Learning from our U-Littles

S

SoccerFan4Life

PREMIER
Now that club season has ended for the younger teams, I was ready to call it quits with my young daughter (9). She wasn't happy as a bench player and she lost her love for soccer sometime over the past year. It was tough for me to say goodbye to soccer but I was ready to embrace her other hobbies/sports.
Suddenly over the past few weeks, I see her juggling at home, kicking the ball, watching videos on Messi. This is something that I haven't seen in a while from my daughter. I ask her if she wants to play again and she replies. " Dad, I love soccer but... I like to play, I don't like practices, they are boring".

As club saturation has taken over the younger age groups, I think that my daughter's statement is a testimony that a lot of coaches are using the same strategy with younger kids (5-9) as they do with older kids. If we want to grow the sport, we need to do the following (parents & coaches):
- Make it fun during practices and include some 4v4 games for at least 30 minutes of each practice.
- Add scrimmage games where your bench players get a chance to play 40% to 50% of the time.
- Coaches to set realistic expectations with parents about development process.
- Parents to relax with these young ones. Focus on development and fun rather than trophies and spotlight time.

I told my daughter that we will focus on having fun this coming year with a new team. I also showed her the old "Practice, you talking about practice!" video from Allen Iverson. Even the pro's hate practice. LOL

 
The points you make are valid.

It's actually pretty much the direction the top coaching educators are going. Even the new ussf license levels emphasize a Play/Practice/Play model for training with a heavy emphasis on small sided conditioned games as ways to teach decision making along with technical ability and fitness to young players. Think no lines and lots of touches with competition built in.

To give you a sample below are some conditioned activities I use for the very young players.

I love coaching the youngest players simply because they can find the joy so quickly and learn equally as quickly. I am just moving out of my area and can't wait to start a program for the very young ones once again.

Fun Games for Technical Work without Lines

Example:


star wars.

Cones make "outer space" big enough to allow dribbling but small enough where a "darth vader" can actually take someone's ball.

darth vader on the side, waiting to be called to take balls everyone else in outer space

commands for skills:

Cruising speed= dribble around close control

Light speed= pinky or laces touches at pace in straight lines

air brakes= step on or cut stop

reverse= scoop

black hole= circle dribble either inside or outside of foot

chewbaca= hold ball over head and practice perfect throw-in with a growl

death star= three or four touches and then a blast on goal- recover ball and go back to cruising speed

lightsaber= scissors or step overs

bb8= soul rolls/ladybugs

silly ones are princess leia= hold ball next to head and sigh, yoda= sit on ball and say in silly voice "mmm, good is soccer", luke skywalker= hold the ball like a lightsaber and swing it side to side


after a while shout darth vader and send out the vader to steal balls. balls kicked out of outer space mean the play who lost it joins darth vader as a storm trooper on the side. Play for a bit or until there is just one left. Vaders and troopers can have ball too or no ball.
 
SoccerFan4Life said:
As club saturation has taken over the younger age groups, I think that my daughter's statement is a testimony that a lot of coaches are using the same strategy with younger kids (5-9) as they do with older kids. If we want to grow the sport, we need to do the following (parents & coaches):
- Make it fun during practices and include some 4v4 games for at least 30 minutes of each practice.
- Add scrimmage games where your bench players get a chance to play 40% to 50% of the time.
- Coaches to set realistic expectations with parents about development process.
- Parents to relax with these young ones. Focus on development and fun rather than trophies and spotlight time.
Click to expand...


"If we want to grow the sport"....that's part of the problem. US Soccer can't decide what's it's objectives are: to ID and train the top 10%, to prepare kids to play college-level ball, or to get as wide of participation as possible. If anything, AYSO's recent moves away from participatory soccer and the tepid response to the US Soccer recommendations for ULittles (such as regarding tournaments and awards), seem to point away from wide participation as a goal.

As seesnake pointed out, the license curriculum wants coaches to emphasize directed learning through play...ideally very little by way of individual skills education, and building rapidly to one v ones, small sided games and the scrimmage, and very little by way of lines. Though that may be changing with the grassroots approach, the same was true of both the youngers as the olders. The tradeoff is that it leaves little time for coaches to do individual skill training, which is why we were told the place to learn that is not team training but through private training, skills academy or the parent.
 
seesnake said:
silly ones are princess leia= hold ball next to head and sigh, yoda= sit on ball and say in silly voice "mmm, good is soccer", luke skywalker= hold the ball like a lightsaber and swing it side to side
Click to expand...

