players how to have more control over their thoughts. Let's make it clear, it is not the fact that they are thinking that impacts on their performance, but it is the negative thoughts we need to banish from their minds. If the soccer player followes this advise and mental training it would not only help his game but would also have a positive influence on his personal life. The question is not "Should he think?" The questions are: What should he think? When should he think? and How should he think?

2. It is a good idea to use the relaxation technique with self praising thougths from the CD. The majority of negative thoughts arise when we are under stress, and suffering from lack of motivation. Under these circumstances the player should banish these thoughts and take a deep breath. As he begins to relax he should breathe out slowly and replace the negative thoughts with positive ones. A player can only banish bad thoughts and negative thoughts by talking to himself and forbidding through self-conversation these thougths to enter his mind.

Having negative thoughts is perfectly normal but the people who succeed are those who can defeat and deal with them. They stop them from spreading and replace them with positive thoughts. The most important thing is to not let them enter the mind and take hold and get the better of you.

3. Earlier in our mental training sessions (winter) I mentioned how to achieve total or localized relaxation (CD) We were trying to rid the muscles of the tension that has such a great impact on performance. This relaxation also serves to calm the mind and the rest of the body. To achieve the right motivation before games and during practices I try to use relaxation techniques to get players to believe in their own ability and their own qualities and to lessen or eliminate the undesirable negative thoughts and feelings they might have.

4. The researchers have discovered that effective shouts of encouragement can have a significant impact on performance. They are very useful when trying to keep performance levels high or when seeking extra effort. Some players find it difficult to "get going" in training or in a game. Others find it difficult to change pace or keep up the effort. This type of encouragement is often all that is needed: "That's the one", "Just keep going", "Good job". It has also been proven that when a runner says with confidence: " Fast!" or "Lets go!" then he goes faster.

The best type of encouraging words are those that come spontaneously. These words help players recapture the sensation of a previous experience that was better or successful. "I'm as strong as an ox", "I'm the best", "We're going to win" are examples of these words of positive encouragement.

When things are going wrong a player begins to realize that his mind has been conditioned to failure by self-doubt and negativity from others. The body was just doing what was expected of it. It only acted according to how the mind was thinking. If before a competition, a swimmer thinks: "I never do well in this pool"or players conclude: "This team always beats us (exactly what happened prior to the E. Fishkill game), then usually this is exactly what happens.
Perhaps this negative thinking is more common in soccer on a collective basis. At the start of the a game the teams line up with the same goals. But once a team scores a goal they take the initiative and become dominant with the other team adrift. The goals keep coming until halftime, with the opposition now looking a shadow of its former self. The break, the advise and words of encouragement from the coach and the team's own reflection usually leads to a better contest in the second half with the teams more evenly matched. I am convinced that if there was no break, even if the game had gone on for another 20 hours, then the winning team would have become more and more dominant.
A problem that can seriously affect a player is when he wants to always perform brilliantly, bordering on perfection. As nobody is perfect the frustrations he is bound to face will affect his self-esteem and eventually this could lead to him being scared of failure itself. Furthermore; because he puts himself under so much pressure, his enjoyment and his performance will suffer. He is only interested in trying to reach perfection.
Another psychological problem that accompanies this attitude is that these people are never far away from catastrophe. If they do not achieve perfection then they see it as a disaster and feel humiliated in front of their family, friends, and supporters. These pessimists always expect the worst and this in the end makes things worse!
Both the perfectionist and the pessimist can overcome their problems by taking stock of their current circumstances and by setting more realistic and achievable targets. It is important to calculate carefully the chances of success or failure and any possible repercussions if these targets are not met.
I have also stated many times that it is important for the players to concentrate in the here and now and focus on the match he is currently playing. It is impossible to predict the future and what has gone before is now in the past, so it is essential for him to ONLY concentrate on the PRESENT. If players worried about things that happened in a previous match - "If only I had scored that goal!" or if they are looking ahead - "If we win the next match we'll be top of the table!" - then they will be unable to focus on the task at hand.

The Mental and Phsychological Aspect of Training

2008-05-23T15:38:00.000-07:00

In sports history research it is very evident that there is not much talk at all about the Mental and Psychological aspect of training in any sport. Those that ventured into this complex aspect were the very small minority and were in many instances ridiculed by the establishment.
Then, the 1976 Olympics all of the sudden turned everything upside down, and the Soviet and East German athletes won the most medals in every Olympic sport.

