| Juggling | 20-Jun | 15-Sep |
| Ben | 45 | 75 |
| Denton | 55 | 58 |
| Payton | 22 | 43 |
| Matt | 34 | 42 |
| Tanner | 20 | 35 |
| Colby | 36 | 33 |
| Brendon J | 21 | 32 |
| Mason | 20 | 23 |
| Chris | 20 | 20 |
| Bryson | 0 | 19 |
| Brandon S | 21 | 17 |
| Joey | 0 | 10 |
| Grady | 0 | 7 |
| Rylee | 50 | 0 |
| Caden | 28 | 0 |
| Landon | 26 | 0 |
| Ryan | 20 | 0 |
| Samuel | 0 | 0 |
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Fall Juggling Test Results
Possession Soccer
Possession Soccer
We have been working hard on possession soccer throughout our training this year. As an engineer, I often like to spell out the advantages and disadvantages of just about everything, if for no other reason to make clear in my mind what I am dealing with. So this today, I will explore the virtues & pitfalls of possession youth soccer.
First, I guess it would be good to have a model of what possession soccer is, and what is the alternative.
The alternative to possession soccer is "long ball" soccer, in which upon getting possession of the ball, we kick the ball toward our attacking third of the field as soon as possible and have the attacking players chase the ball down to score.
To contrast, in possession soccer, we as a team value possessing the ball, and only boot it forward when we perceive an advantage. So, in these cases, kicking the ball forward is still done with purpose (and usually to space that only we can get to). We work to create an advantage, and play the ball to players in space, giving them more time to make a decision (perhaps a cross, or a drive to the goal line, or a backwards pass or, to complete a switch of the attack to the opposite side of the field). Possession soccer will showcase many cases of "2 man game" (wall passes, back, then over the top, overlapping run followed by pass back, give & go). It will also include the defenders as part of the attack, as the attacking formation runs deep, all the way back to the defenders, and even the goalie.
First the benefits of "long ball" soccer:
1. It is easy to play. Very little thought is required to play it.
2. It is the easiest way to get wins at younger ages & lower skill levels.
3. It is fast, and the fans cheer every time the ball boots forward.
4. It is excellent training for the fastest forward. He is constantly stressing his ball control skills & speed, & ability to bring the ball down out of a crowd.
5. The BFS (Bigger, Faster, Stronger) team has a huge advantage when the opposing team plays the same style.
The benefits of "possession soccer"
1. It involves the entire team all of the time.
2. It has a beautiful, smooth flow, with many changes of pace.
3. It puts an opposing team on their heels. It will dominate BFS teams that can only play "long ball"
4. It is what the High School coaches expect of players.
5. There is a huge advantage for a more skilled team.
6. The best attacking spacing is also best to defend with.
So why doesn't everyone play possession soccer?
1. It puts pressure on every pass, reception, and requires a solid "first touch" by all players.
2. It requires that all players learn to play with their heads up, and with better communication.
3. Players need to work not only on their own skills, but on "two man game", and team skills.
4. Spacing plays a huge role. Players need to understand and react to the whole game, not just their small part in the game.
You will know that we are possessing better when you see us:
1. play forward to open space (and not just at the opposing goalie) when there is a numerical advantage (and not all the time), and when we steal the ball and can take advantage of fast transition.
2. involve the defenders and forwards in holding the midfield (and the ball will often be passed backwards to the midfielders, & defenders when we are crowded on one side of the field)
3. more "two man game" where 2 players will work together to get the ball forward to space.
4. no more players waiting in the penalty box. Players will be more aware of each other, and you will see timed runs into the penalty box instead (and eventually, crossing runs, and delayed runs). This allows enough space to finish.
5. The opposing team will not be able to take very many shots (because we will have the ball)
6. taking a noticeably larger number of corner kicks then the opposing team.
7. taking more shots on goal than the opposing team.
What are your thoughts?
