U.S. Soccer’s Player Development Initiatives

[Grace T.]

I just seem to keep agreeing with everything you say no matter what the post. Just recently a parent on the sideline yelled to my daughter to drop to her knee for a scoop which can and often results in the ball bouncing off of a foot or knee if not done perfectly and limits the ability to move fast for the next move. I explained that technique is not utilized with the professional goalkeepers nor does her trainer teach that. Her response was that is the first time she had ever heard that. Not sure if she was presuming I was wrong or not but I did just watch a video of the training for U17 National Team goalkeepers and her trainer is teaching her to do exactly what they do with both the scoop and frontal. You also don't see College Keepers doing it so why teach the kids to do that now to later have to break a habit? I did see one Keeper from another country use that technique in the Olympics and the ball still went through her legs. My poor daughter keeps getting taught various techniques for a variety of things which has caused her considerable confusion. I watch a lot of soccer and I have just recently decided we needed to pick a road and that road is the approach that most closely resembles what is being done in the professional world and tell whom ever is training her that is what she is going to do because the confusion is causing her to make mistakes. I am sure the folks are thrilled when I do that because I am a parent that doesn't know anything. She is finally training with 2 trainers that are teaching consistent approaches and I can see a difference in her game. US Soccer should establish some standards that should be taught based upon proven methods and put it in the training for all coaches. That wouldn't even take that long to do. There aren't that many moves with controversial methods.

The problem is that goalkeepers are an afterthought for US Soccer. As I wrote, there was nothing in the E License for the goalkeeper and very little in the D. The instructor didn't even bother to hand out a goalkeeper assignment and I brought my gloves for nothing to the exam and got reprimanded for giving the keeper instruction during a crossing exercise (so since there were no keeper exercises, and I'm not supposed to coach the keeper during other exercises, that means the keeper gets no training from the coach?) And to get your keeper license, you have to get at least a B level on your field licenses.

Even if they wanted to, though, it would be tough since there isn't an agreement internationally of what keepers should be doing. It's an oversimplication but there are 3 basic styles of keeping...the tall keeper (where the keeper basically hangs back and uses extension almost like a basketball player, but doesn't catch....he punches...it's the most common European model), the fast keeper (where the keeper charges a lot and plays out of the box like Manuel Neuer) and the big keeper (which basically is used like a fusball keeper, and best associated with the old English style). Thankfully some consensus is coming together now and Neuer's play more than anyone has contributed to showing what keepers can do, but there's always going to be some variance so it's important that keeper trainers keep up to date with all the latest techniques so they are able to apply what works for a particular keeper. The US philosophy has been, to some extent, that it doesn't need to figure this out because lots of kids grow up playing sports with hands (baseball/basketball/football) so it's easy to get keepers who convert from other sports...some have even speculated that it might lead to a new keeper format (an American one) with an emphasis on catching....but to get there we need to do a better job on training.

 

[Grace T.]

One initiative I would love to see for the youngest age groups - No Coaching during games. Both parents and coaches should let the kids discover the game. Yes positioning may not be great but more touches on the ball and the freedom to think for themselves will make all the difference in the world.

This has pros and cons too. I like a lot of it including that kids would learn to think for themselves, and it treats the game kind of like an exam (what have the kids learned?). The biggest obstacles however, even at the lower levels, is the pay to play system (since parents will question coaches that are silent...what are we paying you for?) and that the system is a competitive one that keeps score (since parents will blame the loss on the coaches keeping silent). Dear niece's coach (the one I wrote about in the other form) doesn't say much during the game (other than to remind them to play possession and not kick it wild, or to not dive in on defense)....it's one of the reasons parents are in an uproar.

 

[RedNevilles]

This has pros and cons too. I like a lot of it including that kids would learn to think for themselves, and it treats the game kind of like an exam (what have the kids learned?). The biggest obstacles however, even at the lower levels, is the pay to play system (since parents will question coaches that are silent...what are we paying you for?) and that the system is a competitive one that keeps score (since parents will blame the loss on the coaches keeping silent). Dear niece's coach (the one I wrote about in the other form) doesn't say much during the game (other than to remind them to play possession and not kick it wild, or to not dive in on defense)....it's one of the reasons parents are in an uproar.

I completely understand this but that is the current climate we are in. To change the process we need to change our thinking and if it is an initiative that all have to follow then there won't be such uproar. Currently the playstation coaches who tell their players everything to do will get results over the ones sitting back and letting them play and as results are tracked this causes the discontent with parents. If all coaches sat back and said nothing in games, only before, half time and end then you will really start to see which ones are good trainers as the players will show what they are taught in practice without constantly being told what to do

 

[TangoCity]

One initiative I would love to see for the youngest age groups - No Coaching during games. Both parents and coaches should let the kids discover the game. Yes positioning may not be great but more touches on the ball and the freedom to think for themselves will make all the difference in the world.

That's called recess at school.

