National Soccer Academy

The game of soccer has been described as a simple game, a beautiful game, a game of strength, speed and finesse. A game of creativity and problem solving. Much effort has been spent on developing players’ technique, strength and speed; however, creativity and problem solving, receive the least amount of attention.

Creativity in soccer is the ability to solve technical and tactical problems in the most efficient manner. A creative player is able to do the unexpected at the most opportune time. In soccer jargon, it might be called “magic.” Problem solving is the ability to interpret multiple incoming stimuli and select the most appropriate solution. When it comes to playing the game, coaches instruct young players when and where to pass, dribble, shoot, or position themselves on the field, consequently not providing much chance to solve problems. Even though small-sided games have gained acceptance as an appropriate component of a youth soccer practice, we still see strong evidence of the drill mentality.

How an individual acquires these skills is a combination of individual characteristics and environmental conditioning and development. It is believed in most sports, soccer included, that our best players may come out of an urban environment or that they need to be underprivileged in some way. Perhaps these individuals at a very early age learn how to solve problems and develop creative solutions just to survive, and as a result, their ability to “survive” through problem solving is transferred onto the soccer field. Although this certainly has merit, it also ignores a majority of the present soccer playing population.

The real issue is not so much the childhood environment, but the playing environment that young players are exposed to. Just as we improve ball handling ability through dynamic practice repetition, we can improve problem solving ability through a training setting in which players have multiple opportunities to scheme, create, and figure out activity solutions. As an example, if young players aged 5-9 play 4 versus 4 without goalkeepers, the player who recognizes an opportunity to shoot from 20 yards out has just extended his field of vision and was able to quickly respond to a penetrating channel on the field.

If we played with goalkeepers, the opportunity and therefore ability to recognize this particular shot or field of vision is not created. We also use game/activities such as a variety of ball chasing and freeze tag type of games with young children so that they develop a certain way of thinking that has implications for the game.

The development of a young soccer player takes time. All aspects of the game are at work all the time, nothing happens in isolation. The physical, psychological, and emotional domains continuously interact in every practice activity. The difficulty we have seen with youth soccer practices is that they are too scripted and comprised of static, mindless types of “drills.” Slalom dribbling through a series of cones in a straight line is a prime example. What game problems are solved, and what psychological/ motivational aspects of the game are addressed?

When we examine the thought process in motor skill development action is always preceded by thought or some process of interpreting stimuli. In soccer, players receive countless amounts of environmental information. Individual movement, teammate movements, opponent movements, ball movement, coach instructions, parent/fan instructions, etc., are received by every player.

How players handle and process this information, which at times could be called, information overload, plays a critical role in the decision making process. Information is first received via a stimulus identification stage, followed by response selection stage in which relevant information is selected and sent to a response programming stage. The response programming stage organizes this information into a specific plan of action, which is then sent onto the motor program stage for execution. What coaches need to understand is that all of this information is received simultaneously, but the resulting actions are serial in nature meaning that in the early stages of skill development, performing multiple tasks at the same time is very difficult. In addition, the age and maturity level of players affects their information processing ability, as well as their comfort level and sense of maturity within the training session.
Younger players, aged 5-9, for example, have a limited field of vision, motor control, spatial awareness, knowledge of rules, etc., than players aged 10 or older. Therefore, we need to provide a game structure that is appropriate for the age in terms of matching the players’ ability to process relevant information better. In short, the need for small-sided games and a variety of game/activities is critical for the beginning player. Additionally, we need to realize that it is difficult for a child, or any player for that matter, to be creative when being yelled at.

Memory is another component. When someone has to “think” about doing something, i.e. making a decision, a great deal of time is needed. Time in soccer is a precious commodity. Thus the task of the coach and player is to develop skills and decision making abilities that are more or less automatic, without a high degree of conscious thought.

Essentially, we need to develop positive tendencies that are automatic. To arrive at the level of “automatic pilot,” a player needs to move through three distinct stages: a) verbal cognitive stage, in which a player has a basic understanding of what he/she is trying to accomplish; b) the motor stage, where the various motor programs and abilities are developed; and c) the autonomous stage, in which we perform certain movements without thought.

The soccer coach needs to be familiar with this motor program concept from the standpoint that each movement in soccer is singular, but yet, never completely new. What this means is that every movement produced is, to some degree, a variation of previous movements. In soccer, there are an unlimited number of movements, responses, and decisions. However, when practice exercises are presented in which the player repeats a movement at the same distance and speed, through several repetitions, the effectiveness of learning is questionable.

Therefore, the effectiveness of “passing drills” that are at a fixed distance, or slalom dribbling through cones should be seriously questioned. If we want to improve a player s passing ability to a target, then each passing trial should be different from the previous one. An example is using what is called variable practice. With variable practice, each trial is conducted within a range of predetermined distance. Instead of two players passing back and forth from a distance of fifteen yards, they should pass and move within this distance, making one pass at a five-yard distance, then another at 10, then three, followed by 12 or 15 yards, etc. In this way, although it may not look as structured and effective as the common one- or two-touch passing at a fixed distance, the ability of a player to reconstruct the needed motor program during match play would be stronger. Essentially, rote memory (rehearsal), does not provide the player a better opportunity to understand and execute match demands, Variable practice does.

The purpose of practice is to create an environment so that what is practiced transfers into the game. We measure learning from what we see in the game performance. However, how many times has a coach watched a game, only to say to an assistant or players on the bench, When did we practice that? Obviously referring to a play that was not, in his/her mind, practiced. The problem may arise from a common notion, that if we repeat a movement continuously until it meets a certain level of performance, also known as blocked practice, it then appears as if the player has learned the movement. The coach and players leave practice happy, only to find that the transfer of the movement into the game may be minimal. Research has demonstrated that practicing a criterion skill in a blocked, or an unvarying practice format does not enhance the learning process.

A random practice format in which the player performs different movements in a random fashion, is more effective in the actual retention, learning, and transfer of that movement task. Earlier we discussed the aspect of the production of motor programs. Each time an individual is presented the opportunity to reconstruct a particular motor program, it is strengthened. The player is presented a situation where they must perform a technical movement from a range of alternatives. This process is effective because it more actively engages the player. Repeating a movement without variation of change does not provide the depth of learning as with random practice. Although functional training is not recommended for young players, game-activities and small-sided games are strongly encouraged.

Game-activities and small-sided games have been increasingly used (but not enough) in youth practices for their fun, social interaction, increased ball touches, and decision making opportunities. However, in my opinion, the motor learning research on the effectiveness of random practice on skill acquisition, clearly reinforces the need for young players to learn the game through game-activities and small-sided games. Drills may look good, organized, and give the coach a sense of control, but they are truly not an effective practice activity. Drills in this sense are a practice structure in which players are repeating the same movement over and over without variation, usually in some form of line, and involves a degree of waiting for your turn. Game-activities, on the other hand, engage all players, allow for a wide range of ability levels, allow for the opportunity to practice a variety of movement tasks, and engage the body and mind more completely.

Coaches must realize that the mind does not disengage when the body engages. If we want players to become better decision makers, thereby improving playing performance, then decision making and production of motor programs, must not be exclusive.

From the perspective of player development, we must embrace the viewpoint that growth is a process. Players do not develop in just one season; it takes several years. Unfortunately, many young players are either selected out, or drop out at too early an age, largely because playing is no longer enjoyable. Players need to play fast, think fast, and act fast, but in order to develop these fast players, we need to maintain their interest in the game. Speed is relative. In our fast pace society, in order to develop the brilliant player, we need to slow down in order to go further.

