Winter EPDA 2010 Kicks Off!!

The 2010 OESA Elite Player Developmental Academy Winter training season started the weekend of November 14th at Montessori Academy of Cincinnati, 8293 Duke Blvd, Mason OH, to near capacity participants. Players from many different clubs and organizations filled the gym with excitement. The sessions are set up into two parts: 45 minutes of individual technical training and 45 minutes of futsal play. The technical training focuses on each player having a ball for the full 45 minutes working on various forms of control with varying surfaces of their feet and bodies. "This form of technical training has tremendous benefits for players of any age." Girls Assistant Director of Coaching Nick Flohre noted. The indoor sports surface allows the players to experiment with the ball in ways they can't outside. "The players are given the freedom to progress at their own pace, while consistently being pushed out of their comfort zone." YDA Staff Coach, Bailey Bryant said. All sessions are run by OESA staff members and the curriculum is designed to have the players become more comfortable and express their creativity individually.

Register soon for the next two sessions, as we have to cap the number of participants.

Fall Season Recap

I want to thank the players, parents, fellow staff, and Scott for such a wonderful fall season. I have been highly impressed with the character of the players and the program as a whole. It has been a pleasure coaching the youth and watching the vast improvement of the players. It has been awesome to meet all the players and see how each player contributes to the game. It is exciting to see leaders rise on each team and take great pride in the game of soccer. It has also been nice to work with such a wonderful staff. I have learned something from each of you and I am truly appreciative of all your hard work and help. I am sure this will continue through the winter and into the spring season. Thanks again!

U10 Girls Champions at the COSA

The U10 Gold Girls captured another tournament title last weekend by winning the COSA Fall classic. This group had had various members this season, showing off the strength of the entire age group. They were finalists or champions of all the tournaments they attended this past season. Excellent work by the YDA!!!!

Fall 2010 for The YDA

With the completion of the COSA Tournament last weekend, the Fall 2010 season has come to an end, except for the U10 boys who still manage to have one CUSL match left. As the staff watched the groups this weekend, we were really reflective and please with where the players have come since the Dog Days in August. That is how we judge what we do as a staff and a club for you. It is easy to look at what our players don't do well, or understand, but if you can look in totality from beginning of a season to the end it can lead to a better understanding of what we are looking at in terms of player development. Our players did so well over the course of the season and this past weekend with what we have been asking of them. Opposing coaches and even the refs paid our groups many compliments over the course of the weekend, "Coach I really like how your team plays" or "You have a really good team" is said quite a bit to us as we shake hands after the game. We carry that confidence with us into training and onto the field, whether we win or loose. It is always our goal to win when we step on the field and we have those conversations with the players and a regular basis at training and games. It is the staff's responsibility to ensure we go about it in the way that is true to our philosophy. I have seen so many instances of personal growth for so many players and each one is a source of inspiration for me to work harder. As we state over and over, one team or one player is not more important than another. We have seen each one of our players in training and in matches and this helps us to evaluate us as a staff, and your players. Our staff additions and growth have been a true source of strength for the club and your players have benefited greatly from them. Stacey, Laura, Amy, Bailey and Jason have all brought unique perspectives and strengths to the club and we are really excited about our continued growth.

The Spring season (which comes faster than you think) will continue to build on the development points started in the Fall:

U8 - Comfort with the ball, and body awareness

U9 - Comfort with the ball on the ground and in the air, body awareness and coordination, field awareness

U10 - Comfort with the ball at pace, coordination, technical and tactical abilities in small combinations, field awareness and runs without the ball

In the months between now and the Spring, please make it a point to watch the game on TV played at the highest levels. This is a great tool for teaching what players should be doing with and without the ball. It also shows the great passion we hope to pass on to your players as they continue to grow at Ohio Elite.

I personally want to thank all the parents for the support of our program. And We could not do what we do without the greatest TA's in the club:

Susan Santos
Kim Bley (twice)
Eileen O'Shaughnessy
April Schmid
Anna Kelly
Tracy Yu
Jackie Parker
Shelly Staggs
Danielle Temple
Dana Kilgore

Thank you, Stacey, Bailey, Laura, Jason and Amy. It's awesome working with you.

U9 Boys at the OP Tournament

U9 Boys, Runners Up at the Op Tournament!!! Not much better to look at than the 10's.

U10 Boys at OP

Tournament Champions U10 Boys Gold at the OP Tournament!! Not much to look at, but played well all weekend.

