This week’s question deals with gender separation of soccer teams. Many recreational leagues across the country have coed teams, though the reasons for this can vary. Our league has all coed teams at the recreational level and only when players move to Challenge (travel) teams do they split up into boys teams and girls teams. However, girls CAN play on the boys teams. In fact, my son’s U10 Challenge team has a girl on the roster who earned her spot via tryout like any other boy. But is that the best thing for her or any other girls playing ‘coed’?
Thrown in by: Soccer Dad on August 26th 2006, 9:56 pm | Email
| Print
Filed under: Coaching
My U10 Rec team had their first scrimmage last night and did well. I was thrilled to see them finally starting to look UP and get aware of what’s happening on the field (vs. looking at the ball all the time). However, I’m still struggling with how to arrange my players for 6v6.
I talked about U10 formations previously, but didn’t really come up with a ‘best’ answer. Of course, there may not be one since soccer is a fluid and dynamic game. I’ll admit that post was written from a theoretical point of view. Now that we’re coming up on our regular season, we’ll see how things pan out on the pitch.
I’m going to start up a new regular feature here at On The Pitch - a Question of the Week (QOTW). Based on whatever might be gripping the soccer world or my own feeble brain at any given moment, I’ll try to use the QOTW to stimulate some debate and commentary among soccer fans. I’ll also include a poll for those of you who want to make your opinion known but don’t feel like commenting But the idea here is to generate debate around a given question.
I expect many of the questions will relate to youth soccer, but not all. If you happen to find the question interesting enough to blog about, by all means trackback or if your blog doesn’t support Track/Pingbacks - post a comment with a link to your post. This way folks can easily find ALL the debate.
I’ll try to do this every Wednesday. Yes, I know I’m posting this on Thursday - it’s been a crazy week!
Thrown in by: Soccer Dad on August 22nd 2006, 10:00 am | Email
| Print
Filed under: The Pros
Over at LDSM, Soccer Mom we find that many MLS reserve players are paid just above minimum wage ($10712/year) and often have to rely on (and sometimes live with) Mom, Dad, and friends. Now minor league baseball players don’t get paid squat either - I’m not singling out the MLS for unique scorn. They’re a struggling league financially as more teams work to get new venues, fans, etc. But the article in the DailyBreeze really brings home how bad it can get. Having to grab free Gatorade’s in a shoebox to take home?
Our eldest had his first scrimmage this weekend with his U10 Challenge team, playing the White team from nearby Burlington. Having spent most of his soccer career on the coaches sideline when he plays, it was refreshing to just be a spectator. This is old hat to many of you with Challenge/Classic/Select players, but it’s new for us, both as parents and a soccer league.
The U10 Boys have worked very hard this summer getting ready for the season. Even though it was just a scrimmage, the kids had just gotten their uniforms and knew that this would be their first ‘test’. Our #99 was nervous but trying to hide it, playing GameBoy and relaxing during the morning. He was beaming when he walked onto the field knowing he had gotten to start.
Both teams played a great game. Almost all the players on our team were VERY hesitant and nervous when the match started. However, they quickly settled down and played very well. The 6v6 format for U10 on a fairly large field (60yds x 40yds) is fast paced and exciting. We expect that the matches will be high scoring compared to the 8v8 format that used to be used in both Rec and Challenge. This was no exception. Both coaches tried many different lineups and formations and a total of 12 goals were scored in what turned out to be a very competitive and exciting scrimmage. Our #99 got 2 goals and an assist so he was very excited afterward.
