A Three-Step Formula for Competition Readiness - National Soccer ...

Volume 54, Number 7 November-December 2009Soccer Journal • November-December 2009Published by: The National Soccer CoachesAssociation of AmericaEditor: Dr. Jay MartinEdwards GymOhio Wesleyan UniversityDelaware, OH 43015Office: 740-368-3727Fax: 740-368-3751Email: jamartin@owu.eduManaging Editor: Craig BohnertAssociate Editors: Mike Kennedy, Pat MaddenEditorial Subcommittee: Ray Alley, Dr. David Carr,Dr. Hardy Fuchs, Mike Lentz, Alan Maher, PerryMcIntyre Jr., Len Oliver, Dr. Ron Quinn, Tim Schum,Jeff Tipping, Frank Tschan, Jeff Vennell, Lang Wedemeyer,Dr. Doug WilliamsonNSCAA CEO and Executive Director:Joe Cummings800 Ann AvenueKansas City, KS 66101800-458-0678 • Fax: 913-362-3439NSCAA on the Internet: www.NSCAA.comTo advertise in Soccer Journal, contact:Chris BurtMarketing DirectorNSCAA800 Ann AvenueKansas City, KS 66101800-458-0678 • Fax: 913-362-3439Email: cburt@nscaa.comPrinter: R.R. Donnelly, Independence, Mo.• • •Fees for NSCAAinternational membershipTo cover increases in postage rates, thefollowing dues structure applies to membersoutside of the United States:Europe $100 • Asia $110North/Central America $95• • •SOCCER JOURNAL(USPS, 568-630, ISSN 0560-3617)is published bimonthly with one special issuein October by the NSCAA, 800 Ann Ave.,Kansas City, KS 66101. Periodical postage paidat Kansas City, Kan., and additional mailingoffices. Subscription information: $12 of theannual membership fee brings SoccerJournal to members for one year. It is just onebenefit of the annual $95 dues ($75 for youthcoaches). Postmaster: Send address changes to:Soccer Journal, 800 Ann Ave.,Kansas City, KS 66101.• • •Reproduction or reuse of this materialin whole or part is forbidden withoutthe expressed written permission of theNational Soccer CoachesAssociation of America.Jonathon Bornstein (12) provided the last-secondheroics with his equalizing goal in the final minuteof stoppage time for a 2-2 tie with Costa Rica thatgave the U.S. Men’s National Team the top spot ingroup qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.10Development, Enhancement and Sustainability of Expert Performance in Sport – A summaryof the U.S. Olympic Committee’s conference focusing on expert performance in sport. Focus: SJ Research.Ages: All.12The Complexities and Demands of the Professional Soccer Manager – Dr. Ian Lawrencetakes a look at the many forces tugging at high-level soccer coaches. Focus: Coaching. Ages:College and Professional.152010 NSCAA Board of Directors Candidates – Participate in the 2010 NSCAA Board of Directorselection – read the candidates’ statements and use the ballot between pages 16 and 17 tomake your voice heard.22Soccer Fitness and Heart Rate Training – Robert Taylor describes how Loyola University in Baltimoreincorporates heart rate monitors into their training. Focus: Fitness. Ages: U-15 and above.26Focus On: Speed of Play – From Success in Soccer magazine, David Linenberger offers these exercises toimprove speed of play. Focus: Youth Training. Ages: 14-18.30A Three-Step Formula for Competition Readiness: From Preparation to Execution – USOC sportpsychologist Sean McCann returns with a look at moving into the “execution zone.” Focus: Psychology.Ages: All.34Time Well Spent: Video and Film Analysis – In the second of this two-part series, Dr. Steve Smithand Lee Schopp examine the technical requirements and merits of various video systems. Focus:Technology. Ages: U-15 and above.38Heerenveen – NSCAA Master Coach Rob Herringer shares his observations of a training sessionat Heerenveen FC of the Dutch Eredivisie. Focus: SJ Training Session. Ages: All.42 The Transition Game: Playing in an Academic Environment – Frank Pace takes a look at what ittakes to move players from a club environment to an academic scene. Focus: In My Opinion.46Five Favorites: Noel Blake – From the pages of Insight magazine, Noel Blake offers his five top practicesfor developing tactical awareness. Focus: Five Favorites. Ages: All.52Jüergen Klinsmann – In the first of a two-part series, Editor Jay Martin sits down with the former GermanNational Team star and coach. Focus: SJ Interview. Ages: All.57Bench Psychology – Eric Steeg offers thoughts on how to manage the delicate balancing act that is managingreserve players and creating a positive playing experience. Focus: Psychology. Ages: All.58Is Collegiate Soccer the Key to MLS? – Mike Jacobs, the men’s coach at the University ofEvansville, takes a look at the impact intercollegiate soccer has had in developing talent for MajorLeague Soccer.61Soccer Shorts – The Blond Arrow – Alfredo di Stefano; Getting a Bigger Bang for Your TrainingBuck?; Some Thoughts from Division I.3 The President’sCorner5 Center Circle 7 Educational 9 Soccer NetworkAnglesOn the Cover: Michael Bradley got his head on a ball, applying pressure to the CostaRican defense as the U.S. Men’s National Team faced the Ticos in Washington, D.C.,on Oct. 14. Photo by Perry McIntyre Jr.Photo by Perry McIntyre Jr.Soccer Journal November-December 2009 1

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y Jeff Tipping, Director of Coaching Education and DevelopmentAre We There Yet?Is the American soccer culture closing in on the rest of the world?In late July I attended a soccer spectacular inKansas and walked away wondering “Have wearrived?” One of the best passers of the ball in thehistory of the game was wearing No. 23 for the LAGalaxy, bringing such a sublime array of distributionthat those spectators with an acute understandingof the game were left, frequently, breathless. Thatis where the real story begins.Those in attendance knew that they were watchinggenius at work and David Beckham’s passesfrequently received a rippling round of applause. Thecrowd was enthralled, just like any crowd in Europeor Latin America – not just at the scoring of goals butwith the recognition of high-quality play. Having saidthat, I also must point out that the game featured oneof the greatest goals ever seen in American soccer.Kansas City forward Claudio Lopez saw the LAGalaxy goalkeeper off his line and, from five yardsinside his own half of the field, drove a rocket overthe goalkeeper and into the net. The packed houseexploded in reaction to another piece of genius, eventhough Lopez’ overall contribution to the game provedto be far more modest than Beckham’s.A packed house in the minor league baseball stadiumthe Wizards currently use is just under 11,000,but as someone once said, “Density is more importantthan crowd size,” and the joint was jumping. Prior tothe game dozens of tailgaters wearing Wizards blueshirts mixed freely and jovially with groups of Galaxyfans clad in Beckham jerseys. It seemed to me that wecould teach the world a lesson or two about supportinga team without turning a sporting event into tribalwarfare. Hats off to the Wizards event staff for a nightthat featured not only some exciting and enthrallingsoccer, but also non-stop entertainment from beginningto end – a truly festive occasion and a thoroughlymemorable night.Beckham’s passing needs more commentary.Before you pass it you have to get it, and hisability to receive a ball and knock it off first timewas uncanny. His awareness of his teammatesand opponents at all times is the mark of a savvyand enormously experienced master. The balls hedwelled over with two or three touches were thendelivered with perfect pace and spin, includinga penetrating pass to Landon Donovan from thehalfway line, on the ground. The pass piercedthree or four lines of Wizards defenders, landed onDonovan’s foot with perfection, only for the striker’sshot on goal to be saved by indominatable Wizardsgoalkeeper Kevin Hartman, who had a busy night.Beckham’s driving of the ball “on a rope” shouldalso be mentioned, especially as so many of ourplayers hook everything. The ability to drive the ball 50yards enables center backs to hit the center forward inthe chest or midfielders to change the point of attack.The technique of how to do this is examined in considerabledepth in the NSCAA National Diploma. It isone of the techniques the NSCAA Academy believesour players can get better at executing.So…have we arrived? In many ways I think wehave. Returning home with a deep sense of satisfactionto watch MLS highlights and see similar spectaclesfrom around the country, I found it hard not toreflect with pleasure on how far we have come. TheUnited States has all of the characteristics of a countrythat has emerged from the shadows into the broadsunlit uplands of soccer prominence. In my 35 yearsin the U.S. there has never been more soccer on TV(with American commentators); now there are two fullyfunctioning pro leagues that occupy a lot of that TV airspace and feature some of the world’s most talentedplayers. We see soccer shirts being worn in airports,we have dozens of Americans playing overseas, wehave a men’s national team ranked in the top 10 ona regular basis and a women’s national team alwaysranked one or two. We have complexes being builtall around the country and millions of participants inthe game.From an NSCAA standpoint and my standpoint asthe Director of Coaching Education and Development,I am pleased to report one more sign that we have,possibly, arrived. We now have six NSCAA memberswho in the last couple of years have been hired byforeign countries to coach overseas. Dan Gasparrecently returned after his latest stint as goalkeepercoach for the Portuguese National Team; DerekBroadley, an NSCAA Master Coach holder, has beenhired by Bermuda to act as its director of coaching; andNSCAA President Randy Waldrum recently served asdirector of the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s NationalTeams. In addition Wayne Harrison (an NSCAA PremierDiploma holder) has been hired as the academydirector for a professional team in Dubai, where he isjoining Lee Mitchell, also an NSCAA Master Coachholder, who has been coaching a professional teamin the Middle East. We recently learned that NSCAAmember John Murphy, NSCAA Premier Diplomaholder and former director of soccer for the ColoradoIt seemed to me that we could teachthe world a lesson or two aboutsupporting your team without turninga sporting event into tribal warfare.Rapids, has been hired by Livingston Football Club inScotland as its first team coach. All of these coachesare affiliated with the NSCAA either as staff or haveworked closely with the NSCAA Academy over theyears. It is refreshing to see our people being invitedoverseas rather than it always being the other wayaround.One other measurement of our growth needsnotation and that is the number of foreign nationalscoming to NSCAA Coaching education events thissummer from India, Africa, the Caribbean, Canadaand numerous European countries.We all have different measurements on the conceptof what it means to say we have finally arrived as asport, and we certainly have plenty of issues that wemust deal with. Of course, that measurement will bedifferent in the women’s game, where we are theworld’s leader, than the men’s. However, when wehave superstars playing in our packed stadiums beforeknowledgeable and passionate fans, three or four TVchannels showing soccer numerous times during theweek, national team programs vying for internationalsuccess, NSCAA-educated members being invited tocoach overseas and flocks of internationals comingto our educational events, it is not hard to believe thatthere are great things happening in our country.Soccer Journal November-December 2009 7

Coaching • College and ProfessionalThe Complexities and Demandsof the Professional Soccer ManagerBy Ian Lawrence, York UniversityProfessional soccer teams in England andthe United States have different structures (i.e.manager v. coach). Dr. Ian Lawrence researchesthe added demands placed on a professionalsoccer manager in the United Kingdom.In professional association football(soccer), as in other high-status sports, theposition of manager represents a stressfuland turbulent occupation in which individualsare publicly held responsible for a team’sperformance. In a role that is legendary forits insecurity of tenure, it is perhaps notsurprising that effective, and by definitionthis means successful, managers are a highlyvalued commodity.In 2006-07, more than half of the 92managers that started the English professionalleague season had been fired by season’send. The average length of tenure per managerialposition during this period averagedjust two years. Whether management in current-dayprofessional soccer should be considereda profession is a contentious issue.By definition, elite soccer managers shoulddemonstrate a high level of education andtraining enforced by their governing body.However, the professional status of managersin the United Kingdom is a relatively newphenomenon, heralded by the creation of theFIFA Pro license in 1997. The first graduatesfollowed in 1998.The Role(s) of theProfessional Soccer ManagerIn the United Kingdom, a professional soccermanager traditionally has been expected tohave responsibilities above and beyond thosegenerally expected of a coach in the UnitedStates. The first professional coach in the UnitedKingdom credited with having a modernmanagerial role was Herbert Chapman in the1920s. The first English national soccer teamcoach, Walter Winterbottom in 1947, also hada managerial role. The tradition of a coach whoembraces a variety of roles exceeding thosenormally expected of a coach continues to thisday in British soccer. As such the title of coachmay be limited and not fully represent themulti-disciplinary nature of the job.The all-embracing title of “manager” is distinctfrom that of coach. A manager’s responsibilitiesare close to those held by a combinationof head coach and athletic director inthe United States. Traditionally, a coach has aprescribed and limited number of roles, whichtypically includes a planned, coordinated andintegrated program of athlete preparation (Baker,Horton, Robertson-Wilson & Wall, 2003).In contrast, a modern professional soccer managermust acknowledge the importance of hisrole from a business or financial perspective.Some theorists have attempted to distinguishthe difference between a manager anda leader by emphasizing the organizationalrole of the manager and the vision anddirection provided by leaders (Weinberg &Gould, 2003), but the role of manager (seeTable 1) clearly encompasses elements ofboth. The consensus appears to be that managementimplies leadership, but that leadersneed not necessarily be managers. Thecomplexity of the role of professional soccermanager is in thenecessity to maximizethe output ofthe club by organizing,planning,staffing, directingand controlling;leadership is justone aspect of thedirecting function.Because managementis essentiallya role that is likelyto include leadershipand coachingresponsibilities,research evidencefrom both leadershipand coachingdomains will bebriefly reviewedin this paper. Theextended role of aprofessional soccermanager is summarized in the table on thispage.Inevitably, a manager is subjected topressure from a variety of source – fans, clubowners, players and media. A “fear of failure”has the cumulative effect of creating anintense working environment and potentiallyexacerbating the climate of insecurity. Apalpable “fear of humiliation” and repercussionsboth on a professional and family levelare features of a sport embraced by a culturein which every observer considers himself anexpert. The sponsors of the English PremierLeague have stated that there are 60 millionsoccer managers in Britain, 59.999 millionof whom are unemployed. The high-pressureworld of the modern manager is somethingthat any club sports psychologist has to beacutely aware of. This pressure-cooker environmentmay best be summarized by formerLiverpool FC manager Kenny Dalglish, whoallegedly had a coffee mug in his kitchenwith the slogan, “We interrupt this marriageto bring you the football season.” (Garfield,2002)In light of the high levels of stress thatare associated with soccer management,it is interesting that a number of leadershiptraits appear to be associated with theconcepts of hardiness and mental toughness(e.g. achievement orientation, persistence,self-confidence, stress tolerance etc.). Forexample, the work of existential psychologists(Kobasa, 1979; Kobasa, Maddi, &Roles of a Professional Soccer ManagerCore ResponsibilitiesPrime TasksContributory TasksFirst team selectionMethod of playAssembly, maintenance of a playingsquadClub coaching policyPlayer discipline, fitness, preparationand well-beingPlayer developmentAppointment of assistant staffAttendance at board meetingsMedia dealingsSalary/contract of playersClub scouting policyClub youth policyPreparing match program notesGeneral public relations/sponsorshipdealingsKhan, 1982) led to greater understandingof the stress-illness relationship, and thecognitive mechanisms that enable individualsto function efficiently and tolerate highlystressful situations without becoming ill. Kobasa(1979) found that executives who wereexposed to highly stressful environmentsbut remained healthy (as opposed to thosewho became ill) were characterized by a setof distinct cognitive attributes that has beendescribed as the hardy personality.The three dimensions of hardiness ashighlighted by Kobasa (1979) reflect: commitment(which reflects an individual’sability to feel deeply involved or committedto the activities in their lives); control (deci-12 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

sional control, or the ability to autonomouslychoose between various coping strategiesin order to deal with stress; and cognitivecontrol, the ability to appraise stressfulevents as being part of an ongoing life plan,thus deactivating their jarring effects); andchallenge (the anticipation of change ratherthan stability as the norm, and the interpretationof change as a challenge or chance togrow rather than as a threat). These threedimensions appear to act as a buffer to stress(Kobasa, 1979; Kobasa et al., 1982).Maddi (2004) suggested that hardinessrepresents a manifestation of existentialcourage; that is, without courage, individualsmay revert to habitual past choices andbehaviors (holding on to what is alreadyknown and familiar) rather than seeking outnew and perhaps more effective alternatives.This concept easily can be transferred tosoccer management, where a cursory glanceat professional managers in England reveals adistinction between those who have appliedscientific principles to training and embracednew developments in sports science, andthose who have more rigid, set ideas abouthow things should be done, which usually isrooted in past traditions.In more sports-specific research, Clough,Earle and Sewell (2002) developed theconcept of the hardy personality by addingconfidence as a further dimension to producetheir own concept of mental toughness.Alongside this, Clough et al. developed aninstrument that appears to be a valid and reliablemeasure of mental toughness (Cloughet al., 2002; Crust & Clough, 2005) that isknown as the MT48. Clough et al. state that:Mentally tough individuals tend to besociable and outgoing; as they are able to remaincalm and relaxed, they are competitivein many situations and have lower anxietylevels than others. With a high sense ofself-belief and an unshakable faith that theycontrol their own destiny, these individualscan remain relatively unaffected by competitionor adversity. (p. 38)Intuition tells us that the ability to functioneffectively, not just in terms of remaininghealthy, but also in terms of decisionmakingand remaining clear and logical inthought when experiencing adversity, wouldbe an important characteristic of a soccermanager. That includes keeping playersfocused on what is important and connectingwith team members’ core values. Recentresearch has shown that mental toughnessis positively correlated with performance ofendurance tasks (Crust & Clough, 2005);negatively correlated with perceptions ofexertion in conditions of high-intensityexercise; and predicts those individuals whoare more likely to be able to bounce back(show resilience) after negative feedback(Clough et al., 2002). Although research intomental toughness still is at an early stage andhas focused mostly on sports performers, extendingsuch research to incorporate soccermanagers would enhance knowledge of whatsome researchers have described as one ofthe most important psychological attributesin achieving excellence (Jones, Hanton, &Connaughton, 2002).Recent research has shown that hardinesscan be learned, and that hardiness trainingwith managers can lead to increased jobsatisfaction, lower levels of stress, strain,anxiety, disgust and blood pressure (Maddi,Khan, & Maddi, 1998). These researchersdeveloped a training program that involvedbusiness managers learning how to copeeffectively with stressful circumstances; giveand get assistance and encouragement in socialinteractions; engage in the self-care thatsupports effective coping and social support;and use the feedback from these activities todeepen their hardiness attitudes. Extendinghardiness and mental toughness research tosoccer managers should be encouraged; it isapparent that some managers thrive on thepressures of the job, but others succumb tothe stress and appear ill at ease.What makes a good leader?The simple answer is success. Charismamay theoretically count, but only ifit reinforces the leader’s ability to generatea supportive atmosphere. Success in soccerclearly demonstrates that leadership abilityis founded on personal strengths that areinward or intrinsic to the individual. Thepersonal strengths: vision, self-belief, resultsfocus, courage and integrity. According toHeller (2003), those are the traits that managersmust develop to close the gap betweentheir potential and their achievement.The above five strengths, while vital,may not be enough. They achieve theirimpact through teamwork, visibility, communicating,attention and commitment.These five outward processes, common toall organizations but ineffectively executedin most teams, enable staff to close the gapbetween potential and reality. The need forthese qualities and attributes is universal:all managers, at all levels, like all players inall sports, will enjoy more success the morethey develop these assets.Despite a focus upon theory and research,it is clear that variables outside themanager’s direct control (such as finance, injuryand refereeing decisions) inevitably willaffect the degree of success that individualsexperience. Also, it is recognized that therewill be some soccer managers (by way oftraits, behaviors or interactions) that do notconform to the proposed composite view, butwho are effective. There will be instances inwhich the unique skills and knowledge of amanager will enable him to function in waysthat appear contrary to research evidence,but still be successful.The utilization of sports science techniquesand practices within professional soccer is evidentlygrowing in recognition (Richardson &Riley, 2004). The majority of professional clubsand national associations now employ sportsscientists in their quest to gain a “competitiveedge.” Indeed the FA has created a “PsychologyFootball Strategy” to increase awareness withinprofessional clubs. However, this developmentevidently fails to address the psychologicalneeds of the manager.Innovative and reflective manager-trainingcourses can help individuals learn tomanage their responsibilities as effectively aspossible and facilitate critical interventions.One such initiative in Britain is the trainingprogram available to all soccer managersat Warwick Business School in the UnitedKingdom (certificate in Applied Management).This new qualification is unique inEuropean soccer and contains training inmarketing, media relations, sports psychology,branding and influencing skills.In England, up until the creation of theUEFA professional license, being a formerplayer seems to have been the main qualificationfor soccer management. In Germany,in contrast, aspiring managers have toundergo a mandatory apprenticeship of twoyears in the lower leagues. The challenge indeveloping a management-education courseis to enable prospective candidates to learneffectively from their experience (Borrie &Knowles, 2003). Cognitive skills developthrough experience; a course that enablesindividuals to reflect on their skills willenhance their effectiveness in a dynamic,diverse and complex activity.ReferencesClough, P. J., Earle, K., & Sewell, D. (2002)Mental toughness: the concept and its measurement.In I. Cockerill (Ed.), Solutionsin sport psychology (pp. 32-43). London:Thomson Publishing.Crust, L., & Clough, P. J. (2005). Relationshipbetween mental toughness and physicalendurance. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 100,192-194.Garfield, S. (October 6th, 2002) The PanicRoom. The Observer Sport Monthly (on-lineedition). http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,803062,00.html (accessed 21stFebruary, 2006)Heller,R. (2003) The Fusion Manager. ProfileBooks.Jones, G., Hanton, S., & Connaughton, D.(2002). What is this thing called mentaltoughness? An investigation of elite sportperformers. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology,14, 205-218.Kobasa, S. C. (1979). Stressful life events,personality and health: An inquiry intohardiness. Journal of Personality and SocialPsychology, 37, 1-11.Kobasa, S. C., Maddi, S. R., & Khan, S.(1982). Hardiness and health: A prospectivestudy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,42, 884-890.Maddi, S. R. (2004). Hardiness: An operationalizationof existential courage. Journal ofHumanistic Psychology, 44 (3), 279-298.Maddi, S. R., Khan, S., & Maddi, K. L. (1998).The effectiveness of hardiness training. ConsultingPsychology Journal, 50, 78-86.Richardson, D., & Riley, P. (2004). The role ofthe Sports Scientist within professional football.Insight: The FA Coaches AssociationJournal, 3(5), 52.Soccer Journal November-December 2009 13

