NEW blog for "Coach Barger"

For the summer 2013 season and all subsequent seasons, please see my new "Coach Barger" blog at http://coachbarger.blogspot.com/.

Practice 8 done. Next: Final practice, then the final game.

We had another hectic practice as I tried to squeeze in a couple activities that I thought were important. One was designed to focus on good throw-in technique. The other was designed to focus on the idea of moving the ball forward by dribbling and passing, to get in scoring position. We also had a short scrimmage at the end, in which I stopped play now and then to point out what was happening and what should happen.

I've read repeatedly that one shouldn't try to teach the kids much about passing at this age, because their brain development and/or social skills just isn't quite ready (with most kids, but, of course, not all). So that activity in which they were passing the ball forward was more about kicking up-field rather than looking all around and finding a good passing angle. When I was playing soccer, passing was my favorite skill, but I'll admit I probably don't remember how I was thinking at the age of 7 or 8.

I'll try to keep the last practice more focused on fun. And, I'll probably keep it short and try not to squeeze too much into the time.

Practice 7 done. Next: A week off.

Note: In spite of what I wrote before, today was not our last practice of the season. See prior posts.

Moe says...

Today, we did a few "activities" to help the kids learn to spread out on the field in useful positions ("Spread Out," in which they throw the ball and cannot run with it); to get in scoring position to receive the ball ("Sprint and Shoot"); and to emphasize being more aggressive near the goal, so they'll go after the ball ("Come and Get It").

In the short scrimmage at the end of practice, some of the kids did seem to be doing a little bit of what I had shown them in the activities. So, that was very encouraging.

Some of the kids are still very distracted during practice. I think this is common for kids this age, especially boys.

At least our practices never get quite this bad.

At the first couple practices, it isn't as bad, because they don't know each other well and aren't so comfortable horsing around together or pestering each other. But, once they become more familiar with each other, it's a real challenge to keep them focused. And, it only takes one or two "unfocused" kids to create a domino effect and a huge amount of wasted time. We'll keep working on it.

CORRECTION: Two more practices after next week's Spring Break

It turns out we do still have two more practices after today. Those will be after next week's Spring Break (it's spring break for Escambia County schools next week). Then, after those 2 practices, we finally have our last game of the season.

The reason I confused myself was that we initially did not have that week between Spring Break and the last game. But, then the Y changed the date of our last game, moving it one week further away, so now we do have time for 2 more practices after the break and before the game.

Here's the remaining schedule: 

• March 24-30: spring break (based on Escambia County schools schedule and the Y)
• Tuesday, April 2: practice
• Thursday, April 4: practice
• Saturday, April 6: final game

Practice 6 done. One more practice. One more game.

EDITOR'S NOTE: After writing the blog below, I realized we actually have two additional practices in the week following Spring Break, and only then, after those, do we play our final game. So, some info below is incorrect.

During our sixth practice, we did some activities geared toward helping the players think about staying in position and getting the ball to their teammates.

I also tried to impress upon the kids that they need to focus on what I'm saying. This group gets a bit over-excited much of the time, which wastes time during practice and during those minutes between quarters in the games. But, I think this is typical for 7 and 8-year-old soccer players who are having fun.

It's hard to believe we only have ONE more practice and then, after spring break, our FINAL game of the season. I hope to see some of the same kids back next season, so we can build on what we've started this season. It has been fun.

Game 7: post-game report

The Soccer Wahoos played a solid game today, resulting in a shut-out, in spite of some odd formations that I tried today.

The opposing team only had 7 players, so I agreed to also play only 7 at a time, even though it meant scrapping my pre-planned player rotation. And, since our team had the game well under control the whole time, I also experimented with some different formations.

We usually have 3 defenders, 2 midfielders, and 2 forwards (plus a goalkeeper). But, in this game, at various times, I tried 2 defenders, 1 defender, 3 forwards, 1 forward, 3 midfielders, etc. All of it worked fine. If I had been able to use my originally planned 8-player line-ups, I think we would've had even more points.

Our team has now won 2 games in a row, and 3 of their last 4 games. Tomorrow (Tuesday) and Thursday, we will finally have two practices in one week, as we had planned to do every week. Then we have Spring Break, and then our final game of the season.