It is true that the suspicions garnered about these wins and medals came to fruition but the steroid use of Soviet and East German athletes turned out to be not as wide spread as first thought. Those tested positive were punished and their medals revoked, however; the amount of revocations were still small compared to the amount of medals won. There had to be another factor.

In 1979 there was a sports conference in Milan, which was widely attended by the Soviet coaches. During the conference the Soviets defended their integrity and explained the reason for their success. During the four years prior to the Olympics all of their top athletes had undergone rigorous physical training routine and a sophisticated psychological program. They developed 4 control groups each of whom underwent a consistent, exhaustive and long training program.

1st group: 100% physical training
2nd group: 75% physical training and

25% mental preparation

3. 3rd group: 50% physical training and

50% mental preparation

4. 4th group: 25% physical training and

75% mental preparation.

Few months before the Olympics, the results were compared. The 4th group produced a better performance than the 3rd group. In turn the 3rd group performed better than the 2nd and the 2nd better than the 1st. As you might expect, all the athletes chose to go to The Olympics came from the 4th group.

On returning home all European coaches (including mine) adopted the psychological techniques that the Soviets had outlined during the Milan conference.

Finally, another type of training was developed, based on Sports Psychology. This concentrates on the study and improvement of motivation, concentration, personality, leadership, the psychological state, thoughts and feelings of the athletes, and other practical aspects of sport.

Although it is generally considered that 50% - 60% of success in sport is down to mental factors, it is necessary to point out that there are still gray areas on this topic. This is also true about some of the points of view I am going to put forward. That being said, there is an ever increasing interest and awareness in this subject as more and more people appreciate that with the appropriate psychological training, performance can be tremendously improved.

The right order in the series is

Goal setting
Relaxation
Motivation
Imagination
Concentration
Over training

As I have covered relaxation with the CD handed to the boys and touched on goal setting, I would like to elaborate on the later a little further.

GOAL SETTING:

This simply put means having a goal. The soccer player might want to improve his passing, his ball control, run faster over 30 yards, or lose 5-10 lbs. The targets should be reached within a certain time frame, perhaps after one training session, after two weeks, or by the end of the season.

Targets are useful because they have a positive influence on psychological states such as self-confidence, better concentration on the task at hand, directing the effort where it is most needed and improving persistence. They also help with the development of new learning strategies.

These are very useful attributes to have and, if they are combined with hard work and discipline, they help the player to achieve great personal development and maximum performance. But remember that setting targets is not a magic formula with guarantee of success.

Locke, during his research into 100 established targets, said the following: "The positive effect of targets on performance is one of the most significant discoveries in psychological science. Moreover, these findings are reliable both in the laboratory and in the field".

Locke and Burton have described how targets influence performance:

a. They help the athlete focus on the important part of his work. A soccer player would concentrate on improving specific skills in order to become a better player (producing powerful shots more frequently, trying to perfect the 35 yard pass etc.)

b. Targets not only improve effort in the short term but also help maintain this level over the long run. (A soccer player will be able to endure the strain and demands of a long hard season by setting a series of short term targets throughout its lenght).

c. The research has proven that setting objectives helps the athlete develop and use new learning strategies.

d. Finally, when an athlete sets targets that only involve winning, then his future prospects are less than convincing. If the targets are not met, and sooner or later everyone has to lose, then confidence level drop, anxiety creeps in and performance suffers.

Parents should help me (the coach) to help the players establish their own goals, insisting that the most important thing is progress, (play and do your very best to improve), and not winning. These concepts are fundamental as the player should be able to achieve his targets and compare results. The truth is he can control his own performance but he cannot allow for what his opponent might do, so he should concentrate on improving aspects of his own game.

Locke has discovered a direct relationship between the difficulty of the target set and the performance achieved with greater difficulty leading to better execution. But, of course, what the player is trying to achieve should not be beyond his capabilities. If the targets set are not realistic then the player will inevitably fail and end up frustrated. In summary the targets set should be difficult enough so that they are a challenge for the players but at the same time they should be realistic and achievable.

Once a player is asked to set his own targets, my experience is that he will think of long term goals: winning the league, being the top goal scorer, the goalkeeper with least goals conceded. Sports psychologists insist that it is important to set short-term goals as players will see immediate results and this will keep motivation high.

