HEADS UP!
December 2011
E Coaching Magazine
Contents
1. RMA- My Take After Visiting the NTK
2. 4 v 4 Training Games
3. Making Goals Safe for Your Training
4. Coaching Education Testimonials
5. Indiana Soccer Nominations Now Open
6. US Youth Soccer Concussion Procedure and
Protocol
7. Guidelines for Heading
8. Photo of the Month
RMA…it’s coming to Indiana!
I recently had the opportunity to travel overseas to Holland to gain a firsthand look at the training methods being utilized by Rene Meuhlensteen, Assistant coach for Manchester United. The aim was to see how his methodology, RMA, played a part in the overall skill development of the Dutch youth.
The first portion of the trip allowed me to see regional training at Boxmeer, NL at the Olympia FC. Youth were arranged by age groups and then instructed in the protocol for the days “NTK” (National Technical Championship) Regional Competition. The youth were put through four circuits, once in the morning and then again in the afternoon. Coaches utilized a brief review of the skill training, and then the players got busy.
The four criteria used in both sessions involved primarily: 1) individual moves and turns, 2) 1v1 to four small goals, 3) a combination of passing and 1v1 to large goal and finally 4) 4v4 to large goals. RMA trainers’ evaluated talent as the day went along, with 9 children selected for the finals to beheld two days later at the Olympic Training Center, Papendal, Netherlands.
On Sunday, the finals were held and over 900 youth from throughout the Netherlands gathered for the Championships. Youths 6-10 competed in the morning, while the 11-15 year olds took the afternoon slot.
The same circuit training scheme was utilized, with the first, second and third best players identified in each age grouping. I was joined by Marc Maxi (Indiana Soccer), Rene, and Fons van den Braden (Sports Partners NL) as the selection process was explained in determining the NTK winners.
Vision of Rene
Meulensteen
“The vision of Rene
Meulensteen, first team
assistant coach at
Manchester United, is basic
and straight forward; “the
team with the most creative
players and players who
can dominate the 1vs1
situations all over the field
will be the most successful
team in the world”. Rene’s
vision and philosophy has
proven right many times
over with the confidence
given to him by Sir Alex
Ferguson and the
continued success of
Manchester United.
This vision is now being
carried out via The Rene
Meulensteen Academy
(RMA). When analyzing the
game of soccer we can
clearly see how important it
is to have players on your
team with the ability to
dominate the 1vs1 situation.
Attack minded, crafty
players can make the
difference. Yet it appears
that during everyday club
training very little attention is
giving to this critical feature.
The Meulensteen Academy
will go deeper into the
various 1vs1 situations,
giving each coach
important insight into the
movements, when and
where they can be used
and how they affect the
game.
NTK: Technical Championships
Are you “Boss” of the ball? Are you able to make the difference on the pitch?
These are the questions that go to the heart of Rene Meulensteen’s “Moves and
Skills” philosophy that is the foundation of the US National Technical
Championship (USNTC).
The Technical Championship or USNTC series is founded on the “Moves &
Skills” teaching principles of Rene, Manchester United’s first team coach. Rene’s
methods are admired all around the world and many star players have praised
Rene for improving their game, including Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano
Ronaldo (both now playing at Real Madrid, Spain).
The USNTC allows you to train like the European professional players. Players 7 –
14 years of age will enjoy a full day of technical training and games similar to
what Manchester United Youth Academy player’s experience. In the Netherlands
this three-year-old event has grown steadily, making it now the largest youth
soccer event with 6,200 players and over 100 clubs participating.
Each player will receive a soccer ball, USNTC shirt, trophy, lunch, and a personal
certificate. The “Moves and Skills” learned will give the player the ability and
confidence to dominate any 1v1 situation on the field. At the end of the day Rene
Meulensteen Academy coaches, along with local club coaches will select the top
players of each age-category to attend the USNTC final. In the final event the skill
competition winners in each age-category will be recognized as the best technical
players of 2010 in the US.
The overall winner will earn a long weekend trip to Manchester United, the most
famous soccer club in the world! He/she will watch an English Premier League
game at Old Trafford (Manchester United’s famous field), tour the stadium and
visit the fan-shop at “The Theatre of Dreams.”