Very cute drill. Carefully, though, that the SJWs may come after you for implying that girls sigh while luke skywalker can carry a lightsaber. They'd ask why can't it be Rey who swings the lightsaber, and besides the kids probably know Rey better. :p
 
Grace T. said:
Very cute drill. Carefully, though, that the SJWs may come after you for implying that girls sigh while luke skywalker can carry a lightsaber. They'd ask why can't it be Rey who swings the lightsaber, and besides the kids probably know Rey better. :p
Click to expand...
Funny thing is I actually updated it for this exact reason- I realized it was a bit dated/backwards when I saw Rey kicking butt in whatever movie that was:) Should probably update on the google doc:)
 
@SoccerFan4Life, if you look at the USSF PDI (https://www.ussoccer.com/~/media/files/coaches/2017/20171018-eng-october-2017-pdi.pdf?la=en) adopted two years ago and enacted in 2017, you will see a number of statements to the effect that its about fun and developing individual skills and ignoring the scoreboard for U10 and under. Please read the PDI if you have not as it helps you and your coach understand how its supposed to be done. In fact, the PDI for 7v7 expressly states:

Player Development Philosophy
  • Coaches should have the age appropriate license issued by U.S. Soccer
  • The training-to-game ratio should be 2-3 training sessions per game played
  • Rosters should include no more than 12 players
  • Players should participate in no more than 20 games per calendar year and in no more than one game per day
  • Every player should play a minimum of 50% of the time in each game
  • Results and standings should not be recorded
  • Players should have a minimum of 2 rest days per week during the season along with planned breaks from organized soccer during the calendar year
  • Any travel should be limited to no more than an hour away
  • Events (tournaments, showcases, festivals, etc.) should provide a predetermined number of games with no advancement, placement games or champions
If your team is properly run and managed by a coach that is following the US Soccer recommendations then there are no "bench players." But based on your post you clearly had a coach/club that gave the middle finger to the USSF mandates.

As far as US Soccer is concerned and based on the economics of youth Soccer in America, the responsibility for implementing the USSF PDI fall on the Youth Affiliates (AYSO, YES, US Club and US Youth Soccer). I fundamentally disagree with @GraceT's assessment that US Soccer can't figure it out. US Soccer knows exactly what its priorities are based on simple economics and that it has no business working with U-11 and unders. Nearly 90% of US Soccer's revenue and expenditures are related to the US National Team (World Cup and Olympic teams). US Soccer brings in just over $4M per year from youth registrations/membership. Its sole method of changing the youth game is to get its Youth Affiliates to enforce the PDI's. So if you had a bad experience then you should properly blame US Youth Soccer / Cal South / League (SCDSL, CSL, Presidio, etc.) / and the club that allowed your dumbass coach to be put in charge.

What you experienced with your daughter's team is a coach that ignored the USSF Player Development Initiatives. My strong suggestion is move the kid to a team/coach that makes the experience fun and promises at least 50% playing time (you can find that in AYSO and many coaches of ULittles that understand wins are not that important for 9 year olds, but fun is the most important element).

Finally, as @seesnake and @Grace T. pointed out, the "Grassroots Coaching" program adopted by the USSF (which is to be implemented by the Youth Affiliates) provides "At its core, the philosophy of U.S. Soccer’s grassroots pathway initiative is Play-Practice-Play, a philosophy coaches learn about in the Introduction to Grassroots Coaching module. This approach will focus on the player experiencing and learning through play while also empowering the coach to support his or her player's learning and developmental needs."
 
MWN said:
@SoccerFan4Life, if you look at the USSF PDI (https://www.ussoccer.com/~/media/files/coaches/2017/20171018-eng-october-2017-pdi.pdf?la=en) adopted two years ago and enacted in 2017, you will see a number of statements to the effect that its about fun and developing individual skills and ignoring the scoreboard for U10 and under. Please read the PDI if you have not as it helps you and your coach understand how its supposed to be done. In fact, the PDI for 7v7 expressly states:

Player Development Philosophy
  • Coaches should have the age appropriate license issued by U.S. Soccer
  • The training-to-game ratio should be 2-3 training sessions per game played
  • Rosters should include no more than 12 players
  • Players should participate in no more than 20 games per calendar year and in no more than one game per day
  • Every player should play a minimum of 50% of the time in each game
  • Results and standings should not be recorded
  • Players should have a minimum of 2 rest days per week during the season along with planned breaks from organized soccer during the calendar year
  • Any travel should be limited to no more than an hour away
  • Events (tournaments, showcases, festivals, etc.) should provide a predetermined number of games with no advancement, placement games or champions
If your team is properly run and managed by a coach that is following the US Soccer recommendations then there are no "bench players." But based on your post you clearly had a coach/club that gave the middle finger to the USSF mandates.

