Friday, March 8, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Bob Downs On The Spring Season
Dear Warren County U14 Elite Parents
First let me say how excited I am to work with the team this spring! I would like to take some time to get to know you as parents and will probably phone at some point to chat and get to know you better. Also, I commonly schedule time to meet with each player individually to analyze their strengths and weaknesses and set realistic goals for them as well as to help them in their improvement. I do this for all my players and as they get older also spend time talking with them about college soccer.
This also enables the player to get to know me better and for me to get to know them as well and helps me to try to do the most I can to help the player and, of course, the team.
Typically, I do this at away tournaments - but we will probably have to try and schedule it a different way. If we are able to get a meeting scheduled, then you as a parent are welcome to attend or not attend depending on what you feel is appropriate.
I want to stress that I have no intention to change the style of play or the formation that the team is presently playing or try to undo any of the excellent work that Paulo has already done with this team - only add to what they already know and can do!
There are several things to outline to everybody and the schedule and why we are doing things a certain way. The team will be training for the most part with the U15 Girls Elite. This team is a high level team with quality players that will challenge the U14 team both technically and physically and demand them to play at a high level as opposed to training and scrimmaging against lower level teams in the same age group, where the 14 Elite will dominate in every aspect and not be stretched to perform and frankly, get better. All of the best teams and player have developed by being challenged - not being comfortable. On the flip side - this team is quite capable of challenging the 15 Elite and ensuring that they are improving as well. This will also enable the team to work on learning things in a larger 11v11 setting where they can also develop the skills to cope with all teams need to work on - Set pieces attacking and defending, Team organization and shape, and organized team defending.
First let me say how excited I am to work with the team this spring! I would like to take some time to get to know you as parents and will probably phone at some point to chat and get to know you better. Also, I commonly schedule time to meet with each player individually to analyze their strengths and weaknesses and set realistic goals for them as well as to help them in their improvement. I do this for all my players and as they get older also spend time talking with them about college soccer.
This also enables the player to get to know me better and for me to get to know them as well and helps me to try to do the most I can to help the player and, of course, the team.
Typically, I do this at away tournaments - but we will probably have to try and schedule it a different way. If we are able to get a meeting scheduled, then you as a parent are welcome to attend or not attend depending on what you feel is appropriate.
I want to stress that I have no intention to change the style of play or the formation that the team is presently playing or try to undo any of the excellent work that Paulo has already done with this team - only add to what they already know and can do!
There are several things to outline to everybody and the schedule and why we are doing things a certain way. The team will be training for the most part with the U15 Girls Elite. This team is a high level team with quality players that will challenge the U14 team both technically and physically and demand them to play at a high level as opposed to training and scrimmaging against lower level teams in the same age group, where the 14 Elite will dominate in every aspect and not be stretched to perform and frankly, get better. All of the best teams and player have developed by being challenged - not being comfortable. On the flip side - this team is quite capable of challenging the 15 Elite and ensuring that they are improving as well. This will also enable the team to work on learning things in a larger 11v11 setting where they can also develop the skills to cope with all teams need to work on - Set pieces attacking and defending, Team organization and shape, and organized team defending.
The main
topics that we plan to address in the group are as follows:
●
Tactically- team organization and decision making
●
Individual and team defending- team defensive shape, - when to drop, when to
step, recovery defending. This also includes pressing teams immediately
when the ball is lost, and when it is appropriate to do so. High level soccer
has been going this way for years and you will see all the high level
teams (Barcelona, U.S. Women's National team) press teams in an
organized way when it is "on" to do so- but it must be done with a
plan- Pressing does not mean not playing attacking soccer or passing the ball-
if you watch Barcelona play, the best team in world for the past few years-
they pass and play- but one of their secrets to success is that they press
teams when they lose the ball so that they can have it to attack!
●
Defending at Set Pieces from balls flighted into the box both from free
kicks and corners- how to mark, clear push out and organize - building into
counter-attacking from served set pieces and corners
●
Attacking at Set Pieces- corners and free- kicks
●
Defending in transition (when the ball changes hands)- defensive recovery and
tracking runners
●
Attacking in transition - counter- attacking at speed- patterns of play to do
this
●
Crossing and Finishing from Crosses , both in terms of the techniques needed to
score as well as runs into the box, and the technique of how to cross the ball
and different types of crosses for different situations
●
Finishing and Shooting from all angles- including from the pass/combination
play, also from off the dribble
●
Advanced Technical Skills (Really, a combination of Technical- the how to/
skill and Tactical- decision making- the actual term is Technical-
Tactical) These are techniques and skills used to expand the players
range of decisions, vision and reading of the game- particularly as they apply
to their position.