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2010 NSCAA Board of Directors CandidatesVICE PRESIDEnT FOR COMMunICATIOnS AnDMARKETIngJack HuckelHometown: Gansevoort,N.Y.Years as anNSCAA Member: 36Current soccerinvolvement: Directorof Museum andArchives, (Communicationsand ConstituencyServices),National Soccer Hallof Fame and Museum,Oneonta, N.Y.HuckelCurrent NSCAA involvement: Secretary,Board of Directors; Hall of Fame Committeechairman; Awards Committee member; ConventionCommittee Meals and Social FunctionsSubcommittee member; Assistant Historian;Brand Development Committee member.NSCAA Board, Committee, and Academyexperience: Former member, Honor AwardCommittee; former member, and chairman,NCAA and ECAC New York TournamentSelection Committee; former member; NSCAACoach of the Year Committee; earned anNSCAA Premier Diploma.History of soccer involvement: I beganplaying in high school (1962), continued incollege and played amateur soccer – total playingcareer of about 15 years that I restarted last year,joining an O-40 indoor league and an O-50outdoor league. I played much of that careeras a goalkeeper, but also played in the field.Goalkeeper was my most successful position andas an amateur player I was often asked to joinother teams when they entered tournaments andneeded replacement players.I began coaching with my first teaching jobin the fall of 1968 and, in the end, coachedhigh school teams for 10 years and collegeteams for 20 years. I also coached in club programsat various times.Always interested in history in general,I transferred that interest to U.S. and internationalsoccer history in the late 1970s andbecame active in researching, interviewing andwriting about the history of the game. My firstforay into this field was a series of interviewswith players on the 1950 U.S. National Teamthat defeated England. I recently concludedthat series by meeting Bert Williams, the Englandgoalkeeper on that fateful day.In 2000 I left full-time coaching to join theNational Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum andhave continued to develop my knowledge ofthe history of the game, while at the same timeworking to more actively inform the generalpublic of the tradition of soccer in the UnitedStates. This has been my biggest challenge inthe game!I have been named the Maine CollegeCoach of the Year and have been honored toreceive an NSCAA Letter of Commendation.I want to serve on the NSCAA Board of Directorsbecause: I believe my 36 years of membershipand the varied roles I have played in thegame – as a player, a coach, a coaching educator,an administrator, a manager, and an historian– provide me a valuable backdrop on which tobuild the future of the NSCAA. I know that weare a strong and important organization that mustmeet new challenges in today’s and tomorrow’ssociety as we support and educate coaches atmultiple levels of the game, from the new youthcoach to the seasoned professional. Because Ihave been involved and/or interacted at all theselevels, I bring a deeper perspective to the issueswe face, and I will ask the questions that moveour discussions to the heart of the matter and willwork to build an ever-improving organization aswe create the NSCAA for tomorrow’s coaches.In addition, my experience during the pastyear as Secretary to the Board of Directors andthe Executive Committee has brought me upto speed with the evolving issues facing ourorganization, such as the demands of financialmanagement in perilous times, and the recentsuccessfully concluded leadership search.These experiences have further prepared me tofulfill the responsibilities of Vice President forMarketing and Communications on the Boardof Directors and Executive Committee.I believe my strongest qualifications forthis position are:1) My year of experience as Secretary of theBoard of Directors and Executive Committee,2) The longevity of my service to the gameand the NSCAA,3) A commitment to working to maintain andpromote the NSCAA as the primary soccercoaches association in the United States,4) An undying commitment to build soccer’spresence in the United States,5) The diversity of my career, and6) An insatiable quest to learn more about thegame.During my tenure on the NSCAA Boardof Directors I would like to see:1) Our organization become a stronger, morerecognized and more influential voice forsoccer in the United States,2) Our organization work to broaden the perspectiveof coaches beyond solely coachingthe team, encouraging our membership tobecome effective ambassadors for the game,and to play an important role in building afan culture in future generations of playersand their families.What steps would you propose theNSCAA take to improve its image and influencewithin the U.S. soccer community?1) Identify what our current image is amongsoccer coaches and other organizations inthe U.S. soccer world, such as U.S. Soccer,MLS, WPS, NCAA, etc.2) Concurrently, ask an ad hoc task force tomake recommendations as to what imagethe NSCAA should strive to achieve.3) Study the dissonance between the two anddevelop a plan that informs and recruitsmembership to create the desired image.What steps would you propose theNSCAA take to enhance its position as aleader of coaching education in the U.S.?1) Regularly survey our membership as totheir education needs – in what areas dothey perceive that instruction is needed?2) Continue to study the programs being offeredin other coaching programs, especiallythose programs that aim instruction at theclub and youth level.3) Continue to provide introductory shortcourseprograms at low fees so we can capturestarting coaches with both the NSCAAteaching process and the content.4) Continue to work to put the NSCAA in theforefront of the reporting on soccer coachingwith position papers on critical issues.5) Create analysis reports on major competitionsin the United States, identifying thestrengths and weaknesses of the teams andplayers involved and include a section onproposed training methods to correct theweaknesses and to maximize the strengths.What steps would you propose theNSCAA take to better serve its members?1) We must continue to survey the membershipand ask for their help in identifyingneeds and desires.2) Continue the program of finding ways torespond to these identified needs.3) Continue to work to put the NSCAA in theforefront of the reporting on soccer coachingwith position papers on critical issues.4) Create analysis reports on major competitionsin the United States, identifying thestrengths and weaknesses of the teams andplayers involved and include a section onproposed training methods to correct theweaknesses and to maximize the strengths.Given the current economic climate, whattypes of creative fiscal strategies have youobserved that might be transferable and thuspositively impact the NSCAA’s economic planning?A return to basics seems to me to be thecorrect policy in times of stress. That is somethingwe practice with our teams and it fits withour financial practices. Consequently, the need isto identify those services and programs that havelasting and impactful value and be sure those arefunded at appropriate levels while decreasing oreliminating the investments that serve to “gild thelily,” so to speak.The process must be pursued by the Board ofDirectors and the CEO/Executive Director withdue diligence and in consultation with NationalOffice department heads and NSCAA committeechairs who are closest to the general membership.Goal 1 of the NSCAA’s strategic planfor 2008-2012 is: Be the media’s primarySoccer Journal November-December 2009 15

source on soccer coaching and player developmenttopics in the United States. Pleaseaddress your experience in working withthe media, including successes you have hadin developing media coverage.As the National Soccer Hall of Fame andMuseum’s primary media contact for the pasteight years, I have had regular contact with themedia in all its forms on the national as well asthe local scale. I have made appearances on localradio stations, on national television and atstadiums and at games to promote the Hall ofFame and Museum. I planned and coordinatedwith national media organizations coverage ofHall of Fame events such as election announcements,Induction, and Hall of Fame Games.I believe the greatest success has beento markedly increase the coverage of Hall ofFame events and announcements in the media.When I began, the recognition of Hall of Fameplayers and of the Hall of Fame and Museumitself was minimal. Currently Hall of Famersare almost universally identified when they arementioned in print or introduced on radio ortelevision. The symbolic “red jacket,” denotinga Hall of Famer, has gained credence and hasbegun to be used as shorthand in reference tothe Hall of Famers, the Hall of Fame, and itsinduction ceremonies.Lastly, the Hall of Fame and especially itshistorical archive have become the record of thesport and the historical content contained thereinis accessed regularly by members of the mediaas they prepare stories. The use of this resourcehas accelerated over the past eight years as I haveworked to make it available to the media.Goal 2 of the NSCAA’s strategic plan for2008-2012 is: Provide the online resourceof choice for soccer coaches. Please addressyour experience with online (e.g. web site,Internet, social marketing, etc.) communicationsand marketing.In my position at the National Soccer Hallof Fame and Museum, I have been responsiblefor the overall look, feel and content of theHall of Fame’s web site. With others I havestrategized how best to present the informationwe have, how best to spur web site visitors tointeract with the content and how best to usethe web site to promote events and programsof and at the Hall of Fame.We have just begun to use the social mediaaspects of connecting with Hall of Fame virtualvisitors and the start-up experiences have indicatedthat there is much more to learn and thatthe field is rapidly expanding with multipleplatforms and avenues for communications.As we continue to use a few of those platforms(Twitter and Facebook), evaluate others anddecide to not engage in some, we will becomebetter at meeting social media users’ expectationsand become more expert at how we canuse these tools to drive engagement and buildboth the credibility and utility of the Hall ofFame to today’s soccer public. As a part of this,I have also been interviewed on Internet radio.I see the same needs and process ongoing atthe NSCAA and will be able to transfer the Hallof Fame’s experiences and lessons to the NSCAA.As you have observed various aspects ofthe NSCAA’s previous efforts at both communicationand marketing, what are thestrengths of such efforts? Weaknesses?Strengths: Good, honest and competentpeople who show a reverence for the NSCAA’smission in executing both programs. They showa willingness to evaluate all aspects of their responsibilitiesand to genuinely search for the bestway to move the organization forward.Weaknesses: Perhaps the largest weakness istrying to execute too many discrete initiatives.We, as a Board and as a staff, need to do a betterjob of educating ourselves as to the pluses andminuses of each endeavor and, in consequence,choose more carefully where we invest our mostprecious resource, the people involved.Relative to being a good Vice Presidentfor Communications and Marketing of theNSCAA, what learning experiences have youhad in other organizations that you willbring to your work as a member of theNSCAA Executive Committee?My work at the National Soccer Hall of Fameand Museum has involved me in virtually allaspects of the marketing and communicationsof a national organization. From negotiatingbroadcast events to working with local suppliersin support of the Hall of Fame events; from providingcopy to speakers to building an offer for asponsor agreement, I have interacted with manyof the same players with which the NSCAA mustengage to build its message and to increase itsforce in the marketplace of ideas and commerce.There are so many diverse experiences that I havebeen part of over my service, they are simply toonumerous to list, but here are two that I believewill have a definite impact on my service to theNSCAA:1) Negotiating with MLS and WUSA teams toplay a Hall of Fame Game, and2) Creating communications and marketing strategiesto promote and support numerous Hall ofFame events, such as Induction Weekend, andNSCAA Convention programming.What other types of organizationalexperiences will you bring to the Communicationsand Marketing position that mightbe unique and contribute to the continuedprogress of the NSCAA?I bring, most critically, a diverse career insoccer and an almost 50-year involvement inthe game plus my most recent experiences atthe National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum.These, along with the life experiences we allhave: the frustrations, the accomplishments; thefriendships and the connections of a lifetime frombeing a church and town library board member;from raising children and sending them out intothe world; from working at small schools and atmajor universities, all these provide me with arich backdrop upon which to frame the decisionsthat will be made as I serve the NSCAA.I am deeply humbled to have been endorsedby you, the membership, to be amongstthe elected leadership team. I trust that youwill continue to support me and to engage mein person whenever you see me, to call, writeor email as the occasion demands, so I can alsolearn from your experiences and provide thebest possible service to you.secretaryMarti CoanHometown:Neenah, Wis.Years as anNSCAA Member: 19Current soccerinvolvement: Secretaryfor Paper ValleyYouth Soccer Club;Board of Directors,Wisconsin SoccerCoaches Association;High School GirlsCoanRepresentative, NSCAA Board of Directors.Current NSCAA involvement: High SchoolGirls Representative to the Board of Directors;Chair of the Membership Council; Chair of theTechnical Communications Committee; RegionalChair, Girls High School Scholar All-AmericaCommittee; member of the Women’s Committee.NSCAA Board, Committee and Academyexperience: High School Girls Representative tothe Board of Directors; Chair of the MembershipCouncil; Chair of Technical CommunicationsCommittee; Women’s Committee Algarve SymposiumCoordinator (2009); Regional Chair, GirlsScholar All-America Committee; Regional Chair,Boys Scholar All-America Committee; Women’sCommittee; NSCAA Regional Representativeto Board of Directors; National Diploma; HighSchool Coaches Diploma; Director of CoachingDiploma; Women’s Final Four SymposiumsHistory of soccer involvement: I startedout as a team “gofer” long before the term SoccerMom came on the scene. Then it all began….Various years/seasons as a youth coach at thesame time serving as Registrar and Secretaryof the local youth club. Expanded my soccerhorizons by attending the Women in SoccerLeadership Conference provided by Women’sSoccer Foundation in Seattle, Wash. Coach andcounselor for U.S. Winning Mood Soccer Campin The Netherlands for 12 years. Established firstWomen’s Indoor league in the area at Local Y; fiveyears as an NCAA Division III women’s assistantcoach; 20 seasons as a high school coach (12with girls, eight with boys); Wisconsin MasonicAll-Star Game (coach, assistant coach, and threeyears as team representative); Wisconsin SoccerCoaches Association member since 1988,including three terms as president, three termsas secretary, seven years as convention chair andcurrently on the Board of Directors and Chairof WSCA Convention; currently secretary ofPaper Valley Youth Soccer Club; player co-ed andmom’s league soccer from 1982-2004.I want to serve on the NSCAA Board ofDirectors because: I want to seek out ways ofmaintaining and enhancing the feeling of fellowship,camaraderie and family that representsthe very best of the National Soccer CoachesAssociation of America. I would like to furtherthe growth of our Association while helping usbecome more flexible, efficient and forwardthinkingin addressing member needs.I believe my strongest qualifications forthis position are:• Organizational abilities• Collaboration and consensus building16 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

• Connections with multiple constituent groups• Patience, persistence and tenacity• Experience in multiple levels of the game• Current involvement in grassroots club andhigh school soccer issues• The time to devote to addressing the issuesfacing the NSCAADuring my tenure on the NSCAA Boardof Directors I would like to see: Continuedgrowth in membership, educational opportunitiesand grassroots recognition of the NSCAAbrand. I would continue to identify and striveto meet the needs of our diverse membershipand member constituent groups.What steps would you propose theNSCAA take to improve its image and influencewithin the U.S. soccer community?• Continue to work with all soccer entities toensure acceptance of NSCAA coaching credentialsacross the country.• Expand the NSCAA’s Internet presencethrough social networking sites, etc.• Increase visibility through search engine optimizationso NSCAA is the very first optionlisted when soccer education is searched.• Increase the web site “membership spotlight”activity to highlight the NSCAA backgroundand affiliation of high profile coaches.• Develop a Who’s Who of NSCAA Alumni inthe U.S. and worldwide soccer community.What steps would you propose theNSCAA take to enhance its position as aleader of coaching education in the U.S.?Initiate concerted efforts to establish partnershipswith all soccer organizations throughoutthe U.S. (and world) in order to have NSCAACoaching courses and curricula recognized asofficial criteria for coaching positions.What steps would you propose theNSCAA take to better serve its members?I would continue to build on our web capabilitiesfor members. We have made stepsby starting the Soccer Communities pages. Iwould like to see the NSCAA expand efforts toreach grassroots soccer organizations and theentry-level coach by providing an interactiveonline information center tied to membership.This would provide educational materials forour members in a searchable database formatutilizing existing published NSCAA materialsthat complement our Academy Courses andthe NSCAA Education experience.Given the current economic climate, whattypes of creative fiscal strategies have youobserved that might be transferable andthus positively impact the NSCAA’s economicplanning? Implement business best practicemethodology throughout the NSCAA (Lean, 6Sigma, etc.) to improve efficiency and responseto member issues. I believe this will result in anorganization that our members see as personal,personable and effective in providing our highquality product. This will reduce cost of currentoperations and allow us to provide continuedexcellent service to our growing membershipwithout having to add additional staff.Relative to being a good Secretary ofthe NSCAA, what learning experiences haveyou had in other organizations that youwill bring to your work as a member ofthe NSCAA Executive Committee? Attendingthe Women in Soccer Leadership Conferencein 1994 in Seattle opened my eyes to thetremendous potential for women in leadershippositions to impact not only the women’sgame but all facets of our sport. The impactof learning from those pioneers of women’sleadership in our game led me to coaching allgenders, all ages and multiple levels of soccer.It provided the backdrop for me to develop mycommunication and consensus-building skillsto promote our great game. Working with localclubs, state high school and soccer associationsand high school and college administrationshas developed my persistence in pursuit ofgoals and an understanding of the importanceof the administrator’s role in the successfuldevelopment and implementation of effectiveorganizational policies and procedures.What other types of organizationalexperiences will you bring to the Secretaryposition that might be unique and contributeto the continued progress of the NSCAA?Attending the NSCAA Director of Coachingcourse put me in touch with the concerns inmanaging youth soccer clubs and the needsof coaches in today’s environment. Driving toKansas City to help move the NSCAA officesgave me additional insight to the depth of caringand commitment the national office staffbring to their jobs. Organizing Wisconsin’sState High School Coaches conventions providesme with tremendous empathy for ourConvention committee and our staff. Participatingin development of the initial NSCAAHigh School Coaches Diploma by attendingand providing feedback contributed greatly tomy respect for the work that goes into developingeducational curriculum. Sitting on the WisconsinInterscholastic Soccer Coaches AdvisoryCouncil allowed me to provide feedback onissues in High School soccer while hearing andacting on the concerns and viewpoints of Highschool Coaches from all over Wisconsin. As amember of the executive board of a youth soccerclub I get to see firsthand the opportunitiesand obstacles that abound in youth soccer atthe local level and how they are resolved.George PerryHometown: Monmouth,Ill.Years as anNSCAA Member: 26Current soccerinvolvement: Men’sSoccer Coach at Monmouth(Ill.) College;Illinois and RegionII ODP instructionalstaff; coordinator of theyouth soccer programat the Monmouth YMCA.PerryCurrent NSCAA involvement: Board of DirectorsMen’s College Representative; Senior NationalStaff Instructor; member of the Education Committee,Non-Residential; member of the MembershipCommittee; chair of the Jerry Yeagley Award forExceptional Personal Achievement.NSCAA Board, Committee or Academyexperience: NSCAA Academy Staff, 1985-Present;Region I Representative to the NSCAA Boardof Directors, 1986-91; Chair of the NSCAA/Division I Legislative Committee, 1993-95;Associate Director of Coaching to the NSCAAAcademy, 1995-2000; Chair of the NSCAA YouthLong-Term Service Award, 1997-03; EducationCommittee member to the NSCAA Director ofCoaching, 1999-Present; NSCAA Representativeto the AYSO National Advisory Council,2001-02; NSCAA Membership Committee,2003-present; chair of the Jerry Yeagley Award forExceptional Personal Achievement, 2005-present;chair of the Non-Residential Subcommittee of theEducation Committee, 2007-09; Men’s CollegeRepresentative to the NSCAA Board of Directors,2007-present.History of soccer involvement: There arefour main areas in which I am involved withsoccer on a regular basis:1) Coaching Education – as a Senior AcademyStaff member, education has been a priorityfor me for a majority of my coaching career. Iwas also Director of Coaching for the IndianaYouth Soccer Association for two years.2) Youth Soccer – every community I have lived, Ihave been involved with player and coaching developmentfor the local youth soccer programs.I enjoy working with young players as much (ifnot more) as the older ones.3) College Soccer – I am beginning my 28th yearworking at the college level, either as an assistantcoach (five years at Indiana University) and 23years as a head coach (University of Rochester,St. Bonaventure University, Wabash College,Rockford College and Monmouth College).4) Administration – I have felt that if a coachwants to see the game progress and wants to seechange in current policy/organization, you haveto get involved at the administrative level.I want to serve on the NSCAA Board ofDirectors because: The NSCAA has been oneof the most important aspects of my soccer career.It has provided me with a solid educationalfoundation, great mentorship, tremendouspeer support and the opportunity to take myteaching and coaching to another level. Servingas a board member allows me to give back tothe Association that has given me so much. Ialso feel that I have a good understanding ofthe vast diversity within the Association andhope to represent their interests to the best ofmy ability. I believe the growth of our Associationis based on connecting to coaches of allages and levels and showing them the variousways membership in the NSCAA will benefittheir coaching and their players.I believe my strongest qualifications forthis position are: My ability to work withvarious groups to an end that is acceptable tothe group and help the growth of our associationand our game.During my tenure on the NSCAA Boardof Directors I would like to see: The Boardcontinue to improve the NSCAA’s membershipbenefits. We need to expand and promotebenefits that are meaningful to our membercoaches and to those we want to bring into theAssociation.Soccer Journal November-December 2009 17

What steps would you propose theNSCAA take to improve its image and influencewithin the U.S. soccer community?Education is the core of our Association,through our Coaching Academy, Conventionand services, awards and benefits offeredto our coaches. We need to take educationalprograms into new areas of the country andexpand our offerings to meet the needs of thecoaches in our Association. We need to bolsterour non-residential offerings through continuedstaff identification and development.What steps would you propose theNSCAA take to enhance its position as aleader of coaching education in the U.S.?The NSCAA needs to continue to developand improve our web site and communicationwith our membership. We need to bringto the forefront the quality of our curriculum,academy instructors, our teaching methodologyand individual members of the association.We need to organize our membership to helpus promote these strengths.What steps would you propose theNSCAA take to better serve its members?We need to continue to develop quality programsthat address the variety of needs of ourmembership. These programs will be in coachingcourses, web site education, books, DVDsand exposure to the variety of opportunities ofnational and international programs.Given the current economic climate,what types of creative fiscal strategies haveyou observed that might be transferableand thus positively impact the NSCAA’seconomic planning? We can look to utilize theInternet as a better way of communicating withBoard members, committee members and themembership in general.Relative to being a good Secretary ofthe NSCAA, what learning experiences haveyou had in other organizations that youwill bring to your work as a member of theNSCAA Executive Committee? Having servedon the Board of Directors in a couple of roles, Ihave seen the Board work to improve its operationfor the benefit of the Association. I havewitnessed a number of past and present Boardmembers who have taken the association innew and positive direction, through the organizationchart developed by Joe Morrone andBoard and Association members to the currentStrategic Plan by Louise Waxler and Boardand Association members. I have worked oncurriculum development, admissions reviewcommittees and disciplinary review boards atthe college level that have helped me look atall sides of an argument to come to a resolutionthat work for the institution but also treatsthe individual or group respectfully and withcompassion.What other types of organizationalexperiences will you bring to the Secretaryposition that might be unique and contributeto the continued progress of theNSCAA? I have taken minutes for a variety ofcommittee meetings. I believe I can record theactual comments and also relate the importantdiscussions that are appropriate to the topicbeing discussed.Men’s COLLEge representativeMike JacobsHometown:Evansville, Ind.Years as anNSCAA Member: 16Current soccerinvolvement: Men’ssoccer coach, Universityof EvansvilleCurrent NSCAAinvolvement: SoccerJournal EditorialBoard; chair of theJacobsGlenn “Mooch” Myernick National AssistantCoach of the Year Committee; member ofthe Division I National Rankings Committee(Missouri Valley Conference representative);member of the Youth All-America CommitteeNSCAA Board, Committee and Academyexperience: NSCAA Advanced National Diplomaholder; regular contributor to Soccer Journal;former chair of the Division I New York RegionRankings Committee; former member of theDivision I Great Lakes Region Rankings Committee;formerly assisted Fred Schmalz withthe Scholar All-America Committee, MidwestRegion; inaugural winner of the Glenn “Mooch”Myernick National Assistant Coach of the Year(2004); Evansville team twice received CollegeTeam Academic Award (2007, 2008)History of soccer involvement: I wouldlike to consider myself a teacher of the game –taking pride in helping develop young playerstechnically and tactically, as well as fosteringtheir interest level and enthusiasm in the game,hopefully teaching lessons that transcendsoccer. I also would consider myself a studentas well, taking a lot of pride in professionaldevelopment – staying current with the gameby travelling to see teams both domesticallyand abroad train, and at varying levels (fullprofessional and youth academies). You cannever learn enough, and I take a lot of pride inhelping foster a passion in the game, be it formy players or my own children at home.I want to serve on the NSCAA Board ofDirectors because: I want to make a differencein helping grow the game in our country – atthe collegiate, professional and youth levels.The NSCAA has given me so many opportunitiesto develop as a coach and teacher, and it’simportant for me to give back to the game. Iwant to be an example for young coaches andleaders in the game, and share in creating moreinitiatives to help further their opportunities inthe same fashion that my mentors have donefor me.I believe my strongest qualifications forthis position are: The experiences as botha coach and administrator at the collegiate,professional, high school and club levels. I feelthat I bring a unique reference point to theBoard of Directors. I also hope that my passionfor the game, coupled with my enthusiasm,commitment and character make me someonethat our members can relate to and respect.During my tenure on the NSCAA Boardof Directors I would like to see: The collegegame grow back to the visibility and interestlevel it had when the College Cup in Richmondduring the 1990s and was one of THEhot tickets in American soccer; our constituentsdevelop more of a sense of proprietorshipin regards to NCAA soccer and with MajorLeague Soccer – they are OUR top standardsof play at the collegiate and professional levels,and we need to work on more cooperativeefforts between the members of NSCAA andMLS to support these leagues more; we alsoneed to develop more cooperative initiativesbetween NCAA soccer and MLS and USL– create a partnership that will enhance opportunitiesto develop young professionals;more professional development opportunitiesavailable for our coaching members; membershipcontinue to grow at all levels of coachingin our country; generate more enthusiasm formembers to participate in our coaching educationopportunities.What contributions have you previouslymade to the NSCAA’s efforts to improve bothits relationship with the men’s college coachingcommunity as well as services offeredthat constituency? After receiving the inauguralGlenn “Mooch” Myernick National AssistantCoach of the Year Award, I was asked to chairthe committee for that award. This has given mea unique opportunity to interact with coaches atthe Division I, II and III levels in hopes of identifyingand recognizing our top assistants, whichI believe has opened up a strong line of communicationbetween myself and the head coachesand assistants at many levels of collegiate soccer.NSCAA Division I Chair Sasho Cirovski andDivision I Intercollegiate Programs Director RobKehoe have invited me to be a form of ‘at-largemember’ of the Division I Conference Representativegroup to share ideas and concepts on growingthe game. Sasho has done so much to expandCollege Soccer – my hope is to be someone thatcan facilitate and assist in any way possible. Ihave also served on committees to help honorand recognize our outstanding coaches for theirwork, as well as committees that help recognizetheir teams as well. I regularly attend both theCollege Cup weekend as well as the NSCAAConvention in hopes of connecting with peerswho share my interest in growing the game.What are strategies you might try tosuggest to improve both of the above aspectsof the NSCAA’s current programs to enhancemen’s collegiate soccer? Getting to be an assistantat Duke University under John Renniegave me the opportunity to see the work of bothCoach Rennie and Coach Jerry Yeagley in leadingour NSCAA Division I coaches committee – theywere visionaries in their attempt to market thegame of college soccer, as well as to connectwith entities like Major League Soccer, createcommittees to explore rule changes, and to growthe game in general. I want to be someone whocan help the game at the collegiate level continueto grow and thrive, and to do so at each of thecollegiate levels in the NCAA, NAIA, NJCAAand NCCAA. I would do so by drawing from theexperiences I saw from Coach Rennie and CoachYeagley – encouraging our coaching committeesto be inclusive. The more diverse backgroundswe have involved in the process, the more we canmake the game stronger.18 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