References:
Quinn, R.W., (1991).
The Peak Performance:
Soccer Games for Player Development.
QSM Consultants, P.O. Box 15176,
Cincinnati, OH 45215.

Torbert, M., (1982).
Secrets to Success in Sport & Play.
Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

Schmidt, R.A., (1991).
Motor Learning and Performance:
From Principles to Practice.
Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

US Soccer Magazine
By Bobby Howe, Director of Coaching for U.S. Soccer

In the mining villages of Durham and Northumberland in the northeast of England, they used to say that if you needed a soccer player, go to the pit head and whistle, and three center forwards would appear.

This area was one of England’s great breeding grounds of high quality soccer players. The “Northeast,” particularly in the 1930s, was a depressed area with high unemployment. There was little to do, so the kids and the young men played soccer morning, noon and night.

Similar conditions have been prevalent in the other soccer breeding grounds of the world, such as Europe and South America. Those conditions also continue today in some parts of Central America, South America and in the emerging soccer nations of Africa.

Given those circumstances, where do the kids learn their soccer skills? Not by coaching! They play small-sided soccer - 2-a-side, 3-a-side, 4-a-side - almost always with an improvised soccer field and often with an improvised soccer ball.

It is from this kind of environment that most of the great players have emerged, along with the average player who was still highly skilled in the basics of the game. Generally speaking, such conditions do not exist in North America, and no longer exist in Europe. But the requirements to have fun, kick the ball and develop skills most certainly do.

How to do it? By “structured spontaneity.” This play on words is a contradiction of terms, an oxymoron if you will, but it is there for a purpose. Coaches need to recreate the conditions under which kids have great fun and learn the game. This is the purpose of small-sided games.

In many cases, parents volunteer or are volunteered to act as coaches when their children start to play (often at five or six years of age). Inexperienced soccer coaches may try to draw on their knowledge of other sports played in the United States and use that as the foundation of their practices. As a result, their practices take the form of repetitive drills where there is much standing and little activity. Naturally, young players with limited attention spans will lose concentration and become difficult to manage.

For parents who have limited or no playing experience, the position of coach can be quite intimidating. Perhaps some of the fear could be removed if the coach understood that young players learn more from the game than the coach. Therefore, coaches of young players should consider themselves organizers and supervisors of small, fun-oriented games rather than instructors and allow the games to do the teaching.

The beauty of the game of soccer is in its simplicity. Within a given set of rules, there are two teams with the objective to score goals. A full-sided team consists of 11 players who must combine individual abilities cohesively to try to win the game. Within a game there are individual and small group games which have to be won for the whole team to succeed.

The game presents a series of motor and sensory challenges. Having control of the ball is essential to a player s success. Unlike golf, where skill can be improved by repetition of the correct technique, soccer is a game with skills that can only be improved by exposure to the demands of the game movement of the ball, movement of the body and opposing pressure.

Psychologically, young players five, six seven and eight years of age are unable to cope with the decision-making necessary to play 11-a-side soccer. At that age, they are also incapable of sharing the ball with many teammates. It is important, therefore, that coaches do not present such unrealistic challenges or ask for such decisions.

As small-sided games are the foundation upon which the 11-a-side game is based, it is important that players are exposed to small-sided games at an early age. The younger the age, the fewer the number of players that should be involved. Fewer numbers create more touches of the ball, easier decisions, greater enjoyment and more learning for the player. And, for the neophyte parent-coaches, easier management!

By Karl Dewazien

Director of Coaching

As we embark upon a fresh new soccer season, we should take a moment to reflect on what youth soccer is all about and what part we each play in that program.

Youth soccer exists for the children. To be sure, adults play an important role in the program. Without the help of our adult volunteers, the program would not and could not exist. We must, however, concern ourselves with problems created by the egos, issues and attitudes that some of our volunteers bring to the program.

Parents take pride in their children’s achievements. Coaches take pride in the success of their teams and their players. Referees take pride in a game well managed. Administrators take pride in a program well run. Some of us feel great levels of satisfaction from the fact that we are helping children develop. These are natural reactions for our volunteers to have. They are, in their own right, just as appropriate and just as important as the pride the players take in learning a new skill or in playing well against a strong opponent.

These positive reactions support the program and motivate both players and volunteers to participate and remain involved in the program.

Unfortunately, all the reactions and all the motivations involved in our program no not have a positive basis. All too often we see parents and coaches living vicariously through the achievements of their children or players. All too often we see the ego issues of the volunteers negatively impact the children. I believe strongly in the benefits of competition. But, what positive lessons do we teach our children when we adopt a “win at all costs” approach to the game? What benefits do the children derive from parents fighting with coaches about the position that Sam or Suzy plays or whether they are better players than Jim and Janet who got a few extra minutes of playing time?

Even more unfortunately, we have had a rash of administrative issues at the club and league level which have impacted the children negatively. Personnel decisions (Who will coach a particular team?) have become crusades in some leagues. Factions have formed and warred with each other looking for any possible edge to take the other side down. Do any of us truly believe that this fighting offers advantage to the children. Do any of us truly believe that this bickering has anything to do with helping the children?

In far too many instances we have allowed the children to become pawns in an adult’s nightmarish chess game. I am not naive enough to believe that anyone can wave a magic wand and make these issues disappear. I am concerned enough about the situation to take the time to write about it in this column. I am distressed enough by what I have seen to ask each of you to join me in a quest for what I hope will be found more readily than the Holy Grail: a program which, both in theory and in fact, protects our youth, insulates them from the problems associated with the adult ego issues and offers them a healthy outlet for their incredible energy.

The adult egos will remain involved in the program. The disputes will continue to exist and the problems that adults have in dealing with each other will not simply go away. We must not, however, allow the children to be used as pawns in this adult game. We must prioritize the protection and well being of the children and recognize the fact that if children are nothing else, they are observant. They see adult conduct and model their behavior after it. Let’s give them a positive example to follow.

The life lessons that the players should learn from our program include the importance of each generation of adults helping the next generation form and develop; not the mechanics of using children as leverage to satisfy some adult ego issue. The program exists for the children. We must not take it away from them or allow others to take it away from them. We must ensure that whatever problems and issues we have as adults, the children do not suffer because of them, on or off of the field. Please join me in this quest - for the sake of the children.

By Michael Giuliano

If you were walking on a dusty road in small town America in the 1800s, it would not be uncommon for you to notice a small gathering of people around a brightly covered wagon. As you drew closer, you would hear a man, dressed in a borrowed Indian buckskin, proclaiming that his magical wonder elixir could cure anything that ailed YOU. One sip of his elixir and you would enjoy a state of health never thought possible before.

As I consider the ways in which we talk about the value of sports participation, it occurs to me that we tend to suggest that sports are the wonder elixir of our age. We proclaim that membership on a sports team teaches you the value of teamwork, how to work hard to accomplish your goals and a host of other indispensable life lessons. We cry out for more funding of community youth sports programs to help solve the problems of gangs and teen moral decline. Indeed, at times it seems that we suggest that mere involvement in athletics, mere “drinking up” of the sports team experience, magically transforms young athletes into physically, mentally, socially and emotionally healthy and productive citizens.

