Team or Club

Does your child identify with being part of a team or a club? Both? In youth soccer, players are normally assigned to teams and they stick with those teams throughout the entire year. Although part of a larger club, the players primarily only interact with the players on their team and their coach. Often, these teams operate independently of other teams within the same age group or the next age group up or down, and rarely have interaction with players outside of their developmental age band or the coaches who work with those groups. Although all players are part of the same club, a player’s experience can be isolated to just a single team or coach.

Unlike clubs in other parts of the world, where players are developed as part of an entire club vision and culture, in the United States, it is more common to find players being developed within the confines of a team or single group of players isolated from others. Does a U10 player in Barcelona’s program see himself as a player on the U10 team or on “Coach Smith’s Team?” Probably not. I am confident the culture and program encourages the player to see himself as part of the club, and as part of an entire program. The player will feel a connection, not just to the players of his age group, but all the players up to the senior team.

If your child is part of a “club”, than the player would identify with not just the players on his team, but would find a sense of family and community among the entire organization. The players get to interact on a consistent basis with other players throughout the club structure. All coaches and players would see each other as responsible for the success of the entire group, not just a single team. They understand they are part of something bigger, a bigger community, which can do more influential things through a larger pool of resources and support, and create more opportunities to help each player develop over the years.

Maybe your child is part of one of the few soccer clubs trying to create this type of environment?

Everything else in youth sports is "team" based so it is hard to get others to see the idea of "team" in a broader perspective. A child's team can be much bigger than just 10 kids. It can be a group of 30 or more of his peers, both boys and girls, and players of different ages and abilities. All can be part of making the season and experience within the club, not only exciting and fun, but developmentally the best learning environment possible for each player.

It is not just beneficial to be able to move kids around into different environments for a variety of developmental opportunities for soccer, but it is required in order to develop a very well rounded and knowledgeable player. That is the purpose and benefit of a club versus a single team. A club can provide more opportunities than a single team can, and to create an organized effort to help the player develop and grow over the years should be the goal of every soccer club. The measure of a great club is not in the number of teams it has. A great club can be measured by the number of experiences and opportunities provided to each player. The only way for a club to provide that is to work as a “club” and not as a number of teams all operating independently from each other.

The ability to move players around and not isolate them to a team has its benefits. I relate it reading groups in the classroom, and the school environment in general when talking to parents about this idea of a “club” versus “team” environment. At the beginning of a school year children are put in a reading group appropriate to their level, but the child is not kept in a particular group the entire year since a child's abilities tend to change. The hope would be the teacher would move kids into different groups, or even different programs, throughout the year, that were appropriate based on a child's growth and development. The teacher would not wait until next school year to move them.

By consistently making sure a child is in the correct group (environment), appropriately challenged and motivated, it is more likely they will not only learn to read, but will show more growth over the year and enjoy it more. Would that not be true when it comes to a child’s soccer development as well?

Also, when it comes to school, we tend to identify with being part of an entire school community versus just being in “Mr. Smith's classroom.” In school, parents and the community see a kid as part of the entire system and hope for outstanding educational experiences within the classroom, but also within the entire school and community, that will support and be part of their child’s growth. Even though a student may spend the majority of his time each year with a particular teacher or group of teachers, there are a lot of experiences outside of the classroom offered as part of their overall educational development.

With that in mind, taking the soccer model from a “team” based to a “club” based model would have the same benefits for kids’ soccer development. Instead of only being with a single coach and a single group of players, can the players have the opportunity to develop with different kids and coaches, in a variety of training and game formats, that are not only fun, but provide a much deeper and more comprehensive approach to their overall soccer development.

Moving outside the soccer specific benefits of a club model over a team model, the social benefits of having a bigger "family" to be a part of are also important to the players. Operating as a club provides more opportunities for the kids to interact and develop relationships with different types of players/kids and to make more friends. When players are isolated on teams, they get stuck in social groups where they have “a role” and normally have certain expectations to live up to. When that social group continues to change, the kids have to continue to redefine their roles based on their environment and the other kids they are playing with. This helps players become not only more confident in a variety of social situations, but gives them diverse opportunities to play different roles within these social groups. In one group, they may be a leader who takes charge, while in another social circle, they may be more supportive in nature while others take charge. It teaches the kids how to be successful in different collaborative environments and how to deal appropriately with diverse personalities.

Being part of a club means a full comprehensive plan from start to finish. The curriculum and development focus is consistent between age groups. The experiences go beyond being part of a single team, but being part of a larger community that all have a vested interest in how one another are doing. With that interest, comes an approach that allows players to be influenced and mentored by many, not just a few. With the diversity in training, experiences, coaches, teammates, friends, and within the community comes an invaluable developmental model that helps to cultivate higher level people who can perform well on any soccer field and in any environment.

Being part of a team is a great experience. Being part of a club can be life changing experience that lasts beyond a child’s playing years.