girls’ high SCHOOL representativeJim BrunoHometown:Brookeville, Md.Years as anNSCAA Member: 15Current soccerinvolvement: Girlshigh school coach,22 years; coach oftwo girls travel teams(U-10 and U-13);director of MontgomerySoccer AcademyBruno(camps); trainer of coaches and clinicians forMontgomery Soccer Inc. (Club); Private HighSchool Girls Representative for Maryland Associationof Coaches of Soccer.Current NSCAA involvement: NoneNSCAA Board, Committee and Academyexperience: NoneHistory of soccer involvement:• Began coaching at recreational level in1984. Moved up to classic and select boysteams through 1998. Coached girls selectsince 1994, taking teams to State Cup finalsin 2006 and 2008. Presently coaching twoWAGS teams; U-10 and U-13.• In 1988 started as coach of first girls team atOur Lady of Good Counsel High School inWheaton, Md. Have continued coaching there(record 325-85-38), earning five league championships.Teams were in the NSCAA top 25final rankings in 1995, 1998, 2000, 2001 and2003. In 1998 named NSCAA’s Private SchoolGirls Coach of the Year, and in 1998, 2002and 2007 NSCAA Maryland Private SchoolGirls Coach of the Year. Have been selected byWashington Post, Montgomery Journal, MontgomeryGazette and Washington CatholicAthletic Conference as coach of the year oneor more times.• Named Montgomery Soccer Inc.’s “PremierCoach of the Year” in 2002 and 2006.• Hold the NSCAA Premier Diploma.• Have held positions as Montgomery Soccer,Inc. Director of Coaching, and MarylandDistrict Development Program.I want to serve on the NSCAA Board ofDirectors because: I’m interested in gettinginvolved with NSCAA on a national level. I’vebenefited so much in my career from NSCAA’sConvention clinics and diploma courses andI’d like to raise the awareness of high schoolcoaches around the country to those benefits.I believe my strongest qualifications forthis position are: I believe I am an excellentorganizer and communicator. I’ve coachedhigh school soccer in the state of Marylandfor 22 years and have developed relationshipswith both boys and girls high school and clubcoaches of all levels.During my tenure on the NSCAA Boardof Directors I would like to see: An improvedmembership in NSCAA of public and privatehigh school coaches. I’d like to improve relationshipbetween boys and girls programs.What contributions have you previouslymade to the NSCAA’s efforts to improve bothits relationship with the girls’ high schoolcoaching community as well as services offeredthat constituency? I have been active inthe Maryland’s organization as a state representative;however, I have not had the opportunity toparticipate on a national level.What are strategies you might tryto suggest to improve both of the aboveaspects of the NSCAA’s current programs toenhance girls’ high school soccer? I’d like tryto educate the state high school representativeson the advantages and programs offered by theNSCAA and to improve communication fromthe local to national level.PendletonJason PendletonHometown: Lawrence,Kan.Years as anNSCAA Member: 7Current soccerinvolvement: Girlsand boys soccer coachat Free State HighSchool, youth coachfor U-9 and U-14premier teams.Current NSCAA involvement:NSCAA State Technical Coordinatorfor Kansas, NSCAA Associate Staff Coach (slatedto teach in both the High School Diploma andNon-Residential National courses in 2010).NSCAA Board, Committee and Academyexperience: NSCAA National, Advanced Nationaland Premier Diplomas.History of soccer involvement: I beganplaying soccer at the age of 8 and continuedthrough college where I played at McPhersonCollege (Kan.) after completing my football eligibility.I began my coaching career at StockdaleHigh School in Bakersfield, Calif., in 1992 andcoached for two years before moving to Kansas.I started the boys program at Wyandotte HighSchool in Kansas City, Kan., and coached therefor three years before being hired at Free StateHigh School, where I have been the coach for 11years. Additionally as the STC for Kansas I havethe responsibility of conducting non-residentialcoaching education courses throughout thestate. Contributed article to Soccer Journal titled“Coaching For Life” that focused on using coachingas a conduit to teach life skills.I want to serve on the NSCAA Board ofDirectors because: Education is my passion, andI strongly believe in the mission of the NSCAA tohelp educate coaches. Thus I want to find moreways that I can positively impact coaching educationand think that the Board offers an excellentavenue to reach a greater number of people. Ithink high school coaches have a tremendous impacton the game of soccer in America and wantto find ways to connect high school coaches withthe great services the NSCAA offers. Additionally,there are some outstanding high school coachesin America that I would like to find a way tobring into vital roles within the NSCAA. Creatinga more connected relationship between the twogroups is a major goal.I believe my strongest qualifications forthis position are: Enthusiasm, passion andcommitment to make a difference in the livesof others. As a high school teacher and coachI am motivated to find new methods to helpmyself regularly improve my teaching andcoaching to better reach the student-athletes.During my tenure on the NSCAA Boardof Directors I would like to see: The NSCAAdevelop partnerships with state high schoolcoaching associations across the United States.By expanding this relationship and emphasizingcoaching education as the crucial element of thepartnership, the NSCAA can have a tremendousimpact on the quality of coaching that is takingplace across the country in high schools. As ahigh school boys and girls varsity head coachfor the last 16 years, I understand the needs andchallenges faced by high school coaches andwant to find ways to help the NSCAA work tohelp high school coaches in those areas.What contributions have you previouslymade to the NSCAA’s efforts to improveboth its relationship with the girls’ highschool coaching community as well asservices offered that constituency? I am currentlyworking along with other key coachesin the state of Kansas to create a specificpartnership with the NSCAA and our coachesassociation. As the NSCAA STC for Kansas andas a high school coach in Kansas I wear bothhats and can give high school coaches great informationabout the value of the NSCAA whilesimultaneously educating the NSCAA aboutissues that high school coaches face. Both theNSCAA and high school coaches have the sameobjectives toward education. I am working totry and help us combine the two groups to betterserve our student-athletes through awardrecognition and coaching education. It is ourdesire to have regular coaching seminars/symposiumsand the high school coaching diplomabecome annual events in the state of Kansas.What are strategies you might try tosuggest to improve both of the above aspectsof the NSCAA’s current programs to enhancegirls’ high school soccer? The first strategy is toimprove communication and inform high schoolcoaches of what the NSCAA’s mission is and howthat fits into what high school coaches are tryingto do as well. The second strategy is to look atthe state associations that already have strongrelationships with the NSCAA, such as Ohio, andto talk with their leaders and try to model otherstates on what is working well for them.Kevin SimsHometown: Gastonia,N.C.Years as anNSCAA Member: 29Current soccerinvolvement: Athleticsdirector and varsityboys and girls coachat Gaston Day School;conference president;conference soccercoordinator; NorthSimsCarolina Soccer Coaches Association member;North Carolina State Independent SchoolsAthletic Association State Tournament SeedingSoccer Journal November-December 2009 19

Committee Chair for boys and girls.Current NSCAA involvement: Regionrepresentative, Soccer Ambassadors; SecondarySchools National Assistant Coach of the YearCommittee; NSCAA Convention Speakers IntroductionCommittee Chair; NSCAA Ad HocConvention Committee ChairNSCAA Board, Committee and Academyexperience: Board of Directors, (2001); NationalHigh School Ethics Committee (1994-2001); National chair, Winter and Spring SecondaryGirls Ranking Committee (1996-2001);Winter and Spring Secondary Girls RankingCommittee (1990-2001); Region III chair, GirlsAll-American Committee (1988-2000); Statechair, Boys and Girls All-America (1990-1996);State chair, Secondary Boys Coach of the Year(1987-1996)History of soccer involvement: I findit a challenge to describe briefly what hasbeen a lifelong passion. I grew up in a soccercoach’s home and it took. I played throughhigh school, for four years at the Universityof Virginia, and as an amateur as long as thelegs and lungs would allow. I coached my firstyouth team when I was 14 years old and havecoached youth teams, youth club teams, stateODP teams, regional ODP teams, college clubteams, college teams and high school teamssince that first venture in 1970. I have devotedmost of that time to coaching boys and girlshigh school teams for more than 25 yearssince 1981. I have been a State Staff Coach inVirginia, Tennessee and Oregon. I have servedon several boards, have worked to establish afew clubs and coaching associations and havefound myself among the chief promoters,organizers and coordinators of most effortswithin my organizations to bring attention tothe game and the players.I want to serve on the NSCAA Board ofDirectors because: Of my love and passion forsoccer and the NSCAA. Serving the NSCAA isa way to pay it forward. Soccer has been verygood to me and I enjoy trying to be very goodto soccer. The NSCAA’s mission of educatingcoaches, of encouraging excellence, of servingthe soccer community, of promoting the higheststandards of ethics and sportsmanship, ofhonoring and celebrating those who cherishand build the beautiful game and of serving thebest interests of players, coaches, officials andfans of the game at all age levels is right. I havebeen fortunate to experience soccer in numerouscapacities and enjoy putting those experiencesto work. I am especially passionate aboutthe role of the high school coach and wish toassist that group in expressing its voice.I believe my strongest qualificationsfor this position are: My familiarity with theNSCAA functions and governance; my professionaland administrative skills; my broadand diverse soccer experiences over severaldecades; and my passion for enhancing soccer.During my tenure on the NSCAA Boardof Directors I would like to see: The NSCAA’svision of a deeply diverse and broad-based soccercommunity mature further. I would like to see afuller voice given to a philosophy of coaching thatis at all times and at all levels player-centered, aphilosophy that invites a diversity of approaches,yet honors the notion that all coaching endeavorsstart first with what is best for the player. To thegreater extent coaches and administrators canagree on such a philosophy, to a greater extentfactions within the soccer community will diminish.I wish to celebrate the varied opportunitiesfor support and development of players. I wish tochase a vision of soccer player development thatfinds harmony among the various developmentalpaths.What contributions have you previouslymade to the NSCAA’s efforts to improveboth its relationship with the girls’ highschool coaching community as well asservices offered that constituency? Previouscontributions include: Serving on theBoard as well as several committees (ranking,All-America, ethics, Coach of the Year) asoutlined previously; promoting the NSCAAcoaching academy, symposium and Conventionattendance among as many high schoolgirls coaches as possible; promoting NSCAAmembership among girls high school coachesthrough full participation in the Share theMembership program; helping to establishstate coaching association organizations whichinclude NSCAA membership within the stateassociation membership; and submittingnumerous links to the NSCAA for inclusion onthe site’s web page for state high school soccerassociations.What are strategies you might tryto suggest to improve both of the aboveaspects of the NSCAA’s current programsto enhance girls’ high school soccer? Pursuefurther media attention for girls high schoolsoccer accomplishments and events. Pursueeducational topics devoted to the special needsof girls high school soccer coaches (onlineeducation, symposiums, convention sessions).Cultivate special relationships between highschool girls soccer coaches and club teams/coaches, college teams/coaches and WPSteams/coaches.boys’ youth representativeKevin DensonHometown: VirginiaBeach, Va.Years as a Member:26Current soccerinvolvement: U-17Boys Travel Coach,Boys High SchoolCoach, Girls Region IODP CoachDensonCurrent NSCAAinvolvement: BoysHigh School Region II Coach of the Year chair.NSCAA Board, Committee, and Academyexperience: I have conducted State and RegionDiploma courses, I served as the Boys HighSchool Spring Top 20 chair for 10 years, Iserved as the Virginia High School Boys Chairfor Coach of the Year and All-America for 15years.History of soccer involvement: I havebeen a youth soccer coach since 1978 and aHigh School Coach since 1985. I served asa Division III women’s coach for three years,and a Division I women’s assistant coach fornine years. I have been on the Region I girlsODP staff since 1992. I have conducted bothNSCAA and USSF courses including the NationalC license course.I want to serve on the NSCAA Board ofDirectors because: The NSCAA has been atremendous resource/mentor/partner for meduring the last 25 years. I would consider ita privilege to be able to help the organizationand its membership, to help continue theirquality of coaching and to continue to be thenumber one coaching organization in theworld.I believe my strongest qualifications forthis position are: My 30-plus years involvedwith all areas of youth soccer. I have coachedall levels of youth soccer from recreation tothe ODP level. I have also served as a leagueadministrator, club director of coaching and Iserved on the Virginia Youth Soccer Board ofDirectors.During my tenure on the NSCAA Boardof Directors I would like to see: Our organizationbecome more involved with the issuesaffecting youth soccer. One of those issues islength of season and the number of separateorganizations that are vying for a player’s time.Secondly, I would like to see an increase ofstate and regional academy courses targeted atcoaches for players under the age of 10.What contributions have you previouslymade to the NSCAA’s efforts to improveboth its relationship with the youth boys’coaching community as well as servicesoffered that constituency? Whenever I haveconducted a youth soccer coaching courseor clinic, I always try to pass along as muchinformation about our organization and showothers the benefits of membership. I am a firmbeliever in the NSCAA’s mission statement, corevalues and most importantly the code of ethics.The more exposure we can get to these criticalyouth coaches the better our game will be.What are strategies you might tryto suggest to improve both of the aboveaspects of the NSCAA’s current programs toenhance youth boys’ soccer? We need to coordinateour efforts with the other youth soccerassociations and devise a strategic plan thatputs the success of the individual player firstand winning second. We also need more focusat the youth level on fun and development. Wecan accomplish this by have more clinics andcourses aimed at those youth coaches.To vote in the 2010 Board of Directors election, complete the ballot found between pages 16 and 17,affix the appropriate postage and return to the NSCAA officeby the close of business on Friday, Jan. 8, 2010.20 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

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Fitness • U-15 and aboveSoccer Fitness andHeart Rate TrainingBy Robert Taylor, Fitness CoachLoyola University, Baltimore, Md.Since speaking at the 2008 NSCAA Conventionin Baltimore, I have received numerousquestions regarding some of the creative conditioningprotocols that we have used in thesoccer programs at Loyola University in Maryland.Traditionally, we use distance, time anda progressive rest-to-work ratio to design ourconditioning program. In order to optimize ourrest-to-work ratio, we divide the team into anumber of groups based on an athlete’s speed.This grouping increases the competitive natureof the fitness sessions. We also track eachplayer’s heart rate during every fitness sessionusing the Polar Team System, supplementalkits and monitors. All athletes are taught howto determine their maximum heart rates andtarget heart rate zones. This data enhances ourplayer feedback and helps the coaching staffunderstand the differences among athletes andtheir fitness potential. This feedback enablesus to accurately assess when players need morerest or if more can be asked of the athlete.Before starting any workout, our playersexecute a moving warm-up that focuses onincreasing the movement potential of each jointof the body. We incorporate speed drills into ourwarm-up every day to educate our players on theskills associated with proper running mechanics.A good moving warm-up should last 10 to 15minutes with the goal of increasing the internalcore body temperature. This increase in core temperatureis normally defined when a substantialsweat is achieved. We have our athletes achievefour to six minutes above 80 percent of theirmaximum heart rate during this time.Following the moving warm-up, 10 minutesis allocated to dynamically stretch the entire body.We incorporate our active range-of-motion exercisesinto our form running/speed drill program,as well as use static stretching techniques to makesure each athlete is ready for that day’s fitness session.Following workouts, we allow 15 minutesfor warm down and a more thorough stretch,which may include band stretching, partnerstretching and both flex/stretch (aka PNF) andmyofascial release techniques.The rest-to-work ratio in our conditioningprograms is dictated initially by the time of year.As our programs approach the pre-season, weare looking for the athlete to be able to repeathigh-effort performances at full speed with limitedto no mental breakdown. From January toMarch, we break into four groups and have a 3:1rest-to-work ratio. From spring break throughJune, we use three groups or a 2:1 ratio. FromJuly through pre-season, we ask the athletes toperform at a very high level with limited recoveryand generally only use two groups (1:1).At Loyola, we use the Precision Performancesoftware from Polar to track our players’ heartrate (see sample chart below). This technologyenhances our conditioning program and enablesthe coaching staff, athletic trainers and strengthcoach to develop individual workouts specificto position, playing time, effort at practice andathletic potential.A guideline similar to the rest-to-work ratiohelps us identify individuals who need more orless attention. From January to March, the workoutsare evaluated as a “success” if the athleteexceeds more than 80 percent of their maximumheart rate (maxHR) during the work phase, andcan recover to less than 70 percent during therest period. From spring break through June,the expectation is moved up to 85 percent andSample Heart Rate Chart75 percent respectively.Then from Julythrough pre-season, weare trying to replicatethe cardiovascularstress that the playerwill incur during agame. We use 90 percentduring the workphase and 80 percentfor our rest. Duringthe season, we expectto have more than 80percent of the totalduration of our smallsidedgames or fitnesssessions being spentabove 80 percent of themaxHR.Shuttle WorkoutShuttle WorkoutBegin by backpedalingto the first cone,touch a knee to theground in a lunge position,and backpedalCombo Workoutback to the start. Defensive slide to second cone,fall down on your back, and touch shoulderblades to the ground. Then get up without usingyour hands, and defensive slide back to startingposition. Sprint to third cone, fall down on yourstomach and touch chest to the ground. Explodeback to an upright position, and sprint back tostart. Sprint outside the penalty area to the nextcorner, and repeat. The goal is to complete onelap with good technique in less than a minute.Time of year dictates the number of groups andrest-to-work ratio. Begin by completing five repsand progress your athletes to 10 throughout yourconditioning program.Combo WorkoutStart on the side of the 18, sprint to the edgeof the six-yard box and back to the start position.Next, defensive slide to the penalty marker areaand back. Then, backpedal to the far side of thesix-yard box and backpedal back. Finally, sprint22 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

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Pyramid Workoutto the far side of the penalty area and sprintback through the start position. Our goal is to beunder 60 seconds with good technique. Time ofyear dictates the number of groups and rest-toworkratio. Begin by completing five reps, andprogress your athletes to 10 throughout yourconditioning program.Pyramid WorkoutStarting on sideline, sprint one width of thefield. Then sprint three, five, four and two widthsas fast as possible. For a 75-yard-wide field, weuse 15 seconds per width ran as our goal time.Use different body positions for starting stances,or add a task when changing directions toincrease the intensity. Take into account to adjustgoal time when adding these components. Timeof year dictates the number of groups and rest-toworkratio. Begin by completing four reps, andprogress your athletes to eight throughout yourconditioning program.Sideline Combo WorkoutStarting on the sideline, backpedal to theedge of the penalty area and back. Next, sprint tothe edge of the six-yard box and back, continuealternating backpedal and sprint to the oppositeside of the 18, to the far sideline and then inreverse. As an alternative, try sprinting the first,fourth, and last segment, defensive slide thesecond and fifth, and backpedal the third andsixth. Completing all seven sprints equals onerep. Time of year dictates groups and rest-toworkratio between segments. Begin by completingfour reps and progress your athletes to eightthroughout your conditioning program.Four Spots WorkoutStarting on the end line, sprint to the top ofthe six-yard box and back, to the 18 and back,then rest 10 seconds (A). Next, repeat A and adda sprint to the midfield line and back, then rest20 seconds (B). The third segment repeats B andadds a sprint to the far 18 and back to midfieldline. Then rest 30 seconds (C). Finally, sprint tothe 18-yard line and back to midfield, the sixand back to midfield, end line to 18, and sixto end line (D). Completing all four segmentsequals one rep. Timeof year dictates groupsand rest-to-work ratiobetween reps. Beginby completing threereps and progress yourathletes to six throughoutyour conditioningprogram.Sideline Combo WorkoutEighty-Eights WorkoutStarting on theend line, sprint totop of the six andback, 18 to six, Four Spots Workoutmidfield to 18, far 18to midfield, far six tofar 18, and far six tofar end line. The goalis to be under 88seconds, and that iswhen the next groupbegins. Time of yeardictates groups andrest-to-work ratiobetween reps. Beginby completing threereps and progressyour athletes to sixthroughout yourconditioning program.Eighty-Eights WorkoutAdd these workouts to your fitness sessionsto increase your team’s cardiovascular appropriate for soccer, check out the “Bal-For more innovative training techniquesefficiency and to build team camaraderie. Ask ance Training for Soccer” DVD at www.the players to juggle a ball, to extend their rest ChampionshipProductions.com. If you haveperiods so they focus on improving their touch questions regarding incorporating Polarwhile in a fatigued state. The more competitive technology into your team’s training, contactthe session, the greater the effort and improvementswill be. Using time is only one way to To gain hands-on experience, contact RobMarcelo Aller at marcelo.aller@polar.fi.hold athletes accountable. Try grouping your Taylor at rptaylor@loyola.edu regarding theplayers so that there is a consistent, challengingrace to the finish. Reward effort, not neces-performance conference hosted every Julyannual strength and conditioning/athletesarily the winner. Also please remember that at Loyola College in Baltimore, Md. Also forthe players in the back may be working harder additional resources regarding your strengththan the person in front. Know your personnel and conditioning needs, click on ourand what motivates them to get the most out of strength and conditioning website at loyolagreyhounds.cstv.com/Strength.html.your athletes.24 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

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Youth Training • Ages 14-18Focus on: Speedof PLAYBy David LinenbergerSpeed in soccer has become very important. We must look at howspeed relates through the components of the game:1) Technical speed – quickness with the ball or the ability to manipulatethe ball at speed and maintain control.2) Tactical speed – processing information from the game and quicklychoosing an appropriate response to the situation.3) Pure speed – the ability to overcome the distance between twopoints in the shortest amount of time.4) Mental speed – ability of the player to be aware of all factors, conditionsand options inside and outside the game.Speed of play in this session will deal mainly with technical, tactical andmental speed. The game demands that players react quickly in tight areasand read the situation to make correct decisions. This does not mean thatthe game must be played “full throttle,” but players must have the ability toplay quickly and intelligently when the game demands it. Speed of play alsocan be looked at as changing the speed or rhythm of the game.To train players for quickness, coaches must place higher demandson them to react, think and to deal with the ball faster. We can do thisby manipulating the pressures of the game: limiting time (reducing thenumber of touches the players are allowed), limiting space (reducingthe size of the playing area) or adding opponents.Speed ExercisesExercise 2• 6 v. 3 in three teams• 15 yard x 25 yard area (depending on ability level)Organization/Setup• Three teams of three in three different colors• Two teams of three keep the ball away from the third team• When possession is lost, the team losing the ball defendsKey Coaching Points• Same as above• Create proper angles of support• Receive away from pressure• Keep ball moving• Know when to play first time or receive and play• Quick transition – when ball is lostVariations• Touch restrictions (limit time)• Reduce the size of the area (limit space and time)Exercise 1• Warm-up• Nine in a group with three balls• Unrestricted areaOrganization/Setup• Sequence passing with three balls• Players are numbered 1-9• 1 plays to 2, 2 to 3 etc., 9 to 1• Players are to pass the ball and move – there should be no standing• Balls start with Nos. 1,4 and 7Key Coaching Points• Quality of pass – to feet or to appropriate space• Body position when receiving – facing the field and the player to pass to• Quality of first touch – in the direction of the next pass• Perception/reaction – awareness of the location of “number belowand above“Variations• Touch restrictions (limit time)• Combinations – alternating long passes with short passes (i.e. a longpass must be supported short and then next pass is long)Exercise 3• 4 v. 4 + 1• 25 yard x 35 yard (depending on ability level)Organization/Setup• Two teams of four with one “joker” playing for the team in possession• Play to lines or zones or small goals or big goalsKey Coaching Points• Same as above, but now have a direction to influence decisions• Penetration to score or keep possession (decision making)26 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

