Better Technique

[panasonicgeese]

Maybe this has been talked about before but watch this clip

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_7QqzsYXtI&feature=related

Ignore the fact its Brazil playing as this game is being taught in many other countries including Spain, Italy and Portugal amongst others are being taught to play. This maybe explains why we are technically inept against some world teams. Ronaldo (The Man U one) and Kaka amongst others have grown up with this type of coaching.

Futsal although a bit unknown in this country but gaining in popularity helps improve improvisation, creativity and technique and I believe one or two English clubs are now introducing it to training.

I personally think something like this should be used at the town academy to develop better an individuals skill. Its whats lacking in English football. We have some skillfull kids in the Town academy and with this type of coaching, just think how much better they could be. Gerry Murphy please note!!

Does anyone agree?

[rantinray]

Futsal is nothing more than 5 aside and we have played that for centuries. Maybe we should play it more, I know this I was playing this twice a week for years at college, that was back when electric light first came on (sorry for the pun).

[numbers]

It's 5-a-side without the walls so they get a rest.

The lay-z-ee batsards.

[Richard1986]

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TghL6LGadVM

never mind all that flowery fairy nonsense this is what we need to be practicing!

[rantinray]

I agree. We are too soft on the opponents. We need to let them know that we are around.

[panasonicgeese]

richard1986 said:

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TghL6LGadVM

never mind all that flowery fairy nonsense this is what we need to be practicing!

Good call ;D maybe this should be how Worthy introduces himself to his fellow opposition on a matchday. He always gets booked so what the hell, let the other team know he is not to be messed with

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr2Ts5CEktA&feature=related

[HuddsTerrier]

I think there's something in it, I'm pretty sure Aaron Lennon and Micah Richards both went to Simon Clifford's Futsal academy in L**ds

Coincidence that those two are probably the two best English players to come through in the last four years?

[skinner05]

panasonicgeese said:

Maybe this has been talked about before but watch this clip

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_7QqzsYXtI&feature=related

Ignore the fact its Brazil playing as this game is being taught in many other countries including Spain, Italy and Portugal amongst others are being taught to play. This maybe explains why we are technically inept against some world teams. Ronaldo (The Man U one) and Kaka amongst others have grown up with this type of coaching.

Futsal although a bit unknown in this country but gaining in popularity helps improve improvisation, creativity and technique and I believe one or two English clubs are now introducing it to training.

I personally think something like this should be used at the town academy to develop better an individuals skill. Its whats lacking in English football. We have some skillfull kids in the Town academy and with this type of coaching, just think how much better they could be. Gerry Murphy please note!!

Does anyone agree?

All i will say is look at arsenal.Their training consists of pretty much just 5 a side (which is what this is just with a smaller ball) and look how much it has improved them over the past 10 years.Makes the players think much quicker aswell as improving close control and encouraging skill.

[midge]

Interesting subject this!! (well to me anyway!!)

I have been looking at this for my lad and have got a link for anyone who is interested!!

www.icfds.com/content2/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

He went to the Socatots sessions (the pre brazilian skills stuff) from being about two which is an introduction to football learning about the foot and how to kick and trap a ball, balance etc.

I am looking at the moment to get him into the Brazilian Soccer schools. They run them all over, Hudds, Halifax,Bratfud (see from the link)

Also bought a video of the stuff they learn and the interesting thing was that apparently Michael Owen got interested in this stuff around 1999 and met with Simon Clifford (the founder). It turned out that Owen couldn't do half the stuff with the ball that these teenage kids could do!!

The final straw for me came recently when I've taken my lad to a local footy club. Like I've said on here before, they are run by well meaning dads, half of whom haven't got a clue!!!

Like I said, if you wonder why we produce the footballers we do, just go watch U7's games on a sat/sun morning!!!

[panasonicgeese]

A fantastic read Midge.

I have coached kids for a number of years and hold Level 3 Coaching Certificate/UEFA B and work on my players individual skills rather than hoofitt football.

I understand what you mean by meaningful dads but without them JFC would only be a fraction of the size it is.

My ethos is that although bigger and less skillfull kids will steamroll over smaller ones for a few seasons, eventually this levels out as the smaller ones grow and 90% of the time bigger ones than struggle to cope.

