2013 Jersey Friday Submissions

Goal Keeping - Developing great hands at the youth level

By Mike Siler
Infinity SC Goal Keeper Director

Have you ever heard the saying that a person has “soft hands” when they excel at catching a ball? I am going to let you all in on a secret, the amount of “softness” in someone’s hands actually has nothing to do with how well they catch. Catching is 80% coordination and concentration and the rest is technique.

At every Infinity Goalkeeping session we start with a very basic catching and footwork activity where the goalkeepers get set to receive a punted ball and make a catch. This allows me to evaluate each goalkeeper’s technique and it also serves one other most important purpose. Unbeknownst to the goalkeepers what I am actually doing (aside from looking at their technique) is warming up their minds and sharpening their level of concentration for the training that we are about to do. Those that have trained with me have heard me say during this warm-up “THIS IS BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITY WE WILL BE DOING ALL TRAINING”.

I see a lot of younger kids struggling with the concentration aspect of making a catch. Their hands are making contact with the ball, their technique looks good, but their eyes are looking away from the ball. Most commonly I find that kids are still looking at me after I have kicked the ball above their head. Those that fail to look at the ball and visually follow it all the way into their hands fail to make the catch.

Here is a simple, yet highly effective way to help them develop the eye coordination and concentration while training and make catching simple and add a fun element to catching a ball. This is one of the few training set-ups that require a Sharpie Permanent marker or stickers. Here is what you will need to do: on every panel of the soccer ball either put a colored dot or draw a shape. I use colored dots for my trainings. Most anything can be used really just make sure that the goalkeeper has something to focus on that they can quickly identify. Now when working with the goalkeeper on catching make them call the color or state what the shape or object is out loud when they catch the ball. This will require the goalkeeper to start watching the ball all the way into their hands and provide incentive for them to not take their eye off the ball. Some of the best training activities are often the most simple in design. On a final note let the ink from the marker dry before you start dribbling your ball on the carpet inside your house. This is a key point that my mother asked me to forward onto everyone. Thanks mom and sorry about the carpet!

They call him the wall… …but is that a good thing????

by Mike Siler
Goal Keeper Director of Infinity Soccer Club

Throughout the soccer world I often hear comments about goalkeepers such as “they call him the wall”
and most people instantly think that is a great thing for a goalkeeper to be. If you kick a ball at a wall
the ball doesn’t go through the wall but it does rebound right back to you and you can kick it again. Asa goalkeeper trainer I see a lot of “walls” come through training and my goal is to teach that “wall” how contain the ball and stop giving up rebounds.

Here a few basic tips and pointers to improve your catching starting with the most basic catches and ending with some of the most advanced.


Low shots at the body:

Hands should be fingertips down making an “M” shape for anything below the hips.

Arms should be parallel like railroad tracks and should be close enough together that a ball cannot fit
between them.

Chest should be over top the ball and weight should be forward to keep the ball from hitting the body
and going in the goal. If you chest is over top the ball then the ball will hit the ground if it takes a bad
bounce and you fail to catch it.

Stance: you should have one leg staggered behind the other. This enables you to maintain a strong level
of balance. If you want to test your balance get in a baseball catchers stance and have someone push
you backwards. You will easily tip over. Now have someone try to push you over backwards when you
are in a staggered leg stance……….it won’t happen.

High shots at the body:

Hands should be fingertips up making a “W” shape for anything above the hips. The “W” shape keeps
your thumbs concentrated behind the ball and your thumbs are the strongest fingers that you have.

Arms should be in front of the body to enable the keeper to absorb the impact of the shot.

Elbows should be somewhat tucked into the body. If you fail to do this your elbows will push out and
your “W” shape of your hands will turn into a spade shape and you will tend to drop balls to the ground.
Your thumbs will no longer be the primary object behind the ball and your index fingers will have to
take most of the force. Your thumb is a lot stronger than your index finger so keep your elbows in and
maintain a “W” shape for shots above the waist.

I train all of my older keepers with a specialized weighted Medicine ball. If the keepers break technique
with either their hands or fail to keep the arms in front of the body with elbows near the width of their
hips the medicine ball will slip through their hands and can hit them in their face. The medicine ball will
correct sloppy technique extremely fast.

High balls and crosses:

Judgment is by far the biggest issue that goalkeepers have with catching crosses and shots above the
head but there are a few basic techniques that can be used to improve one’s ability to deal with these
types of balls.

Hands, Arms, and Elbows should be positioned the same as mentioned above. The difference in dealing
with high balls is the location of where you catch the ball. Whenever possible you should try to catch
the ball in your “line of sight”.

“Line of sight” means that the ball is in front of your body allowing you to see the ball and what is
in front of you also. Having the ball positioned in front of you also has two major benefits for high
balls. Benefit #1: The Line of Sight principal allows you to have a buffer zone to adapt to the ball if you
misjudged it or if the ball floats higher in the air. If you try to catch the ball at the absolute highest
point and you miscalculate even so slightly you will make the blooper film. That being said there are
always time where you have to catch the ball at the highest point but when possible allow yourself some
adjustment room and use the Line of Sight principle. Benefit #2: The Line of Sight principal will give
you body more leverage and balance while in the air. To illustrate this example raise a ball above your
head as high as you possibly can and have someone hit the ball with their fist. Odds are you will topple
backwards and drop the ball. Now try using the Line of Sight principle and you will notice that you have
great balance and strength.

I can’t move past catching high balls without mentioning the footwork involved. Now this is not a topic
on dealing with crosses but you will need to know how to use your legs to maintain balance and gain
height in making high ball catches. Identical to making a lay-up in basket ball you will jump off one
leg while raising the other leg. Try to do an imaginary lay-up I bet the raise the leg motion happened
without you even thinking about it. This motion essentially creates a counter weight to your body mass
and makes you jump higher and faster. In the goalkeeping world it also protects your body from impact.

