Today is the 7 year anniversary of
@SoccerPulseApp
🎂
When I coded it for the 1st time on iOS and released it on the App Store on April 4 of 2017, I would have never imagined that we'd be where we are now.
As my life has changed and SP has grown, a few things have become clear
Iceland Head Coach 2 days after being eliminated from the World Cup. Incredible mentality to be in a position of that stature and still choose to referee young youth players. How many coaches can you say that about?
Free coaching tool
Bayern Munich put TONS of full unedited sessions on their Youtube channel. Very interesting to observe total session time, the work to rest etc.
Definitely check it out
Unpopular opinion - most game warm ups are way too long and end up fatiguing players for the game instead of priming them to perform.
If your warm up is > 30 mins, it's too long
There's been an epidemic of ACL tears in girls soccer recently.
On average, I see approx 2 ACL tears per team PER SEASON.
In 4 years working with the RL South Girls at CISC, we had 4 ACL tears total in 24 seasons
(6 teams x 4 yrs = 24 seasons).
Here's how we did it 🧵
The US soccer public will never raise their tactical understanding of the game until US commentators and "pundits" can actually talk about what ARG is doing to FRA without using phrases like "keep pounding".
Is it too much to ask to offer even the smallest insights?!
Where are the Dempsey's, Demerit's, and McBride's US Soccer used to produce?
A thread on the DA, where we went wrong 13 years ago, and where we're potentially headed.
US Soccer should discount all coaching courses at 50% until they figure out what they’re doing, because the failure of the MNT is devaluing the licenses everywhere except in the closed ecosystem that they’ve built.
If a player doesn’t fall in love with their ball during social distancing, it ain’t happening chief.
Top players will leave this situation BETTER than they entered it
Yearly reminder that overloading players in preseason (2x per day) does more harm than good.
Contrary to popular belief, players who are unfit need to do LESS and gradually re-build fitness.
Overload too much too soon, and you'll quickly have a preseason disrupted by injuries!
Unpopular opinion: Coaches should also work on improving their technique.
If I ask a player to knock a 40 yard driven pass and I can't demo it perfectly, what credibility do I have?
If there are parents out there considering leaving their club because they are no longer DA, consider this:
A player will improve based on the daily environment they are in, not the league.
The value of coaches, teammates, and training will ALWAYS supersede league play.
Sure, Pep is a top class manager.
But has he ever had to run a training session by himself for 18 players where 5 are stuck in traffic, 2 have school functions and 1 is on vacation?! 😂
Another one of my favorite rondos (stole this from FC Barca Femeni)
2 Teams of 7-9 players
⚔️ 1 Team Attacking
🛡️1 Team Defending
Every 4 passes = 1⃣ pt
Every 1⃣ pt, another defender joins
5 balls to score the most points
❌ Soccer is NOT an endurance sport
✅ Soccer is a maximum intensity (inter) action sport.
🙏 Don't train your players to be distance runners or technical robots
If I see one more youth training session starting with kids running 2 full laps around 😡😡😡
Raise their HR and increase blood flow with dribbling or rondos or passing instead!!!
In youth football (U14 and below) goals must be scored inside the box.
See way too many goals from "unrealistic" scenarios where the ball loops over the keepers head.
This validates shots from locations that usually do not go in at the older ages.
How to create a 4v3 overload in defensive third off of a goal kick (Most youth teams press with just 3 forwards)
Created with
@TacticalPad
Finalizing this game model presentation this week so if anyone wants it, please DM me!
Shouting is not coaching.
Berating and swearing is not coaching.
Educating is coaching.
Intervening at the right moment is coaching.
Giving your players belief in their abilities is coaching.
Trusting them is coaching.
Making them better people is coaching.
A more realistic example...
How to break a 4v4 in the defensive third off a goal kick to create a 3v2 overload in wide areas
Created with
@TacticalPad
Objective is to have a player receive the ball facing forward in the middle third.
The negatives of marrying someone who plays/played soccer
Wife was dreaming last night that she was in a game and kicked me so hard in the back I am bruised this morning 😐
I was able to play 4 years of Division 1 soccer at
@FairfieldStags
I got to play overseas in Ireland and Germany.
Not a single school called me on June 15th!
#SundayShare
Sample Match warm up for the CISC USL2
Set Up - Two 20x8 Grids (split into two 10x8s)
Warm Up Order:
Ankle Activation / Mobility
Arm Skips
Quad Stretch / Lunges
Side Shuffles / Karaoke
Side Lunge / Elbow to Instep
4v2s (2 touch)
Back Pedal
Butt Kicks
Hamstring
One more example... how to break down a 4-5-1 by creating a 3v2 overload in wide areas
1⃣ Defensive Mid drops in to create 3v1
2⃣ Center backs can push wider
3⃣ 3v2 in wide areas with 11/3/5 or 4/7/2
Created with
@TacticalPad
Emma Hayes firmly putting her fingerprint on this team with playing style. Best USWNT performance against a legit team in a LONG time.