Game 6: post-game report

Another awesome game for our kids. It was a close game, with the teams pretty evenly matched, which is great. In the end, we had more goals, including an impressive penalty kick by Nathan that any goalie would have found difficult to reach. The team mostly did what I've been asking them to do, and the game was fun to watch. Two normally scheduled practices next week, then Spring Break, our final game after that.

Game 5: post-game report

Game 5 went very well for our team. I think the kids felt like it was their best game yet. Our team scored the most goals of any of our games, and held the opponents scoreless. Before this game, I told our defenders that I was turning the center defender into a "Stopper."  I had decided we needed a stopper to help keep the ball on the offensive side of the field.  I think that helped some.  But, I think our most recent practice was more helpful.

The next game is going to be an odd one for us. I expect to be without three of the boys, because they'll be at a Cub Scouts camp-out for the weekend. I better get to work on that line-up.

Practice 4 done. Next: 3 more games!

That's right. It was only our fourth practice this season, including the three we had before our first game. A lot of this was due to the uncooperative weather.

That shape looks familiar.

We zipped through a couple activities that I call "Connect the Dots" and "Come 'N' Get It."  The former is supposed to get the kids thinking more about passing and getting into open spaces, as they pass from one player (or dot) to another until they get to the goal -- as well as a little hint about keeping their arms out a bit to fend of opposing players. The latter activity has the kids working on being more aggressive and going after the ball when an opposing player has it. They kick the ball to the coach, then have to "come and get it" away from the coach and then take a shot at the goal.

I also bored the kids silly with more instruction about goal kicks and kick-offs.  For goal kicks, I've told them to modify our plan a bit and position themselves a little closer to the goal kick kicker (for us, this means at the edges of the penalty box), so we can more consistently get the ball out to players who can move it up-field, rather than kicking straight into the middle of the other team's offense. I also gave them pointers on how kickers set up for goal kicks, penalty kicks, etc. (step back, then to the side a bit).

Schedule reminder: We have games Thursday, Saturday, and Monday. Then we have a week with our two regular practice days (Tuesday and Thursday), followed by a much needed break, which is intended to be at the same time as the Escambia County School System's break. Then, we have our final game, on Saturday, April 6. (The original schedule incorrectly said April 4. I haven't fixed this date on the online schedules yet.)

The story of youth soccer

This Publix advertisement paints an accurate picture -- in just a little more than one minute -- of what it's like to be the parent or coach of young soccer players. The moment at the end is one you often see with these kids.

Soccer Wahoos goal kicks

If you're wondering what I'm trying to get the team to do when we have a goal kick, here's the plan...

Kick the ball out to the sides, for a safe play that allows us to advance up the field.

At this young age, most players cannot kick the ball over the other team all the way to mid-field. So, our own goal kicks are actually a dangerous situation in which the other team has a great chance to get the ball and kick it right back into our own goal (we scored a goal this way ourselves in our most recent game).  I want our team to kick the ball out, wide, to the sides, where a teammate can get the ball and advance up the field on attack.

If the player taking the goal kick cannot get the ball to the wide players, the wide players need to move in closer, but always remain out to the sides, not directly in front of the goal or hidden behind opposing players.

Ideally, the more forward players at top, center, would advance ahead of the wide player who gets the ball, so the advancing, forward players could receive a pass back to the center of the field, right in front of the opposing team's goal and take a shot. But, getting 7 and 8-year-olds to plan that far ahead and really grasp good passing techniques is quite a challenge.

Simple schedule view - Revised date for final game

I'm posting a simplified version of our soccer season schedule here. NOTE: The date of the last game was CHANGED after our first schedule was posted. This version below shows the NEW, correct date of Saturday, April 4, for that final game.

Game 4: post-game report

Four games in a row was a bit much.

The Soccer Wahoos have survived their four-game stretch without any opportunities for practice in-between.

This fourth game started off great. Then, the opposing team brought out a couple dozen cheerleaders to do a half-time show on the field. Yes, they really did. Cheerleaders for a youth soccer team. Only in America.  I should've known that was a bad sign.  The second half was pretty rough for our kids. But, now we finally get a chance to practice once more!

