Vince Ganzberg

Director of Education of Indiana Youth Soccer

Before going into some of these myths, I would like to recognize that the travel and recreation clubs in our state are doing a fantastic job. This is evident in all the smiling faces and more kids playing soccer. In addition, record numbers of Indiana players, teams and clubs are finding success at the regional and national levels.

For example. Lauren Cheney, a product of good recreational, travel and ODP programs, represented our country at this year’s Summer Olympics and became the first ever soccer player from Indiana to win a gold medal. We have two young men Perry Kitchen and Eriq Zavaleta that are in the men’s US Soccer residency program. The Indiana Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program is producing more regional and national pool players and performing well at the ODP Regional and National Tournaments. Several Indiana Youth Soccer member clubs have advanced teams to new heights at the US Youth Soccer Regional and National Championships that take place every summer. The Carmel United U16 boy’s won the first ever US Soccer Academy Development title last summer that was broadcasted nationally on ESPN. Throughout the broadcast, this team was called a "Cinderella story." That is the perception that we have about soccer in our state nationally, but with these recent success stories, perhaps that perception is beginning to change.

Everyone is responsible for the success above, and we are doing a great job working together for the good of youth soccer. By celebrating our success and identifying additional opportunities for improvement, we can continue to grow and develop as a state organization, member clubs, teams, coaches, players and parents. By recognizing how myths about youth soccer in our state impede the game, we can work together through education and discussion to build an even brighter future. Let’s look at some of the common myths identified by Tom Farrey in his book Game On and how they are applicable to Indiana Youth Soccer.

The United States is very unique in its drive to organize young children. Structure is one of the main elements of baseball, basketball and football. But structure and organization doesn’t always equal success. For example, the Dominican Republic doesn’t really organize their kids even in baseball yet they produce some of the very best players and teams. Many great players that have played the game of soccer weren’t organized into structured clubs, teams, trainings and games as young children.

Farrey explains, "Zinedine Zidane, the three time World Player of the Year, who retired after the 06’ World Cup, received instructions as a teenager in one of the French federation’s regional training facilities-but no one, including Zizou, would suggest that the origins of his sorcery began there. His exquisite feel for the ball was developed years earlier in the crowded, government-built projects of Marseille, messing around on the gravel of his town’s central square and in the living room of his family’s apartment where, through his trial and error, all the lights got smashed out." (Farrey, 94)

One way to bring about more unstructured play in youth soccer is to let the kids play more at the end of training with less coaching. For more on this method, please see the IN the NET August 08 archives at .indianayouthsoccer.org Keep in mind that the idea of less structure and more play is often a difficult concept for some to grasp. Education is the key.

I had an experience this past fall when I ran a practice for a U9-10 academy group. I let the children play 4v4-5v5 small sided games at the end of training for about 20 minutes. I pretty much let them play, as did their coach. We made little comments to the players as the games endured but never stopped the game. During this time, a parent, while having good intentions, was shouting instructions to his child. When asked to refrain from yelling or giving instruction, the parent indicated that he was making sure his child was learning. This is a common occurrence that can be overcome by increased education and communication.

US Youth Soccer’s Directors of Coaching throughout the country recently revisited our "Position Statements." One of these position statements is to encourage recreation clubs throughout the country to adopt more "play dates" vs. a traditional league scheduling approach. I strongly believe in the benefits of the "Play Date" approach and believe that we should offer the opportunities of this format to our youngest player across the state. The "Play Date" approach basically consists of players coming together on a day/night to receive training from a group of certified (educated) coaches. These are, or should be, coaches that have gone through the National Youth License and have a background in both soccer and youth development. These groups of coaches lead the activities for a period of time and then allow the kids to break off and play their small sided game.

Those who are opposed to a more unstructured environment usually cite reasons such as: kids want to be on teams (which they do), need uniforms, etc. However, the "Play Date" approach can still allow for elements of the team environment. Kids can still play on set teams, have uniforms and sponsors. On a "Play Date" all kids would have equal opportunity to experience consistent training from a certified coach. After the age-appropriate training activities players go with a "team" and a "coach" to play a small sided game.

The small sided game should have very minimal coaching allowing the players to "figure things out" while a parent volunteer monitors the game in a less stressful environment for all. The whole training can be done in an hour and every player receives an age appropriate lesson by educated coaches that allows kids to not only play at soccer but play soccer!

Only in America are we in such a rush to push our kids into a busy schedule of structured practices, lessons and extra-curricular activities. This is also true for soccer. In a recent conversation, a Director of Coaching for a club relayed that younger players are becoming more "mature." Likewise, there are more parents who have had a background in playing soccer. For these reasons, there are some clubs who believe they need to offer kids who are seven or eight-years-old something more "competitive" than a recreational soccer environment.

While there is no question that children are more "advanced," per say, due to earlier exposure to technology and education, the question is do these kids really understand how to "play" and/or to think on their own? If we organize them into teams, condition them into roles and answer all the questions, how will they learn to think on their own? This is a question that extends beyond soccer. For example, schools today teach "passing the test" to ensure high scores on standardized tests which translates to school funding. In some areas, this means recess is being cut, thereby leaving out a very important part of a child’s normal development. By organizing too soon

and applying competitive pressure so early in life, we may be hampering our children’s natural ability to creatively problem-solve and self-organize.

