In a recent issue of Soccer Journal magazine Terry Michler wrote a compelling article titled “Fun or Fear? What motivates young players?” The article has provoked some serious thinking amongst the coaching world. Mike Freitag our State of Colorado Executive Director of Coaching also felt compelled to share his thoughts on the article in the states recent issue of Goal Post Scripts, The official publication of Colorado Youth Soccer.

In a recent blog, I wrote about mental toughness, in which I explained how kids feel undue pressure from coaches, teammates, and more often their own parents when it comes to performance. I explained how this pressure results in them quitting before their soccer career ever gets an opportunity to really start. “Seventy percent of the 20 million children who participate in youth sports will quit by age 13 because of bad experiences- damaged feelings of self worth- frozen by fear of making a mistake” Terry Michler

We need to ask ourselves as coaches and mentors how are we measuring success? If the answer is by wins and losses and how many trophies you can dust off at the end of the day, you may be the reason why the statistic is as high as seventy percent.

Recently I was on my way to our U-17 girls gold State Cup game and as I walking past a couple of fields that happened to be at half time it was easy to hear exactly what one particular coach was saying to his team. The players were no more than 5 yards from their coach, seated on the ground; however the coach felt compelled to stand over and scream at his players. I stopped to watch, as most people that were around me did. He continued to point at one particular player, asking her repeatedly what she was doing on the field. My first thought was, obviously she wasn’t doing what the coach wanted her to, to warrant such a verbal attack in front of her peers at half time. I decided to watch a little of the second half to see how this player would respond to her coaches delivery. The response wasn’t what the coach was looking for; the player seemed riddled with fear of making a mistake and in fact did make mistake after mistake which cost her a one way ticket to the bench.  I began to ask myself if the coach had changed his delivery would that player have gone out on the field with the confidence needed to succeed.

“Training in the early years is heavily focused on outcomes (winning) rather than the process (overall development).” Terry Michler I agree that we as coaches need to value the process, not the product. If we can do this the process will last much longer than the product, which will result in more people paying it forward and giving back to the game in a constructive way long past their playing career ends.

Jayme Halsey – Assistant Director of Coaching

Looks like we survived the heat!!! Over and out-
Jess

Until tomorrow, stay cool… It is 102 here! At nine in the morning!

Jess

Last time we chatted we had begun another day of rest and relaxation. Yesterday we enjoyed way too much food, icy hot, Advil and television for anyone’s good! Once again we headed for the fields at 7pm and listened to our pump up jam on the way. As we pulled into the parking lot a neon screen read 96 degrees… Not too shabby for seven at night! We unloaded the cars and booked it to the bathroom! (All that water comes back to bite ya sometimes!) Focused and determined we pulled up our socks, slipped in our shinguards and laced up our cleats. Game time.

The whistle blew and the battle began. Fighting hard until half-time we found ourselves with a nil-nil game against the Inferno from Minnesota. The game wore on and twenty five minutes into the second half Ali Stone, one of our solid center midfielders dropped a perfect ball just outside of the 18 yard box. My foot connected and the ball sailed. I looked up to see it slide off the goalies hand and shimmy down the back of the net! GOAL! Or in the words of the Mexican soccer channel GOOOOOAL! We continued to hold our win and just a few minutes later Cassie, who scored in the first game, slotted the ball across the six and Lauren Coviello snuck the ball in near post! We finished the game with a 2-0 victory!

We made our way back home and enjoyed some late night snacks and ice baths! Another successful day and we are all wiped out.

Now it is Friday and we face our third opponent, the Texans, tonight. I’ll let you know results ASAP!

Until next time, stay cool… We’re trying!

 Jess

 P.S. Shout out to Brittany Lott… She told me I was going to score before the game!

As you know we played our first game last night against the PDA Tsunami from New Jersey. Just to give you the setting it was 8:00pm, the sun had just lowered behind the mountains, the temperature was 102 degrees and the air was still. We began with an international start, which just means that both teams walk out together and line up to wave to their fans. There were four games all commencing at the same time so all of the players, coaches and fans in the complex turned toward a waving American flag for the national anthem! Hearing that powerful song and looking around at everyone, eyes locked on the flag, was really incredible!

Then we huddled together for a cheer and took the field. It was a long hard fought game from both teams but… WE WON!!! WOOT WOOT! We defeated them 1-0. Our goal came with four minutes left in the game from our speedy outside midfielder Cassie (she is from the Real side of the team and is currently playing for Gonzaga!) She beat a player on the left sideline and then cracked a sick, left-footed shot to lead us to victory! We left the fields and returned to our resort for some salad and chocolate milk, yummy! Then some girls did a relaxing cool down in the pool and others braved the dreaded ice bath! Now we repeat yesterday’s glorious routine!