What we do not communicate as often is that athletic involvement can actually have damaging effects. Even worse than the empty claims of the medicine man, this elixir can actually harm us. Involvement on a sport team is more like involvement in a family unit. Family life can transform us, but throw in a careless, or even abusive parent, and family life can actually hurt us more than help us.

Metaphorically then, coaches are more like parents and less like medicine men. They do have a powerful elixir (sports), but depending upon how they administer that medicine, it can build up or tear down.

I have found that some of the wisest advice I have been given as a parent has equal merit for me as a coach. Here are four things to remember:

DON’T SAY ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD NOT SAY IF YOU WAITED FOR ONE MINUTE TO SAY IT.

Words wound us in family life, and they can wound us in team life as well. What parent has not regretted speaking out of anger instead of waiting for a more calm, rational moment to explain their concerns? What child cannot remember the pain of being the recipient of something said in a moment of rage, sometimes years earlier?

Sadly, coaching is one of the few professions where verbal abuse is still considered acceptable. Recently, a player from another college confided to me that it was very common for players to be brought to tears in practice by her coaches’ verbal attacks.

“But he knows the game and he knows how to win, so I guess it is worth it,” she concluded. A few days later, a father of a teammate of hers echoed those same’ sentiments: “I know he’s brutal. But he’ll teach my daughter how to be a winner.”

I am afraid that what he is teaching those young ladies is that verbal assaults on the dignity and esteem of others is acceptable as long as the external goal (i.e., winning games) is accomplished. I don’t think that is a lesson we would want our children or players to live their lives by.

Our goal must be to nurture the discipline of developing a time gap between the thinking of something to say and actual saying it. if we did, much of the wounds we inflict through words would never occur.

Try this experiment: Have someone videotape your sideline behavior (with sound) for a few matches. Is there anything that you would not have said, or at least not have said in the same way, if you would have waited for a minute?

LOOK FOR “MOMENTS OF TRUTH”

Good parents are constantly on the hunt for situations which offer an opportunity to demonstrate to their children the values that they hope the children will embrace. As coaches, we should be on the same quest. We claim that the value of athletics is that it teaches us how to live, but how often do we seize the potent teaching moments that sports offer?

A phrase I use to describe this to my students and players is “moments of truth.” Moments of truth are those opportunities that give us a chance to publicly proclaim what we privately value. For example, Soccer Journal published some time ago the Story of a high school player from Illinois who persuaded match officials that his game tying goal should be disallowed because he knew that it was scored after time had expired. Through his actions, he demonstrated to his teammates (and through the journal article to a national audience) that the value of telling the truth outweighs the value of a mark in the win column.

One way to monitor this is to keep a communication inventory. At the end of practice or a match, recall how many times, if any, you pointed out how the events of that day taught a more important lesson. If weeks go by and you still cannot recall such a conversation, chances are you need to look and listen more carefully for such opportunities.

“Moments of truth are those opportunities that give us a chance to publicly proclaim what we privately value”

INVEST MORE IN PEOPLE THAN YOU DO IN TASKS.

We all have heard stories of parents who placed career above their families, and in the end, lost their families. This can easily occur to coaches, even when their players are their career. The machinery of coaching can easily overshadow the relationships of coaching.

I have vivid and somewhat painful reminders of this in my own experience. Publicly, the 1994 season was the most successful of my coaching career. My squad ended the season in the final four of the NAIA National Tournament, and I was awarded conference and regional Coach of the Year honors. But back at the college, a different story was emerging. For the first time in my emerging. For the first time in my career, the post season player evaluation of the coaches revealed that I had a number of strained relationships with certain players. The reason soon became clear; I had become so caught up in the task of reaching the national tournament that I had communicated a lack of interest in and concern for the individual players involved in that task.

How often do we talk with individual players about their interests and other activities, as opposed to their shooting technique? When was the last time a player confided in you concerning a struggle he or she was having that did not include a soccer ball? Considering the likelihood that, outside of their parents, we are among the most involved adults in their lives, would not a healthy relationship suggest this should be happening?

KEEP TALENT OUT OF THE RELATIONSHIP EQUATION.

Another family story line: The parent who obviously delights in the child who is the super athlete or the accomplished musician while ignoring the quiet and somewhat ordinary sibling. I am convinced that as coaches we often commit the same mistake with our front line versus supporting players. As a college player, I vividly remember the transformation of my relationship with my coach as I went from the second team to the first team.

Suddenly, Coach was talking to me more, he called me by my first name more often, he even looked me in the eye more often.

Let’s be honest, those players who see the most playing time occupy more of our thinking time. By necessity, we spend more thought on how the major contributors on our team will contribute to the next win. But just as we do not want to communicate to our own children that their worth is determined by their talents, neither do we want to communicate that our players’ worth is determined by their athletic talent. There may be no more valuable lesson they can learn from us than how to look beyond the external packaging of an individual to see the potential and good in all people.

Do you treat your first team players differently than you do your second team players? if you are not sure, ask them. An evaluation given in anonymity may reveal some arresting, and perhaps uncomfortable, perceptions.

Imagine the shock of an unsuspecting buyer of the medicine man’s elixir when the buyer discovered that not only did he not feel any better, but he actually felt worse. Our players will be changed by their involvement on a team and by their relationship with us. With coaching as with parenting, we can build them to be stronger, more responsible persons or we can tear down the good qualities they already possess. Sports are not a guaranteed elixir, but in the hands of a careful and caring “parent,” they are a powerful character-building tool.

Editor’s note: Michael Giuliano is professor of communication studies and women’s soccer coach at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif. He received a Ph.D. in communication studies from Northwestern University. He holds the Advanced National Diploma from the NSCAA. He was the men’s coach at Trinity College in Illinois for five years, and he started the women’s program at Santa Barbara City College. He has been coach at Westmont five years. In 1994, he was named NSCAA Northwest Senior College NAIA Women’s Coach of the Year.

Soccer Journal May/Junel998

prepared by Jan Smisek

U-14 National Coaching Coordinator, Region IV

The development of players and improvement of play in the United States will be enhanced by an improved playing environment Players must be exposed to levels of competition commensurate with their skills and must be challenged constantly In training and in games in order to aspire to higher levels of play and maintain their interest in and passion for the game.

As coaches and administrators, all of our decisions must be based on what is best for the players. It is our responsibility to provide an environment where every player is given the opportunity to improve and to gain the maximum enjoyment from their soccer experience.

Recommendation:

Players that possess soccer maturity beyond that of their peers should be allowed to play “up” on an older age-group team in order that their development as players is not retarded.

Teams that dominate in their league be allowed to participate in an older age group league if a more demanding league in their own age group is not available.

The determination of whether a player or team should “play up” must be the decision of the appropriate coaches and administrators, not parents.

Rationale:

• Individual performance improves when a player is subjected to the demands of the game at a competitive level.
• The best players must have the opportunity to compete with and against players of similar abilities.
• Players with less ability must be allowed to compete at their own level in order to enjoy the game and to improve as players.
• Competitive balance in league play is vital: domination of one or two teams in a league retards overall development.
• Improvement in the overall standard of the game depends upon the improvement of individual players.

Considerations/Implementation:

Club teams may allow younger players to try out for their teams. If the player is capable of playing at that level then the selection committee, coach and administrators may choose to select the player.

If a player is seeking to play up more than one age-group, then the decision must be based on how much playing time the player would get as a member of this team. If the player would be on the bench more than the field, then they should be advised to play up only one age-group.