We have been working hard on possession soccer throughout our training this year. As an engineer, I often like to spell out the advantages and disadvantages of just about everything, if for no other reason to make clear in my mind what I am dealing with. So this today, I will explore the virtues & pitfalls of possession youth soccer.
First, I guess it would be good to have a model of what possession soccer is, and what is the alternative.
The alternative to possession soccer is "long ball" soccer, in which upon getting possession of the ball, we kick the ball toward our attacking third of the field as soon as possible and have the attacking players chase the ball down to score.
To contrast, in possession soccer, we as a team value possessing the ball, and only boot it forward when we perceive an advantage. So, in these cases, kicking the ball forward is still done with purpose (and usually to space that only we can get to). We work to create an advantage, and play the ball to players in space, giving them more time to make a decision (perhaps a cross, or a drive to the goal line, or a backwards pass or, to complete a switch of the attack to the opposite side of the field). Possession soccer will showcase many cases of "2 man game" (wall passes, back, then over the top, overlapping run followed by pass back, give & go). It will also include the defenders as part of the attack, as the attacking formation runs deep, all the way back to the defenders, and even the goalie.
First the benefits of "long ball" soccer:
1. It is easy to play. Very little thought is required to play it.
2. It is the easiest way to get wins at younger ages & lower skill levels.
3. It is fast, and the fans cheer every time the ball boots forward.
4. It is excellent training for the fastest forward. He is constantly stressing his ball control skills & speed, & ability to bring the ball down out of a crowd.
5. The BFS (Bigger, Faster, Stronger) team has a huge advantage when the opposing team plays the same style.
The benefits of "possession soccer"
1. It involves the entire team all of the time.
2. It has a beautiful, smooth flow, with many changes of pace.
3. It puts an opposing team on their heels. It will dominate BFS teams that can only play "long ball"
4. It is what the High School coaches expect of players.
5. There is a huge advantage for a more skilled team.
6. The best attacking spacing is also best to defend with.
So why doesn't everyone play possession soccer?
1. It puts pressure on every pass, reception, and requires a solid "first touch" by all players.
2. It requires that all players learn to play with their heads up, and with better communication.
3. Players need to work not only on their own skills, but on "two man game", and team skills.
4. Spacing plays a huge role. Players need to understand and react to the whole game, not just their small part in the game.
You will know that we are possessing better when you see us:
1. play forward to open space (and not just at the opposing goalie) when there is a numerical advantage (and not all the time), and when we steal the ball and can take advantage of fast transition.
2. involve the defenders and forwards in holding the midfield (and the ball will often be passed backwards to the midfielders, & defenders when we are crowded on one side of the field)
3. more "two man game" where 2 players will work together to get the ball forward to space.
4. no more players waiting in the penalty box. Players will be more aware of each other, and you will see timed runs into the penalty box instead (and eventually, crossing runs, and delayed runs). This allows enough space to finish.
5. The opposing team will not be able to take very many shots (because we will have the ball)
6. taking a noticeably larger number of corner kicks then the opposing team.
7. taking more shots on goal than the opposing team.
What are your thoughts?
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Arsenal 3v3 July 18-20
As we move into July, any time we can compete against other teams pays dividends.
We will compete in the annual Arsenal 3v3 tournament July 18-20. This is a very fun tournament with flair.
All of the teams come up with unique, creative uniforms. The entire event has a slight carnival air.
The first game the boys play, they will be reminded exactly what "game-speed" is. I remember last year, the first time we have signed up for the tournament, it took a few minutes for the boys to warm up to full speed, as they were expecting a slow, skill laden game. With the small fields, only the most aggressive teams have a chance. The winning teams were all the most aggressive, confident, and skilled.
Below, are the teams. I have assigned every player to a team, including the 6 who have notified me that they will be out of town that weekend. I have assigned two out of town players to each team, so all 3 teams have 4 players that will be there the entire tournament, and twowho will not (but will receive a team shirt anyway).