Shots to the side of the body:

Hands, Arms, and Elbows will be the same as mentioned above. The difference for shots near the body
but to the side of the body is in the footwork involved to keep your body behind the ball.

Footwork: step towards the ball. Note that this is both forward and to the side. Stepping forward
reduces the shooting angle and stepping towards the ball allows you to get your body behind the ball.

3-points of contact on the ball: An added step to making these collapsed catches is in the trapping
technique done with the hands. I teach and refer to this as “pinning” the ball to the ground. After you
have the ball in your hands you need to focus on keeping the ball in your possession when you land.
Your hands will rotate overtop the ball and towards the ground. Doing this will enable you to have 3-
points of contact on the ball. You will have one hand on top of the ball, one hand behind the ball, and
you press the ball into the ground for the third point of contact. Not only does this process enable you
to pin and contain the ball, it also enables you to use the ball to absorb the impact of the ground and

make the landing soft on your body. The ball should make contact with the ground before your body
does.

Diving catches:

Making diving catches really only differs in the footwork and diving technique of the leg closest to the
ball and the driving motion of the leg farthest from the ball. I will cover diving technique another day.
For now let’s stay focused on the hands and the catch itself.

The Hands technique of this style of catch remains the same as those catches closer to the body. The
only difference that has to be stressed on these acrobatic catches is the positioning of the Arms and
Elbows and the extra strength needed within the wrist area. As you begin to prepare yourself for the
landing on these high dives you will want to land with the ball whenever possible as the ball will break
your fall and make the landing soft.

Arms and Elbows need to be away from the rib area. If you keep your arms extended away from the
body as mentioned earlier your elbows will naturally move away from your ribs and you will not have
to worry about landing with an elbow underneath you. Making catches like this require upper body
strength and wrist strength that come with specialized training and conditioning.

Remember that walls are used for strikers to develop repetition as the ball always bounces back to them providing another opportunity to shoot. So is being a wall a good thing?

5 REASONS TO START COLLEGE RECRUITING EARLIER THAN YOU THINK

The college recruiting process should begin much earlier than most families are aware of. It as though the recruits that coaches are looking at are getting younger and younger. In order for you not to lose any ground in your recruiting process, make sure you are familiar with everything you need to know for your freshman year of high school.


Here are five reasons why you should start your recruiting process earlier than you think:

Mountain Crest HS Graduate & Infinity SC Coach, Jaden Hoth plays
NCAA Division 1 Soccer at the University of Central Arkansas

Coaches are looking five years ahead.In order to secure promising young athletes to join their sports programs, many college coaches have started looking at recruit classes a few years ahead. There are some coaches who have successfully had kids as young as seventh graders commit to their program. So if you are waiting until your junior or senior year, you’re really late! Make sure to get organized and do your research as you enter high school so that you don’t lose any ground.

Freshman-year camps make a big difference.
It’s no question that attending camps and showcases in high school can make a huge difference in how college coaches view you as a prospect. But even those camps that you attend as a freshman can mean a lot. College coaches will want to see your progress throughout high school, so the more stats and experience you have, the better. Make sure to keep track of all results and stats as you attend camps and showcases so that you have something to present to the coaches and they can see how you have developed as a player.

Recruiting doesn’t start when a coach contacts you.
Athletes who are waiting for coaches to contact them are waiting too long! It’s a fact that coaches
realistically can’t recruit you unless they know you exist. This means that it’s up to you to be
proactive and get in touch with the coaches at schools you are interested in. If you wait around
hoping that they’ll come find you, it may be too late to find an opportunity. Start researching schools early and create a list of target schools where you can contact coaches at. It is important to build that relationship with the coach so you know what to expect when you make that final decision.

Infinity SC Alumni & Skyview HS Graduate Danica Hansen plays
Division 1 NJCAA Soccer at Iowa Western CC

If you aren’t talking to coaches, another athlete is.
There is high competition among high school athletes to find an opportunity to play sports in college- even more so to earn a scholarship. So if you think about it, every day that you are not making contact with a coach, another athlete is. If those days start adding up, more athletes are building these relationships with coaches, and you are getting further and further behind. Don’t miss out on any opportunities you could be taking advantage of and get yourself organized for the recruiting process.

Getting recruited is your responsibility, no one else’s.
Athletes need to understand that if they want to get recruited to play in college, they need to rely on themselves to make that happen. Too many kids are expecting their coach or their parents to take the lead in their recruiting, when in fact, they should be the ones contacting coaches. College coaches want to hear from the athlete and get to know them; they don’t want to hear from the coach or the athlete’s parents. Taking control of your recruiting process demonstrates to coaches how serious you are about competing at the college level and that you are mature enough to take responsibility of setting goals and making things happen for yourself.

(Taken from Athnet Get Recruited to Play College Sports -- Athleticscholarships.net)

If you are thinking that it is too late, you are wrong. But don’t procrastinate any longer—start now! Players can attend camps at any age. I would recommend researching schools and making a list of where you are interested in going. Look into out of state tuition fees, scholarship opportunities, academic requirements, and research the coaching staff and soccer program offered. Get information out to coaches and try to attend camps they offer. I am very willing to help talk to coaches and give recommendations for players. However, the coaches prefer to work with the players as much as possible. Get online and look into the information posted on the Infinity website regarding college preparation. Make sure to attend our meetings being held Nov. 5 for boys and Nov. 12 for girls at 7:00 at the Smithfield Rec Center. Your future is in your own hands. Make the most of it!