● Weak
foot for passing/ receiving- being able to play from right to left as well a
left to right.
● All
aerial controls and volleys
●
Receiving and Turning- different types of receiving techniques- opening the
body to the field of play- decision to turn or lay off- double passing- third
man runs and passes- how to show for the ball -use of eye contact.
●
Heading- jumping off one foot to attack balls both offensively and defensively-
heading in different situations
● Playing
with the back to goal and playing while receiving from a diagonal run- these
are similar but different/ distinct techniques and situations
● Runs of
forwards- linking with the Midfield and backs
●
Tactical delivery of Passes - bending the ball into runs (with the run
and into the run), Chipping, driving balls and "dropping" balls into
forwards, slotting the ball through flat defenses, disguising passes- some of
these are longer passes- some shorter
This
list is not all the stuff we will do, nor is it necessarily in the order that
we intend to do them but are some the main things that we need to focus on- a
few of the topics every training session - this is true for some of the
topics for these teams in particular and for many teams in general.
These teams can already play but we need to expand the range of things they can
do / know and understand to play at a higher level. We will play
some 11v11/scrimmage in order to work on some of the topics outlined above
. Some of these topics may change as the season goes on and we analyze
and watch their games. Some of it also depends on the players and
the time of season- sometimes it is good to get them out and there and just
play- but not all the time.
Looking
forward to working with the team! Thank you for letting me coach
your daughter- hopefully I can help her to improve on her soccer journey.
Bob Downs
KSA Elite Spring Thaw U14 Accepted Teams
Michigan
Jaguars 99 Green
|
Michigan
|
|
Beechmont
SC Elite 98
|
Ohio
South
|
|
Cincinnati
Soccer Alliance
|
Ohio
South
|
|
Excalibur
SC
|
Ohio
North
|
|
Kentucky
Fire Juniors 99 Girls Premier Red
|
Kentucky
|
|
Kingdom
Premier 99
|
Michigan
|
|
Kings
Hammer Academy Red
|
Kentucky
|
|
Lexington
FC 99 Girls White
|
Kentucky
|
|
Metro
FC Toledo Courage
|
Ohio
North
|
|
Metro
FC Toledo Lightning
|
Ohio
North
|
|
Michigan
Rush Jackson 99G Nike
|
Michigan
|
|
Michigan
Rush Downriver 99 Nike
|
Michigan
|
|
NSA
Rockets
|
Illinois
|
|
SWISA
Lady Fury
|
Indiana
|
|
Team
Chicago Academy Brasilia
|
Illinois
|
|
TNT
Dynamite 99 Red
|
Michigan
|
|
Tri
State Futbol Alliance Premier
|
Ohio
South
|
|
Warren
County SC 98 Elite
|
Ohio
South
|
|
WAZA
FC East 99 Royalo
|
Michigan
|
|
Waza
FC East 99 Black
|
Michigan
|
|
Waza
FC West 99 Black
|
Michigan
|
|
Westfield
Select SC 99G Gold
|
Indiana
|
Wednesday Practice Schedule
The
Spring Wednesday Schedule will be as follows:
Wednesday, February 27- Little
Miami 7-8:30 PM
turf with 15 Elite
Wednesday, March 6
- Little Miami HS 6:00-8:00 PM with 15
Elite
Wednesday, March 13 Little Miami
HS 6:00-8:00 PM turf cost
with 15 Elite
Wednesday, March 20
Little Miami HS 7:30-9:30 PM Turf this practice
will just be me and the team.
Wednesday, March 27
McClure 6:30-8:00 pm this practice will just be me and the team-
The other High School teams are off this week for a kind of mini-spring break
since they have been going since November. As the other teams are not going, I
felt it would be unfair to ask this team to pay for the entire cost of the turf
field by itself. I will also being doing a make-up for Club Goalkeeper training
this day.
Wednesday, April 3
Little Miami HS 7:30-9:30 PM this practice
will just be me and the team.
Wednesday, April 10 Monroe
HS 6:00-8:00 PM
with 15 Elite
Wednesday, April 17 Little Miami
HS 6:00-8:00 PM
with 15 Elite
Wednesday,
April 24 Little Miami HS 6:00-8:00 PM turf with 15 Elite
Wednesday,
May 1 Little Miami HS 6:00-8:00 PM with 15 Elite
Wednesday, May 8 Little Miami
HS 6:00-8:00 PM with
15 Elite
Wednesday,
May 15 McClure- we are hoping weather will be good enough by Mid-May to train
on grass.
Wednesday, May 22 McClure
Bob Downs
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