Youth Futbol Philosophy

Champion coach Albertin Montoya puts winning in perspective
By Mike Woitalla
On a sunny September Sunday, Coach Albertin Montoya watched his Gold Pride players, including the magnificent Brazilian Marta and U.S. world champion Tiffeny Milbrett, celebrate the WPS championship after a 4-0 win over Philadelphia.
The dominating final performance followed a regular season in which the Gold Pride averaged nearly two goals per game and played such entertaining and effective soccer that longtime reporter on the women’s game, Scott French, declared it the best women’s club team ever.
Thanks much to Marta, the Gold Pride played soccer worth paying to watch. So as Montoya, out of the corner of his eye, watched his players bask in the glory, I asked him why the USA isn't producing Martas. After all, this country has more girls playing and more resources dedicated to female soccer than any other nation. Shouldn't we be seeing many more highly skillful, exciting players?
“We’ll need to talk about youth soccer,” said Montoya.
Montoya is also a longtime Northern California youth coach for girls and boys. He and his wife, Erin, a former collegiate star and pro player, run the Montoya Soccer Academy and coach at Mountain View Los Altos SC, for which Albertin also serves as technical director for under-8 through under-14 boys teams.
“The biggest problem at the youth level is the emphasis on winning,” he says. “I don’t know if it’s in our genes or what, but there’s so much desire to win at the ages when player development should be the emphasis.
“The first thing I tell parents is, ‘You want to win at U-8, U-9, U-10, U-11, U-12 -- you’re at the wrong club.
“We’re here to develop players to where, hopefully, by the time they’re U-14, U-15s, they’re playing at a high level, where if we do our job, winning will be a byproduct and we’ll compete for state championships.”
At the U-14/15 level – when the college showcases begin – MVLA teams do get results and win championships. And it sent 14 players to the girls youth national team program in the last seven years.
“These players might not be winning at 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 – but that’s not what it’s about,” he says. “We’ve lost some good players in the past because their parents wanted to win at U10, U11.”
The challenge is to convince parents that at the early ages the focus should be on individual technical development – not scorelines. Montoya even advocates against playing league ball at the early ages.
“I don’t want our teams at U9, U10, U11 to play in the league,” he says. “I want to just have in-house 4v4s. It’s difficult because parents say, ‘We want to play different teams. We want to travel.’ I say, 'Believe me. You’ll have plenty of time to travel and drive when they’re 14, 15, 16. You don’t want to do it now when they’re U8, U9, U10.'
“We have enough players in our backyard. Let’s play 3v3, 4v4. But the parents want to play other teams. So I said, 'OK. We’ll do it in the fall.' But in the spring we’re not going to play anywhere. We are going to continue what I believe in. They’ll get more touches on the ball.”
Like most close observers of the women’s game, Montoya sees that the USA has depended too much on athleticism – being stronger, faster and quicker:
“When you watch the U-17 and U-20 World Cups you see the technical ability of the Japanese, the Koreans, the Germans, the Brazilians – you ask, ‘Why can’t our players do that?’ We have the athletes and I think it does go down to the early youth level where there’s so much emphasis on winning.”
When Montoya coaches his pros, he wants them to play like Barcelona or Spain. To rely on skill, creativity and possession.
“Once they realized they could play that kind of game … When you have the ball – they enjoy it that much more,” he says. “As soon as we lose it, we try to win it right back. And when we get it back, then identify, ‘Do we do a quick counter or do we keep it and let them chase for a while?’”
With his youngsters, it’s all about developing the individual skills that will enable them to play a possession gamelater. That, he says, is a bigger challenge for American youth coaches, whose players don’t watch as much soccer as, for example, Brazilian children. So coaches need to demonstrate more and do more skill work – and encourage dribbling during games even it if means the risk of losing the ball and giving up goals.
“My U-9 teams -- I haven’t even told them to pass it yet,” says Montoya. “I want my right back to dribble six players. I want my left back to dribble five, six players. I want my center back to do the same thing. My center-mid, my forward. Every single one of them.
“So we get 9-year-olds who are doing spin turns like Marta does. They’re doing step-overs. And I want that. I encourage that at every single position. And every game, they’ll start at a different position.”
Montoya doesn’t mind if a young player loses the ball because she keeps dribbling and the other team exploits the error for a goal. In fact, he “bribes” his players to try dribbling moves during a game. Giving them a small prize if they pull off a step-over move or a “Maradona” during a game.
“When a U-9 player touches the ball once, passes, touches the ball once, passes. How much are they developing?” he asks. “Teams may look well organized when they keep their players in the same positions – the positions they’re strongest at. But what separates players at the highest level is doing magic with the ball. So dribbling needs to be encouraged early on. The organized tactical stuff should come later. I tell the parents don’t tell the kids to pass the ball.”
When strong athletes are encouraged to strike the ball into space and run after it – coaches may start winning. But these players suffer later because they’ve been encouraged to use their athleticism instead of their skill or their savvy. When they're older, says Montoya, they have a certain style – but’s a power, direct syle.
“When they’re 13, 14, 15 -- there’s even more emphasis on winning and a coach is even less likely to work on developing the player,” he says.
But Montoya sees that parents are starting to understand why the scorelines shouldn’t be considered so important.
“It’s all about educating the parents,” he says. “And fortunately there is a generation of coaches coming up now who have played the game at a high level. But we need to make sure those coaches are working at the younger age groups and that they have developing players as a priority and not winning games.”
(Mike Woitalla, the executive editor of Soccer America, coaches youth soccer for Rockridge SC in Oakland, Calif. His youth soccer articles are archived at YouthSoccerFun.com.)