On the way home, he eagerly asked if I had seen his goals and the assist, which of course I had. Putting my coaches hat on, I explained to him that I was very proud and he had clearly worked hard. I told him that if I had to pick one moment that really made me proud of his effort and learning, it was this. He received a pass from a teammate right at the last defender and got a breakaway up the center of the field. As any youth coach will tell you, the younger kids on a breakaway 9 times out of 10 will dribble right up to the keeper then take a hard shot that almost always goes directly to the keeper (hey lemme aim at this ‘target’ not the open goal) Happens ALL the time, and my eldest has done this a number of times in previous seasons. They don’t think about it - they just see keeper, goal, and end up shooting right at the keeper like some kind of target - ignoring the wide open parts of the goal. Must be the loud colorful shirts the keepers wear! This time, however, he went right up to the keeper and then flicked the ball into the wide open part of the net with the outside of his foot. He had clearly been expecting me to say "you scored - I’m so proud!" and it was fun to watch his reaction when he realized what he had done for the first time and why I was so proud. He had thought about the best thing to do and done it instead of just drilling the ball towards the net.
Needless to say, Soccer Dad was very proud.
I promise not to bore you all with match recaps once his regular season starts in September. Much.
Thrown in by: Soccer Dad on August 18th 2006, 12:19 pm | Email
| Print
Filed under: Coaching
It is very common in American youth sports to find coaches whose sole desire is to win. The best kids play, the worst kids sit. Youth leagues across many sports have tried to implement rules to ensure kids get equitable playing time, at least at the recreational level. Most recreational soccer leagues implement some type of equitable playing time requirement (ours is 50% of the match since our roster sizes are always less than twice the players on the field at any given time). This is a good thing.
Now I’ll admit a healthy dose of competition and pressure can also help kids learn to deal with pressure and losing. Valuable life lessons. So you often find the pressure higher during tournaments and especially end of season tournaments. Do you coach to win in the championship game? Some would say yes, especially if you’ve coached the entire season more worried about player development than winning. If you reach the final round, is it that bad to put your best team forward to win the gold?
You might be surprised at what your decision might be and what can come of it.
Years ago when our local league first got started, Soccer Mom and I realized that we could do our part to help grow the ranks of soccer players in our town. So we proceeded to turn our family into it’s own small sided soccer team. On any given day, you’re likely to find one or more of our players^H^H^H^H^Hchildren running around the soccer complex, on and off the pitches. With Soccer Dad coaching two teams in U8 (#2 - The Princess) and U10 (#1 - The Eldest), plus the rookies (Ages 3 (#3) and 1 (#4)) causing general mischief, things can get, well, crazy. Just trying to keep the little ones off the pitch during the older sibling’s practices can be a challenge. But we manage, barely. (In all seriousness - we have a LOT of fun)
That is until last week. As I was running my U8’s through their paces, another coach nearby yells out ‘Hey Coach! I didn’t think the grass needed any more watering!’ Followed by hysterical laughter from the coach and MANY parents. Uh… Soccer Dad had this look of utter bewilderment until I turned around and there was #3. He had dropped his pants to his ankles and had proceeded to water the pitch. On the busiest practice night of the week. He was smiling to beat the band because he’d made so many parents laugh. Oh. My. God. Needless to say I scooped him and his pants up and quickly explained to him that there were bathrooms at the complex for a reason. Soccer Mom almost died from embarrassment.
Too funny. Well, until I came back for U8 practice the next week and found a small brown spot on the pitch. Oooops. I have a feeling I’ll be hearing about this during coach get-togethers for years to come.
Thrown in by: Soccer Dad on August 18th 2006, 8:20 am | Email
| Print
Filed under: The Pros
With the 2006 US Open Cup entering the Quarterfinal round later this month, Mike H over at My Soccer Blog wisely chose the USOC as the topic for the 4th American Soccer Carnival. Should it be kept or folded, and if kept, how could it be improved?
For those of you who aren’t well versed in the history of the USOC, there is a brief refresher over at Wikipedia. It is the oldest national soccer tournament in the United States, dating back to 1914 when it was known as the National Challenge Cup.
However, the USOC suffers in a constant state of irrelevance and lack of media coverage. Is it destined for the soccer dustbin? I don’t think so.