 Until later, stay cool… And we’ll try to also!

Jess

At 9:50 on Thursday it is 93 degrees here!

                Arizona is actually turning out to be quite a beautiful state and the heat is not living up to all of the expectations that I had… THANKFULLY! Yesterday we practiced from six to eight and got to watch a stunning desert sunset with gorgeous streaks of pink and orange framing the rugged Arizona terrain. Thankfully it was only in the 90′s and there was a pleasant breeze so it was not miserable. Hot and sweaty we jumped in the cars and headed to a delightful dinner at Macaroni Grill. Carb loading commenced as well as drawing crazy self-portraits on their table cloths and chugging water. Got to stay hydrated! We finished up there around ten and headed back to the hotel. At which point it was 101 degrees! Crazy, huh!? After showering (Well at least most of us) we hit the sack. Let me tell you… I slept like a rock!

                Earlier today we had breakfast in the chaperones room and spent the remainder of the morning just relaxing in our HUGE hotel rooms. Then we reconvened for an epic game of “catch-phrase” and some snacks. Now we continue to lay low while beginning to mentally prepare for tonight’s match. We will be facing PDA Tsunami from New Jersey at eight o’clock. It is extremely exciting and I am anticipating a competitive game! I’ll let you know how it goes!

Until then, stay cool… we actually aren’t too bad ourselves! AZ temperature is 102 degrees at 2:27 p.m. AWESOME!

Jess

We just got settled into our plush rooms and will soon be catching some shut eye after a very long day. I left my house at 4:30 a.m. this morning bound for DIA. Thankfully there were no complications at the airport and thus we made it into AZ with ease! (Needless to say, I slept the entire way!) After loading up the rental car we made our way to the Hilton resort where we are staying! Talk about FANCY! We quickly transformed from weary travelers into nicely dressed young ladies in their golf locker room and ventured on to a luncheon that the US Youth Soccer organization hosts for all of the teams. There were a variety of speakers all with kind and encouraging words to pass along as well as great food, awesome photos, elaborate trophies, and bumpin’ music! Once the gathering concluded we headed back to the hotel and finally got checked into our rooms! Now we get to relax until 6:00 when we get to brave the heat for our afternoon practice! But hey… At least it is a dry heat! Word to the wise, wet or dry, 104 degrees is HOT!!! Whelp I’ll let you know how things go later!

Until then, stay cool… Because we most certainly aren’t!!!

Jessie

            For those of you who are unaware, our journey to Regionals and Nationals was far from typical. Originally we did not even think we would be able to field a team and our dreams of claiming the national title were hindered. However, after combining with a Real National team from Denver the desire was rekindled. As a full team we only practiced together for about a month before we were in the State Cup championship game. After a rough loss to Academy we ended up receiving a wild card to the Regional Tournament. Upon arriving in Boise we played two pool play games and won both somewhat unchallenged. From there we advanced to semifinals where we beat Sereno, a team from Arizona. Bounding into the quarters we found ourselves matched against our longtime rivals, Academy. After a heart wrenching game we pulled out a stunning victory (3-2) in overtime to advance into the finals. There we faced the only Idaho team to advance into the finals this year, Super Nova. Surrounded by crowds numbering in the thousands we persevered to win 4-3 in regulation time. Joyful, elated, and relieved we returned to Colorado where we have been training hard in preparation for Nationals which will be in Phoenix, Arizona.

            Until next time, stay cool… because we most definitely will not be!

   Jess

Tryouts

It is coming to that time of year where anxiety starts to set in with many families regarding the upcoming competitive club soccer tryouts.  There are obviously a lot of questions and insecurities heading into any tryout situation: what club should I try out for?  What team am I going to make?  Who are the coaches and what are they like?  Will I do well enough to make the team I want to make?  Should or can we even play this year?  With all the questions and excitement surrounding tryouts, it is really important to keep things in perspective, stay calm and do your research; so you know that you can make an informed decision and put your child in the best possible situation.  Many parents and players are receiving phone calls, emails or texts from coaches looking to recruit them into their club, letting them know how great they are as coaches or why their club is better than the other options and although these calls are very flattering, it is very important to look at the facts.  When you are joining a club, you are making a year long commitment which will have a significant impact on your family in terms of time and money, so you want to make sure that you put your child in a situation that will have long term benefits.  Too often people tend to look at the here and now, so pay close attention to what a club offers your player from now and beyond, as a club needs to be able to accommodate the growth and development of each individual player as well as the teams that they are on.  Before making a commitment to a particular club, make sure to look at the following and get a true grasp on what the facts are about a club, before making a decision.

