Week one Wrap

Literally... wrap. As in come home and wrap everything with icepacks, take ibuprofen, wrap the soggy clothes in Fabreeze drenched towels till they can make their way to the wash. The first week is done and over with, but we're only half way home.

From the top then. We're very fortunate to have an extremely knowledgable and experienced education staff.
Dean Wurzberger
Dave Dengerink
Kurt Luweiler
Dan Friegang

The Oklahoma "100deg" summer days have been nice this
week with their cloud coverage keeping it below 90 all weekend.

Without going into much detail on the personnel I can only say I'm very much impressed with their credentials and can only hope that one day I will be able to say the things that they can say. The experience and varying styles they bring to the instructor sessions really set a high standard to the practice models and I think have made everyone really think more about how they are setting up their sessions.

The candidates range from college players, active and former, college coaches, high school coaches, competitive club coaches, high academy coaches, training coaches, etc. I think I'm definitely the only coach with as low an age group as U8. The level of play is pretty high, and despite their attempt to split the session groups evenly in skill by using alphabetical order we will definitely be setting up a more defensive system in our groups for the full games in our assessment sessions due to the ... "experience" available to us in our group.

A photo of the candidates taking a photo of their field session topics.
I couldn't understand why they couldn't just... write it down!

The first week totaled roughly 15 hours of lecture and 20 hours of field sessions. 6-8 hours of home work, not including watching the USA v Guatemala U17 game 4 times for analysis. 20 hours of the field sessions, I participated in about 18 of them. There will certainly be lots of learning before the end of this class on top of all that I've already learned. I'll be posting more details about some of the aspects of what I'm learning in future entries. This post is just intended to be a primer for those posts.

I also did my first (of 2) practice sessions today, before I'm unleashed on my final assessment session next weekend. More details on that later as well but still a bit of things to adjust before the final assessment. Needless to say, after 4 straight days of what was basically soccer camp I'm ready to try out for the nearest professional team... after about 2 days of sleep, and I'm not the only one.

Day 1...slash 2

Wrapping up the first night. Some basic lectures, setting expectations, yada, yada, yada. I was caught off guard when the first assignments turned up being due tonight and while I hate using conditions as an excuse I had only just learned of my candidacy in the last week and of course had a busted printer. So instead of resting up for my first day full of field sessions tomorrow I spent all night transcribing my hand written version of the assignments to a PDF, using probably the worst PDF annotation tool ever created for what I needed to do. I eventually gave up, explaining to the instructor in an email that I would draw in any of the other diagrams which he felt needed to be included despite not being instructed to include them.

Not how I wanted to start the course off. Despite this, I feel I have a pretty good shot at this. At the beginning of each of these courses the instructor speaks in a manner which makes me feel I just don't understand enough of the game to make it through the courses. Then again, I've passed all the courses I which I began with that thought in the past. Let's hope history repeats itself this time. Off to fix my HEED and water bottles for tomorrow.

It Begins

Image © ussoccer.com | http://www.ussoccer.com/coaches/licenses.aspx 

Tonight begins a big step forward into my journey as a coach: I begin my C-Course Certification classes. Based on what I hear from other C-Course candidates as well as from experiencing first hand the exhaustion level shown by my dad when he was taking the course, I have no easy task in front of me. I will try to document this experience here when I can and based on what I'm allowed to share.

So far I'm impressed with what I've learned just from the pre-course material, some USSF Best Practices as well as an expanded version of principles of play and Methods of Coaching. There is one pre-course activity which has me a little concerned, and it's always been my weakness: reading the live game.

We're watching the USA v Guatemala U17 match and analyzing it as a pre-course activity. We have to answer questions about team attacking and defending, group and individual roles, which principles of attack/defense were demonstrated and how, etc. What I realized, already knew but finally came to the crushing understanding of, is that this is the end of my ability to simply enjoy watching a soccer match. Even when I'm in the stands or sitting on the couch I will always be analyzing live games after this course. 