As far as US Soccer is concerned and based on the economics of youth Soccer in America, the responsibility for implementing the USSF PDI fall on the Youth Affiliates (AYSO, YES, US Club and US Youth Soccer). I fundamentally disagree with @GraceT's assessment that US Soccer can't figure it out. US Soccer knows exactly what its priorities are based on simple economics and that it has no business working with U-11 and unders. Nearly 90% of US Soccer's revenue and expenditures are related to the US National Team (World Cup and Olympic teams). US Soccer brings in just over $4M per year from youth registrations/membership. Its sole method of changing the youth game is to get its Youth Affiliates to enforce the PDI's. So if you had a bad experience then you should properly blame US Youth Soccer / Cal South / League (SCDSL, CSL, Presidio, etc.) / and the club that allowed your dumbass coach to be put in charge.

What you experienced with your daughter's team is a coach that ignored the USSF Player Development Initiatives. My strong suggestion is move the kid to a team/coach that makes the experience fun and promises at least 50% playing time (you can find that in AYSO and many coaches of ULittles that understand wins are not that important for 9 year olds, but fun is the most important element).

Finally, as @seesnake and @Grace T. pointed out, the "Grassroots Coaching" program adopted by the USSF (which is to be implemented by the Youth Affiliates) provides "At its core, the philosophy of U.S. Soccer’s grassroots pathway initiative is Play-Practice-Play, a philosophy coaches learn about in the Introduction to Grassroots Coaching module. This approach will focus on the player experiencing and learning through play while also empowering the coach to support his or her player's learning and developmental needs."
Click to expand...
Shouldn't Cal South implement the "Events" rules when approving all of their sanctioned tournaments and leagues? The clowns that run all these circus will continue to do so as long nobody put a good stop to them! But then all clowns know is the circus life.
 
Coaching U littles and coaching olders are very different. If we want to get the best players one CAN coach the U littles with fun in mind and develop the most important skills needed to become an elite player. The best college and pro coaches also have fun at practice.

If you are with a U little team and your kid is not playing get out and find a place where they play. Each year there needs to be a discussion by both parents and coaches on how practices change and the practice environment changes need to reflect the age of the players.

One issue with club soccer is the number of coaches that are not teachers of the game and do not teach to the age level etc of the players they work with

With that said there are very few qualified to teach youngers. There are special skills, mindset and temperaments needed
 
MWN said:
As far as US Soccer is concerned and based on the economics of youth Soccer in America, the responsibility for implementing the USSF PDI fall on the Youth Affiliates (AYSO, YES, US Club and US Youth Soccer).
Click to expand...


Fine. You want to blame the lower organizations than US Soccer for failure to implement the PDP, o.k. I'll buy that. I don't know about other states, but at least in CalSouth they are being wildly disregarded.

No more than 20 games per year- son, niece, son's best friend, our local rival club NOPE
No more than 1 game per day- again son, niece, son's best friend, our local rival club NOPE
Every player should play at least 50%...well here some teams are better than others, including the ones I've seen when I've reffed.
Results and standings should not be recorded: BIG NOPE HERE
Minimum rest periods: Well, some teams again are better than others here.
Travel limited to an hour away. Well, that's a BIG NOPE here too, especially once you consider LA weekend traffic.
Tournaments without champions: That's a HELLA NOPE right there....the tournament biz is alive and well in southern California including for the ULittles and as far as I know they almost all declare champions.

Other than AYSO (which itself is moving away from these goals by extending United to the lower age groups, except for the 50% playtime which it is really committed to), I don't know of any clubs in my area that are really adhering to the PDP. So whose fault is that? US Soccer could have mandated the changes like it did the build out lines and some of the rules changes...it didn't. We can argue from there over whose fault that is.
 