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Variations• Touch restrictions (limit time)• Reduce the size of the area (limit space and time)Exercise 4• 9 v. 9 with goalkeepers• Half field (depending on ability level)Organization/Setup• No restrictions• Play to goalsKey Coaching Points• Put it ALL together• Coach within the game• Coach what you seeVariations• Touch restrictions – (limit time)• Reduce the size of the area – (limit space and time)Get Social with the NSCAA!Check us out and subscribe throughyour favorite social networking channel.twitter.com/nscaa twitter.com/nscaaCEOwww.youtube.com/nscaaSpeed GameSetup• Area: A football field with a middle-zone and two full-size goals• Number of players: 3 v. 3 + 6 v. 6 (3 v. 3 + 3 v. 3 – 4 v. 4 + 8 v. 8) +two goalkeepers• Organization: Three players from each team are “middle” playerswho must not leave the middle zone. The remaining six players are“sprint” players. After a set time the three “middle” players changewith three of the “sprint” players from the same team.DescriptionThe game consists of two sub-games.Sub-Game 1 – The “middle” players play 3 v. 3 with one ball in themiddle-zone (the “sprint” players do not participate), where they defendand attack a row of cones. When a team knocks over one of its opponents’cones, then one of its own cones is transferred to the opponents’row of the cones.Sub-Game 2 – A “middle” player from sub-game 1 can at any timepass the ball out of the middle zone toward one of the goals for one ofthe “sprint“-players (from the same team) to chase and try to score agoal. The “sprint” player may score only if the ball is reached inside theshaded area. A player from the other team also can attempt to gain possessionof the ball as soon as it leaves the middle zone and, if successful,this player can score without any restrictions. Only one player fromeach team is allowed to compete for the balls passed from the middlezone.As soon as a ball is passed out of the middle zone in Sub-Game 1, a“middle” player from the opposing team runs to fetch a new ball, whichis positioned behind each team’s row of cones (by the “sprint” players),and the game is continued.RulesThe goalkeepers must stay inside the penalty area.SCORINGOne point is given for knocking down a cone in sub-game 1. Threepoints are given for scoring a goal in sub-game 2. The game is won bythe team with the most points after a set game time.VARIATIONS• Two players from each team may sprint after the ball.• Sub-Game 2 is played with two balls at the same time.HINTS FOR THE COACHThe task of the “middle” players is either to knock down theopponents’ cones or to make an accurate pass so that one of their“sprint“ players can receive the ball inside the shaded area. The“sprint” players must chase the ball or an opponent with maximumspeed, but should walk back toward the middle zone after eachsprint in order to receiver. The inclusion of the first variation willincrease the number of sprints. However, the quality of each sprintmay decrease if the subsequent rest periods are too short. The secondvariation should increase the number of sprints as it will givethe players in Sub-Game 1 more time and space to make a pass outof the middle zone. It may be necessary to increase the number ofplayers in Sub-Game 1 if this variation is used.28 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

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Psychology • All AgesA Three-Step Formula for Competition Readiness:FROM PREPARATION TO EXECUTIONBy Sean McCann, USOC SportPsychologist – Strength andPowerThis article originally was publishedin the U.S. Olympic Committeee-zine in Winter 2008-09. It isreprinted with permission.When an athlete prepares well,has the talent, but simply doesn’texecute, it is frustrating and oftenpuzzling to figure out what wentwrong. At the Olympics, it isrelatively rare to see a total performancecollapse. When athletesunderperform at the Games, themost common phenomenon is aseries of small, atypical mistakesand changes in performance.Added together, these changes andmistakes derail the performancejust enough to create a below-averageperformance. Through myyears of work as a sport psychologist,I have tried to determinewhich factors are present whenathletes underperform and whatenables some athletes to performat their best, time after time. Aftereight Olympics, I have observed afew consistent factors that result instrong performances.Key TO STROng Performances:Being in “Execution Mode”“When you’re out there inthe big league pressure cooker, apitcher’s attitude – his utter confidencethat he has an advantage ofwill and luck and guts over the hitter– is almost as important as hisstuff.” Bill VeeckAthletes do not have to be“in the zone” or having a “peakexperience” to perform well underpressure. But there are some basiccharacteristics of an athlete’s mindsetwhen things go well. I call it“execution mode,” a state of mindin which an athlete has simplethoughts, a very clear idea of whatneeds to be done and completeconfidence that executing thisclear idea will mean success.Simplicity and clarity ofthoughts. For best performances,athletes are operating with astripped-down, uncluttered mind.Technique has been reduced toa shorthand. Strategy is a simpleidea. The internal mind is quiet,but the senses are open and aware.Thoughts are almost completely inthe present.Certainty regarding focus.During best performances, thereis no confusion or uncertaintyabout where the mind should be.Athletes are sure they are on theproper performance path, whichmakes it easier to keep properperformance focus. Certainty andthe absence of doubt reduce selfconsciousness.Confidence in approach.Athletes who perform well arecompletely confident that whatthey are doing is correct. With thisconfidence, they can fully committo the simple, clear ideas above.They know exactly what they aretrying to execute, and they trust.They trust that executing this planwill be enough for success. Thistrust and confidence decreasesthe tendency to become defensiveand increases the ability to stayrelaxed, athletic and aggressive.Virtually every athlete in everysport I have talked to about theseissues agrees that these three factorsare present in great and goodperformances. Most consistentlystrong performers will agree withthese ideas, but they often say thatthey hadn’t really thought aboutthese factors or given them a name.For most successful athletes, theydiscovered how to get into that stateof mind by trial and error. I believecoaches can help more athletes getinto execution mode by setting it asan explicit goal for competition andexplaining that there are three stepson the path to execution mode.Execution Mode: The end STAgeof COMPETITIOn PREPARATIOnDeveloping an effective competitionplan is an ongoing task for elitecoaches and athletes; however, thisarticle will be limited to the shorttermprocess that takes place withinthe time frame of a competition.Which steps does a well-preparedand talented athlete take from thearrival at a competition to the pointof successful execution?It should be helpful to athletesto break down the path to executionmode into three separate and essentialsteps. These are the three stepsthat all successful athletes mustlearn to incorporate into the processof preparing for competition.Let’s take the example of anational team that arrives at aninternational competition site two orthree days before competing. Thereare lots of tasks to accomplish to beready to compete. It is importantto note that athletes cannot andshould not be in execution modeduring that entire time. There isa time and a place for questions,analysis, critique, expectations,complex thinking, distractions andcoaching during this time, but asathletes move closer to competition,an athlete’s mindset must change.The following list of changes givesa sense of the differences betweenan athlete’s mind upon arrival at acompetition and the moment thatcompetition starts.Step One: Building a FoundationArriving at a big competition,an athlete has much to do, muchto think about and much informationto gather. This is the pointwhere the years, months and days ofpreparation must be integrated withthe specific issues of this competition.As coach, you must be sureyour athletes are aware of locationspecifics, that they are prepared foranything unique in this environment,that their equipment is inorder, that their technique is solid,that they understand all the logisticsof this competition and that theybelieve they can do well. If yourathletes have questions, distractions,concerns or doubt, you want themto surface and get addressed hereand now, rather than later.Remember, athletes will not beable to move to the next step unlessthey are certain their foundation issolid. You may not like that yourathletes have basic concerns abouttheir technique or equipment twodays before the world championships,but if you don’t let athletesexpress and work through thoseconcerns now, be ready for theseissues to surface under stress, rightas the competition begins.As a coach, you may benefitfrom realizing that you are goingthrough a parallel process. You arriveat a new venue, figure out thebest route to the venue from yourhotel, determine where and whenthe coaches’ meeting is, workthrough logistics, wonder aboutyour athletes’ state of mind andbody, wonder if you have preparedthem properly, look for any specialopportunities or challenges thisspecific venue creates, develop amental map of your environment,set up your coaching tools, havemore discussions, think throughany other details and manage anypersonal distractions. Only thencan you move on to the specificsof getting each athlete ready tocompete. You need a solid foundationto coach effectively and yourathletes need a solid foundationbefore they can move on as well.Together, you must be convincedyou are ready for Step Two.Step Two: IdentifyingSpecific Performance KeysStep Two is the easiest stepto overlook or skip. It is the consciousnarrowing and transformationof thinking from the generalto the specific. It moves from30 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

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oad strategy to specific tactics.Here an athlete moves from basictechnique to the application oftechnique for this specific competition.Step Two requires decision-making,calculation of riskand a search for the most essentialperformance keys. This step is thepoint where athletes may have toadmit their limits, or get out oftheir comfort zone, but still find away to get the best result possible.An 800-meter runner maybe more “comfortable” runningfrom the front, but determine thatthis is a poor strategy given thetendencies of his competitors inthis race. A wrestler may “prefer”an attacking high-risk/high-gainstrategy, but decide that againstthis opponent a better result islikely to come from a calculated“counter-move” styleSometimes the calculation anddecision-making of Step Two is anopen discussion between athleteand coach. For example, a skiracer may worry that a line is toorisky and aggressive, but acknowledgesthat holding back here willnot produce a podium result. Inthis case, the ski racer and coachmay have to work hard together tosee the best strategy and help theathlete believe it can be executed.As a coach, you will know yourathlete is ready for the final stepwhen they can answer the question– “What are the two or three thingsyou must do to perform well?” Toanswer these questions well, theymust consider their own abilitiesand the specific competition challenges,and begin the process ofcommitment. Commitment alwaysmeans letting go of options, andmaking a choice. As a coach, youmust help your athletes see thatthere is only one best choice for success.From this choice flows a fewspecific performance keys that willbecome the blueprint for thinking inexecution mode.Step Three: Move into Execution ModeIf you have ever coached asupremely confident athlete on aperformance roll, you have seen anathlete who has figured out how toflip the switch and get into executionmode. Although it is easy to seethat this athlete exudes confidenceand certainty and knows how tokeep thoughts simple and clear, it isharder to see that this is a product ofwork rather than a personality trait.The work enables an athlete to trustand helps the athlete manage worry.Worry is a kind of multi-taskingthat always interferes with high performance.An athlete who worriesusually is stuck on Step One or Two.No athlete will be able toconsistently get into executionmode without having done thework in Steps One and Two. As acoach, you can help by developinga system that walks your athletesthrough this process. In a recentOlympic Coach column, I wroteabout the value of pre-competitionroutines. One way to think abouteffective routines is that they are amechanism to take an athlete intoexecution mode. Routines reducethe multi-tasking of worry, keepthoughts simple and clear andhelp an athlete feel confident.Perhaps the most helpful thingyou can do as a coach to get yourathlete into execution mode is toname it and emphasize that thisway of thinking and behaving is aspecific goal for competition. Someathletes may never have thoughtabout it, and most athletes have notthought about it as a multi-stageprocess. The figure above may helpexplain that there is a time andplace for all kinds of thinking ata competition, but that an athleteshould be moving toward a specifickind of thinking when the clockstarts or the whistle blows. Somecoaches who see this figure quicklyrealize that this model also describesthe process of coaching. Are you acoach who can get into your executionmode?32 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

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Technology • U-15 and aboveTime Well Spent:Video and Film AnalysisBy Dr. Steve Smith and Lee Schopp, Hope College, Mich.wishes to tape over each match and not store the original tape.• Conversion is lengthy – as process. If framed too tightly• These cameras are becomingless popular in the marketplaceas hard-drive cameras are replacingthem.In the second installment of thistwo-part article, the authors examinethe technical requirements and meritsof various video systems.Video analysis equipment hasgreat potential to be a useful toolin the coach’s arsenal of weapons.In this article, we will examine thetechnology needed to tape a game,deliver video to a computer, cutvideo into teachable moments andrecord into DVD format.Filming DemandsThe technical demands of tapinga game for analysis are not difficult.Many coaches already are recordingtheir games. In order to be able totransfer tape easily onto a computerfor analysis and game breakdown,the camera used must be either amini-DV recording camera or one ofthe newer-style cameras with a harddrive built into the camera. Thechoice of cameras is a matter of personalpreference; both camera styleshave strengths and weaknesses. Wehave outlined some basic pros andcons of each camera type.HARD-DRIVE CAMERASStrengths of hard-drive cameras• Hard-drive cameras have a varietyof storage sizes. Purchase onewith at least 30 gigabytes (gb) ofmuch as 120 minutes for a 90minute game.• If there is a glitch during recording,there is no backup tape (fileis on the hard drive only).• You cannot import throughfirewire while taping the game.That means editing of the recordingcannot begin until it is in aformat that iMovie can read.(zoomed in too close), a coachwill not be able to see plays andruns developing in front of andbehind the ball. If the framingis loose (is not zoomed inenough), it may be difficult fora coach to identify players onthe field.• A coach should review thevideo of a match with thecamera operator to identifyMInI-DV CAMERASStrengths of mini-DV cameras• Mini-DV cameras can connectwith a firewire to a computerand import recordings into acomputer while taping in realtime. Simply plug a firewireinto the camera, connect toa Macintosh computer, openiMovie and press import (Figure1).• Mini-DV cameras can recordonto a mini-DV storage tapethat can create a backup tapeeven after importing into acomputer.• Mini-DV cameras can recordthe match, and a coach canimport the match tape at a latertime if the weather or otherconditions prohibit the use of acomputer at the time of recording.Challenges of mini-DV cameras• Tapes are expensive unless oneFigure 1 – iMovie HD screen for importing video into Macintosh system.storage space. This will providestorage of at least three matches.• Hard-drive cameras easily canstore a saved file onto an externalhard drive. Files can becompressed for long-term storageand each game’s file takesup little space.Challenges of hard-drive cameras• After being loaded onto a computer,files usually have to beconverted to a format that softwareprograms such as iMoviecan read.In addition to understandingthe choices available in filmingequipment, a coach must examineother aspects of camera usage. Distances,height and angle all shouldbe considered.Distance• The distance from the fieldneeds to be far enough that theentire field can be panned andincluded.• The video operator needs tounderstand that framing is animportant part of the recordingpreferences for future analysis.Having a consistent person torecord matches will enhancethe video’s usefulness.Height• Elevated viewing always makesanalysis of game film more effective.Heights of 25 feet andabove are best.• It is possible that even a simplescaffolding set can be used, butthe safety of the camera operatoralways must be ensured.• Sideline video at field level has34 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

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greater usage in a highlight orentertainment video than gameanalysis.Angle• The camera is best set at themidfield stripe at the height describedearlier.• Panning during flow of playshould keep the ball toward thecenter of the screen.• For restarts the ball shouldbe framed at one side of thescreen so the coach can clearlysee the run patterns in front ofthe ball.• After a restart, the camera operatormust zoom out again so thatfull team play can be observed.Computer Hardwareand Software DemandsMost coaches have accessto various brands and styles ofcomputers without having topurchase new equipment specificallyfor digital editing. Low-costsoftware exists for importing andediting video. Most computerscome equipped with some sort ofsimple digital editing software.If a computer purchase isnecessary, the authors suggest anApple Macbook Pro for portableusage. Macintosh computers arewell known for their seamlessintegration of digital capture andediting. iMovie is an applicationthat is included with everyApple computer. The computerdoes not have to be portable, butif the coach wishes to use thefirewire for simultaneous captureas described earlier, portableis much more convenient. Therecording still can be brought backto a desktop computer for gameanalysis.Storage DemandsVideo can be stored manyways once recording and conversionhave taken place. Videotapein all its forms has a finite shelflife. Tape stored over time will deteriorate.Digital format archivingis virtually permanent. At thetime of this writing a one-terabyteFigure 2. iDVD screen for customized DVD production using logos and field shots.storage disc cost about $170. Astorage device of this size willstore raw footage and edited clipsfor about 50 full matches. Withcompressed archiving, there isroom for even more! We prefer tokeep all games uncompressed forat least two years for easy access.Display DemandsOnce a recording is captured,converted and analyzed, it can bepresented for public viewing ina variety of ways. Most useful fora coach is burning the video toDVD format. Macintosh computerstypically include iDVD. TheiMovie file can simply be “shared”to iDVD, which accepts the iMoviefile and offers creative screens formenu selection much like a DVDthat would be purchased at a localvideo store. Most of the iDVDmenus even can be customizedto include pictures and logos ofyour team on the initial selectionscreen.These preset formats aresimple to select and modify. Afterselecting the menu theme, onesimply needs to press the “burn toDVD” selection and the computerwill do the rest. Be aware that thisprocess of burning the DVD takesabout three hours as the video willbe “rendered” within iDVD. It isa lengthy process and takes mostof the computer’s resources whileaccomplishing the task. We recommendnot using the computerfor other tasks while burning theDVD. The rendering of video is atask you may want to have yourcomputer perform overnight.Video also can be producedfor other formats, including You-Tube, small portable devices andweb-based locations. Each one ofthese formats can be determinedin the final export stage of videoproduction. The options are upto the preferences of the coachesand athletes. The quality of thepicture after conversion will varywith the format; DVD format offersthe best clarity.Time DemandsPerhaps the first thing to considerwhen undertaking videoanalysis is how long it will take.There is a cost to using videoeffectively. A coach can invest alot of time in both the technicaland evaluative aspects of videoanalysis. The process involves:• Transfer time (varies as indicatedearlier)• Observation time (at least 90minutes)• Film breakdown time (about 60minutes)• Making QuickTime movies (20minutes)• iDVD production (about threehours for the computer to renderthe video, but the coachcan walk away).ConclusionBecause of the demands on acoach of recording and managingcomputer storage, a coach must becommitted to the value of videoanalysis. If a coach desires to findan edge and improve a team’s performance,using video effectivelycan be another helpful tool in thecoach’s repertoire. It is possiblethat when used to bring aboutchange in training and match play,video analysis may be the best useof time in fine-tuning a winningprogram.36 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

Soccer Journal November-December 2009 37

NSCAA Master Coach Rob Herringershares his observations of atraining session at Heerrenveen inthe Netherlands. The session is atypical Dutch/KNVB-type sessionwith emphasis on passing patternsand 11 v. 11.The players arrived at thetraining facility by bus and quicklymade their way to the field to beginpreparations for training. Theplayers had their own pre-trainingroutines.Dynamic Warm-upThis session was led by HenkHelsing, the fitness trainer. Theteam started in a tight area thesize about a quarter of the fullfield. The fitness trainer was in themiddle of the team instructing theplayers. (see Diagram 1) The playersperformed different dynamicmovements as they were calledout by the trainer. The movesincluded:• Shuffles – both sides• High knees• Heels to butt• One-footed hops• Two-footed hops• StridersThe progression that followed:• Players form two lines andperform “build up” sprintsacross the field. Build upsprints have the players startrunning slow and increasingspeed to a full sprint.• Players formed an S shape inruns across the field, acceleratingeach time they changeddirection.• After some static stretchingSJ Training SessionHEERENVEENand a few words from thetrainer, the players pass andmove in pairs to completethe warm-up. The keepersseparated and worked withthe keeper coach.Passing PatternsPassing patterns are a part ofa typical Dutch training session.This part of the session was conductedby the team manager.• Pattern 1 (Diagram 2): Passand follow to the next line;all passes are two-touch; thelast player receives the ballacross his body and makes anexplosive move to receive theball and dribbles back to thestarting point.• Pattern 2 (Diagram 3): Thispattern has Player 1 passingto Player 2; Player 2 lays theball back for Player 1, whopasses a through ball to Player3. Player 4 checks awayand runs into space to receivethe ball and dribbles back tothe starting point.• Pattern 3 (Diagram 4): Up,back and through; Player 1passes to Player 2; Player 2lays it off for Player 1, whoplays a through pass to Player3; Player 3 plays it back toPlayer 2; Player 2 plays backto 3, who plays a throughpass to Player 4, who dribblesat speed to the startingpoint. All players follow theball to the next line.• Pattern 4: The same patternas Diagram 4, but whenPlayer 3 receives the ballback from Player 2 he/sheplays a 1-2 with Player 4 andDiagram 1Diagram 1Diagram 3Diagram 2Diagram 2Diagram 438 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

Soccer Journal November-December 2009 39

springs him/her into space; Player 4 dribbles at speed to the startingpoint.During this phase of training, the keepers worked with the goalkeepercoach. The training included:• Basic shot stopping• Receiving crosses from different angles and both sides• Dealing with back passes – good and bad• Working on distribution with feet and hands11 v. 11Many Dutch sessions end with 11 v. 11. In this case the startersplayed the reserves. The starters played a 1-4-3-3 shape and thereserves played a 1-4-2-3-1 shape (Diagram 5). Play always began withthe goalkeeper. The manager stopped play and made coaching points,including:• Working on throw-ins in the attacking third. He stressed the players’interchanging position in order to better receive the ball andkeep possession.• Working on the spacing and positioning of the central midfieldplayers in order to ensure total coverage of the central positionswhile attacking and defending.• Changing a couple of players from the second team to the firstteam.The 11 v. 11 session lasted 30 minutes.Diagram 540 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