Tiger Woods said that no matter how much golf he’s playing in 20 years, he won’t be a "soccer dad."
Woods, a 30-year-old American who won his 11th major golf title at last month’s British Open, said he hopes his child will play the U.S. brand of football.
"No, not soccer," Woods, the world’s top-ranked golfer, told reporters today at Medinah Country Club, site of this week’s PGA Championship. "Hopefully something more physical."
This coming from a golfer. How ironic. Lisa found it ironic for other reasons as well:
Anyone else think this is really ironic?
I can’t wait till he has kids, and his son wants to be a ballet dancer or, better yet, hates all physical activity.
Like you can DECIDE what sport your kid will play.
Oh…wait. Tiger’s dad did just that, didn’t he?
Never mind.
Indeed.
Meanwhile I’ll go back to drafting my seasonal email to our league parents highlighting how soccer IS a contact sport and when little Jack runs into little Jill, they’re going to fall down, it’s going to hurt, and the referee probably won’t be blowing the whistle. So they shouldn’t get all worked up about it. Unless Jack shoved her or something.
Thrown in by: Soccer Dad on August 14th 2006, 8:36 am | Email
| Print
Filed under: Ramblings
Welcome to the 3rd Soccer/Football Blog Carnival! With the Premiership season set to get underway in 5 days, many of the submissions talked about the upcoming season.
The pick of the week is the 2006-2007 EPL Season Preview for the top four teams last year over at Justifying Insanity. Huzaifa has insights into why Chelsea might be distracted enough to be beaten, Arsenal’s difficulties competing domestically and in Europe, Man U’s various troubles, and Liverpool’s search for consistency.
Over at EPL Talk, Bruce Gottesman talks about Newcastle United’s upcoming season. He took some grief in his comments early on (how DARE an American comment on the EPL), but quickly got a lot of support from his readers. Quote of the week (from the comments) "I too have a distaste for americans, but online… you cant hear their accents so its ok." Alrighty then! I admit even as an American I found that quote hilarious.
Finally, my own humble submission was written in response to the folks at DCenters wondering about the recent announcement by MLS that a new youth development program will soon be announced. Many American fans have wondered why MLS teams don’t have proper academies. It turns out financial resources are not they only difficulty.
During his recent State of the League address, MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced that the MLS would be releasing a new vertical youth development plan in the next few weeks. Vertical youth development is code for youth academies. To many US soccer fans this was huge news. European clubs have youth academies for kids as young as 8 to help develop the best kids in areas where teams are located. Some MLS teams have camps and small youth programs, but nothing even close to professional clubs overseas. Earlier this year, Andrea Canales wrote about the contrasts between the US and Europe at the youth level in an article talking about recent calls for MLS youth academies:
During the 2005 youth world championships, for both the U-20’s in Holland and the U-17’s in Peru, nearly all the rosters for the non-USA teams were made up of players on professional clubs. In contrast, for the U.S, many of the U-20 roster were from the college ranks, while the U-17 players came from Bradenton, the U.S. Soccer developmental residency in Florida.
The college game itself isn’t what hinders a player’s development - yet the lack of a developmental alternative to the college option just might.
Most MLS teams had no incentive to spend scare resources on youth development because they had no way to ensure the kids they spent money on would still be with them later on as adults. The idea of ‘vertical’ development means the players are committed to their team as long as the team wants them. Where this gets interesting is there are some unique situations and organizations in the US that will have an impact on how a program like this might work. Kinny over at DCenters was curious about the youth angle and how it would affect MLS teams (primarily DC United), but wanted more information. I offered to give it my best shot.
The Open Cup is the oldest soccer tournament in the US (and one of the oldest in the world), yet is treated as an after thought to an after thought by the media and teams alike. What I wonder is what can be done to make it better?
On the flip side, if you feel that the cup should fade away to the Levi P. Morton part of history, feel free to explain your reasons why this should be so.
But the idea here is to generate debate around a given question.
