Playing Up

I was recently asked by a few of the parents on younger Infinity teams about players "playing up." I found an article that shares the view of the club and I have used it to educate these inquiring parents in regards to the philosophy of player development. I feel it is important to share this information with each of you as well. The below article is dead on. Please recognize when it says player instead of team or players. I also added some post article thoughts below the article as well.

Playing Up
by Bobby Howe

It has been ten years since I left Washington State Youth Soccer Association. The landscape has changed during that time and undoubtedly, the game is improving. Clubs with professional coaches are emerging.

Therefore, as we develop further, clubs must bear more responsibility for the development of play within the state. Not only must we be responsible directly for the improvement of the most talented players, but we must also play a role in the playing environment of all the players and an important role in coach education for our youngest players.

One of my first observations on joining the Emerald City club last year was that our club and others had a vast number of players playing above their age group - obviously with the intention of gaining an advantage in competition and experience.
The following are my views on this topic.
Soccer development will occur through the improvement of individual players at their levels of challenge. While chronological age is generally the vehicle to monitor progress academically and on the sports field, and while many children fall within that spectrum, there are some that rise above and some that fall below the expectations of the age group. It is the responsibility of every soccer coach to recognize the standard of each individual player within his/her team and place that player where he/she belongs.

I have asked our coaches in the club to observe players carefully and to talk regularly on the topic of player movement within our club. Should a player move up from a "B" team to an "A" team or should a player move up from one age to another?
The criteria always must be to challenge the player at his/her level. The questions the coaches must ask are:
Is the player physically able to play up?
Is the player psychologically able to play up?
If the player moves up the process should be monitored and discussed. If a player is asked to move from an "A" team to a "B" team or back down to his/ her own age group, the player must not feel or be made to feel that the move is a demotion. The decisions always must be in the best interests of the player, not the team.

The greatest enjoyment for any player is to be challenged at his/her level of competency. Anything below may lead to boredom and bad playing habits. Anything above may lead to disenchantment, losing a love for the game and ultimately, leaving the sport.

At the ages of U-11 to U-15 size plays a huge role in a player's effectiveness and often, size plays an important role in player selection. At the younger ages many bigger players are able to compete because of strength and physical presence. As a result, they do not have to try as hard, or work on their skills as much or think about the demands of the game to the same extent as their less physical colleagues.
While some of these players progress to a high standard, most do not. Bigger players can compete regardless of their playing habits at a young age. Unfortunately, if those habits are poor, they will not be able to compete at the age of sixteen at which time size is much less relevant and when total soccer ability and awareness is much more important.

Smaller players that can compete at a young age have a much better chance of being successful at the age of sixteen, because they have had to use their soccer talent and understanding in order to compete with the bigger players.

Most teams that dominate a league at a younger age rely on the abilities of bigger players. If those players are also very talented, they should play up to test their skills. The remainder of the team should stay at their own level to allow those players to improve.

It is important to note that, in most cases, the success of any young team in competition is due to the performance of some players, not the whole team. Therefore, the better players should move up, but the whole team should not.
All of our club decisions must be based upon the enhancement of the playing environment and ultimately, what is best for the player.

In conclusion, in the future at Emerald City Football Club, we shall discuss and allow the movement of players to a higher level, but we shall not permit the upward movement of teams.
More about Bobby's final paragraph in future World of Soccer Newsletters. "Not playing a whole team up? Hogwash!" I can already visualize some coaches beginning to foam at the mouth.

Ginn's after thoughts:
We will soon see players moving from team to team during the the winter break. The trick is to not look at the team aspect so much as the individuals (your child) development. If your team is scrimmaging older/better teams from the club and the rest of the valley they will develop faster. One more quote from the US youth soccer organization is found below. I have also put a link to the full 70 page document that you can download. This is the newest movement in youth soccer across the country.

CONSIDER THIS: At the younger ages (6 to about 10), soccer is not a team sport. On the contrary, it is a time for children to develop their individual relationship with the ball. The fact that younger children are placed into team environments is not their fault. Do not demand that the more confident players share the ball. Encourage them to be creative and go to goal. Do the same with the rest of your players.Work to bring all your players up to that level of confidence and comfort with the ball. Coaches should avoid the impulse to “coach” their players from “play to play” in order to help them win the match. Coaches should not be telling their young players to “pass rather than dribble,” to “hold their positions” or to “never” do something (like pass or dribble in front of the goal).

http://images.ussoccer.com/Documents/cms/ussf/Best_Practices.pdf

Ginn's final contribution:
Below is a video that i am sharing with the Infinity Coaching Staff this month. It is focused on player development philosophies and shares an insight of the contrasts between American philosophy & Brazilian philosophy. It is a very low quality production, but the efficiency of educating parents and coaches is very high. Please find the time to watch the video.