--Coach Sherri Dever

The Easiest Save a Goal Keeper Can Make

Authored by Mike Siler
Infinity SC Goal Keeper Director

What is the easiest save that a goalkeeper can make? Many of you are likely thinking that the easiest save is to scoop up a ball that is slowly rolling towards you. Although I wouldn't consider a front scoop a difficult save to make you still have to position yourself well, come out to cut off the angle, and temporarily take your eyes off of the field to look down at the ball not knowing who is in front of you or if you are going to be bumped. So is this the easiest save to make? No.

Even before the ball enters the 18 yard box the goalkeeper is processing the game, evaluating the defense, assessing the attack, and addressing any potential threats. In case you are still wondering; what is the easiest save that a goalkeeper can make, it is a verbal save. Ironically this is the save that most coaches will not notice but most all defensive players will. Goalkeepers with strong communication skills get shutouts and shutouts are the gold standard in the goalkeeping industry. Think of effective communication as shutting down the shot before it happens.

So let’s talk a little about what makes good communication. Rule #1: Good communication should be loud so all of the defensive players can  you. One of my biggest pet peeves as a trainer is to see players shine in goalkeeper training then observe them in a game where they whisper to their players. Their players cannot hear them and they do not have confidence in them. Remember good communication gets shutouts. Rule #2: Communication needs to be specific. One of the best examples of poor communication that I have ever heard is someone yelling “Mark up!” Unless you have a defender on your team named “Mark” and you are telling them to move “up” this communication is not specific and gives poor instruction. Once again be specific and only provide simple and brief instruction. Rule #3: Your communication should be effective. This often comes with game experience knowing what to say and when. Also on the lines of effective communication is the goalkeeper has to earn the respect and trust from their defenders. If the goalkeeper has their trust and respect then what the goalkeeper says the defense does.

Now that we have addressed the communication rules lets discuss the communication roles of a goalkeeper. No other player on the entire field has the total vision that the goalkeeper has. The goalkeeper can see 21 out of 22 players and the entire field all at the same time. For this reason their communication to the defense should have total authority and should not be second guessed. The first thing that I do regarding communication is to ensure that I have addressed the immediate threat, the attacking player with the ball. The most common thing that a goalkeeper will say is either “contain” or “delay” (meaning slow down the attack and do not stab at the ball), or “step” or “step to ball” (meaning step to the ball and apply immediate pressure). Both of these terms have their place relative to the position and pace of the attacker. Imagine the ball at midfield and a defender “steps” too early no defensive support. In this case the attacker will have a giant breakaway. In this same midfield scenario, if the defender delays or contains the attacker, they can slow them down until supporting defenders can arrive to help eliminate the threat. Now if we move the point of attack inside the 18 yard box you will often hear “step” as the keeper can see the shot coming and a defender often does not know whether to play the ball or the passing angle. The keeper can eliminate the guessing game by giving the assignment to “step to the ball”.

After I have addressed the immediate threat, I look at all other attackers to assess their positions and to their
supporting attacking player. If I can make sure that the attackers are marked or the defense is aware of the supporting attackers before the ball arrives then I did my job as a goalkeeper. Communication that a keeper may use in regards to the open/unmarked attacking players may be something like this, “Abby, the one behind you is your mark”. Or another key communication that I constantly say to defenders is to “stay central and leave the flanks”. In case you have not noticed when communicating to the defenders that are responsible for the open attackers the communication is typically more instructive and a little more detailed as their role is not as immediate and they have time to process the information.

Good communication is loud, specific, and effective and is the most common and easiest save that the goalkeeper makes in a game.

Infinity SC's Robin Hansen signs with USU soccer team

Two years ago Robin Hansen nearly stopped playing competitive soccer. At the last minute she went with a hand full of teammates from the '93 Infinity SC team to attend Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Robin's Club Coach, Jeff Ginn, helped start the program at Iowa Western CC and strongly encouraged her and her teammates to take advantage of the opportunity to play college soccer at a highly competitive NJCAA school in the middle of the country. Robin has returned to Cache Valley and is currently coaching the u10 Girls team with Coach Travis Clements.  Robin earned her USSF Natrional "D" License the past Spring and is very engaged in the development of the future generation of Infinity SC players and her own development as a coach. Below is the article written by Jason Turner of the Herald Journal.

Coach Robin Hansen, one of Infinity SC's first Alumni to play Division 1 Soccer, returns to Cache Valley to play for the Utah State Aggies and Coach for Infinity SC!

Robin Hansen signs with USU soccer team

Sky View product anchored midfield for JUCO power

Posted: Tuesday, June 26, 2012 12:30 am | Updated: 11:18 pm, Mon Jun 25, 2012.

By Jason Turner | 0 comments

Robin Hansen

Sky View product Robin Hansen (No. 17) finished a successful two-year run at Iowa Western Community College in 2011 and has transferred to Utah State, where she will compete for the Aggies this upcoming season. (Photo courtesy of Robin Hansen)

When Robin Hansen finished her second season on the Iowa Western Community College soccer team, she thought her collegiate career was over.

However, Utah State head coach Heather Cairns had other plans.

The Sky View product was one of three players the Aggies recently inked in rounding out their 12-member recruiting class for the upcoming 2012 season.

“Robin has been somebody that we’ve been watching throughout her junior college career,” Cairns said. “I think she keeps getting better and better every time we see her, so when the opportunity to recruit her came up, we really jumped on that.”

The daughter of Karla and Bruce Axtell and Dell Loy and Lynnette Hansen played in every match for the Reivers in 2010 and 2011, and started all 18 matches as a sophomore. Hansen was one of the first players off the bench for most of the 2010 campaign, but did make some starts late in the season.