Grace T. said:
Other than AYSO (which itself is moving away from these goals by extending United to the lower age groups, except for the 50% playtime which it is really committed to), I don't know of any clubs in my area that are really adhering to the PDP. So whose fault is that? US Soccer could have mandated the changes like it did the build out lines and some of the rules changes...it didn't. We can argue from there over whose fault that is.
Click to expand...

As members of the USSF, its the job of the Youth Affiliates and their affiliated programs/leagues to follow the PDI's. The USSF says here is what we are going to do as a nation ... the Youth Affiliates execute. Its the reason these Youth Affiliates exist. The birth year, build-out line, no headers, etc., are all part of the PDI's. 50% is part of the PDI, so what we have are Youth Affiliates picking and choosing, which PDI. This board is a microcosim of the crap the Youth Affiliates have to deal with. Cal South tells the leagues that U7 Club Soccer won't exist anymore ... why? Because the USSF PDI's said so. What happens is parents go ape-shit screaming at Cal South that they can't do that ... their 6 year old NEEDS the competitive environment that Club Soccer presents and goshdarnit, why the heck is SCDSL and CSL not posting scores for the U9's? We want rankings, scores, trophies, etc. Ohhh ya ... the USSF PDI's said we were not supposed too ... the SCDSL is stupid.

So now we have parents that have rejected the USSF PDI's and are encouraging their clubs to give them what they want. The Clubs tell the Leagues, f-this-PDI and that PDI, and the Leagues tell Cal South to go f-themselves.

Want to get this crap together, its starts with the parents. Read the PDI's and tell your coach and club you back the USSF PDIs.
 
coachsamy said:
Shouldn't Cal South implement the "Events" rules when approving all of their sanctioned tournaments and leagues? The clowns that run all these circus will continue to do so as long nobody put a good stop to them! But then all clowns know is the circus life.
Click to expand...
Yes and no. Cal South would love to, but the parents don't want it. See my post above.
 
MWN said:
As members of the USSF, its the job of the Youth Affiliates and their affiliated programs/leagues to follow the PDI's. The USSF says here is what we are going to do as a nation ... the Youth Affiliates execute. Its the reason these Youth Affiliates exist. The birth year, build-out line, no headers, etc., are all part of the PDI's. 50% is part of the PDI, so what we have are Youth Affiliates picking and choosing, which PDI. This board is a microcosim of the crap the Youth Affiliates have to deal with. Cal South tells the leagues that U7 Club Soccer won't exist anymore ... why? Because the USSF PDI's said so. What happens is parents go ape-shit screaming at Cal South that they can't do that ... their 6 year old NEEDS the competitive environment that Club Soccer presents and goshdarnit, why the heck is SCDSL and CSL not posting scores for the U9's? We want rankings, scores, trophies, etc. Ohhh ya ... the USSF PDI's said we were not supposed too ... the SCDSL is stupid.

So now we have parents that have rejected the USSF PDI's and are encouraging their clubs to give them what they want. The Clubs tell the Leagues, f-this-PDI and that PDI, and the Leagues tell Cal South to go f-themselves.

Want to get this crap together, its starts with the parents. Read the PDI's and tell your coach and club you back the USSF PDIs.
Click to expand...

I always like the "blame the parents" answer....o.k. we can go back to being friends again. :D

But in all seriousness, much like the US Men's Team fiasco, I think there's no one right answer to who bears the blame and lots of people have unclean hands. Yes, the parents and their demands are partially to blame, so it is a bottom to top problem. But it's also a top to bottom problem too: they enforced the no header rules (despite grumbling in some quarters), the build out line (despite that it was an ill thought out and poorly tested solution...I like the buildout line but think the way it was done could have been improved), and the birth year change (and all the havoc it caused...if they really meant it they could have gone with 6 month age groups, for example, with the ULittles, with the option to play up for smaller clubs). To not make all the PDI mandatory was a choice that they made, so they bear part of the responsibility.
 
- That 50% rule is something that I have never heard. That should be a mandate at least in the U Little flight 3 level.
@Grace, I agree with your statements but it really starts with the club organizations rather than USSF. Parents have a lot of blame on this as well. We (and they) are making it too complicated.
All clubs need to do is tell parents: Flight 3 is about having fun , 50% playing time and player development.
Flight 2: More competitive, 30% playing time, more team development, less player development. The rest of the individual player development will be on your own through private trainers/camps.

Flight 1: We own you. You parents have no say, 10% playing time, it's all about the win and finding the elite players to eventually send to an academy level.