4 v 4 Training Games
Coaching via 4v4 games has been heavily influenced by the Dutch methods and philosophies. As a result,
Dutch youth teams play a lot of 4 v 4 with a few of the games detailed below.
Here are a few examples. Some you may be familiar with and others may give you ideas that you can use with
your teams.
4 Small Goals {without keepers} The goals are positioned on the end lines spread
to the width of the field. This encourages play
from flank to flank and takes the play out of the
middle of the field. The 4 goal setup encourages
directional changes. Goals may be scored from
direct passes or from a dribble. The coach may
determine the exact method of scoring – a direct
pass, a give and go, 1 vs. 1 dribble, switch fields
to score.
End Line Soccer Teams must defend the entire width of the
field. A goal is scored when the ball crosses
the end line and is under control — a dribble
or a pass received. The ball must cross the
line and be stopped to count.
Cone Accuracy Game Place cones along the end line – spacing them
apart. a goal is scored by knocking a cone down
with a pass. Once the cone is down, it stays
down. A competitive game for passing
accuracy.
Teaches players how to properly weight and
pace their ball, as well as maintaining the
accuracy needed to knock over the cone.
Long, Narrow field (40 x 15 yds.) The game is played to the length of the field, so
the shape will start with a deep forward. The
first look should be deep and then build from
there.
There is no width to speak of, so the shape will
be determined by the length. Link up quickly
with the deep set forward and go to goal. In the
transition, it is very important for the deepest
front player to break out and establish the
shape.
Combination game – 1 keeper and an end
zone goal area One team will attack the full size goal with a
keeper. The other team will play to the end
zone. To score in the end zone, the ball must
be played or received under control. No
control of the ball, no goal!
The team attacking the end zone plays
through the entire width of the field, while the
other team then must defend the same area.
Switch direction of play so that both teams
attack and defend both goals.
2 small goals and 2 line goals Play directly into the small goals and play
controlled through the line goals.
The ball must be controlled as it passes the
line goal — received by a teammate or
controlled by the dribbler.
The following is an article I took yesterday from Soccer America. I believe too many of
you young players are leaving up to your coaches or parents to secure the goals prior to
training and games. Climbing or hanging on the goals or nets, has the potential for the
goals to tip and possible cause a life threatening injury. The video at the end will show you
why!!
Making Goals Safe for Your Training By Randy Vogt
The goals are 8 yards in length by 8 feet high. The youngest age groups in youth soccer will
often use smaller goals. The goalposts must be white. Should referees come to a field with
goalposts that are not white, play the game and report the color of the goal posts to the league.
Check to make certain that there are no holes in the net that the ball could squeeze through,
such as an opening between the net and the crossbar, goalposts or the area between the net and
the ground. I cannot tell you how many times that I have been to fields that have been played
on that day in which there are several visible holes in the nets that the ref did not try and tape.
Every once in a while, the official’s view of a shot resulting in a goal will not be ideal. Perhaps he
or she was screened or was at a bad angle or the sun was in the referee’s eyes. Making certain
that there are no holes before the game eliminates potential problems on the vitally important
task of whether to count a goal during the match.
Interestingly, according to the Laws of the Game, it is not necessary for the goals to have nets.
Hopefully, every game that you will be officiating will have them. Only once in my career was I
ever confronted with refereeing a match without nets. This is a time when having your cell
phone in your referee case with important phone numbers of league officials, referees and
assignors is useful so that you can find out what the local league’s opinion is of playing a game
without nets.
Many portable or temporary goals now have wheels near the front post to help move the goals.
When you are checking the goals, make sure that the wheel is pushed back off the goal line.
Most importantly, though, is the fact that the goals must be anchored to the ground. Should
the goal not be anchored, the home team or host organization is responsible for placing weights,
sand bags, etc. on the back and sides of the goal to make certain that it will not fall over.
Should they not do this upon your prompting, do not start the game.
To illustrate how dangerous this could be, pick up one goal post off the ground to demonstrate
to all concerned how easily the goal can be dislodged. But be sure that there are no players or
others nearby when you do this!