Go Fishing for Defenders

One of my favorite things to watch a player do on the field is to “bait” a defender into biting at a move or feint and then quickly taking the space the defender left. I love watching a player confidently move the ball towards a defender and set the defender up to miss the ball. What makes it so enjoyable? It is not a very common skill among youth players, so we do not see it that often. Yes, kids know different moves and feints, but very few really know how to use those moves to set defenders up to fail. Many can perform a “step over” but they do not know the best time to do it to get the defender to lunge for the ball. Like when someone goes fishing, you cannot just throw your line in the water. It is critical to know where to fish, when to fish, and use the right bait in order to catch a lot of fish.

When working with players on the ability to take defenders on and beat them with the soccer ball, there is often a great display of skill moves and creativity which is great to see. With that said, often, this is a lot of “activity without purpose” on the ball. Players need to have a variety of moves they can use to beat defenders, and be confident to use those moves, but more importantly, the players need to understand why and when to use them. This will be different for each player based on their strengths and weaknesses, but each move should be done with purpose.

For example, if a player is doing a “fake – take” when they lunge past the ball with one foot and then take it with the other foot past the defender, a pretty basic move that is very effective, does the player know why they faked left or right? Or does the player always go in the same direction when performing that move? We want a player to recognize space or an opportunity to move the ball forward behind the defender, but the player needs to try to get the defender to step out of the space the players wants to attack. If the player wants to attack to the left, will the player fake to the right to move the defender and then take the open space? Often, the player just does the move and then attacks in the opposite direction without much regard for what the defender is doing or where the space is on the field.

I have asked players before, “Why did you go that direction?” Normally, they do not have a reason, but it is special to hear a player explain where the space was on the field and how he was trying to get in to it. It shows a tremendous understanding of the game and ability to translate “skill moves” into a practical and effective way to beat defenders in the game. This is when moves become very useful for players and the game becomes much easier because the player realizes a critical part of the game. Simply, the defender cannot take away all the space on the field. There is always something exposed that can be attacked.

Simple concept, but players do not realize it. The defender can only take away the space he is currently standing. By using moves and feints, a player can move a defender out of space that the player on the ball wants to attack. As the defender “bites” on a player pretending to move or pass in one direction, the player easily can move in the opposite direction with the ball. The player sees the game as simple as moving the defender in one direction to go the other. Like playing chess, and “baiting” someone to take your Pawn, but by doing so, it exposes the other player’s Queen.

This is a different approach than most players take. As many players will just throw a barrage of moves at a defender, but really have no purpose or direction to any of the movement and effort. After all the fancy foot work, the player is still in front of the defender with the ball. More often than not, all that unneeded activity creates more opportunity for the attacking player to make a mistake and lose control of the ball, making it easier for the defender to to win the ball and gain possession. I want players to be creative and crafty on the ball, but that does not mean complicated. Often, creative and crafty is a simple, but unexpected, movement with purpose.

When it is with a purpose, and players recognize opportunities to use moves at the right times, it is like fishing in the right spot, at the right time of day, and with the right bait. You are more likely to beat the defender, just like you are more likely to catch a fish. Having a fishing pole and bait does not make you a great fisherman, just like knowing a bunch of skill moves does not make you a great player in 1v1 situations. Knowing how to use the tools in the right way is the key difference between being average and being great. As players need to develop the skill level to perform various moves with the ball, those skills then need to be put into context so they understand how, where, and why “to fish” with them in the game.

Like a veteran fisherman will tell you, there are not a set of rules about how and where to fish to get the best results. Often decisions are made by instinct and experience over a lot of practice and time improving their craft. For players, this is true as well. There are no set rules about how to use skill moves and feints in games. It is about finding the way it works best for the player. Over many attempts, successful and not, players can develop an understanding of how best to use the skill moves they learn. This is a key reason why it is important players are given the freedom to try those moves often in practice and games.

Eventually, those decisions are not even really decisions. At the speed in which the game moves, players will need to react almost subconsciously to what is happening around them and utilize the needed move without thinking about it. That only comes from a lot of time and experience trying skill moves in real game situations, and getting the feedback from the game on what works. Players begin to pick up on cues and movements of defenders which trigger a reaction that is appropriate and helps the player beat the defender or keep possession.

Think of it this way… when a defender steps in front of a player to win the ball, the player cuts the ball back away from the defender without a long thought process of, “Oh, here comes the defender, which foot should I use to cut this ball away from the defender and which way should I go?” It just happens based off of visual cues and what the player has learned over the years of playing. It becomes an automated response which appears to give the player more time and increases their speed of play. Without any hesitation or pause, the player makes a move. This is why at the professional level, it may seem that the players have a lot of time and space on the field, but in reality, the decisions are being made so quickly that it only appears they have more time.

Not only do we want players to learn a variety of skill moves and be confident in their use, we want players to develop an understanding of how to use them. When players understand why and how to implement skill moves in a game, it makes it very easy for them to “bait” defenders in and “catch” them out of position. Only through constant repetition, meaningful practice, and encouragement from the coach using guided teaching methods, can players begin to figure out how best to utilize their ability to beat a player in a game.

Over time, they will become expert fisherman with a “wall of defenders” to show off all their best catches.