These psychologists suggest visualizing a set of steps to help distinguish between the short-term and the long-term goals. The bottom steps represent where the athlete is currently and the top step represents where he wants to be long term. The others represent constant progress, as in reality any athlete makes improvements on a step by step basis, by achieving a series of short-term, inter-related targets.

The most common mistake when setting targets is to set too many. Some players often encouraged by their peers and coaches, set between five and ten targets. This often becomes overwhelming and leads them to quit. It is far better to start off slowly with one or two, and once these have been achieved move on to a third and progressive targets.

Players should know that it is very useful and I encouraged having a notebook to keep a written record not only of the practice session but of the progress of reaching the set goals. Players should record all the improvements, which is always very encouraging, keeping the player conscious of progress and keeping motivation high.

This record can serve as a personal diary, where the player writes down his feelings and thoughts and reflect on the game, his teammates and any other idea.

It can also serve as a very useful tool and outlet where a player can express his thoughts and feelings in writing and pictures. It is always a good idea to release any pent-up feelings so that they do not cause any unnecessary tension and stress. Writing often helps when trying to express feelings. The writer (player) does not have to write religiously every day but once they write they should date it. While they are training and trying to improve their performances, they are creating their own informal personal diary of their thoughts and experiences.

MOVEMENTS WHEN NOT IN POSSESSION

2008-05-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

I would like, in my blog, to write not only about theoretical aspects based on scientific research, but also on the Technical and Tactical aspects of the game that I think wold benefit all those who read my blog. Thus, as a first instalment, I have chosen the one aspect that is troublesome in every players movement and that is Running.

As nearly every movement in the game of soccer is concerned with the ball, but it is necessary to deal with the movement made when not in possession. The most important of these are: running, changing direction, jumping and feinting. Provided these are correctly and economically executed, they can greatly improve the standard of a player's performance. I will in future discussions deal with all these movements, but now it is time to discuss the movement called Running.

What is the characteristic of the running action of soccer players? In contrast to the technique of a track and field runner, the most characteristic feature of the running technique of a soccer player is the ABSENCE of an intense push off, the energetic separation from the ground. Lifting of the other knee is also absent. The soccer player can be compelled to change direction at any moment; this would be too slow and difficult if he players stride kept him too long in the air between push-off and landing.

Consequently, his stride is never as long as that of a sprinter or even of a long distance runner; it is normally much shorter. When running, a player rather takes a strike under his body, unlike a track and field runner, who tries to step out in front of the vertical axis of his body. (This does not mean that a player never lenghtens his stride; he has to do so when going full out for the ball or to overtake an opponent).

A player always attempts to keep his body's center of gravity as near as possible to the ground. This makes it much easier to stop or to change direction abruptly. The line of the center of gravity of the player when running deviates only slightly from the horizontal. While running, a player is rarely as loose as a track and field athlete, who is generally free from external influences. At the same time, however; the players keep his muscles loose when running, ready to counter the external influences that may occur at any moment (tackling, charging or collision with opponent).

The running action of a player can also be distinguished from that of a track and field athlete by the movement of his arms. They do not move near the body, in a line parallel with the direction of progress, but in a slightly horizontal manner. This is important since it helps the players ability to maintain the pose (position) and balance of his body. Although, the running of the player cannot be compared with the harmony of the movement of say, a middle-distance runner from an aesthetic point of view, the technique of running that players have developed is valuable, economic, rational and, for that matter, absolutely correct. So we need only concentrate on eliminating the more obviously wrong or unnecessary movements, and we should never attempt to make the player develop a perfect "athletic" style of running.

And now a few remarks on starting to run or the take-off.

During a game a player has often to change his relatively static state (standing or walking) and accelerate as quickly as possible. In order to achieve maximum speed within a minimum of time, it is advisable for the player to be constantly moving to develop a constant jog. This ensures that he will be ready to make the kind of flying start that saves valuable tenths of a second.

But no player can always be on the move and it often happens that the start must be made from a standing position. To ensure a quick start, the player should NOT divide his weigth between his knees and soles, but should wait with body bent forward, and knees bent in, thus lowering his center of gravity, with the weight of the body on his soles. A much quicker start can be made from this position, which might be termed the ANTICIPATORY POSITION.

