Both the U10 and U8 games Sunday were high scoring affairs against teams with very good offensive attacks. I was happy with the way both teams handled themselves throughout. Neither team ever managed to hold a lead but they both played with courage and energy throughout. There's no quit in those Titans or Sharks.
The Titans were led in their attack by Justin, Drew and Morgan. Morgan has become more committed to using her ball control skills each week and in Sunday's game she had several quality runs where she beat opponents on the dribble to get into their half. And this is against a team with some very experienced and skilled players. Drew was patiently using his moves too and that paid off repeatedly. For Justin the key is his incredibly strong shot. He had two goals Sunday that were from very low angles but were hit so hard the keeper couldn't react quickly enough to get a hand on them.
The Sharks played with no subs against a team that had plenty of subs and they played with great energy throughout. Elizabeth was our scoring leader and Sam was our invaluable defender again. I'm really proud of how well they played and how they played without a word of complaint about having to stay in for every minute. I'm also proud of how disciplined they were. There were a few moments where they wanted to start playing kick-ball but overall they remained committed to using their skills and continuing to attack, even as the other team kept pressing us. Even late in the game when they were probably getting very tired Zach, Sam and Tyler kept trapping the ball then trying to dribble out of our half rather than just booting it. Lillian and McKenzie were doing the same and that was great to see. Great game Sharks.
Monday, November 12, 2012
U6 Week Three Highlights.
First I want to thank Hailey, Ava and Maddox of the U6 Bats for helping out one of the other U6 teams that was short a few players Saturday. Coach Petzelt told me they were a great help to his team.
Before the Bat's game Saturday I showed them a new move which is a variation on the "pull-back" move they've all mastered so well. It's called a Puskas after the player who made it famous but I also refer to it as a "fake pull-back". It's a simple step that you sometimes hear other coaches just referring to as an "L" move. You pull the ball back with your toe, rolling your toe down the back of the ball, but then instead of letting the ball roll past you and then turning with it as in a "pull-back", the player taps the ball out to their side with the outside of the foot and takes off running with it. You sort of draw an L with the ball. If done quickly it's very effective and a great first move in a combination with a second move like a "cut" or feint.
Everyone got the move pretty quickly in our warm up and then I asked them all to try and use it in the game once we got started. I was happy to see so many of the kids doing just that. It can be comical though as from an adult's perspective you see that they aren't always using the move at an appropriate time and so it's not always effective. The kids may even try their move when they are in open space and not being challenged by an opponent. That's good though. By setting them the task of demonstrating their moves in the game and then praising their use of those skills we get them in a situation where they focus on using the skill at game speed without being concerned about when the right time to use it is. They learn that on their own by being free to experiment with the move, to see how well it works against an opponent. Last week's Lion's game was a great example of this with all of the kids doing multiple, and mostly superfluous, pull-backs. Slowly as they do that sort of in-game experimentation they will grasp how the move affects the players around them. They slowly learn to take control of the situation, make their move first and even trick their opponent.
Ashley probably made a huge step in this regard in Saturday's game. In the second half I asked them to each try to use their pull-back in combination with another move. Maybe a puskas, maybe two pull-backs together. Whatever they wanted to try. At one point Ashley was coming up the wall and she stopped the ball with her toe and instead of making her move right away she paused with her toe on the ball. She was waiting for the defender to move to the ball. When he did she then executed her pull-back and with the defender now chasing the ball around her she was able to do a second pull-back and then be clear of the defender. If the memory of that sticks with her Ashley will have taken a big step in her development. Good attacking players don't wait to respond to what a defender does. They take control, move first and force the defender to commit. That's why I don't want the kids thinking about whether or not to use one of their moves in the game. I want them to keep it simple. Just get out their, get to the ball and try your move.
The parent of a player on another of the U6 team and I were talking about this and he was saying that it looks silly sometimes when his kid is out in the open with no one pressuring him and he just does a pull-back or step-over. But that's exactly what you want to see from them at this age. They've got to feel free to use those moves like that all the time, in any situation. You wouldn't teach a basketball player how to dribble and then tell them "but that's a special technique, save it for the right moment". Right now each of these "moves" we're teaching them looks like some fabulous new dance step but by the time they're playing in U14 these will all be just tools in the bag, commonplace parts of their ball control technique.