Play, Learn, and Create

When coaching soccer, it is easy to get caught up in all the technical and tactical aspects of the game that you want your players to learn, and all are skill areas I am sure the players need to know very well to have success on the field. We know we want the players to learn those skills, but how do we approach teaching it to them, or a better question, how will the kids approach learning those skills? It is the approach that kids take to learning new skills that we need to pay attention to so we know how to teach it to assist in the process of learning. During a training sessions, I know the kids will want to play and that is how they will learn. How will I know if they picked up the skills? They will demonstrate a strong understanding, a mastery of those skills, once they are able to create things I did not ask them to do on their own without any direction.

Play is a great word because it can be used to describe so many different things. It can be used describe almost any situation or activity in which an individual, of any age, is doing what they want, when they want, and enjoying it. It can be done alone or in a group (small or large). Usually play involves very little structure or rules, but it still usually always has a distinct goal or purpose. Often one of the goals of “play” is to get better at whatever is being done. This is true even though someone playing would not probably point to that as being the reason, which is a great thing, and why play is so valuable.

For example, when I was a kid, we built ramps and rode our bikes off them in the street. Now we were playing, and definitely having a lot of fun, but at the same time, there was this internal push to get better at jumping off that ramp. Once we could go over one ramp and land it consistently without falling, then we wanted to go off an even higher and steeper ramp, even when we knew we would fall much more often and fail the first time we tried. If we kept going over the same ramp, at the same height, over and over, it would eventually get boring and we would not want to do it anymore. As kids, we did not think of it this way. We just did not want to be bored, and it is fun to be challenged. Even though we were not consciously doing it to get better, each time we reached a certain level, we tried to do a little bit more. It made it more fun, and it helped us get better. The fun usually can be found just outside where we are comfortable.

At the same time we were making ramps higher, just going over them and landing was no longer all we wanted to do. We could do that...now what? Well, how about a twist of the handle bars, or try to spin around in the air? I am not saying we never got hurt, but we were playing, having fun, and without anyone pushing us to do so, we were trying to get better... and we got better.

Think of a kid’s video game. If they completed a level and then just had to repeat it again, they would probably not want to play it very long. Although the game itself is fun, it is only fun because there is another challenge around the corner. When do kids stop playing a video game, usually when they have beaten every level or there is nothing left to accomplish.

Play is a critical part of a player’s development because it is the foundation of how we learn anything. It is nature’s coach, and the way we were born to discover our limits and surpass them. We did it as kids, and still might do it as adults in some aspects of our lives. When you think of a training session, play must be involved heavily within the session for kids to learn. We need to create that experience within each session to ensure the same sense of enjoyment and internal drive to try new and challenging skills is present as it is essential for learning and growth.

Now, when you play, there is a process in which you take to learn. You learn what works and what does not as you fail and succeed at the task. Let’s go back to my experience jumping over ramps on my bike as a kid. We fell off our bikes, got bruises, and were too scared at times to try something new. We would “inch” into new jumps or more challenging tricks. We failed a lot more often than we succeed. We “wrecked” the bikes and our bodies... at first, but than we landed more often on two wheels rather than our face. But after each fall, we thought about what went wrong, tried to fix it,and tried it again. This was the benefit of the “play.” There was no one there to say, “Don’t do that” or “Don’t try that again.” There was also no one there trying to talk us out of trying something. Trying to convince us we were not good enough or it was too risky. We determined what we were going to try again, how we were going to do it, and when we were ready. This is how we learned.

At practice or in a soccer game, it is the same. Things do NOT work a lot more often than they do work. The worst thing as coaches we can do is take the “play” out of the game, and tell kids not to try difficult skills, things just beyond their current level, again, and again, and again when they play. After each failure, we need to be the voice that helps them correct the mistakes, as well as the voice that tells them to try it again. The same fear free environment that we all are part of when we play needs to be created by coaches on the soccer field. It is the natural way the players learn new skills. We cannot expect players to play just beyond their current abilities while at the same time criticizing and chastising them after every mistake. The mistakes should not just be expected and welcomed, they should be a sign to both the coach and the player, that learning is taking place and development is in the process. The play is being used to learn. Frankly, when kids come to practice and expect a mistake free day, or focus on not making mistakes, they are no longer “playing” and that key element needed to learn is lost. It becomes more of a scripted environment, a staged reenactment of playing soccer, and the kids are just trying to memorize their lines to avoid any “boos” from the crowd (a coach or parent).

Now, once the learning is happening, and the skills and confidence are improving, players will then feel comfortable to create with their new knowledge and skills. That is the evidence that every coach should be looking for to see if their players truly understand the concepts being taught. Once the players take those skills and start doing what they want with them, things that the coach did not even ask them to do, the players are demonstrating a strong understanding and confidence with those skills. Their competency is on full display.