In soccer, players from free play countries like Brazil, Argentina, France, and African nations are more advanced than players from more restrictive environments such as the USA. These players grow up in an environment where they see the game, live and breathe it, and play largely unorganized as youth. If there is organization, it is done by certified coaches.

Research has shown that it takes approximately 10,000 hours to develop an "elite" athlete vs. 30,000-40,000 hours to break a bad habit or technique. This is why it is important that the emphasis should be on playing rather than competing at young ages. Unfortunately in America, adults often organize the youngest of players to win games - keeping two players back, constantly yelling instructions, reinforcing habits in players that may not serve them well at higher levels and focusing on the outcome rather than the process.

What is the magical age to have kids start playing select/travel soccer? In a survey of college coaches conducted five years ago, the youngest age suggested was 11 with the oldest being 14. These are college coaches who see the end result and whose jobs are dependent on the outcome.

• Current tight end Tony Gonzalez was also a basketball player in college

• Cynthia Cooper started basketball at the age of 16

• Tim Duncan was a competitive swimmer for most of his youth

• Andy Roddick played basketball through high school

• Roger Federer played soccer into his early teenage years

How can we best serve not only the early bloomers, but the late bloomers and the multi-sport athletes as well? One idea for clubs who do wish to offer some of their U8 players a different opportunity is to register them as recreation plus players. This "rec +" designation allows clubs to contact other clubs nearby (within 30 minutes of each other) to arrange some interclub 4v4 games and prepare players for the U9/U10 Academy environment.

It has been one year since we have implemented the Academy style for U9 and U10 travel soccer. While there have been many positive elements that have come out of this idea, there is always room for active improvement.

• Referee Training - Academy dates frequently serve as an opportunity for young referees to officiate a game under the tutelage of more experienced referee. It is vital that we have a training ground for these youngest of referees to experience and officiate a "travel" level game.

• Coach Training - We are seeing an influx of young coaches who played the game as youth, return to the game as coaches. By reducing the emphasis on "winning," the Academy encourages an improved training environment for these coaches.

• Improved Sideline Behavior - The sideline behavior from what I have both seen and heard has improved drastically. This is due to a terrific effort made by clubs to educate parents and coaches about the proper developmental soccer environment.

• Club Cooperation – Clubs are working together to ensure balanced, and therefore, more competitive games.

• Club Communication – Sometimes clubs are simply NOT on the same page. There are some clubs whose philosophy is to be successful by coaching to win the game. As a result they go against the spirit of the Academy by stacking the teams. Some clubs will not move kids from one field to another in hopes of balancing out the game. This makes it less fun for the kids. No one wins with a lopsided match.

• Kicks For Cancer – While never mandatory, some clubs wanted to participate while others did not which created in confusion on some Academy dates. Clubs who did participate in this program did a great job and hopefully, their kids gained a better sense of citizenship.

• Lopsided Matches - Because clubs have different missions, newer travel clubs and clubs who had multiple teams suffered due to lopsided scores. Some clubs made a very conscientious attempt to keep the game as balanced and competitive as possible, but the blowouts became more and more frequent. Lop-sided games can indirectly lead to recruiting, as parents sometimes equate a successful club with the higher score.

• Two Games per Day – The day is simply too long for these kids. The original purpose for multi-game play dates was to implement the Kicks For Cancer program, shorten the season to four Saturdays, leave Sundays open for family time, and hopefully give players more opportunity to "train" as opposed to "playing" matches. Due to the overwhelming amount of teams involved in the Academy, the idea of skipping a weekend so that the players would have a 1:4 match-training ratio didn’t occur.

This past fall the NISL league evaluated an alternate schedule of three 30-minute "mini-matches." This approach shortened the overall day and also ended lopsided matches sooner. The game would stop, and the kids (who usually forget the result sooner than adults) were regrouped to play another match. This format also promoted an attacking soccer approach, hopefully improving attacking and defending qualities in players.

• U8 Academies – Some clubs organized U8 teams because they felt compelled to give their kids a "head start" to avoid losing members.

In November, Indiana Youth Soccer will host a Director of Coaching Summit to discuss the future of the Academy program. A proposal will be presented to "tier" the Academy system for U9’s. The proposal also suggests one match a day organized by the leagues of Indiana Youth Soccer. Finally, it is proposed that U10’s will continue being rostered onto teams unless the Director’s of Coaching recommend otherwise.

The purpose for these changes is to help balance out matches and to make sure these young players have a fun and competitive experience. A possible unintended consequence of this proposal is that it may lead to a more "A" and "B" team mentality. However, with the new club pass, players can be moved back and forth accordingly. This system will also allow expanded rosters; therefore, allowing the "late bloomer" an opportunity for development.

Club directors of coaching will have the responsibility of organizing their groups and placing them in appropriate divisions. "Red Division" would be geared for more advanced level players who would be best served playing with and against players of the same level. "Blue Division" would be ideal for clubs who are just diving into the travel aspect of youth soccer and for those clubs that have three or more teams in the U9 age bracket.

It is my hope that the Directors of Coaching will embrace at least some of this proposal to achieve a more fun, competitive atmosphere.

This is the end of Part I of this two part series.

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