In ODP, any player under-14 should be allowed to try out for a U-14 District Team. If they are young but talented enough to play at that level then they should be selected by the district and/or state coach.

In ODP age-groups U-15 to U-18, players should be encouraged to play in their own age group unless they have exceptional talent and would benefit by playing-with older players. State and Regional Head Coaches should make this determination.

Playing up an age group in one season should not preclude a player playing in their own age-group the following season.

Summary

The intention of this recommendation is to provide sound rationale to support players playing with and against older players when it is in the best interests of their soccer development. Under no circumstances should this information be used by club coaches to recruit players or to circumvent current league policy with regard to this matter.

U.S. Soccer believes that first and foremost youth soccer is a sport that players should experience and enjoy as a game with a focus on individual experimentation and development. U.S. Soccer encourages creating soccer environments that will help promote the players’ lifelong love of the sport. These environments should allow for the creativity, spontaneity and experimentation that the game of soccer naturally encourages. Too often, children are put into situations where development is secondary and winning is a priority, which leads to burnout and stifles individual skill development.

We believe that a player’s development is enhanced when the short-term goals of a coach are pursued within the perspective of the player’s long-term needs. The following is a two-part commentary on the importance of (1) Having continuity and perspective in player development, and (2) Allowing children to experience soccer as it makes sense for their age and level of soccer maturity. Part one addresses the theoretical stages of player development and how each successive step is built upon the foundations established in the previous stage. In the second part, the current Men’s National Team coaching staff comment on the charge of their specific age group, and how it fits into the overall United States Men’s National Team program of development and success.

The development of a player spans three general stages:

• (1) Youth level (ages 6-12)
• (2) Junior level (ages 13-17)
• (3) Senior level (ages 18 and older)

A player’s chances of success at the Senior level are greatly enhanced by mastering the building blocks of soccer that are best addressed at the Youth and Junior levels.

At the Youth level, ball skills, enjoyment of and experimentation within the game are key for a player’s development.

At the Junior level, ball skills, enjoyment and insight into the game, with a gradual introduction to fitness, mental toughness and results. At this point, any success in winning matches should begin to be the product of a consistent and systematic approach to the game that focuses more on player development than on team-building. (The theory being that individually competent soccer players that are placed together on a team are more prepared to win than well-organized players who are unable to stand alone on their soccer abilities).

At the Senior level, players need to use all these qualities together, along with a commitment to excellence, in order to figure out how to win. If a player skips a step at the Youth or Junior levels, he will find success and enjoyment more difficult as he moves toward the senior level.

At the Youth and Junior levels, there are several points to address when discussing how to achieve these goals:

1. The game is the best teacher - let the kids learn from it by setting up opportunities for them to play
2. Allow kids to learn in environments that are sensitive to age and abilities (emotional and athletic) and that offer a variety of experiences.
3. Age and ability competition is a central element in a player’s development.
4. At the youth level, a competitive environment is not a result-oriented environment. The differences must be clear. A competitive environment at the youth level encourages decisions from player and coach alike that focus on performance rather than results. (Favoring ball skill and inventiveness as the means to find success within the rules and spirit of the game)
5. At the junior level, technical skill and attacking soccer are still important themes, but now there is a greater focus on developing players’ insight into the game by emphasizing the role of the game itself as a forum for learning. (Still focusing on the performance, rather than the result)
6. At the youth and junior levels, matches are important as a means to player development (enjoyment, ball skill, insight, fitness), not as the aim. The usefulness of the game, in this respect, can occur in many different forms, from the 4v4 to the full-sided match model. Even at the Senior level, the game still offers opportunities for growth - only the weight of balance between factors such as enjoyment, ball skill, insight, fitness and results shift more toward the latter.

A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF A YOUTH SOCCER PLAYER IN THE UNITED STATES

Youth Level

At the early levels of youth soccer …

“Kids are just getting to know the game; they’re exploring, checking things out, feeling their way into the game. They may wave to you in the middle of the game or spin around, with their arms out, at midfield because of some sudden, mysterious inspiration. They want to run, to chase, to kick, to be with their friends - and to follow the ball wherever it goes (and who can blame them!) During these years the kids should touch the ball as much as possible, learn physical balance, learn to guide the ball with both feet, and start kicking with some accuracy. When they play games, they should absolutely be left alone: the field should be their world, on the child’s terms. These years should be about FREE PLAY with the world’s favorite toy (the ball) and about falling in love with the game.”

— Mass. Youth Soccer Association

At the latter stages of the Youth level (ages 8 to 12) the goal is to provide training and game environments that promote the continued growth of ball skill, an increasing game awareness and an appreciation for taking calculated risks in the attack through the 3v3 to 8v8 game model. The small-sided game model is an effective method for developing ball skill and game awareness because it increases opportunities for players to have contact with the ball and to both attack and defend without the tactical regimentation that can occur in 11v11 soccer.

Games are a forum for players to test their ball skills and game awareness, and should be considered an additional means of development, rather than the objective. Results become important as they give the players a competitive focus in the match. Coaches are encouraged to promote soccer that:

1. (1) Is free flowing,
2. (2) Is coach-guided, not coach-directed,
3. (3) Demands that all players on the field - regardless of their specified position - participate in defending and attacking.

Junior Level

As the players graduate to the junior level, they should be comfortable with the ball and have an insight into the game that will allow them to deal with the increasing pace of the game (both in athletic speed and speed of decisions). The goal at this point in a player’s development is to begin expanding his understanding of the game as much as his technical and game maturity will allow. Again, this is accomplished through the small-sided game model for practice (up through 9 v. 9 games) and the full-sided game for matches. The graduation to the full-sided game model should be a logical and subtle step. The ideas and principles that apply to the smaller game models continue to apply to the bigger game. The outcome of the game is still largely determined by ball skill and game insight.

Senior Level

If a player has been exposed to a program that is able to address his/her needs and abilities over the long-term, this player should be prepared for this next stage of the game. At this point, winning is the purpose of the game. The emphasis is therefore to have players pull together all the components of their game in order to be as competitive as possible (both as an individual player and as part of a team) and get a positive result in individual matches. If their ball skills are insufficient, or they lack basic concepts of team play, they will struggle to have a positive impact on the game. Ill-prepared players will have difficulty continuing their soccer careers at the higher levels. At the Senior Level, the performance should determine the result. While there is still a measurable focus on development, the emphasis is now more on insight and team concepts, rather than individual development of ball skills.

The following is a commentary by the current age-group National Team coaches on:

• The balance between developing soccer players and winning matches at their particular level within the National Teams programs, and
• How the age-group fits into the larger National Teams schematic.

Under-14 Boy’s National Development Program

The current U-14 National Program is the first contact a player will have with US Soccer. These players then graduate into the U-15 Boy’s Program. The goal and emphasis with players of this age is placed on development of skills and a deeper understanding of the game in a competitive, fun environment in the company of the most talented players that we can find.

We like to strike a good balance between training and matches, in which the players learn to take their cues and clues from the game. As attack and defense are in constant battle, the game has the power to teach and reveal itself to each player. There is plenty of action in the basic units of the game (1:1, 1:2, 2:2 and other small sided games in even and odd numbers) building up to the full-sided game.

The hope is to create originals, not clones. We simply follow this simple principle: The game/competition sets the demands and the player responds (Here is the problem. Find the solution and try to execute that solution). Players are encourage/allowed to experiment and explore the game with the help of the coaches that understand the game and work well with kids. In this environment, there is plenty of room for trial and error.