Don’t believe me? One of the most common things I hear coaches say is (me included), “The kids did great with this (skill/concept) in training, but never use it in the game.” Well, this is exactly why. In a scripted controlled environment, they can repeat what you are asking them to do. But in the unpredictable environment of the game, the players do not really have enough understanding to create using those skills in that environment. This is why games are the key times for coaches to observe what the players are doing and not doing, what has been learned or not learned. A lack of a skill used in a game that was the focus of training the week leading up to the game shows a lack of competency in those skill areas. I would suggest more “play” in training to help deepen the understanding.

This is the natural progression of getting better at anything without really thinking about trying to get better at it. We play. Through our playing, we consistently try to push our abilities by doing more difficult or challenging things that make the play more fun. We explore the unknown possibilities of our actions. It is where excitement and fun reside, and where learning finds its home. As the learning takes hold, and the knowledge and skills deepen, we enter into the best part of play... the ability to create. The ability to create starts the process over. It provides a new way to play, new things to learn, and then new things to create.. and the cycle continues.

If there is a training session format that I could recommend to all coaches, this would be it. It is the most natural, it is the most effective, and it is the one that we all enjoy. Let the kids play to learn, and then let them create with what they learned. In a training environment, the coach is the facilitator of the play, and does not have to be an inhibitor of it when teaching. While still giving instruction and providing correction, you allow the kids to play and challenge themselves beyond their current abilities. Then, you can sit back and enjoy watching them create beautiful pictures on the field on their own. Through play, your players learned, and now they can create when they play.

Club Fees and Real Cost

Each year when parents are evaluating where their child will play soccer next season, one variable that is always measured is the cost and value of the program. Each club before tryouts lists a “club fee” for each age group. The fee is often different between age groups based on the number of players on each team, league fees, tournament fees, and the coach’s fees. As parents review these fees when comparing different clubs, it is important to remember that they are looking at are just the “club fee” and not the real cost of playing club soccer (in terms of dollars and cents). It is important parents research further to really get an understanding of what is included in that fee and what is not. Only then, will a parent know the true “value” of what is being paid for upfront, and what additional costs are looming in the future.

Travel

For your child’s age group, you should find out where most of their league games and tournaments will be played. As teams get older, even league games require hours of travel and nights in hotels, which can quickly add up the costs for the season. In addition, depending on the level of competition of the team, tournaments can require plane tickets. But even younger teams are traveling more and doing more tournaments. Depending on the number of tournaments or out-of-town games, the cost of the season can significantly increase for each family.

Although these costs are common, knowing before the season begins will help you plan accordingly, or decide if the cost of being with that team is more than you are comfortable spending. From a family and financial standpoint, you may not want to commit all that time traveling or the extra money on hotels, gas, and food, or you understand that is part of the experience and you budget accordingly.

Uniforms

They have to be purchased so this is an unavoidable extra cost for each family. All clubs have different policies on the number of uniforms, shorts, socks that need to be purchased, and if additional items like bags, warm ups, training shirts, and soccer balls are additional costs as well. Some of these items may be included in your fees, while other items are required to be purchased or just optional. Again, having an idea of what the uniform will cost will help you plan ahead. Often, this is the first payments that needs to be made after making a commitment to join the team.

Winter or Supplemental Training

If you live in an area that requires indoor training through the winter, there could be an additional fee for renting space for practice in the winter months when teams cannot train outside. Although some clubs may include this already in their fees, other clubs may not and will charge each player additionally for these sessions. Depending on where you live, if your club has its own facility or not, this extra cost can be harder to plan for, as it usually fluctuates based on the rental rates of a facility and increasing indoor soccer league fees.

There may be also supplemental training during this time of year or throughout the year that is an additional cost. This could be skill training or more specialized training for players in particular positions (Goalkeeper). These programs may be mandatory or optional based on how they are implemented by the club. Again, this is a harder cost to plan for unless it is discussed before the start of the soccer season.

Either way, this is something important to ask about when researching a club. These are some of those “hidden” or “unknown” fees that most parents are not aware of until the time comes to pay them, or these are additional programs already included in your fees for your child that provide more value for your dollar and a better experience.

Additional Coach Fees - Tournament Fees

It is policy with some clubs that parents cover the cost for the travel expenses of the coach for tournaments. This would include the cost of the coach’s meals, hotel, and gas. Although usually a smaller expense, depending on number of tournaments and distance of each, it is another cost per family.

Tournaments may be included in your club’s fees paid throughout the year. This usually includes a certain number of tournaments. But if your child’s team does an extra tournament, or tournaments are not included in your fees, this will be another expense that is divided up among the families of each team. Again, when divided up, it is not a large sum of money, but these smaller expenses can start to add up.

Child’s Equipment

Although a necessary expense, the cost of cleats and other equipment is starting to become a little out of hand. If you have a young child who is growing out of shoes each month, the cost of cleats throughout the year will be a little painful. That on top of the fact some of the more expensive shoes tend to not last very long anyway, you will be spending some money on cleats throughout the year. To save money here, do not over pay for young player's soccer cleats. The more expensive cleats serve little benefit to the players in terms of helping them play. This is an area you can save money by not over paying.

Again, if your child plays in an area that requires indoor soccer through the winter months, than there are indoor soccer shoes (flats) to purchase as well. Although many indoor facilities have instilled turf that players can use regular cleats on, so you may not need those types of shoes.