This article was passed on to me by Matt Cooksey whose son, Mason, plays with the U10 Boys. It is another voice in the philosophy that guides OESA and the YDA. Thanks Matt!!

OE North U9 Girls at The Fall Ball

Our OE North U9 Girls finished the Fall Ball Classic Tournament with a 2-1 record, just missing out on a chance to get to the finals. Keep up he hard work girls!!

YDA Squads Dominate at The OP Tournament

Last weekend saw OESA send 4 YDA teams to the OP Invitational Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. Over the course of the two days we played a total of 16 matches, with the Girls in bracket play (3 preliminary matches and a final)  and the boys in round robin (4 matches no matter what) play. Final results were:


U10 Girls - Champs
U9 Girls - Runner Ups
U10 Boys - Champs
U9 Boys - Runner Ups


While we are very proud of our accomplishments, we felt we had some of our most beneficial moments when we weren't successful. All teams had matches where they were down in score and had to show determination and grit to get a result. The U9 boys had to come back from a 3-0 deficit in their last match to get a 6-6 draw, with two huge saves from Keegan, which netted them second place. Every player on the team contributed in some way to the result. The U10 girls learned to NEVER let a ball hit the ground from a keeper punt ever again, in letting a match get away and turn into a draw. The U10 boys had to deal with a huge momentum shift in a match on their own in pulling out a win. Our U9 girls had a tough final match against a really "vocally scary" coach and had to control their fears and play how we are taught to play. In all of these matches, we can look to the training pitch and know that in some way, shape or form, we have put the players through some form of situation that will make them emotionally deal with the adversity the face in matches. All of our YDA players, whether attending and playing or not, are responsible for the YDA's success at every event. Your player plays a vital part in the total development of each player and our program, so we all share in any success we achieve. We don't always measure success by wins, losses, goals and saves. We prepare our players to be focused and dedicated to themselves and the badge they wear on their chest.

We need more photos of all of our YDA squads to post here on the blog!!!

Just a few thoughts

First I have to say what great kids we have in our YDA program! They are very hard working and strive to become better players. I think that it is awesome that we can give them the resposibility to warm themselves up before a game and they take pride and do it! Not many teams at this age can do that.

One of the things that we are always talking to the kids about is going FAST. Running fast with the ball, going fast at the other team with the ball, getting the ball in play, and so on. This just makes them have a sense of urgency and makes the speed of play faster.

Also, one of the other things we talk about is "getting into" tackles. We try to teach them to not be afraid of the ball and another player and to get into them. They should always want to have the ball, no matter what! I think that all the kids are getting TONS better at this and are realizing that if they don't go hard into a tackle they are going to get knocked down.

I'm so excited to see what the rest of the season brings!

Excited for the Season

It has been a change for me this season thus far. I have worked with the older OESA players and high school players in the past and now I am with the YDA. It has been a transition for the better and I feel myself becoming a stronger coach every week. I thoroughly enjoy the "little ones" and look forward to working with them. They always bring a smile to my face with their actions and words. Their commitment to the game is more than apparent and the competition is real. Keep it up.

I am especially proud of the U-10 Navy Boys team. This past weekend we showed up with 5 players and took it to Middletown. They played amazing! Max and JG were all over the field, taking people on, and putting the ball in the net. Joe K. was the strong force on defense. Austin came up with key goalie saves. Jake took the ball the length of the field and almost scored from the goalie position! Truly Awesome! More importantly, the kids did not complain once of being tired or upset. They showed a great deal of character and got the job done.

It really has been a pleasure thus far and I look forward to having similar experiences with other teams.