Putting children into the straitjackets of positional play too early only destroys their instincts to be involved in the game. As they mature and are capable of keeping track of more things that are occurring on the field, we can increase the number of players that compete against each other. As they move to the full-sided game, the goal is for all the players to be able to keep track of all the other players on the field, and then to deal effectively with the situations that evolve out of these relationships. Under these conditions, time and space can be created or eliminated based on how effectively players are able to cope with the conditions of the game. It is all about ideas and developing the right attitude. Great skill begins with a desire to be master of the ball, and/ or the key elements of the game and we try to encourage each player to be a master of the ball.

Looking back at the past U-14 camps, there is reason to believe that this approach works. There have been some highly attractive, very competitive soccer played by these 13 year-olds that was refreshing to watch. With constant care in the years to come, these young players have the potential for a bright future. The Under-14 National Camp occurs in August of each year. The past three years the camp has been held in Massachusetts.

Under-15 Boy’s National Team

Each year we welcome a new age group mostly of players who come from the U-14 National Camp. We work with this group for a one-year cycle with an emphasis on speed of play and the ability to solve problems in competitive situations. In general, most of our players have a good starting point athletically and many are technically sound in slower games or isolated situations. When we increase the demands of the game and the speed of play, many have a hard time mastering the ball, staying tuned in, seeing the game and making sense of their plays. By being in the company of better players and faster games, these aspects improve dramatically.

In our training sessions we play small-sided games with different demands and challenges that we ask players to confront. The games are fast and to keep up with the speed of play, good technical ability and good habits on and off the ball are necessary. We ask the players to stay tuned in mentally, to read the game and the demands of the game and to make decisions that help their team win. We want their individual personalities to grow and for them to begin to solve problems as a group. Therefore, we give the players some freedom to make decisions, to solve problems, and to experiment with the game. We are more concerned with them developing into better players who can figure out how to win than with telling them exactly what to do. In this sense, we do not put a big emphasis on the results, but rather on how they are progressing as players. At the same time, we do provide them with our tactical insights and feedback, and we give them starting points for dealing with certain situations.

Our events have varied in numbers from 4-6 per year consisting mostly of training camps and competitive domestic and international events. Over the past three player cycles, the U-15 group has traveled to compete in tournaments in Mexico, Bolivia, France and Germany. Domestically, the teams have competed against U-15 regional teams, older regional teams, the U-17 US National Team, and MLS teams.

Under-17 Men’s National Team.

The Under-17 program is a result-oriented developmental program. Result-oriented in the sense of qualifying for the FIFA Under-17 World Championship, and developmental in the sense that players are prepared to be successful at the next levels of MNT programs and are prepared to enter college or professional soccer.

To this end, the U-17 National Team Program has entered into a new stage of player development with the increase in numbers in the residency program from 20 to 30 players. This allows us to bring in more players from the age below our main birth year (the main birth years for the U-17s are the even birth years). These players can now stay beyond the U-17 WC and work towards early high school graduation, work to prepare for development with the U-18 MNT, work to prepare to enter the pro soccer environment or work to enter the college soccer environment one year early.

Our soccer curriculum combines a variety of experiences that (1) prepare the players for the specific objective of the World Championship qualification and success at the World Championship, and (2) provide them with an environment that allows them to hone the skills needed to be successful at the next levels of elite soccer. The players must compete daily for their spots, and they are given challenging levels of match competition.

The Under-17 MNT plays matches to build toward two events: the CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament and the FIFA Under-17 World Championship. In the first year of residency (even-numbered years), the team travels to three of four international tournaments, as well as a foreign trip to the country that will host the next world championship. The team is in the full-time residency program so they train together year round, usually practicing during the week and playing games on the weekend. Domestically, the team plays a mix of matches versus international teams, pro teams, college teams, older club teams and older MNTs.
Under-18 Men’s National Team

The primary function of the Under-18 Men’s National Team is to identify potential Under-20 caliber players from this age group and to provide soccer opportunities for our players to develop and prepare for the U-20 National Team. The U-18 age group will eventually provide more than 50% of the player pool for the next U-20 group. As a result, U.S. Soccer has recently expanded its full-time residency program to include eight 1987 birth year players. We expect this group to form the core of the next U-18 player pool.

Because this age group does not have a World Championship, the challenge is to set up environments that come close to replicating that type of environment for the players. The limited time that the team is together places constraints on what the players can realistically accomplish. Therefore, we try to put the players in as many challenging matches as possible. We consider the time in the Under-18 MNT to be a transitional phase of development between the Junior and Senior levels of development.

In the U-18 program, the players come together for four-to-five events per year over a two-year cycle that ends with the players moving on to the U-20 age group. Each nine-day domestic camp will have 3 or 4 matches against competition ranging from a top youth club or ODP teams, to other US National Teams and MLS teams. Both the practices and the matches are used to evaluate the players and provide information to the coaching staff regarding personnel, as well as player development issues. Each year ends with a top-level club or international tournament in either Europe or South America. We approach these tournaments as our own qualifiers and world championships. Our hope is to provide enough quality events to prepare these players for their next step in international competition.
Under-20 Men’s National Team

The Under-20 team is similar to the Under-17 team in that it is a result-oriented developmental program. We are preparing players to be successful at a World Championship and to be successful at the next National Team level.

Much of the development at the U-20 level is about competition and “intensified preparation for the next level” (i.e. the Olympic team, National Team and/or a professional career). It is important that we find players who show the characteristics that will help them advance to play at the next level. We want to help these players mature as adults so they can handle any environment. We need to instill the belief that these players can win at an international level against the competition that they will see in the future. In this way, they learn to win in a manner that will be successful at higher levels. The more we can expose them to quality competition, training and coaching, the more we improve player development.

The challenge at this age group is blending collegiate players with young professionals. Our players are competing against international teams whose entire rosters are made up of full-time professionals in some of the world’s best leagues. We must create opportunities that replicate a professional training and match environment. Currently almost 50% of this team’s player pool is comprised of professional players as opposed to ten years ago when there were no U-20 professional players. As time goes by, we would expect more young players to be professional at this age.

Similar to the Under-17’s, the Under-20’s use each two-year cycle to prepare for two events: the CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament and the FIFA World Youth Championship. The Under-20’s typically take two to three foreign trips a year, participating in at least one high-level European tournament. Several domestic training camps are held throughout the year, where the competition ranges from A-League teams to foreign clubs to MLS Teams to regional teams and other U.S. National Teams. Due to the make-up of this team, it is often difficult to hold training camps where the entire compliment of players are available, as the college season begins as the MLS season ends.

Under-23 Men’s National Team

The focus of the Under-23 MNT program is to develop the professional player in preparation for representing the U.S. at the Olympics and potentially playing for the full National Team. In our current system, many of the players enter this age bracket as college players and become professionals while still in this age group. As our system evolves, we would expect that more players entering this age group would be professionals - similar to the U-20 age group.

Providing a variety of international competitions and contributing to their growth as pros is a vital component of this program. For those players who have been members of our youth teams leading up to the U-23’s, continuing and building on their international experience is important. For those just arriving on the National Team scene becoming comfortable and familiar with the various styles and tempos of international play is a must. The components of the game are the guidelines at every stage of development. From the U-14 program to the MNT, the incrementally increasing focus is results. Game management and adjusting tactically to achieve results becomes more important than substituting to provide experience for younger players.