Then of course, over the year, your child will most likely lose a soccer ball, shin guards, warm up pants, training shirt, jersey, and probably one of those items a second or third time. When the items are lost, they need to be replaced. No matter how responsible your child may be, I would plan on buying more than one of some, or all, of their soccer equipment items.

The Real Cost & Value

As you can see, and probably already know, if you really look at the real cost of playing club soccer, it is much higher than the club fees that are listed at the beginning of the season. There are many extra costs, some avoidable, others not, that parents will need to pay over the course of the season. The key is finding out what those extra costs are before committing to the team, so you can make the best decision possible about if A) this is what you are comfortable paying for your child’s youth soccer experience and B) that you feel there is good value in the money you will spend.

Again, look at what is included in that initial fee. Some clubs will include indoor training and supplemental training within their fees giving more value to what you are already paying. Others will charge extra. Some clubs will include tournaments, others do not include it and charge it later. When comparison shopping, just like any other consumer, you could ask what you are getting for your money and ask for specifics. For example, how many practices each week will your child get with his coach? This will help you determine if you are getting the value that you want for the price you are being asked to pay.

In the end, more than anything, you want your child to have a great experience playing the game he loves. But, part of making sure that happens, is knowing what type of experience that is and how much it is going to cost. Find the soccer club that offers the experience that your child wants at a cost that makes sense and gives you the most value for your money.

Balance Development and Winning?

It is parent teacher conference night at your child’s school. Excited to hear about what your child has been doing so far this year, you enter the classroom with the other parents and wait to meet the teacher. As you are waiting, you look around the room at all the posters on the walls and notes on the board. It looks like the kids have been busy, and it is a great environment for your child to learn and grow. You see different lesson plans, motivational quotes on the wall, and the entire classroom looks very organized. Impressed with what you see, you assume your child has a great teacher this year.

The teacher enters the room and heads right to the front of the class, like he does every day, and prepares to address the parents. The teacher scans the room and welcomes the parents saying, “Thank you all for coming. It has been a great start of the year and I think you will be impressed with what we are doing each day in this classroom.” 

The teacher walks over to a switch on the wall to dim the lights. Turning on his IPAD, a PowerPoint presentation comes up on the big screen in the front of the room. The first slide reads, “Welcome to Mr. Smith’s Classroom.” The teacher begins by talking a little about himself and his teaching experience. Again, everything sounds great, and you are impressed with his credentials. On the next slide, Mr. Smith introduces his approach to teaching the kids this year. He describes his focus with the kids as a “balance between learning and getting high test scores.”

A stunned silence consumes the room and as you look around, you can see other parents who share your same perplexed look. The silence is broken by a mom blurting out, “What does that mean?” With confidence, the teacher replies, “Well through the year we will be doing as much learning as possible, but will need to take time to make sure your child gets high test scores as well. So, at times, I will be skipping some “less important” things to focus more time on making sure your child will score higher on the test. We will spend time on test taking strategies and focus only on what will be asked on the test. This will take away from some other things they need to learn, but their test scores will be higher.”

Bewildered by what you just heard, you raise your hand quickly. When called upon, you ask, “I thought the point of school was to teach and for my kid to learn. Shouldn’t that be the only priority for you?” The teacher quickly snaps back, “You want your child to fail the test?”

Although this is a hypothetical, the point of it is to show how we may want a different approach in the classroom for our kids. As a coach, I consistently read articles and hear coaches talk about a legitimate need to balance development and winning with their teams. It makes as much sense as a teacher defending a need to balance a child learning and getting high test scores in the classroom. We want kids to learn and have success whether on a test or in a game, but there is not a need for a balance between the two. There needs to be a strong focus on just one!

Like a teacher, the critical job of a youth coach is to teach and develop young kids. Each day, each practice (or lesson),  is about what the players need to learn today that will help them learn what they need to learn tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. Just like in the classroom, on the soccer field, or in any sport, the goal is to learn and get better. The goal is for the kids to have the opportunity to expand their understanding and knowledge of a subject in order to continue to grow. The hope is that their ability over time will vastly exceed our own. I hope our goal is not as naive and short-sighted as just doing well on a test or winning a game. The focus of anyone who is trusted to teach young kids should be much bigger and more influential on the kids’ entire lives. 

Besides, and not to openly state the obvious, but when learning and development is truly the goal of the approach, the top priority, higher test scores or winning will occur naturally overtime because  the kids are actually learning and getting better. But the reverse, taking the backwards approach by focusing on only teaching to a test or to get a win, the kids often do not learn much or grow much further beyond their current abilities and skills.

If a teacher teaches to a test, in essence the teacher is asking the kids to memorize material and regurgitate it back when asked in multiple-choice format. A kid can do well on the test by memorizing the material but have no true understanding of the information and will most likely forget it quickly afterwards. The same is true on the soccer field. 