In My OpinionBy Frank PaceTHE TRANSITION GAMEPlaying in an Academic EnvironmentAs important as the transition from offenseto defense, and defense to offense is to theoutcome of a game, the most important transitionany players will make is the transition toplaying in an academic environment.The first day that freshmen arrive on thecampus of our all-girls private high school,they hear something they have never heard inall their years of AYSO, Club or ODP: “Socceris a privilege earned in the classroom.” Wetell them they’d better get used to hearingit, because to play in high school or college,they have to succeed with the books. We alsoinform our players that despite whatever theyhave accomplished in the past and despitewhatever thoughts Mom and Dad have filledtheir heads with about how good they are,there are no entitlements. They are startingover. The slate has been wiped clean. Theyneed to prove they can handle a rigorousacademic load and at the same time prove theycan compete against older, stronger and oftenquicker players. They will get that chance, firston the practice field, then on the playing field,if they can be both good students and goodcitizens in our community.AIDING THE TRANSITIONClearly communicate your philosophyand expectations: Whether the goal is for yourstudent-athletes to maintain a 3.5 grade pointaverage or simply to stay in good academicstanding, let them know what you expect inclear and measurable terms.Playing time is not included in tuition (ora college scholarship). Our teams are playingcompetitive soccer. We don’t have an everyoneplaysphilosophy. It is the best players whoplay, regardless of which class they are in. Inhigh school, because we don’t recruit, talent isoften cyclical. This is good; it fosters competition.In an academic environment, we graduatekids. Every season is a new year. Every teamis a new team with its own personality andchallenges. Just because you started last yeardoesn’t mean you will start this year. Justbecause we won last year doesn’t mean wewill win this year. Three seasons ago we hadone freshman on our varsity team. This seasonthere are eight. The best players play. Just likein college. You may be in the national teampool, but if the kid playing in front of you isa better player, you either beat her out or waityour turn.We also explain to our kids that there areonly two positions on our team, on the fieldor off. It you don’t like where we are playingyou on the field, we will gladly change yourposition.Assign mentors/Ask a senior: We’ve observedthat teams in an academic environmentseem to take on the personality of the seniorclass. That’s why from Day 1, regardless ofthe playing reputation an incoming freshmanbrings to our school, we establish a cultureof respect for the traditions and players whohave preceded them. Teaching the studentsabout Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccerhistory makes our Alumni Games all the moremeaningful and the FSHA jersey more special.Our players learn that respect is to be earned,not given, but we will give them every chanceto earn respect.Kids today live more complicated lives thanolder generations. However, the challengesfacing any one of our incoming freshmen areusually not unlike those experienced by theirupper class teammates a few years earlier.If there is trouble with a teacher, a class,a parent, friend or the coach, we have ourgirls talk to an upperclassman. We encourageour upperclassmen to become mentors to theyounger players. We ask them to teach theexpectations and traditions of our programsas the generation before taught them. If a kidis frustrated by not starting or playing less inhigh school or college than in club, chancesare that the senior all-conference defenderonce occupied that same spot on the bench.We want the upperclassman to explain howshe dealt with it. In fact, this year we matcheda senior player with a freshman player for thatvery purpose. Gaining the respect and trustof upperclassmen is important in making thetransition to playing in an academic environment.It also invests the older players in thewell-being of the newcomers. This investmentprocess is critical, especially for girls.As the coach, you also know which upperclassmenwill best reinforce your coaching philosophyand explain your coaching personality,so when assigning mentors, choose wisely.Create accountability: We expect the girls totake responsibility for their own actions.We expect homework to be turned in ontime. We expect classes to be attended daily,and we expect our girls to be good citizens.The accountability factor is doubly importantin college, because players have to get up ontheir own, feed themselves and get to class, notbecause Mom and Dad are making them, butbecause they understand that anything less is aone-way ticket home. At Sacred Heart, if a girlhas a detention for any reason on game day,she goes to detention. If she misses the game,that’s too bad. Explaining to her teammateswhy she let them down is harder for a playerthan missing a game.We also expect our girls to communicatefor themselves. We do not accept phone callsor e-mails from parents explaining why theirThe challenges facing any oneof our incoming freshmen are usuallynot unlike those experienced by theirupper class teammates a few years earlier.daughter “won’t be at practice today.” There areacceptable reasons for missing or being late topractice (rehab, for one). There is no reasonthe player can’t make the call or send thee-mail herself. Anything less is considered anunexcused absence and carries consequencespreviously communicated to them. Legendarybasketball coach John Wooden says the worstthing you can do for anyone is something theycan and should do for themselves. Amen.The great thing about an academic environmentis that everything is objective. A 3.2 GPAis a 3.2 GPA. A 2-1 loss is a 2-1 loss. GPA andscoreboard are a player’s ultimate measureof accountability as long as the results areachieved within the boundaries of the rules.Compete, compete, compete: Young playersare losing their competitive edge. A kid buriesa ball in the side netting trying to score nearpost from an impossible angle and hears “unlucky.”There is nothing unlucky about poordiscipline and bad execution. Players needto prepare for every game as if it is the mostimportant game of the year. No game is disposable.We want our kids to feel good after agame and bad after a loss. At the club level youoften don’t know whom you are playing withinthe structure of endless tournament games.Lose in the morning, win in the afternoon andthe kids go home happy. We need to teach ourkids to compete.Our kids know, often months in advance,when they are playing traditional rivals. Teachyour players what to do the day before toprepare for a game. Teach them what, howand when to eat. Teach them to make sure thattheir equipment is all packed the night before42 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

Soccer Journal November-December 2009 43

and that they get enough sleep. In short, teachthem how to mentally prepare to play a soccergame. Those skills are sorely lacking.Competitive soccer is supposed to be fun,but not everyone gets a trophy. One of ourfreshman players said it better than I evercould have in a pre-game meeting recentlywhen she defined competitive soccer as “WarriorFun.” North Carolina v. Notre Dame,USC v. UCLA, Williams v. Amherst. Your bestagainst their best. That’s fun all right, “WarriorFun.”For the last word on building competitors,read Jay Martin’s Center Circle editorial in theNov.-Dec. 2008 issue of Soccer Journal. It maybe the most photocopied, faxed or e-mailedarticle SJ ever published.Be consistent: Abe Lemons, the Hall ofFame basketball coach, used to say that hedidn’t have any rules because he didn’t wantto have to punish his best players. Whetheryou have few rules like coach Lemons or alot of rules as coach Wooden did, be consistentin how you enforce them. Your playershave long memories. Several years ago we leta minor transgression slide without consequence.Three years later when we went todiscipline a player for that very same violationof our rules, that player reminded usthat we “hadn’t punished Courtney” duringher freshman year for doing the same thing.We were accountable. We admitted to havingmade a mistake three years earlier, butdisciplined the player anyway as a lesson toboth the current freshmen and the coaches.We also have a zero-tolerance policy foracademic fraud, drugs or alcohol.Control the hype: It’s important to buildteam chemistry. You may have the best playerin the history of your school, but let thoseplayers prove themselves on the field before allthe hype begins. Make sure to give your upperclassmenall the preseason accolades in boththe school and local papers. Let the newcomersplay their way into the headlines.There is not a lot of coverage for clubgames, so your kids won’t have a lot of experiencewith media exposure, but local mediaoften does take an interest in high school andcollege teams. Take a moment during oneof your preseason practices to instruct yourplayers on what and how to speak to themedia. Teach them not to get caught up in theexcitement of the interview process, not to sayanything they wouldn’t want to read in thepaper and never to say anything that wouldreflect poorly on the team or an opponent.Remind them, too, that publicity is like poison.It’s okay as long as you don’t swallow it.TRANSITIONING PARENTSMore and more, I hear from collegecoaches that the parents are trying to insertthemselves into the college game in a mannersimilar to the way they control club teams.In fact, I know a successful Division I coachwho lost her job, in part, because of parentalcomplaints about her coaching style. Don’tbury your head in the sand on this one. If ithasn’t happened yet at your school, it’s coming.Too many parents have taken to “agenting” fortheir kids. Helicopter parents, they’re called:They are always hovering. They’ve been doingit up to and through high school. It’s not goingto change unless you change it.John Wooden says, “Coaches are teachers.”We tell our parents not to ask a coachany question you wouldn’t ask your daughter’schemistry or math teacher. “How is Sally doing,and what can she do to get better?” is anappropriate question. “How can you possiblyplay Joanne instead of Sally?” is not. Any timeone player is compared with another player,both players lose.Regarding e-mails, I have found e-mailingto be a passive-aggressive form of communication.They make people brave. Our parents arediscouraged from sending e-mails to coachesregarding on-field decisions. We tell ourparents, if you wouldn’t e-mail the chemistryteachers, don’t e-mail us. However, if you dofeel the need to e-mail the coaches, our administrationhas endorsed a policy that states youalso must send it to your daughter, our athleticdirector and our vice principal of studentaffairs. A parent is informed that should theysend an e-mail without the aforementionedpeople copied, the coaches will forward it on.You would be amazed at how few e-mails wenow receive. A complete list of communicationprocedures is presented to the parents prior tothe beginning of every season.FITNESS: THE FIRST MILESTONEOne of the biggest failings incomingfreshmen (and their parents) make transitioninginto the academic environment is notunderstanding the level of fitness that will berequired. We tell our graduating seniors whenthey go to college that if you want to impressyour coaches, come in fit. Your first goalshould be to finish in the top three or four ofyour measured fitness runs on the week youreport to camp. The same goes at the highschool level. We do a version of the CooperTest called “The Wall.” We have been runningit for years, so the level of measurement hasremained constant. It’s become an FSHA tradition.As we have gotten better athletes over theyears, team times have fallen, but individualbests remain pretty constant.Yet one thing is sure: our fittest playerstend to be our best-skilled and most committed,players who have gone on to excel at thecollege level. We run “The Wall” periodicallythroughout both the preseason and the regularseason, documenting every player’s result,down to splits. We then make the results availableto parents who wish to see them. “Susie’snot playing because she hasn’t passed herfitness requirement” saves a lot of explaining. Italso gets the message across to Susie loud andclear – get in shape. I often joke to our crosscountrycoach how easy he has it picking his“starting lineup” – all he has to do is look at hisstopwatch. Make sure your incoming playershave plenty of advance notice of your fitnessexpectations. The rest is up to them.Keep reminding your players the key wordin scholarship – be it athletic or academic –is “scholar,” and that soccer is a privilegeearned in the classroom.A FINAL NOTE TO COACHESCoaching in an academic environment(especially at the college level) is more difficultnow than ever before. We need to be teachers,role models, mentors and psychologists as wellas coaches. Most important, we need to bepatient while our players are transitioning. Weneed to be patient as they learn to prioritizetheir time between classes, homework andsoccer five, sometimes six, days a week – withmaybe a little social time mixed in. Plus sleep.It’s a big difference from two nights a week ofclub practice.Be patient in adjusting kids to your styleof play. Many kids come to high school orcollege having played for only one clubcoach for the majority of their careers.They will be confused and conflicted. Mostof them don’t watch soccer on TV, so theyknow only one style of play. Some haveplayed only in a flat four zonal defendingscheme. Others have never played with threeforwards. Unfortunately, kids don’t just playsoccer these days. They can only play theway they have been programmed to play.Still they are good kids, and you are a goodcoach. They will figure out what you are sellingand they will buy into it.As you transition kids into a high school orcollege program scholarship, keep remindingyour players the key word in scholarship – be itathletic or academic – is “scholar,” and that socceris a privilege earned in the classroom.Frank Pace (Ksidekicks@aol.com) is in his11th season as co-head coach at Flintridge SacredHeart Academy in La Canada, Calif. His teamshave sent more than 20 players into the collegesoccer ranks. Voted goalkeeper of the decade atJacksonville University (1970-79), he is a longtimemember of the NSCAA and a frequent contributorto Soccer Journal.44 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

Soccer Journal November-December 2009 45

Exercises • All AgesFive Favorite Practices ofNOEL BLAKEThis originally was published in Insight, the official magazine of the English FA. Go to TheFA.com for more information. Noel Blake was born in Jamaica,played in the EPL, earned his UEFA A license and now works with the FA in youth development.I firmly believe that it is a part of a coach’s responsibility to prepareplayers to meet the demands and requirements of their game in order tomaximize their performance. These demands can be broken down intothe four pillars of soccer development:• The Physical• The Technical• The Tactical• The Psychological/SocialYo creo firmamente que es en parte la responsabilidad del entrenadorpreparar a los jugadores a lograr las demandas y requisitos paralograr un esfuerzo máximo en su juego. Estas demandas son y puedenser cumplidas en cuatro aspectos del desarollo:• Lo físico• La técnica• La táctica• Lo sicológico/socialI will share some practices that I have been fortunate to observe duringmy trips abroad. All of them can be adapted and varied to suit yourteam, but I think they are more effective with the older age groups (15and above). In addition to this tactical understanding, always rememberto maintain the emphasis on fun and enjoyment.ExERCISE #1Rotational Possession,Real Madrid StyleObjective• The team in possession looks tomove the ball through the centerspace• Retain possession for long periodsof time• Overloading a side and possessionOrganization• Two end zones as shown (4 v. 4)• Central Zone (2 v. 2) (+1 or 2floaters)Rules• Defending team must stay in its assigned zone• Ball can be played into any zone, switching the play or playing backinto a zoneProgression• Cannot play the ball back to the man who passed to you• Two-touch in the end zone (4 v 4)• Count passes before moving the ball (e.g., 4 passes and then playacross the field)• Restrict the number of touches for the floatersCoaching Points• Quality of passes• Creating space• Movement and preparation to receive the ball• Support, Angle, Distance• CommunicationMe gustaría compartir unos tipos de entrenamientos que he tenidola oportunidad de observar durante mis viajes. Todos pueden ser adaptadoso variados a su equipo pero creo que tendrán más eficacia particularmentecon los jugadores mayores. Además de entender la táctica, hayque siempre dar énfasis a que los jugadores disfruten de los ejercicios.EJERCICIO #1Posesión Rotativa, EstiloReal MadridObjetivo• El equipo en posesión del balónbusca cambiar la dirección por lazona central.• Mantenga posesión lo más quesea posible con el foco de colorcarjugadores más hacia a un lado yretener posesión del balón.Organización• Dos zonas opuestas como se indicaen el diagrama con juego de4 v 4.• En la zona central se juega 2 v 2,(+1/2 jugadores son flotantes.Las reglas de juego• El equipo que está de defensa debe mantenerse dentro de su zona.• El balón se puede jugar a cualquier zona, cambiando la dirección dejuego de un lado al otro.Progresión• No se puede devolver el balón a quien te lo pasó.• Dos toques al balón en las zonas opuestas o sea las laterales.• Número de pases antes de cambiar la dirección de juego.• Limitar los toques al balón a los jugadores flotantes.Puntos claves• La calidad de los pases• Creatividad de espacio• Acercándose al balón para recibirloª Apoyo, ángulo y distancia• ComunicaciónSoccer Journal would like to thank member coach Phil Vigilfor his assistance in translating this article into Spanish.46 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

Soccer Journal November-December 2009 47

Exercise #2Crossing and Finishing at Speed,Valencia Style –Phase 1Objective• Crossing and finishing at game speedOrganization• One speed ladder• Three groups of five playerso Group 1: Work the ladderso Group 2: Passing to group 3o Group 3: Sprinting to cross for group1 runnerCrossing and Finishing at Speed,Valencia Style –Phase 2Objective• Crossing and finishing at game speedOrganization• Same as above, add a player in Group 2to combine with a teammate and sprintinto the box• Build up the practice to add defenders(two defenders in the box)Coaching Points• Speed of movement in ladders• Quality of the service• Speed of play of the wide players• Timing of runs• Communication• Defenders and goalkeepers make this match-relatedExercise #3Rotation Possession Game,Real Madrid StyleObjective• Retain possession by playingthe way you are facing usingcombination play and rotationalmovementOrganization• 7 v. 7• Four mannequins of corner flagsas shown• Two players on each teammust be “on” the mannequins(Active)• Non-directional practiceProgression• Players on the mannequins rotate off after receiving a pass from inside• Another player rotates on to the mannequin• Players on the mannequin are not allowed to move more than 2 or 3yards to receive a ballCoaching Points• Quality of pass• Movement to receive the ball (angle and distance)• Combination play• Defending team defends correctly• CommunicationEJERCICIO #2Cruzando y Rematando a VelocidadCruzando y Remantando a Velocidad, EstiloValencia – Progresión 1Objetivo• Cruzando y rematando a velocidadOrganización• Usando la escalera de piso que se colocasobre el terreno.• Tres grupos de cinco jugadores.o Grupo 1 – Corriendo las escaleras depiso con rapidez.o Grupo 2 – Pasando al grupo 3.o Grupo 3 – Corriendo de sprint para elcruce al jugador del grupo 1.Cruzando y Remantando a Velocidad, EstiloValencia – Progresión 2Objetivo• Cruzando y rematando a velocidadProgresión• Preparación de pases del grupo 2.• Preparación para los jugadores parasprint al area. Aumentar la intensidaddel entrenamiento para incluir la defensa( o defensores).Puntos claves• Velocidad de movimiento después desalir de la escalera de piso.• Calidad del pase al lateral y el cruce haciaadentro al area.• Velocidad de los laterales (aceleración y deceleración).• Calidad del cruce.• Comunicación.• Que sea como jugando un partido normal (para la defensa y el portero).EJERCICIO #3Partido de Posesión y RotaciónObjetivo• Retener posesión al enfrentarse aloponente usando jugadas de combinacióny movimiento (cambiandoposiciones).Organización• 7 v. 7• Usando cuatro maniquines comofiguras en el campo.• Dos jugadores de cada equipomarcando a los maniquines activamente.• Ejercicios de posesión sin unadirección específica.Progresión• Los jugadores giran de los maniquines al recibir un pase de un compañerode adentro (un jugador siempre tiene que marcar un maniquindejando 5 v 5 en el centro).• No se les permite a los jugadores marcando los maniquines moversemás de dos o tres yardas en cualquier lado.Punto claves• Calidad del pase.• Movimiento del jugador para recibir el balón (ângulo y distancia).• Jugadas de combinación.• Que el equipo de defensa defienda bien.• Comunicación.48 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

Soccer Journal November-December 2009 49

Exercise #4Switch Play Counterattacking, ValenciaStyleObjectives• Counterattacking from a 4-3-3formation• Defending the counterattack froma 4-4-2 formationOrganization• The counterattacking team (Blue)plays 4-3-3 and attacks big goal• The Red team plays 4-4-2 and attacksthe four small goals• Change teams around so both geta chance to counterattack anddefend the counterattackCoaching points• Game speedEJERCICIO #4Cambio de Juego Contraatacando,Estilo ValenciaObjetivo• No dejar al equipo rojo contraatacarpara anotar goles en las 4áreas designadas.Organización• El equipo del contraataque juega4-3-3 atacando la única portería.• El otro equipo juega 4-4-2 atacandolas cuatro áreas hacia elblanco.• Como se indica en el diagrama.• Cambiar el papel de ambos equipospara poder practicar el contraataquey la defense.Punto Clave• Al rítmo como si fuera un partidooficial.Exercise #5Crossing and Finishing, Ajax StyleObjectives• Scoring goals from shots andcrossesOrganization• Four groups of players and agoalkeeper as shown• Set up seven mannequins or cornerflags as shown• Blue plays ball to red for shot onGoal No. 1• Red runs around the mannequininto the box• When red shoots the ball, whitejoins him/her in the box• On red’s first touch on the shot, gray begins to dribble around themannequins and delivers across to white and red• The rotation is Blue to Red; Red to White; White to Blue; Gray remainsin crossing lineProgression• Work the opposite side• Add defendersCoaching Points• Quality of passing• Good first touch• Finishing• Timing of runs• Quality of crossEJERCICIO #5Cruzando y Rematando – Estilo AjaxObjetivo• Anotando goles de cruces y rematando.Organización• Como se indica en el diagrama.• Cuatro grupos de jugadores.• Dos porteros.• El proceso.• Azul a rojo.• Rojo remata a la portería # 1 ydespués se despegar en el área alrededorde los maniquines.• Al primer toque de rojo antes derematar, el jugador color gris empiezadriblear.• Los jugadores rojos y amarillos corren adentro del área buscando uncruce para rematar. Rotación: jugadores de color azul a rojo, rojo aamarillo, amarillo a azul (Los jugadores de color gris solamente cruzanel balón).Progesión• Utilizar la lateral opuesta.• Añadir una defense.Puntos claves• Calidad de los pases.• El primer toque.• Rematando para anotar goles.• La duración de la corrida.• La calidad de los cruces.50 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

Soccer Journal November-December 2009 51

SJ InterviewKLINSMANN(and) I memorized what they said. Beckenbauer, Trappatoni, Wengeretc. I had about 20 really high-profile coaches in my career. With everyone of them, you find things that are useful now. But then it’s also learningby doing it, by experiencing it, and you always make mistakes, butyou learn from it, and it’s a wonderful thing.This is the first of a two-part interview with Jürgen Klinsmann. SoccerJournal Editor Jay Martin interviewed Klinsmann in Munich in March 2009.I guess the first question has to be, after such a successful professionalcareer, why coach?Well, after living in the United States, I saw the business side ofthings, worked on several projects, but from a completely differentperspective. Then I just surprisingly got the offer to take over the Germanteam, to take them to the World Cup. Then during that I realizedthat this was really a lot of fun to me, something that fulfills you, andit’s something where you can have a big influence on developing theplayers and their career. So, I think that was all in the back of my mind.Would that be something of interest? But it took a while to really getinto it. Now, after that experience with the national team, I knew thatthis was what I wanted to do; this is what I would love to do. Obviouslyit’s one step less than trying to score the goals yourself, but it is a farbigger picture than as a player and a far biggerchallenge than as a player, and it’s fascinating towork with people next to you that put all theenergy they have into it. You build a team aroundthe team, which is of tremendous importance,and then you work with the team to help themhopefully reach the next level. I enjoy coaching alot, it’s very fulfilling.Was the transition difficult from player tocoach?No, it was really not that difficult becauseI had my break living in the United States andlearning under people on the business side. Islowly got back into the technical side, brieflywith the Galaxy and Doug Hamilton and Sigi(Schmid). I followed his path a bit, worked out a bit with the Galaxywhen I was younger. So it was a very slow progression toward thecoaching role. I mean I understood that the role of a coach is a verydifferent one; you have to cover a lot of different fields. I observed theother American big sports. I had the opportunity to meet with coachesfrom other professional sports, Phil Jackson with the Lakers, or others,so I got a very wide picture throughout sports, and I think that justhelps you.You must have thought that you might coach in the future; you didgo to that special German course for former professional players.Yes. What happened was that after I finished playing, a year later the(German) Federation said well you know, we want to make sure that thelast generation of really big trophy winners stay connected to the game.So the DFB came up with that idea. So they called me. I was alreadyliving in the U.S. They wanted to ask if I could organize it because I wasthe captain of the ’96 European Championship team. I called all theguys and said that they’re offering a special course. They were interested,but only if it’s really a crash course. If you’re out of playing already,they couldn’t say let’s do it in nine months. So we talked back and forth,we organized it, so the Federation said that since I organized it I had tocome as well, so okay, I went. I did it, and it was a very good course; itwas obviously a very compressed course, but they did speak a lot abouttheory, and it’s good to see the theoretical side of things. They sent everyone of us out for a week’s study of whatever professional team they’dchosen. I did it with Sigi Schmid in the U.S. It was a big help. Mostof my (German) teammates played in Italy, they played abroad; theyknow the game is played differently in every country depending on thecultural background. I had an amazing amount of coaches in my career,JÜRGENWhat was the best advice about coaching that you ever receivedfrom one of those coaches?Certainly they came from different areas. I received obviously a lotof advice. Technical advice, management advice, organizational skills,communication skills, there are things that you take with you. Especiallyfrom tournaments; I played in three World Cups and three EuropeanChampionships. Especially with the stress level being extremely high,there are certain things that you take from coaches. How do they reactto this enormous pressure and stress? One thing Otto Rehhagel alwayssaid: Statements or behaviors right before, during and after a game youMy philosophy is simple: I’d like to haveplayers reach the next level, to improve theirlevel, to improve everyone if possible throughoutthe whole year.shouldn’t take too seriously. You should let it go, because that’s whenplayers and everyone are subject to stress, and nervous, so they overreact.I just give them their emotional exit, whatever it is, whether it’splayers screaming, (or) somebody making mistakes with the media halfan hour after the game. He always said to not be too involved at thatpoint, to let things go that happen under extreme stress. That was oneimportant thing and a great example, and he’s still my mentor today.He always says that when things get really dramatic and stressful, justfocus on the game. The media, internal turbulence that you might have– just focus on what is important, and that’s the game. Because now weplay with a rhythm here, basically a game every three or four days, sonow the next game defines the team. You’re the one the team dependson. The public is a big part of your daily life. Wherever they go they’rein touch with people; they are huge, you know, and it’s the Europeanculture, it’s hard, you aren’t getting away. The only way is to send outyour girlfriend or your wife to go grocery shopping. You have to crosspaths with people, so wherever you go tomorrow they will talk aboutthe game tonight. They won’t talk about the upcoming game, or the previousgame before that; you become part of a soccer culture that definesyour daily life. You aren’t getting away with anything.What’s your coaching philosophy?My philosophy is simple: I’d like to have players reach the nextlevel, to improve their level, to improve everyone if possible throughoutthe whole year. Helping them when they have questions, evaluate themand after a couple of months say, okay, this is how we look at you, thisis how you can improve technically, tactically, as a team player, whatyour role is there, how you deal with your life as an overall professional.We can be ready with areas for improvement in play, lifestyle, there are52 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

