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.