A coach can have the players play in a manner that will help them win without really teaching and giving them a better understanding of how to play the game. Strategies like, “Kick it forward up field” or “just kick it out” are ways to help getter better results without the kids learning much. Not letting the kids take risks and try skills in games is a way to avoid mistakes that lead to a team getting scored on. A fast, aggressive, big and strong, group of 9 year olds who just kick the ball forward and chase after it, who rarely try to pass or control the ball, and who avoid taking risks WILL WIN A LOT. But at the end of the season, despite a shelf full of trophies, there will be little improvement or grow. 

Some coaches may say the balance is in when, or the situation, that the team tries to play the right way versus just trying to win the game. If it is a “big game” like a championship game in a tournament or a “rival club,” they will coach the game differently. They will coach the game to get the win than to teach. The other games that do not “mean as much,” the coaches let the kids try to play the game more, allow them to take more risks and work on weaknesses of each player and the team. 

For me this is why there is no such thing as a balance between winning and development. In this example, that coaches give all the time, shows a severe lack of balance. In reality, the coaches are teaching their players skills and how to play the game, but when it “really counts” the players are not given the chance to use the skill taught. The only time the coach is allowing the players to try to play the game in a way to help them develop is when the game is easy enough to ensure a win. That is not a balance. It is very strong bias towards getting a win. So, in both situations, the focus is still winning. It is never about the development, as it never gets to be the priority. If it was the priority, the “stakes” of the game would be irrelevant. The focus of the coach would always be the same.

The next time your child brings home an “A” on a test, ask him to explain what he learned or the information the test was about. You may be a surprised by the response or lack of response depending on the approach leading up to the test. The next time your child wins a soccer game, ask him, “What did you get better at today?”  Again, depending on the approach, there might not be a good answer.

We become fixated on measuring success in artificial ways that give us a false sense of accomplishment or indication of growth. When in reality, the only measure of success and growth that is accurate is IF you can do something you could not do before, understand something that was previously beyond your comprehension, or attained the tools to use that skill and knowledge together in way you could not before. 

There is no need for balance between development and winning. Just teach and develop players. If that is your goal, the winning will take care of itself (in time). More importantly, your impact on the players will last much longer than a single win or single season. When a coach talks about a balance between winning and development, all I hear is “I really do not understand the point of my job.” The “balance” is just a somewhat ridiculous way to try to hide the fact that the coach is not that interested in teaching and developing players as much as the final score of each game.

If you're not going to Teach, Why Coach?

It is a simple question to address a serious problem among youth coaches. Many people want to coach and enjoy doing it most of the time, but are not really interested in actually teaching the game. They may want to support the kids, encourage them, be their “buddy”, but a lot of those feelings come to a screeching halt the moment a child or a team begins to struggle. Immediately, the blame for the struggle falls on the players. According to the coach, the players are not focusing enough, not working hard enough, or just simply are not capable of “getting it” due to their current level. It is not considered whether or not there is something THE COACH can do differently to HELP or TEACH the players. It is just assumed the kids are incapable or have made a choice that they do not want to learn.

It would be nice if children did exactly what is asked, and they all learn in the same way and at the same pace. If a coach could just say, “do this” or “learn that” and each kid is magically fully capable of performing, coaching would be a much easier profession. Of course, that would not be coaching or teaching. It would be simply “telling” and expecting immediate compliance, and that is not the world we live in. In the world we live in the sky is blue, and kids (like adults) are all very different and often do not do exactly what is asked or meet our expectations right away. The world we live in requires coaches to TEACH to help kids improve. It requires patients, creativity, empathy, and a firm belief that every child is capable of learning what you are teaching. It requires the coach to be willing to consistently examine and critique his approach to decide if it is the best way to reach the players.

Is that not what we ask of the players? Is it acceptable for a player to try something once, fail, and then quit trying? Is it acceptable for the player to pass the blame on to someone else or just assume they cannot do it? For players to learn and develop they must take different approaches, and give themselves time to practice the skills coaches are trying to teach them. If the coach gives up before the player has learned it, why would we expect the players to continue try on their own? For a coach to quit when it gets hard, or to refuse to do what is difficult, does not set a good example for the players. When an approach does not work, it should not immediately be put on the kids and made to be their fault. When it does not work, the coach should find another way. He never quits… as that is the same expectation he has for his players.

“You have not taught until they have learned." – John Wooden

We are too quick to blame the kids or assume it is something they are doing, or not doing, without taking a second to look in the mirror and decide if WE CAN DO BETTER. That is coaching, that is teaching, and that is what kids, who look for us for support, deserve. If you are not willing to do that or are not really interested in teaching, than why coach? Teaching by definition is helping someone do something or learning something that previously was beyond their reach. That is not an easy task no matter what the subject. If you are really interested in teaching, than you not only EXPECT there to be struggle and setbacks, but you know they are necessary to accomplish your goal. Without a certain level of discomfort and uncertainty, there is never any growth.

Now, if you are in the “well some kids just do not want to learn” camp, then you really have stumbled into the wrong profession. It is just an excuse. That is it. An easy cliché to fall back on when something you try does not work or a player is making it more difficult than you would prefer. A real teacher will never fall back on this reasoning because it does not make sense. It is not at the core of what a teacher or coach is all about. It goes against everything educators stand for. A coach believing a kid does not want to learn, is like an artist believing something cannot be drawn or a scientist believing some problems cannot be solved.

