Players performance levels and evaluations
Players of all ages will have different performance abilities. Even at the U6 level, but more so at the higher levels, players have skill levels that vary immensely. Some have a natural feel for soccer. Others have been taught by siblings or parents.
Your challenge is to bring less experienced and able players above their current playing abilities while ensuring that the more able ones don't stagnate or regress. To do so takes some planning and help.
You will find coaches who have been around for a long time and others who have played the game and thus "know" how to coach. In reality, they know the game and can even teach the game. Of course more than likely you'll be around coaches who have little experience in the game or limited soccer knowledge.
In any youth sport, unless one realizes what it is that needs to improve, a coach will stab in the dark and do general drills, hoping that all will benefit. Trying to teach someone basic dribbling skills in a group of players that includes those who do and don't do well, will quickly bore the better skilled player.
The best way to teach anyone, is by the show-and-tell method. You tell them what is going to be expected, show them how to do it, have them do it while you watch and finally talk about how they can improve. After they completely understand, repetition to improve skills is the best teacher. As a coach, unless you have played soccer or have been around experienced soccer people, this may be difficult. Try to find someone who can help you with the show-and-tell for the first few practices and anytime thereafter when needed.
When you first start the season, you need to evaluate your players. At the U6 level, it's not likely you'll have players who have all the basic skills you would like for them to have. Interestingly, you'll see some players who may amaze you with their ability to take a ball away from any other player and score. As much as U6 is about fun and learning, that player's parents will most likely be full of pride. You are lucky because you have good little player. Now it is your job to make him or her a great player.
A player who wants to take the ball away from another and score, will become a "ball hog." As such, if never taught not to take away a ball from an fellow team player, this "ball hog" will turn into one who will have no support. People, including team members, will eventually see this player as one who can't get along.
If you can start at the U6 level to teach them to be good supportive players and do the things that they do well when with a ball, as well as away from the ball, they can become great players. Teach them to position themselves to where they think the ball may end up if the player with the ball gives it up.
This is the beginning of your evaluation of the players. Although this is written with the U6 and U8 player in mind, it is relevant to the higher levels also. If players haven't been taught the basics of positioning (called framing at the higher levels) at the U6 and U8 levels, they'll have a tendency to "bunch," and concentrate only on the small area within their own feet.
At age level eight and nine (U10) but certainly beginning with U12, talk about playing "posession ball." It is the act of keeping the ball and taking it where it needs to go (usually towards the opponent's goal) without just getting rid of it. Too often I see players who get a ball and are so intimidated with it that they immediately want to get rid of it. It's not a pass, nor is it directed anywhere, it is just a way to get rid of the ball and not be pressured. Possesion ball is a very important concept of soccer.
Players must learn to keep possesion when there is no pressure and then know what to do when there is. Under the situation, the advantage or disadvantage of a player's own action taken is what sets apart soccer player. If a player gives up a ball, does it create a team advantage or disadvantage? A player who has possession close to the goal may be able to "work" or dribble the ball around an opponent and score. Or that same player may see an open team player and realize that a pass to another player (who hopefully isn't offside) creates a better scoring oppertunity.
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