[Walter LeBlancParticipant]

Michael –

Thanks for sharing your team and videos.  I have a few immediate thoughts to your posting:

A castle is not built in one day.  If you want to critique, stay with the main goal….possession!

Are you possessing, based on the data provided you are – there is always room for improvement and keep working on building from the back.  The more you possess, the less you have to worry about your opponent’s attack.

I am just not seeing enough two touch passing and receiving across the body – this has improved with my program but I have had to stay with the 4v0, 4v1, and 3v1 religiously.  By also focusing on movement off the ball to the cones in this drill, it has helped my players with getting engaged as opposed to ball watching.

If anything – you may want to layer in the offensive pressure choreography and encourage them to attack as a unit.  3four3 curriculum in not just about possession – you are also encouraging pressure.

In the end, I would suggest that you stay the course.  Growth occurs over time and 2 years from now will be when you truly see the benefits of what you are doing.

I do not see fitness as the problem although every team can grow in this area – but you know the fitness level of your team the best.

Thanks again and best of luck.  (P.S. I really did not like the video on how to train soccer players to be aggressive – 7 players standing while a coach pushes on their shoulder does not seem very efficient at all to me…)

Best of luck!

 

[Walter LeBlancParticipant]

Worth a listen.  I was intrigued to hear him talk about whether talent is genetic or not.  If it is genetic, then why do we train?  I also enjoyed the t-shirt that said I do not need to think about soccer because my father tells me everything that I need to do in a game…

[Walter LeBlancParticipant]

Congrats on another great showing at MIC.

 

I enjoyed reading the tweets and updates about your experience.  Losing 2-0 in a competitive game against Barcelona in the “eights” is an experience that many youth coaches in the US would never think possible.  I am thankful that I have found 3FOUR3 and can continue to learn about the best soccer being played/coached in the US (and abroad like MIC).  IMO, 90% of the coaches up here in Maine have never even heard of or do not understand your philosophy.  Thanks again – I can’t wait for the video…

[Walter LeBlancParticipant]

Andrew
Thank you so much for the reply.  I found your blog after I posted on 3four3 and I love it.  I am greatly impressed with your videos and I agree you could see certain players with weaknesses BUT they still tried to possess “out of the back” and I am a huge proponent of that style of play and I am thankful for the guidance with 3four3.
I also enjoyed the breakdown of the LA/Sounder’s Supporter’s Shield game.  Roger Levesque who once played for Seattle is the only player from Maine (Falmouth) who made it really big in soccer and I have always followed Seattle due to Roger – I was a former varsity girls soccer coach in Falmouth and had the opportunity to watch Roger play in HS and in college at Stanford.

What I am mostly working on right now is how to market/deliver possession-based soccer to our community and my HS team.  We have developed shirts with the quote:  “We do not play the occasion, we play the game!”  on the front and  “Spacing + Communication + Awareness = POSSESSION”  on the back.

I really liked your idea of delivering Key Tenets of Play both pre and post season for accountability and will look to develop something similar for our youth program.  I will continue to use video as a coaching tool and yours is one that we will show.  I like that it shows some players with a lower ability level but still a commitment to possession play.

I will keep reading your blog and will keep in touch as I progress with the development of our product here in Maine…
Walter Le Blanc
Windham Boy’s Soccer

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by  Gary.

[Walter LeBlancParticipant]

Andrew –

 

Enjoyed the videos.  I am looking for your outline but when I go to the link, I can not find it.  Is there any way i can get a look at it.  I am curious how you present possession soccer to your athletes as they seem to respond to it.

 

 

[Walter LeBlancParticipant]

Hello Gabriel-

My name is Wally Le Blanc and I am a varsity soccer coach of 21 years in Maine (and still counting).  I have had my share of failures and successes with the sport along the way and I am now at a point in my career that I want to give back to the game that has given me so much.  I was looking for a philosophy of training that supports how I would like to see soccer played in Maine – and if anyone has seen our teams play in Region 1, you are aware that (with a very few exceptions) we trail most of New England in player development.

I am a varsity boys coach and work very closely with the youth program in our community.  While we have a solid youth structure , the one thing that is missing in my opinion is a philosophy that is comprehensive and connected.  Each age-specific coach seems to do the best job for their own team and will focus on whatever works for them or what they are most comfortable doing.

I very much enjoy what Gary and Brian have created as a philosophy and I like the way that one year can build on the previous one.  So I am trying to promote the activities with our program and use possession based soccer as the goal.  I am excited to see what we can do and how well it will be accepted.  One of the drawbacks is that some coaches do not stay with the program when they are dominated by a team that has stronger athletes and plays with high pressure.

I will continue to see how things develop, will look forward to hear other’s experiences and I would like to thank Gary for giving me an opportunity to be a part of “your” soccer family!

 

 

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