What formation to use for U6 soccer team?

Andrew Hemingway - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

What formation do you use for your U-6 soccer team? Do you adhere to the US youth Soccer standards, or do you wander and do your own things? I am curious to see what your responses are! How many players do you use on the field at one time etc..

Awesome new Blog!!

Andrew Hemingway - Monday, October 06, 2008

I wanted to let you all know about this fantastic new blog that I have found. Jeff Pill is a contributor to this site. He is a world renown coach, and has coached players like Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, and others. He has an international coaching record of 11-0-1. Jeff has just started writing a blog, and I know that it will be very beneficial for you as a coach. Go check it out at www.jeffpillsoccer.com

3 Youth Soccer Coaching Tips you NEED

Andrew Hemingway - Wednesday, October 01, 2008

As many of you approach the mid point of your seasons, it is important to remember a few simple tips, that will ensure you have a great rest of the season!

1. Have 1 fun Practice-The mid point of the season is a great time for some team building practices. Take the team for a hike, or play another sport, take a practice, and do not touch or talk about soccer. These players have been going non stop for a few months now...give them a little break and see how they respond!

2. Remind yourself why you are coaching- it is important to remind yourself why you are coaching in the first place. You love the sport, you are wanting to spend time with your kids, all of these and more. Whatever it is the motivates you to coach and to be involved reflect on that, and jump start your batteries!

3.Have the best season ever- At the mid point you have to make a decision to either throw in the towel, or have the best season ever. I don't care how your season started it is time to regroup, and refocus on the goal. Is your goal to teach the players the basics of the game...how are they doing? Is your goal to win "x" number of games...How is it going? What were your goals at the beginning of the season....DON'T GIVE UP! Keep going, and inspire your players to do the same!!!


The midpoint of the season is critical. I hope that these three tips will help you have the season of a lifetime!!

Youth Soccer Drills: Small Side Games

Andrew Hemingway - Thursday, September 18, 2008

Small group objectives are the same as stated for individual attackers or defenders.  Even though small group action essentially boils down to individual actions, there is a better chance that the action will succeed when a well-coordinated group undertakes the task.

ATTACKING

Although an individual scores the goal or plays the ball into a space behind the defenders, they do this primarily as the result of an individual's defending mistakes.  The group, with well-coordinated actions, can force positional mistakes, thus creating an opening for an individual.

The way the group does this is to force a defender to make a split-second decision between two or more positions, both of which can be made wrong.  Examples of this will be looked at later.

DEFENDING

Since an individual defender is at times vulnerable, a group of defenders can do two things to improve the defender's situation:

_reduce the risk of being beaten by providing support and cover;
_isolating the individual defender into a position where their actions are limited and predictable and which favor the defense.


ATTACKING

1.    Attack quickly before cover for the exposed defender arrives.

2.    The player with the ball runs right at the defender, forcing them to commit.  Make a simple decision, pass or dribble. This forces the defender to make a choice quickly.  Also, going straight at the defender makes it nearly impossible for the defender to get between the two attackers, thus isolating the player with the ball.

3.    The player without the ball maintains width so that the defender cannot defend both players at the same time.  They bend their run behind the defender.  The timing of the run coordinates with the moment the defender gets into tackling range.

4.    Anything more complicated than one pass behind the defender wastes time and thus favors the defense.

5.    Force a choice on the defender to either:

●    Defend the dribble, thus conceding the pass; or
●    Defend the pass, thus conceding the dribble.

The basic idea is to make the 2 v. 1 a 1 v. 1 and then quickly play the ball behind the defender and into a 1 v. 0.  It is the simplest of all group actions and happens in a matter of seconds.

Second attacker stays wide, and bends run away from first attacker.  The ball is then played intothe space behind and wide of the first defender.

IN DEFENSE

1.    Buy time.  Keep both players in front of you as long as possible.  If player with the ball attacks you, retreat as fast as you are being attacked.

2.    Try to isolate the player with the ball from their support. Position yourself between the two attackers, gradually bait the player with the ball beside you and away from the teammate.

3.    Limit options, try to take away one of the options the attacker has, either passing or dribbling.  Force the choice on them thus making the play more predictable.

4.    When the ball is beside you, then you can make it a 1 v. 1 situation.  Turning a 2 v. 1 into a 1 v. 1 is the best a defender can do.


This post was brought to you by Coach Jeff Pill.


To see his drills in video visit Pill's Drills

Why coaching kids soccer is so hard!