Comments from Coach Jason

Hi all,

I just wanted to say how much of a pleasure it has been for me to work with all the kids at the West Chester and the OEN programs. I have defiantly enjoyed my last few weeks as I am seeing the development of the girls and boys I have been working with which is the most rewarding thing for a coach is to see to see that the hard work we put in coaching the children is been used in games and when you teach that one skill and the player uses it in a game you cannot be more proud of a coach.

As we all know our philosophy is of developing technically skilled players and what we do now will defiantly be a big advantage when the kids get older as they are learning these advanced skills so young. I would like to say that this is a big advantage because in England we pass more and this has affected them in later life as they always look to pass and never dribble which prevents them from being an elite athlete.

I just wanted to say a few words and I wish all the Girls good luck for the Fall Ball this weekend :)

Comments From a New Coach

As a new member of the staff I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all of the players and watch them as they work to become elite athletes. I see so much potential not only in talent but in dedication to growth. There are a number of natural leaders who push themselves consistently and set the bar high, and the other players feed off of that energy and work harder in return. No where else have I seen U10 boys and girls take the initiative to warm themselves up, juggle during water breaks, and challenge themselves to improve with such tenacity. Coach Scott has done a great job of creating an environment where the players take on responsibility for their development.

The professional attitude extends from the practice field to the game field, one thing that really struck me was that the YDA players never play as if they are defeated. I have seen both the U10 Navy boys and girls in matches where they were significantly behind by halftime, but during the second half they took the field as if the score were 0-0 and never let up in intensity. It is this sort of determination that sets them apart.

The YDA philosophy of developing technically skilled players is most noticeable in games when they face teams who do not devote the same intensity to individual skill. I used to think that it was a rare thing to see a goalkeeper set the ball down and try to dribble past the entire opposing team until I started working with these kids. I have seen more impressive footwork and confidence on the ball from these players than in many players twice their age.

I have sincerely enjoyed the time that I have spent with the club so far and I look forward to a successful season with all of the YDA players. It's been a privilege to be a part of their training and I hope to play a role in helping them reach their full potential.

Beginning of the Fall 2010 Season

Hitting the ground running is an understatement, we have had one week of training and our U9-U10 played matches last weekend in Milford. Overall, we were pleased with the attention and tempo of training. We installed a lot with the players last week and we are getting to know our new members and they us. There was some good leadership and responsibility shown by our groups in understanding that coaches were pretty scattered. We tried to place our teams in the appropriate competitive levels as we had new players who had an impact on our playing groups. It is always my goal, as Director, to see each team play in a tournament weekend. I was unable to see three of our teams play but rest assured they, and you, will see enough of me this season. This is a continuous process and we will continue to adjust as the season goes on. Having said that, we still have to keep the long term picture in mind when we are watching our players perform and this is a snapshot of where they are as individuals. Where your player is now is not where they will be in two months let alone in two years. Please enjoy them as they grow, I know we do!

U10 Gold Girls Finalists!!!! Scored 3 goals in the finals, unfortunately only one was for us.

Brooklyn Nicole Thoman Ariives!!!!

It has finally happened! Coach Keri and her husband, Bill, brought Brooklyn Nicole Thoman into the world last week. Note from Coach Keri:

Hi everyone,

We are home from the hospital. Brooklyn Nicole Thoman was born on Tuesday, July 27 at 6:20 p.m..  She was 7 lbs, 3 oz and 19.75 inches long.  She has a full head of dark hair and big blue eyes.  She is gorgeous.  Bill and I want to send out our thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. 

 

See you all soon,

Keri 

 

 

The YDA During The Summer

While we always encourage our players to take time away from the grind that the season can turn into, we always want our players to express the passion they have for the greatest sport in the world. With that, we have many of our YDA players participate in many futbol related activities such as camps (including the EPA Camps!!!), individual training, and 3v3 tournaments. We are lucky to have our parents structure the 3v3 teams in a way that includes any players who want to play and continues the OE philosophy of player first environments. This past weekend we had many teams U8-U10 boys and girls compete in the 3v3 tournament held at Columbus Crew Stadium, with 4 teams going to the finals and 2 championships. OESA will look to host our own 3v3 league next summer so all who want to get in on the fun can.
Congratulations to all OESA/OESA-North YDA teams who participated!!!!!

Fall Season Right Around The Corner!!