Before the Bat's game Saturday I showed them a new move which is a variation on the "pull-back" move they've all mastered so well. It's called a Puskas after the player who made it famous but I also refer to it as a "fake pull-back". It's a simple step that you sometimes hear other coaches just referring to as an "L" move. You pull the ball back with your toe, rolling your toe down the back of the ball, but then instead of letting the ball roll past you and then turning with it as in a "pull-back", the player taps the ball out to their side with the outside of the foot and takes off running with it. You sort of draw an L with the ball. If done quickly it's very effective and a great first move in a combination with a second move like a "cut" or feint.
Everyone got the move pretty quickly in our warm up and then I asked them all to try and use it in the game once we got started. I was happy to see so many of the kids doing just that. It can be comical though as from an adult's perspective you see that they aren't always using the move at an appropriate time and so it's not always effective. The kids may even try their move when they are in open space and not being challenged by an opponent. That's good though. By setting them the task of demonstrating their moves in the game and then praising their use of those skills we get them in a situation where they focus on using the skill at game speed without being concerned about when the right time to use it is. They learn that on their own by being free to experiment with the move, to see how well it works against an opponent. Last week's Lion's game was a great example of this with all of the kids doing multiple, and mostly superfluous, pull-backs. Slowly as they do that sort of in-game experimentation they will grasp how the move affects the players around them. They slowly learn to take control of the situation, make their move first and even trick their opponent.
Ashley probably made a huge step in this regard in Saturday's game. In the second half I asked them to each try to use their pull-back in combination with another move. Maybe a puskas, maybe two pull-backs together. Whatever they wanted to try. At one point Ashley was coming up the wall and she stopped the ball with her toe and instead of making her move right away she paused with her toe on the ball. She was waiting for the defender to move to the ball. When he did she then executed her pull-back and with the defender now chasing the ball around her she was able to do a second pull-back and then be clear of the defender. If the memory of that sticks with her Ashley will have taken a big step in her development. Good attacking players don't wait to respond to what a defender does. They take control, move first and force the defender to commit. That's why I don't want the kids thinking about whether or not to use one of their moves in the game. I want them to keep it simple. Just get out their, get to the ball and try your move.
The parent of a player on another of the U6 team and I were talking about this and he was saying that it looks silly sometimes when his kid is out in the open with no one pressuring him and he just does a pull-back or step-over. But that's exactly what you want to see from them at this age. They've got to feel free to use those moves like that all the time, in any situation. You wouldn't teach a basketball player how to dribble and then tell them "but that's a special technique, save it for the right moment". Right now each of these "moves" we're teaching them looks like some fabulous new dance step but by the time they're playing in U14 these will all be just tools in the bag, commonplace parts of their ball control technique.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Titans Get Win in High Quality Game.
This week the Titans got a big boost in their offensive threat from a strong performance by Morgan. She played much more comfortably with more control, driving confidently toward the goal throughout the game. With Drew and Justin coming up in support of her repeatedly it wasn't hard for the team to get plenty of shot opportunities. Jaden was our rock in defense, frequently playing back there on her own as the rest of the team was crashing the opposition goal. Danielle spent most of her minutes playing a kind of attacking midfielder position, getting back well on defense but then getting up into the other half when the opportunities presented themselves. I really like to see that sort of free play from my team. I don't want them just aimlessly chasing the ball but if they are seeing opportunities and anticipating the action I don't mind if they get out of position.
The other team gave us a really good game and I tried to get some of our players to watch the way some of the girls on Coach Ridener's team were playing. One of my coaching points this session is "posture" and the importance of being in the right stance when receiving the ball or when moving with it. One player on Coach Ridener's team had a particularly good stance over the ball, almost exaggerated, like a baseball infielder crouching to make a play. As a result she had an amazingly soft touch on the ball and over and over again she was able to settle passes and outlet punts right at her feet then quickly move with the ball with great control. I'd like our players to imitate that more.
The other team gave us a really good game and I tried to get some of our players to watch the way some of the girls on Coach Ridener's team were playing. One of my coaching points this session is "posture" and the importance of being in the right stance when receiving the ball or when moving with it. One player on Coach Ridener's team had a particularly good stance over the ball, almost exaggerated, like a baseball infielder crouching to make a play. As a result she had an amazingly soft touch on the ball and over and over again she was able to settle passes and outlet punts right at her feet then quickly move with the ball with great control. I'd like our players to imitate that more.
U8 Sharks Week Two. Scoring Frenzy!