Top marks for getting your young un enrolled in a soccer skills school.

[midge]

Fair play to you for getting your badges Geese. It sounds like you're not one of the well meaning dads I'm referring to!!

But you know what I mean tho. Some dads have obviously been reasonable footballers in their time, but seem to over complicate drills telling kids to 'find space' and 'take the ball wide' which kids at 5 or 6 struggle with. These are the dads who, when it comes to matches, scream and shout and are 'win at all costs'

The other side of the coin is the geeky dads(you know the ones with the t-shirts, black work socks and hi-tech trainers!!) They are shit at football and their sons have followed suit. The drills they do are wet and meaningless and when it comes to match days it's all about 'inclusiveness' and 'giving every lad an equal go!!'

Should kids be playing games at this age!!??

I suppose at the end of the day the reason I am looking more at the skills side of things is cos it is tried and tested in many foreign countries.

The worry then is that you will produce a 'keepy uppy' champion who can't transfer that to the pitch!!

A difficult one!!!

[HuddsTerrier]

What ever it is England as a sporting nation punches well below it's weight IMO - I think attitude plays a part as well

I mean we're ten times the size of Sweden yet they've produce some excellent footballers, golfers, tennis players etc despite a similar climate (one of the excuses often used to explain Australia's sporting supremacy over us!)

[panasonicgeese]

Yes those badges took ages to get Midge but I am proud to have achieved them.

I shudder at the thought of those dads with as you say work socks and hi-tech trainers. I have a rule and no matter how tight time is from getting to training after work and that is to look like a coach and dress/act accordingly.

I'm happy to hear words of encouragement coming from parents during the game such as well done, nice try, keep going etc but as you say those dads and some mums do get carried away with win at all costs and this does affect the players. My son played in a big tournament in Germany and the parents their was very impressive. Several times one of my son’s team mates mistimed tackles and took the opponent out. What was interesting was that none of the German parents said anything and they just allowed the referee to deal with it. When that happens in this country I have heard story’s of parents/referees arguing and even fighting.

I don't mind the 6 year olds playing in organised sessions as apart from the obvious safe environment etc its should be one thing and one thing only at that age and older and that is FUN.

After a game I always discuss with my son or daughter how they have played both individually and as a team and how they could improve. Its not fun getting beat and I am very competitive. However, my ethos first and foremost is that the players enjoyed themselves first, than we look at what we can do to improve everyone.

A final point is that kids develop at different ages and some I first coached a few years ago that did not look like footballers have now developed into some of the best I have seen. Don’t write a kid off at 6 as a rubbish footballer as by 8 or older a number of them make huge leaps in ability.

[terrier67]

There's always 2 sides to teaching kids. Theres the "everyone wants to enjoy it" brigade and the "win at all costs" brigade. Trying to get people to coach juniors has to start off with dad's helping out. You just don't get the qualified coaches in enough numbers for the number of kids involved. We have over 200 kids, in 11 age groups. Every age group has at least 1 FA level one coach, we have 2 level 2's in the Club, but we just don't have the resource to put together proper training development plans. But we are trying. And you still get parents wanting to pay a quid for babysitting for a kick about for an hour. One plus - we did manage to produce Jon Worthington from our ranks before he went to Town (well that's my claim to fame!) UTT

[panasonicgeese]

terrier67 we both know how hard JFC is and getting that balance right is a huge job that gets very little appreciation.

I'm trying to work out which JFC you are that Worthy came from. I did read it in an Ask Worthy Q & A in the programme once.

All JFC's do an excellent job with very limited resources and I think the Charter Standard scheme and FA Community Clubs are a step forward.

[midge]

Don't get me wrong Terrier 67, I know dads have got to get involved but surely they need to be vetted (not just CRB checked) for some sort of clue as to what they are doing themselves (no work socks and Hi-Tech trainers!!) and some sort of ongoing supervision as to what they are teaching the kids.

I'll give you an example;

My son is 4, and was recently training with the under 7's. The drill was five balls lined up, running round a post, back to the ball, strike at goals then back round the post to the next ball. Good drill you may say!!

Well it would have been but the balls were a mixture of size 3,4 and 5 he was getting them to strike uphill, from about 18 yards with the ball placed in a rut that had been formed from years of white lining the edge of the area (if you know what I mean!!)

