Game Weekend #1

Coaches/Parents/Players,

It was great to get out to the fields last weekend to kick off the first weekend of spring games at McAlpine Elementary School.  After such a hard winter (weather wise) the weather was great on Saturday and the players looked like they were really enjoying getting out and running around.

I was fortunate to see the U8 game between Coach Freeland's team and Coach Ruff's team.  The kids seemed to be having a blast and the play was entertaining......for the most part.  I used this game to do some game analysis. 

So here are some rough stats........

Game Length:  (4) 12 min quarters  - 48 minute game
Field size: 25yds wide x 35yds long

Amount of Time Ball Was in Play:  less than 11 minutes
Amount of Time Ball Was Out of Play:  more than 37 minutes

My question becomes - if the ball is out of play more than 75% (nearly 80%) of the time, how much learning are our kids receiving?

I look forward to watching a number of other games to compare some more stats.

Prague

Watching Beginning Soccer Players

You know you're watching beginners soccer when ...

* You can’t tell if the players actually have knees.

* Two players stop to chat in the middle of the game.

* One player keeps wandering toward his mom on the sidelines.

* A lot of the siblings are still in strollers.

* Parents yell “get a guy!” when they mean “mark a player.”

* “Pass” isn’t a relevant word.

* Parents tie the players’ shoes.

* Just before the game starts, the coach asks, “Did everyone go to the bathroom?”

* Players are more interested in who brought snacks than in who won the game.

* The keeper’s legs are so short she can throw the ball farther than she can kick it.

* The coach just picks up players to put them into position.

* There are usually too many or too few players on the field.

* Jerseys are big enough to fit through at least two more seasons.

* The coach and parents frequently yell, “Go the other way!”

* “Swarm” pretty much describes the game plan.

* The keeper falls down and cries when a ball gets past him into the goal.

* Players don’t have to duck when they walk through the parents’ tunnel at the end of the game.

* Everyone gets a trophy when the season is over. (And for beginning players, that’s the best part of the game.)


By Donna Olmstead
(Florida resident Donna Olmstead has been involved in soccer through both her children and her grandchildren, as well as housing professional players and owning and running an indoor soccer facility. She is a freelance writer and spends weekends trying to remember at which tournament she's supposed to be cheering.)

A Child's Soccer Education

Good habits often come from good learning environments. This mans children under nine years of age playing games no bigger than 4 vs 4. They need plenty of touches and plent of simple "game pictures" to see and read (for example, 1 vs 1 and/or 3 vs 2 etc.) Youngsters have known this successful recipe for generations.

The start of a child's soccer education in blending fun, grooving techniques and game skills should begin around the first grade of school. Learning to make more good decisions than bad comes from experience and the right type of playing environment (for example, 4 vs 4). This is the real foundation to getting skillful and soccer savvy.

Courtesy to Graham Ramsay's article 'Decisions, Decisions, Decisions, Decisions'

CSA Skills Evalution Night U12-U18's

Coaches & Administrators,

Thank you so much for your assistance last night at McAlpine Elementary. We had a very good turnout of players and you were very efficient in getting each player evaluated.

I look forward to the beginning of training next week and seeing each of you in action.


Erik Imler
Director of Coaching
CSA/OP

2010 Spring Season Session Plans

Coaches,

The 2010 Spring Season is here. To ensure you are prepared to provide our players with a well organized practice week after week, we have provided you with an 8-session, age appropriate template of sessions to follow.

Please keep in mind that these sessions are to be used as a "road map." If you have your own ideas on how you would like to work with you players on a given skill, great! Be sure we discuss those ideas in advance.


From the CSA home page, go to Coaches’ Updates and Information.

On the left menu, it has a link for Recreational Soccer Coach Resources.

If you click on that you need to log in with

Username: CSArecsoccer

Password: coach

Use the direct link to step 2 at

www.charlottesocceracademy.com/coaches/index_E.html


Erik Imler
CSA/OP
Director of Coaching

Pre-Season Coaches Meeting

Coaches,

Great to see all of you last night at the Spring pre-season coaches kick-off meeting. The attendance was strong and your support of the program will continue to keep our rec program the best around.

Best of luck this Spring season. I can't wait to get going.

Erik Imler
CSA/OP Director of Coaching

World's Most Valuable Team Brands

Manchester United beat out the New York Yankees as the world's most valuable team brand in Forbes' annual ranking of the world's most valuable sports brands (individuals, teams, events and businesses). Perhaps the biggest surprise on the Forbes' team list is that six soccer teams ranked in the top eight. The only other non-soccer team was the Dallas Cowboys.

1. Manchester United
2. New York Yankees
3. Real Madrid
4. Dallas Cowboys
5. Bayern Munich
6. Arsenal
7. AC Milan
8. Barcelona
9. New York Mets
10. Boston Red Sox

Courtesy to Soccer America Daily