so many fields. We just try to help them; those that just want information,we give them feedback, and we want feedback. We want personalities,we want people that position themselves, because that puts themmore into a role in that they also have to deliver. So we want people thatare willing to take responsibility, and speak up, because then we canask even more of them. When you compete at the highest level, whenyou play in the Champions League, you need players that have thatconfidence and have that sense where they don’t really need to alwaysbe looking at the coach anymore. I always say, it’s your time to play; it’syour time now, so as a coach, you just try to help them. I define myselfas more of a helper. Yes, there’s a lot of responsibility, but once the gamestarts, there is little you can do.I know that not only do you want to develop players on the field,but you also are very interested in what happens to players off thefield and in other aspects of their lives. Is that true?Well, when I started with practice with the national team, five yearsago, we started to make it clear that everything that the players do offthe field has an influence at the end of the day on the field. So if theyunderstand how the media works, if they understand what they canlearn from psychology, if they understand how to put their money onthe side and plan their lives after their career—whatever topics we canchoose in helping them to develop as a rounded person—the benefitsare for them. One day—maybe not now, maybe now they think socceris their entire world—but after the 2006 World Cup every one of themcame up and said, wow, these last two years have really made a bigchange in my life. We coached them: Keep going, you don’t know whatwill happen tomorrow, so prepare yourself.The facility at your training ground suggests to me that you believethe environment around a team, around players, is very important.Is that true?Yes. We believe that if they feel comfortable, if they walk into a facilityand say this is ours, this is our place, then they’re excited, there’s aflow of energy in there. We think about the process, coming in an hourbefore practice, preparing for practice, doing work before, leading up tothe practice. There’s a flow between fitness coaches, the physical therapists,and the soccer coaches themselves, all the way up to nutritionafter practice, food, and then meetings where we have an auditoriumsimilar to colleges, with simultaneous translations for the players. Oneof our biggest challenges is language; in European soccer we have playersfrom all over the world. Argentineans, Brazilians, French, Italian,Turkish, Belgian, we have them all, so we need to find a bridge. We havea partnership with a language institute in Munich, educated simultaneoustranslators on standby. They come up whenever I call a meeting,they put the headsets on so they know what I’m talking about, even ifit’s just for five minutes, we use them as language teachers as well. Theyare young guys, they’re educated for soccer, soccer-specific language, allthose things we try to give them and to send for them, they’re importantfor the job. To get to the training ground next to ours, we call it theperformance center. It was built in July. There are 280 employees workingfor Bayern Munich. We created a restaurant for them downstairsthat was not there before; it was an open restaurant for fans. They couldread and have a coffee or whatever. Now we’ve changed that all, andthey have their own place where they can eat food and have lunch from11:30 to 1:30. That gives a connection to the performance center. It’sthe same style to the players, the players, sometimes we go down therewithout the players, and we eat with the workers. We have a meetingupstairs, then we eat downstairs, and we connect with the peoplethat work for the club, so they feel what’s going on, that the coachesare just as much a part of the club as the secretaries in the offices. Theinfrastructure we’ve changed quite a bit, learning from different sports,different environments, also obviously looking abroad. What is ManchesterUnited doing, what is Barcelona doing? We look at those thingsto see what’s going. We still think that those little things at the end ofthe day can really matter. That can really matter, because it makes theteam comfortable. And we believe that once the players buy into it, andthey feel it, they become better, because they get more and more into arole where they have to pay back.How are the players accepting this?There were many, many questions the first three or four months. Weintroduced a completely different fitness approach, which the Germannational team players knew from the World Cup, but the other playershadn’t experienced. We are focusing on the long run, which is a gamblebecause in the short term we need to be getting results, so we need tobalance the goals and the environment in which we’re working. Thepayoff will come later, but if we don’t have results overnight, if theydon’t happen in the beginning, everyone gets nervous and wonderswhether or not this is the right path and are we doing a good job. Soyou run the risk that everything will be questioned 10 times before itwill be accepted. In Germany if you come into a successful environment(like the one at Bayern Munich), they expect you to continue. They wonthe German Cup and the German Championship and then everyoneautomatically says, why change this? We’ve won two titles obviously, sowhy change? (But) the demand of the board was that we want to be atthe top in Europe again. So in Europe they failed completely last season,they got really hammered in the UEFA Cup. I came in and said we haveto win the domestic trophies in order to re-qualify for the ChampionsLeague, but in order to get back into the European spotlight, we havea hell of a lot of work to do. It was quite a challenging process up andthrough today, but I think we are on a good path.Martin Jol said earlier this year, in the first round (first half of theGerman season), that you (Klinsmann) are changing the way Germancoaching will be for the future. Is this what he was talking about?This total player development, instead of just on the field, such as theperformance center aspects?I think everyone is curious how this all will develop. I know Martinbecause of his time at Tottenham, believes as I do that you get aheadwhen you empower people. It has to do with empowerment. Andempowerment is a very, very strict and challenging thing. Because here,if you empower people, they see it as a loss of authority of the coach.So, if I empower the chief analyst to speak up to the players, to do a 20-minute session about Sporting Lisbon last night, the player might lookSoccer Journal November-December 2009 53

at it as, why is the coach not doing this? Why is he not the one talkingabout Sporting Lisbon? But I come in and I say, Michael, one of our assistants,put the video together, he knows every secret about Sporting.They will go to that video and learn it inside and out, and everything hetells me, I learn it, and I use it. I’d rather spend those two hours that Ihave there in special talks with my players, so I empower somebody toget that role covered. Empowerment, on the German side, is still seenas a weakness, so that’s what Martin means. We have not only a resultschallenge, we have to deliver the results, meaning that we as individualsare responsible for delivering the trophies at the end of the season.That’s what the fans want to see: They want to stay in their environmentto be seen as the elite club, the top club in Germany. On one hand youhave to produce results, and on the other hand you have to develop anew culture, and you have to develop a long-term picture in order tobe competitive with (Manchester) United, with Barcelona, with thoseteams. We talk about the top teams in Europe, which are the big fourin England (Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal), the bigthree in Italy (Milan, Inter, and Juventus), and the top two in Spain(Barcelona and Real Madrid), and then there’s only one German team,and that is Bayern Munich. So at the same time I need to make sure wewin the championship to guarantee the Champions League next year,but we also have to compete on a larger scale.You want the double, but it’s just not enough,so maybe you have to sacrifice. We’ve won thedouble 10 times, but we want more. It’s been areal challenge to compete on all fronts. It’s beenan interesting nine months so far, because I washired in January of last year, so I had to wait untilthe season ended. I agreed to not give any mediastatements; I prepared the performance end basicallyand then came in at the beginning of July.It really worked out perfectly; he (Hitzfield, theprevious Bayern manager) appreciated it, becauseI gave him support, I was very happy with everywin, and it picked him up. I wanted to say goodthings, but everyone was already looking into thefuture and asking what was coming up.When you think of the best possible coach, what are the three adjectivesthat describe that coach?There are many areas to cover. I think empowerment is one ofthem. Cultural tolerance is another thing that is important to understand.You need to understand the athletes that you’re dealing with.You can’t just say that they play badly or well. There are thousands ofreasons why a player doesn’t produce. We have an extremely talentedplayer from South America here. He’s been in the team for five years,and yet he’s not breaking through here yet, because it is just taking timefor him to adjust. Munich is different from Buenos Aires. Language, differencesin languages spoken within the team, the philosophy aroundthe team with the media. If you don’t break through in two or threemonths, they tell you that you have failed. You have to give playerstime, and I believe in that. I believe in this player; I think he will breakthrough sooner or later. So you need to learn how an athlete functions.You have to believe in everyone, and then at the end of the time periodyou come to the conclusion that maybe the player is not made for theenvironment of Bayern Munich. Lucas Podolski is not made for theenvironment at Bayern Munich because it’s a constant, constant competitionevery single day. I told him that he has to challenge the other twostrikers, and if you’re better, you’re better and you’re going to play. Butthis fight, this kind of competition for his place, the other players werea little stronger in it. Now he will go back to his roots, to where he usedto play, and he won’t have to do that (fight for his place).I’m sure having played in all of these different countries hashelped you quite a bit.I’m so grateful now to have played everywhere, because of the experiences.Living in those places, understanding them, how the Frenchare, the Italian background, the English background. I know now when(Italian striker) Luca Toni comes up with certain statements, what heactually means, and I can read him because I know his cultural background.So it can really honestly help you to read people, and you haveto deal with several different kinds of people, you have to deal with anArgentinean different than a Brazilian. And even all of those Braziliansare different, so you just try to learn about them. So I think that understandingpeople is a vital tool for a coach.I think that every one of us has sometype of leadership. If you call it up or not,if you develop it or not, depends on what’sgoing on in your daily life.All of the coaches you’ve mentioned, including yourself, are greatleaders. Is leadership something that a person is born with, or canyou develop leadership over a period of time?I think the talent of leadership is in all of us. It depends on yourpersonal environment, if you get help as a player to develop leadership,throughout your school, your educational path, and then whether youhave the hunger. There are so many components of leadership. I thinkthat every one of us has some type of leadership. If you call it up or not,if you develop it or not, depends on what’s going on in your daily life.I can see players working with me and see tremendous leadership, andsee in some of them having the potential to become good coaches. Butit is a constant process you’re going through, and I think I learned a lotin those 10 years living in the U.S. about different types of leadership.I went to Duke University, and listened to Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski),seminars that help you to learn, and then watching other people, othercoaches. Pete Carroll (head football coach at the University of SouthernCalifornia) is another great example of leadership completely differentfrom a Coach K. If you observe, you don’t even necessarily have tosit down with them, but just read and observe and go through somebooks. There are industry leaders; we have right now amazing leadershipin this country.How important is losing games to the process, or is it important,to the overall process of a player and a coach to learn?I think it’s very important because they need to deal with setbacks.They need to deal with critics, they need to deal with down moments. Itis a fine line, in terms of an aggressive environment here, because it (losing)can break your neck as well. So, yes, you need those defeats, youneed those to get down to Earth to focus and deal with the critics, butyou can’t afford too many of them, otherwise your environment can fallapart. The media are such a powerful force in countries like England,Germany, and even Spain with the top two teams, that no matter whatyour plans are in the long run, even if you get approved by 95 percentfor your job, this 5 percent could kill you. We have experienced similarthings here, which is why you have to go game to game and make surethat you get those results. Then at the end of the day the media do notask anymore about your philosophy, about your knowledge, about yourleadership, about your understanding of the team and your role withthe team. We live in a media environment that absolutely has to sell anddoesn’t need to inform people anymore. Maybe 20 years ago, the mediahad the job to actually inform people. Now the media has the job to sellsomething to people, and they don’t care what it is. So your role withinthe media environment is that it is nothing to take personally; you arejust a tool to the media. A player or a coach is just a tool for them tosell the paper or to get their ratings on TV. It’s not about you, whetheryou’re right or wrong. It’s about how they can sell this game tonight,should we start positively, negatively. They discuss that within their offices,so if they decide the Klinsmann is on the ropes, then they sell this.It’s not because they hate you or anything; it’s because they need the job.They have the power to influence 70,000 fans that go to the stadium, ifthey come in positive, if they come in negative; so it is challenging.54 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

Do you use any form of goal-setting with the players? I know winningtrophies are ultimately the goal for Bayern Munich, but arethere smaller goals that you work with for players with the coachingstaff?We basically develop these player profiles, and within these profileswe define their goals. This is done on a very personal, individual level.Say if it’s technical defending, or positioning, or whatever work it is thatwe want you to do additionally, or your role within the team personality-wise,so that’s where we stand with them on a personal basis. On ateam basis, our goal was to reach the top teams in Europe again, andto follow a path that is kind of being demonstrated over years by thestandard of play in the Champions League. So in order to reach thatlevel, we told them this is why we have to do certain work. ChampionsLeague games are games that are constantly on the edge of a rope.That means you have to be physically on top of things, on top of thingstechnically, you have to be focused at both ends. The development ofsoccer over the last years has shown that there’s far less risk taken nowby teams than there was before. So the Champions League actually setsthe tone for the national teams. In the Champions League, let’s say eightout of 10 teams play a 4-5-1. You will see the next big European Championshipor World Cup with eight out of 10 teams playing a 4-5-1. Sothe Champions League affects the game globally. We came in and said,“Okay guys, in order to be competitive in the Champions League, thisis what we need to have done.” Now Bayern Munich is a team that can’treally play a 4-5-1; I believe in a proactive style of football. I would liketo set the tone on the football field, to be the team that is able to controlthe game. We are forced often into this role in the Bundesliga becauseall the teams against us play defensively. So we basically have no choice,so we have a squad of players where we are forced to play with at leasttwo strikers. It’s totally fine with me because I’d rather go in with twostrikers if it’s possible. But you still have to watch what’s going on withthe other top teams in Europe, in order to not run into counterattacks…ifyou play Barcelona or if you play Manchester United. Youhave to be smart. Those games now, hopefully after doing our homeworktonight and getting into the quarterfinal, those will be gamesthat will be decided maybe by free kicks or corner kicks, and by justconstantly fighting in every area of the field and by being as compact aspossible. So it has become a kind of dilemma in football, because yousee our teams moving in different directions. You have more opportunitiesif you have players on the outside that can play those diagonalballs 40, 50 yards, which we have. We have Franck Ribéry, or MassimoOddo, some players who won’t play tonight because we give our otherflank players a chance to play, but we have players switching sides rightaway to open up the game. But this is the direction we’ve gone for thelast five, six, seven years. You’ll see it in the next World Cup, when thenext European Championship comes along, this is what coaches areplaying. The Champions League sets the tone for all that.It used to be the World Cup that set the tone for the whole world.Exactly, and it shifted, by this huge presence media-wise of theChampions League. I think that the UEFA did an amazing job pushingthat Champions League into a format that is incredible. I mean tonightour game will be seen in more than 100 countries. They can choose,those countries, whether they watch our game, or Manchester United,or Arsenal, or whatever it is, but the players know that. The playersare greedy for the Champions League, and that is shown in Brazil, it’sshown in Argentina, so that’s where things start really developing forthem because of the higher tension level. National team coaches lookat what’s going on. What is Alex Ferguson doing? What are all of thesevery experienced coaches doing? They see also that we’ve shifted as agame towards a 4-5-1. You know Arsene Wenger plays a 4-5-1, andMourinho plays a 4-5-1, and even for the Dutch people with Hiddinkplay a 4-5-1 from a 4-3-3. So the two outside wingers become defenders,everybody behind the ball, and then depend on their qualities goingforward. Spain is the major example. They were by far the best teamin the European Championships by demonstrating how you execute a4-5-1 with midfielders going forward, slicing into the defense. It’s justincredible. It is also important for player development. What is therole of the striker? What is the role of the midfielder? The new systemkind of melts players more and more together. There are midfielderswho now have the ability to become strikers, and then morph rightback into defenders again. You have fullbacks that are playmakers, andobviously still the role of the #6 (holding or defensive midfielder) is stillas important as ever. He’s the brain behind the system. Mark van Bommelis that for us. We tell him that he’s our quarterback. He must makesure that defensively we’re always compact. He must make sure that weswitch the ball when needed. But then at the same time there is the oneagainst one with players going into the box, the Messis and the Riberys,and the Cristiano Ronaldos of this world.The playmakers now on a lot of teams are moving to the outsideinstead of being in the middle. I think that’s a big change as well.This is coming to the wings, because many teams now play with adouble 6 going through the middle. You will see a team tonight, SportingLisbon. Their key is coming from the outside with good players.In the first game, in Lisbon, they had 10 crosses in the first half. Theywere all sharp, they were just flying in, they were looking to get a goalin the first half, and we were under pressure, and then we got one rightbefore the half and it just kind of broke their neck. They are a team thatdeserves to be in the top 16 in Europe. Three days later they tied Porto,0-0, so it is interesting from just a technical perspective.Speaking of that, from a coaching perspective, which is moreimportant: game preparation, or adjustments that take place in agame?In-game adjustments are obviously important, but they are limited.To be honest, you can do adjustments at halftime, adjustments withthree subs, and maybe you shift one thing or another during the game,but I think it’s more important the days before a game to have themreally realize what the challenge is. We as coaches are limited once thegame starts, we are absolutely limited. We have to be honest also; now80, 90, even 95 percent of it at that point is up to the guys on the field.If it hasn’t sunk in by that point, then I think it’s almost impossible thatthey get it in the game, because during a game, the emotional level intheir brains is so high that you can’t count on them to have rationaltechnical discussions on anything. They have vision only through emotions.It’s game day, it’s game day; the emotional side is a big part of it.What’s important to you when you select your staff? Your assistantcoaches specifically.Obviously their qualities, no doubt about that, their qualificationsare very important. But it’s also important that they have a big innerdrive to become better. An assistant coach for me, the first thing he hasto say is that he wants to become a head coach. If he would say I’m aloyal assistant coach, I wouldn’t go with that. So I’ve said to my team,what’s your goal, and if they say their goal is to become a head coach,then okay, that’s what I want. Nick (Theslof) is an assistant, Nick is ayoung, talented coach, his goal is to become a head coach one day of agood team. So I need to know from a physical therapist, from a doctor,from a fitness coach that their goal is to become a better doctor, to becomea great fitness coach, and I introduced myself at the beginning ofthe season and said that whenever you have classes for additional education,I want you to use those. I give you always free weekends, timeis never a problem. So I observe if they do that, and if somebody wouldjust think that, I’m there, I made it at Bayern Munich (as an assistant),and they are satisfied with just that, then there might be a change at theend of the season.You’ve already said that you empower your staff, you empoweryour players. What do you demand from your assistant coaches on adaily basis?I demand from my team that they obviously are very thorough intheir preparation for the upcoming games, for our opponents, that theywatch the videos about the other teams, that they talk through that,that they define what we’re going to see when we show the players. Iexpect them to prepare for training sessions in different options, givingme two, three, four options every day. So when I come in, I say,“What do you want to achieve with the training session?” How doesit fit into the week, how does it fit with the long-term plan? Does it fitwith something we need to maybe solve from the last game? And doesit fit into what we have now with the upcoming opponents? So it’s anonstop thing for our assistants with preparation. Then I come in andwe define it together – what will be the content of the training session,Soccer Journal November-December 2009 55

what will be the goals. I’m always the one to communicate it to theteam, but they’ve done the majority of that work beforehand. My rolethen becomes more of a managerial role. I deal with the board of theclub on a daily basis. The media department, I deal with the environmentof people that want something from this team, I deal with theteam administrators and tell them organizational issues, what I want tosee, what we might change. As you know, I think my team is doing atremendous job, and I think that they work extremely hard and accomplisha lot. Obviously, for somebody coming from a U.S. environment,which is also a very demanding and tough environment, but cominghere where this game is lived through every person on the street, it’s adifferent feel that you can’t escape from anything.And I think that’s what they live and breathe rightnow. Landon (Donovan) has been here with usfor a few weeks, and I wish it would have beenlonger. We have three high-profile strikers fornext season, and it wouldn’t make sense in thismoment to have a fourth striker, and the financialcrisis has hit here, too. So we had to tell Landon,“Yes, you can play here, yes, you have all thequalities, yes, you can break through here, butit’s just too much of a financial burden to take onat this time.” But in this team for 10 weeks, helearned a lot. It will help him this year, and hopefullyit helps him make that big jump, becausequality-wise he can play in any team. He just hasto get really nasty, he has to get nasty every dayin training. Not training like yesterday, because we played before, that’snot a hard training session, but all of the other sessions is a war; I don’twant to use that word, but that’s what it is. It’s a difficult environmentwhere they define their own hierarchy within the group every day. Theydo passes purposely to make you look bad, they make comments inorder to make you mentally shaky; it’s all part of it. It’s all part of dealingwith the stress.How do you discipline players at this level if you have to deal withan off-the-field issue, or even an on-the-field issue?When you have a multi-cultural team, every one of these guys takescriticism in a completely different way. Some have no problem whenthey are criticized in front of the team, some have a major problem withgetting criticized like that, because in their culture that’s simply not theway to do it. Depending on what kind of guy does it, I react differently.If I have the feeling that he needs a little slap in his face (figuratively) infront of the guys, he gets that. I don’t like to do it, because I want theguys to realize themselves that they made a mistake. The first thing Ialways tell them right away, this was wrong. Then they see what he isdoing with that, and now depending on the personality, I’ll say it to everyone,I might just keep it between us, or I might make a comment infront of the team that doesn’t directly mention that guy, or if I think thatnow it’s really necessary to make it clear for all of us, then I say that thiswas bad. I don’t believe in fines, that kind of stuff, because they’re makingso much money that it’s not relevant to them. Young people who aremaking millions and millions of dollars, they get a fine of $10,000 or$20,000, and they don’t even know how to take that, because they don’teven know how to handle the entire money issue themselves because it’sfar too much, and still they get it because the market is that way, and it’sokay, but I’m not the guy that comes in and hands out fines.Do you have a lot of rules?They had rules last year, and they had big issues there, on thediscipline side, they made many rules. If there are some disrespectfulplayers, then you need to make it clear that this is not allowed at BayernMunich. You represent one of the biggest teams in the world, and if thisis not what you want, then come to us and use the door. It’s a simplediscussion like that. But I think they really understand that this is somethingthat is special. We had some issues at the beginning of the season,some bad games, because they thought the Bundesliga would be won byitself, that we will win it no matter what, who cares, that what we reallywant is the Champions League. We talked and talked and talked andyet they just couldn’t quite pull it up in the Bundesliga. We’d play at 80percent, 90 percent, which in reality is a whole lot of effort, but we weremissing that extra 10 percent, and every opponent that plays us gives110 percent, and then they fall apart afterward. So I thought about itand I realized that I need to make things clearer. So I got nasty, and thenthey were kind of getting really anxious, and I was telling the guys thatif you aren’t in for this then I will call five guys from the amateur teambecause they are hungry. They realized, “Okay, now the coach is gettingreally serious,” and that’s when we started going in the right direction.I think every coach needs to read his environment and his players, seewhat is right and what is wrong, an overall catalog of rules. This mightbe helpful just to set the tone, but it is more that you have to remindthem on a daily basis, let’s clean up the locker room, because otherwisethe equipment guy has to clean out all of that dirty stuff. Is that fair toI think there’s tremendous, tremendousappreciation for the situation in the U.S.It’s come a long way, and it still obviouslyhas a long way to go.him? He already has to wash it, now you’re making him pick it up aswell? So we had some issues, and now you come in and it’s pretty clean.It won’t ever be 100 percent, but you know if you get to 80 percent, it’sgreat. It’s a generation now that gets anything it wants; because of thestandards that they enjoy in society, they probably don’t even have topay at the restaurant. That’s the reality and it comes also from the U.S.,from the big sports, all of that from the NBA and the NFL, and especiallybaseball. Soccer is just as problematic here as well.How about the USA? Where are we in soccer?I think there’s tremendous, tremendous appreciation for the situationin the U.S. It’s come a long way, and it still obviously has a long way togo. But the pace is tremendous, if you look at the MLS, how they builtthe infrastructure in only a few years. They’re now trying to connectsomehow to the developmental system, to the youth system; some havefarm teams. I mean, obviously the biggest challenge is how big the UnitedStates is, and how many interests are involved in it, all of the differentyouth federations, two educational systems for coaches – but it’s goingin a good direction. It will never be perfect, but not even Germany isperfect, or England, or Italy in its system. Even here you have very similarchallenges to the U.S., depending on the content you teach, whether it’sthe right stuff, depending on the situation of the coaches, the standingof the coaches, depending on where the talent comes through. I thinkthe biggest challenge for the U.S is to get the pyramid back to their A’s. Ithink the pyramid is so upside down because it’s a pay-to-play system inthe youth development, and this is the biggest enemy of U.S. soccer – thebiggest enemy. And if they could somehow get it more reasonable, get itdown to where everybody could afford to play, so that it’s not a scholarship-drivensociety anymore – that is the biggest challenge. But it’s acultural challenge, it’s not a soccer-specific challenge. And for people it’s abig thing, for people in Europe, that you have to pay quite a lot of moneyfor your child to play for a good youth team in the U.S. – they don’t believethat. They don’t believe that the youth coaches are paid coaches, andthat you get scholarships for that at universities. It’s impossible for Europeand South America to understand the American system, so I think thesystem itself is its biggest enemy, and still it’s progressing, still it’s growingand getting better and better. You have now, I don’t know how many firstdivisionplayers in Europe from the U.S. Amazingly good goalkeepers,a generation of goalkeepers that is outstanding, with Tim Howard, BradFriedel, Kasey Keller. It’s just amazing. You have now good field playerstoo, and hopefully the next generation improves as well. So it’s moving.It’s taking a lot of work to get done, but it’s baffling, because I’ve livedthere for 10 years, and I think there is so much potential, so much still toget done. It will be great someday.56 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

