Dealing With Lopsided Games

Soccer America article....

As a coach at youth level, you often come across the problem of lopsided games, and winter indoor soccer especially can throw together teams of vastly differing caliber. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and there are lessons to be learned from both severe beatings and easy wins.

My teams have been in the position of playing far less gifted opposition, and it’s important for coaches to distract their players from the scoreboard after the fourth or fifth goal. Now is the time to try your defender as a striker, or see if the tall midfielder might shape up as a back-up goalkeeper. Instruct your players to see if they can keep possession for long periods, and perhaps only shoot once they have made five passes.. Tell them to continue to respect the opposition, and not to celebrate overtly if they score. Emphasize that this is a good chance to practice using their left foot. Play short by one, two or even more players in order to make the rest of the game something of a challenge.

When my teams are losing heavily, I don’t expect or even wish for mercy from superior travel teams. Instead, after pointing out the positive aspects of our performance, I will ask my players what they noticed about the team they just played and lost to. For example, did they see how the opposition players always moved for the return ball after passing it? Did they hear how well they communicated? Did they see how closely the defenders stayed on their mark? How fit the other team was, and how they didn’t tire? Were their opponents born with good technique, or did they play well because they train at least a little bit every day? Playing quality opposition can show young players the rewards of dedication and practice, rather than destroying their confidence.

As coaches, we should use one-sided games to suggest to young players that in defeat there can be both dignity and room to learn, and in victory there should be respect and restraint. Most importantly of all, that sportsmanship and fair play are of far greater importance than a 10-0 scoreline.

College Scholarships for Soccer...

Good article from Ohio South...

College Recruiting Part 1

How Common is it for Colleges and Universities to Offer Full Rides or 1.0 Scholarships?

Division 1 – Depends on the institution, but I would suggest that it is less common than more common. Partial athletic scholarships are definitely more prevalent. Do the math......men have 9.9 athletic scholarships and women have 14 athletic scholarships.......Most squads range from 22 – 30 players. There will be some walk on's (no athletic aid), but most players on a squad are awarded some kind of athletic aid. Partial scholarships ranging from books only, room and board only, tuition only, to a straight cash award, are more common.
Division 2 and NAIA - Even less common. Partial athletic aid awards are the vast majority.
Division 3 – No athletic aid awarded – only academic aid.  

Is it possible to Receive Athletic and Academic Aid from an Institution?For the most part......Yes.....in fact – college coaches really like this. It is a win-win for both parties. You get a bigger award and the institution is able to stretch out their available athletic aid a bit further. So yes – grades and test scores can really help!  

Jan 12 Practice Video...

First Winter Training Session....