Unfortunately, it's literally only once more... one practice (Tuesday) and then...
   another game (Thursday)...
      and another (Saturday)...
         and another (Monday).

And then, we finally get two practices in a row (Tuesday and Thursday), then...
   a long Spring Break (March 22 - April 3), and then...
      our final game on Saturday, April 4.

That's right. Only THREE practices -- with two of them in a single week -- during the eight-game season (plus three practices we had before the season started).

Normally, if you told me my youth soccer team would have eight games, I'd assume we're having about 16 practices -- two each week, before each game, with games on Saturdays. So, we'll have 37.5% of the expected practice time. But, what matters most is we're determined to have 200% of the fun!

[Editor's Note: The Y didn't have much choice about the schedule this season. There were complications with city field schedules and special requests from coaches, etc.]

Game 3: post-game report

Again I hurled some quick pre-game pointers at the kids, repeating my directions for kick-offs, goal kicks, and throw-ins -- and adding a pointer about offense (keeping forwards in a more forward position).  The kids played very well, giving a lot of effort the whole time (with the possible exception of some defenders who got bored) and outscoring their opponents.

Parents and players had a great time. It was just the confidence-booster the kids needed.

The team stuck to my directions on kick-offs, goal kicks, and throw-ins much better than before. But, most of the credit for their great game -- in which they controlled the ball the vast majority of the time -- goes to the kids' innate skill and effort and enjoyment of the game.

There's plenty of room for improvement (e.g. spreading the field, staying open, ball control).  I'm looking forward to getting back to practicing. But, first we have one more game to get through.

Game 2: post-game report

We didn't have a chance to practice between the first and second games, but I gave the kids some pointers in the pre-game minutes and they mostly followed my directions concerning kick-offs, goal kicks, and throw-ins. But, it was a lot for 7- and 8-year-olds to grasp purely from our pre-game talk (even with my cool illustrations).  When they did what I had suggested, it mostly worked. 

It was another tough opponent, with at least three really talented kids who had been on my previous YMCA team, in the summer, before my one-season departure to another league.  When I saw my former players, I thought our team would get blown away by a score of 5 or 6 to nothing.  As it turned out, our team did twice as well as I expected.

I tried to rotate the players through multiple positions again.  Overall, I think the kids learned a bit just from the natural course of playing, and they mostly seemed to have fun. So, I say it was a success.

Game 1: post-game report

The Wahoos played well in their first game, especially for a group that has never played together before, with a coach using a new system that most of them never tried before. The team held very good opponents to only two goals, with solid defense, including contributions from everyone on the field.

I'll try to give the kids some pointers on goal kicks and throw-ins. These are two of the most important parts of the game at this age, but we didn't get that last practice, where I was planning to show the team exactly how to handle those situations.

Before yesterday's game, I briefly explained what I want them to do on goal kicks, and it seemed to help -- when they stuck with the plan.  So, right before Saturday's game, I'll go over that again, and will explain a little about throw-ins.

Most of the players seemed to have fun out there, especially our two players who are new to organized soccer. They all contributed and kept playing hard right through the final minute. I'm looking forward to another good, fun game Saturday.

Y cancels practices due to muddy fields

The Y has called off all practices for tonight, so we won't have that one last practice before the big opening night game on Thursday.

Most of the players on our team have played on soccer teams before, so they know the basics of the various parts of the game (kickoff, goal kicks, etc.).  However, they may need a reminder.  I wish we would've had time to go over tactics for goal kicks, corner kicks, etc.  Since we didn't, I'll just give them very basic, simple direction on how to do that on game day -- if/when I get the chance.

I'm sure the game will be fun, regardless. I'm looking forward to it.

Practice 3 done. Next: Parts of the game

Our second practice went pretty well, considering the fact that I had the kids standing still more than I'd like. It was necessary this time, because I had to get them spread out on the field in the various positions that we were trying out. We just did some little things to get the idea in their heads that they are going to find themselves in each of these field positions at one time or another.