Psychology • All AgesBench PsychologyManaging Reserve Players Toward a Positive Playing ExperienceBy Eric SteegThis article is focused oncoaches and players on competitiveand tryout-oriented teams fromyouth to professional levels.Soccer players who investcountless hours to improve conditioningand technical foot skills andsacrifice their winter and summervacations for the soccer pitch expectto contribute to the team’s effortson game day. When hard workfails to be “rewarded” with playingtime, an athlete quickly can becomefrustrated and unmotivated. Mostcoaches can vividly recall those“rotten apple” players that spoil andundermine positive team chemistryand success. Unfortunately,most players place a tremendousimportance on game time, usingthe number of minutes they play ongame day to define their personalvalue and contribution to the team.It can be difficult as a coach to correctthis misperception.Coaches avoid playing timediscussions for a variety of reasons.Some avoid addressing this topic becausethey want to create a competitiveand an uneasy climate whereall players are “on the bubble.” Inthis instance, coaches believe thatuncertainty in starting status andplaying time motivates players tostay sharp and focused. However,this technique may work only forthe first month of the season untilthe players know the majority of theroster will be most likely set.Just as many coaches ignorethe playing time topic becausethey do not know how to besthandle discussing this issue withathletes. But by not talking aboutplaying time openly, a coach unwittinglymay convey the messagethat the players who don’t play asmuch are not as important.The reality is players participatein sports with aspirations andexpectations of playing. Oftenthey believe playing in games isthe only way to contribute to theteam, have fun and see themselvesas a meaningful part of the largergroup. With players placing such animportance on playing time, athletesand teams would be best servedhaving a coach who addresses issuesof playing time. In an effort to avoidthe frustration and retaliation thatoften develops in players who givemuch of themselves but aren’t givenany playing time in return, coachescan address the issue of playing timein a number of ways.1. Schedule individual meetings forthe beginning of the season.These meetings provide a valuableopportunity to discussplaying time expectations, clarifygoals and roles and show playersthat you value their hard workand time. An effective techniqueto use during these meetingsis to ask players what are theirstrengths and how they can bestcontribute to the team. It is vitalthat you are honest and clearwith players when discussingroles and areas that need improvement.When players knowwhat a coach expects of themfrom the beginning of the season,they have the choice to accept ormove on. If the players are nonstarters,impress upon them whatstrengths they bring to the teamand that their value to the teamcannot and should not be measuredin how many minutes theyplay come game day.2. Articulate clear team policies tothe group.Early in the season, it is importantto communicate to bothplayers and parents the properavenues to discuss questions ofplaying time. For example, mandatingthat playing time issuesare not to be discussed directlyafter a game and should be conducteddirectly with the coachduring a one-on-one meeting canhelp prevent damaging situations.While the above strategies arebest employed at the beginning ofthe season, how can coaches dealwith playing time frustration as theyarise during the highs and lows of acompetitive season? The followingstrategies can be used by a coachingstaff to avoid conflict, promote teamunity and enhance participationsatisfaction in players who may notsee much playing time.1. Spend equal time with role players.Spend as much time speakingwith and addressing non-startersas you do starters. Remindthe team the value of the “benchplayer” by congratulating themon practice accomplishments,positive attitudes and strongwork ethics. Have the coachingstaff monitor and provide feedbackto players who are on thebubble and motivated to taketheir game to the next level.In an effort to avoid the frustration and retaliationthat develops in players who give much of themselvesbut aren’t given playing time in return, coaches canaddress the issue of playing time in a number of ways.2. Help role players experiencecompetition.Often one of the most significantaspects non-starters miss is thesimple thrill of competition. Bydeveloping competitive practicesthat include intra-squad scrimmages,non-starters and startersalike will be engaged in fun andhealthful competition that willproduce a motivating practiceclimate while further developingteam camaraderie. In addition,it is vital as a coach to communicateclearly to non-starterswhat they need to do to improve.By helping players set clear andrealistic short- and long-termgoals, non-starters’ energy andeffort will be focused on specificareas of improvements, and aninternal competitive spirit willbe ignited. To be most beneficial,coaches need to provide frequentdetailed feedback while an athleteis progressing towards thesegoals. If done well, competitiveness,motivation, role acceptanceand participation satisfaction willincrease in non-starters.There certainly is no magicformula to deal with the many issuesthat may develop throughouta season regarding playing time. Byaddressing playing time, coachescan defuse non-starters’ frustrations,raise enjoyment in participation andestablish a clear and honest line ofcommunication that is appreciatedby players and parents alike.Eric Steege is in the doctoral programfor Sport and Exercise Psychology at WestVirginia University and a volunteer assistantcoach with the WVU men’s soccerteam. If you have any specific issues todiscuss, contact Eric at (608) 213-5025 orby email at esteege@mix.wvu.edu.Soccer Journal November-December 2009 57

Is Collegiate Soccerthe Key to MLS?By Mike JacobsMen’s Coach, University of EvansvilleAt a time where Major League Soccer hasdissolved its Reserve Division as the leaguecontinues to expand, more and more emphasisis being placed on scouting and identifyingtalent. If you look at common trends in theleague, MLS has to look no further than to starttheir scouting plans in NCAA college soccer.With the expansion of the league, includingSan Jose last season, Seattle this season andmore on the way with Philadelphia, Portlandand Vancouver, it has become an acceptedpractice among league and team executives tocomment on the fact that there are not enoughcapable players to go around. Rosters havebeen made smaller, and have eliminated thepotential for a Reserve Division to be able todevelop good young American players.Another accepted practice among thatsame group is to claim that college socceris not doing a good enough job developingplayers. Comparing the NCAA with otheroutside entities or even Major League Soccerwill show that no one else is sending moreplayers into the league and developing moreplayers than college soccer.“Not having a reserve league really damagesthe potential of developing players inour league,” said Peter Vermes, TechnicalDirector for the Kansas City Wizards. “Whatare you (MLS teams) doing with playernumbers 12 to 24? With the reserve league,every one of those guys played. Every teamis different with what they were doing withdeveloping players, and has different viewsabout how important developing youngplayers and building their roster really is.”Unlike many other domestic leaguesaround the world, outside of the United SoccerLeagues (USL), there are no other establishedlower levels for young players to ply theirtrade prior to reaching the highest level ofprofessional soccer. With most MLS clubspreferring to draft collegiate players in the MLSSuperDraft or as free agents, rather than pay atransfer fee to USL clubs for their contractedplayers, young American collegiate players appearto be the most viable option.The majority of 18- to 22-year-olds arenot ready to make that jump straight intothat level, so until Major League Soccer createsanother development model, attendinga college and playing 20-25 games in the fallis probably the next best option. Trainingin a context with strength and conditioningcoaches, coupled with functional trainingand exhibition matches during the winter/spring by more than capable coaches, are opportunitiesthat most young players probablyweren’t exposed to at the youth level.“Every college program is different inwhat they are doing to develop professionalplayers – you can’t stereotype college socceras a whole,” said Vermes. “It comes down tothe individual college program, and how importantdeveloping professional players areto that coach and program. College coacheshave to be willing to put the time in, andmost MLS coaches know which college guysare doing that.”College soccer is the best option for MLSclubs to identify potential prospects, andthe most successful teams in the league haveestablished formulas for success through theAmerican collegiate system.Sixty-four percent (242 of 378) of playerswho appeared in Major League Soccermatches during the 2008 season had pliedtheir trade at the collegiate level, and themost successful teams in the league duringthe past five seasons have their rosters litteredwith former college players.The Houston Dynamo, winners of theMLS Cup in 2006 and 2007, had the mostformer college players on their roster in2008, with 17 of their 21 players havingseen action last season (81 percent).Included in that group as key contributorswere Brian Ching (Gonzaga), Brad Davis(Saint Louis University), Stuart Holden(Clemson), Brian Mullan and Richard Mulrooney(Creighton), Bobby Boswell (FloridaInternational), Wade Barrett (William andMary), Ricardo Clark (Furman) and EddieRobinson (North Carolina).The 2008 MLS Cup Champions, the ColumbusCrew had 20 former collegiate playersamong their 26 players (77 percent), andactually led the league with the most 4-yearcollege players on their rosters with 65 percent:Alejandro Moreno (UNC Greensboro),Brad Evans (UC Irvine), Danny O’Rourke(Indiana) and Will Hesmer (Wake Forest)were all key to the Crew’s championshipThe most successful teams inMajor League Soccer have establishedformulas for success through theAmerican collegiate system.run, and plied their trade with four years ofcollege soccer experience. Frankie Hejduk(UCLA – three years), Brian Carroll (WakeForest – three years) and Chad Marshall(Stanford – two years) also played majorroles with the Crew and gained experience atthe collegiate level.The Columbus Crew was able to buildtheir roster through the vision of SigiSchmid, one of the most successful coachesat the collegiate level. Schmid had wonNational Championships in 1985, 1990and 1997 at UCLA, turning them into aperennial power at the collegiate level whileproving to be one of the premier developersof professional players – few universitieshave churned out as many MLS prospects asUCLA since the league’s inception.On the other side of the spectrum,Toronto FC’s lack of success so far as a MLSfranchise could coincide with their lack ofprevious apprenticeship at the college level– they traditionally have had fewer collegeplayers (39 percent in 2008) and four-yearcollege players (24 percent in 2008) on theirroster than any other franchise. Their rosterhas fluctuated significantly from one yearto the next, and Toronto doesn’t have a realAmerican college soccer presence on thestaff. They are also under some different constraintsfrom the other current teams in theleague, with roster limitations on Americanplayers.58 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

DC United’s fallfrom the upper echelonof Major LeagueSoccer also could betied to the combinationof their lack ofsuccess with selectionof internationalplayers as well astheir lack of playerswith college pedigree– they had the nextsmallest number ofcollege players ontheir roster in 2008at 51 percent.Franchises haveeven looked to improvetheir fortunesby plucking coachesout of the collegegame – FC Dallashead coach SchellasHyndman was oneof the more successfulcollegiate coachesthrough stints atSouthern MethodistUniversity andEastern Illinois – followingthe trends thatbrought Bruce Arena(now with Los Angeles) and Schmid (now withSeattle) into the league.The opportunities that benefit coacheslike Schmid or Arena, or technical directorslike Vermes (former assistant coach andplayer at Rutgers University) through theirexperiences coaching at the collegiate levelgive them a definite advantage in playeridentification. They have had the opportunityto watch a number of the top collegiateprospects play as youth players while recruiting,as well as the opportunity to coachor coach against them. Their exposure to anetwork of college coaches that they havecoached with and against can also help themfind where the bodies are buried – helpingthem gain insight into where the top collegiateprospects are, and keeping good tabson those prospect’s progress.“Identifying players is a process, and youformulate a lot of your philosophies andopinions by working at the college level,” saidVermes. “It’s not the sole criteria, but it’s alarger piece of the puzzle, whether it’s watchingplayers, or developing man-management skillswhen working with young players.”Where Major League Soccer is behindother leagues around the world, as well asother domestic sports, is the depth of theirscouting and player identification. Whereit is a common practice for clubs aroundthe world to have a staff of full-time andpart-time scouts, most MLS coaches attemptto identify prospects themselves. With theirown playing season going on during thecollege fall season, MLS coaching staffs havelimited opportunities to watch prospects.This is unlike the National Football LeagueRoger Espinosa (second from left) put Ohio State into the early lead with this goal against eventual champion WakeForest in the 2007 NCAA championship match. Espinosa now plays with the Kansas City Wizards. Wake’s JulianValentin (No. 4), Pat Phelan (No. 5) and Brian Edwards (No. 1) also are plying their trade in Major League Soccer.(NFL) or Major League Baseball (MLB),which have full staffs of scouts and directorsof scouting and player personnel.“The biggest problem is that all of the leaguesthat we would be scouting (NCAA, USL) areplaying while our league is playing,” said Vermes.“If you don’t have a coaching staff that can focustheir time on scouting, you won’t be prepared. Ifyou put too much time into it, you will neglectyour first team. You need to constantly evaluateand keep the finger on the pulse of what’s goingon in our country while taking care of your ownteam – which presents a lot of difficulties in tryingto balance both.”Billy Beane of the Oakland Athletics revolutionizedthe player identification process inMajor League Baseball, chronicled in the book“Moneyball.” One major difference betweenbaseball and soccer is that there are not a lotof tangible statistics that translate to scoutingplayers in soccer.“Our sport doesn’t have statistics that canbe measured as closely as you might find infootball,” said Vermes. “It’s hard to go withreal numbers like a 40-yard dash, becausethose don’t always apply in our game incomparison to the other skills a player hasto have. In most cases, we need to trust ourown eyes when evaluating players, and seehow they would fit into our team. Whatmight be right for one coach might be totallydifferent for another.”The 2010 MLS SuperDraft is just a fewweeks away, but for teams looking to puttogether a creative scouting strategy, here aresome good places to start their own “Moneyball”strategies when looking for prospectswithin the college game:You’re in good hands with goalkeepers.Out of the 14 MLS teams in 2008, 12of them had starting goalkeepers that cameout of college soccer. Drafting a good youngAmerican goalkeeper out of the college ranksis very similar to getting a quarterback inthe NFL – goalkeepers need to get repetitionof matches at a good standard, which isnot normally an option at the highest levelof professional soccer. Instead of toiling onthe bench for a very formative time of theircareer, they can have their learning curveaccelerated by getting the chance to playimportant matches at the collegiate level.Joining an MLS team as a 22-year old withvaluable experience, then serving as an apprenticefor a couple of years before takingover that job, seem to be a normal practiceon successful teams in the league. StandoutsWill Hesmer (Columbus), Matt Reis (NewEngland) and Jon Busch (Chicago) are allgood examples of that, and have been invitedinto U.S. National Team camps recentlyas well.Even young goalkeepers like Brad Guzan(formerly of Chivas USA), who logged themajority of their team’s minutes in goal thispast season, had to wait their turn for a coupleof years before the job was handed over tothem full-time. Guzan was the only goalkeeperin recent memory up until this season whowas given an opportunity as a rookie, and thathappened in an expansion team with limiteddepth. Stefan Frei (Toronto FC) has had theunique opportunity to step right in from thecollege ranks this season, and has had someencouraging results in the early stages of theMLS season. Milos Kocic (DC United) and AlecDufty (New York Red Bulls) had both beenSoccer Journal November-December 2009 59NSCAA photo by Craig Bohnert.

thrust into early season action in their rookieseasons.With the Supplemental Draft no longeravailable to MLS teams, there were only fivegoalkeepers selected in this past 2009 MLSSuperDraft. You may find more and more MLSteams look to save their draft picks for fieldplayers, and try to pick up more goalkeepers asfree agents.Collegiate defenders are ready and able.There are no positions where collegiateplayers tend to translate at the highest levelbetter than at the back. The 2008 season’s MLSRookie of the Year Sean Franklin (Los Angeles)was a well-thought-of four-year college prospectout of Cal State Northridge and logged2,385 minutes as a central defender despite thefact that he is a natural right back.Other key defenders that have been able tocome out of college and contribute immediatelyin the past few MLS SuperDrafts includeBakary Soumare (Chicago) and MichaelHarrington (Kansas City) in the 2007 draft;Marvell Wynne (drafted by New York) in 2006;Michael Parkhurst (formerly New England),Gonzalo Segares (Chicago), Ugo Ihemelu(drafted by Los Angeles), Drew Moor (FCDallas) and Kevin Goldthwaite (drafted by SanJose) in 2005.Five of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft firstroundselections were defenders. OmarGonzales (Los Angeles), Rodney Wallace (DCUnited), Matt Besler (Kansas City), Jeremy Hall(New York) and Kevin Alston (New England)all have contributed straight away. DarriusBarnes (New England) was taken in the laterstages of the MLS SuperDraft, and the DukeUniversity product has become a “write-in” forthe Revs’ backline.Piano carriers, but probably not piano players.The old adage in putting together a teamis “you need to have the right blend of pianoplayers (creative players) and piano carriers(hard-working and industrious players).” Therehave been very few young American attackingmidfielders that have been able to come intothe league and play – most of the most creativeattacking midfielders out of the college rankshave started as flank players and moved insideafter a couple of seasons (Clint Dempsey, formerlywith New England; Davy Arnaud withKansas City; Stuart Holden with Houston).Most MLS clubs will go abroad for creativeattacking midfielders, but college soccer hasbeen able to develop good holding midfieldersand pacy wide players.Defensive midfielders with college experiencealso have shown the ability to develop ascommittee defenders. Maurice Edu (formerlywith Toronto FC), Ricardo Clark (Houston),Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado) and Brian Carroll(Columbus) are all members of the U.S.National Team set-up and have spent at leastthree years in the college game prior to emergingin MLS. Each of those players was able tocontribute immediately as rookies due to theirrange defensively and their ability to connectpasses in the midfield. Sam Cronin (TorontoFC) has contributed significantly as a rookiethis season and is a prototype of the Americancollege soccer player. Virtually every MLS clubhas a key holding player that has come out ofthe college ranks.Speed kills.The biggest difference between the collegiateand MLS levels is the speed of play. Thedemands with decision-making in tight spacesis much higher. Where the opportunity to startout playing out wide in the channels givesplayers more time and space to get acclimatedat the next level, it also enables the fast, directwinger-types to apply their skill set at the nextlevel. Dane Richards (New York) and CoreyAshe (Houston) both were able to come intothe league and contribute in a similar fashionas they were in college. Chris Pontius (DCUnited), Steve Zakuani (Seattle) and Hall(New York) are examples of rookies who havealready been able to contribute as attackingplayers on the flanks this season.Having a fast, direct option up front is anasset on any team, and tends to be a staple inthe American college game. Pairing up a playerlike this with a proper target who is capable ofholding onto the ball in possession and bringhis partnering striker into the game creates adevastating combination. Seattle used the No.1 pick in the 2009 SuperDraft on Akron speedsterand Hermann Trophy finalist Zakuani inhope of him being able to get behind defensesin the same fashion as he had in the collegegame. In most cases, penetrating players at thecollegiate level have been able to translate thatinto the professional game as well.The bigger they are, the harder they fall.Very similar to being able to produce pacy,penetrating attacking players, the college gamehas also been able to produce big target playersas well. Brian McBride has had a long and illustriouscareer as the face of our U.S. NationalTeam. Long before he was a standout in MLSBe it as central defenders or as outsidebacks, the athleticism of amateurAmerican players allows them to catch up thatmuch more at the next level.and in England, he was banging in goals atSaint Louis University. Brian Ching (Houston)and Conor Casey (Colorado) are strong targetplayers who have been standouts at the collegiateand professional levels, and are nowviable options for our full national team.Maybe college soccer is not developingplayers at the rate that MLS executives wouldlike, but it has created a foundation for successamong the league’s top teams. If the league cantake the next step in creating an infrastructurethat identifies these players, we might be ableto help develop even more players who canwork themselves up through the college ranks.“At the end of the day, you have to lookacross the board at the league,” said Vermes.“Some want to slap college soccer in the face,but you have to accept the facts that all theteams in MLS are built around players thathave played in college.”Horst Richardson Claims Landmark 500th WinColorado College men’s soccer coach Horst Richardson picked up career victory No. 500on Sept. 26, although he was absent from the pitch when his squad presented him with thewin, attending the funeral of a former team member.He became the fourth Division III coach and ninth in any NCAA division to achieve themilestone in the Tigers’ victory over Dallas. He is in his 44th season at the school.“I’m very happy about achieving the milestone,” Richardson said, “but I wish I couldenjoy it under different circumstances.”Richardson attended the funeral of Chris Quon, a former Tiger student-athlete from theChicago area who perished in late September. Quon, who also played lacrosse at the school,graduated last May with a degree in economics. The Tigers decided to dedicate this seasonto his memory. Richardson described Quon as “an inspiration to his teammates through hisupbeat nature, outgoing personality and his athletic ability.”In the team’s second win since learning of Quon’s death, Richardson became the fifth activecoach in any NCAA division with 500 wins. The victory clinched the 2009 BoddingtonMemorial Tournament title, in an event named for the school’s previous soccer coach, whomRichardson succeeded in 1966.60 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

Soccer ShortsA collection of brief articlesof interest to soccer coaches.The Blond Arrow – Alfredo di StefanoFrom the pages of 4-4-2 MagazineForget Pelé and Maradona. Even Diegohimself (and April’s FFT) will tell you that RealMadrid’s legendary Blond Arrow actually was thegreatest footballer the world has ever seen. Fromthe pages of Four-Four-TwoCountless footballers have earned winner’smedals, a place in the hearts of fans or their15 minutes of fame. Some have produced momentsof magic that linger forever in the mindsof those fortunate enough to witness them,or clinched immortality by carrying teams toglory. But few can truly claim to have changedhistory. And none can claim to have changedhistory quite like “The Blond Arrow,” Alfredodi Stefano – a pioneer, artist, wit and winner,the most important player of all time and tomany, the greatest.Di Stefano jokes he became a footballeronly by chance. “One day,” he explains, “anelectrician came to our house. He played forRiver Plate, and he got chatting to my mum.She told him I played a bit of football, so hetook me for a trial. When I got there, I wasasked who introduced me and I replied: ‘Mymum.’” It was a chance encounter that changedthe game. As UEFA president Michel Platiniputs it: “The history of football simply can notbe imagined without Don Alfredo’s extraordinarypresence.”Diego Maradona may have taken tiny Napolito an unthinkable Scudetto and Argentinato an improbable World Cup, but when itcomes to a lasting legacy, that barely registersagainst the impact of the man who was bornin Buenos Aires 60 years before the hand andfeet of God defeated England. Di Stefano is theonly man Maradona ever rated more highlythan himself; the man who altered the face offootball forever.When FIFA was to name the 20th century’sbest player, they couldn’t decide between Peléand Maradona. Few could. Not even Maradona,who remarked: “I really don’t knowif I was better than Pelé.” What Maradonadid know, though, was that “Di Stefano wasbetter than Pelé.” “The mere mention of DonAlfredo,” he insisted, “fills me with pride.”The near-mythical Inter Milan and Barcelonacoach Helenio Herrera agreed. “If Pelé wasthe lead violinist,” he once said, “Di Stefanowas the entire orchestra.”Di Stefano played for three different countriesbut never exhibited his talent at the WorldCup. He performed his magic in an age beforetelevision ownership became common, in acountry just emerging from political and socialisolation. So he rarely is afforded the statushanded to those two universally acceptedgreats.His finest moment came in the 1960 EuropeanCup Final, when Real Madrid defeatedEintracht Frankfurt 7-3 at Hampden Park – amatch that the BBC in Scotland replayed foryears every Christmas, the only one that continuesto sell, still in black and white, on DVD.At the game, according to one report, Madrid“played like angels” in front of the largest-evercrowd for a Eurpean Cup Final.It was a performance that the Guardianjournalist Richard Williams describedas “Fonteyn and Nureyev, Bob Dylan at theAlbert Hall, the first night of the Rite of Spring,Olivier at his peak, the Armory Show and theSydney Opera House all rolled into one.” SirAlex Ferguson, watching from the stands, stillremembers it as the finest game he ever saw;one in which, according to another newspaper,“Real flaunted all that has made them incomparable.”“To list Real Madrid’s team,” addedthis scribe, “is to chronicle greatness.” And thegreatest of them all, the undisputed leader ofthe side, was Di Stefano – “a great amongstgreats” says Platini.Such sublime football, unfolded in front ofa Scottish audience, thrust Di Stefano into Britishconsciousness, but soon he would largelydisappear from most minds. That one gamewas a mere fleeting vision of perfection.In England, Maradona and Pelé are followedby Best or Charlton; in France by Platinior Zidane; in Holland by Cruyff; in Brazil byGarrincha; in Germany by Beckenbauer; acrossthe world, by a combination of them all. InSpain, where Di Stefano played, it’s not that hefollows Pelé and Maradona, it’s that he matchesthem. Exceeds them, even. Joaquin Peiro, theSpanish midfielder who played in the greatInter Milan team that won the European Cupin the mid-60s, speaks for many in Spain whenhe says, “For me, the No.1 is Di Stefano.”Those who saw him knew. Those whodidn’t missed out. Sadly, there are many ofthem. In 1950 and 1954, his native Argentinadid not go to the World Cup; in 1958his adopted Spain did not qualify; in 1962, amuscle injury prevented him from traveling.His absence is one of the tragedies of the game.“If Di Stefano had played at the World Cup,”says Just Fontaine, “he would be recognized asthe white Pelé.”With that gruff, impenetrable accent, punctuatedwith Argentinean slang and wisecracksthat characterize him, Di Stefano insists: “Forme, it was always about the team.”If FIFA struggled to decide betweenMaradona and Pelé, there was no doubt whenit came to naming the century’s best club.Recently named the club’s honorary president,Di Stefano collected the award on behalf ofReal Madrid. It was fitting that his award wasabout the team. “He was my favorite player,”recalls Cruyff, “and what I most loved about DiStefano was everything he did, he did for theteam.”Without Di Stefano, much of modernfootball does not make sense. He destroyedthe tactical orthodoxy of the WM formationwith his constant movement and awarenessand propelled the game into the modern era.“Di Stefano turned still photographs into thecinema,” says Arrigo Sacchi. When he did anadvert for tights, a photograph of him with hiswife’s legs splashed across newspapers, it wasa first for a footballer. And how many playerscould claim to have been kidnapped, as Di Stefanowas in 1963 in Venezuela? Even now heinsists with a smile, “They seemed like decentenough kids.”He contributed more than any other playerto making the European Cup the biggest clubcompetition in the world. Without him, it maynever have gotten off the ground. Withouthim, Madrid might not have, either. In fact,without Di Stefano, Real Madrid does notmake sense – their entire identity is bound upin what he brought to the club.“He made Spain Madridista, and he itwas who carried Real Madrid across borders,”insists club president Ramon Calderon – andhe’s right.Even Real Madrid’s relationship with Barcelonawould be different. The Argentinean’stransfer to Madrid, not the Catalans, in 1953proved a turning point and the ultimate boneof contention in the globe’s biggest soccerrivalry. His disputed transfer, involving RiverPlate, Columbian club Millonarios, Barca,Madrid, FIFA and the Spanish state, still smartsat the Nou Camp. When it comes to ruing theones that got away, Barcelona’s failure to secureDi Stefano, who had already played three“friendlies” for them, surely must rank as thebiggest mistake in soccer history. Or, accordingto Barcelona’s black legend, the biggest con insoccer history.Don’t hold it against Di Stefano, butSpain’s social and political history would havechanged, too. After all, one Franco regime official,witnessing Madrid’s marauding Europeansuccess, described the club as the “greatestembassy we have ever had” at a time of ostracism.Di Stefano stood at its head, the mostimportant ambassador of all.Soccer Journal November-December 2009 61