The Men’s Olympic Soccer Tournament has evolved into a professional competition for players under the age of 23 with the addition of three “overage” players. The focus of the Senior Team is results. Therefore the U-23 program is a significant link in the development of our players and teams.

The Under-23 MNT puts it focus on preparing the team for the Olympics and the players for the pro ranks and the Men’s National Team. As the Olympics approach, the intensity of the camps and the number of the camps increase, building up to the Pan-Am Games, the Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the Olympic Tournament. As this pool of players is made up almost entirely of professionals, this team holds fewer camps than any of the other YNTs. This team typically participates in European tournaments against other similar age National Teams, as well as holding domestic training camps that usually include games against MLS teams and other National Teams.
Men’s National Team

Player development occurs at every level. The objective of the Men’s National Team is to achieve results in international competition, and to develop players for the international arena. For this reason, there is a close relationship between the Men’s National Team and the U-23 team, and at times, the U-20 team. Players at the Men’s National Team possess the technical, tactical, physical and mental tools to be successful, but some players simply lack the international game experience. Development at the level of the MNT is achieved through competition - players playing in games and gaining experience at the various levels from international friendlies and competitions to World Cup Qualifiers to the World Cup itself.

The four-year World Cup cycle builds toward World Cup qualifying and the World Cup, and the team’s schedule follows that pattern. The first 18 months after the World Cup are used to identify players, and then as qualifying nears, the player pool is pared down and focus moves from player identification to qualification. A large training camp is held in January of each year, and once the MLS season begins, the MNT activity slows down in non-World Cup, non-Gold Cup years. In addition to friendlies, the MNT also participate in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, World Cup Qualifying, and the FIFA Confederations Cup. The U.S. usually plays 10-20 friendlies a year; typically the majority come against teams from CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and UEFA.

Compiled by:

• Manfred Schellscheidt
• Ken Lolla
• John Ellinger
• George Gelnovatch
• Thomas Rongen
• Glenn Myernick
• Bruce Arena

By Tony Waiters

FIFA Instructor

To make the grade in soccer in America, players are almost compelled by the system to play select ball at 8 or 9 - and competitive, must-win, 11-aside soccer for state and tournament championships, and all that good stuff, by 11 years of age. If you are left out of that loop or choose to join it later, you may have already missed the boat. The die is cast. Scary isn’t it. Disgusting, I call it!

A great friend of mine, Verdi Godwin, says soccer “is a game of opinion” and then goes on to support his statement. To back up his oft-quoted expression, he would go on to name his own all-star team of top-class (in some cases, world class) players who had been ‘rejected’ by clubs in the early days of their professional careers. Discarded and discounted by one coach. Encouraged and elevated by another.

It is a game of opinions. And one opinion is often just as good as another. Yet, while Verdi may be right, we are in the process of seeing if we can, take the .opinion” out of soccer development. Try this for starters.

The England U-15 Schoolboys select team has been an on-going program for the best part of this century. Between 1907 and 1988 (we do not have the updated record for the last eight years), every year with the exception of the World War years, 15-18 boys has been “capped” in big-time games against such countries as Scotland, Holland, France, Italy and Germany. In London, the games would be played in front of 100,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.

There were 410 international games during that period of time - an average of over five per year - involving 1,251 different England players. Of those 1,251 players only 29 - well under3pereent-playedsubsequently in the full national program. That is one in every 41 of the best U-15 players identified and selected through a very sophisticated schools competition and tryout process were able to go “all the way.”

Of the 29 who succeeded, some were probably destined for soccer greatness anyway, whether they played for the England Schoolboys or not. Sir Stanley Matthews and Bobby Charlatan were two.

The great Dunce Edwards, killed at 22 in the Munich air disaster,-played for England Schoolboys three years running, from age 12. He was the only player to do that - and probably always will be.

So what does it prove? Except for rare instances, it proves that i4 years old is a lousy age to be labeling players as great or not-so-great and that identification programs need to be careful not to miss the “not-there-yet” group.

Soccer California Oct. 1997
By Karl Dowazien
Director of Coaching

A very large group of people occupy one side of the field as opposed to the handful of individuals found on the opposite side. It is difficult to tell if the larger group’s presence is appreciated since no one acknowledges their being. The demeanor of the large group seems extremely unnatural for the setting because an eerie silence envelops their side of the field. Only their piercing s eyes are excessively active, focusing on the small group of adults across the field.

From a distance, the handful of individuals looks like a “cookie cutter” ensemble. Each has a baseball cap on the head, a whistle around the neck and a clip board under the arm. The shoes, socks and sweat suits are obviously manufactured by adidas. Their cross-armed stance is disrupted only occasionally when they are ready to write something on their clipboards.

On the field, between these two dissimilar groups, is an enormous gathering of players. One can easily see that the players are performing for the benefit of the individuals and not the larger group. Only an occasional glimpse toward the “big group” by one of the players is noticeable. Body language and facial expressions show signs of tension. There is no laughter and there are no smiles. Concentration seems to be the order of the day.

To the untrained eye, the setting is very similar to the American football “Punt, Pass and Kick” contest environment with soccer balls. Players can be seen kicking stationary balls (for distance), dribbling through cones (for time), shooting at targets placed inside the goal (for accuracy). One individual has a stopwatch for timing the short sprints while another individual is in charge of timing the long-distance run. Over in one corner of the field there is a 4 v 4 small-sided soccer game being played, but no one is showing any interest in observing this particular event!

This scene is now being played out on soccer fields across the country and is affectionately referred to as “the meat market.” Here is where “expert” coaches select the best pieces of talent to fill their most pressing needs. The event is called a tryout and players are ‘graded” and “labeled” by the coaches. The players are given such labels as “competitive” and ‘recreational” player. To this point in time it has been impossible to obtain the criteria by which these coaches judge future playing potential. The only benchmark that seems standard across the - . country is the coach’s child is always good enough to make the starting team.

Many adults (who, incidentally, do not Work with younger players) say, ‘Tryouts and labeling are a necessary evil to judge and place talent on teams.” They indicate that players need to play at ‘their level” in order to be challenged and continue their improvement. Fair enough!

However, recent studies have shown ‘that, “The first three years of a child’s life are critical for emotional and intellectual growth. During this time brain patterns are formed that will affect every part of the child’s development. The way a child is cared for, stimulated, held and communicated with will have a lasting effect on how he or she will think, feel and function in the world throughout life.”

Being aware of this startling information should lead us to conclude that:

“The first three years of a child’s sports life are critical for emotional and intellectual growth. During this time brain patterns will form that will affect every part of the player’s development. The way a player is supervised, motivated, coached, taught and communicated with will have a lasting effect on how he or she will think, feel and function in soccer throughout the playing career.”

If that is the case, it would be logical to assume that players picked to make “the team” would love soccer and play the game for many, many years. This is not happening. Statistics show that players across the board drop out of the game in their teen years. Currently we lose 75 percent of players between the ages of 10 and l4. With an alarming figure like that, one would think that frantic research would begin to find out what is wrong. Yet, nothing is happening! Instead, the problem is rationalized away with many excuses. Topping the list of excuses are, ‘They have other interests, other sports, besides our number of registered players is increasing dramatically each year.’ - So, who cares?”

