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Bryan Hargrove
PDX
Coached for a minute
Now building my vision from ground up
Probably too hardcore for you
Hey Dana,
Miguel Velazquez here. I’m coaching out of the Mt. Hamilton Youth Soccer League from San Jose, Ca. Glad to see I’m not the only one with a different view of what quality soccer is in the Bay Area. I’m coaching U15’s at the Gold level. Hope to network with you at some point.My name is Chris Estoll and I’m from the Boulder, CO area. I started coaching ~15 years ago and have traditionally coached lower level competitive U11-U12 boys teams. My own boys are now U11, U10 and U8 and I am currently only coaching the youngest one’s team. Our local club (Trebol Soccer Club) is trying to develop an identity and style and I am actively trying to push them towards a smart/possession based philosophy. In addition, I am always make connections and recruit 3four3 type players/families to the club. I’m setting up a pre-season indoor clinic for some players in February and I’m excited to practice some of the things I’ve been learning here.
My name is Jon Mroz and have been coaching since 1985 when at the age of 16 I got my first job as coach of a girls’ high school team. Nearly 30 years later I am still obsessed with the most efficient way to teach the game. Along the way I have coached everything from 3 year old grassroots introductions to DI college. I am currently entering my 18th year of boys’ high school coaching (Brookfield Central HS, Brookfield, WI) in addition to my role as Director of Goalkeeping and u18 coach at Bavarian Soccer Club (Milwaukee, WI).
My coaching philosophies have taken many years to shape, but were already well in place in 2005 when I began studying annually in the Netherlands. My studies since have focused on the implementation of these philosophies, and while I am certain that I have come along away, my obsessive/perfectionist side recognizes I have a long way to go!
I am excited to see such a community of coaches who are also dedicated to the learning process.
Hi Miguel and Dana,
I used to live down in San Jose but up in San Francisco now. Agree with the Earthquakes comment. I used to have season tickets before I moved and it was just painful going to most of those games. Nothing but long balls and hopeful crosses into the box.
David
My name is Kyle, I am an Assistant DOC in South Florida. I have trained in South Florida at 3 different clubs over the last 20 years. Also have coached at local school teams as well. I feel like many of us, I had no idea what I was doing but the whole time felt like I had my stuff together. Well what I know now tells me I was like the majority of trainers in the United States. I was the problem!!!!! My goal is to continue to be part of the solution. I am now at a club where we want to be part of the solution. From the outside we are not viewed as what we are because of our past. But to be honest we don’t care what others think of us!!!!! Bring it on, lets tear it apart and put it back together, the right way!!!!!
Kg
Hi guys, my name is Sean Monaghan and I’m a 23 year old coach living in Portland, Oregon. I coach at TFA Barcelona with Chris Cramer and have been following 3four3 since the U-11 possession soccer video. I’m originally from LA and grew up in Orange County so was able to watch Brian’s team a couple times in both practices and games and was shocked by the level of intensity and attention to detail that was given to his team at that age; at 21 and relatively new to coaching it opened my eyes for the better. I’d like to think along with watching Brian’s team what first molded me as a coach was how I was brought up in Orange County. With parents from Scotland my first 15 years were about everything that now makes me cringe. It was about getting stuck in, making tackles, winning flick ons. It was my friends who ultimately were the ones who paved the way I wanted to see the game. I spent my lunch time in high school playing cascaritas and my weekends playing Mexican league. It usually wasn’t hugely structured and was hardly tiki-taka, however this is where I learned the art of ‘touching’ the ball, not just kicking it.
From the moment I realized I wasn’t going to be able to make it playing I decided I was going to divert everything I had into coaching. I want to be able to give kids the resources and proper training I didn’t have growing up so it can help take them to the next part of their journey, whether it’s MLS, college, or just high school season. With that said, soccer is hardly a ‘players game’ like the myth goes here. The reason I started at a young age is because the goal since day 1 has always been to coach at the highest possible level.
I have many influences who have molded me into the coach I’m trying to become: The pressing and attention to detail of Bielsa, the methodology of Barcelona (now Bayern) under Pep, and the man management\psychology skills of Jose Mourinho. Also, I find what what Caleb Porter has done at both college and pro level as very commendable. We’re now starting to break down doors. Brian Kleiban has shown a possession style game can be done at youth level, Caleb has shown it can be down at the college level and now Caleb is showing it can be done also in MLS.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter, I look forward to you guys being part of the journey.
<h2 class=”username”><span class=”screen-name”>@SeanMonaghan_SM</span></h2>Hello All and mostly Gary and Brian.
