Capello: put rubbish youth coaches into jail

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NEFC's team are the worst coached teams in the entire region, especially CB's teams.He is single handedly the worst coach around. He teaches tactics to developing age kids for end results. Fabio Capello's views are entirely right. Parents should be appalled at this point. Jailed?, maybe not, but definitely sent packing!!! I witnessed the dozen or so NEFC kids at the Revs RDS and they are way behind in technical ability. Very sad, CB is incompetent and should not be coaching youngsters.

There exists huge discrepancies between development and results, pleasing selfish parents and true age appropriate training. An earlier poster posited the idea of removing games from the curriculum. As long as matches exist, there will be people who care more about a result than the style of football being played. This will never change and there will be clubs and coaches that exploit that discrepancy. They will look good in the short term and acheive higher retention and sign up rates, but is that the end game? Most would argue yes. Klinsmann and fellow knowledgeable soccer folk would argue the opposite. Who is right?

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Who is right? Here's a long-winded answer: My hope is that my kids will want to play soccer at age 14, 24, 34, 44 and maybe 54, always at the best level they can achieve, always with joyful confidence. I want them to think of me when they play, and thank me for the opportunities I've provided them to learn from a young age the right way to strike a ball, to use both feet, to trap the ball, to do all the 'building block' things I'm paying for them to learn. (Yes--I have to pay others, as I am not a player, though I happily stumble along, trying to play with them.) I want them to love the game. The only way this will happen is if they have fun and get satisfaction from playing. I know from personal experience (albeit in a different game) that playing a sport you love is beneficial in many ways: it is a fantastic ice breaker in an unfamiliar environment (such as when you arrive at a big university, or at a new city, or at a new job); it is a tremendous opportunity to make friends and bond with people in a positive environment (the post-game beer is sooo much better than the six-pack in front of the TV); the health benefits of an active life are unquestionable; working to improve your game, and seeing results when you reach goals is a phenomenal source of earned self-confidence. What kind of youth soccer has the best chance of making this happen? Not once-a-week, dad-coached rec soccer, which can be loads of fun, don't get me wrong, but doesn't build the competency needed for a life-long player. Not "learn your position and your role in my system" soccer, because that (even if coupled with excellent technical training) creates a grim, result driven perception of the game-as-job that inevitably becomes joyless. (Again, I'm relying on my personal experience, but kids who get yelled at don't learn to love their game. They might learn to 'perform', but they don't love their game.) I believe that the best chance of creating the kind of appetite for the game I'm hoping for comes from youth training that will fill these kids with skills that might rust over the years but will never completely disappear; skills that will allow them to fit into a game in any environment--and make them WANT to find a game. Skills that they will pass on to others, so that we can actually have a soccer culture here, and bring the masses to this game in a way that our current approach is failing to do. When the masses come to soccer, greatness will emerge. We don't have to get rid of games--if parents and coaches can curb their egos, competition is a great thing for kids. We just can't allow it to drive people away from the game. Wins and Losses and Revenue and Retention and Market Share and Paying Customers are the shibboleths of the youth sports "tacticians" and have ZERO to do with creating a love of the game that will lead to the soccer culture I dream of.

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This is a great post. Exactly what all the parents should be hoping for. Great job.

[Unregistered]

What exactly do they do for the first 45 mins? I am curious.

No doubt. NEFC spends the first 45 minutes of every practice doing technical training. They are so technical heavy that sometimes I worry my kid might forget how to dribble with the ball since they focus so much on technical and skills.

[Unregistered]

Who is right? Here's a long-winded answer: My hope is that my kids will want to play soccer at age 14, 24, 34, 44 and maybe 54, always at the best level they can achieve, always with joyful confidence. I want them to think of me when they play, and thank me for the opportunities I've provided them to learn from a young age the right way to strike a ball, to use both feet, to trap the ball, to do all the 'building block' things I'm paying for them to learn. (Yes--I have to pay others, as I am not a player, though I happily stumble along, trying to play with them.) I want them to love the game. The only way this will happen is if they have fun and get satisfaction from playing. I know from personal experience (albeit in a different game) that playing a sport you love is beneficial in many ways: it is a fantastic ice breaker in an unfamiliar environment (such as when you arrive at a big university, or at a new city, or at a new job); it is a tremendous opportunity to make friends and bond with people in a positive environment (the post-game beer is sooo much better than the six-pack in front of the TV); the health benefits of an active life are unquestionable; working to improve your game, and seeing results when you reach goals is a phenomenal source of earned self-confidence. What kind of youth soccer has the best chance of making this happen? Not once-a-week, dad-coached rec soccer, which can be loads of fun, don't get me wrong, but doesn't build the competency needed for a life-long player. Not "learn your position and your role in my system" soccer, because that (even if coupled with excellent technical training) creates a grim, result driven perception of the game-as-job that inevitably becomes joyless. (Again, I'm relying on my personal experience, but kids who get yelled at don't learn to love their game. They might learn to 'perform', but they don't love their game.) I believe that the best chance of creating the kind of appetite for the game I'm hoping for comes from youth training that will fill these kids with skills that might rust over the years but will never completely disappear; skills that will allow them to fit into a game in any environment--and make them WANT to find a game. Skills that they will pass on to others, so that we can actually have a soccer culture here, and bring the masses to this game in a way that our current approach is failing to do. When the masses come to soccer, greatness will emerge. We don't have to get rid of games--if parents and coaches can curb their egos, competition is a great thing for kids. We just can't allow it to drive people away from the game. Wins and Losses and Revenue and Retention and Market Share and Paying Customers are the shibboleths of the youth sports "tacticians" and have ZERO to do with creating a love of the game that will lead to the soccer culture I dream of.