We (fiduciaries) should care! Let’s stop with the excuses. Let’s stop this outrageous drop-out rate. Let’s begin by stimulating the brain patterns to affect positively the young player’s development. As great supervisors we must inspire our developing players to have confidence in themselves. This inner motivation comes when the individual is not labeled by adults. As great coaches we must communicate with and enable each player to feel successful. Success is not possible for those who are labeled or categorized before puberty. (Consider the recent ruling by the IOC regarding gymnasts; i.e., no international competition before the age of 16.)

A fitting conclusion to this article would be what Marcello Urbani so eloquently stated in a recent letter, “I opened my eyes to the reality that most people ignore: Children under 10years of age are abused by the arrogant structure of soccer in this country.” Let’s begin to change the structure. Soccer should be for our children’s enjoyment, not their exploitation.

Need more reasons why children under 10 years of age should not be part of the “meat market”? Please read my friend Tony Waiters’ article, ‘Lousy Time To Label Players” in this issue (page 6).

Send your suggestions and comments to: Karl Dewazien, CYSA State Coaching Director, 2904 Fine Ave. Clovis, CA. 936120

NSA began assembling the teams for EUROTOUR 1996 in November 1995. After a successful clinic in Kauai during Christmas vacation, ten players from the Garden Isle were also invited to participate on the tour. We traveled with 31 players, 3 coaches (Fred Hsu, Jaime Maldonado and Terry Mott), 3 administrators (Nattie Roux, Kevin Devitt & Patrick Hellefors) and a group of thirteen supporters including Monica from Sweden.

Summary of Results:

The objectives of the tour were to provide players opportunities to be exposed to “soccer” from around the world, to experience foreign cultures, to make friends and enjoy “Training and Performing” under the guidance of the National Soccer Academy. The focus was on the process. Good results would gladly be accepted as a bonus.

Most of the players from California participated in weekend training for several months prior to departure. The players from Kauai arrived June 10, lived at the academy for three weeks and participated in intensive training before departure.

Staying with our motto of “be flexible”, we invited Magnus Lindh from FC Inter Orhoy and Christian and Carmen Heredia to join us in the Stockholm Cup. Magnus was our goalie in the final against his club in Stockholm Cup! After Stockholm Cup, we also invited Edgar Agudelo, Patrick Sjostedt from AIK (our semi-final opponent) and Johan Hammar from Grondals (our quarter final opponent) to join us for Dana Cup. Edgar, Patrick and Magnus stayed with us through the Dalecarlia Cup. It was a great experience for our players to be competing with these excellent Swedish players in Stockholm and then become teammates for other tournaments. The Swedish players were integrated with ease into the NSA family. Patrick’s Donald Duck impression was a big hit. Magnus was thirsty during practice (that was his excuse to socialize with his female followers). Johan was very independent for a 12 year old. Edgar was the “cherry picker” goal scorer.

We left San Francisco on June 29 to Stockholm. The weather in Stockholm was cloudy with periodic light rain. Stockholm is a beautiful city. It was very satisfying to observe the improvement in all our teams from the first till the last day of the tournament. The NSA STARS were incredible. They won every game to enter the final. The Final was played in the rain at the Grimsta Stadium against Vasalunds IF. It was a great game where the NSA style appeared in all of its glory. Our team moved the ball beautifully around the opponents resulting in Arlene Devitt scoring 6 goals and receiving the MVP award. Crissy Marti, our “Revelino” scored two from the attacking midfield position. The midfield and defense controlled the game. The score was 8-0. The NSA STARS were crowned the Champions of the Stockholm Cup. In the mean time, the much improved Samba team was doing it’s magic in the quarter and semi-final defeating two of Stockholm’s best youth clubs, Grondals and AIK. The game with AIK went to overtime and penalties. It was impressive to see our players holding up under tremendous pressure. We played a tough game against FC Inter Orhoy in the final. It was a very tactical game. We lost (1-2) but had the satisfaction that the Samba team has improved a great deal to come this far in the tournament. NSA also won the Best Visiting Club award.

Sunday was a long travel day. We arrived at the FirmaKlubber in Frederikshavn, Danmark and were greeted by our friends Aage and “the Big Man”. All games were within walking distance. The NSA Stars continued its winning ways to get to the final. However, the team from Malmo (the youth team from the best professional club in Sweden) was much tougher than they looked in previous games. The game was 0-0 tied and went to overtime. It was a tense, nailbiting game for the spectators. Arlene scored the only goal in overtime and NSA Stars were crowned champions of Dana Cup. The Samba team played a Columbian team in the quarter finals and learned about “Columbian gamesmanship”. We were 1-0 down until the final thirty seconds of the game when Anthony fired a rocket shot from the midfield to the upper right “V” to tie the game. During overtime, he scored another from the middle of the field to put us into semifinals. This was probably the most satisfying game for the Samba team in the whole tournament. In the semifinals, we learned about the “ugly cheating ways” of the Spanish club ASPE. Their coaches were crude and rude. Their players played dirty. Our players got a glimpse of the “ugly” side in competition when adults put winning over everything.

On the lighter side of things, we all appreciated the “quick change” show our goalie Erin put on the field when she was asked to change her goalie jersey with a field player so she could play on the field in the semi final game!

On Saturday night, Aage and the FirmaKlubber crew hosted a party for NSA. It was quite moving when all our players and supporters sang the National Anthem. Michael Lingaton, Nicole and Melody provided the Hawaiian music and Hula dancing lessons. The Danish, the Swedish, the Russians and Americans all joined together to learn to dance Hawaiian from our 9 year old Nicole. This was a fun evening that most of us will treasure.

Sunday was another long travel day to Borlange, Sweden. This is the fourth year we have participated in the Dalecarlia Cup. The NSA STARS continued winning playing the NSA style. Before the final, the buzz around the tournament was that two teams from the United States would have a great game in the final. The opposing team was West Lynn Pumas from Oregon. They recently won the Oregon State Cup and placed third in the Western Regional prior to attending the Dalecarlia Cup. We knew we would have a tough match so all the girls stayed away from the disco the night before. The NSA Stars were on fire for that game. Katie (playing Stopper) dribbled all the way from midfield to the goal line, took an incredible left foot shot to score the first goal. We were all ecstatic. The players stuck to the NSA style. We dominated most of the game and Arlene scored a second goal. The NSA Stars were crowned champions of Dalecarlia Cup. (18 games, 18 wins, 3 championships!) This was incredible.

The Oregon girls exhibited good sportsmanship after the game. However, their coach seemed really angry and refused to shake hands. Instead, he “talked” to their team for over 45 minutes after the awards ceremony. What a pity. This is another lesson our players learned about the ugly side of “adults and the need to win”.

The Samba team proved to be the best team in the 12 boys tournament and captured first place. On Saturday night, we had a victory party and invited players from IK Brage, Arizona Sunbirds, the Brazilian team and other NSA fans. Winning the championship was also a great birthday present for Coach Jaime Maldonado who turned forty something that Saturday (in addition to the signed sports bra he received from the players and a walking stick with a bell from Terry). Jaime’s other wish was to coach the National team — mmm, maybe some day!

On Sunday, we took the bus to Stockholm airport, stopped at Uppsala castle to have one last ice cream, stopped at McDonalds for dinner, then boarded the plane to Helsinki. The overnight stay was pleasant for everyone — a real bed after three weeks and a private shower! Some of the older players stayed up most of the night talking.