After I took my video production classes, there was a period of time where I was not able to enjoy movies or video productions because I was always looking at the production quality and analyzing what I would have done to make it better. The same is true with Architecture and design; I simply can't look at a building or space without scrutiny. Eventually I was able to turn off my video production analyzing and enjoy movies and critically discuss them afterwards if needed. However, I haven't been relied upon for my abilities to produce a video production in a long, long time. Without being certain in my future of coaching soccer I can't be certain that I'll ever be able to watch another match without leaning in and trying to find that principle of attack or defense a team is using. If it's any consolation, I am comfortable with this simply because I enjoy that aspect of anything I get into: the continual analysis of the game and improvement. Looking for that one unique way to give that edge to my players over their opponents.

So farewell enjoyment of watching the match. Hopefully I'll see you again sometime in the near future. Until then, teach me as much as you can!

2.25.2012 - A Tale of Two Practices

Had 2 great practice sessions today and just wanted to go over what I think made them great.

My U9s came out in force, ready to play. The session was admittedly all over the place. However, at the beginning of the season I needed a way to scale the players' abilities and skill level. These are all new players to me this season and a majority of them have never played organized soccer before.

Warmup: Passing (15 min) Basic Technique. Inside of foot. Squared hips, push through the ball. I failed to get to where to make contact with the ball. A lot of good touches were being made on the ball but several bad as well. That can be fixed. This also gave me a chance to get started with my Goalkeepers. I fortunately have 2. Unfortunately they are both new, but both very athletically minded. I think they will both be great! I worked on their basic scooping and rolling techniques.

Small Sided Activity: Group Passing (15 min). 8 players, 5 balls. Players without a ball checked to a player with a ball calling for a pass. The pressure was to get more than 100 passes within the time limit, unreasonable but it got them communicating and moving more. Watch for the ones who pass back and forth and the ones who stand in one place. The goalies worked on their scoop and rolling distribution.

Expanded: (15 min)Passing - Defending, Two lines, one near the corner area, one outside of the 18, on the opposite corner of the penalty box, balls at the corner area line. The "defending" player passed it out to the "attacking" player at the top of the 18. The two then tried to see who could score. The attacker on the big goal with a goalie, the defender on 2 smaller goals at the top of the 18. This gave me some good coaching points on defense and passing, but most importantly to continue working with my goalies. The activity remained 1v1. Normally this jumps into direction and a bit too much pressure early in the practice, but I'm still working on the flow of a practice for this age group. Now 2v2, and the goalie could play it to a defender who could continue attempting to score. This is more of an adjustment to the small sided activity. I can now provide coaching points on when the pass defensively and how to cover and support your defending angles.

Scrimmage: Full scrimmage (15 min), 2 goals, 2 goalies, 1 neutral player to offset the odd number of players out today. Overall I'm happy with the results. I have some strikers, some defenders and some that will struggle with a position on the field. I will need to work on that. Lots of notes to be taken at next week's game. This also gave me the opportunity to learn that this age level is rather competitive. There was a lot of "We smoked the blue team, didn't we coach!?" I'm used to saying to my younger kids "Did you have fun?!" which tells me whether or not I won really. Now at this age, however, points count and not everyone gets a trophy. I had to surrender "Yup, you guys really smoked them." Will have to work on a way to filter the competitiveness within the practices to avoid inner team rivalries.

Moving on to the U6 team, we only had 3 of the 5 show up today due to the end of basketball season. Oddly enough, i think this was one of the more successful sessions I've ran with them despite the lack of numbers. I think this is attributed to just knowing the kids and being able to work better with them.

Warmup: Capture the flag (10 min) 1v1, around a stationary ball. The players tucked flags into their shorts. The objective was to capture the flag from their opponent without leaving the ball. I brought the ball into play because I wanted to simulate being in the "hive" that usually forms around the ball. The strategy was to translate this to taking the ball instead of the flag. This game tries to force the kids to understand the value of an athletic stance while defending and readying to tackle the ball.

Small Sided: Capture the flag v2 (10 min) 2v2, 2 goals, 2 balls, didn't matter which one you scored in. Flags were worth 5 points, goal worth 1 point. So you wanted to protect your flag and be aware of other players, but also be aware of the ball.