The Hyde Park resident helped anchor the Iowa Western midfield and finished her JUCO career with seven goals and five assists — six goals and three assists as a sophomore. Hansen was one of eight players from Cache Valley on the 2011 IWCC roster.

“It prepared me so much because I had no idea I’d ever be able to play Division I soccer, and I’m really glad I made a last-second decision to go to Iowa (Western),” Hansen said. “I made the decision a couple of weeks before graduating from high school, and it was really hard.”

Hansen earned her associate degree from Iowa Western early and transferred to USU, where she trained with the team during the 2012 spring semester. Hansen, who had three goals and three assists as a senior at Sky View, planned on remaining at USU regardless of whether or not she was offered a spot on the team.

Needless to say, Hansen impressed Cairns and the rest of the Aggie coaching staff during that time.

“She’s got a remarkable work rate and a remarkable attitude with just seizing the whole soccer experience and seizing the day ... and becoming the best player she can, so she’s got some intangibles off the field, as well, that really prepared her to step into the Division I level,” Cairns said.

Cairns, who led the Aggies to their first-ever NCAA Tournament bid last season, said Hansen’s willingness to get into better shape was arguably the biggest thing that stood out to her.

“The big thing was her fitness level and, with that, the ability to impact the game because she’s able to cover more ground,” Cairns said. “... She was just around the ball a lot more (as her JUCO career progressed).”

Hansen agreed with Cairns’ assessment and feels her work rate is the biggest strength she brings to the program.

“People have seen that I’m pretty much the slowest player, but I just have really good endurance,” said Hansen, who is majoring in business administration. “And even though I’m a little slower, I just work my butt off to get to that ball and make sure that I’m working extra hard because I don’t have that (speed) advantage.”

Hansen is one of three Cache Valley players to sign with or verbally commit to the Aggies — arguably the Western Athletic Conference’s premier program since joining the league in 2005 — over the past six or so months. Soon-to-be seniors Jessica Brooksby (Sky View) and Karlee Campbell (Mountain Crest) verbally committed to USU recently.

Former Mountain Crest star Jessica Hoskin is entering her junior year at USU and was the team’s starting left back as a sophomore.

“The programs in the valley just keep getting better, and I think Heather has noticed that,” Hansen said. “(The schools) are producing better players now, and it’s exciting to see (USU recruiting local players) happening.”

Along with Hansen, Cairns announced the signing of two other players last week in recent Bear River graduate Kaitlyn Wilcox and UNLV transfer Jackie Tillotson.

Wilcox, a forward, missed her senior season with the Bears as she was recovering from an ACL tear, but returned in time to capture two more 3A state track and field titles. Wilcox enjoyed a remarkable prep track career as she was a three-time state champion in the 200- and 400-meter dashes and a four-time state placer in the 100, 200 and 400.

The Tremonton native was an all-state soccer player as a junior as she scored a school-record 16 goals. Wilcox, whose older sister, Amanda, was a teammate of Hansen’s at Iowa Western, will also run track for USU.

Tillotson played two seasons for the Rebels and started eight matches in 2011, while playing in 16. Tillotson, a defender, assisted on one goal.

The Sandy native is the younger sister of Summer Tillotson, who was a standout player for USU from 2008-2011. Tillotson, a four-year starter, was arguably the WAC’s best outside back a season ago and was a two-time all-league selection.

The Aggies will return seven starters and 12 letterwinners from last year’s 15-5-2 squad. USU captured its third regular-season WAC title in four years in 2011.

———

View the original article here: http://news.hjnews.com/sports/article_9c14235a-bf4d-11e1-9151-001a4bcf887a.html

jturner@hjnews.com

2012 Awards

Male Player of The Year: Alex Erazo
Female Player of the Year: Abigail Bishop
Coach of the Year: Larry Tolley
Team Manager of the Year: Kylianne Erickson
Volunteer of the Year: Travis Clements

Awards Banquet Slideshow Pictures

Gallery #1 Pictures can be viewed by clicking here.
 


Picasa Galley #2 Pictures can be viewed by clicking here.

A Focus on Shooting/Finishing (Introduction)

The following email was sent to the coaches of Infinity SC on Wednesday, February 22nd.

Infinity SC Coaches,

I hope that you all enjoyed the three day weekend! I got to watch a lot of great Infinity SC Soccer in Las Vegas, Mesquite and St. George this past weekend. I was thrilled at the way our teams played. There was not a game that I watched where the Infinity SC team was not trying to be the better possession team and being successful at it. The combination play, movement off the ball, personal creativity and teamwork was very impressive everywhere I looked! However, there is a big weakness in our games club wide...

...As I was taking notes I kept writing down... need to improve shooting strength/technique and help our players understand how to finish. As well as we possess and as pretty of soccer it is that we play we are not scoring goals. I believe that we play intelligent and attractive soccer, but we are missing the final touch that makes it all "productive." I will be generating a curriculum for the Spring that will emphasize shooting and finishing(please view the video). Obviously this is NOT all I want you to do in your sessions, but I would like for every team to start emphasizing it more than you have in the past.

I would like to congratulate Katijo Rasmussens u9 Blue Girls for being President's Cup Champions, Katie Taylor's u14 Premier Girls & Anthony Larson's u15 Select Girls for being Ice Breaker Tournament Champion! All of the teams that participated in tournament play this past weekend represented our club and community well!

The following video should be viewed by every one of our coaches, players and parents. Please spend some time watching the following clip form a recent interview with U.S. Men's National team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann.


The full interview can be viewed here: http://youtu.be/o1TWEoSmRwU

I am truly grateful for everything that each of you do! We have a very busy Spring and Summer awaiting us. Let's be prepared for it!