Andrew Hemingway - Friday, August 29, 2008

Coaching kids soccer is such a hard job! There are parents always watching and criticizing every move you make, there are league administrators always on you with new rules, and switch fields, and canceled games etc. This is not an easy job, and throw in that you are not being paid!! Most volunteer coaching do it because they 1) love the game that much, or 2) love a player that much. Both are great reasons to volunteer to coach, and both come with great rewards. I want to give you 3 tips to ensure you best coaching season ever

1. Change your attitude!- I know you just left the post right?? Seriously so much of what happens to us can be controlled through our attitude. You are providing an amazing service to these children. You step in as a mentor for those few hours a week that you have these kids. and you can impact their lives with a few simple words, or just your positive attitude. If all they ever hear from you is complaining about this or that, than you potential impact is much lower than it could be. 
2. Be Prepared!- There is an old saying that goes like this " failure to prepare is preparing to fail" This is never more true than when coaching kids soccer.Make sure you have plenty of soccer drills. You can never have enough drills going  into a season, and to have resources at your finger tips is absolutely essential. Organizations life www.ussoccer.org, and the www.Usyouthsoccer.com are good resources, but there are several other resources available like www.pillsdrills.tv, www.completesoccercoach.com ( shameless self promotion) and others. Take a look around and be prepared!
3. Have fun!- I know over used and underdelivered. Really Coaches have some fun! Everytihg in life is demanding now on kids, and to have a place where they can learn, and have fun is what this sport is all about!

Go out and have the best season of your life!!

Great soccer coaching tool

Andrew Hemingway - Tuesday, August 26, 2008

I just had to write about this exciting new coaching tool I just found. They are a set of pop up goals for youth soccer. These are made by Diadora, and are AWESOME!! They come on an easy to carry bag that fits in your trunk no sweat, and the unfold so easy my u6 team was having a blast with them! I found them over at DiadoraAmerica.com. They work great, and are the perfect size for the U-6, U-8 group. 

My team loved them, and I know that you team will love them too, not to mention never having to hide goals at practice fields,or lug them around from field to field! Go get them and improve your coaching today!!!

Planning soccer practice- the easy way!

Andrew Hemingway - Friday, August 08, 2008

Growing up I was taught that the easy way is usually not the right way. I have found this to be very true in my adult life, on many levels. But I have found an exception to this rule.
Three years ago, I volunteered to coach at my local Rec. soccer league. I was assigned a team of 2nd and 3rd graders. What a blast! This was the first time that I had coached youth soccer, and was very excited, but at the same time very nervous. Even at the very young age, most of them were very intimidating, add on top of the that parents that watch and listen to every thing you say. I was a little nervous, and like most coaches turned to my Rec. Dept. for a little guidance. I was told that they had a video that I should watch, but they only had one video, and 20 coaches, so they set up a night and had all the coaches come to watch. It was a Friday night, and maybe half the coaches showed up. I only remember 1 staying the whole 3hrs.This was my introduction to coaching youth soccer, and understood why so many coaches bailed. It took two weeks for it to dawn on me, but I said "there has to be a better way". It was then that this site was born. I determined that there has to be a way to provide good quality coaching education to volunteer coaches. Coaches that are not looking to become Pros, or have played for 10 years and know all the lingo. Im talking about the busy mom or dad that volunteers because they love their children, and want to be involved with their lives. There is a great need for quality education for this group of people.
There are problems though, this demographic is very, VERY busy! They have 2-3 kids, and are very involved...in everything! I knew that I wanted good coaching, and it had to be delivered quick. That is why we have top quality coaches. Rob Wright international coach for over 17 years holds the highest soccer license you can get, and Jeff Pill international coach for over 20 years, coached players like Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, and the whole US womens National Team. These two guys were so nice and willing to work with me, because they wan to make an impact on soccer in the US. No other reason at all!! We all decided that the drills,interviews, and other content had to be in video. That way coaches could log on and quickly determine what drills to use, they could understand the drills, and use them right away. These coaches prepared, and I hired a video crew, then we went out and taped, and taped, and taped.
We took all that footage and turned it into over 75 drills. We are still editing, and loading them to the site. We also have more taping lined up very soon, so more content will be coming out.
We now have a HUGE collection of youth soccer drills, taught to you by professional coaches. I am so happy with the way that these drills turned out, because I know they will help you as a coach, and busy parent. I know, it stinks that we have to charge, but this whole thing is very expensive. It is a very small fee of $15, and you get unlimited access.
This was not meant to be a sales pitch, but rather my story, of how I started coaching, and how and why completesoccercoach.com was started. And this is where the exception has occurred. It is finally easy to plan your next soccer practice,and be sure that the content is of the highest quality!

I hope that my story has inspired you to go out and coach confidently.