Once again, this leads me to the never ending question of parents if their sons or daughters should run track to keep in shape. Not only does athletics develop a different musculature, that is strange to soccer, but it also "trains" the muscles to adopt into an athletic run which is again incorrect for the game of soccer. It also conditions the athlete and his large organs (Lungs, liver, heart) to adopt to an aerobic movement where as the game of soccer demands anaerobic stamina and endurance.

This is how I see it and once again scientific research is available to substantiate my viewpoint. I leave it up to the reader how they will apply these new points and whether they will continue pushing their "soccer" players into these other sports strange to the beautiful game shall still remain strictly their choice.

Generalization or Specialization

2008-05-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

This is another topic that draws heated debate amongst parents, psychologists, teachers and in general all involved in this topic. But before I proceed, I must always draw attention and implore all of you to refer back to common sense, even if at times this is not so common....
Who said what? It is a fact that athletes in most sports are not born to be that way and about 97% of all athletes are self made. The rest of the 3% are naturally born talents to whom the discipline of their sport comes naturally.
It is usually, the athletes belonging to this group and who are rewarded with huge book deals that write things such as, when they were children they have participated in all sports and they enjoyed all of them ad made them better in their sport as they were able to use the experiences gained in the other sports to compliment theirs.
In (US) soccer literature this is common in the Mia Hamm book. In basketball literature, Michael Jordan stated the same. Again, the trend is that these athletes are members of the 3% "star" family and are naturally born athletes. On the other hand, everyone would be hard pressed to name the other sport that Mia has excelled in and we all know how well Michael Jordan fared when he took up his quest to be a major league baseball player.
Dion Sanders and Bo Jackson are in the same boat as all of them were much better in their "specialized" sport than the one they proclaimed to chase.
The topic of how to train youngsters was a major concern during the past 3 decades and thankfully, the subject of much research, conversation and discussion among coaches. The debate centered around the issue as to whether to train youngsters as "generalists" or as "specialists". Most people at the time were in favor of the former, for reasons of training methodology and pedagogical order and development.

"Generalist" training supported the idea (it still supports it today) that youngsters should have the opportunity to play a wide range of different sports and therefore should develop greater coordination and a wide range of different movements. The link between the specialist and general content of the programs set a global precedent, allowing greater assistance to the development of youngsters. Moreover; the "generalist" workload avoided a premature burn-out.

Critics of the early "specialist" training argued (and parents, unfortunately are still stuck in this argument although it has been utterly refuted by science) that youngsters ran the risk of not having a good overall sports knowledge and a background and this would ultimately impede their future potential.

Over the years, it has been proven, that the "generalist" method has been successful only for certain sports. During the last fifteen years many champions have triumphed because they specialized at an early age. These champions have come from very diverse sports but these sports all have one thing in common. They all contain such high level of technical difficulty that 50 years ago physical education teachers were convinced that only adults were capable of carrying out these skills and so chose not to do them.

Today, Hirtz and Col have demonstrated that, during puberty, coordination capabilities can be learned more easily and greatly improved. The reasons are so obvious that Farfel said the same things years ago: "it is easier and more effective to influence and shape something which is maturing than it is when this maturation has been completed".

This is also very important in the context of sports. The lack of specific motor stimulation, especially during the early years, cannot be recuperated at a later date. For this reason I feel it is important to start playing early as these sports involve complicated movements and coordination. It is during the early years that the movements and signals in the brain can be best developed and perfected.

Here, I am referring to sports such as gymnastics, ice skating and roller skating, ski jumping, swimming, tennis and of course soccer. Coaches demand a level of excellence and training that some people accuse of being potentially harmful because of the technically demanding execution involved.

As far as soccer is concerned, the following points also need to be taken into consideration:

The ability to master the numerous situations during a game
The ability to come to terms with the unpredictability and speed of moves in a game.

The majority of sports require fundamental qualities without which it would be impossible to reach the the top: a basketball player needs to be tall, a boxer brave with long reach and a long distance runner needs to be slim with plenty of stamina. However; no such requirements are necessary for soccer. In order to play soccer there is no need to get out a stopwatch or tape measure. A short overweight boy, not good in the air and one footed could become a very good player, such as my favorite Puskas, Kopa, Sivori and Maradona came to the game with this makeup but managed to triumph thanks to their ingenuity, craft and skill.

At the same time, a very quick player could play very slowly and vice versa. This seems to be a contradiction but speed is a natural gift and unfortunately all players are not born fast runners. It is practically impossible to make a slow player quick, no matter what training exercises he undertakes. Even if a player is quick over one hundred yards, the stop-start, twisting turning nature of the game means that explosive speed over five or ten yards and quick thinking are more important.