Wow!! The summer, once again, is flying past us. The days are hotter and the kids have already worn out their welcomes. The Fall soccer season is quickly approaching and the YDA
a lot of exciting additions for the upcoming season. The biggest is the addition of Brooke Thoman, who is still in the warm up area waiting to get in the game, as of now. We are all excited for Coach Keri and Bill. We will also, have to say good bye to Coach Jackie who has done so well at her "real" job she has received more responsibilities there and will not be able to coach in the Fall. We wish her the best and are all fortunate for her time with us. We will be adding staff this season to join our staff, which is still the best in the city. Announcements will be made here and the new staff will post a hello from each of them. Ohio Elite Soccer Academy is excited to take part in the CUSL for the upcoming season. We will compete with teams from CSA, WCSC, CUP among others. The league will allow us to showcase our players in a setting that benefits them in competitive atmosphere. This will be in addition to our Academy style matches we will play and festival weekends with local clubs, allowing our players a unique playing experience. Please check back here and you team pages on the OESA website for information and updates. We want to welcome back all of our returning players and welcome all of our incoming families. OESA is excited to be a part of your families soccer experience.

World Cup

I was lucky enough to take a few weeks to travel around South Africa, and take in 4 games (USA-England, Spain-Switzerland (massive upset), USA-Slovenia, Brazil-Ivory Coast). A few things stood out. How loud the vuvuzelas are when you are right next to them. I have no sympathy for those who complain about the noise on TV. I had to wear ear plugs at the Brazil match because Soccer City was like sitting on the tarmac next to a jet engine.

First let me get out my opinion on our national team's effort. Most importantly, US soccer has much to do to improve its striker play. Until the US begins churning out great finishers from the forward position, we'll always be looking up at the rest of the world. We've proved we can generate creative outside midfielders, strong holding defensive midfielders, and impressive outside backs who can add themselves to the attack. Our center back play left a lot to be desired, but I think it could have been much better if Gooch had been healthy. We still don't have a Xavi or even a Schwensteiger to really control the middle of the field, but Michael Bradley is close. He needs a better running mate in the middle for 2014, or we need a different formation to put our best players out there at once. Of course, forward was our biggest weakness, and I had hoped Charlie Davies could have provided that spark we did not have at all in South Africa. Our forwards lack the touch to hold the ball up and add midfielders. Their inability to do so hurt our ability to relieve pressure for long and put more pressure on the mids to bring the ball up themselves.

Another observation. I noticed at each match was a largely disappointing warm up from most teams, except for Brazil. Brazilian players basically use the warm up we use in the YDA and OESA. They worked on volleys, headers, played a possession game, then did various directional sprints and movements. Brazilian use of the ball and their constant emphasis on meaningful touches set them apart. You're never too old or too skilled to bypass getting meaningful and challenging touches on the ball to improve your skill. Everything we do in the YDA stresses dealing with the challenges the soccer ball present, and its good to know that Brazil would agree with that approach.

Hope everyone is having a great summer, and staying on the ball as much as possible. Juggling and/or striking a ball often will keep any player sharp.

OEN U10 Girls Creek Classic Champions!!!!

The OEN U10 Girls won the Creek Classic Championship with a 5-2 win over Kings Soccer Academy. The girls were down 2-0 at half time and then showed the effort that has endeared them to all who watch and work with them. " They came back and worked their butts off in the second half, and never quit." Coach Laura Stacey said. Good job girls we are all proud!!!! YDA Staff

The Bigger Picture

I came across this quote today and thought it was relevant enough to share with the rest of you:

"The biggest reward is watching the athletes come into the program and grow by learning life skills through athletics. Winning or losing the games obviously is of significance at only this moment in time. Learning the lessons of life to have a quality, meaningful life beyond their playing days is priceless."

This quote was stated by Zdravko Popovic, Director of Coaching for the Internationals Soccer Club based out of Cleveland. This was truly meaningful for me because I played for Zdravko from the time I was 11 years old. There aren't too many people who are more competitive than Zdravko, and he tries to instill competitive fire in his players. However, as you can ascertain from the above quote, he knows that the bigger picture is more important. The life skills that your children can learn through being committed to athletics are immense. I can say that I am a more dedicated, more ambitious, and more driven person because of my years spent playing for a coach like Zdravko.

We can only hope that your children, our players, can one day say the same things about the YDA staff at Ohio Elite. We will never diminish our love of winning, but we will always attempt to focus on the bigger picture and teach our players to be good competitors and good people. We try to teach them that success is a byproduct of effort and commitment to working together for a common goal. We hope that our players can become successful on the field, but even more successful beyond their playing days.

The origins of Messi Part 3

The origins of Messi Part 2

The Origins of Messi Part 1

Lionel Messi is the top player in the world and may go down as one of the greatest to ever play the game. I was fortunate to see him play at the Nou Camp two years ago from the front row. "Electric" is the word I would use to describe him. In actuality, he is not much bigger than our own Michael Berner in height, but plays like a giant with his passion and skills. This is a three part series and is in english subtitles. We encourage you all to watch this with you player together.