Why do I believe that? Because we all are born wanting to learn. It is what we do from an early age. We are constantly interacting and trying to better understand our world around us from the day we are born. We are built to learn and grow, and I have not met anyone who really does not want to continue to grow in some capacity. In my time in schools and at the soccer field, I have met plenty of coaches and teachers who are not that interested in teaching, but I have not met a single child who did not want to learn.

If you are looking for a group of players who already have all the needed skills, who already know what is needed to know about the game, and who will put up little to no resistance along the way, then you want to be a babysitter, not a coach (or teacher). Real teaching is a battle, and I do not mean that in the normal sense. It is not a battle between the teacher and students or the coach and the players. It is a battle between the coach and himself. It is the battle between the part of the coach who wants to do it his way and the side who knows he needs to do it differently to help the kids. It is the battle between making excuses and finding solutions. It is the battle between blaming circumstances and changing the situation. It is the battle between ego and expertise.

So I go back to my original question. If you are not really interested in teaching, why coach? If you do not want to take the time to do all you can to help each player learn and grow, are not willing to roll up your sleeves and go to work, accept setbacks, learn from failure, be creative and grow your ability to reach kids, then why put yourself through the stress of coaching? Some may say they just like to coach kids, but “just being there” is not enough and it does not equate to coaching. You cannot just show up and the kids will get better. Just like the kids cannot just show up and get better. They have to put in effort and focus on the task at hand, but the coach is the one who has the ability to create an environment for that to happen.

Every kid can be reached, every kid can learn, every kid can be inspired to want more and expect more, but it requires a coach… a teacher, who is willing to do everything necessary to help that child find his path and reason. That is what a coach does. That is, by definition, our job.

Tryouts... Really?

Tryouts are part of club soccer and something any player who wants to participate must go through at some point in the current system of youth soccer. Throughout the country, club teams all have their own approach to selecting kids and placing them on teams for the upcoming year. Often, the identification process is influenced by the rules of the governing leagues or state associations, so players’ experiences may be different depending on where they live. These rules dictate when and how tryouts can be done and the manner in which organizations notify players about which team they made or did not make. Despite these differences, tryouts all share many of the same frustrations and anxiety saturated situations that make the experience less than ideal for the players and the their families.

A question I have about the tryout process… Is there a need for tryouts for majority of the kids who attend? You may be asking yourself what I mean. Let me explain. For most clubs, the majority of the kids at tryouts are kids who participated with the club the previous year. For the past 10 months, those players have been practicing and playing games with the same staff who is now “evaluating” them during a tryout to decide their placement for next season. Are these players spots going to be determined by their development over the past 10 months or by a few days of tryouts? Which makes more sense?

I would assume that the previous 10 months of coaching and watching those players practice and compete would be enough information to determine where they should be placed for next year. What are the same coaches going to see in an extra three days of tryouts (roughly 3 to 4 hours) that was missed throughout the entire previous year? If the club was organized in a way to allow all the coaches for a particular age group to interact and coach all the players in that age group over the course of the year, it would be very easy for those coaches to look at that group of players and decide where each player should be placed before going through any type of “tryout” process for the following season.

For these players at tryouts, what can they do to help or hurt their chances of making a certain level team? Does a player who struggled during the season get the nod to move up a team because of a good day at tryouts? Or vice versa? I cannot see a coach moving a kid down a team due to struggling at tryouts after having an outstanding year. If a coach or club’s approach with returning players is that their placement on teams is solely based on the tryout, and the previous year is not considered, then I can see a need for those players to "tryout" as it is an actual tryout since everyone is starting with a "clean slate" and performance in those couple of days will determine placement. Since this is not the case, there is not a real need for those players to go through that process. Nothing is gained or lost for those players, so to call it a “tryout” is misleading and can create the wrong impression of what is going on for both the players and parents. Players show up looking to show their best, but in reality, probably a lot has already been determined before showing up (and it should be).

Think of it from a different perspective. If you were a coach who wanted to be rehired to coach next year, how would the club determine whether or not to bring you back? I think we would want to be evaluated over our body of work from the entire year versus having the club bring coaches in for a couple days to to run a couple sessions, and based on those sessions, it is determined whether which teams we coach or not given a team to coach. As coaches, I think we would logically ask, "Why is my placement being based on a couple of training sessions, when a significantly more comprehensive amount of information is available to evaluate my performance as a coach?"

What about the “bubble” players? Even with these players, I think coaches have a pretty good idea of where they fall, and again, I do not think a couple days of tryouts make a difference for these players either. If players were close in ability during the season, I do not think it makes sense to use tryouts to set them apart. I think that is an easy way out for coaches or club. Instead of really sitting down and analyzing how each player did over the course of the year, strengths and weaknesses, potential for growth, attitude, consistency, etc… it is easier to just let the kids compete for one or two more days and pick who came out on top. Easier for us to say, “Hey, it was close, but this player had a better tryout” than “we took some time to really look at the season as a whole and this is what we decided.”