 

[Grace T.]

I completely understand this but that is the current climate we are in. To change the process we need to change our thinking and if it is an initiative that all have to follow then there won't be such uproar. Currently the playstation coaches who tell their players everything to do will get results over the ones sitting back and letting them play and as results are tracked this causes the discontent with parents. If all coaches sat back and said nothing in games, only before, half time and end then you will really start to see which ones are good trainers as the players will show what they are taught in practice without constantly being told what to do

Agree it would require changing the climate, but I think getting people to abandon the competitive model would be difficult. The U.S. soccer recommendations to reduce competitiveness at the younger ages have been widely ignored (they made them recommendations instead of mandates, and they were treated as such). The pendulum has also culturally swung hard from the Millenial everyone-gets-a-trophy days to the hypercompetitive iGeneration . I've made the point before: U.S. Soccer takes all these initiatives and wants to try and emphasize development over winning, we criticize the parents for following "winning coaches", but then we build a system where winning seems to be very important (whether for rankings, ascension, tournaments, or medals), then we act all surprised the parents are chasing the teams that kickball and win. I would see too much of a blowback: "that's what pickup is for" or "go back to AYSO".

 

[Keepermom2]

The problem is that goalkeepers are an afterthought for US Soccer. As I wrote, there was nothing in the E License for the goalkeeper and very little in the D. The instructor didn't even bother to hand out a goalkeeper assignment and I brought my gloves for nothing to the exam and got reprimanded for giving the keeper instruction during a crossing exercise (so since there were no keeper exercises, and I'm not supposed to coach the keeper during other exercises, that means the keeper gets no training from the coach?) And to get your keeper license, you have to get at least a B level on your field licenses.

Even if they wanted to, though, it would be tough since there isn't an agreement internationally of what keepers should be doing. It's an oversimplication but there are 3 basic styles of keeping...the tall keeper (where the keeper basically hangs back and uses extension almost like a basketball player, but doesn't catch....he punches...it's the most common European model), the fast keeper (where the keeper charges a lot and plays out of the box like Manuel Neuer) and the big keeper (which basically is used like a fusball keeper, and best associated with the old English style). Thankfully some consensus is coming together now and Neuer's play more than anyone has contributed to showing what keepers can do, but there's always going to be some variance so it's important that keeper trainers keep up to date with all the latest techniques so they are able to apply what works for a particular keeper. The US philosophy has been, to some extent, that it doesn't need to figure this out because lots of kids grow up playing sports with hands (baseball/basketball/football) so it's easy to get keepers who convert from other sports...some have even speculated that it might lead to a new keeper format (an American one) with an emphasis on catching....but to get there we need to do a better job on training.

Thanks for the info!!!! Very helpful for understanding!

 

[Grace T.]

Thanks for the info!!!! Very helpful for understanding!

You can see a lot of the styles at work BTW, with the LA Galaxy Keepers. Diop was raised in the European tall keeper school...punches or slaps it rarely catches it which sometimes leads to some ugly rebounds...either the Galaxy have asked him to try or he's just done it himself to try and play the fast keeper Neuer style...it's led to some mistimed runs however and empty goals when he is way out of the box...he's not suited for that style of play. Rowe is the quintessential American keeper...catches it a lot more, and uses his feet to block (which is more rarely done in Europe), doesn't go too far out. Kempin tries to play like Neuer style (like most younger keepers these days), but is also heavily influenced by the American...he's young still and probably playing conservatively given where the Galaxy are, but he's the closest thing they have to the fast keeper, IMO.

 

[Keepermom2]

You can see a lot of the styles at work BTW, with the LA Galaxy Keepers. Diop was raised in the European tall keeper school...punches or slaps it rarely catches it which sometimes leads to some ugly rebounds...either the Galaxy have asked him to try or he's just done it himself to try and play the fast keeper Neuer style...it's led to some mistimed runs however and empty goals when he is way out of the box...he's not suited for that style of play. Rowe is the quintessential American keeper...catches it a lot more, and uses his feet to block (which is more rarely done in Europe), doesn't go too far out. Kempin tries to play like Neuer style (like most younger keepers these days), but is also heavily influenced by the American...he's young still and probably playing conservatively given where the Galaxy are, but he's the closest thing they have to the fast keeper, IMO.

Very interesting. I am so clueless about style that I have been focused on logic based upon what the trainers that I trust have taught her rather than a style. My daughter is probably closer to the Neuer style which I think is more predominate in US women's soccer but I of course don't know. My daughter is thin with really long legs and is quite frankly crazy so you would probably see her tongue rolled under while running with determination to get the ball at the opposing players feet. She thinks it is fun to slide at people's feet and always has thought it was fun. She used to yell while doing it because she is a nut job! LOL At one point I had to ask the trainer to teach her to do it correctly because I was so worried about her beautiful face and he dubbed the technique "The pretty face technique". LOL Thanks for all of the info!