The team names were chosen from movie themes. The teams are mostly random. I tried to mix up the boys with players they may not be as familiar with.
So here are the teams:
Men of Steel
*Colby
*Payton
Mason
Caden
Rylee
Ben
Zombies R Us
*Tanner
*Denton
Grady
Matt
Landon
Chris
Dark Knights
*Ryan
*Branden
Bryson
Joseph
Samuel
Brendon
* players who will not be at the tournament
The teams are all registered, and I know of 6 players who will not be there (Colby, Denton, Ryan(thu-fri), Brandon, Tanner, Payton)
This tournament will be a blast. I'm looking forward to see what "full speed" is for this group.
We will compete in the annual Arsenal 3v3 tournament July 18-20. This is a very fun tournament with flair.
All of the teams come up with unique, creative uniforms. The entire event has a slight carnival air.
The first game the boys play, they will be reminded exactly what "game-speed" is. I remember last year, the first time we have signed up for the tournament, it took a few minutes for the boys to warm up to full speed, as they were expecting a slow, skill laden game. With the small fields, only the most aggressive teams have a chance. The winning teams were all the most aggressive, confident, and skilled.
Below, are the teams. I have assigned every player to a team, including the 6 who have notified me that they will be out of town that weekend. I have assigned two out of town players to each team, so all 3 teams have 4 players that will be there the entire tournament, and twowho will not (but will receive a team shirt anyway).
The team names were chosen from movie themes. The teams are mostly random. I tried to mix up the boys with players they may not be as familiar with.
So here are the teams:
Men of Steel
*Colby
*Payton
Mason
Caden
Rylee
Ben
Zombies R Us
*Tanner
*Denton
Grady
Matt
Landon
Chris
Dark Knights
*Ryan
*Branden
Bryson
Joseph
Samuel
Brendon
* players who will not be at the tournament
The teams are all registered, and I know of 6 players who will not be there (Colby, Denton, Ryan(thu-fri), Brandon, Tanner, Payton)
This tournament will be a blast. I'm looking forward to see what "full speed" is for this group.
Simple idea to improve your shot
Simple idea to improve your shot
Today, I was watching my boys in backyard kicking the soccer ball. The favorite soccer activity in our backyard is shooting on goal (which is actually the swing-set). The thought occurred to me that you could make the activity significantly more productive without expending any more energy. To understand the productivity boost, you should first understand the way shooting on goal is typically done.The steps go something like this:
1. Line up a ball in front of you
2. Back up a few steps
3. Step forward and kick the ball
Sometimes the steps are more like this:
1. Step to the ball in front of you
2. Tap it foreward a few pases and wait for it to settle
3. Step forward and kick the ball
As I observe soccer games, I have noticed that very rarely is the ball stationary, and waiting for someone to kick it at the goal. The great majority of shots have to be taken while the ball is moving.
So I recommend the following modification to the shoot-on-goal activity which would yield game-time results:
1. Step to the ball in front of you
2. Tap it forward
3. Strike the ball before it settles
The amount of energy expended would be no different, but, at least initially, it would require extra focus as it will require more concentration to strike a moving ball. After a couple weeks of doing this, it would become the new normal, and striking a moving ball would achieve the same accuracy that you now have when striking a stationary ball, and your run-up would inherently shorten in the process.
Battleship Tournament Results
We did complete our first Battleship tournament this morning. I have an observation about it that I think is noteworthy.The boys who won this event were the ones who were most aggressive on the ball. They always attacked the ball, and went for points. They did this even when the ball was short, or obviously out of bounds. The boys who were more discriminating in choosing when they would go for points were much slower to get in position to attack an in-bounds ball.
The winner of our first 2013 Battleship tournament was (and :
Landon
2nd place,
Peyton
3rd & Fouth
Brendon & Ben
Congratulations gentlemen!!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Back Yard Ball Mastery
How impressive it is to see a soccer player with good ball mastery.
