Winning and Development

Oh no, not another article about how I should not expect my child’s team to win! I am tired of hearing that the goal of the team is not to win games. Why play sports if your goal is not trying to win the game? That is the benefit of sports… sports teach young kids how to compete and deal with wins and losses, handle success and set backs, and teach that hard work can lead to success.

Yes, this is all true and I have heard parents and coaches say this very often. I personally do not disagree with any of that reasoning.  Kids should compete and expect to be successful in games and try to win. As a coach, I would never tell a player to not try to win, but would never tell a player they failed because they did not win.

The line is drawn when winning is what drives everything the coach does in training and in games, and the ONLY thing that is being taught to the kids to value about their experience on the field. Players need to be given the tools to be able to win, not just now, but later on as well. These tools are the skills and knowledge to play the game, not to win the game. This is where the line will get blurry at times.

No matter what sport, when teaching players, the “lessons” need to resemble how the game is ACTUALLY played. For example, when you see defenders on young soccer teams just standing inside their own 18 yard box, a coach is teaching them how to win. Having the kids stay in the box will definitely help prevent the other team from scoring. But, is this how the game is really played? You just have to watch a Crew game and see that team's defenders do not just stand inside the 18 yard box the entire game. What about the two outside defenders? One of their key responsibilities is to get forward and support the attack!

As parents, when you evaluate your child’s team, you should want them to win games, but you want to make sure the team, and more importantly, your child, are trying to win games the way the game is ACTUALLY PLAYED and there is development of their skill and understanding of the game.

Stan Baker, in his book, “Our Competition is the World,” lists out some questions for parents to use to evaluate their child’s team and what is being reinforced by the coach. I have listed the questions below. These questions are intended for players 10 years of age and older. Under 10, these questions do not apply as well, but you can still decide if what is being taught to younger kids will help them be able to do these things later on.

1. Are the players attempting to pass the ball on the ground to teammates, or are most passes just played long and far into space?
2. Does the team try to possess the ball? How many passes the average possession last?
3. Is the ball up in the air or out of play for a large part of the game?
4. Does the team pass the ball laterally from one side of the field to the other switching the point of attack? Are they patient in building an attack or do they hurry to kick the ball forward?
5. How often is the ball passed backwards? On a more evolved team the ball should be played back once every three to four passes.
6. Does the team rely almost solely on kicking the ball forward to a big fast player up front to score, and on another big fast player in the back to cover for mistakes and send the ball forward? If so, what kind of soccer experience is the rest of the team getting?
7. Does the game appear to be out of control? Are there frequent, consecutive changes in possession?
8. Are all players moving to create space or to support the ball, or does the team rely on only a few players?
9. Do the players always play in the same position on the field or is there rotation?
10. Has the team evolved from the beginning to the end of the season? Has YOUR child progressed as a player?

As you can see, playing the ball backwards, not just kicking forward, trying to make passes, and not relying on just one or two kids to win the game, are all part of playing the game correctly. But how often are these ideas part of what kids learn when they step on the soccer field? Unfortunately, it is more common to see teams being asked to just play the ball forward, not take risks to try to pass to teammates (especially backwards or across the field) or dribble the ball, or just relying on a couple kids to win a game. These things will help teams win games when they are younger, but where is the development for the team and each individual player?

So you want to win huh? That is a great thing, and something needed to be successful in sports. All I am suggesting is to help the kids win by teaching them how to play the game correctly. Laureano Ruiz, former Head Coach and Youth Academy Director for FC Barcelona said it best:

"Let us say that you and I coach two teams of 10 year olds and all are about equally good. You try to teach them to play good football, a passing game with tactical basics while I tell mine to only play long balls and try to shoot. I can assure you [at first] I will always win against you by using your mistakes. Intercept a bad pass and goal! However, if we continue with the same training methods during a three year period, you will most likely win every game against us. Your players will have learned how to play while mine haven't. That’s how easy it is."