Coaching Youth Soccer

Player Development Starts in the Socks by John DeBenedictis

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Have you ever watched the best players in the world and wondered: how did they do that? They perform a brilliant pass, finding a player in the open while being under extreme pressure. Or they score a brilliant goal and it seemed as if the player knew where everything and everyone was and then made the right decision under pressure. It may be a quick dribble into a space that didn’t even seem to be there but suddenly appeared.

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A Tribute to Alan Maher by Tony Filicchia

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:39:30 GMT

He opened my eyes to a different way of seeing the game, and of teaching it to the teams I've worked with. I have had some great teachers through my development as a coach, from the coaches in the U55F schools and the 5tate coaches I've met and worked with, and I have benefitted from all of their knowledge. But I have to say that the messages contained in Coach Maher's words are among the simplest and most useful. More...

Do It Anyhow by Alan Maher

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:39:30 GMT

I have written about Rinus Michels before. He was a great Dutch coach and was named “Coach of the Century” by FIFA, the international governing body of soccer. He died last winter. He wrote about an exercise in which a wing player centers the ball to four teammates running at the goal. More...

Cross Town Rivals by Alan Maher

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:39:28 GMT

We learned sportsmanship and how to deal with a bitter opponent. It was a very positive experience. It was always a good learning experience. We shook hands at the end and said, wait until next year!More...

Standing on the Sidelines by Alan Maher

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:39:28 GMT

Thirty-five years have turned soccer upside-down. Now we have ropes by the sidelines and uniformed people keep the parents at a "distance" fro the field. People are arrested and /or sued. Restraining orders are issued. People are banned from the fields of soccer (and other sports).More...

Down the Road by Alan Maher

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:39:28 GMT

So I ask you, are we going down the same road? Will we fail down the road? Will we blame the coach for all the problems that we have created with the players? More...

The End of My Son's Soccer Season

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:39:27 GMT

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.More...