Of course, physical speed is normally an advantage but players can compensate for lack of speed by acquiring the ability to 'read' the game well. This ability can be greatly improved during training. Ronald Koeman, who was the coach of the Dutch National team, Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven, Valencia etc. and played for amongst many teams for Barcelona when they won the Champions League was a very slow player but he was able to anticipate and use his 'soccer brain' and technique to play a 'fast' game. On the other and I have seen many exceptionally quick players who, due to their lack of technique and vision were and to this day are unable to play the game at speed. Physical speed will never compensate for lack of technique and tactical awareness.

These are but a few attributes why it is mandatory for all those who wish to be soccer players at a higher level to specialize at an early age. If anyone wants to succeed in this sport they must have real passion for the game. This desire and appetite to play will help during the long and arduous training sessions and the difficult games. The average professional soccer player starts playing before he is eight and retires between 30-35; an average of 25 years playing the sport. This is an awfully long time if your heart is not in the game. Basically, in order to succeed in this game I recommend that you dedicate every spare moment to training. There are no short cuts. There is no substitute for hard work. However; it is important to bear in mind that "training" can involve a variety of different activities; It might mean watching a video of soccer greats, practicing ball skills, playing in a 3 v 3 game or listening to advice from your friends or coach. This is all training and the reason for early specialization.

To play or not to play school ball....

2008-05-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

This is almost like to be or not to be. And yes, that is the question. Yet, the answer is not that difficult and not at all philosophical. Many have accused me of not being a friend of School Ball, which I must admit that I am not.
For many years I have waited for improvements and watched as unqualified school coaches destroyed the players under their tutelage and tried to reduce them to running machines and track stars. I also watched the all knowing parent sitting on the sidelines gleaming with pride as their son or daughter was part of the team, varsity or other, and not for one second realizing that their children are physically, biologically and mentally being destroyed by the man or woman calling himself or herself a coach. In reality the parents validate the regression of their children with the process of having his/her name appear in the newspaper after a goal scored so that the whole neighborhood could see it. There is very little regard for mental, physical, tactical and technical development of the pupil, as everything is measured in winning and loosing.
But, before I further immerse myself in this kind of criticism, I would like to state that not all school coaches are of this ilk. There are a handful, that actually know the game, and are able to transfer their knowledge of the game to the players. Unfortunately, the school system makes it virtually impossible to have qualified coaches coach school teams as they are in constant competition with anyone in the district that "wants" to coach. I wonder if we would apply the same philosophy to the music class, and the math teacher would teach piano lessons how would parents react. Perhaps the same way, perhaps they would realize that the math teacher has never played the piano and has no qualifications as a pianist to teach future prospects on the workings of this instrument.
I believe that the fundamental skill of a coach is to know whether a player can play or not and, if he can, in which position. Also, the coach should have the ability to identify weaknesses and know how these can be corrected. Tactically they should know how to select the best team, see how the game develops and change things when necessary during a match, (substitute players, swap positions, change the game-plan, etc.) I disagree with the notion that the most important consideration for a coach is to be a good teacher. Having the knowledge in the first place is the vital thing. If you are an expert in something, even if you are poor at getting your ideas across, there will always be something that will hold the attention of the trainees. This is a very rare phenomenon in school soccer at least in the Hudson Valley.

On the other hand, if you have very little knowledge, but you are a good teacher, what are you going to teach? (Sounds familiar) on this point I will refer to Dr. Lev Matveiev, a professor of Theory of Physical Education and Sport in Moscow; he said, "The qualities needed to be an athlete or a coach are very different. You can only be a good coach if you got the aptitude and at the same time a willingness to spend all your life trying to perfect and learn, which is just what a great athlete has to do, as coaching is a very difficult and demanding job. These qualities will allow you to appreciate just how difficult it is working in sports. That said, you will only be able to achieve a certain level of awareness, if you do not have the gift of "gut feeling" or "instinct". I would say this is virtually impossible to achieve unless you have taken an active part in sports as a youngster.