Please enjoy his story, and make sure to watch him in the World Cup, playing for Argentina this summer!

Random Email from Claudio Reyna

One of the "perks" of being a soccer coach is receiving unsolicited emails from various soccer orgs., tournaments, overseas skills camps, and vendors. Often complete junk, but every once and a while a gem.

Here's a gem. Something I've discussed with our players often: working at home. To become a great player, you have to like the game so much that you touch a ball every day. We only train for 3 hours during the week, that's just not enough to fully develop soccer skills. When I was young, our garage door looked a lot like a soccer goal. I used to wall pass off our house and finish at the goal. Let's just say the initial glass windows on the door didn't last, the fiberglass replacements fell out, but I still had a great goal. As I got older, I'd juggle, and pass repeatedly against the wall until it was time for dinner.

We want our players to develop that type of love for the game that they spend hours on their own without the need for incentives or the structured environment of training. While we structure our training to be a great ground for instilling ideas in our kids, it's up to them to take the ideas home and expand upon them. Two players in our YDA love to come up to the coaches before training and show us the tricks they've worked on together.

Now I'll leave it to Claudio.

Improving skills on your own


By Claudio Reyna

A player can always improve his fitness by working out hard. He can comprehend certain tactics by studying the game. But how far he goes will be determined mainly by how well he has mastered ball skills. Those are acquired by playing, day after day, year after year.

A player who really wants to excel will spend as much time as possible playing small-sided games when he has playmates, and juggling and kicking against the wall when he's on his own.

I spent a lot of time hitting the ball against the side of the house when I was a growing up. If my mother complained about the noise, I'd hop down the retaining wall at the end of our property to the office-building parking lot.

I'd use that wall -- hitting the ball with both feet, seeing how long I could return the wall's passes without losing control. I found out later that so many pros spent lots of their childhood doing that.

Dennis Bergkamp, the great Dutch striker who scored and set up hundreds of goals for Ajax Amsterdam, Arsenal, and the Dutch national team, said that when he was a youth player at Ajax, they had little three-foot-high walls. He would knock the ball against the walls for hours. Every time he hit the ball, he'd know whether it was a good touch or a bad touch. He'd do it over and over, trying to establish a rhythm.

Whenever I saw Bergkamp slotting a perfectly placed ball past a goalkeeper or making a precise pass, I thought of him practicing against the wall.

Kicking against the wall is an excellent way to work on improving your weaker foot. You can back up and practice shots on goal, or move close to the wall and work on passing, because where there's a wall, there's a teammate.

You can practice trapping and work on your first touch by controlling the ball before you kick it, or hit it back first time.

Passing the ball against a wall from close distance takes timing and coordination. Hit the ball faster, and you've got to react faster and get a rhythm going. It almost feels like you're dancing.

Practicing the correct striking of the ball over and over helps it become second nature. It has to be, because in a game a player doesn't have time to think about his form or approach. Under pressure, everything is more difficult. Mastering technique while playing on your own is the first step to being able to do it right in a game.


(Excerpted from "More Than Goals: The Journey from Backyard Games to World Cup Competition" by Claudio Reyna, courtesy of Human Kinetics.)


(Claudio Reyna was named the U.S. Soccer Federations's Youth Technical Director in April 2010.

U10's at Nike Cup

Bad weather, bad organization and lackluster play. Those all combined for a forgettable weekend. But I choose not to forget matches like that because those are opportunities to see where some players are and how they react to adverse situations. It tells a lot about character and where a player is in that aspect of development.
Our first match against the Novi Jaguars, from Michigan, was played with little enthusiasm and creativity. It may have been a situation where I should have let Rich and Andy pilot the ship as I surely drove it into the ground! This match was most disappointing in the sense that we had an unbelievable training session on Thursday (one of the best ever with the 10's). I had a notion that maybe we put everything into that session and could be set up for a mini let down. That is a part of development, in that consistency is something that is hard to develop. As you know, it is difficult to be your best at all times, that is why professional teams don't go undefeated every year. Having said that, I was disappointed in our level of competition, creativity  and intensity. I felt we were slow to recognize things they were trying to do, so consequently slow to react. We stress to the boys to always think ahead, as that is the key to us playing with speed and we did not do that in this match.

