Why USA’S Youth Development Continues To Stagnate

[espola]

many who pushed this theory were doctors but didnt do it with any evidence besides conversations with clients they saw. "they are using other muscles groups they usually dont use from one sport to another". when kids get to a certain age, you can mix in things like yoga and weightlifting - but that isnt adding another sport,just helping them with the sport they are in. Research by Shawn Arent shows the majority of injuries suffered in Soccer are through overuse - not because they didnt develop some group of muscles due to specialization.

Who is Shawn Arent?

And why can't he spell "Sean"?

 

[Not_that_Serious]

Who is Shawn Arent?

And why can't he spell "Sean"?

hah, parents wanted to be different. guy is a phd at Rutgers. mainly focuses on the soccer program. along with his wife have helped to reduce a lot of major injuries in the athletic programs at Rutgers. They use a ton of data using sensors the players use - think this one of places US Soccer got the idea of using sensors. At Rutgers players wear sensors and get a number that shows how hard players have practiced. They set a number for players for an entire week including games. They will sit kids out of practice or modify training just for those players so they dont go past a target number. Point is dont overwork players, harder is not always better, and actually take care of your players - including what they eat. Can look up podcasts with him, some of the best info you will find regardless of what sport your player plays.

 

[Messi>CR7]

Keepers were killing me with the booting of the ball to midfield, have no idea why coaches insist on giving the other team a 50/50 chance of winning the ball.

Because coaches know the chance of successfully building out from keeper to the halfway line is less than 50%

 

[timbuck]

because a 50/50 ball at midfield is better than a 30/70 ball in your defending third.

(Not saying this is how it should be played. But this is how some coaches think).

 

[LASTMAN14]

because a 50/50 ball at midfield is better than a 30/70 ball in your defending third.

(Not saying this is how it should be played. But this is how some coaches think).

We use to say to our opposition, “they don’t want the ball”. This meant they were scared and not good with the ball at their feet. Is that what kickball is?

 

[Not_that_Serious]

because a 50/50 ball at midfield is better than a 30/70 ball in your defending third.

(Not saying this is how it should be played. But this is how some coaches think).

Because coaches know the chance of successfully building out from keeper to the halfway line is less than 50%

Look where those stats come from or came from. It is also a mentality that has been hammered into heads in order to keep doing the same thing. If you train kids correctly it will take 2-3 passes to get out past halfway. I compiled stats for some of our teams. I’d have pull them up, but Biggest problem is losing the ball and getting countered. Over 3/4 of the goals scored on on the teams came from team winning balls at midfield or a mid losing ball at midfield after winning ball at midfield. Also, if we lost the ball on the wings, stats showed we could defend losing the ball at a higher rate. If this type of philosophy were not true (and 30-70 stat were true), a vast majority of teams in Bundesliga, BPL, La Liga would be a defying the odds. True it’s hard to keep the ball, and might take a team a couple years to be able to play this way- at younger ages you’ll probably even get hit hard initially. no excuse at HS and College level were you have 2-4 year cycles with players.

 

[Not_that_Serious]

We use to say to our opposition, “they don’t want the ball”. This meant they were scared and not good with the ball at their feet. Is that what kickball is?

exactly. but i think its somebody somewhere was selling a system or giving excuses why to play kickball and they came up with some bogus statistic. this way coaches dont have to develop or teach kids to play with the ball at their feet. even if i had not gone all nerd and kept stats at our games, you could visually see where goals came from. if your team doesnt have anyone to win balls at midfield, or playing a formation that is soft at midfield, are you going to keep booting the ball to the other team? in these cases you are giving the team a better than 50/50 chance at winning the ball. sometimes you have to boot it or you can hit long passes when you see a mismatch - given your keeper is capable to hit accurate passes. a lot of this has to do with the skill of the players you have, but still have a responsibility to develop kids past kicking the ball up the field and HOPE you get the ball.

 

[espola]

because a 50/50 ball at midfield is better than a 30/70 ball in your defending third.

(Not saying this is how it should be played. But this is how some coaches think).

My philosophy on "kickball" is that if your defense has just made a mistake or been outplayed by a clever touch, our next touch should be long and high. Make those mistakes on their side, not ours.

 

[LASTMAN14]

exactly. but i think its somebody somewhere was selling a system or giving excuses why to play kickball and they came up with some bogus statistic. this way coaches dont have to develop or teach kids to play with the ball at their feet. even if i had not gone all nerd and kept stats at our games, you could visually see where goals came from. if your team doesnt have anyone to win balls at midfield, or playing a formation that is soft at midfield, are you going to keep booting the ball to the other team? in these cases you are giving the team a better than 50/50 chance at winning the ball. sometimes you have to boot it or you can hit long passes when you see a mismatch - given your keeper is capable to hit accurate passes. a lot of this has to do with the skill of the players you have, but still have a responsibility to develop kids past kicking the ball up the field and HOPE you get the ball.

Not the same sport, but watch this video on a high school football coach.

 

[Not_that_Serious]

My philosophy on "kickball" is that if your defense has just made a mistake or been outplayed by a clever touch, our next touch should be long and high. Make those mistakes on their side, not ours.

i say make a mistake where they cant hurt you, a bit like you are saying. the problem is you can make a mistake past half on their end and have the ball rammed right down the center of the field on you. i think you are saying you have to kick the ball far at times, which is true. i dont count clearing the ball because your FB or DM got burnt kickball. just see kids conditioned to boot the ball far no matter what, even if they have room to bring down the ball and dribble.