My name is Joel (Nancee). I grew up playing the game at a relatively high level through the 80’s and into the early 90’s- traveled up and down the NE Corridor playing some of the best teams around and tragically became one of the many 16 year olds who walked away from the game. Cold. Divorced it. Hit a 5 iron pure for the first time (and there is no better feeling than a well struck golf shot)- took up golf and threw all of my life and energy and time into that activity. I beat balls, worked it slept it played it and honed it to where I could play in the mid- to low 70s on nearly any course I walked on. There was nothing and I mean nothing more important to me that a $5 automatic 2down press Nassau with a rum and coke or 6. If you play golf for money, you know it well. There is a certain steeliness you find out about yourself. I did that till I was 36 years old. Till I began having children, till the 5 hours needed became a rarer occurrence, let alone the practice and the money I needed each time I played became too high. So I was transitioning—- and fell exhausted on the couch one evening after parenting all day and became transfixed by The Spaniards one International Friendly evening. Transfixed. A meditation of rest and awe and peace watching the movement of the ocean on TV. Watching the rhythm of the tides in the likes of Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets. The rest for me is history- I became a football junky-went over the handlebars the way I did when I meant my future wife, had 4 kids in 5 years, began coaching and studying the game, watching always but without a clear understanding of where to find the information. Then became an RN and came to believe as Eric Cantona said, ‘that football is all about having the courage to risk the art inside yourself.’ To me football played in the possession style and played well is high art and I believe whole heartedly in the 3four3 way and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to grow and be part of the conversation- to study and coach this way of being into my kids and my teams. Thank you. -Joel
Welcome Joel,
Your intro drew me in as soon as I read “5 iron struck pure”. I am not sure how many golfers are members but I am one of them.
I so get the $5 auto 2down press Nassau with rum and coke. I still try and play but like you coaching my kids has taken priority. Again welcome
aboard and I hope you enjoy being a member of 3four3 as much as I do.
Pete DuguranMy name is Hans Schneiter and I ply my trade (or art) in the Albany, Oregon area as the varsity boys coach at South Albany HS and as the Technical Director for Albany FC. I previously coached the boys at Newberg HS (Oregon) and as the Director of Coaching for Newberg SC. In my 12 years of coaching I have been slowly developing a philosophy, or framework, for a possession-based, attacking and pressing style of play but without any guidance or other coaches who shared this vision. I first looked to the USSF and NSCAA licensing courses for direction and a community of like minded travelers but was left more disillusioned than when I started. I heard all the right buzzwords from these, and other, camps in the US soccer hierarchy but the actual substance was sh*t! Through some mentoring from a local Dutch ex-pat and falling in love with Guardiola’s Barca I realized I was looking in the wrong place (mainly US soccer). That’s when I found the YouTube videos of Brian’s teams, the 3Four3 blog, etc. and here I am absolutely loving this resource and eating it up! I’ll be starting up a new U10 boys team this spring and am chomping at the bit to start implementing these ideas. It will also help me refine my high school coaching to better communicate the ideas that I have been trying to implement.
Our club just started up last year and is at the perfect place to create a structure that makes these ideas part of the foundation and future. I’m hoping that the 3Four3 community will be a place to hear about other’s experiences and solutions in trying to create clubs and structures that support this philosophy, style of play, and method of developing players.
Thanks Gary & Brian for being willing to share! I know I would never have the balls to be so vulnerable.
Twitter: @schneiter_hans
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This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by
Hans Schneiter.
Hello my name is Devin Rairdon. I just moved to the Kirkland WA area from Denver CO. I currently just coach a few teams here. I have been coaching since I was 14 when I worked with goalkeepers along side the director of goalkeeping at the club I played at and that’s how I got my first start into coaching. Its now been 16 years and I have loved every minute I have spent coaching. I work with a few other programs for soccer here in the Pacific Northwest but I am glad to get involved with a community of like minded coaches. I am for sure way behind on getting on here and introducing myself and getting involved but hope to be able to jump in more now.
Thanks Brian and Gary for everything you have done and are working on for the future.
My name is Robin Bostwick. I live in Eugene, Oregon and I coach U11 girls and U12 boys for the Eugene Timbers Futbol Club. I began coaching as a volunteer when I was in high school in the Portland area and I’ve coached for ETFC since 2010. 3four3 is a great resource and a great community.
Hi everyone:
Been waiting to introduce myself until my team was assembled for this next season. It looks like practices will be starting next week. I’ve coached for the last 9 years, mainly on a rec level, but at club for the last 2. I’m currently the assistant for a boys U-13 high bronze team, but have coached girls U-10 and boys U-15 as well. I have 3 kids who all play club and am constantly trying to improve my own skills as a coach. That hunt led me to the Kleiban’s videos and then Gary’s blog and finally here.
The head coach for my current team is fully on board with what we want to implement. I’m looking forward to the process and to see the progression in our team. Hopefully we’ll be able to get some video going and I’ll post our successes (and probably some failures too.)