Most of them already had some experience with some positions. Some were not familiar with the "midfielder" position. That's one reason I'm using the 3-2-2 formation in our games -- so they get to experience three fundamental field positions: forward, midfielder, and defender.  The goalkeeper position is also fundamental, but that's the one position I won't force any particular player to try if they don't want to (partly because it'll be hard enough to give playing time to those who do want to be goalies; and partly because it's scary for some kids at this age to get in front of a strongly kicked goal shot).

At the next practice, I'm hoping to put them through the paces of some of the basic parts of the game, so they won't be confused about what to do during the first game.  I know most of them have played soccer before.  But, they still might not know what exactly they should be doing -- or at least won't know what I want them to do -- unless we go over it at practice.

Here are the parts of the game I'm referring to:

• kickoff by us 
• midfielders go wide; kick a long diagonal ball for the midfielders to pursue
• kickoff by the other team
• midfielders and defenders block the center lane and get the ball 
• goal kicks by us
• place ball at center of goal box line; kick to a teammate at wide left or right
• goal kicks by the other team
• "mark up" and get the ball 
• corner kicks by us
• defender kicks; forwards at goal; midfielders back slightly
• corner kicks by the other team
• everyone marks up and defends the goal
• throw-ins by us
• throw it forward, down the sideline (a teammate should be running this route)
• throw-ins by the other team
• mark up and get the ball; watch for the run down the sideline

In later practices, we may move beyond the simple tactics noted above. I probably won't get through all of those in one practice. If I do, I certainly won't have time to teach them any one situation in depth. But, I'd like them to have at least some introduction to some of these scenarios before the first game. Whatever we do will have to carry us through FOUR games, actually, because we'll have games on Thursday, Saturday, Tuesday, and Thursday, before our next practice on Tuesday, March 12.

Given this unusual schedule, I'll have to think of some way to keep the kids learning over that span. If you can watch some of the YouTube videos that I suggest, with your kids, and talk about them, that would be a BIG help. Here's a YouTube video that teaches one of my favorite concepts. This technique is critical to strong defensive play:

Nice explanation of my favorite defensive tactic. Always have a second defender!

I'll also try to give them pointers before and after games. Maybe I'll offer a practice right after the Saturday game. But, that's asking a lot of everyone. Let me know your suggestions and thoughts.

Penalty kicks are also important to understand, but those don't happen as often and, because they can happen anywhere on the field, I'm willing to just let the players figure out what they want to do in these situations -- at least for now.

Practice 2 done. Next: The 3-2-2 formation

We completed our second practice -- again with great attendance, including one more player who wasn't able to be at the previous practice.

In this second practice I once again allowed the kids to have a crazy scrimmage at the end, with no assigned positions or formations -- and without interrupting them during play. In future practices, I will start introducing more structure and we should all see a big difference over the next couple weeks.

I want the kids to see what a difference it makes when we start playing in a more organized way. Of course, at this age, it'll always be a little crazy during the games. But, they'll learn basic tactics for kickoffs, goal kicks, corner kicks, throw-ins, etc.  They might not notice the difference, but the parents probably will.

We can't cover all that at once, so, at the next practice I'll probably just aim to start teaching them the positions and the 3-2-2 formation.  If you can, please watch the video below with your son or daughter(s), so they'll have a little introduction to positions and the specific formation that I'm going to use in our games. Keep in mind that this person who made this video goes into a bit more detail than I will. It's really not complicated.


A good video explaining the 3-2-2. But, the guy in this video makes it a little more complicated than I will.

Coach Barger's version of the 3-2-2 for the Wahoos.

First (non-rained-out) Practice

Our first team practice went very well. We had really good attendance -- especially considering that it was Valentines Day! Not to mention the cold weather. I sincerely appreciate all the parents who were able to bring their soccer players to the practice. For those few who weren't there, it's not a problem. We still have 3 more practices before our first game, on Thursday, Feb. 28 (see schedule).

Practice 1 Review

At the first practice, I handed out the league rules and basic team info and introduced myself to the parents and the players. I also asked the kids a few questions to find out a little about their experience and why they like the idea of being on a soccer team. There were some really good answers. Some of the kids talked about learning teamwork and learning to accept the way things are (seemed to either mean accepting game losses or maybe accepting personal limitations).

