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"No lines, No laps, No Lectures" - Karl Dewazien

 U6 Diary of a Coach

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 Parts 1 - 3  Diary of a U6 Coach

 
 

Diary of U6 Coach (Part I)

The Trials and Tribulations of an

"A" Licensed Coach Working with Young Children 

By Stephen Cochran,
USSF "A" Licensed Coach


You will feel better about coaching young players after following Steve's venture through a season with his 6 year old son...
 
I started coaching when my sisters' team needed a coach. Sure, I had coached some basketball for 3rd and 4th graders, some boys water for high school age players, played some NCAA water polo, and a little semi-pro soccer, but I was not prepared for what I was about to walk into.
 
My first CYSA team was an under 15s girls team. I had been told that they were undefeated and had the coach quit right before the District Cup. I showed up at the first practice with all of my running drills, shooting drills, cones for dribbling around, and my whistle and clipboard. I thought that I was totally prepared. 6 players showed up and I ran them to death. Actually, no one died, but it was tough to believe these girls were the best. Well, I came to find out that they had won very few games in the past couple of years and were having trouble filling the roster. I was a tall, relatively good-looking 24-year-old man at the time. I found this to be favorable for recruiting as many girls started to come after that first practice. Needless to say, we lost the first match in district cup (it was single elimination format), and I questioned what I was doing there.
 
I decided that more practice was necessary and so we started to practice five times per week during Feb/Mar to get ready for the state cup. We ended up winning our first game and lost our second game. We then played the number one team in the state for our third game. Well, we went up one nothing on them when my weakest player shot the ball from about 60 yards out, had the wind at her back, and it bounced twice, the second time over the GKs head. They proceeded to come back and tie us and then went ahead in the closing minutes on a bicycle kick off a corner kick.
 
That match hooked me. I figured there must be some way to be able to teach that level of play. They weren't any better athletes; they were just better soccer players.
My team paid for me to go to the E course. I didn't know there was an F course. I completed it and the instructor gave me an F license, that was 1987. Since then I completed a second E course, and all the rest of the courses through the A license.
 
In 1989, I started to teach kids soccer in soccer classes in a program called Kid Love Soccer. I also started to run summer soccer camps through a church and through the recreation departments. I was coaching a Junior Varsity team as well as a club team. I started forming teams and bringing on coaches to take over the teams. It is great to se how soccer has grown in the last 15 years.
 
Later I was being recruited to coach the State ODP team and Varsity High school teams. I had never applied to be a coach until 2002.  Prior to that, I was recruited and it seemed like fun. It is still fun. I have been involved with class 1 programs for almost 15 years and have enjoyed it thoroughly.
 
My son is now six years old and I finally decided that he should play on a team. He has wanted to, but I sheltered him. I also understand the importance of loving the game and having fun, so I decided that we would play in the local recreation programs and focus on enjoying the beautiful game of soccer. I did not want a coach to mess this up, so I decided to take on the position.
 
Boy, they aren't class 1, but it is a lot less stressful. I decided not to judge the teams performance on game results, rather on execution of items learned. For example, if we learn the locked L pass, then I evaluate our result on the success of our locked L passes. It really makes the game much more enjoyable.
 
FUNdamental Readers: We will follow Steve's venture through a full season. He will give you the ins and outs of working with young children. He will let you know - that you are not alone...!
 

  

U6 Diary  (Part 2)
By Stephen Cochran
USSF "A" Licensed Coach

At soccer practice this week, we focused on the figure 8 warm up and the serve.

 We concentrated on the routine as the boys are under 7's. We use the key word "Los Altos" and are just trying to keep the soccer ball close on the figure 8. We have fun using the left foot only (is this the correct foot coach?). When using only the left foot, most the players used both feet (go figure!).

We are learning which is the right foot and which is the left foot. The boys really like making the goals.
 
Since I have taught them 3 moves prior: the step-over, scissors, and cut move, we try to have them use those while dribbling or in the middle of the 8. Age appropriate is dribbling, so I emphasize moves. This also gives me a measurable goal each game.
 
It turns out that the other youth soccer teams in our youth soccer league are all one year older. Since we get killed by the other youth soccer team (the mercy rule is not enforced), so I look to measuring success on the use of moves when they have the ball.
 
When we work on the serve, we have learned the pattern this week and have added a move between the front and rear and have used the terminology push-peek-pass.
There are so many corrections to make with the server that I have not even begun to work on the receiver. We have now spent 4 practices on the serve and the figure 8 and still have not mastered either.
 
We did have an interesting situation arise at the youth soccer game on Saturday. We were warming up and I only had 7 soccer balls and we had all 8 youth soccer players show up at the soccer game. We use the figure 8 to warm up (just like practice) and we were one ball short. I told the players that if they walked during the figure 8, then they would lose their ball to the player who was doing it without a ball, just running.
 
Boy, everybody was working hard. Then, during the dribbling around, I told the youth soccer player without the soccer ball to try and take it from the other youth soccer players. I put the requirement that the other players could not run away, but that they must use moves to beat the defender.
 
Gosh, the moves looked great. I wish we were done there. But alas, no.
We had a youth soccer game to play in which we made 3 moves in 40 minutes. The score of the game was 15-0 (we didn't win), but the kids had a great time.
 
I focused on the moves the whole time. We talked about it, they understood what to do, and then they got on the field and didn't do it.
 
I was unhappy, but the kids were in great spirits and that is what is important.
The parents were in great spirits as well. Boy, do I have a lot to learn about the game and children at this age.  

  

 
U6 Diary  (Part 3)
 
By Stephen Cochran

This last couple of weeks has really made me look at myself in a mirror.  I realized that I am there to teach the kids and I am appreciated.  During one of the games, I started getting stressed that the kids weren't doing the items that I had been teaching.  Oh wow, did I need a sub (for myself!!!).  I turned around and one of the parents came up to me and said "we love what you're doing with the kids.  They are learning so much."  This is when we are down 12 - 0.  The end of the soccer game comes and my youth soccer team comes off the field and is jumping with joy.  I said
"What's up guys?"  They replied with "Did you see that big guy fall down during the game?  That was so funny."  Here we lost and didn't do the items we were supposed to and the kids were having a good time.  They found the positives.  Can we learn from them?
 
Had a great time this week at practice.  We have started using the figure 8 warm ups at every practice and the games, so when the kids arrive they always grab two cones and tell each other "Come on, we're playing Los Altos!"  We use the code words Los Altos to make the 8 and the code word Go to pick up the cones.  The kids love it.  So today, I didn't bring any cones to practice.  One of the kids asked where the cones were.  I told him that they were at my home.  He said "Oh, then I guess we just play Go.  We can't do the Los Altos!"  I couldn't hold back my laughter as he was totally serious and I thought it was the funniest statement. 
 
We worked on receiving the ball with the foot in the air (slightly) and one player was hopping around, refusing to put his foot down as he needed to keep it up to receive the ball.  Today, I did an experiment, could the players do the serve without the cones.  Answer - YES!!!  It worked.  Then I ended practice after 45 minutes and the kids asked if they could keep playing.  An hour later, their parents finally asked them to stop. 
 
This was fun.  No coach, just kids playing and arguing as to if it was a foul, is it a corner kick, if it hit the post, would it have gone in or gone wide.  It was great.  It is a shame that we lose almost all of our games.  We did win one the other day and the players were just beaming.  I was so happy for them.