Managers can make a team 30% better or 70% worse.
Only negative from today was wasteful in final 1/3. Crazy to say when you score 4!
Hot take re US Soccer Court Filing:
US Soccer will lose more revenue in the long run from coaches and fans who will no longer pay for their product after seeing their court argument, than they would have lost had they just paid the women what they demanded.
🧵Thread on what Football Fitness really is, KPIs, and the lens through which fitness coaches and head coaches should measure their success/failures in this area.
If you don't have a fitness background or playing background, hopefully this will help you!
Let's dive in 🔎
Interesting comment from a parent today
“Looking back, the worst thing my daughter did was accepting that spot on the ECNL team”
Similar to college, it’s about right fit for the player, not necessarily the “highest level”
If college sports do happen this fall, it would be a great opportunity to transition into full year schedule with 8-10 games per fall/spring and conference only (1 match per wk)
Less travel, less games, more time spent on studies, more training time, and more MEANINGFUL games.
Short 🧵on why I prefer the 2v2 + 2 rondo vs the standard 4v2
Disclaimer - I almost ALWAYS used to do 4v2 in warm ups and still do on occasion, but I think 2v2 + 2 is superior for a few reasons
📐 Angles constantly change
⚽️ Players are forced to re-orientate themselves
Great 1st webinar session today with over 200 coaches!
If you missed it, you can watch the replay here:
Up tomorrow, we have
@BeastModeSoccer
! You don't want to miss that one!
CISC USL2 Passing Pattern (Ajax/United Inspired)
2 players in the middle work opposite each other (one goes high, the other low)
Always play to the top player - Freedom to decide where ball goes next after that
Works best with 8 players.
Finishing around the box
1v1 / 2v1 / 3v1 Options
Set Up
1 Player Back to Goal
1 Defender
3rd Attacker Out Wide
1⃣ Can go 1v1 directly
2⃣ Can bounce for 2v1
3⃣ Involve 3rd man by splitting mannequins
My personal take, is that by changing the system to eliminate high school and “outside” teams, we’ve pushed players away from the “grind” and towards entitlement.
We may be producing more "technical/tactical" players, but the improvement is not significant enough...
Your game model doesn't have to be complex...
It just needs to describe HOW you play:
Attacking
⏺️ Possess
⚪️ Mix
⚪️ Direct
Defending
⏺️ High Press
⚪️ Mix
⚪️ Low Block
Att Trans
⚪️ Counter Attack
⏺️ Mix
⚪️ Retain Possession
Def Trans
⚪️ Counter Press
⏺️ Mix
⚪️ Drop Deep
Final
@SundayShare10
before Regionals this weekend with the CISC 07s
⚽️ - Moving Rondo (4v2 -> 2v1 -> 4v2)
Connect 3 passes to advance to next grid
🥅 - Defenders score in mini goals
⏲️ - 2 minute rounds (change def after 1 min)
🌬️ - Moderate Intensity
🗓️ - MD-3/MD-2
I love coaching youth soccer, but I think the worst/hardest part is the tryout process.
I've heard of some coaches who look forward to it, but for me, it's the least enjoyable part 😓
If I was a 17 year old kid who REALLY wanted to make it as a pro, I would skip college, find a lower division team in Germany, enroll in an online education platform, and find a day job.
That might be risky, but sometimes the riskiest move is not making a move at all.
At youth level, I'd rather a team have 70% possession consistently and not win every game, vs 30% and win more games.
Learning to win IS important and a key part of development, but having more of the ball consistently is even more important.
Moving Rondo from last night with the
@independence_sc
07 RL - they did a great job with this!
⚔️+1 Point for end to end
🛡️Defenders score in counter goals
⚽️ 3 passes before advancing
⏲️ 1.5 min rounds
Players shift to create a new 4v2 (2v1 in middle grid)
Filmed on
@veocamera
Moving Rondo 8⃣v4⃣
3⃣ Grids
4⃣v2⃣ in starting grid
2⃣v1⃣ in middle grid
2⃣v1⃣ in end grid
Must play through the thirds to score a point
3⃣ Players in middle grid join the 2v1 grid = 4v2
4 🥅 goals for DEF to score in
Stole this from
@DanielRidenhour
!
Sorry US Soccer. We have a 4v1 / 5v2 in EVERY training session, including our match day warm up. To say it has improved the players would be a massive understatement.