Last thing... I NEED YOU TO ENCOURAGE YOUR PLAYERS/PARENTS TO SEND PICTURES FOR OUR SLIDE SHOW TO: coachjginn.photos@picasaweb.com

-Ginn

Follow the progress of "Score More Goals" at www.infinitysc.com

Local soccer team shines in Mesquite - The Herald Journal: Sports

Local soccer team shines in Mesquite - The Herald Journal: Sports: When talking about her U15 girls soccer team, head coach Sherri
Dever asserted:

Valley Soccer Team Is Making Some Regional Noise

Valley Soccer Team Is Making Some Regional Noise

Parents driving coaches away from game

Written by
Patrick Hite
Columnist

Rob Bennett has one less job these days. The Covington High School science teacher, who is also the city's mayor, resigned as the school's boys' basketball coach in late January.

Enough was enough.

Over the past 20 years Bennett has spent time as both the boys' and girls' basketball coach and, for the most part, had support from parents and fans.

After taking some time off to get his master's degree, he returned to the bench four years ago. In the time away from the game something changed. That support he received in the past was gone. Bennett and his coaching staff were questioned by parents about something after every game.

"It was either over playing time, what I said to their child on the bench, why they didn't start, why they didn't play in this quarter, why did you play this player because he missed practice or missed 30 minutes of practice because he went to get tutored in English, why did you keep a freshman on the varsity," Bennett said. "It was unbelievable."

There were even parents who accused Bennett of allowing poor behavior and language on the team bus, accusations that were proved false with the help of videotape.

Said Bennett, "Why am I going to be miserable doing something I love to do and, for the most part, was pretty good at?"

Unfortunately, Bennett's story isn't unique. There are plenty of stories of coaches quitting because they are tired of putting up with unreasonable parents and fans.

Ironically, Nathan Hale, the Covington assistant coach who has taken over the team for the remainder of the season, has been close to a similar situation in the past. His father, Bill Hale, was driven out by parents as Fort Defiance boys' basketball coach more than a decade ago.

In 2003, Mike Hamilton, the girls' basketball coach at Rockbridge County, even went as far as suing a troublesome parent.

Go to any high school basketball game and you can't avoid it. The other night, while covering the Rockbridge County at Waynesboro boys' basketball game, I sat in front of two Rockbridge County fans who complained about the officials almost every trip down the court. I should have known what I was in for when, before the game started, one of the ladies pointed to an official and said, "That's the one who threw me out of a game at Wilson Memorial."

Earlier this year, during a Stuarts Draft-Waynesboro game, I heard a parent of a Waynesboro player wishing out loud that her team played more like Stuarts Draft, who runs an up-tempo style. I guess it didn't matter that Waynesboro has gone to back-to-back state tournaments, including a spot in last year's state championship game.

Wilson Memorial athletic director Greg Troxell has been trying to figure out why there have been so many problems with fans and parents lately.

"Is it what I call the ESPN factor?" Troxell said. "Everyone watches ESPN and hears how it should be done and now everyone is an expert. Is it parents trying to live their youth again through their kids? Is it economic pressure and the hope that their kid is going to get a full ride to college and save them money? I don't know, but it is getting worse, and the lack of respect for officials and coaches is alarming."

Steve Hartley offered another possibility.

"With so many different little leagues in the country now, parents are having to coach more than they used to," the Stuarts Draft athletic director said. "In turn, they seem to think they have more knowledge of the game."

Of course, none of the parents and fans who are actually causing problems will recognize themselves when reading this. It's probably too much to ask that all spectators cheer for their teams without criticizing officials, coaches or the opposing players.

When kids see their parents blaming everyone else for their team's lack of success, it's bound to affect them.

"The kids see this and are just a product of their environment," Bennett said. "Parents do not tell the truth to their kids like we coaches do. We now live in a politically correct world and people are not used to hearing the truth. They want to not face what is real and make excuses when things do not go their way. Rules are wonderful until they affect my kid. Then we want something else to be done."

School administrators try to solve the problems. Larry Landes, Fort Defiance's principal, said his staff has spoken in private to fans who act inappropriately. The topic is raised at all meet-the-team nights prior to the season, and administrators are at almost all athletic events, ready to step in and handle any problems.

"Use of profanity from fans, screaming at officials, belittling coaches is totally unacceptable," Landes said. "We preach sportsmanship with athletes, coaches and fans."

Not only are coaches quitting, but schools are finding it more and more difficult to get someone to coach in the first place.

Even athletes are giving up. A couple of years ago there was an athlete at Wilson Memorial who chose not to play because he was tired of his dad yelling at him from the stands. Troxell offered to talk to the father, but the kid said it wouldn't change anything.

"What parentsdon't realize is they are really embarrassing their child," said Troxell, who emphasized that a majority of fans are great, but it only takes one or two to make everyone look bad.

I've often said, only half jokingly, that high-school sporting events would be better if they were played without anyone in the stands. Obviously, no one wants to reach that point. Instead, it's time for the adults who are watching the games to grow up and actually act like adults.

"No coaches or officials are trying to cheat or do things to kids on purpose," Hartley said. "So just sit back and enjoy the game."

Original Article can Be Read at http://www.newsleader.com/article/20120205/SPORTS/202050332

Infinity Soccer is changing the culture in Cache Valley

Infinity Soccer is changing the culture in Cache Valley

Infinity Soccer is changing the culture in Cache Valley

Infinity Soccer is changing the culture in Cache Valley

As the Soccer Improves, So Must the Club

Our players are improving with every touch. We have embraced the Player Development Revolution, now it is time to set benchmarks.

In soccer communities around the country, there is a lingering question, “how to measure success?” There are theories and philosophies and studies, but the reality is that we won’t truly know until a child reaches their teens. However, I believe that there can be benchmarks or goals to achieve that will better the chances of an individual’s reaching their potential to play at their highest level.