Please enjoy the video

Silos

A recent blog was posted by Sam Snow (US Youth Soccer Director of Coaching) on the US Youth Soccer web site. The article was titled: SILOS.

Silos
By Sam Snow

I've been traveling consistently since the first of 2009 to a variety of soccer events. I've been to Orlando, Florida; Antalya, Turkey; St. Louis, Missouri; Greensboro, North Carolina; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Anchorage, Alaska; Pomona, California; Los Angles, California; Warwick, Rhode Island and now I'm on my way to San Jose, California, for the 2009 US Youth Soccer adidas Workshop.
One of the things I have noticed in these travels is the shared passion for soccer of the many people I meet. They all are committed to the game, but not just the game, instead the people in it. While everyone in soccer across the world has their differences with one another the majority truly care about the people in the game.

I have noticed too that many folks are sure that somehow they and their situation are different when in fact they are all the same. Regularly, I hear soccer folks say to me things such as - Well coach, you have to understand that around here our parents are really competitive and they just don't like the idea of not keeping score for their six-year-old. It is an eye-opener for them to hear that everyone in youth soccer in the USA says the same thing. When I tell them that some get it and others are still convinced they are somehow different. The only difference in American youth soccer circumstances is the size of the state and occasionally the accent. Otherwise we are all in the same youth soccer boat with similar successes and challenges.

We must break down the silos that we have built up around us and build one huge team that is soccer in America. It doesn't matter what your role is in the game you are part of the team. Every team member has something to contribute and every team member should be respected for their contribution. All aspects of the game are interlocked like the Olympic rings. You may be in one of the rings furthest from the opposite end, but you are still interlocked. Soccer in our nation still has many hurdles to overcome and we must not be hurdles to one another or create our own hurdles. So let's begin in 2009 to tear down the silos and build our team.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

I want to add, that Infinity Soccer respects what others do in our community at any and every level. We encourage anything that promotes kids playing soccer. We are huge advocates of District 7 and the Utah Youth Soccer Association. There are many great ideas regarding how to go about developing soccer in our country. Infinity Soccer strives to stay informed and up to date with current trends on U.S. Youth Soccer so OUR kids and families have the best opportunity to play and compete at every level. As we look towards the future, we hope that everyone will acknowledge the impressive past of Cache Valley soccer. But the past is the past and the opportunities are there for us to play catch up with the rest of the state and the rest of the nation by creating a more passionate soccer culture in our own backyard.

We are excited about the development of soccer in the U.S., the region, Utah and most importantly Cache Valley and its surrounding communities. The future is bright and the limits are endless. We hope you will attend the Annual Parent meeting on March 31st and or April 1st to hear more about the direction Infinity is going.

Thank you for supporting soccer at whatever level you contribute to this beautiful game...thank you!

'93 Girls Premier Return From Vegas with Silver

Las Vegas! The very name conjures up images of neon lights and fun. But for the U-16 Infinity Girls Soccer team, a recent trip to Las Vegas was not about the glamor of the Strip, but for most, their first chance to compete in an out-of state Soccer Tournament: City of Las Vegas Mayor’s Cup.

Many factors were stacked against this team from the very start. Minus assistant coaches Caleb Cowley and Crissy Partridge, Head Coach Jeff Ginn had the sole responsibility of coordinating and coaching 2 girls teams at the same time. Also missing were two key players, Kat Murray, who could not attend and Sam Emmett, who was rostered on the U-17 team. Adding to this that the team was trying out a new formation, expectations of this tourney were more of a “chance to play against other out of state teams” and not a “we can win” attitude-except the girls didn’t seem to realize that the Vegas odds were stacked against them and they seemed to think that they were in it to win!

Game 1 vs. Mustang Boca Extreme. This was probably the warmest game as the 2 at night and other 2 daytime games were pretty cold. This game also was the first experience for most of the girls to be part of the tradition of teams trading “gifts” as the team captains met on the field. It was apparently new to some other teams because although all our opposing teams received Infinity Beanies from team captains JD Larsen and Stacey Bair, this first team was the only one that reciprocated with suckers. This was also the team that was listed on the roster as coming from CAN, which we assumed to be Canada, but later learned that they were from California North, although there were some Canadian teams present. First game jitters were apparent in the first half even though the team was using their familiar formation. The first half score was 0-0. In the second half the girls were more confident and they pulled ahead 1-0 when Juliette McCann stole the ball, took a one touch shot with her left foot and drilled it past the goalie from 25 yards out. Late in the second half, the Mustangs managed to put in a goal, resulting in a 1-1 tie.