I am always in awe when watching professional players work their ball magic.
On this post, I would like to post a few links of ball mastery exercises to get your creative juices flowing.
Be sure to watch these 11 year old girls demonstrate ball mastery exercises:
Coerver Ball Mastery
Intermediate Ball Mastery
Try these exercises to work on dribbling:
Dribble like Lionel Messi
Minefield
Spending 10 minutes a day on Minefield may very well be the best soccer training you could do. You can use anything in the back yard as obstacles, and start with the obstacles a couple of feet apart, then move them tighter as you improve.
This week, we crowned winners to our 3 year-long tests and our first soccer Tennis toournament.
Winners were:
Soccer Tennis: Denton
Juggling: Denton
Run-Return: Ryan
Turn-Kick: Joey
Congratulations gentlemen!!
The complete standings for run-return are:
results measured in seconds
run-return 27-Jun
Ryan 8.34
Joey 8.37
Samuel 8.50
Landon 8.53
Chris 8.56
Rylee 8.71
Ben 8.81
Denton 9.15
Brandon S 9.50
Bryson 9.53
Colby 9.81
Practice has been going well. This group looks to have excellent focus.
Keep up the good work
Coach Mike
I am always in awe when watching professional players work their ball magic.
On this post, I would like to post a few links of ball mastery exercises to get your creative juices flowing.
Be sure to watch these 11 year old girls demonstrate ball mastery exercises:
Coerver Ball Mastery
Intermediate Ball Mastery
Try these exercises to work on dribbling:
Dribble like Lionel Messi
Minefield
Spending 10 minutes a day on Minefield may very well be the best soccer training you could do. You can use anything in the back yard as obstacles, and start with the obstacles a couple of feet apart, then move them tighter as you improve.
This week, we crowned winners to our 3 year-long tests and our first soccer Tennis toournament.
Winners were:
Soccer Tennis: Denton
Juggling: Denton
Run-Return: Ryan
Turn-Kick: Joey
Congratulations gentlemen!!
The complete standings for run-return are:
results measured in seconds
run-return 27-Jun
Ryan 8.34
Joey 8.37
Samuel 8.50
Landon 8.53
Chris 8.56
Rylee 8.71
Ben 8.81
Denton 9.15
Brandon S 9.50
Bryson 9.53
Colby 9.81
Practice has been going well. This group looks to have excellent focus.
Keep up the good work
Coach Mike
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Training - June 14-22
Arsenal,
Our first week of soccer training is done. We did something a little different which was to do a basic soccer skills week without shin guards (no aggressive soccer drills for which shin guards are required). We, instead, started laying a groundwork for ball mastery, and we worked on kicking technique. I think that most of the players worked on the most basic skills pretty well. As we all ramp up our focus, big improvement will follow.
The development model that we use is commonly called the Coerver approach. and can be modeled as a pyramid:
*finishing*
******tactics******
******Passing/Receiving******
************** 1 v 1 ***************
*****************Ball Mastery******************
Week 1 was all about working on foundational ball mastery skills. In practice, this amounts to doing activities that provide 2000 - 3000 touches of the soccer ball per practice. No less important is our focus on perfect kicking technique. After all, there is nothing that will improve soccer success as much as improving kicking technique.
At home, the players should be working on any skills that they would like for at least 30 minutes a day. We want each player to bring something unique to the team. Working on ball mastery is also highly encouraged.
Activities that provide basic ball mastery are:
1. Soccer touches with both feet (the skills we warm up with in our "aerobic soccer training").
2. Juggling (especially foot to foot juggling)
3. Kicking with specific goals in mind (ie. kick the perfect short chip shot with as little effort as possible by using my sweet spot on my left foot)
4. Cuts, back & forth.
5. Reverses (triangle drill)
Test Results for week 1:
Turn-Kick - left foot -
results measured in feet.
