A System

The game of soccer has changed over the years and so has how a player is trained and developed. Every year, there is a “new way” of training kids that is now the “right way” to coach and considered the “only way” to help a player reach the level wish they want to achieve. Although the fundamental developmental areas of soccer have stayed consistent, the way they are taught to players has changed with the game. Over the years the best players have been developed in many different areas of the world in different systems of development. The Germans, Brazilians, English, and Spanish (just to name a few), have a very unique style of play and all develop players differently. At this point, many people are studying the Spanish or German model as their success in recent years has drawn appropriate attention.  As the game changes, as coaches, we need to change. We need to prepare players to be successful in a game where the demands are changing constantly. How do we do this? Well, there is a simple answer…

Develop a system! The one thing all the successful coaches and clubs around the world have in common is each one has a very specific system to developing players. The system changes over time with the game, but from an early age to the professional levels, what the players need to learn at each age of development, and how they will learn it, are established before the players even take the field. What a player does at U10 is directly related to what they need to be able to do at U18, and how a player is asked to play at U18 is a result of what they learned when they were 10 years old. Everything is connected, everything is done for a reason, and there is no deviation from the values and principles that are believed to be important to developing players.

Having a system is not an easy thing. It requires everyone in an organization to be working towards the same goal knowing what is expected from start to finish. Like any organization, this is usually one of the most important factors on whether or not the group is successful. It is hard to accomplish anything with a group of people if no one is working together to accomplish the same thing. With soccer organizations, this means all coaches need to fully understand from start to finish what is expected at each age group and what will be done to try to accomplish the developmental targets for the players. This helps establish and sustain a environment and culture that matches up to the program's goals for development.

A player in a program with a set system should find it very easy to move from one stage of development to the next.  A change in coach does not mean a change in philosophy or focus in training (which happens a lot in youth soccer). A change in coach means the “next step” to helping the player become a better player. This step is built off what was learned the year before and will prepare the player for what will be required in the future. This is not only developmentally beneficial for the player, but in addition, creates an environment where the player will always feel prepared for what is being asked of them from their coaches. To often, a change in coach means a complete deviation from what has been taught previously. This can frustrate a player and completely stall or reverse progress made in previous years.

Having a system does not guarantee success, but not having a system will ensure failure. A system in place is essential for a coach or organization to help players achieve their goals, but the system must be created with the players needs in mind. It needs to be carefully thought out while considering the goals of the players, the age of the players, the current level of the players, the community/culture, among many other things. The system needs to make sense for all players in the program from start to finish.

This is where coaches and programs can be set up to fail. To research and learn what is working in other parts of the country or world is a great thing, but then to simply say, “Well, that is what we are going to do” is a big mistake. The next step is the proverbial “sticking a round peg in square hole.” The coaches or clubs try to make another organization’s system work for their players, but they will never find the same level of success as the coach or organization that designed the system for their own use. Why? The system was designed for someone else.

Instead, they should study the systems and best practices of other coaches and clubs, and use those ideas to develop a system designed specifically for their community of players. If an organizations wants to provide the best environment possible for their players to develop and improve over a period of time, a system designed specifically for those players is essential. The system may be different for each organization and that difference is a good thing for the game. Different and competing ideas often lead to innovation and more effective coaching. There will be areas where the systems are similar and other areas where they are very different.  In short, there is no “magic system” that is guaranteed to produce players, but the first step and most important one to developing players for coaches and clubs is having a system in place.

A system, with a set curriculum, implemented through a set coaching philosophy, with established developmental goals for players at different age groups and ability levels will give players the best chance of improving over time. A coach who works independently with a team or clubs with multiple coaches and teams, need to work off of a system, not randomly, to give players a clear path to reaching their developmental goals. It is not easy, especially for youth soccer clubs, who have many coaches, from very different playing backgrounds, and varying levels of commitment to the game. But, if our goal as coaches is to help players develop, how can we possibly accomplish that without a plan.

Player development is complex, it is tricky, with each player growing and learning at different rates and in different ways. With a system, every decision a coach or organization makes can be measured against whether or not that decision is in line with that system and what it is trying to achieve. So, if you want to develop players, the first thing you must do is develop a system. Trying to develop a player without a system is the same as trying to build a house without a blueprint.  In the end, you may have worked tirelessly to build something, but will be left with just a pile of good intentions.

What is required to have a system to developing players?

Philosophy: What are the values and beliefs of the system for the coaches and players?

Curriculum: What, how, when and why will players in your program learn different skill areas of the game?

Targets: How will you measure whether or not the system is working for the players?

Leaders: Who will make sure the expectations and policies of the system are implemented at all times?

Culture: Are you trying to build, change, or strengthen an already established culture around the game? How will the system foster this culture?

Dedicated Team: Are the right/necessary people in place to implement the system?

Critical Evaluation: When change is needed, how, when, why, and what will be done to adjust the system as the need occurs?

Flexibility: Does the system allow for the proper handling of variables that need to be addressed without deviating from the overall mission of the system? Rigid systems will be more likely to break under the slightest pressure.