Game 2 vs. Colorado United Blue. This game may be referred to as our 3 Yellow Card Game…(some refs are so touchy!) Coach Ginn decided to implement a new 1-2-3-3-2 formation in this game, leaving the girls to wonder if their Coach had finally cracked under all the pressure, but as the game progressed, and the girls got into the rhythm of the new line-up, it was as if a whole new Infinity team had taken the field. The new formation resulted in more controlled passing by the mid-field and a more aggressive attack by the strikers. The team literally took control of the game and it showed in the confident, dominant way they played, completely frustrating the opposing team. The only goal in this game resulted from a beautiful cross-field assist by Striker, Nicky Bennett and a finishing shot by Right Full bakc, Laura Dewald. The 1-0 score didn’t do justice to the quality of teamwork that was executed on the field but even so… the girls had just won their first ever out-of state game!

Game 3 vs. Boise National Blast White. If the new formation looked like it was clicking in the previous game, it was deemed a complete success in this one as the girls completely dominated the entire game. Stacey Bair had a hat trick, contributing 3 goals and Danica Hansen and Juliette McCann had a goal apiece, with many other players assisting. Solid defensive play from JD Larsen, Chelsea Curtis, and Porsha Jones resulted in another shut-out and a 5-0 Infinity win.

Game 4 vs. Neusport FC94 South Nevada. Notwithstanding the excellent record of 1 tie and 2 wins, this was a very important game. Our point standing going into this game was 22 points, while the Mustangs that we had tied with in our first game and now having completed their last game, had 30 points.

We needed a win with 3 goals and a shut out in order to advance to the Championship Game. Despite the pressure of knowing we HAD to win or it was all over or maybe because of it, mid-fielders Marsela Murillo, Jessie Clements, Cassidee Nelson and Kaylee Kendrick took control early and kept the pressure on the entire game. The offense did their part with goals by Danica Hansen, Juliette McCann, Nicky Bennett and the only header goal in this tournament by newest team member Maddie Daines, resulting in a 4-0 win and another shut-out from the defense.

After the game, the U-17 and U-16 Infinity Girls teams presented Coach Ginn with a soccer ball that both teams had signed, and the girls had a team picture taken together. It was now very late and very cold , but the excitement was high because the Infinity U-16 Girls were now advancing to the Championship Game!

Much of the team’s success was due to the structured agenda that Coach Ginn had outlined in a detailed hand-out that each girl was expected to follow, or as JD Larsen called it “my Bible, because it tells me what to do and never steers me wrong.” The girls all stayed together in one hotel, with no parents in their rooms, and although there was a little free time allotted each day, most of the girls used the time to try and catch up on their sleep. They arose early each morning for team stretching, and had a set warm-up to follow before each game. The result was a team that came onto the field energized and ready to play from the very start of the game.

Monday, February 16, 2009. President’s Day.

The rain from the night before had stopped but it was still cool and wet. Seeing college scouts wandering around with clipboards, and noticing the size of the championship trophies waiting to be handed out, gave merit to what a big deal being at this game really was. Our girls seemed calm as they warmed-up but as we glanced at the opposing team, Glenview Elite from Illinois, many parents commented on the size of the girls our team was about to play. As the parents paced nervously, the girls played a solid first half but had few opportunities to score. Early on, Nicky Bennet had a pretty header that she redirected just skimming and going over the top of the bar. At half-time the score was 0-0. That changed early in the second half when Annie Hughes had a breakaway and was able to get one past the goalie, putting Infinity ahead 1-0. Annie doesn’t quite remember how it happened but she says she was “loving it” after the goal. Just a few minutes later as the ball was bobbled by Glenview’s goalie, Danica Hansen managed to get control of the ball and put it in the net. Unfortunately the ref called us with an offside penalty and took the goal away but even so, we were still ahead 1-0. Late in the second half the ball hit off the foot of one of our defensive players and hit her hand and we were called for a hands in the box penalty and they were able to score from the resulting Penalty Kick. At the end of regulation play the score was tied 1-1. On to overtime, starting with five minutes of Golden Goal play: whichever team scores first immediately wins. If no one scores its another five minutes with the same rules. The first over-time ended with no score, as did the second over-time so now it was on to a Shoot-Out. This has to be the most intense, pressure inducing soccer situation ever invented, with girls going one on one with the opposing goalie as they take a shot at the goal. Goalies Laura Rosales and Kjaersty Cook had split playing time throughout the tournament and had both played exceptionally and they split responsibilities in this game as well, with Laura as goalie for most of regulation play and Kjaersty finishing the second half and in for the over-time and shoot-out. After 5 shots from each team it was still tied. On to the second round. After one tie and 3 consecutive wins, a championship tie, 2 overtimes and 2 shoot-out rounds, it all came down to one goal made by their team and a missed shot on ours: the game was over. Glenview Elite would be receiving the first place trophy, while Infinity would receive 2nd place medals. It was heartbreaking to see the girls devastated at the loss, because they truly WERE winners in this tournament. They overcame incredible odds to even win one game and then consistently won against good teams, earning the right to play in the Championship Game. Their dedication and unselfish play exemplifies what teamwork is all about.