Late in the third quarter of the Sharks' game Elizabeth got to a loose ball in the midfield then carried it down along the left wall into the corner. When that ball came loose initially she had yelled out repeatedly "I got it! I got it!" Then when she got down into the corner she started yelling something else. She was loud enough but I couldn't quite make out what she was saying. Then she did a quick cut move to get free of the defender and quickly shot the ball across field into the goal area. Zachary was there waiting and easily put the ball in the net. He told me later that he almost missed it because the ball was high enough for a moment that he might have headed it in and so he hesitated. But then he moved into position to catch it on his foot and take the easy shot. As they were running back to the circle for the kick-off I asked Elizabeth what she had been shouting down there in the corner. With a slightly embarrassed look on her face she said "get in the middle. I was saying get in the middle." What can you say to that but "wow". Our six year old point guard running the floor for the team.
Elizabeth ended up with three goals I think. Zachary had at least two and was playing with so much energy up and down the field that he really set the tone for us. Jackson had a couple too and Sam was the model of patient, confident ball control. He isn't perturbed by elbows and contact and he seems to have learned that working in close on the defender has advantages.
Everyone played so well and showed so much good fundamental skill. I couldn't have been happier. Lillian and McKenzie were both taking huge strides this game in their confidence and intensity level. Wyatt was still kicking it away too quickly sometimes but he was so solid in at keeper for us in the one quarter where the opposition managed their most sustained attack. Tyler had another great game too, again taking big strides in the development of his basic control skills.
One last story from this game. On another run down the left wall Elizabeth had just one defender between her and the goalie. By the time she closed on the defender she was up to full speed but with the ball totally in control, just a step in front of her. Now I'm always encouraging the kids to use a move in any one-on-one situation. Commit to trying some deceptive step or trick to get around the defender. Don't just rely on your speed or a strong kick. In this particular instance Elizabeth's move, and it was perfect, was to do nothing. With the ball right in front of her, running at nearly full speed, she didn't seem to do anything more than just think about making a cut to her right into the center of the field. The defender picked up on some subtle hint in her posture that she might do that and so he leaned just a bit to his left toward the center of the field and then he was frozen as, without altering her path at all, Elizabeth zoomed by him on his right then into the goal. It was like she faked him out by simply staying cool.
Elizabeth ended up with three goals I think. Zachary had at least two and was playing with so much energy up and down the field that he really set the tone for us. Jackson had a couple too and Sam was the model of patient, confident ball control. He isn't perturbed by elbows and contact and he seems to have learned that working in close on the defender has advantages.
Everyone played so well and showed so much good fundamental skill. I couldn't have been happier. Lillian and McKenzie were both taking huge strides this game in their confidence and intensity level. Wyatt was still kicking it away too quickly sometimes but he was so solid in at keeper for us in the one quarter where the opposition managed their most sustained attack. Tyler had another great game too, again taking big strides in the development of his basic control skills.
One last story from this game. On another run down the left wall Elizabeth had just one defender between her and the goalie. By the time she closed on the defender she was up to full speed but with the ball totally in control, just a step in front of her. Now I'm always encouraging the kids to use a move in any one-on-one situation. Commit to trying some deceptive step or trick to get around the defender. Don't just rely on your speed or a strong kick. In this particular instance Elizabeth's move, and it was perfect, was to do nothing. With the ball right in front of her, running at nearly full speed, she didn't seem to do anything more than just think about making a cut to her right into the center of the field. The defender picked up on some subtle hint in her posture that she might do that and so he leaned just a bit to his left toward the center of the field and then he was frozen as, without altering her path at all, Elizabeth zoomed by him on his right then into the goal. It was like she faked him out by simply staying cool.
Week Two U6 Highlights.
The "Bats" faced a good challenge this week but they were up to it and came away with a nice 3-3 draw. We had a goal from Abby and then a beautiful shot-and-redirect combination for Ashley and Micah. Then finally Maddox (I think) put one in. On our first goal Abby carried the ball through a lot of traffic and came in from the left side for a very low-angle shot. It was well struck and hugged the ground, giving the keeper no chance on it. On that second goal Ashley made a very good run, taking the ball off another players feet then dashing out into the open and heading to the goal with the ball just a touch ahead of her. She really maintained her composure on this run and had control the whole time. When she let loose the shot it was pounded and might have found the goal on its own but Micah was there in the box and he cleverly gave the ball just a tap to redirect it a bit. That took it completely out of the keeper's range and into the net. Great team work on that one.