“The history of Madrid starts with him; hisarrival was the beginning of Madrid’s legend,”claims former striker Emilio Butragueño.When the Blond Arrow joined Real Madridin 1953, they weren’t a particularly good team.They had won the league only twice and hadn’tdone so in 20 years. Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao,Atletico Madrid (then called Atletico Aviacion)and Valencia had all won more.Di Stefano keeps a small medallion inhis pocket engraved with “River Plate – SanLorenzo de Almagro, 1947”: The day of hisfirst game back at River after a year on loanat Huracan, the day he singled out as the bestmoment of his career. It’s the only thing hecarries with him everywhere, except his nowinseparable walking stick, a concession to agefor a man who, despite a recent heart attack,is lucid, alive and funny as ever. He’s at hishappiest talking of his time playing in LosCardales, some 40 miles outside Buenos Aires,and speaks with fondness of “players fromthe potreros (the rough streets) who wouldhave made it, but had to earn money for theirfamilies instead.”And yet, for all that – and despite twoSouth American Player of the Year Awards– his greatest triumphs came in Europe at RealMadrid.He won eight league titles in 11 seasons;since his arrival, Madrid has won 29. Moreimportant, Madrid won the first five EuropeanCups, establishing a dynasty that definesthe club: no football team has ever been assynonymous with a trophy as Madrid with theEuropean Cup.Madrid had other players, of course. PacoGento and Ferenc Puskas were among thefinest of their generation. But Di Stefano wasthe best. “For children of the 1950s, Di Stefanowas above all a victorious sound on the radio,his name echoed round like a heartbeat associatedwith some success or other, transportingus to the Parques des Princes, San Siro orHampden Park,” recalls the editor of sportsdaily ASI, Alfredo Relaño.Di Stefano was top scorer in the league fivetimes, finishing his career with 216 goals in282 games for Madrid – a figure that makeshim the club’s leading scorer in La Liga. Hescored in every one of those five European Cupfinals, becoming the competition’s highest-evergoal scorer with 49 – a figure surpassed onlyrecently by the current captain Raul (in twiceas many games). In total, Di Stefano scored418 goals for Madrid.And he wasn’t even a striker. Not really,even if he did wear the No. 9. Goals alone donot account for two Ballon d’Ors and SpanishPlayer of the Year awards. “He had it all,” saysFontaine. “He was quick, technically gifted,good in the air, a goal scorer, an organizer anda respected leader.” “He brought to Europe atango made of perfect technique and terrifyingacceleration,” adds Michel Platini. BobbyCharlton recalls: “He totally controlled thegame. You looked at him and asked yourself:‘How can I possibly stop him?”’The answer, much of the time, was thatyou couldn’t – Di Stefano knew it. Ten minutesinto one game, he turned to Fidel Ugarte, ayoung defender, and said: “Are you going tofollow me everywhere, sonny?” Nervously,Ugarte replied, “Yes, my coach told me I haveto.” “Okay,” shrugged Di Stefano, “you mighteven learn something.”Calderon recalls listening to the radio andimagining “some kind of superman.” It’s easy tosee why. Di Stefano was everywhere. L’Equipedubbed him “L’ Omnipresente.” “It’s no exaggerationto say that he played like three playersput together,” says his official biographer. “Hewas a midfielder who won the ball and startedthe play, a No. 10 who controlled the gameand delivered the final pass and a striker whoput the ball in the net. If you put togetherRedondo, Zidane and Ronaldo (the Brazilian),you might just get close to what he was.”“The only thing he didn’t do,” says one formerteammate, “was play in goal.” “Actually,”Di Stefano grins, “I did once, for River whenthey had their first-choice keeper sent off.”It is not just Di Stefano’s talent that wonhim such success and admiration, but his temperament,too: his determination and desireto win, even if it meant sacrificing himself.Especially if it meant sacrificing himself. Thegreat Italian Gianni Rivera recalls one occasionwhen Inter put two players on him. So DiStefano ran around the most pointless areas ofthe pitch, sprinting about the full-back areas,seemingly running blind, tiring them out andleaving space for his teammates. “He drove usmad,” Rivera sighs.“He was the brainiest player I ever saw,”says Charlton, “and he oozed effort and courage.He was an inspiring leader and the perfectexample to others.”“I always saw football as a game in whichyou have to run and swat,” Di Stefano says.And he could be sharp with his tongue andfiercely irritable with those who didn’t givetheir all in pursuit of victory. His quick-fireresponse to another Madrid great, Amancio, isthe stuff of legend – the embodiment of whatMadrid likes to think they’re all about; talentand commitment wrapped in one.Before a match, Amancio noted that hisReal Madrid shirt was plain white. “Hey, myshirt has no Real Madrid shield on it,” heannounced. “You’ve got to sweat for it first,sunshine,” replied Di Stefano.Di Stefano certainly sweated for his shirt.Not that Eusebio cared: Portugal’s finest everplayer still claims that swapping jerseys withthe Blond Arrow was “the greatest satisfactionof my life.” Football will forever be grateful toan electrician from River and a mother’s love.Ramon Calderon likes to tell the anecdote ofa father and son strolling through a park andcoming across a statue of Di Stefano. “Daddy,”says the boy, “was he a player?” “No,” sayshis father, “he was a team.” Not just any teameither: the greatest team in history.Getting a Bigger Bang for Your Training Buck?Posted by Jay Williams, Ph.D.,to www.scienceofsocceronline.comCoaches and athletes constantly are searchingfor ways to improve fitness. Enduranceand interval training are the most often used.However, these programs usually require atime commitment of 30 to 60 minutes per day.This time commitment makes it difficult, if notimpossible, to incorporate endurance traininginto a typical practice session.Researchers at McMaster University havefound that a program of brief, high-intensityexercise might improve fitness more than atraditional endurance training program. Thisprogram requires only two to three minutes ofexercise per session – a much bigger bang forthe training buck. But can this type of trainingbe effectively used by soccer players?In a series of studies headed by Dr. KirstenBurgomaster, the researchers asked their subjectsto perform a very small number of very highintensitybouts of exercise. The high-intensitytraining groups used a stationary bicycle andperformed 30 seconds of all-out, supra-maximalexercise – they pedaled as hard as they could for30 seconds. They then rested for four minutesand repeated the bout four to six times. This wasdone three times per week for either two or sixweeks. For comparison, an endurance traininggroup cycled continuously for 40 to 60 minutesper session five times per week.After only two weeks of training (only sixsessions), the high-intensity group doubledits endurance time. That is, they exercisedfor nearly twice as long before reachingexhaustion. They also improved time-trialperformance by 10 percent. The endurancegroup showed little to no improvement. Aftersix weeks the high-intensity group showedseveral important biochemical changes withinthe muscle, such as glycogen, phosphocreatinelevels and metabolic enzyme activities.However, laboratory measures of “fitness” suchas VO 2max and exercise heart rates were notimproved.A key difference in the two training groupswas the amount of time spent training and thetotal amount of work performed. Training forhigh-intensity group required about two tothree minutes of actual exercise compared with60 minutes for the endurance group. Includingrecovery, the high-intensity session lastedapproximately 20 minutes. Also, the high-intensitygroup performed about half as muchtotal work as the endurance group. The bottomline is that high-intensity training resulted ingreater improvements with less time and work.As a coach, it’s easy to see how this type ofhigh-intensity training would be a tremendousbenefit for improving fitness when practicetime is limited. The big question is, shouldcoaches consider using this type of trainingwith their players? Instead of using an exercisebike, players could do repeated 30 second62 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

sprints (or 200-300 meter sprints) with afour-minute recovery. But before abandoningtraditional training, coaches. Should considera few things.First, the researchers are quick to point outthat they don’t know for sure if high-intensitytraining provides all of the cardiovascular,metabolic and muscular benefits that traditionalendurance training does. It’s also not knownif the improvements are long-lasting.Second, it’s not known if the improvementsfound in these studies will translate into improvedfitness over the course of a 70- to 90-minute match. This is particularly importantwhen one considers the stop-start, run-sprintnature of soccer.Third, and most important, cycling ismuch different than running when it comesto impact forces on the knee, ankle and hip.Using high-intensity running during trainingmight increase the risk of orthopedic, over-useinjuries, especially in young athletes. At thevery least, players should be allowed a day ortwo to recover from each training session.For now, this series of studies raises someinteresting ideas regarding training. They mayultimately cause us to re-think how we goabout fitness development. However, muchmore work needs to be done to determine ofhigh-intensity training is appropriate and effectivefor young footballers. Note: Many thanksto Dr. Don Kirkendall of the FIFA MedicalAssessment and Research Centre for suggestingthis topic.ReferencesGibala MJ, McGee SL (2008) Metabolic adaptationsto short-term high-intensity intervaltraining: A little pain for a lot of gain? Exerciseand Sports Sciences Reviews, 36:58-63.Burgomaster KA, Howarth KR, Phillips SM,Rakobowchuk, MacDonald MJ, McGee SL,Gibala MJ (2008) Similar metabolic adaptationduring exercise after low volume sprintinterval and traditional endurance trainingin humans. Journal of Physiology, 586:151-160.Gibala MJ, Little JP, van Essen M, Wilkin GP,Burgomaster KA, Safdar A, Raha S, TarnopolskyMA (2006) Short-term spring intervalversus traditional endurance training:similar initial adaptations in human skeletalmuscle and exercise performance. Journal ofPhysiology, 575:901-911.Burgomaster KA, Heigenhauser GJF, Gibala MJ(2005) Effect of short-term sprint intervaltraining on human skeletal muscle carbohydratemetabolism during exercise andtime-trial performance. Journal of AppliedPhysiology, 100:2041-2047.Burgomaster KS, Hughes SC, HeigenhauserGJF, Bradwell SN, Gibalb MJ (2004) Sixsessions of sprint interval training increasesmuscle oxidative potential and cycle endurancecapacity in humans. Journal of AppliedPhysiology, 98:1985-1990.Some Thoughts from Division IBy Carson PorterI’ve gone through quite an interestingcoaching transition in the last six months.After spending the last five seasons with JayVidovich and the Wake Forest men’s soccerprogram, I took a job on the staff of the CapitalArea Soccer League in Raleigh, N.C. I madethe move partly for personal reasons, but italso was interesting from a soccer standpoint,trading in the stresses of how we will replaceseven starters who are all now professionals forthe stresses of choosing between two 11-yearoldgirls for one slot on a classic team. Insteadof helping top young American players likeHermann Trophy winner Marcus Tracy andfirst-team NSCAA All-America Corben Bonedevelop their extreme talents, I was teachingthe basics of a pass, how to move off the ball,how to receive the ball with the outside of yourfoot, or even how to properly tie a shoelace! Inshort, A BIG DIFFERENCE.As I went through the stresses of a moveand getting used to a new staff and surroundings,I had time to reflect on the lastfive seasons, how I had matured as a coach,what I needed to do to continue my coachingdevelopment and how I would tackle this newjob and new challenge. I am far too young tofeel like my ideas are “right” or I should betelling anyone what to do, but I have had anopportunity to spend time with some wonderfulplayers and excellent coaches, and my hopeis that this article can get any coach at any levelto simply stop and think.Here are some ideas, observations andopinions that aim to get any coach at any levelthinking about a simple question: How Do WeMake it Better? This question can be excitingand stimulating, or frustrating and answerless,a question that when asked by Jay in the WakeForest soccer office on some days would resultin a two-hour discussion, while on otherswould make me want to walk right out of hisoffice in frustration. Regardless, it’s a simplequestion that all of us as coaches should beasking ourselves continually.Be PreparedDuring the course of our day on the WakeForest staff as we dealt with recruiting phonecalls, camp questions, academic reports andplayer meetings, at some point there would bea lull. The office was quiet, and like clockworkJay would call through the wall with the samesix words that came each and every day, “Whatdo you think for training?” For coaches it wasthe best part of our day, to stop everything andspend 20 or so minutes on training.It didn’t start out that way. In the first yearat Wake Forest, when Michael Parkhurst wasour center back and players such as James Riley,Scott Sealy, Brian Edwards and Justin Mooseled our team, I wasn’t ready for that question. Iwasn’t prepared. As a young coach, I figured wewould roll the ball out, let these talented playersplay a little possession, maybe do some finishingand if we had enough time, let the guys strike afew set pieces, eventually collecting our nationalchampionship and then going to the NSCAAConvention in January feeling pretty good aboutourselves…NOT QUITE.Following Jay’s example, and realizing thatI needed to get better, I quickly started plottingand thinking about training all the time. Ichanged. I thought about our team whenever Ihad a free minute. I made time to think aboutthe team. I began to turn off the stereo in mycar and spend my drive to and from campusthinking about our team and how I could helpthem succeed. I drank one cup of coffee eachday; I always drank it by myself, and I alwaysthought about the team. Sometimes I hada notepad with me, sometimes not, but theimportant thing is that I began to dedicate timeto think about the team. I was ready for thosesix words whenever they would come. I lovedthose 20 minutes when our opinions were dissected,disagreed with, eventually resulting inthe day’s practice plan.Practice plans are different for nine-yearolds.Tactics are rarely discussed. Things thatare “givens” to top players have to be managedfor the younger ones, and goals have tochange. I have three broad goals for the youngCASL players I work with today: They mustmove on to the higher age groups knowing theproper techniques of the game (ball striking,first touches, passing, etc.), they must be ableto perform these techniques at an age-basedhigh speed/intensity and they must developgood training habits. These are very differentfrom the three goals of winning an ACCregular season, an ACC championship and anNCAA national championship.Each set of goals needs a coach’s preparation.Be prepared, know what the goals of atraining session are, make sure you have theproper equipment, the right number of playersfor the practice and the right attitude. If youcome to a training session having just gottenoff of a long day’s work and aren’t ready forpractice, the kids will know, and they willsuffer because of it. It’s no different from thoserare days when we had recruits on campus, orJay had an ACC conference call in the morningand an interview in the afternoon, and wedidn’t answer those six key words, and ourkids suffered because of it.Create a Winning EnvironmentBeing prepared for training is a big steptoward creating a winning environment, whichultimately will lead to positive results anddevelopment of your teams and players.A winning environment, to me, is a safearea where players are willing to put their verybest out on the practice field and aren’t afraidof failure, criticism or even praise. A winningenvironment teaches lessons, rewards improvementand breeds competition.At Wake Forest our environment startedwith a trash can, symbolic of all of the “stuff”players dealt with during the course of theSoccer Journal November-December 2009 63

day. As soon as we got to practice and as soonas they were ready to train, they all stoppedat that trash can and symbolically “threw” allgirlfriend problems, exam stress or roommateissues away, ready to spend an hour and a halftrying to get better. At CASL on the U-14 girlsteam, it starts with a handshake to the coach. Avery simple practice that, as I watched, meantso much to these girls. It is a split second wheneach player is just a girl shaking the hand ofsomeone they look up to. They enjoy this timewhen they get to greet their coach as a personand not as their coach. It teaches life lessons-- a firm handshake, looking someone in theeye when you are talking to them and the confidenceto speak to an adult. It also is a greatchance for the coach to recognize the moodof each player and see how everyone is doing.The girls don’t come up to the coach and shakehands unless they are ready for practice, andsimilarly, coaches don’t shake hands unlesstraining is planned out, cones are put out, andthey are also ready to go. And the environmentbegins to take shape.As training gets started, organization, preparationand goals of practice help to form yourteam’s environment. Be consistent. At Wake, aswe played 5 v. 2 before practice (another importantpiece of our culture), the players usedto jokingly try to predict what we were doingfor training. Most of the time, because ourteam and coach had a certain style and identity,they weren’t far off in their predictions. Varietyis important, but not nearly as important asconsistency. Players need time to “master” thedrill, and as they master your drills and yourcoaching personality, their minds free up andfocus on team and individual improvement.Create competition in your environment.Give goals to players and teams and challengethem to reach these goals. There is a ton ofcriticism directed at coaches or teams thatplay just for wins and losses. I believe such anarrow focus is completely wrong, but whatisn’t wrong is adding competition into eachtraining session. One of our youth coachesrecently emailed me describing a juggling clubthat he has set up within his team. I admittedlylaughed at the email when I first readit, but after thinking about this “club” thatrewards 11-year-old kids for their jugglingimprovement, I thought, WHY NOT? It posesa challenge, they get a positive reward, andit creates a competitive environment wherekids are trying to outdo themselves and theirteammates. At Wake we didn’t do jugglingclubs, but we did take photos each day of thewinning team in whatever competition we hadthat day. We posted the photos in the lockerroom, which created pride for the winningteam. It was a small thing that we weren’t surewas effective, but the first day we didn’t takea picture because the “dumb assistant coach”forgot the camera, the players weren’t happyabout it. Each day the players played to getin that picture – one player even announcedto the team that he was changing his name toKodak because he was in so many of our team’spictures. You won’t know when it happens, butone day you will see the change in your team’senvironment. The day we all died laughingat “Kodak” was the day that I knew we hadsomething special.CareAll coaches say they care, but I’m not reallysure if everyone does. It sounds silly, sappy andelementary, but when I look back at team successes(as well as failures), a lot of it had to dowith caring for the players. This idea reachesfar and wide and covers all types of thingswithin the coaching profession. One of myfavorite memories at Wake Forest was whenwe were preparing to go to Boston College andplay on their turf field. We got permission fromour football program to use the turf field theyhad on their practice facilities, but we had nogoals (probably because the “dumb assistantcoach” forgot to request them). It would havebeen easy to put together a training sessionwith some possession and technical goalkeeperwork, but the staff, from the head coach down,cared too much to do that. At 6 a.m. we metat the stadium and the four of us carried twogoals down for a 7 a.m. training session. Icouldn’t feel my hands until the end of practice,but it was worth it.Care for your players. Make an extra phonecall to them to make sure they are okay or thatthey understood what you asked for at practice;drop an email to the team if you didn’tlike practice that day to tell them why; spendan extra 15 minutes with a player to work withthem on set pieces or juggling. During my timeat Wake we had some unbelievable players andan unbelievable coach. People always wouldask me what we were doing, thinking that wejust had these unbelievable training sessions,but the easiest and best answer that I alwaysgave was that we just cared for our kids. Wedid everything we could for them as players,people and as a team to set them up for success,and when you care for them at that levelthey will undoubtedly return the favor threetimes over. From afar I watch coaches likeJosé Mourinho, Jürgen Klinnsman, DominicKinnear and Bob Bradley, and I can see thecare that they put into their work. The careshows in the way the teams play, which is aresult of the preparation they put in and theenvironment they have created. With care, weas coaches can be better prepared, creating anenvironment that will foster growth.One of the beautiful things about coachingis that you don’t have to be a fantastic player tobe a fantastic coach. But no matter what kindof soccer background you have or what levelthat you played at, I am quite certain that ifyou don’t care, you can’t coach.Three new college teams entering competition in 2010Lubbock Christian University President Dr.Ken L. Jones and athletic director Paul Hise officiallyannounced that the athletic departmentis adding men’s and women’s soccer, to beginintercollegiate play in the National Associationof Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) beginningin the fall of 2010. Hise also introduced KyleBeard as the men’s head soccer coach andBabak Abouzar as the women’s head coach in apress conference held at the Rip Griffin Center.The two programs, the first new programsat LCU since softball was added in 2008, givethe school 11 varsity athletic programs. Thetwo teams will compete at an on-campus facilitycurrently being constructed on the west sideof campus near PlainsCapital Park and will playin the Sooner Athletic Conference, which currentlyhas 10 men’s programs and 11 women’sprograms competing in soccer. The men’sprogram will serve as the highest form of soccerwithin the Lubbock city limits, as Texas TechUniversity has only women’s soccer.Beard comes to LCU after serving as aforeign vocational missionary in Rwanda(Africa) in a partnership with South PlainsChurch of Christ. While working in Rwanda,Beard also served in the soccer community asthe head coach of the Rwanda women’s nationalteam (2006-08) and the men’s national futsaldevelopment team (2008-09). He helped leadthe women’s national team to a Kigali CentennialCup championship title in 2007 and to CECAFACup Qualifier. Beard also served as an assistantcoach for the Rwanda men’s U-20 and U-17national team (2007-09).Abouzar currently is the graduate assistantcoach for the Lipscomb University women’s teamin Nashville, Tenn., completing his second seasonwith the NCAA Div. I program. An NJCAA All-America and part of a NJCAA National Championshipwhile at Richland College in Dallas, hespent two seasons there before transferring toLipscomb University. In two seasons as a defenderwith the Bisons, Abouzar claimed Atlantic SunAll-Academic honors. He holds a USSF National“D” license and a NSCAA Regional Goalkeeperdiploma.Women’s Soccer Comes TO Michigan TechMichigan Technological University isadding women’s soccer to its varsity athleticprogram and will begin intercollegiate competitionas a member of the Great Lakes IntercollegiateAthletic Conference next fall.Long-time Michigan Tech supporter PatNelson of Kingsford, Mich., donated 100percent of the costs associated with starting upthe program, including initial costs for equipment,locker room renovation and first-yearcoaching salaries.Michigan Tech’s home soccer facility willbe Sherman Field, which was set up for soccerwhen the synthetic turf was installed in summer2008. Scholarships will be available anda tryout will be held for current Tech studentsto fill out the roster for the first season. Tech’s2010 schedule is being finalized, but therewill be at least 14 GLIAC games, with seven ofthose to be played at Sherman Field. Women’ssoccer is the first sport to be added to theMichigan Tech varsity lineup since Nordic skiingwas elevated from club status in 1989-90.64 Soccer Journal November-December 2009

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