Fostering the best playing environments
Walter Clapton posted this… on LINKED IN… He’s a coaching educator with US Soccer and Executive director of South Carolina Youth Soccer
WHAT DOES “fostering the best playing environments” mean to you.
I wanted to RAMBLE ON about it for a bit because it’s a topic that I’m obviously passionate about after 26 years of coaching.
My coaching philosphy has seen a lot of changes over the years but something that has always been important to me is giving the kids I’m coaching the best opportunity to fall in love with the game in some way. They may NEVER be a great player but they could go on to be a great fan/supporter or do something later in their lives like coach and teach others how to love the beautiful game. Due to my accident when I was younger, I never developed my left foot. By NEVER, I mean NEVER!!! It’s still terrible… but I’m able to share that terrible experience with other players to help them get better at using their weak foot. MORE RAMBLING BELOW :)
CLUB SOCCER drains me at times, both as a coach and as a parent:
The constant change of leagues by clubs to try and find "what is best for them" is resulting in games being played hours away when there is plenty of competition locally. Case in point- traveling two hours away to play clubs that are in the same city that you are in. This needs to be something that US Soccer and USYS look into when it comes to doing what is best for the players involved in play and the families that are trying to give their children oppportunites to get better.
While I understand we are looking to improve our TOP LEVELS, all of the fostering the love of the game starts with the idea of fostering the best playing environments. We need to be aware that the work starts at the grassroots level when it comes to getting kids to have fun and fall in love with the game first.
Let the kids play.
It's a game. Games are supposed to be fun.
While there's a drive to win as they get older, they have to be willing to make mistakes without being pulled from the game. There can't be FEAR of losing playing time because they took a chance and made a mistake.
My boys U11 team won their first match of the Fall yesterday. I've refused to go away from playing the game the way that it should be played. I know the losses have been getting to them but, they are getting better with each outing. They don’t always see it because we aren’t getting the result but yesterday, they saw how fun it can be to play the game the right way, and execute the game plan. We continue to try and hold possession, move the ball, and encourage creative play and movement off the ball. What I won't do, is have them just clear the ball from the back and try to chase the ball down like the dump and chase in hockey just to get a quick goal. We rely on our using the width of the pitch, moving off the ball, and continuing to work together and score TEAM GOALS
I am guilty of celebrating the person that had the assist usually even more than the player that scored the goal. I know that annoys the goal scorers at times, but they get that praise from their parents! Praising the play that led to the transition... the defender that won the ball back and started the transitional play. I’m a huge proponent of continuing to praise them even when we don't execute but they had the right idea.
At times, I feel like a broken record "right idea, we just didn't execute exactly what we wanted there… keep working" They are 10- and not always on the same page as of yet. My excitement right now as a coach, we're at least all in the same book!!!
Fostering the best playing environments to me is putting your players in the position to be successful, allowing them to grow with the game, take chances, and learn from their mistakes.