In a ranking system where the lower the number the better, Infinity U-16 is now ranked Nationally: 859 in Region 4: 270 and in Utah: 9th and this team will prove in the year to come that those numbers will only become smaller!

CONGRATULATIONS U-16 GIRLS INFINITY SOCCER TEAM!!

Thanks to the U-17 Girls and U-18 Boys Infinity Soccer teams, Coach’s Sherri Dever and Robson Chaves and all parents for their support at our games, and congratulations to MVP Laura Dewald.

Athletes First, Winning Second

By Frank L. Smoll, Ph.D., and Ronald E. Smith, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology, University of Washington

As a form of competition, sport involves a contest between opposing individuals or teams. An athletic event is a struggle for supremacy in which every coach and athlete seeks to emerge victorious. The common notion in sports thus equates success with winning – scoring more points, runs or goals than the opponent. However, in a youth or developmental model of sport (Smoll & Smith, 1999), the measure of success goes beyond records and standings. Success is a personal thing and is related to one’s own standards and abilities.

Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.
– John Wooden, former UCLA basketball coach

With respect to the educational benefits of sport, youngsters can learn valuable lessons from both winning and losing. But for this to occur, winning must be placed in a healthy perspective. We have therefore developed a four-part philosophy of winning (Smith & Smoll, 2002a; Smoll & Smith, 1981).

The purpose of this article is to present an overview of the philosophy and to consider ways of conveying it to athletes. Hopefully, the article will serve as a guide for developing your views and orientation toward winning. Moreover, by successfully implementing this philosophy in your role as coach or teacher, you will be able to maximize young athletes’ enjoyment of sports and their chances of deriving the positive outcomes of participation.

PART 1: Winning isn’t everything, nor is it the only thing.
Young athletes can’t possibly learn from winning and losing if they think the only objective is to beat their opponents. On the other hand, it would be naive and unrealistic to believe that winning is not an important part of youth sports. Winning is an important goal, but it is not the most important objective.

Most programs seek to develop desirable psychological and social characteristics as well as physical skills. However, as we all know, some coaches get caught up in a “winning is everything” orientation and place an overemphasis on winning. When this occurs, they may temporarily lose sight of other important objectives and values of their program. This does not mean that coaches should not try to build winning teams, but sometimes winning becomes more important for the coach than it is for the athlete.

Our research has shown that coaches for whom athletes enjoyed playing most, and who were most successful in promoting youngsters’ self-esteem, actually had won-lost records that were about the same as coaches who were less liked and less effective in fostering feelings of self-worth (see Smoll & Smith, 2002).

Another finding was that athletes on winning teams believed that their parents liked the coach more and that the coach liked them more than did athletes on losing teams. This is an interesting commentary on children’s perceptions of adult values. Winning made little difference to the youngsters, but they knew that it was important to the adults in their lives.

Given that sport is heavily achievement-oriented, seeking victory is encouraged. However, to create the most valuable experience for athletes, coaches should help them understand that there is more to get out of sports than just a won-lost record. This can be done by reducing the ultimate importance of winning relative to other prized participation motives (e.g.,skill development and affiliation with teammates).

Most notably, in recognition of the inverse relation between enjoyment and competitive anxiety, fun should be highlighted as the paramount objective (Scanlan & Lewthwaite, 1984; Scanlan & Passer, 1978, 1979). If young people leave your program having enjoyed relating to you and to their teammates, feeling better about themselves, having improved their skills and looking forward to future sport participation, you have accomplished something far more important than a winning record or a league championship.