Great stuff. Thank you. A joy to read. Makes coming to TS much more worthwhile. It's not just about coming here to get news and information (and of course rumors and hearsay) but reading some wisdom and grounding for those of us who get a too carried away is so much more important.

[Unregistered]

[QUOTE=Unregistered;1435899]

Even playing small sided games you need shape to attack and defend. Players can not just run around and play. Futsal, 7v7, 9v9 you need shape.

You are not "teaching" shape at u11/12. You allow it to happen by building into your practice sessions training elements that create miniature defense and offensive shape. You are practicing in 3 v 2 and 4 v 3 etc type situations. Players learn shape by absorption of being able to possess and dispossess during these elements. But you aren't sitting there with an 11 year old explaining to him his role as a 2nd attacker or defender. Just practice and let it happen through lots of touches.

[Unregistered]

What exactly do they do for the first 45 mins? I am curious.

BB is all over today. Since you used to be with them, why don't you tell us?

[Unregistered]

Who is right? Here's a long-winded answer: My hope is that my kids will want to play soccer at age 14, 24, 34, 44 and maybe 54, always at the best level they can achieve, always with joyful confidence. I want them to think of me when they play, and thank me for the opportunities I've provided them to learn from a young age the right way to strike a ball, to use both feet, to trap the ball, to do all the 'building block' things I'm paying for them to learn. (Yes--I have to pay others, as I am not a player, though I happily stumble along, trying to play with them.) I want them to love the game. The only way this will happen is if they have fun and get satisfaction from playing. I know from personal experience (albeit in a different game) that playing a sport you love is beneficial in many ways: it is a fantastic ice breaker in an unfamiliar environment (such as when you arrive at a big university, or at a new city, or at a new job); it is a tremendous opportunity to make friends and bond with people in a positive environment (the post-game beer is sooo much better than the six-pack in front of the TV); the health benefits of an active life are unquestionable; working to improve your game, and seeing results when you reach goals is a phenomenal source of earned self-confidence. What kind of youth soccer has the best chance of making this happen? Not once-a-week, dad-coached rec soccer, which can be loads of fun, don't get me wrong, but doesn't build the competency needed for a life-long player. Not "learn your position and your role in my system" soccer, because that (even if coupled with excellent technical training) creates a grim, result driven perception of the game-as-job that inevitably becomes joyless. (Again, I'm relying on my personal experience, but kids who get yelled at don't learn to love their game. They might learn to 'perform', but they don't love their game.) I believe that the best chance of creating the kind of appetite for the game I'm hoping for comes from youth training that will fill these kids with skills that might rust over the years but will never completely disappear; skills that will allow them to fit into a game in any environment--and make them WANT to find a game. Skills that they will pass on to others, so that we can actually have a soccer culture here, and bring the masses to this game in a way that our current approach is failing to do. When the masses come to soccer, greatness will emerge. We don't have to get rid of games--if parents and coaches can curb their egos, competition is a great thing for kids. We just can't allow it to drive people away from the game. Wins and Losses and Revenue and Retention and Market Share and Paying Customers are the shibboleths of the youth sports "tacticians" and have ZERO to do with creating a love of the game that will lead to the soccer culture I dream of.

Awesome post. I agree and though there are parents of future D1 players on this site, I'd venture to guess that most of are not, or it's too early to even know that, so for me personally this sums up our approach to our kids soccer endgame. Simply to love the game enough to play throughout their entire life, at the highest level they are able and garner all the side benefits that playing a sport also garners them. When my husband and I first discussed having kids, one of the things we agreed on, was investing our money (we are not wealthy) in sports should they show interest. We both agree its worth the investment, not for some elusive scholarship payoff, but for the reasons you outlined. And I agree, it's not an all or nothing proposition with games and competition. Playing the game is where the love of the game comes from IMO, but as you said, it's the ego's involved with the adults that becomes the biggest hinderance to creating the soccer culture you aspire to.