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Gary – I was reviewing some more sessions – just a quick question. I noticed Brian does not make a lot (if any) stoppages during his session to correct movements or decisions on the ball but almost all License courses are preaching stoppages with various teaching approaches (question, demonstrate, apply etc).
Secondly, what kind of equipment is being used for both video and sound for the videos?
Best,
Damian
Email me at damian@cbwilliams.com and I can send you a sample practice plan… we have been repeating the same theme every session. Rondos to start, broader possession based activity, and then finish with playing out of the back. I use my asst. coach to do coordination with one group while I work on playing out of the back with a group of 5. This way, 5 kids are not standing around and not participating. We have a very limited area to train in as our club rents a full indoor field. We get 1/2 of a quarter field which is roughly 20 x 30 so very tight space to train in. You will see what my field layout looks like in the email.
Best,
DamianAlec – keep it up. We are three weeks into our indoor season and I am doing 4 vs 0, and 4 vs 1 for the first 20 minutes of every session. The kids have improved dramatically. I have 3 or 4 players who have been doing this with me for a full year and you can see the difference in quality. However, I have to admit, I was surprised last night at how much better even my most technically poor players have improved.
The biggest difference I have found has been in our games. The kids are more willing to play inside out, backwards in order to keep possession as opposed to the teams we are playing, who are simply relying on 1 or 2 gifted players to dribble the length of the field. There is very little passing or intent in the teams we are playing. I am confident that in 2 to 3 years when the kids have developed a better mental awareness around the game, we will be miles ahead of these same teams. The progress is already evident.
Best regards,
Damian
Canada
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This reply was modified 10 years ago by
Damian.
I don’t disagree that an athlete can benefit physically and mentally from exposure to different sports. But I assume this is a North American concept or theory. In other words – are football associations in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, France, Spain, etc. worried about their kids specializing in soccer at too young of an age? Curriculums at younger ages in these countries incorporate much more physical literacy than we do in North America perhaps to compensate for this, but I highly doubt there are sirens going off on this topic the way they do here in North America.
Put another way – I doubt anyone told Ronaldo’s or Messi’s parents that they were harming their child’s long term development by having them play soccer exclusively.
To give further evidence, we have distinct seasons here in Canada. Hockey season – and then hockey off season (insert tongue in cheek), where lots of kids play soccer as a rec activity. Often at a young age, the hockey players are strong, competitive, know how to ‘practice’, and are often our stronger kids. As they get older, the 6 months away from the game shows and technically, they fall farther and farther behind the players who have chosen soccer as their full time sport. I am not sure I need more proof than this to debunk the multi sport theory.
Exposure to different sports is great – but the kids still need constant repetition in order to gain technical mastery – no matter what sport they chose.
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This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by
I have been doing the 4 vs. 0, 4 vs. 1 and double rondo progression with U9’s this winter. The players have varrying levels of skill from no skill at all to highly skilled. I have found that even those kids who struggle with any kind of basic technique benefit greatly from these sessions. They are forced to move into good positions to receive the ball, which makes it easier for them to play.
I have used these sessions with U8… all the way to senior men’s. The coaching points are always the same… the stoppages and demonstrations are always the same… and the mistakes are always the same. So I would not be affraid to push the kids regardless of the level to enforce the concepts 4 vs. 0, 4 vs. 1 concepts that Gary promotes in his videos.
Best regardsI share many of your experiences Frank. The club I am with here in Canada does not group players according to ability so we have a drastic range in the ability of players on our teams. We have kids who are playing soccer for the first time (who literally cannot play the ball 5 yds with the inside of their foot and have absolutely no athleticism whatsoever) to players (often children of immigrant families) who live/eat/breath the game.
The only consolation I take from these sessions and games at the young age, is that the kids who actually care and are football families – are learning to play properly. The kids who will be recreational players as they move into their teenage years – will be better off as well.
Despite how difficult it is for the kids to succeed as a group with the concept – the families who know the game are highly complementary of what we are trying to do with the kids. The parents who have no clue – are wondering why we are trying to pass the ball when we can ‘boot’ the ball up the field!
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This reply was modified 10 years ago by