Recently, in a coaching committee meeting I unveiled the next step to improving the club. The concept puts a measuring and benchmarking system in use. The intentions is to help coaches, parents and players better evaluate their current level of play and set goals that help them reach their potential.

One of the most recent tools that we have added is iSoccer. This program does a number of wonderful things if fully taken advantage of by a player. However, the part that I want to focus on is the ability to quantifiably test and measure an individual in 16 core areas, these areas reflect the very foundation of every successful soccer player. The emphasis on “raising the level” of each player through training and testing is simply amazing, as it will transform a player from being decent to good, good to great, and excellent to elite. This is how we have decided to measure our players’ individual development. We believe strongly that if players train at home, are frequently tested and can see themselves reach their individual goals on iSoccer, it will allow the coach to focus on training the “thinking” part of the game and fine tune team style of play and tactics. -More on iSoccer in an interview with iSoccer CEO, Scott Leben-

Players must be accountable for their own skill development, by training at home before a coach can be criticized for not teaching the players how to play the game. The document “Champions are Grown in their Backyard” is a must read, as it puts an emphasis on what will truly make your child great at soccer!

As mentioned above, this winter our Coaches Committee plans to unveil a benchmarking document. Our job, now that our club philosophy is established and we are developing quality players, is to help teams/coaches measure their success as well as map out the road to achieving a team’s potential.

As the club and culture of our community evolves, so must our aspirations. The benchmarking system will provide a list of expected outcomes at certain ages and levels of soccer. It will allow coaches and parents (the adults) to see where each player is during their development. A combination of iSoccer evaluating and benchmarking (i.e. making the Infinity SC premier team of your age, attending tournaments of interest, competition in state cup, making the Olympic Development Program team for their age, making the High School team, gaining exposure from college coaches, earning a soccer scholarship and so on) will allow everyone to know what to expect as well as know what is expected to get there. This type of road map will allow adults involved to keep things in perspective. They can be confident that the system is working because their player is meeting goals set by themselves as well as by the club.

Having accurate expectations will also allow parents to prepare for the demands of future (time, travel and money) endeavors. Many clubs promise college scholarships or high school soccer relevancy. Infinity does not promise. However, we are developing, through research and experience, a road map for achievement. We must also empower each player to work for these types of rewards. The club must provide a vehicle (teams) that makes the players desired destinations accessible.

To help the players (and their parents) that have aspirations of playing college soccer we are establishing a college liaison committee. This committee will start generating contacts with college coaches as well as assist college bound players with the recruiting process. The committee will also be in charge of empowering a person to be the Infinity SC college liaison representative of the club.

Emphasizing player development and focus on Long-Term Development has been our focus for the last three years. It will continue to be the emphasis as we move forward as well. But now that our players are maturing (51 Infinity SC girls playing High School Soccer for their respected schools) it is time to provide a higher level of expectation and a road map on how to get there.
Infinity SC is committed to evolving as our players develop.

Any adult with interest, experience, expertise in college recruiting who would like to help with this project are encouraged to email coachjginn@gmail.com so they can be invited to join a College Liaison Committee.

“The future has been written…

…forever futbol!”

-Ginn

51 Infinity SC Girls Represented at four High Schools

For a complete list of the girls and their coaches click here.
Pictured: Samantha Burton, Infinity SC '97 Premier, Coached By Sherri Dever plays for Mountain Crest High School as a Freshmen

Infinity is trying to change the soccer culture in Northern Utah...

In an article found in TELEGRAPH NEWSPAPER in England we find an article that expresses the same frustrations that Infinity SC feels as it tries to develop a player development philosophy in Northern Utah.

FA head of elite development Gareth Southgate has his work cut out trying to change the future for football

A couple of years ago, the junior football club with which I was associated took an idea to our local youth league. It was that instead of seven-year-olds playing in seven-a-side matches with referees, baying parents on the touchline and results collated into league position, clubs should organise weekly friendlies at four-a-side.

The philosophy behind it was that without the pressure of parentally-imposed competitive structures, children might more enjoy their football, and, with many more touches of the ball available with fewer players on the pitch, develop their skills. There was nothing non-competitive about it: every child would want to win every game they played.

It would be immodest to claim it as our idea. That’s what they do in Holland, in Spain, in Germany, countries that seem to have a reasonable idea how to produce footballers. But when the proposal was raised, the wannabe Fergusons who made up the committee, those managing their little league sides in neatly pressed tracksuits with their initials on the chest, snorted derision.

“Kids want to see their name at the top of the league in the paper,” one said, to much agreement. In fact, most of the committee members thought it would be a better idea to institute competitive leagues for even younger age groups: “How else will they learn how to win?” When it came to a vote, ours was the only one cast in favour. We lost 23-1.

That, in microcosm, was English football : a latticework of self-interest. Never mind the wider good, what about my medals? And I thought of the episode when I heard that Gareth Southgate, the Football Association’s newly-appointed head of elite development, is touring the country, trying to persuade leagues to adopt a policy of small-sided games for young children. Good luck with that, I suggested when I met up with him earlier this week at the launch of the FA’s coaching licence scheme. There are oil tanker captains with easier jobs turning around their ships.

“Actually, there are signs of encouragement,” he said. “I meet lots of young coaches out there who are forward thinking. Yes, there are others set in their ways, but there’s an acknowledgment we have to catch up with the rest of the world. And to do that, one thing is for sure: we can’t carry on with what we’ve been doing.”