Social distancing positional game we did today with 04s and 05s
7v4 to goal
🔺 Two touch
🔺 Interceptions Only
🔺 No entering player boxes
On 8th pass, team can go to goal unopposed
Feel free to RT/Share
I’m honestly surprised no one has brought a lawsuit against High School Conferences for the number of games they make their teams play and resulting injuries.
18 games in 2.5 months is insanity.
Michelle and I decided that having a newborn baby wasn’t exciting enough, so we decided to buy our first house too.
Officially South Carolina residents ✅
Some of my favorite in game coaching cues
⚽️ *Lost Possession*
🗣 “React!”
⚽️ *Not on to play forward*
🗣 “Start Again!”
⚽️ *Multiple losses in possession*
🗣 “Connect!”
What are yours?
6v6 + 3 Directional Possession Game from last night
2 Neutral CBs in back zone
3 mini goals
Must go back to CBs before starting attack to big goal
If possession regained in back zone, score in 3 mini goals.
Works well for encouraging increased tempo once 1st line is broken
Do not coach the personality out of your players.
If they love flicks and tricks, help them channel it into the right areas.
If they are a great passer, get them hitting diagonal balls
Improve them in every other area and channel how they express themselves.
Random thought...
Anyone ever start their rondos in training from a throw-in?
The number of times I see teams lose possession from throw ins is mind blowing.
This virus has been the biggest test of personal accountability in the history of the world for athletes.
The ones who have been consistent, adaptable, and hard working during this period will hit the ground running when training begins.
The ones who didn't will fall behind.
Man United - SL and DL Broad Jump Test
⚽️ - Test of Explosiveness
🌬️ - Easily Repeatable
🗓️ - Preseason baselines established
United are testing their players SL and DL broad jump. This is a test of lower body power and Man United uses the SL variation to compare R and L sides
It is my honest opinion, as a player and a coach, that conditioning small sided games with a very high intensity, can be one of the most rewarding and fun activities at training.
If you ever want a player to miss training, design the entire session around trying to help them, and I guarantee they will miss due to some crazy circumstance.
Happens every time!
Here's a real, specific fitness test you can run with your team in preseason: Play 6v6 games to 2 large goals. 4 min sets. 2 min rest. Record how many games you can play before the tempo drops considerably. Try and beat that by the end of the season.
#specificity
"If every training session looks and feels great, you're doing more showing off than actual work. The optimal training environment should meet at the edge of stability and chaos." 💬
Agree? Disagree?
Has anyone else noticed at the youth level that being too dominant in possession hurts the team in terms of scoring chances? Opponent becomes too compact behind the ball and a lack of expansive shape means more difficult for attacking team to break down or counter? Or just me 🤷♂️
Preseason has returned, which means so has 3x sessions per day, insane fitness testing, and other craziness 🏃♂️
Players who are coming off of holiday are UNFIT! 🌅
Severely overloading UNFIT players is the best way to injure them! 🚑
Instead, build them gradually! 💪
Your game model doesn't have to be super detailed (anything is better than nothing), so long as you've identified how you want your team to play in the 4 moments of the game (+ set pieces).
This is the starting point for determining how demanding your playing style is.
If coaches only learn one thing about soccer fitness, it should be that it is NOT an endurance sport.
It is a maximum action intermittent recovery sport and should be trained as such.
PSA: Soccer players should not train like XC runners.
Your level of fitness has very little to do with your 2 mile time and everything to do with how fast you can recover after sprinting at max velocity.
Being game fit is not an objective steady-state pace to aim for.
@coach_swalwell
@JamesClear
"How to Fail at Everything and Still Win Big" by
@ScottAdamsSays
is also fantastic for developing systems that will help you succeed, no matter what you are doing.
When you make a player a neutral in training, you reduce their load by about 2/3, because you eliminate defensive and transition actions.
Remember this for players who are
1️⃣ Returning from injury
2️⃣ Undergoing a growth spurt
3️⃣ Training at higher age group
Into our U14 game today. mid 70s, sunny, unlimited subs.
Coach comes up to me and politely says “what do you think about water breaks today?”
Replied we didn’t need it bc we both had 5 subs.
Coach shouts “IF 1 OF MY PLAYERS PASSES OUT THATS ON YOU!”
Would a story like Rui Faria ever happen in the US? Didn't play pro at any level, was a PE teacher, met Mourinho at the Camp Nou for a seminar and became one of the most successful assistant managers in the world.
Now onto... Attacking in the Middle Third
How to change the point of attack and pull players out of position.
✅6 checks away hard and drops deep to create space
✅Change point of attack to 4
✅2 and 7 exchange to pull 11 into uncomfortable position
Created with
@TacticalPad