A decade ago, I was an assistant referee for a tournament game played near where I live on
Long Island. Before the match, I checked the south goal and it was sufficiently anchored.
During the first half, the north goal, which had been checked by the other assistant referee
(AR), fell over. Obviously, the other AR did not check to see if the goal had been anchored.
Thankfully, nobody was hit or killed. The goal was immediately anchored so that the game could
continue.
There is no bigger safety issue on a soccer field than falling goals. According to the Consumer
Product Safety Commission and the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research,
from 1979 to 2008, at least 34 fatalities and 51 major injuries in the United States occurred
have been linked to unanchored or portable soccer goals. An estimated 120 people per year were
treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries stemming from soccer goalposts during the
period from 1989 to 1993. The serious injuries and deaths have been the result of blunt force
trauma to the head, neck, chest and limbs.
Most of these serious injuries and fatalities occurred during practice sessions when nobody
such as coaches or other adults checked the goals to see that they were anchored before
training began. Another concern is goals not being used for training but that remain unanchored
on soccer fields.
Taking a couple of minutes to check that the goals are anchored upon arriving at the field could
save a life and a lifetime of regret.
Please take the time to watch the
following video with your family.
Zach's Law PSA - Promoting Soccer Goal
Safety http://youtu.be/6i8KWPxb1j4
Coaching Education Testimonials “I really enjoyed the D course. After the first weekend, I found myself looking forward to the second weekend
just because of how fun and interactive the instructors made it and because of the other coaches attending.
One of the most beneficial things in this course is the amount of practice coaching we
have to do. The experience and feedback from those sessions helped me more than
anything else. I am continually building knowledge and these sessions gave me more
confidence in my own abilities. It was pretty evident that every coach there improved from
the first practice session to the last, which is a testament to the instructors.
What I learned in the D course will help me with organization and planning of training
sessions and in managing a team in different situations.
Also, the opportunity to observe different coaches, other than the ones I am around all
the time, is very valuable to me. I picked up a lot in how they phrase or demonstrate
things and learned ways to tweak the same activities I already do. It is so beneficial to be interacting and
getting ideas from other coaches. Overall, the class gives you new perspective and is a great way to make new
contacts and extend your network of fellow youth coaches in the community.”
Lisa Gebhard
Assistant Coach
IUPUI Women's Soccer
Former Player for FSV Gütersloh 2009
“I found the entire class very interesting and informative. I walked away each day with new knowledge and information. I especially liked the Analyzing the Game segments.” “As for myself, as a coach, I learned that I can utilize many of the drills I already
have in my coaching toolbox in new ways to develop different skills in my players.
Even though I came into the class with a wide berth of experience, I left feeling
like I learned a great deal to improve my coaching.”
Geoff Gordon President, NYSL
“When I attended the D coaching course the past two weekends, I really didn't know what I was getting into. I
would have to say without a doubt it was an awesome experience. I learned how to make my lesson plans flow
enough, so that when practicing them, breaks could be limited and I could jump from one activity to another
extremely fast.
I also learned a ton of new activities to bring to my teams practices. I learned new ways of how to incorporate a
goalie into the whole practice and new activities for shooting and finishing. Being a first time coach, this course
is what I am going to reference to when I am trying to think of what to do at practice next week. All that we
learned in the last two weekends are great references and ideas for my future practices. It was a great learning
process for me, not only about the new activities and how to use them in practice, but also for myself and what
kind of a coach I will be.
I learned that being a player and a coach are two completely different categories. When
I played, I demanded a lot from other players and I yelled quite a bit. Now being a coach
I learned how to approach situations a little differently and instead of demanding
something out of someone, I learned how to explain the problem and help the player
understand the reasoning to why it should be done this way as opposed to the way they
have previously done it. All in all, the course was a great experience for me and I really
enjoyed it.”