Southgate’s task is not a minor one: it is to create a system which nurtures skill. Presently, among Englishmen aged 18 to 25, only a handful demonstrate ball-playing ability to match their European contemporaries. Actually, it is probably only Jack Wilshere who can hold his head up in international company. It is not much better below that: England’s Under-17s were this week evicted from the World Cup by – who else? – Germany.

Partly the issue lies with the Premier League academies, whose processes are under review. But in many ways the problems have been entrenched before young players arrive at elite clubs.

“The under-17s are at the end of the cycle,” Southgate said. “We need to concentrate right at the start of the process. There are so many steps along the way, there’s no scientific path. But I know this: if we don’t give them the right skill base from five until 10 [years of age] it won’t be there whatever you do thereafter.”

In order to do that, Southgate needs to do nothing less than effect an entire change of culture. Through a programme of coach education, he needs to persuade the self-interested parents and junior officials, vicariously living through their offspring, that they are not serving the best interest of the child. He needs to make things fun, with the emphasis on the development of skill. He needs, in short, to reverse the adultification of junior football.

“Parents and coaches have to understand that their child’s enjoyment, what they can learn from the game as people, in terms of team work, defeat and victory, is more important than anything,” he said.

“I do think we have a major cultural issue. We need to end the way in which the little kid is berated for losing the ball on the edge of the area, or the kid is applauded for hoofing it off the pitch.

“Until we alter that mindset then we’ve got a tough task if we want to produce skilful players. None of this will guarantee us a World Cup-winning team. But I’m dead certain that if we don’t change we’ll never have one.”

And as to the critique that the methodology he endorses promotes non-competitiveness, Southgate has a pertinent rebuttal.

“Look at the Williams sisters, they were brought up in an environment of positive reinforcement of hugs and love, they weren’t allowed to play in tournaments until they were 14. And no one could say they lack the will to win,” he said.

“We are trying to put in place ways to create an environment in which every kid – elite or not – can realise their potential within the game. To make football better for every child who plays it. If we don’t achieve anything else, that’s a worthwhile thing to do.”

Listening to Southgate it occurs to me that the FA seems to have done something unusual: made the right appointment. Only time will tell if anyone is prepared to listen to him.

Soccer America: Youth Insider

Former U-17 coach Roy Rees: USA should be further along
article can be viewed at www.SoccerAmerica.com

By Mike Woitalla

How many players on the U.S. team currently competing at the U-17 World Cup will make a significant impact on the full national team?

Judging from the average of the previous 13 U.S. teams that have competed at each of the biennial world championships since 1985, the answer would be one.

Roy Rees coached the USA at four U-17 World Cups, from 1987 through 1993. He guided the young Americans to historic victories over Brazil in 1989 and Italy in 1991. After the USA, led by Claudio Reyna, beat Brazil, 1-0, in 1989, Brazil’s coach Homero Cavalheiro said, “The United States deserved to win today. They were better as a team; they were better individually.”

Asked how he imagined the future of American soccer two decades ago, Rees says, “I would have expected it to be further along than it is now. They've done well but could have done much better.

"They have developed a whole bunch of very average players but not the great players you need to get that little bit extra. There's a lack of creative players."

Mike Burns and John O'Brien, who played for Rees in the 1987 and 1993 tournaments, were also among the U-17 alums who had the most success with the full national team.

Rees was succeeded by Glenn Myernick (1995), Jay Miller (1997), John Ellinger (1999, 2001, 2003), John Hackworth (2005, 2007) and Wilmer Cabrera (2009, 2011).

Ellinger's 1999 team, which was the first that went into full-time residency in Bradenton, Fla., finished fourth and remains the only squad to win a knockout stage game. It included Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Oguchi Onyewu and Bobby Convey. That class proved to be an aberration.

Miller’s 1997 squad included Taylor Twellman and Danny Califf, who went on to long pro careers but had limited success with the full national team. Ellinger’s 2001 and 2003 squads included Eddie Johnson and Jonathan Spector, respectively.

Hackworth’s 2005 team included Jozy Altidore and Neven Subotic, now one of the top defenders in the German Bundesliga, but he plays his national team ball for Serbia.

Rees, a Welshman who served as an English FA staff coach and worked for FIFA as an international coaching instructor before taking over the U.S. U-17s, cites many reasons why the USA hasn't made more profound progress in producing exceptional players. Topping the list is an emphasis on athleticism rather than on skill and understanding the game.

"America had the reputation of being better athletically than everyone else, because at the Olympics they ran faster, were stronger, and threw things farther,” he says. “Those are things that have nothing to do with soccer. At the youth level, big, strong and physical may win games. But the smaller players develop skills to combat the big and the physical, and when they get the growth they’re the ones who get the results."

He also warns of the perils of advocating an orthodox approach to player development:

"It was, 'Coach this way, or get out.' There are different ways of developing players, which is obvious when you see how great players have emerged from different countries."

He says that the insight into the game that great players acquire is something that they develop naturally when they're young, not from being told how to play, but by being given the freedom figure the game out.

“What matters is being able to perceive the game, to predict what happens next," says Rees. "They need to be placed in a situation where they can see it for themselves rather than having it laid out for them. That needs to happen at the youngest levels. They need to be allowed to express themselves and not be tied to the coach’s instructions, or they’ll play like robots.”

Now retired and living in Southern California, Rees is watching this U.S. U-17 team on TV. Not judging it by the scorelines, but whether there are within the group some players with that little bit extra that hints of greatness.

* * * *
The USA opened its U-17 World Cup campaign with a 3-0 win over the Czech Republic on Sunday with goals by Alejandro Guido and Esteban Rodriguez and late sub Alfred Koroma. In their second Group D game, the Americans face Uzbekistan on Wednesday (4 pm ET, Galavision, ESPN3.com).