Having said all this, I still believe that a soccer coach needs to have been a soccer player. This does not imply a professional level, but at least at a good collegiate level. Many will disagree and point to the NSCA and try to persuade people that there are many coaches who have never played but by attaining a diploma and a license are now qualified to coach. Some, a few could be right. Having been a player doesn't automatically mean you will be a good coach. You also need a certain aptitude and other qualities that come with experience and study. However; those who have never played soccer and those from individual sports, judged by time or distance, will never fully be able to appreciate the anticipation, tricks, cunning, imagination and the synchronization of movement that characterize team sports.

As far as soccer is concerned, such "coaches" won't have an intimate and profound knowledge of the game (the skills, judging situations, positioning and moving, anticipation and above all the creativity), which is the fundamental requirement needed in order to be able to teach others. They will be unable to share any knowledge with others, if they themselves have not experienced it. It is my conviction that progressiveness was invented to hide all the bad coaches and teachers! With the motto of just make them run and make them strong, they will find the answers themselves. This is a grave error and it must be avoided at all cost.

Coming to the end of my essay, I strongly urge all of you, my readers, to hold up the above described criteria to the person claiming the title of "coach" and it they posses the qualities needed by all means encourage your sons and daughters to play for this coach and team. On the other hand, if the coach fits the negative criteria delineated save your child from this novice and don't fall into the trap of "school representation at any cost", as this will regress your child and very possible cost them a scholarship in this sport down the line.

Welcome to my blog;

2008-05-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

First and foremost I would like to thank you the reader for taking your time in not only visiting my page but also reading my posts.

This blogger will be mainly about the sport of soccer its correct presentation to all of those who want to participate in it as a coach a player or manager.

The views presented herein will be my own, thus the title of the blogger, As I see it.... I have made a carrier of not accept anything without further due diligence and I encourage all of you, the readers to do the same. I will shed light on some of the inaccuracies of the game, some of the myths and realities of what goes on in our everyday life in the quest of learning the game.

I am a soccer coach with playing experience at all levels and at present holder of a USSF National B license. My opinions and digressions are based on thirty five years of combined playing and coaching experiences that mainly come from Europe and South America (Brazil and Argentina) as well as the Danubian Soccer School. I believe that soccer in the United States would be much better served by adopting a combination of methods used in these "schools" instead of the failed style and system of the Anglo-Germanic one.

I will strive to challenge, motivate and inform my readers with all aspects of the game with the hope that you the reader will derive from my pieces as much enjoyment as I put into them.

Sincerely,

Attila Nyiri

WIN, WIN and WIN

2008-05-01T05:23:00.001-07:00

One of the most serious problems in sports is that parents are desperate to see their children win. This is the attitude they instill in their offspring. Sportsmanship, enjoying a great move, improving skills and knowledge of the game appear to have little importance. The only word on their lips is win, win and win.

No team, especially a new team like ours, however good, is capable of winning all the time or in our case winning at all. We all have to take turns winning and losing although, I am well aware that our turn at winning has not yet arrived. Why are so many people unhappy and afraid of failure? It is because they have this attitude, “Win and you are brilliant, lose and you’re a failure”. This attitude is transmitted to their children, which means they don’t enjoy or get as much out of soccer as they should.

I remember once seeing a girl, who had just finished playing a game on one of my girls teams, as she was leaving with her mother. She looked so unhappy that I became concerned and asked her what was wrong. She didn’t reply. Still concerned I asked again what was troubling her. She looked at me in silence. Fearing that there was a serious problem, I approached the mother and the father. They also looked very unhappy and for awhile they tried to deflect the question but finally they exploded. “What’s wrong? They’re hopeless! They were winning 2-0 and they ended up loosing 3-2. They shouldn’t give away a 2-0 lead”.

Imagine the type of day or week that girl was going to have, branded a failure for losing. A girl, who at least in theory has come to play for me to play soccer, learn and have a good time. As far as the mom was concerned, I explained that the Hungarian team of the 50’s – with Puskas, Kocsis, Bozsik, Hidekuti etc. went FOUR years and nearly 40 matches destroying the opposition. They scored seven goals against England , and Austria , 8 against Italy , 9 against Germany and 10 against Portugal ….. Than came the 1954 World Cup final against Germany . This was the match they wanted to win more than any other, but they lost 3-2. Ironically, they were winning 2-0 after 30 minutes.

I will never forget the look on the girls face and I thought to myself, “ If only parents realized the pressure they were putting their children under. Such stress could lead to a serious illness”. It is normal for parents to see their children as an extension of themselves and to want only the best for them, but unfortunately, sometimes the feelings are too strong.