IUPUI #12 Margaret Allgeier Position: Defender
Class: Senior Height: 5-6
Hometown: Fort Wayne, Ind. High School: Bishop Dwenger
Each year, thousands of people give their time and talents to make youth soccer possible in Indiana. Most volunteer their time without thought or need of recognition, but Indiana Soccer believes that recognizing these special individuals is a wonderful way of saying thank you. Nominations for the Indiana Soccer Awards for 2011 are now open. Please nominate a special coach, parent or administrator today. Nominate one or nominate many, there is no limit. It is very helpful if you submit several letters of recommendation from others with your nomination, but it is not necessary. Summit your APPLICATION Nominations will close on January 15, 2012. The 2012 awards dinner will be held February 25, 2012, at 6:30 PM at the Renaissance North Hotel, 11925 North Meridian Street, Carmel, Indiana. More information and reservation forms for this event will be available soon.
Concussion Procedure and Protocol
For US Youth Soccer Events
Concussion: a traumatic brain injury that interferes with normal brain function. Medically, a
concussion is a complex, pathophysiological event to the brain that is induced by trauma which may
or may not involve a loss of consciousness (LOC). Concussion results in a constellation of physical,
cognitive, emotional, and sleep-related symptoms. Signs or symptoms may last from several minutes
to days, weeks, months or even longer in some cases.
CONCUSSION SIGNS, SYMPTOMS, AND MANAGEMENT AT TRAINING AND COMPETITIONS
Step 1:
Did a concussion occur? Evaluate the player and note if any of the following signs and/or symptoms are present: (1) Dazed look or confusion about what happened. (2) Memory difficulties. (3) Neck pain, headaches, nausea, vomiting, double vision, blurriness, ringing noise or sensitive to sounds. (4) Short attention span. Can’t keep focused. (5) Slow reaction time, slurred speech, bodily movements are lagging, fatigue, and slowly answer questions or has difficulty answering questions. (6) Abnormal physical and/or mental behavior. (7) Coordination skills are behind, ex: balancing, dizziness, clumsiness, reaction time.
Step 2:
Is emergency treatment needed? This would include the following scenarios: (1) Spine or neck injury or pain. (2) Behavior patterns change, unable to recognize people/places, less responsive than usual. (3) Loss of consciousness. (4) Headaches that worsen (5) Seizures (6) Very drowsy, can't be awakened (7) Repeated vomiting (8) Increasing confusion or irritability (9) Weakness, numbness in arms and legs
Step 3:
If a possible concussion occurred, but no emergency treatment is needed, what should be done now? Focus on these areas every 5-10 min for the next 1 - 2 hours, without returning to any activities: (1) Balance, movement. (2) Speech. (3) Memory, instructions, and responses. (4) Attention on topics, details, confusion, ability to concentrate. (5) State of consciousness (6) Mood, behavior, and personality (7) Headache or “pressure” in head (8) Nausea or vomiting (9) Sensitivity to light and noise
Players shall not re-enter competition, training, or partake in any activities for at least 24 hours.
Even if there are no signs or symptoms after 15-20 min, activity should not be taken by the
player.
Step 4:
A player diagnosed with a possible concussion may return to US Youth Soccer play
only after release from a medical doctor or doctor of osteopathy specializing in
concussion treatment and management.
Step 5:
If there is a possibility of a concussion, do the following:
(1) The attached Concussion Notification Form is to be filled out in duplicate and signed by a team official of the player’s team.
(2) If the player is able to do so, have the player sign and date the Form. If the player is not able to sign, note on the player’s signature line “unavailable”.
(3) If a parent/legal guardian of the player is present, have the parent/legal guardian sign and date the Form, and give the parent/legal guardian one of the copies of the completed Form. If the parent/legal guardian is not present, then the team official is responsible for notifying the parent/legal guardian ASAP by phone or email and then submitting the Form to the parent/legal guardian by email or mail. When the parent/legal guardian is not present, the team official must make a record of how and when the parent/legal guardian was notified. The notification will include a request for the parent/legal guardian to provide confirmation and completion of the Concussion Notification Form whether in writing or electronically.
(4) The team official must also get the player’s pass from the referee, and attach it to the copy of the Form retained by the team.
Guidelines for Heading
Photo of the Month
Indiana Soccer’s Lori Lindsey (2nd
from right) being honored, along with her teammates from the US Women’s National Team, at the White House by
Michelle Obama.