Uzbekistan lost its opener, 4-1, to New Zealand, which got a hat trick by Stephen Carmichael. Carmichael, making his first start for the Kiwis, hadn’t been part of the squad during qualifying nor for a pre-tournament tour to Qatar.

Go HERE for U-17 World Cup results and schedule.

(Mike Woitalla, the executive editor of Soccer America, coaches youth soccer for East Bay United in Oakland, Calif. His youth soccer articles are archived at YouthSoccerFun.com.)

Teach Principles, Not Aspects

by Travis Clements

Travis Clements has been coaching in Cache Valley for the past eight years. Travis admits that when he first started coaching that he was the classic screamer, yeller, win at all costs coach. After his first season with coaching youth soccer he took the USSF D license and recognized the long term affects of how he was coaching were not good. The process of change began. He implemented the E and D license courses into his coaching and, more importantly, attended the USSF Youth in 2006. Five years after this course and three years in to training "the Infinity SC way" he wrote this article. Travis currently coaches very skilled u9 and u10 girls teams and is continuously looking at ways to improve as a coach and a trainer.

As a coach and trainer, there are only so many hours in a day, and only so many hours we have with our kids to teach them how to play soccer. If we want to maximize our time and get the most out of the sessions we have, those sessions need to be age appropriate and centered around universal concepts, which I will call “Principles” of the game.

When we see the professional game on a Saturday, what are we impressed with? As adults, we are naturally drawn to the tactics of the game, the formation used, attacking patterns, spacing and spectacular feats of skill and athleticism. We also have an appreciation of team chemistry, the melding of complimentary players and the unity of the squad. It’s a fallacy to project these aspects of the professional game into youth soccer if we hope to develop players into what we see and admire on the weekend. If we spend our time on these aspects of the game, our players will never get there. Why? They will never develop the foundation of skill and understanding of the game needed to play it at a high level.

Unfortunately the novice coach, as well as the coach who’s focused on immediate team success, invariably chooses to spend their time addressing “aspects” of the game. Aspects of the game are concepts or features of play that are not always true. The most common of these aspects is positional play. Information taught to a player to help them play a certain position, like Goalkeeper or Wing, is not very useful if they aren’t playing that position. Youth players need the efficiency of being trained principles that are *always* useful, saving specialized topics for when the basics are mastered. Common examples of narrow, inefficient training topics include the popular “Through ball.” At youth levels it is more accurately described as a “kick into space” because the players lack the technique and tactical understanding to make it otherwise. Some choose to spend all their time with set plays, restarts, and creating patterns of play in the mold of typical “American” sports. These methods don’t advance the development of players in a positive or efficient way. Some are worse than teaching nothing at all! Consider on defense, teaching players to kick the ball out of bounds to be “safe.” It conditions players to not read the game, to not trust their ability on the ball and confirms a lack of faith in them from coaches, parents, and teammates alike! They are denied the chance to execute technical skills under pressure. Those players become mindless robots, predictable and unable to think quickly or solve problems on the fly. They lack creativity, imagination and flair. How ironic that those traits so valued at the elite level are being systematically trained out of our players in youth soccer!

It’s easy to stand at a distance and be critical, point fingers and detail shortcomings. What is the solution? If we are holding the kids back by spending so much time teaching aspects of the game, what do we do to fix it?

In youth soccer the players must first be taught the founding principles of play. This takes years. Shortcuts taken during this stage of training will haunt the players for the rest of their playing career. Just like we teach addition and subtraction before taking on multiplication and division, (let alone fractions and variables!) we need to lay a foundation of basics before expanding and specializing. Technical skill is universal to the game and is only acquired, refined and mastered through constant contact with the ball. If we want our players to have ball skills and to be comfortable and calm on the ball, we must teach possession and dribbling before we teach passing. Good decision-making is a universal skill that is only acquired, refined and mastered by players when they are placed in situations that require it. They must be allowed to play without fear of failure, a master of their own environment, where the competition of the game and their internal motivation to win drives them to find ways to achieve success. A player who is expected to listen and obey during play is not learning to make decisions or solve problems.

Teaching players to play in positions is not necessarily bad. The correct teaching of positional play needs to begin at its most basic elements, its principles, with every player exposed to every position. It begins with attacking and defending individually, and then expands to include a teammate, then eventually teammates. It’s not about Forwards, Midfielders and Defenders. Good positional play is derived through players addressing questions posed by the game, not in relation to a painted line or an area on the field. Players need to be trained in ways that help them recognize space, pressure and support, regardless of their assigned position. Don’t teach them to play a position; teach them to play soccer!

Shortcuts to immediate success on the scoreboard have unavoidable long-term consequences. We must have the maturity to set aside our egos and adult competitiveness to benefit the kids. The topics needing attention by our youth are seemingly endless: Dribbling, Passing, Movement off the ball, overlapping runs, receiving the ball, first touch, checking into and out of space, communication, attacking the ball in the air, ball striking technique…

Teaching soccer through the principles of the game is a slower, deeper approach that requires patience and a long-term perspective of player development. It requires commitment and humility. It demands that coaches remain a student of the game as well as the craft of coaching. Kids need to develop in a system that is firmly committed to the individual's progress, NOT expected to learn to play a system and sacrifice themselves and their development for the sake of the team.

Travis L. Clements

Infinity Soccer u12 Premier Boys with guest coach Rob Karas: Possession with a Purpose

Coach Rob Karas, Real Salt Lake's Youth Camp Director, visited Logan and ran three sessions for different Infinity SC teams on Wednesday, May 11th. The first was the following Session with the Infinity SC u12 Premier Boys. Infinity SC coaches were on hand to take notes, get some new ideas and take advantage of the opportunity to work with Coach Karas.