Practice Activity: "Hit the Coach"

Then, we had a lot of fun playing "Hit the Coach," in which the players try to hit a moving target (me) by dribbling and kicking their soccer balls. After every five hits, they get to choose an animal noise that the target (me) has to imitate. Pretty embarrassing stuff, but it's fun for the kids.

Then, we took a drink break. Then a boring, but useful drill. Standard dribble forward, pass, dribble, pass, shoot drill. I figure I can get away with one boring drill after each fun activity. This one includes several important skills, and the players will get better at it as the season progresses.

Finally, we used the rest of the time for a scrimmage. Scrimmage time is invaluable for these young players. If I could only do one thing at practices, it would be to simply let the kids play. All the coaching experts say young players learn soccer best by playing the game itself. They would be playing the game in parks and alleys and streets constantly if they lived in Brazil or Holland or Argentina or Germany or England. Unlike a lot of other sports (football, baseball, basketball, cricket...) there are few rules and most of the learning is more about skills and getting a feel for when to keep the ball, when to pass, when to shoot, etc.

Pinnies (Scrimmage Vests)

Since we have so much time until the first real game, I want to let the kids have their own miniature games at the practices. At future practices, I might bring "scrimmage vests" (or "pinnies") so one side can wear them during scrimmages. It gets hard to keep the teams straight during scrimmages, since the teams will be different every time. I think I can get pinnies at Sports Authority relatively cheaply. If so, there's no need to chip in, because I'll want to keep them for use in future seasons also.

3-2-2 Formation and Positions

Next Practice 

I might introduce the concept of soccer field positions, such as defender/fullback, midfielder, forward/striker, etc. (see image to the left).  Most of the Wahoos players seemed to already be familiar with these, but I want to make sure we all have the same understanding -- and we do have some new players who are just learning.

First two practices rained out

Our first two practices (today and last Thursday) were rained out. I'm hoping for better luck Thursday. This weather forecast gives me hope...

... 64 degrees and 0% chance of rain in the evening.  Sounds good to me.

Starting the season: Basic information

Wahoos 

2013 Spring Soccer at the Northeast Pensacola Y

This is the public information page for the YMCA youth soccer team in Pensacola, Florida, known as the Wahoos (ages 7 and 8).  Our team is not affiliated in any way with the local, professional Wahoos team.

Our team is part of the Spring soccer season at the local Y on Langley Avenue (Northeast YMCA). I am the volunteer coach. My son, Jude, is one of the players on the team. This is his third season of youth soccer (summer at the Y; fall at the Pensacola city league).

Basic info team parents will need

Practices: Every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 p.m., at the Langley Ave. YMCA.

Games: First game is Thursday, Feb. 28 at 5:30 p.m.  We're on an odd schedule this season, with most games on Saturdays, but several on other days. Check here for the full schedule in a later posting.

Format: Teams will play with 8 players on the field at all times. That's a goalkeeper and 7 other players. I will most likely use a 3-2-2 formation most of the time. That's 3 fullbacks, 2 midfielders, and 2 forwards (plus a goalie). I will rotate players through positions, so that every player gets to play at least 2 positions in each game.  I will also try to give all players a roughly equal amount of on-field playing time in each game. If a player gets short-changed in one game, I'll try to make up for that in the next game.

My Coaching Philosophy

I'll try to make practices FUN -- especially during a couple long stretches of the season in which we have several practices between games.  And, on game days, I will not be focusing on beating the other team, but rather on teaching the kids the game of soccer and good sportsmanship.

As a recreational league, with young players, the Y has a policy of focusing on learning and fun above victory.  Of course, I'll try to give them a good chance to win each game, because it's not fun to lose too often, and we want the kids to love soccer. But, if we aimed mainly to win, I'd have to put the players in fixed positions, rather than rotating them around, and we'd probably focus more on sneaky trick plays, rather than good techniques. Most parents would not be happy with those approaches.  So, I'll teach skills and some higher level stuff, like positions and formations and a few simple plays.  But, we're not aiming to outscore our opponents by 10 to 1 in every game.