Cost

The rising costs of club sports is really starting to take a toll on many families, so this is an area that really needs to be looked at closely.  It is important to definitely ensure that you get the most value for your money.  Many clubs will advertise a certain fee structure for their program, but then once you sign your registration form, apply different charges throughout the season.  Find out for sure what you get for your money before signing that registration form.  Aside from the registration fee, ask the club if they have any additional charges for:  Extra Training, Coaching Fee, Mandatory Camps, Goal Keeper Training fee, or other superfluous charges.  In addition, look at what type of scholarship program the club has.  Have they helped players out with money at all levels of play?  What amount of money do they put into their scholarship program?  The hard costs will definitely help you to make a better decision regarding what club to try out for, because again, you want to get the most value for your dollar.

Structure

When weighing your options, you want to make sure that you are joining a club that will be able to provide your player with what they need now and in the future.  Why is the overall structure of the club important and what questions should you be asking?

• How many teams does a club support and why is this important?

1. It is very important to have a club with the depth of talent to be able to group players of like ability, so that the individual player and teams are able to play at their most appropriate competitive level.  If a club only supports one team per age group, then you are more than likely going to have players who are not similar in ability all grouped together.  Therefore some players will not wind up playing at their highest appropriate level, while others will be playing at a higher level than is suitable.  This situation does not provide either player the chance to develop and progress at the highest rate.
2. A qualified coach or trainer is one important component in the development of a player, but players truly develop when challenged by the players around them.  If an environment is too easy for a particular player, then they will fail to develop as they are not having to work as hard to be successful and will falter when being challenged at a higher level.  On the flip side, if a player is not at the competitive level, they will not be able to have success in the training which will cause frustration and limit their ability to progress as a player.
3. Players develop at different rates and it is important to be in a club that provides your player the ability to play at their competitive level now, with the opportunity to advance in the future.  If a particular club has only one team in an age group, that team may be placed in a Classic or Challenge Level.  A Premier level player should be playing at the Premier level, with other Premier level players.  Without a number of teams in an age group, that Premier level player may never be able to advance to their appropriate playing level, unless the team manages to advance levels, which could take years or never happen.  In this case, you will need to be changing clubs in future to have your player placed at the appropriate level, with the appropriate level players.  Again, if a classic level player is placed on a classic level team and that player develops into a Premier level player, your club needs to provide the opportunity for that advancement and have a structure in place that allows for that.
4. In keeping with the club’s overall depth of teams and players, find out how many high school age teams a club supports.  If you are planning on playing competitively through the next seven years, then you want to ensure that the club you are joining has the ability to and is supporting teams at the older age group as this is where you will be at some point and again, do you really want to have to change clubs midway through.

History

It is very important to look at what a club has accomplished over the years, how long have they been established and what the longevity of the program looks like.  A well established club will provide a player with stability, expertise through years of experience and a strong structure in which to develop.  There are many off shoot or satellite clubs in the state.  These clubs are affiliated with other clubs, but they aren’t those clubs, so definitely look at what the local club that you are looking to join has accomplished over the years.

• Take a look at the alumni page to see what players have and are currently playing in college or beyond club soccer.  Does the club you are considering joining do a good job with guiding players from U11 competitive through U18?
• What team accomplishments does a club have?  Are teams competing for state championships at the highest levels of play?  Are teams advancing from challenge to classic level, classic to premier level or premier 2 to premier 1 level?
• Are players from the club representing the state, region or nation in different player pools at the highest level?  Are players who have started on lower level teams getting the opportunity to advance to higher level teams as they develop and are there higher level teams for them to advance to?

At the end of the day, you want to pick a club that will provide your child with the best possible experience, regardless of what level player they are now.  You want to put your child in a situation that allows for them to be challenged and grow as a player and an individual.  A club should provide your child with the opportunity to advance levels of play as they develop, whether that is a Premier level player making the state ODP team or a Classic level player advancing to the Premier level team.  The viability of a club is dependent on how many members they are able to have, but attracting members shouldn’t be the sole priority of a club’s coaches or staff.  As a parent, take a look at a club that provides good value for your money, has an established structure in place that allows for growth and development and has a history of success in developing players and teams.

Tony Minatta – Assistant Director of Coaching