The bottom line in youth sports should not be based on pressure to win. Instead, it should be on the enjoyment of competing
and the opportunity to develop positive attitudes toward other people.
– Lute Olson, University of Arizona basketball coach

PART 2: Failure is not the same thing as losing.
Athletes should not view losing as a sign of failure or as a threat to their personal value. They should be taught that losing a game is not a reflection of their own self-worth. In other words, when individuals or teams lose a contest, it does not mean that their worth is less than it would have been had they won.

PART 3: Success is not equivalent to winning.
Neither success nor failure need depends on the outcome of a contest or the numbers in a won-lost record. Winning and losing apply to the outcome of a contest, whereas success and failure do not. How then can we define success in sports?

PART 4: Athletes should be taught that success is found in striving for victory.
The important idea is that success is related to commitment and effort. Athletes have complete control over the amount of effort they give, but they have only limited control of the outcome that is achieved. If you can impress on your athletes that they are never “losers” if they commit themselves to doing their best and give maximum effort, you are giving them a priceless gift that will assist them in many of life’s tasks.

Comments by two well-known college coaches indicate that their philosophy of winning agrees with the orientation presented above.

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno stated, “We can’t let people get hold of our kids and make them think they’ve got to win. The winning is great. You strive for it. You try to do it. You compete to win. But if you lose, you lose. I’ve never seen a football game where there wasn’t enough glory for everybody – winners and losers.”

Similarly, former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden once told a group of coaches: “You cannot find a player who ever played for me at UCLA that can tell you he ever heard me mention ‘winning’ a basketball game. Yet the last thing I told my athletes, just prior to tip-off, before we would go on the floor was, ‘When the game is over, I want your head up – and I know of only one way for your head to be up – and that’s for you to know that you did your best. This means to do the best you can do. That’s the best; no one can do more. You made that effort.’”

With a developmentally oriented philosophy of winning, coaches are urged to focus on athletes’ effort and enjoyment rather than on success as measured by statistics or scoreboards. In other words, you are encouraged to emphasize “doing your best,” “getting better” and “having fun” as opposed to a “win at all costs” orientation.

Although formulated prior to the emergence of achievement goal theory (Ames, 1992; Dweck, 1999; Nicholls, 1989), this approach clearly is consistent with a task or mastery orientation (see McArdle & Duda, 2002). Moreover, focusing on effort rather than outcome is consistent with Dweck’s (1975) highly successful attributional retraining program with low-achieving children. Children who received Dweck’s intervention showed improved performance (in a math problem-solving task) and were better able to cope with failure. Within the realm of sport, one might expect this approach to lessen the effects of failure, thereby reducing stress for athletes.

Behavioral guide for coaches
A number of research-derived guidelines for enhancing relationship skills are presented in our book Way to Go, Coach! (Smith & Smoll, 2002a). They constitute the core of our scientifically-validated coaching education program, which is known as Coach Effectiveness Training (see Smith & Smoll, 2002b; Smoll & Smith, 2001).

Two of the guidelines have direct relevance to developing a healthy philosophy of winning. First, reinforce effort as much as results. It’s easy to recognize and praise an athlete who just made a great play, but coaches usually are less likely to reward a player who tried hard but did not make the play. Perhaps the second athlete deserves (and needs) positive feedback even more.

Let your athletes know that you appreciate and value their efforts. Make sure their efforts are not taken for granted. As we stated earlier, athletes have complete control over how much effort they make; but they have only limited control over the outcome of their efforts. By looking for and praising athletes’ efforts, you can encourage them to continue or increase their output.

A second coaching guideline is pertinent to our philosophy of winning: Encourage effort, don’t demand results. Most young athletes already are motivated to develop their skills and play well. By appropriate use of encouragement, a coach can help increase their natural enthusiasm. If, however, youngsters are encouraged to strive for unrealistic standards of achievement, they may feel like failures when they don’t reach the goal. Therefore, it is important to base encouragement on reasonable expectations. Again, a coach encouraging effort rather than outcome can help avoid problems.

The only successful youth sports program is the one with the coach who will accept losing along with winning, last place in the league along with first place, and still be able to congratulate his team for their efforts.
– Roger Staubach, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback

Reducing fear of failure
Fear of failure can be an athlete’s worst enemy. High levels of competition anxiety not only reduce performance, but also make the athletic situation threatening and unpleasant rather than enjoyable. In fact, many young athletes drop out of sports because of the stress created by their fear of failure (see Smith, Smoll, & Passer, 2002).