This is because their own self-worth is affected directly by the success of their children. A parent who never made it in the game might want to experience success through his children and achieve some reflected glory. On the other hand, a parent who was a “star” might resent and reject his/her child if he does not achieve similar success. The worst possible scenario is when a child is “forced” to succeed in order not to be seen as a failure by his parents. Every time the boy plays a game, any thoughts of enjoyment or pleasure is crushed by the heavy weight of expectation thrust upon him by his parent/s. The only way to make his parents proud is to do well and succeed. This inevitably puts the youngster under stress, which might drastically affect his future.

This is a good point to digress for a moment and ask – "Why do we enjoy playing sports as much as we do?" This question has intrigued philosophers and scientists for years and only recently have they come up with a reasonable hypothesis.

We are all born with the need for stimulation and excitement, what we call entertainment or fun. When our level of excitement is low, we look for stimulation via games i.e. pastimes, hobbies or some type of entertainment we enjoy. But if the reverse happens and we become over-excited then we become overly anxious and nervous.

So now we understand that we have an obligation to help the players satisfy their need of enjoyment, allowing them to experience their sport as both exciting and stimulating, but not allowing it to become too stressful. A soccer player who is nervous and under pressure, apart from causing concern for his mental well being, also performs worse on the field. I am not just referring to soccer at grass roots level: As some of you might be aware that Johann Cruyff was one of my all-time favorite players, I read and researched everything about him. This is how I came across a document in which he was advised by Rexach after seeing an article on a player, “We should not sign this player. He is very tense when he plays - Look at his clenched fists, his angry stare…. This guy suffers when he plays and we are only interested in players who are relaxed and enjoy themselves playing soccer.” This is the advice of the Club Chairman to the Coach of Barcelona, Johann Cruyff.

I would like to conclude this ‘blog’ by TRYING to demonstrate to parents that soccer is NOT as simple as everybody thinks it is.

This sport of ours is a very complicated and tricky business. It is not an exact science. Even the so-called experts often struggle to identify exactly how well a team has done or how various players have performed in a particular game.

Other sports have more straightforward performance structure containing quantifiable elements that make them easier to calibrate. Also, the latest scientific techniques make it easier to compare and contrast the amount of effort during training sessions and the level of achievements during competitions.

However, in soccer, the overall team performance rarely matches the sum of the total potential that each individual team member is able to achieve. Whether or not the team produces more or less than the total of the sum of all its individual components depends on the physical and technical ability of each player and whether they are able to gel together as a team. By this I mean that it is unlikely that a team made up of the best 11 individuals is automatically going to be the best team – it just doesn’t work that way.

As we have seen, a team relies on the group dynamics of the players, something that can not be predicted with a mathematical formula. For this reason it is important to know each individual and to know how best these players compliment each other in order to find the most effective combination for the team.

How should we measure the qualities of a player, or a team? Of course, first, we can look at his intrinsic qualities, fitness, coordination, explosive power, to which we can add teamwork and playing his role in the tactics. Next we should consider, the extrinsic qualities, the weather, CONDITION OF THE FIELD, the crowd, the REFEREE, and finally the essential factor, the strength of the opposition.

The reality of the situation is that when a painter has finished a picture, his talent is reflected in his work. A soccer player can have talent, but if he does not get the better of his opponent then it is difficult to demonstrate his true ability. Unfortunately, few people take the opposition into account when judging a player or a team.

Also true is the fact that few people know how to measure performance while taking into account the specific factors of a particular game. For this very reason many people link performance to victory and defeat. For example, in the tournament at Washingtonville after we had beaten the lower division team 7-0 everyone went away happy even forgetting, NOT THE LOSSES, but the poor performance by our players. Then on Sunday we lost 1-0 on a poor REFEREEING decision and most people went away sad and disgusted, even though the team had performed to a far higher standard than in the tournament games, some of the fans (parents), were not able to appreciate this, went away disappointed, thinking the team is hopeless.

Parents should realize that soccer is more complicated than it seems, and for this reason they should leave the real coaches to get on with their work. I promise to all of you, that the wins will come! But until then please don’t emphasize it and leave it to me and coach Pete, as we will make your sons better soccer players and ultimately winners on and off the field.
As this blog was written many weeks ago but never posted, we can retrospectively say that our boys by producing a beautifull prformance game in and game out achieve the win automatically.

GO DEMONS>