Andy Mullaly
@apmullaly
Hello – my name is Dan Komorowski and I coach a U9 boys team in Toronto, Canada. I have coached for a long time +15 years and attended lots of conferences and courses over the years. Recently, I passed the Advanced National NSCAA course and last year was lucky enough to attend a Barca coaches clinic here in Toronto where 3 coaches from Barca Escola presented their philosophy and demonstrated their training exercises. I’m totally for possession football and looking for the most effective teaching path to do this. Looking forward to exchanging ideas with the community and improving my knowledge, teaching skills and possession framework.
Hello everyone, my name is Tommy de Jesus, posting here for the first time. I signed up for this membership knowing that I wouldn’t be able to contribute that often, but I didn’t want to pass on the opportunity to have access to the material and to be a founding member.
I live in Tucson, AZ, and I coach my son’s U8 Rec team. But I am originally from Puerto Rico, and I grew up playing basketball, not soccer. Actually, I didn’t even follow soccer, just the World Cup, every 4 years like “everyone else”. As someone who played a high scoring sport (recreationally) , I couldn’t stand soccer and its low or no scoring games, and I definitely couldn’t stand the “ping pong”, “choppy” style that is prevalent on this side of the planet. I mean, coming from basketball, where taking care of the ball, keeping possession and reducing the amount of turnovers is key, I couldn’t understand why anyone would give the ball up so easily with long balls and bad passes. To me, possession just makes sense.
But all of that was before my son started playing a few years ago. Even though I didn’t like the game, it was one of two sports he could play at age 3, and after waiting for 3 looooong years after my son was born to be able to get him into sports, the choices were T-ball or soccer, so soccer won because it may not have more scoring, but definitely more action and movement than T-ball. So soccer it was, and on he goes to play and he showed to be a good player. Not because he was taller, stronger and faster (definitely not taller and not the strongest, but maybe one of the fastest), but because he showed some good technical skills, dribbling and ball control (for that age, when compared to other kids), and great game awareness (again, relative to that age). He is 6 now, and is playing U8 (mainly because there is no U7 around here), but he has already played U8, back in the Spring (when he was still 5) and held his own against bigger, stronger and faster kids, but not necessarily more technical than him. We keep exposing him to better leagues and better competition, raising the bar, pushing his limits (little by little), and he is so far keeping up with the curve. (and yes, I am aware that competition in this area may not be as good as in other parts of the country, but we will keep looking and exposing him to better environments, even if we eventually have to go somewhere else, until one of two things happen, either he makes it, or he finds his ceiling)
Anyway, long story to tell you how I got into coaching and how I became addicted to the beautiful game after so many years of not liking it. I think my son has some potential in this game so I decided to learn as much as I could about it, I started to read pretty much anything I could find, until one day I found the 3four3 blog and it has been eye opening in the soccer sense. I have followed since. It was then that I decided to coach his team, because I didn’t want to run the risk to have someone else coach him and teach him bad habits (boot the ball style of game), so I became a coach. I started watching games from Europe, Champions League, La Liga, Bundesliga and EPL mostly (although sometimes it is hard to stomach some of the EPL games, too similar to MLS in my opinion, too physical, not so much technical). And that is how I became addicted to the game, I was exposed to the best there is, and it is beautiful, and yes, open competition rocks, let everyone have a chance please. (Feel free to call me Eurosnob… ha). Sorry, I digress… I’ve been coaching his team since he was 4, and I have had the fortune to keep 6 to 8 kids together as a team and see them grow for 2 years. As I said, possession to me just makes senses, it is the only way to go in my eyes, take care of the ball, keep the ball on the ground as much as possible, connect passes with your teammates. And that is why I decided to be a part of this community, to learn as much as I can so I can teach my players how to play properly, to keep and move the ball, to play smarter. Also in a selfish way so I can teach my own kid how to be a better player, and to network with some of you so maybe one day my kid may be given a chance to prove himself and be part of a possession-oriented team/club.
And yes, I know, I know, you may be saying that I am biased, ’cause I am the dad, but let me tell you, I am as tough on him as I can be. I remember one game last Spring, he had scored two goals, but he also made a critical mistake that allow the other team to tie the score late into the game (but who is keeping track of scores and wins and losses at a Rec U8 game anyway?… OK, I am guilty as charged, but you know what, the kids are keeping score too, they know who is winning and losing and by how much, even though we adults sanitize it and try to take the competition piece out of the game, but I digress again). And as much as I wanted to celebrate his two goals at the end of that game, as his coach and dad, the one thing I immediately discussed with him when we got to the car was that mistake and how to correct it, how to identify that situation so he could make a better decision next time. And yes, I felt bad about picking on that first instead of his goals, so please do not judge my parenting or coaching style 😉 I eventually celebrated his goals.
Bottom line, I do want to learn more about the beautiful game, I do want to appreciate all the nuances, tactics and strategies, I do want to learn how to play it the right way so I can pass on as much good info to my kid and my players before they eventually move on to other coaches. It is a pleasure to be here…
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This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by
Tommy de Jesus.
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