 

[espola]

i say make a mistake where they cant hurt you, a bit like you are saying. the problem is you can make a mistake past half on their end and have the ball rammed right down the center of the field on you. i think you are saying you have to kick the ball far at times, which is true. i dont count clearing the ball because your FB or DM got burnt kickball. just see kids conditioned to boot the ball far no matter what, even if they have room to bring down the ball and dribble.

I first learned soccer (more than just kick the ball into the goal and don't use your hands) from a Hungarian immigrant coach in high school. He taught the keepers to look for wingers (we played a 2-3-5 formation in those days, wingers were on the outside ends of the forward 5) who were supposed to be waiting for the ball at the center line-touchline junctions, and if they weren't available, boot it long.

 

[Not_that_Serious]

I first learned soccer (more than just kick the ball into the goal and don't use your hands) from a Hungarian immigrant coach in high school. He taught the keepers to look for wingers (we played a 2-3-5 formation in those days, wingers were on the outside ends of the forward 5) who were supposed to be waiting for the ball at the center line-touchline junctions, and if they weren't available, boot it long.

that is a crazy formation, but probably overwhelmed the defense. A bit like madrid and others who bomb backs forward. just have to have some real mobile defenders who can cover some space. makes sense you have to bomb it due to the alternative of making a mistake and players getting behind you. i would have adjust that to not just bomb it, but to hit areas of play. Our backs get forward as well but as pressure comes you either find someone who suppose to be an outlet, or if he is covered, to hit down the line - away from keeper. this way you draw defenders out and you have a good probability of keeping the ball on your side of the field. most kids wont have the leg to get it across the field to the opposite corner. those who tend to try it get the ball intercepted down the middle (counter) or it will end up in the keeper's hands (or they are high enough to sweep it out). you have to have some quick kids to play what you guys did, one of our teams was able to play a V (one defender sweeping everything) most games because we had a very talented-aggressive back who could get sideline-to-sideline. allowed us to get numbers forward and could switch the ball around quickly - most teams will follow the ball like mice follow cheese. they over-commit and will leave the other side open. if you have a bunch of passing options can hit open holes quickly. why its important to teach kids less of the "BE AGGRESSIVE" 100% of the time and be disciplined in order to keep your shape on the defensive side.

looks like you were lucky on how you were taught to play. see a ton of kids and teams that are not that lucky.

 

[espola]

that is a crazy formation, but probably overwhelmed the defense. A bit like madrid and others who bomb backs forward. just have to have some real mobile defenders who can cover some space. makes sense you have to bomb it due to the alternative of making a mistake and players getting behind you. i would have adjust that to not just bomb it, but to hit areas of play. Our backs get forward as well but as pressure comes you either find someone who suppose to be an outlet, or if he is covered, to hit down the line - away from keeper. this way you draw defenders out and you have a good probability of keeping the ball on your side of the field. most kids wont have the leg to get it across the field to the opposite corner. those who tend to try it get the ball intercepted down the middle (counter) or it will end up in the keeper's hands (or they are high enough to sweep it out). you have to have some quick kids to play what you guys did, one of our teams was able to play a V (one defender sweeping everything) most games because we had a very talented-aggressive back who could get sideline-to-sideline. allowed us to get numbers forward and could switch the ball around quickly - most teams will follow the ball like mice follow cheese. they over-commit and will leave the other side open. if you have a bunch of passing options can hit open holes quickly. why its important to teach kids less of the "BE AGGRESSIVE" 100% of the time and be disciplined in order to keep your shape on the defensive side.

looks like you were lucky on how you were taught to play. see a ton of kids and teams that are not that lucky.

Everybody played 2-3-5 those days. The 3 midfielders had significant defensive responsibility also, which evened things out. The front 5 played either a W or an M formation (1 striker or 2) depending on personnel and opponent. I was last-string right wing, and my only trained skill was to run the ball down the right side all the way to the corner and then cross flat across the goal.

 

[Soccermom4]

http://breakingthelines.com/opinion-pieces/why-usas-youth-development-continues-to-stagnate/

Coaches and parents are more intent on winning than developing.
“Boot the ball!” “We don’t need to be playing possession!!” “This season sucks because we aren’t winning!” These are all common complaints a coach will hear from exasperated parents on the sidelines.

I think this is spot on. You also get coaches that are looking for "fame" ok recognition and drop kids like hot potatoes instead of developing them. Plus parents and players that jump from place to place. some times a change is needed, but sometimes people ae just looking for stepping stones.

 

[sdb]

Everybody played 2-3-5 those days. The 3 midfielders had significant defensive responsibility also, which evened things out. The front 5 played either a W or an M formation (1 striker or 2) depending on personnel and opponent. I was last-string right wing, and my only trained skill was to run the ball down the right side all the way to the corner and then cross flat across the goal.

Great section in the book “Inverting the Pyramid” on the WM formation and the Hungarian contribution to soccer tactics.

 

[blam]

Role of parents is very important. About the only way kids in USA is introduced to any sports in USA is through parent involvement. There is little pick up games where kids learn themselves. Just had a chat with someone the other day and she said her parents never signed her up to do any sports when she was young and the first time she had a chance to do sports competitively is at high school and she had to compete with kids who have played it all their lives.

There is high school soccer but no elementary school or middle school soccer. Same is of course true with other sports like swimming or musical instruments like piano.