Mixed messages on youth soccer

One of my favorite topics to read and think about is youth soccer coaching. I don't write about it much here because it's not a sociopolitical topic but here's one time I did.

Anyways, one of the common themes I read about in the soccer magazines and coaching journals is how overstructured American youth soccer. Kids don't play enough pickup soccer, which is where they learn how to be creative.

I always encourage my kids to go to the park as often as they can with their friends and just kick around or even find a wall somewhere. Some coaches don't see much value in this. If they aren't pontificating from their deep well of brilliant wisdom or drilling or running the kids into the ground, it must be a waste of time. Somehow the old maxim 'The game is the best teacher' gets lost in the shuffle.

Countries like Brazil and Argentina repeatedly produce some of the most exciting players in the world. Though 'produce' isn't really the right verb. Creative players aren't manufactured. They are fostered. Argentina and Brazil don't fabricate such players by drilling them into the ground or making them run four miles a practice. The environment in those countries allows such players to evolve. One of the reasons is that such players are playing street soccer or pickup as often as they can when they are young. There is no overcoaching to crush the creative spirit and burn them out from the game.

The other most common theme I hear from the experts is how youth soccer in the US is too obsessed with results on the field and not enough concerned with player development. This is because if I really work with a player to improve his skills or foster his creativity, the improvement might not be immediately evident until the following season... when he might be playing for another coach. The whole concept that we are all part of the development of US Soccer is something many coaches don't truly buy into.

Some coaches are mainly in it for the trophies. On the more elite clubs, coaches are paid (I'm not) so trophies are an easy way to justify their paycheck and a thing to point to when demanding parents ask why they are spending bucketloads of money. Big bucks want tangible results.

Some parents push their kids into elite soccer so they can be viewed by college scouts. Both of these factors make it so elite teams are constantly playing tournaments all over the region or even the country. Tournaments where they might be playing 3-6 games in a weekend.

The recent Soccer America magazine did a piece (not available online apparently) on the new Development Academy created by US Soccer. It includes a quote from the coach of the Under-15 (U-15) boys' national team coach. who said, "It was never more clear to me that things in our youth soccer structure needed change than at our first U-15 camp last summer when about half of the players, on the very first day of national team camp, told the coaches that they were tired of soccer."

I know many hardcore soccer nuts and when they tell you they are "tired of soccer," you know there's a serious problem. Even more so when it's at something as prestigious as a national team camp.

Soccer America actually does a lot of articles on good ways to improve youth soccer in this country, both its structure and its atmosphere. Usually it involves encouraging everyone to worry more about having fun (so as not to burn out!) and improving skills than about short-term results. But even then, the magazine itself sends mixed messages.

A friend of mine gave me sold old issues of the magazine. The cover story of the October 2006 issue: Winning at what cost? US players pay the price for the emphasis on results at the youth club level.

Then I looked at the next magazine, the September 2006 issue, which had the following headline: National youth soccer champions are crowned.

Like many in the youth soccer community, Soccer America seems to be talking out of both sides of its mouth.

I won't lie and say winning is completely irrelevant to me. I go into every game trying to win. But I am not obsessed by it. I will not refuse to play or give only derisory playing time to certain players just because it would give us a better chance to win. Not only does everyone play a lot but everyone gets a chance to play quality minutes in parts of the game that matter. I've found that some players you least expect will rise to the challenge if only given the opportunity.

I see my role as helping all players develop, not just the starters. Contrary to all the pathetic rationalizations some coaches offer, a player does not develop when he sits on the bench all the time. A player can learn something when he sits on the bench for a little bit of time, but at some point, he has to be given the chance to implement what he learns. Otherwise, the player doesn't develop. Unlike some coaches, I make a point of doing as much as I can to help the weaker players on my team. Perhaps this is related to the fact that I was/am crap as a player. And since everyone on my team plays a lot, I don't want there to be any conspicuously weak links.

I try to win but I don't obsess about results. I don't berate my players when they lose (or for any reason other than bad sportsmanship). I am more concerned about my team and kids playing the right kind of soccer. I try to instill the belief in them that if they play good skill soccer for 90 minutes, the results will take care of themselves. If nothing else, this hopefully fosters good habits and the right attitude.

I don't need trophies to justify my position. Fortunately, I've been consistently blessed with a great group of parents (and kids). If I ever get a group of either who are only worried about trophies, then they can find somebody else. I'm not getting paid. The kids aren't getting paid. I know too many people, coaches and players, who've gotten burned out on the sport because that sort of mentality. And I do everything possible to prevent that from happening to me or my kids.