The GNA Revolution match started out really well for the first 10 minutes, but quickly went sour after that. I do feel that we competed for the whole match, however, just had too many silly mistakes against a good team. In matches like that, the errors are usually punished, as they should be. We did more in the way of being creative and pushing forward with pace. I think the other team had a player who is a great testament to players who don't necessarily have the best speed in the world but are very effective. Their center mid, # 20 was very good with the ball and usually made good decisions when he distributed the ball. He was not even close to being one of the more athletic kids on the field, however. We failed to adjust to what they liked to do, let #20 bring the ball up and make a decision. In that instance we needed someone to slow him down and even deny him the ball.

Sunday was frustrating to say the least. No match.

YDA Festival Play

Last weekend we put together a festival weekend for our U9 girls, in that we divided up our entire pool of players into 4 equal teams. The teams competed against each other in matches that showcased the deep talent pool we have at that age. It also gave our families an opportunity to interact with other families that they had not previously met. The overwhelming feedback we have received has encouraged us to put together another date: the weekend on May 8th and 9th, for our entire YDA. We are very excited to have all of our players and families at the OESA training center playing matches and showcasing everything that is good in what we do. The staff is very excited about the upcoming Festival. The players have worked so hard this season and this is a great opportunity for all of you to see that. These events represent what a true Academy should be; which is the ability to play inter-club competitive matches with truly mixed squads. Please take a moment at these events to introduce yourself to the staff, as we know all of your players, just not the parents behind the player. Your support of the YDA and progressive events like this is what continues to push us, as a staff, forward and to the forefront of player development. Take time to meet other parents and get to know their player a little on the field as well. We do stress to our players to compete hard at everything they do, especially in training, so these should be some of the best matches they will play this season. You will see the talent that we are lucky to have and work with in the YDA. All of your players are an important part of what we do. We are very fortunate to be able to put or players and families in this atmosphere and is worth the effort to put together.

Nike Cup

Well as the weather continues to haunt us into April, the Nike Challenge Cup provided a good opportunity for some of our U9 and U10 boys. I'll leave the problems with Sunday's weather delays/cancellations out of my post, as some positives came out the weekend as a whole.

The U9 Academy boys took home Finalist trophies on the back of a strong Saturday. Playing with a 6-2 (maybe it was 3, but 6-2 sounds better) deficit, they climbed back to win 7-6. The played a strong team from Ontario on the second day (Based on their size, what are they feeding those kids up there!), and would have loved to have avoided weather stops and starts, as Scott and I really thought the boys were playing some of their best soccer of the season there in the final.

I was also very pleased with our Thursday training session with the U9s who didn't go with us to Columbus. We are starting to play quicker and the combinations are really starting to show. I'm trying to use activities that dictate the need for quicker play (points for more passes and switching fields to a target player), and forcing the boys to really think through the best way to achieve success. I like to provide them a variety of goals, then allow them to determine how they can achieve each goal. If I see that one goal (quick restarts) is being accomplished, but another is lacking (not enough movement into space to allow for a restart that doesn't put us under immediate pressure), I ask them what they think is missing. As we start to get these concepts, the boys know what I am looking for, can identify it among themselves, and try to deal with that issue.

As both groups continue to progress, we are really targeting the final tournaments of the year as a chance to once again showcase all that we've learned starting back in the fall.

Long Term Approach to Development

The YDA staff has spent much time speaking about the recent individual athletic and technical growth that a large number of our players have gone through this season. There is nothing more rewarding as a coach than to see the players grow incrementally from season to season, week to week, day to day. However, each of us has been around long enough as coaches and players to know that not all players develop at the same time or at the same rate. For some players, they won't hit their stride until they are 13 or 14. For others, they are already seeing tremendous growth in their abilities. It is important for all of us to remember this and to keep development in perspective. Too many times the focus is on immediate results (which team is my kid on, how many trophies does my kid have), when the real importance should be on whether or not the player is getting better athletically and technically and beginning to understand how to play the game the right way.

Sometimes it is to the player's benefit to include them with older players. We do this for the individual development of that particular player. We might see that a player is one of the fastest and most skilled in his/her age group. That player might be able to be the most advanced player in his or her group in terms of psycho motor skills, but we would be limiting that player developmentally if we kept him or her in that age group; we want to include that player with older kids so that he/she is more challenged. At the older age group, that player may not appear to be performing as well as he/she did at the younger age group, but in actuality the player might be developing at a more rapid pace because he/she is playing against bigger, faster, and more skilled players.

Many times players and parents feel that filling the roster with younger players is harming their own development. I might be wrong, but I don't think that there was any backlash from NBA players when LeBron James, at 18 years old, entered the league. Maybe this is a far stretch because I am talking about a professional athlete. However, my guess is that LeBron played on older teams as a youth player. If this is the case, those opportunities helped shape the player he is today (of course, natural ability and athleticism helped too!). At times he might have faced some criticism by people who weren't sure if he deserved to be playing up on an older team. I wonder if those people would feel the same way today.