Expanded: Capture the Flag v 2.1 (10 min) 2v2, 2 goals, 1 ball, directional. The magic began to show here. I noticed that the off ball player was now sticking with the other man instead of trying to hive around the ball. BINGO! A few more sessions like this and I think we may begin seeing some shape at a U6 level!

Scrimmage: Full scrimmage, 2v2 (I was the fourth player). I can't say enough good things about this scrimmage session. Aside from 5 years olds being 5 year olds, I saw runs to space. Passing. Pressure on the ball on defense and having fun to boot!

I think I'd be fair saying that not a single player failed to have fun today. Mission accomplished. Plus I think they may have learned a thing or two!

Can't Outcoach the Weather

No matter how good you are, you just can't out coach the weather. It always happens at the beginning fo the season too. You think you're going to win Coach of the Year award by being a better weather man than Channel 6 Weather Experts, tell all the parents practice is still on. 5 minutes before practice you're set up, ready to go...

...then the bottom falls out right as every parent pulls up to the fields. With a smile on their face just saying "Yup, we thought so."

That's ok; the rest of their season will make up for it.

Lesson plans, busy weekends and shooting from your hips.

Today's schedule:

8am - Field work day (volunteering to help at the game fields, netting goals, painting trashcans, etc.)
10am - U9 practice
11am - U6 Practice
1-4pm - Club day at the local sporting good's store
... busy day. And I began failing to be prepared about a week ago when I decided I could wing my first couple of practices. There is only one difference you notice between practices with lesson plans and practices without them. One is smooth, practical and flowing. The other just ends up in a scrimmage because everyone [including yourself] is unprepared, confused and running around like a headless chicken.

Lesson learned, again. I knew how it would end up; but hey, I have a D License, I can wing a practice or two, right?... no. Still need more practice before I can do that.

I did however have a moment of brilliance with my U6 team. We did some dribbling. Reinforced a couple of moves like the pullback. Worked on control by dribbling through gates. Then, due to weather, wrapped up with a scrimmage. Made a couple of good coaching points during the scrimmage and made sure to stop the scrimmage at a tie.

My certification instructor made a point I think I will continue practicing. Always finish with a shooting activity. PKs work great for a scrimmage that ends in a tie. The kids were having a bit of trouble finishing the ball in the 4' PUGS. So to demonstrate keeping their hips pointing at the goal I instinctively put my hands at my hips... and then it came to me.

"Look, put your hands at your hips, like guns, and point your guns at the goal" BAM! They were immediately on board with me. The first practice swing I asked him to look where his gun was pointing... way left of the goal. "Try again, keep your guns pointing at the goal this time... nice, one more time. Excellent, go score a goal, keep your guns pointed at the goal." Guess where the ball went. In the goal. Repeated this with another player. In the goal.

I think we have a winner!

They let me coach?

A couple of years ago I decided to pull the trigger and begin coaching Youth Soccer. A lot has changed since then and I decided it was time I started to record some of these events. I want to start with why I'm beginning this blog.

I grew up playing soccer. I've always loved it. I played, watched and reffed soccer. I am the son of a soccer coach. I read the activity books. The lesson plans. I was there when my dad did his D license. I was there when he passed out every night after C license. I attended the state soccer festival where he was awarded coach of the year... and then I stopped playing.

I stopped watching.
I stopped reffing.
I missed it.

I went through college (or tried to anyhow). Started a family. Started my career. All without soccer in my life. Nearly 12 years went by with me wanting to get back into soccer. A life changing event occurred. I lost my job and had to move halfway across the country to keep food ont he table. A new city. New community. New friends. It was time to get back into soccer.

I started playing again, in an adult league. I asked around and found some local youth clubs. Not knowing anyone in soccer I didn't really know where to look.

A coworker finally got wind of me asking about coaching soccer. He had just been contacted about his son's team. They did not have a coach. He wanted to know if I was interested. I contacted the club and through what I can only describe as a mountain of miscommunication ended up an assistant coach on a U5 team. Fortunately for us both, there were two of us running the practices!

That was nearly 2 years ago to the day, and I haven't looked back since. This blog is going to be the stories of my coaching. The lesson plans that have succeeded, the lesson plans that have failed. It will be my passion. It will be rarely updated if it's anything like my other blogs. It will be fun! See you next time!