The whole team played very well and they were working hard on using their ball skills for me. I saw a lot of pullbacks and cuts and zig-zags out there. Henry was getting the hang of playing the sort of attacking-midfielder that his brother Sam likes to play. Always concerned about letting the other team get off a shot, Henry doesn't like too stray to far from his own goal. But he knows that when the ball does come to him back there he can make a soft touch on it then head out into the open space to either attack the other goal on his own or make a good pass up-field for a teammate. Right now he prefers the pass but I'll keep working on him to get up there and find his shot. Ava likes to work from the back line forward like that too and she was really the key to our success in this game. The other team had a lot of good opportunities taken from them because of Ava's tireless efforts to dig the ball out of the corner and then dribble it out of the opposition's reach.
The Lions played beautifully, especially Diego. I lost count of his goals but his patience and deft control on the ball are unforgettable. Most kids are hoping to find a path to the goal that skirts their opponents by a wide margin but Diego is perfectly happy to be elbow to elbow with the defense, patiently pulling the ball along with him, cutting left then right and waiting till the shot is really there. Saturday he repeatedly made a move to pass the keeper at the post so that he'd get in front of the goal for a better shot. That just shows amazing patience and confidence. Most players would want to shoot the moment they see a chance at the goal but Diego knows that from the low post angle the keeper has the advantage. So Diego goes ahead and makes another move to get out around the keeper and then square to the goal for a much better shot. Fantastic!
Jagger was fabulous in as keeper this week and I think he faced some of the toughest competition he's ever seen. One player on the other team, Joshua, made his way into the goal area repeatedly and did a great job of holding his shot till he was really right on top of Jagger. But over and over again Jag stopped him. He was like a Kung Fu master in there.
I was really pleased with how the rest of the team played too. We had no subs, which was really a good thing since they all got so many touches on the ball. Then I gave them all an assignment at half-time, letting them know that I needed to see at least one pullback from everyone if they were going to get a snack after the game. They all did it too! Anna and Gunnar were getting close to ten each by the end of the game and Anna even managed a few with her left foot. What I tell them is that even if the move doesn't "work", that is, if the other team ends up getting the ball, that's okay because I just want them to try it until they figure out how to make it work. If they feel free to just do a pullback every time they're on the ball eventually they figure out on their own how to use that move to get free and head to the goal. Great work Lions.
The whole team played very well and they were working hard on using their ball skills for me. I saw a lot of pullbacks and cuts and zig-zags out there. Henry was getting the hang of playing the sort of attacking-midfielder that his brother Sam likes to play. Always concerned about letting the other team get off a shot, Henry doesn't like too stray to far from his own goal. But he knows that when the ball does come to him back there he can make a soft touch on it then head out into the open space to either attack the other goal on his own or make a good pass up-field for a teammate. Right now he prefers the pass but I'll keep working on him to get up there and find his shot. Ava likes to work from the back line forward like that too and she was really the key to our success in this game. The other team had a lot of good opportunities taken from them because of Ava's tireless efforts to dig the ball out of the corner and then dribble it out of the opposition's reach.
The Lions played beautifully, especially Diego. I lost count of his goals but his patience and deft control on the ball are unforgettable. Most kids are hoping to find a path to the goal that skirts their opponents by a wide margin but Diego is perfectly happy to be elbow to elbow with the defense, patiently pulling the ball along with him, cutting left then right and waiting till the shot is really there. Saturday he repeatedly made a move to pass the keeper at the post so that he'd get in front of the goal for a better shot. That just shows amazing patience and confidence. Most players would want to shoot the moment they see a chance at the goal but Diego knows that from the low post angle the keeper has the advantage. So Diego goes ahead and makes another move to get out around the keeper and then square to the goal for a much better shot. Fantastic!
Jagger was fabulous in as keeper this week and I think he faced some of the toughest competition he's ever seen. One player on the other team, Joshua, made his way into the goal area repeatedly and did a great job of holding his shot till he was really right on top of Jagger. But over and over again Jag stopped him. He was like a Kung Fu master in there.
I was really pleased with how the rest of the team played too. We had no subs, which was really a good thing since they all got so many touches on the ball. Then I gave them all an assignment at half-time, letting them know that I needed to see at least one pullback from everyone if they were going to get a snack after the game. They all did it too! Anna and Gunnar were getting close to ten each by the end of the game and Anna even managed a few with her left foot. What I tell them is that even if the move doesn't "work", that is, if the other team ends up getting the ball, that's okay because I just want them to try it until they figure out how to make it work. If they feel free to just do a pullback every time they're on the ball eventually they figure out on their own how to use that move to get free and head to the goal. Great work Lions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)