On the flip side, there is another well-known athlete who didn't enter his prime until much later in life. I am sure many people have heard Michael Jordan's story by now; he was cut from his high school basketball team. Most people laugh at that now and chalk it up to the coach not knowing what he was doing. Maybe there is some truth to that; I don't know. Or maybe it is because Jordan wasn't as good as his peers........yet. But something inside of him told him to keep working and keep the passion for the game. If he had been dissuaded and discouraged by that event in his life, we probably wouldn't be talking about his story today because we wouldn't know who he is. Jordan obviously still had passion for the game and he had supportive loved-ones around him who encouraged him to keep going. Smart folks.

I can offer my personal perspective on this topic as a former player. I can recall when I was 12 years old when I played against "Sue" (her name has been changed for purposes of this blog). Sue was the best player on the team--she was bigger and faster than everyone and always scored most of the goals. Everyone thought she was destined for stardom. However, Sue never learned how to play the right way. At 10, 11, 12 years old she was able to run past people and run over people. She kicked the ball as hard as she could and many times it found the back of the net. By the time she was 13, Sue was suddenly not as good anymore. There were two reasons for this. Number 1--she never took the time to learn the proper skills to apply to the game. She relied on her athletic ability to be the "best." Number 2--those kids that she was running past and running over in the previous years were suddenly just as big and just as strong but also knew how to play the right way because they were forced to learn when they were younger since they lacked some athleticism. Sue wasn't able to do the things she did before because the physical tools and athletic ability of her opponents had changed. Sue became just another player on the team rather than the best player on the team. She lost what she thought was passion for the game and eventually fizzled out. By the time she was 15, she was done playing.

I have seen situations like this as a coach too. I know about players who played all day, every day--not so much because they wanted to, but because their parents wanted them to. They played the game because it is just what they did, it was in a way, who they were. By the time they were well into high school they knew they didn't want to play anymore but they continued because they didn't want to disappoint their parents. None of the kids who I am thinking of right now are playing anymore. They have all moved on. Some moved on because of natural progression and some moved on because they were just burnt out on it and didn't enjoy it. Unfortunately, this will continue to happen for years and years to come. We hope that your kids are playing the game today because THEY want to play and not because YOU want them to play. Eventually, their desires will take over and they will stay in the game or leave the game based on their feelings toward it.

I found some interesting articles that you might find worth reading; I did. http://www.momsteam.com/successful-parenting/youth-sports-parenting-basics/child-development/early-and-late-bloomers-in-yout talks about late bloomers versus early bloomers and the parental outlook on both sides. I highly recommend reading the article because I think many of us can relate to it in one way or another. The other article I suggest can be found at: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/ltad.htm and it talks about the long term development of athletes and the importance of keeping things in perspective.

See you on the fields!

OESA Spring Classic

Much like the other coaches, coming away from this weekend I was very impressed by all the teams I coached (U8 Girls North, U8 Boys North, U8 Girls Academy and the U8 Boys Academy). It was an exciting weekend and was the perfect weather for soccer.

On the girls’ side, both teams made huge strides over the course of the weekend, which really made me proud to see. The best part was that we were able to have fun, while at the same time step out of our comfort zone and try new things on the field. I think that putting yourself in those kinds of situations – ones where you may make a mistake -- is important in life and not just on the soccer field.

Not only were we better at not sinking the “boat” by the end of the weekend, but we had a real sense of urgency when it came to going to goal on Sunday. As the weekend progressed, more and more I was seeing girls willing to take risks and go to goal with speed and determination! All in all, it was awesome to see and was great to witness the support from the parent’s side as well.

As for the U8 Boys North and Academy teams, one word comes to mind for this weekend: heart. No matter the score of the game, the boys were passionate about that were doing and were truly working for each other on the field. It was great to be a part of and was exactly the kind of attitude we encourage.

What I want to continue to emphasize to both boys’ teams at games and during training is that during the next few months (and the rest of the year), they are going to be making huge strides in their game. Just as important, all the hard work they are putting in right now and the way they are stretching themselves with who they go up against is truly going to pay off for them. I think this weekend was the type of situation that will help them really build character. It is really important for them to be able to step back and see the big picture when it comes to their development as soccer players, and to not only be reminded of this from their coaches, but from their parents as well.

Coaching this weekend was enjoyable and I was able to learn a lot from the players and my fellow coaches. I can’t wait to continue training and coaching all these talented young soccer players that have so much potential.