How does fear of failure develop? Usually, it arises because the young athlete has been punished for failing to achieve a desired outcome. Such punishment may come from coaches, parents or peers, or it may be self-administered by athletes themselves when they fail to measure up to their own performance standards.

Because the punishment and resulting decrease in self-esteem are so distasteful, athletes may come to fear and dread the possibility of failing. They dread making a mistake or losing a contest. Their fear, by disrupting performance, increases the likelihood that they will perform poorly. It is easy to understand why some athletes “choke” in pressure situations. Instead of enjoying competition and developing a positive drive for achievement, some athletes are driven by the negative motive of avoiding failure.

How can coaches help to prevent development of fear of failure in their athletes? We believe that John Wooden had the answer when he emphasized to his UCLA teams that success lies in doing one’s best, of giving maximum effort regardless of the final score. If coaches only demand that athletes give their best, and if they reward their efforts rather than focusing only on outcome, athletes can learn to set similar standards for themselves. As far as winning is concerned, if athletes are well trained, give maximum effort and are free of performance-disrupting fears of failing, winning will take care of itself within the limits of their ability.

A final thought
Tremendous concern has been shown for the amount of emphasis placed on winning in youth sports. Yet to be for or against competition is not the issue. Sport competition is neither universally good nor bad for kids. The important thing is how the competition is organized and conducted. The philosophy of the American Sport Education Program, “Athletes first, winning second,” reflects a proper perspective on winning (Hanlon, 1994). In other words, the most important coaching product is not a won-lost record. It is the quality of the experience provided for the athletes.

In the news

The Box Elder Journal published a brief recognition article in the sports section. Click here to view.

Infinity well represented at the NSCAA GK Course

Eight Infinity coaches attended the seven hour goal keeping course hosted by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) course in Draper, Utah February 27th & 28th. The accumulation of coaches was the largest represented by any club present. The coaching staff has recognized the importance of goal keeping and want to see a drastic change in how we view our goal keepers at training. By having more coaches understand the needs of the goal keeper and by having new ideas presented to us, we hope that the goal keeper begins to feel like he/she is more part of the team in pre-match warm ups and training. The goal is to have consistent and progressive GK training as well as reinforced instruction during match play.

We also have a young group of coaches being mentored for the future. One of which is being mentored specifically as a goal keeper trainer. We hope that as we put more effort in to the goal keeper position that we will begin to raise the bar of expectations with our teams. Without a quality goal keeper you are less likely to compete at the highest of levels.

Infinity Coaches in attendance: Jeff Ginn, Sherri Dever, Toni Doney, Aric Craig, Kasey Erickson, Larry Tolley, KcKenzie Garn, Crissy Partridge

Why 8 A-Side?

In February we used our online poll to ask the question, "At what age do you think teams should play 11 vs 11 like the pro.'s?"

The correct answer is found in an article titled: WHY 8 A-SIDE

By, Sam Snow
U. S. Soccer National Staff Instructor
US Youth Soccer Director of Coaching Education

Children in the U11 and U12 age groups should play eight versus eight (8 v 8) in
their matches. This includes the goalkeeper, hence seven field players and one
goalkeeper. The playing field should be 70 to 80 yards long and 45 to 55 yards wide.
The goal should be 6 feet high by 18 feet wide. The penalty area should be 14 yards
out from each post and 14 yards forward. The goal area, penalty spot, penalty arc,
corner arc, corner flags and center circle should be per FIFA rules. They should play
two halves of 30 minutes each. Overtime should be two periods of 10 minutes each.
The ball is a size 4, which gives a good indication that these are still children playing the game.

Players in this age group should play 8 v 8 to enhance their soccer abilities. This
is true for all levels of play, recreational or premier. At this point in their physical and psychological development, most ten and eleven year old children can play rather than play at the game of soccer. Coaches must be careful at this juncture and not fall victim to the false assumption that these preadolescent children are now able to play mature soccer.

Yet there is more competence in their individual technical performance. They
now intentionally combine in groups of two to four around the ball. In fact, the word
“team” now becomes more than an abstract concept.Click here to read entire article.

