Has the Art of Tackling Disappeared?

by Coach Lee on April 21, 2010

I’m watching the Champions League semi-final between Bayern Munich v Lyon. Frank Ribery was sent off during the last 10 minutes of the first-half. The challenge looked innocuous when watching it without the replays, but when the replays where shown, it was clear that Ribery went over the top of the ball and into the [...]

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Coaching Soccer Through Small-Sided Games

by Coach Lee on February 10, 2010

When I first started coaching I asked a lot of questions about different kind of soccer drills. However, the one thing wrong with drills, is that they only teach one part of the game – there is no room for transition into defense or attack, or allows off the ball movements.
If you break down different [...]

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The Four ‘R’s of Coaching Soccer

by Coach Lee on January 26, 2010

Regardless of the level of soccer you coach, from Rec to College, you have an important job. Impressionable youngsters are looking to you as an example, as someone to lead and teach them. How you react, how you talk to them, how you encourage them, are all lasting memories that they will take with them [...]

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Soccer Training Session: Passing and Possession Drill

January 20, 2010

I’ve always wanted to share some of the soccer drills I use with my team. So, every week I’m going to publish one of the lesson plans that I’ve used in the past three years whilst coaching youth soccer.
The drills will be a mix of:

Technical
Tactical
Coerver

Before publishing just any soccer drill I have some criteria:

No (or [...]

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Winter Soccer League Objectives

January 8, 2010

This winter some of my team are participating in a Futsal league which starts tomorrow. I’m taking a parity team, and I have several objectives for the boys:

Improve Their Ball Control: The game of Futsal is a fast paced game, and at times last season we seemed just a little off the pace both with [...]

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An Interview with Jared Montz

January 5, 2010

Today we had the pleasure of interviewing Jared Montz. Jared is a former MLS player with the Chicago Fire, and now is the owner of the first Online Soccer Academy.

Jared, tell us a little bit about yourself – your playing and coaching background.
I played college soccer with Lynn University. The team was made up [...]

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When to Choose a Designated Goalkeeper

January 1, 2010

My roster for my U10 Boys team is about 17-18 and I have four or five who play as keeper. One of the problems I run into, is that my goalkeepers are some of the more talented outfield players.
To counter this, I have one Keeper play in goal one half, and another Keeper play [...]

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What Every Youth Soccer Coach Needs for Christmas

December 24, 2009

When I think back over the last season, I can think of five things that I can attribute to the success of my soccer team – note, I define success as player development, and improvement. Winning championships is secondary (albeit a nice achievement).

A Good Manager: I think one of the reasons my U10 boys have [...]

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Soccer Technique: Preparation Touch

December 13, 2009

In our post earlier on in the week, Improving a Soccer Player’s First Touch, I discussed how critical it is for a soccer player to be comfortable controlling a ball with both feet. A player who’s one-sided has a distinct disadvantage in the modern game.
In my effort to put increased emphasis on my soccer team [...]

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Improving a Soccer Player’s First Touch

December 7, 2009

I tell my soccer player’s that their preparation touch is one of the most important touches they can make in the game. That one touch can make all the difference. Having a good first touch is vital for young soccer players (and soccer players of all ages).
A lot of the time I see balls bounce [...]

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