If those players are not at tryouts, we might lose them because they go to another club’s tryout. If a player wants to change clubs, they will change clubs. Having them attend your tryout does not stop that from happening. If the club has provided great value and experiences to the player over the course of the year, then why would the player leave? If the club did not, having the players attend tryouts just tries to limit options due to fear a player will leave because of not following through on what was promised previously. In short, that is not a good enough reason.

One of the HUGE benefits of this would be the ability for the staff to really focus on evaluating and working with new players. The coaches can spend extra time getting to know the players and families of kids who are trying out for the club for the first time. Working with them in a smaller group environment and being able to spend the limited time of tryouts really getting an understanding of the players’ abilities and goals. When there is a massive number of kids at tryouts, everyone gets lost in the crowd. Each player gets limited time on or around the ball and has much fewer opportunities to be evaluated by the staff. Even with more evaluators, often there is not enough information gained during the tryouts to really have a good evaluation to base a decision on how, where, and why to place a kid on a team. Often, with imperfect and incomplete information, there is a lot of “guessing” on where newer players should be placed or not placed, and there is more of a chance for error.

Even if you want the returning players to attend tryouts, why not be up front and let them know, that they are not being evaluated during that time. Those players’ evaluation and placement is based off the entire previous year, and not just a couple of days. It could be good to have the players there to interact with new players, and to see how new players interact with current players. But, the focus of the coaches can still be solely on the new players to try to gain as much insight about their current level of play and where a good place within the club would be for that player. It is a great service to provide for the kids who are showing an interest in your club or team.

Although this is a big change (or maybe not), it would not be that hard to implement, and I think it would be a welcomed change for players who are currently part of your club. It is tremendous customer service from the parent’s and player’s perspective. The club is saying, “We have done our job to coach and teach your child over the past year. We are very familiar with his or her abilities and will place him or her based on our observations over the past year.” If the player is nervous about placement, as many kids have an idea where they stand, they can take that time to look at another club as well, which they probably would do anyway. The tryout process is not a couple of days at the end of the year anymore, but instead a culmination of what a player has done over the course of the season. Now, when the season is over the player can relax, and trust the coaches to make the best decision based on what the player has done all year. I think we all would prefer to be evaluated in this manner, over what we have done over an extended period of time, versus just a couple days.

An even bolder idea would be for the clubs to offer spots before tryouts to all the current players. Then, tryouts are used to help each team meet its individual needs, and spaces left on the roster from players declining a spot. If a club is really focused on developing players, than it should not be that concerned about picking up better players at tryouts to make a team better. The club should be more concerned about continuing the development of its current players the following season. If the club or coach are confident in the current players’ potential for growth in their development system, than bringing in new players is not a priority or how the club relies on making teams better.

I think it is clear that tryouts are not just a way to place kids in appropriate level teams and competition (which is not always the case), but a way clubs battle with one another to try to make their teams better by recruiting players in from other clubs. Often clubs questions a player's “loyalty” when a player leaves their club for another for whatever reason. It is often in the context that the club has provided (although the player paid for) a tremendous experience and training to get better and the player “just leaves” after all these seasons.

But on the other hand, when a club cuts or demotes a player due to “better” players coming into the club, the “loyalty” question now comes from the player and parents. In their mind, they have committed to this club and its philosophy, and then just like that, they are moved off a team (they have grown close to) or cut from the club entirely. After the thousands of dollars, volunteer work and helping the club in various ways, they are shown the door or moved closer to it.

You may feel I am painting an unfair picture of the tryout process, but I think it is time we talk about the part of the process that gets swept under the rug or just accepted as “that is how we have always done it.” Being part of a club or team used to mean a lot more. Like most clubs, when you join, pay your dues, and put in the needed work to build the club and promote the club, better yourself within the club, and represent the club to your highest level, you would think the club would not show you the door as soon as someone comes along who has more value in their eyes.

If we are going to have tryouts, that is fine, but let’s at least do it in a way that does not make us look borderline reckless with the kids we work with all year round. The kids that are in your club, should not have to tryout for coaches who they have worked with all year long. You know where they stand, or you should. Let them know where they stand at the end of the year, and then let them decide what they want to do. During tryouts, focus your attention and resources and really evaluating and getting to know new players interested in the club. It will help to really know if A) the player is a good fit for the club and B) that the club is a good fit for the player by the added time given to observing the player and discussing the club’s philosophy/programs.

For your returning players, they should already know where they stand based on the 10 months of practices and games leading up to those tryouts. To make them feel like they are "trying out" for their placement for the following year seems illogical and unfair. The benefit of being part of the club the previous year(s) is that the coaches know these players already and there is no evaluation needed at that point. Those players, if they wish to return, can relax after all their hard work from the previous year and be placed accordingly. If they are returning, the end of the season does not mark the start of the most anxious time of the year, but time for a much needed vacation.

Is this an irrational attempt of changing a system? Maybe… but that is my idea. What is yours?