Please Watch this very detailed and informative video

'97 Girls Win Icebreaker Tournament

The Infinity 97 Premier U12 Girls team attended the Ice Breaker Tournament President’s Day Weekend in St. George and brought home first place medals. They played hard and enjoyed the opportunity to be playing outside again. While it was not as warm as we had hoped, at least we didn’t have the snowy storms that hit home.
It took a little getting used to an outdoor field again. The girls had some challenges along the way and had to fight 2 tough battles against Avalanche to finally earn the title of champions.
Infinity had the first game Saturday morning and had to endure the fresh “red mud” from the night’s rain storm. They played Avalanche 98 and got off to a little bit of a slow start. Guest player Demi Lopez finally put in the first goal. Madie Siddoway followed with two of her own. At half Infinity was up 3. There were several attempts the second half, but only Anna Davidson put one in. The tough defense hardly let Avalanche take a shot, and any they did take, goalie Becca “Boo” Jensen stopped, leaving the score 4 to 0.
The second game was not as competitive of a match. Infinity poured on the teamwork and skills to rack up 10 goals. Rebecca Godfrey (3) , Hailey Oldham, Kanyan Ward, Madie Siddoway (3), Viridianna Gomez, and Demi Lopez all had goals. The other teammates helped with great assissts and superb defending. The final score was 10 to 0.
Infinity lucked out with the first game of the day Monday morning too. They played at 7:00 am and the sun was barely out. Competitor Avalanche 97 came ready to fight and wanted a win. There were a few unsuccessful attempts to score and defense really had to work hard. Avalanche scored just before halftime. The girls tried to kick things up a notch second half, but Avalanche put in two quick back to back goals. Madie Sidoway then got a PK and put it right in. This fired the girls up and prompted them to work harder. Madie later put in a second goal. Things were starting to look up for Infinity. There were other shots taken, but luck wouldn’t have them go in. Infinity faced a tough loss 2 to 3.
Game 4 was against Celtic Storm and actually felt a little warmer. With over a dozen shots on the goal, Infinity only managed to make 4 count, winning 4 to 0. Becca Godfrey, Madie Sidoway, Carly Richins and Kanyan Ward all scored.
Infinity’s record brought them to the championship game to have a rematch against Avalanche 97. Avalanche put in the first goal. Infinity didn’t let it get them down, because they were determined to go home champions. The defenders were tight and didn’t let too much through. Infinity dominated the field and took shot after shot, but couldn‘t manage to make them go in. Two successful shots didn’t count due to off sides and kicking it in the goalie’s hands calls by the refs. Finally, Hailey Oldham put one in just before half. There were lots of shots the second half as well. And when it looked like the game might go into overtime, Becca Godfrey put a goal in to clench the win, 2 to 0.
The girls were excited to win and concluded the tournament with their famous Ole’ Ole’ victory dance on the field before going to the awards presentation.

Check out the tournament website for more information, www.icebrekersoccer.com

The Herald Journal (1st Infinity article)

SOCCER CAMP

BY JOEY HISLOP
Published:
Sunday, February 15, 2009 3:22 AM CST

If youth soccer in Cache Valley was a stock, now would be the time to invest. Not only does Cache Valley boast some of the best youth soccer numbers in the country — top 3 in the nation in per-capita kids playing soccer — but pretty soon there won’t be many places in the intermountain area where your kids can get better coaching and training in the fine art of schooling a defender with a ball at your feet.

That’s thanks in large part to the folks at Infinity Soccer Club, the premiere youth soccer club in the valley and one of the best in Utah.

Infinity began in 2008 when The Soccer Academy and Valencia Soccer joined forces to create a soccer club whose vision is to ultimately give kids greater opportunities in the game by raising the level of coaching and training they can receive in the valley.

“We’ve been here for seven months, but soccer’s been here for relatively 20-30 years. ... We’re trying to create a culture in our community that is comparable to the metro areas,” Infinity Soccer Club Technical Director Jeff Ginn said. “Salt Lake has many clubs that focus on the development of the individual player and teams. We want to have that option for our kids here in Cache Valley as well.”

However, even with top-notch coaching and a firm commitment to excellence, it can still be difficult for a person to develop their game quickly when weather is a factor.

As with several outdoor sports, relatively good weather is a necessity for soccer, and for three-to-four months out of the year, Cache Valley is not the most hospitable region on Earth for the planet’s most popular sport.

That’s where indoor soccer facilities come in, and with the help of Utah State University allowing Infinity the use of the Stan Laub Indoor Training Facility, Infinity has procured the ability to help kids sharpen their dribbling skills even when there’s snow falling outside.

