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Getting It Right by Alan Maher |
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Article Posted By Jeannette Dewazien on
9/29/2008
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Recently I watched a local high school soccer practice. It was an interesting experience. The coach showed all the players a three player pass combination. He then organized the team into small groups of attackers against defenders. They all wore pinnies and were spread out all over the field. The coach and his assistant ran from group to group to make corrections. It did not go well. The passing was not good and the running off the ball was not good. The players had a hard time controlling the ball-keeping possession. I was fascinated.
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Practice By Alan Maher |
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Article Posted By Jeannette Dewazien on
9/17/2008
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I went to see a local high school practice yesterday. I knew that they had a game today and was curious as to what they did the day before a game. Some comments are in order: The season should be a learning season. I feel that the coach is obligated to teach something at each practice. Something new, different and better. And this should include games or exercises. Continue to teach and develop the team. Even if practice is only an hour to rest the weary bones, I want the team to learn something, not just review.
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What Is Going On? |
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Article Posted By Jeannette Dewazien on
9/12/2008
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I was sitting in my favorite soccer shop next to a grandmother type with the grand daughter who at the age of five needed new and expensive soccer shoes. “Had she been playing long?” I asked. Well, yes more than a year. She was on a travel team. I expressed amazement at playing travel ball at that age. She explained that all her children started young and played for a long time. My own son started late and played four years for William and Mary. When parents mention a long time and leave off the high school or college playing days, I figure that the kids packed it in at about the age of 13!
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Let's Give Them a Big Hand by Alan Maher |
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Article Posted By Jeannette Dewazien on
8/12/2008
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This summer we had big soccer news here in town. A local boys' team had two players selected to be on the state select team. This honor placed them in a select team camp for a week of training. Then we had a team of ten year olds who won a big tournament - Girls.
Then we had a team of twelve year old girls win the state championship. So let us give a big hand to all three groups - really. But I wonder how many will be around to play high school soccer or college soccer. The burn-out rate is very high here. Let us consider some factors in all of this.
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What is a "Head" Coach? by Alan Maher |
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Article Posted By Jeannette Dewazien on
7/28/2008
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I read your note from a "Head" coach who wanted to know how to deal with parents. I wanted to cry. Really. For me, the head coach is supposed to coach kids soccer. Under active parents and over active parents are not part of the equation. What is a head coach, by the way? Head of what? The team or a club or more?
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The End of My Son's Soccer Season |
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Coaching Youth Soccer
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Article Posted By admin on
7/4/2008
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One boy on the team has a brother in special education. Downs syndrome. The brother comes to every game and cheers on the team. He does not understand all the rules of soccer or know the names of the players, but he runs along the touch line opposite the player's bench and cheers the team.
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Talking with a Baseball Manager |
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Article Posted By Jeannette Dewazien on
7/4/2008
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My neighbor manages a local baseball team and I know that he has a good reputation in the area. I decided to stop waving “hello as I went by and instead stop and talk. So we talked about baseball. I was full of questions.
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It's Tryout Time by Alan Maher |
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Article Posted By Jeannette Dewazien on
6/10/2008
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A little over thirty seven years ago I helped found the local soccer club. We had a few coaches and even fewer talented players. The local league restricted enrollment to two zip codes. No poaching, as they said then. So we registered the players and trained the coaches. I was left with the task of training the coaches since I had gone to Fordham for a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Teaching. I worked up a course and ran it by Gordon Bradley.
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Gordon-isms by Alan Maher |
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Article Posted By Jeannette Dewazien on
5/28/2008
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My friend Gordon Bradley died recently. He had coached many stars for the old New York Cosmos and the Washington Diplomats. He ended his career coaching at the college level. His son, Paul, sent me a list of some things that he used to say to his players at the professional and college level. I would not pretend that the words are original as some are obvious paraphrases of others. I am listing them because they are pungent and worth repeating.
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It's All Over by Alan Maher |
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Article Posted By Jeannette Dewazien on
5/20/2008
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It is time to write a few words about lacrosse. This is a game that began in New York by several local Indian tribes. It is now well organized and gaining in popularity. I was familiar with the game more sixty years ago when I was manager of our high school lacrosse team. The people who watch the game are fun to watch. They know nothing of the game, so they sit and politely, applaude for goals and never have a comment about the coaching or the officiating of the game. It is a wonderful experience to behold. Well behaved parents.
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