The question I have asked, and it would be interesting to find out, is what would you find if you went to watch Dutch, Spanish or Italian under 7's train!!!

[midge]

PS Geese and Terrier 67!!!

Please don't take offence at my comments!!!

I know you and other JFC's work very hard but I am sure you can understand the points I am making!!!

[panasonicgeese]

It should be size 3 balls only at that age upto U8's I think it is than progressing to size 4. The coach should also ensure that all have shin pads on before training starts.

Small drills that are fun is what they should be doing that develop individual skills. I don't know many if any 4 year olds who can kick 18 yards.

[midge]

That's the thing Geese, he can kick 18 yards and beyond, but not uphill from a rut!!!

It has always been commented how good he is with a ball (yeah Skip, not like his dad before you say it!!) but the problem is he tends to run rings around the 4 and 5 years old but is too small to compete fully with the 6 and 7 year olds (although he gives it a good go!!)

Thus the dilema of what to do and the looking at Brazilian Soccer Schools!!

As a qualified coach any other advice would be appreciated!!

[terrier67]

No offence taken from anyone. I was just trying to say that there are so many kids just wanting a kick about and trying to find coaches is difficult. I agree with every post on here. I would dearly love to be able to get all the coaches singing from the same training manual (we do have some very good ones) but if you don't get the quality ones, some age groups have to make do with a dad who is trying to help otherwise the age group folds and the players go somewhere else or stop playing.
As for JW - he didn't admit it was us in the Dear Jon programme! But he's done our Presentation Night (and brought Boothy with him) and we have photos to prove he was with us as a lad! I think we also had Cads when he was a youngster before Everton picked him up.
Anything that we can do to raise the standard of our youngsters has got to be good for the game in the long run. As for Dutch, Spanish and Italians - I think I would go for the Dutch skills and inter-positional stuff the Italian football mentality and the Spanish laid back attitude to things. I used to use drills from a dutch website they were great.

[midge]

Any links to the said Dutch website!!??.......the footy skills one of course!!!! ;D ;D

[terrier67]

I will see if I can dig them out......it' been a while......

[arnhemterrier]

I mean we're ten times the size of Sweden

I nearly spat out my clementine when I read that!!!!

410,934 sq km - Sweden
241,590 sq km - United Kingdom

Need more geography lessons methinks! UK is a relatively small country, it's just that people think it is bigger than it actually is!

[midge]

Cheers mate!!

PS watch out if you have any younger kids!! The wife starts as a teacher at Birkenshaw infants in Jan!!!!

[midge]

'I mean we're ten times the size of Sweden

I nearly spat out my clementine when I read that!!!!

410,934 sq km - Sweden
241,590 sq km - United Kingdom

Need more geography lessons methinks! UK is a relatively small country, it's just that people think it is bigger than it actually is! '

Maybe not ten times arnhem, but the population is around 9 million compared to 60 million.

PS Any experience of Dutch Junior football??

[terrier67]

Is that BECAUSE she teaches or because you are going to poach my stars of the future!
Good school though, good luck to her.

The international (dutch) one I used was www.soccerclinics.com but it seems to have got commercial and ask for money to join now, but the international coaches forums were interesting.
www.footy4kids.co.uk starts with the basics,etc and the drills are mostly free with links to loads of other sites. I found that variety was the main thing kids wanted, they get bored so quickly especially the young ones. The dutch stuff was all about 2 v2 and 3 v 3 games with loads of touches and possession rather than scoring to win points, etc. Good luck.

[midge]

Just meant tell the kids to watch out for her, although could get her to keep an eye out for any talented young footballers!!!

Having played against Birkenshaw both for school and at open age level, I won't hold out too much hope!!!

Thanks for the links!! Food for thought!!

What is the youngest age group you run??

[terrier67]

Under 6's.
Preferably out of nappies!

[elindalo]

But can you imagine our 'professionals' attempting that sort thing after £4000's worth of booze and sex at a 14 hour christmas bash? No doubt that is why Ronaldo was not in Manchester the other day.

[midge]

Is it Birkenshaw Juniors???

Under 6's is good cos most start at u7's!!

I may need somewhere to go if the Brazilian skills doesn't come off!!