Chris 54
Brendon J 53
Rylee 52
Landon 46
Caden 45
Matt 40
Ben 35
Ryan 33
Tanner 31
Mason 29
Denton 27
Colby 26
Samuel 24
Payton 20
Brandon S 15
Joey 0
Bryson 0
Grady 0
Juggling
results measured in # juggles alternating feet.
Denton 55
Rylee 50
Ben 45
Colby 36
Matt 34
Caden 28
Landon 26
Payton 22
Brendon J 21
Tanner 20
Mason 20
Ryan 20
Chris 20
Brandon S 15
Joey 0
Bryson 0
Grady 0
Samuel 0
Next week we will test the 20 yard and return sprint with ball.
Next week we will publish the results of our first soccer tennis tournament as well
Next week schedule:
Tue Jun 25 7am-8:30 North Lake - Practice
Thu Jun 27 7am-8:30 North Lake - Practice
Sat Jun 29 8am-9:30 North Lake - Practice
We will start with the our trainer (West, with whom we will train every Thurs for the summer)
July 11 6:30pm-8:30 North Lake Park
Quote of the week:
"Practice makes permanent"
~anon
Thanks. This group of young men is awesome. thanks for sharing them.
Coach Mike
Our first week of soccer training is done. We did something a little different which was to do a basic soccer skills week without shin guards (no aggressive soccer drills for which shin guards are required). We, instead, started laying a groundwork for ball mastery, and we worked on kicking technique. I think that most of the players worked on the most basic skills pretty well. As we all ramp up our focus, big improvement will follow.
The development model that we use is commonly called the Coerver approach. and can be modeled as a pyramid:
*finishing*
******tactics******
******Passing/Receiving******
************** 1 v 1 ***************
*****************Ball Mastery******************
Week 1 was all about working on foundational ball mastery skills. In practice, this amounts to doing activities that provide 2000 - 3000 touches of the soccer ball per practice. No less important is our focus on perfect kicking technique. After all, there is nothing that will improve soccer success as much as improving kicking technique.
At home, the players should be working on any skills that they would like for at least 30 minutes a day. We want each player to bring something unique to the team. Working on ball mastery is also highly encouraged.
Activities that provide basic ball mastery are:
1. Soccer touches with both feet (the skills we warm up with in our "aerobic soccer training").
2. Juggling (especially foot to foot juggling)
3. Kicking with specific goals in mind (ie. kick the perfect short chip shot with as little effort as possible by using my sweet spot on my left foot)
4. Cuts, back & forth.
5. Reverses (triangle drill)
Test Results for week 1:
Turn-Kick - left foot -
results measured in feet.
Chris 54
Brendon J 53
Rylee 52
Landon 46
Caden 45
Matt 40
Ben 35
Ryan 33
Tanner 31
Mason 29
Denton 27
Colby 26
Samuel 24
Payton 20
Brandon S 15
Joey 0
Bryson 0
Grady 0
Juggling
results measured in # juggles alternating feet.
Denton 55
Rylee 50
Ben 45
Colby 36
Matt 34
Caden 28
Landon 26
Payton 22
Brendon J 21
Tanner 20
Mason 20
Ryan 20
Chris 20
Brandon S 15
Joey 0
Bryson 0
Grady 0
Samuel 0
Next week we will test the 20 yard and return sprint with ball.
Next week we will publish the results of our first soccer tennis tournament as well
Next week schedule:
Tue Jun 25 7am-8:30 North Lake - Practice
Thu Jun 27 7am-8:30 North Lake - Practice
Sat Jun 29 8am-9:30 North Lake - Practice
We will start with the our trainer (West, with whom we will train every Thurs for the summer)
July 11 6:30pm-8:30 North Lake Park
Quote of the week:
"Practice makes permanent"
~anon
Thanks. This group of young men is awesome. thanks for sharing them.
Coach Mike
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