Each week during the season, the coaching staff observes games played then writes a coaching education newsletter with the observations and suggested methods to improve play.

If you are a SACHC coach and not receiving the coached education newsletter, request to be added to the list by contacting the Recreational Program Director.

The following is a sample newsletter.

Observations #1: Players lose time and space by taking two or three touches to complete a turn when they receive the ball with their back to the goal.

Suggestions

• Teach one touch turning with the inside of the foot and the outside of the foot. In both cases the player must line the controlling surface up with the side of the ball closest to the center of the body. That is to say off center of the ball. In this case we are simply redirecting the ball.
• Explain to your players that if their foot meets the center of the ball, the ball will be played in the direction they are facing.
• Make sure your players understand that they turn in the direction (by using the correct foot and surface) they have the most space. Players need communication, vision, or use of their hands to feel for space to know which way to turn.
• Once players are comfortable turning ball with one touch require they turn their body quickly with the ball - Use the phrase get away speed.
• Require all teammates to use the call: turn when players have the opportunity to turn.
• Add opposition into the activity. At first the opponent should be playing at less than full speed-intensity. Increase speed-intensity.

Observation #2: With the increasing loss of daylight, practices must be economical as possible. We always recommend all fitness be done with the ball. At this time of the year it is even more pertinent. John Ellinger, former coach of the U17 national team, stated that during to the US national team’s preparation for the 1998 World Cup qualifications, the team did fitness training with the ball.

If the national team does their fitness with the ball, youth coaches should do the same.

Suggestions:

• Eliminate laps, lines, and lectures in your practices. All three of these ‘L’ are time spent without the ball and make players' minds wander away from soccer.
• Make all activities involve small groups with the ball and movement. At a recent high school recreation game I watched twenty minutes of action and not once during this period were more than four players running at a time. I know the teams playing must spend large amounts of practice time in the three ‘L’. The level of the game was dismal.
• The more movement and repetition in a practice equal more fitness and technical development. Use rapid training techniques.
• Recognize that all 1vs1 activities incorporate fitness with the ball.
• Place spare balls around the field for immediate restarts and constant fitness.

Observation #3: During a recent U17 Wags game, I witnessed the goalkeeper use her hands just outside the box. The referee whistled the offense and the goalkeeper handed the ball to the opponent and turned her back to retreat to the goal. The player with the ball placed the ball down and moved away for a team mate from across the field to take the restart. I mentioned to the coaches with me that we just witnessed 20 years of failed coaching. Neither player realized that the ball could be restarted immediately. The goalkeeper should have retreated with the ball facing the play until the referee or opponent asked for it. The player who was handed the ball should have passed the ball into the empty net while the goalkeeper had her back to the play. It is presumed both players have been playing the game for at least ten years and they did not recognize that tactics required during this situation. As coaches, we need to make players aware of quick restarts.

Suggestions:

• Make sure your players know that soccer allows for quick restarts. All sports have different rules. In basketball, the referee is required to touch the ball every time the whistle is blown. This is done to make sure all players have the opportunity to be ready. Soccer does not have this rule.
• Make sure your players are aware that if they request ten yards to be given by the referee a second whistle must be blown prior to restarting. Only have them ask for ten yards when they do not have an advantage from a quick restart.
• Add direct and indirect kicks to your games. Call them at opportune times to see how your players react.
• Applaud good decisions and correct bad decisions in regard to the restarts.
• Place spare ball around the field so that players can bring balls played out of bounds back into play quickly.
• Require all players move into advantageous spaces as soon as a call is made.