“The ability to have Utah State donate or open up their doors for us to get in and utilize their facilities is exceptional,” Ginn said, adding that it draws in not only his own club players, but also the top teams in the state. “It opens up an opportunity for people to come to us instead of us always traveling to them, which is generally the case. ... We (usually) have to travel a lot.

“The facility being open is good for the community, it’s good for the kids and it just provides opportunity, which is nice.”

Ginn, one of three coaches at Infinity, came to Cache Valley from Iowa Western Community College to be a part of the club and help develop the quality of soccer in an area he heavily recruited as a coach. He is joined by Hobson Chavez and Sherri Dever.

For Barbara Klein of Brigham City, volunteer secretary to the Infinity Board of Directors and mother of U10 team member Madelyn Klein, the coaching and game development her daughter is receiving are well worth the time, the drive and the money.

“It’s amazing. ... It’s just neat to see all the techniques and all the skills that they’re teaching ‘em, and all the drills and footwork,” Klein said. “My daughter played AYSO forever and loved it, and she wanted a little bit more.

“There’s a lot of strategy they’re teaching ‘em, a lot of skills that they don’t normally get. ... We’re just very lucky to have these coaches. ... With any sport, when you start to get in depth ... it’s incredible the money that goes into it. But these kids, if they have big dreams and they want to work hard for it ... you want to do whatever you can to help ‘em.”

And it’s already paying dividends. In January, Infinity’s U10 team took the silver medal at the Las Vegas MLK Cup, giving up only one goal all tournament before losing in the championship match in penalty kicks.

You Are Who You Watch

by Ian Sawyers

When I was growing up a soccer-mad youngster in England, the way we truly learned to play was by copying the game we watched. Whether it was on television, or for those lucky enough to soak it up at a live match, our "lessons" came by going out to the streets, and in informal kick-rounds, attempting to copy the professionals we had seen play the game.

My wife, Hall of Fame soccer star Julie Foudy, tells a different story of her childhood. It includes her early memories of the only available athlete role models she could find -- professional American football and basketball players.

It's true that in the past in this country, it's been difficult to find the top players to imitate, especially for girls. But the new Women's Professional Soccer league, and teams like Sky Blue FC, are a positive step in the right direction. Now, you can complete the pieces of your soccer education with the third, and vital part, of the equation: train, play, watch.

Why watch the game? There are a lot of reasons, but as an educational tool it's simple: you can't do what you can't see. Soccer is a visual game and a lot of young players are visual learners.



Establishing mental images by watching my heroes play provided me with a road map equal to watching a TV re-run. I knew what was coming next in a given situation as I felt I had already seen it and lived it, and all I had to do was copy the movement.

A sports psychologist and old friend of mine once told me "the brain cannot differentiate between what is real and what is imagined." This has helped me a lot in my coaching career to try and encourage a constant use of mental imagery and "creating good pictures" in the soccer brain. It is said that the best players have good vision -- the seeming ability to see the entire field and anticipate potential movement. Sure, this comes from playing experience, but this experience also includes the careful attention to the skill of experts and role models and thus the formation of "positive pictures."



There are many ways to watch the game, each of them valuable and interesting. Watch with an eye toward different aspects of play. Isolate your watching experience. Start with the warm-up, one of the most essential parts of the game, and often overlooked by youth players. The warm-up of a professional entails many parts. It has a progression; it is physical (what they do); emotional and mental (How they act and feel. For example, do they chat with teammates? Are they silent and focused on their effort?). Imagine what would work best for you in a warm-up, or for your team.

During the game, try focusing on a player in your position, and then, switch focus to another aspect, such as movement off the ball. Most people watch the obvious -- the action with the ball -- but it is the activity that goes on all around that sets up that pass or shot.

Consider this: on average, a player runs between 5 and 6.5 miles per game, yet the distance that player covers with possession of the ball is only 2 percent of that, about 200 yards. So obviously, there's a lot to learn by watching what goes on all over the field.

Finally, watch the game because you enjoy it. What happens on the field is just a part of what WPS will offer you. Game days are also opportunities to celebrate your sport, and to share an exciting and fun experience with family, friends and teammates. It is also one of the rare opportunities to be with them in a relatively relaxed atmosphere, without the stress of usual of competition with your club or school teams. And, too, you will share that sense of pride when you look out at the greatest women players in the world and think: I play that game too. And I can dream to become one of those players.

(Ian Sawyers is the general manager and head coach of Sky Blue FC , the NY/NJ franchise of Women's Professional Soccer. As former head coach of the women's professional San Jose CyberRays, he led that team to the inaugural championship of the WUSA.)