Secrets To Creating SPECIAL POINTS OF A Winning Team INTEREST: • Build your PART ONE most successful team around the strengths of your players. • Read about two systems in this A message from Neil... issue and look out for more technical Welcome to the "Secrets To Creating A Winning Team" reports soon on other forma- tions. Wow, what a title. The Secrets To • With all of the Creating A Winning Team. But, isn't junior information in and youth soccer all about development? Junior Soccer Coach, you will Shouldn't they only be playing for fun and be able to enjoyment? If you push them too hard, build, develop they'll be turned off by the game, too much and motivate your team to pressure, won't they? be the best Neil Travers they can be! www.JuniorSoccerCoach.com There are all kinds of idea's and notions that are thrown around when it comes to INSIDE THIS coaching junior and youth soccer, some So please bear with me. Thanks.) ISSUE: good and some bad. When I talk about creating a winning soccer team, some Choosing A 6 coaches and parents shake their heads However, I do know how to manage, System "its not about winning, it's about motivate, inspire, organize, lead and enjoyment!". communicate. I have had a burning The Best 7 a 8 passion for the game since I could stand Side Formation on two feet and kick a ball. These comments tend to be from coaches How To Play 10 who haven't a clue about building and The 4 3 3 managing a soccer team. For the last 7 years, I have increasingly become fascinated by the development Small Sided 12 Games and coaching of junior and youth players But what qualifies me to write this book for and have studied all facets of the game to Functional & 18 you? Who is Neil Travers? become a UEFA qualified coach. Extended Play 10 Of The Best 21 Well for a start, I never played professional But when I first got involved in soccer Game soccer. (I know all the Brits who read this coaching I wasn't qualified I was just an Conditions book suddenly become all patriotic to our enthusiastic parent, who knew the game 3 Drills For You 24 national game and say we don't play and wanted to ensure that 20, five year To Try soccer, but I am going to call it soccer in olds were given the opportunity to kick a this book because that's how its referred to ball around in a semi structured, safe by the 10's of millions of "football" coaches environment. around the world. PAGE 3 Secrets To Creating A Winning Team My soccer coaching education began rules apart from "bad fouls", plenty of when I started to buy books and sweat, grass stains and happy video's. What I immediately noticed on memories. Sound familiar, it should do the video's was that facilities where the for many because this is how the video's were shot were immaculate! majority of the adult coaching world learned to play soccer. Manicured pitches, zonal squares etched into the pitch, full size as well Street corners, back-alley ways, a as junior and youth goals all erected, piece of open grass, the park it didn't no end of soccer coaching aids, cones, matter as long as there was enough collapsible goals, hoops, poles, pop up space to set up a pitch with a goal. goals, hurdles, the list of equipment Lots of 1v1, 2v2, 2v3 situations until Use a pre-season seemed never to end. other players arrived and then contracting session joined in. to keep parents And then my most important happy. observation... no parents on the Mixed age groups regularly played sideline. together anything from 6 to 15. One thing I remember was a sense of fairness, some of the good (also known Don't get me wrong, this is not going to as skillful) older lads would take some be a parent or guardian bashing book, “Managing the of the smaller younger boys on to their but in my experience you have to team to even the contest up; however sideline is just as manage the sideline just as much as everyone would get stuck in as soon as you coach and manage the team. In important as the game kicked off. the rest of the book we'll be talking managing the more about how to do this. team itself!” Here are a couple of phrases and games to jog your memory: Then another light bulb moment struck me. Whatever happened to just Neil Travers throwing down a couple of jumpers for • Stick or running goalie goal posts. • Headers and volleys • World cup ( one goalie, 6 All of a sudden, junior and youth outfielders all playing knockout soccer has gone hi-tech. So let’s roll against each other to get back the clock for a second and think through to the next round) about how we all learned to play • 3 goals and in the game... • Keepie uppies A bit of nostalgia… • One bounce No cups or medals, quite often odd What's different today…? numbered, self selected teams; no real www.JuniorSoccerCoach.com SECRETS TO CREATING A WINNING TEAM PAGE 4 Secrets To Creating A Winning Team Ever wondered where soccer broken glass, beer cans, filling in the education take place today? Where molehills, clearing away the "angry you live, how close is the nearest area teenagers" who just want some where your players could practice as attention and wait for our squad to described above? Here are a few of arrive (even if only half of them turn up) our observations… We then make the best of what facili- ties & abilities we have at our disposal. For a start there are less street corners, more cars on the roads and If you are one of these people, I salute most pieces of open land now have you. You are a rare breed and you houses built on them. We are probably deserve more recognition and praise Developing more protective and cautious about our that you probably get. In a small way, I Teamwork and children's whereabouts than our hope that you read this book and learn togetherness are just parents had to be. The threat of an something new. as important as angry neighbour destroying practice developing because "the ball keeps going on the Even if its just one small thing. Or if it technique and skill. grass"! Were these very same makes you think about something neighbours never children themselves? different, or simply brings a smile to your face and you know that others are “Football is a The other thing is there are more and facing similar situations just like you simple game more distractions that fight for soccer then I have succeeded. If any of this players attention, X Boxes, applies to you I would love to hear from made Playstations, DVD's, never ending you. complicated by channels on digital TV all keeping children off the streets, children who people who Simply email me at... could be tomorrow's soccer players! should know [email protected] ...and let me know whether you better” I hope I am striking a chord with you enjoyed this book. If you have any now about how we all learned to play Bill Shankly stories about your own soccer soccer. It wasn't at some professional coaching experiences, let us have Liverpool Manager team’s academy, where the facilities them too. 1968 were five star and I doubt very much that you get to coach your players on such grounds either. I know there will OK, so what's in this book? be one or two academy staff who read this manual, if you are one of them and you train your players on such facilities, You are going to find some of my hints, kneel down every night and thank your tips and insights into coaching, lucky stars. managing and running a winning soccer team. In the season 2005/06, my team managed to negotiate their For the rest of us, who don't have that way through 30 games, unbeaten. luxury, I suppose we'll have to carry on, That's right... 27 wins, 3 draws, 0 picking up the dog muck, removing the www.JuniorSoccerCoach.com SECRETS TO CREATING A WINNING TEAM PAGE 5 Secrets To Creating A Winning Team losses. 85 goals for, 13 against. IN THIS COACHING MANUAL Although you are going to get many insights here, you will find more in • Choosing A Soccer System depth information in the pages of www.JuniorSoccerCoach.com • The Best 7 A Side Formation So I hope that you enjoy this guide and • How To Play a 4 3 3 Formation it brings your team some of the • Using Small Sided Games To success that we have enjoyed! Develop Techniques & Skills Very best wishes • Functional Play • Ten Of The Best Small Sided A happy team is a Game Conditions winning team. • Small Sided Passing Game • 7 v 5 Possession Game • How To Manage The Touch Line Neil Travers Effectively. www.JuniorSoccerCoach.com “I would rather play ugly football and win Inside Tactics than play Your FREE Soccer Tip Of The Week. beautiful football and If you have been sent this soccer coaching guide by a fellow coach and like the information contained in it you can get a free soccer coaching tip lose.” every week delivered straight into your inbox.