Clearly, I am exaggerating with my statements above but it would clear up a bunch of confusion on expectations.

The one rule I would love for USSF to mandate is to get clubs to focus on personal development in the Spring (futsal, indoor, player development drills) and team development the rest of the year. Allow 4 to 6 week break in the summer and another 4 weeks in Winter.
 
MWN said:
Yes and no. Cal South would love to, but the parents don't want it. See my post above.
Click to expand...
And you are completely right! Parents keep buying all these tickets to the circus and they are super sugar up into the kool aid. Under no circumstances a ULittle parent should let their child be on a team that won't play them. I wouldn't and I won't let my kid be sitting on a bench watching other kids play.

Here is a hint for parents: You sign up your kid to play a sport.
 
SoccerFan4Life said:
- That 50% rule is something that I have never heard. That should be a mandate at least in the U Little flight 3 level.
@Grace, I agree with your statements but it really starts with the club organizations rather than USSF. Parents have a lot of blame on this as well. We (and they) are making it too complicated.
All clubs need to do is tell parents: Flight 3 is about having fun , 50% playing time and player development.
Flight 2: More competitive, 30% playing time, more team development, less player development. The rest of the individual player development will be on your own through private trainers/camps.

Flight 1: We own you. You parents have no say, 10% playing time, it's all about the win and finding the elite players to eventually send to an academy level.

Clearly, I am exaggerating with my statements above but it would clear up a bunch of confusion on expectations.

The one rule I would love for USSF to mandate is to get clubs to focus on personal development in the Spring (futsal, indoor, player development drills) and team development the rest of the year. Allow 4 to 6 week break in the summer and another 4 weeks in Winter.
Click to expand...


The problem with the flight system is that the parents that have the most leverage are the ones who are the top players on the team (o.k. and maybe the team manager) regardless of flight. If a bench player's parents don't like that the club isn't adhering to the PDP, well maybe the DOC says you don't like it here, maybe some other club might be more to your liking. But the top players are eyeing promotion either within their own club or with another club. If the club doesn't win, and get that promotion, maybe they go to another club. And with pre-DA getting younger and younger, the impetus to move up is always going to be there. If the club has multiple flights on the ULittles level, probably the best coaches/most attention is being assigned to the flight 1 team anyways, giving the flight 3 team little leverage since the attitude is they should just be grateful to even be there and write the check. It's a free rider problem since those who have the most leverage (getting scholarships even for some teams....look at the ads for impact players for 2008/2009s and scholarships being available on the soccer announcements boards) also are invested in getting the most wins and the most play time so their kids can in turn move up. The flights themselves impede the implementing of the PDP.
 
My DD is on a U-Little team with a small roster, so playing time was not an issue. But our coach did tell all the parents "before" the beginning of the season what the policy is:
-Scrimmage, spring league and fall league: 50% minimum
-Group play in tourneys: 50% minimum
-Semifinal and final in tourneys: everyone plays, but no guarantee of minimum playing time
-State Cup: coach has total discretion. no guarantee at all.
I was fine with the policy, and also appreciated the fact that it was clearly explained to the parents before the season started.
 
Messi>CR7 said:
My DD is on a U-Little team with a small roster, so playing time was not an issue. But our coach did tell all the parents "before" the beginning of the season what the policy is:
-Scrimmage, spring league and fall league: 50% minimum
-Group play in tourneys: 50% minimum
-Semifinal and final in tourneys: everyone plays, but no guarantee of minimum playing time
-State Cup: coach has total discretion. no guarantee at all.
I was fine with the policy, and also appreciated the fact that it was clearly explained to the parents before the season started.
Click to expand...


I like this and it really makes sense. But to throw one wrench in scaling it up beyond one club: the keepers. You'd sort of need a special rule for the keepers. If you have just one, that keeper is stuck in goal and not developing their field skills, which isn't good at the ULittle level. If you have 2, then potentially the keeper has only 50% playing time and that time is in goal...which means for the keepers you'd need to push for a 75% minimum guarantee or they'd be in a worse position than just having 1 FT keeper. Or you could do what AYSO does for the U8s and mandate no one in goal for more than one quarter of the time (I can see the merits of that, but it messes around with a midgame substitution, risks injury to an unwarmed keeper, risks injury to an untrained keeper if the coach insists on things like coming out or diving, puts kids in there that really may not want to be, and I know kids like my son would hate that rule since he specifically wants to be a keeper).
 
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