Andrew Hemingway

Press Release- Resource for Soccer Drills

Andrew Hemingway - Thursday, July 31, 2008

COMPLETESOCCERCOACH.COM “KICKS” OFF NEW WEB SITE FOR SOCCER COACHES

New Online Resource for Soccer Coaches Launches; Online Coaching Certificate Designed by World Renowned Soccer Coach
Robert Wright
Bristol, New Hampshire -- August 01, 2008 – The Internet’s first comprehensive soccer coaching resource is now live at completesoccercoach.com. Designed specifically to support coaches in both planning and enjoying their coaching experience, the site features a comprehensive video library that showcases soccer drills, activities and tips, and an extensive library of “How To” articles for soccer coaches of all levels and experience.
Interactive features likes blogs and discussion forums also allow visitors to share their experiences, lessons learned and offer advice on soccer drills, techniques and everyday coaching practices to fellow coaches.  In addition to the site’s unique tools, resources and coaching centric focus, Complete Soccer Coach offers an online coaching certificate course from expert coaches, and one-on-one customized advice and support from experienced and professional staff.
 “At completesoccercoach.com we help remove the anxiety that can come with volunteering to allow coaches around the country to enjoy the soccer and mentoring experience with their players,” said Andrew Hemingway, President and Founder of completesoccercoach.com “Our experienced coaching staff provides innovative coaching content that is developmentally appropriate, safe, and enjoyable for coaches and players of all skill sets. completesoccercoach.com has all the tools and resources to help visitors become successful coaches, mentors and stewards of the game.”
The site’s online coaching course was written by Robert Wright, a former coach for Arsenal F.C./World Youth Promotions, and the director of coaching education for Online Sports Coaching LLC. Wright, who designed the course to help coaches understand the basics of coaching youth soccer, has more than 17 years experience coaching soccer at the professional youth, college and recreational levels. He has also recruited, trained, and managed more than 700 U.S. and European coaches to teach soccer to American children.
“Coach Wright combines passion for coaching and US soccer culture with nearly two decades of experience to give new coaches everything they need to be successful and enjoy the game,” added Hemingway. “We’re pleased to have him be critical part of completesoccercoach.com and we look forward to seeing how his teaching and advice contributes to coaches and players getting the most of their soccer experiences.”
completesoccercoach.com is guided by our overriding corporate philosophy that centers on the following three core attributes: the safety of players should come first; coaching sessions should be enjoyable, player focused, and developmentally appropriate; and soccer should be fun for all; players, coaches, officials, and spectators. For more information, please visit: www.completesoccercoach.com
About completesoccercoach.com
completesoccercoach.com is the first comprehensive resource on the Internet specifically designed to support coaches in both planning and enjoying their coaching experience. The site features a comprehensive video library that showcases soccer drills, activities and tips, an extensive library of “How To” articles for coaches of all levels and experience, and interactive features to allow visitors to share their experiences with fellow coaches.  In addition to the site’s unique tools, resources and coaching centric focus, Complete Soccer Coach offers an online coaching certificate course from expert coaches, and one-on-one customized advice and support from experienced and professional staff. completesoccercoach.com is a privately held company based in Bristol, New Hampshire and a subsidiary of Online Sports Coaching LLC.

Contact:
Andrew Hemingway
603-217-5590
admin@onlinesportscoachingllc.com


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Youth Soccer Coaching Tips

Andrew Hemingway - Saturday, July 26, 2008

There are certain thing that every coach needs to know. Whether you have been coaching for twenty years, or this will be your first time, it is imperative to know a few certain things! What are those things? Well allow me for the next few minutes to give you a Soccer Coaching Tip.

Always keep the game in perspective! I know that you hear this all the time, but it is so easy for the game to take over your emotions as a coach.I just finished watching the movie 21. It is the story of an MIT student that was exceptionally gifted at "counting cards". The teacher in this story(which is true by the way) tell him that he can never let his emotions make his decisions for him. Of course the student one night loses focus, and allows his emotions to make bad, very bad decisions. This same story is told over and over again as coaches all over, lose their heads, by letting emotions make their decisions. This always ends badly for the coach. Sometimes with greater consequences than others. The lesson this week is to keep the game of soccer in perspective. Is it important? Absolutely.

Is it the end of the world if they lose? No! Keep things in perspective and save yourselves a lot of trouble!

And earn yourself a lot of respect from your players!


Stay tuned in the next couple of weeks we will have more tips to great soccer coaching.

Are you ready for this soccer season?

Andrew Hemingway - Wednesday, July 23, 2008

The summer is quickly coming to a close, and the soccer season will soon be here! I love summer, only because it leads into our soccer season. There is nothing like a first practice. All the kids and coaches are brimming with excitement, and the coaches are ready to tackle the season ahead. Hopefully coaches have prepared for the season, or they are in for a big disappointment. Not only for themselves, but for their players, and the player's parents. So this begs the question: What should a coach do to be prepared? There are several things to do, and our coach will be writing a special article about this in the next few days, so stay tuned! But on the topic of being prepared...

We have just completed taping, editing, and uploading over 50 drills to the site. The library is now brimming with content. We are very close if not the largest online video library of youth soccer drills. We will have another 30 or so drills coming in the next few weeks, and we have more taping scheduled in August. Now is the time to step up to the plate and prepare yourself for this coming season, and there is no better way than joining our site and having access to all these great drills!