We will remember Sylvia’s gymnsatics after every goal, Lauren’s consistent performance playing on all three teams, Janice and Brandi becoming “twins”, Anthony and Conners groupies, Reiko’s happy face, Nattie becoming the mother for everyone, the ice cream, the discos, the stage performance of Crissy, Greg M. & company in Stockholm, C.J.’s first international yellow card, the 173 goals and many other moments. We had indeed become an NSA family.

And so, this was the end of the 5th successful NSA EUROTOUR.

On Monday, we blinked and we were home.

The players (NSA EUROTOUR 1996)

Coaches: Frederick Hsu Jaime Maldonado Terry Mott

Administrators: Kevin Devitt Nattie Roux Patrick Hellefors

HIGHLIGHTS:

• NSA82-Tigers(1982 boys) was crowned champions at the Dalecarlia Cup (265 teams).
• The NSA81-Grizzlies won second place at the Dalecarlia Cup. (heart-breaking lost on penalty shootout)
• At the Dana Cup (the second largest tournament in the world with 750 teams), five teams won their qualifying group.
• The NSA81-Dragons and the NSA82-America both went on to win third places at the Dana Cup.
• In 3 weeks, we played a total of 111 games, 64 wins, 18 ties & 29 losses, 287 goals for, 147 goals against. Five tie games were decided by Penalty Shootouts, we won 2.

Planning for NSA EUROTOUR 1994 tour began upon our return from the NSA EUROTOUR 1993. Several tryouts were held beginning November 1993. Over 250 players attended tryouts. NSA selected 68 boys born between 1979 to 1984 to join the tour. Training began in February with the NSA Soccer Festival and spanned over S months until we left for the tour. We had Sunday training sessions, weekend sleep Dyers, scrimmage games and other fun events to ensure the players become a cohesive group. Before we boarded the plane, we were all part of the National Soccer Academy in body and spirit. This early planning and training went a long way towards achieving our goals in Scandinavia. We traveled with 112 people including 68 players, 7 coaches, 4 administrators and 33 supporters.

Patrick USA was a partial sponsor of NSA. It was quite a sight to see all the players, coaches and supporters all dressed in their red-white-blue PATRICK outfit at the airport. After the team picture and the “OLE,OLE… NSA…USA’ song, we were off.

We began the tour playing in the Helsinki Cup in Finland. This tournament had 711 teams from 24 countries participating with a total of 2007 games played. NSA entered six 11 men teams. The NSA80 Force was in a group of 81 teams. The NSA81-Grizzlies and NSA81 Dragons were among 77 teams. The NSA82.Sambas and NSA82-America were among 102 teams and the NSA83 Sting were among 87 teams. For most of our players, this was their first international tournament, played in a foreign country. In the 33 games played, NSA had 13 wins, 3 ties, 13 loss, 39 goals for, 49 goals against. The NSA82-America lost to Jockey club from San Paulo, Brazil in the Quarter finals (we played the Jockey Club again in Dana cup, see results later).

After a day of sight seeing and resting in Helsinki, we boarded an overnight cruise to Stockholm. It was very pleasant waking up to the peaceful surroundings as the ship sailed between the islands near Stockholm. Borlange, the home of the Dalecarlia Cup was three hours away. This cup awards the Dala horses - a traditional gift for the region, as trophies. Remembering the results in 1993 where 3 teams were in the semi-finals, we were determined ride some horses back to Californa.

We entered eight teams, three 11 men and five 7 men teams. All games except the finals were played in the sports ground with 13 fields. The results were overwhelming. Seven teams qualified for the A-group; five by winning the group and two came in second. The NSA80 Force came in third in the B-group. Unfortunately, the NSA81-Grizzlies had to play the NSA 81-Dragons in the quarter finals. The NSA81 Grizzlies went on to win 2nd place after a heart breaking loss in penalty shoot out. The NSA82-tigers were crowned champions while the NSA82-Sambas came in third place after being the semi-final game but lost by one corner kick The NSA-82 America won the B group final. The NSA83 Stings lost in the quarter final match to a powerful Atheltico Paulistinha from Brazil. By this week, the NSA warm up ritual has solidify amongst the players and every one knows when an NSA team is about to begin a match. It was very satisfying to see the improvement in our players both as individuals and team players. NSA, especially coach Jaime Maldonado and Frederick Hsu (who traveled with the 1993 tour), fulfilled a dream by assisting the players in winning the Dalecarlia horses.

The net results for this tournament was 43 games, 22 wins, titles, 9 losses, 118 goals for, 41 goals against. We dominated the 1982 group by winning both the A and B group and third place in the A group. It would have been as ‘ALL NSA FINAL” had it not been a confusing loss by one corner kick by the NSA82-SAMBA leans in the semifinals. The NSA81 -Grizzlies won second place (loss on Penalty shootout).The NSA80-Force won third place in the B Group.

The third week was spent in Hjorring, Denmark. At the Dana Cup (the second largest youth tournament in the world with 750 teams from 42 countries), 5 teams won their preliminary group, 2 came in second to be placed in the ‘A’ group. The NSA80-Force (vs. Duran Niederan, a team from Africa) and the NSAS3-Hornets (vs. Peru) went the quarter finals that ended in heart breaking losses by penalty shootouts. The NSA82-America played with a lot a heart to reach the semifinals but fell to the mighty Brazilian club Jockey from Sao Paulo again. (As aside note, Jockey club travels 2 months every year and play in eight top level European youth tournaments to develop their players.)

It was very exciting for our players to experience this high level of competition. The NSA82-America won third place. The NSA81-Dragons beat Spain in the quarter finals on what was probably the most emotional moment on the tour when the Dragons scored the 5th goal in the penalty shootout to win the game 5-4. During the shootout, in front of over 700 people crowded around the penalty area, the NSA players held hands, kneeled, said prayers together and cheered each other on. It was 3-3 and Spain team’s turn at the spot. Their player missed. Their whole team reacted by rushing to the referee and was ready to do him bodily harm! Fortunately, there were enough people around to protect the referee. Finally, several of their adults were ejected. The atmosphere was super charged with emotions and chaos. NSA gained several hundred instant fans chanting “NSA-USA’. Tim McKinney’s shot bounced off the goal keepers hands and scored. Their player scored to tie the goals at 4-4. When Frederick Serra-Hsu stepped up, took a deep breath, smiled and placed the ball in the corner, the whole NSA group and their hundreds of newly gained fans celebrated. The players piled on each other and in general “went crazy!”. What was most impressive was the bonding and the way the NSA players handled the pressure, the chaos and the excitement. The NSA81-dragons won third place.

In the 37 games played, we had 22 wins, 6 ties, 9 losses, 110 goals for, 60 goals against. We had five fist places in the preliminary round and ended with two Dana Cups (third places). This is probably one of the best results achieved by any U.S. boys soccer clubs playing in the Dana Cup.

On Saturday, all the players and parents spent the day at a beach at Lanstrup in Denmark. It was quite a sight watching our ‘tough’ NSA players transform back to a group of young kids building sand castles!

The NSA EUROTOUR 1994 was very successful. This tour demonstrated beyond any doubts that well trained players from California can compete with the best youth soccer clubs in the world.

The NSA Players were exposed to high caliber international competition. They made friends from many different countries; shared unforgettable moments with players from around California and hopefully added some quality to their character through soccer. The behavior exhibited by our NSA players on and off the field has earned due respect from youth soccer clubs around the world.

Judging from the feedback, a high percentage of the ‘94 tour players are ready to join the 1995 tour.