Approximately 10 years ago the coming of the small “keep away game” descended upon us. It hit me squarely between the eyes as some of my players at MKA High school declared “enough” with the technical work we want to do what the “pros” do”  Which it turns out is lots of small keep away games in small areas for long periods of time. I faced a rebellion where my intense individual ball skills sessions were no longer “vogue” Certainly for the “better” players it was much more fun to play keep away as they were always winning! My lesser players however saw significantly fewer touches of the ball (even though the small area and fewer numbers were designed to increase touches!) they did however become very good at chasing but technically they started to decline.
 

We here in the USA are clearly missing the point on proper defending tactics..... Forget England/Argentina/Germany/Portugal and all the rest and listen to this one. It concerns a match played between Barbados and Grenada in cup competition. Barbados needed to win the game by two clear goals in order to progress to the next round. Now the trouble was caused by a daft rule in the competition which stated that in the event of a game going to penalty kicks, the winner of the penalty kicks would be awarded a 2-0 victory.

The more I delve into the athletic development side of training athletes I am finding how most players have lower body deficiencies and how this prevents them from fulfilling their potential in competition. It starts with poor warm-up habits and continues with non-appropriate or outdated strength training activities. Most conditioning programs rely on the old straight ahead sprint method instead of using body weight lunges, forward, rear, to the side and in crossover patterns. I start all my training sessions with multilateral activities like various games of tag, single leg wrestling, bear and crab crawls, etc. Not only do these activities dynamically warm up the body and wake up the mind but the athletes look forward to doing them.

Show the proper respect for yourself, your teammates, referees, fans, and most important, the game…especially when you are in the public’s eye. A coach watching you perform will give you negative points in his book if you look sloppy or act like a bum on the field. This means: tuck in your shirt, walk with an air of confidence, no weird haircuts, and watch your mouth. First impressions are lasting impressions. Last impressions are equally important. Don’t throw away all you hard work in the last 10 minutes of a game by doing something stupid.

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A decade ahead of everyone, liberal attitudes, equality and title nine to protect it and help it, more women playing soccer than the entire population of some of the countries that now compete with the us and bright new shiny uniforms every year! But we are still left to ask the question where did it all go wrong?

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Well, once again the ugly side of parents getting involved in youth sports has reared its ugly head this time close to home on my own son's soccer team. I do not coach them as they have an outstanding coach who also is a teacher by profession, a good role model and due to the fact that I just want to be a good dad and watch him have the opportunity to grow on his own. In fact all I ever ask is that he plays hard and has fun.

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Your coach has a lot to do with your success, in the present and the future. Treat him exactly the way you would like to be treated. He does have the ability and the contacts to “make or break you”. Provide your coach with lots of positive reasons to help you. Above all…remember the golden rule…the man with the gold makes the rules!

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Regardless of a player’s performance, their skill, tactical, and physical display, other factors heavily influence a coach’s decision to recruit a given athlete. Coaches will look at their mental and psychological make-up, their mental ability to quickly and correctly read and assess situations, their motivational drive and will power, their self-confidence and emotional stability. Competition reveals character!

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The team comes together on every FIFA international play date. France will play at least one game per month until June in order to further evaluate the team. The players are constantly followed medically with weekly conversations with the club doctors. They are psychologically tested regularly. In this manner, the FFF can measure the progress of not only the player, but also of the person.

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In every sport spectators and coaches look for one player who will make a difference, he or she being that player they are paying money to watch perform on the weekends. When that player’s turn comes up whether it is with the bases loaded and two outs, the last second shot in the basketball game or the final minutes of a soccer match, it is he or she that draws the focus. Have you ever asked yourself why those players seem to regal in the spotlight? There are many factors involved but the one that stands out in my mind is their superior level of skill.

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