Simply with our football school needing a club for PL and incorporation to operate and wanting no responsibility for a club team on a weekly basis, I was appointed as TD to a club. They want to build the club up and think they have picked up a successful training ground regime from under the nose of many of the big split state league clubs.


One of the club coaches and committee members has brought his under 14s last year and under 15s this year, to all CFP sessions. He also uses the KNVB based model for his club training sessions. His players must be touching the ball about 2500 times per week when they train twice weekly. He is now being recognised as an excellent coach by his opposition coaches.



There are a number of roles being a TD that are quite different from the Community Football Programme.

Taken from a Youth Association in the USA.

Thanks for suggesting all that work, Arthur!#-o

Actually I'll list some of what I've done. The committee and embarking on an ambitious programme and in part, you were the catalyst.

Our club committee is very grateful to you.=d>

We are bringing the Australasian head of Coerver to take an Introductory Coerver Certificate in Hobart. There is not one accredited Coerver coach in the state ATM.

This Coerver course will be run for most senior clubs and all junior associations in the state.

You inadvertently created the pre-conditions for this to happen. Thanks.=d>

Edited by Decentric: 25/4/2012 06:24:32 PM

I've inadvertently been doing both 3 and 4 over the course of the Football Community Programme.

Skills of individual players, and consequently results, have decidedly improved. I saw an under 15 team lose to 1-6 to X team 9 months ago before they trained weekly, with their coach, at the Community Football Programme.

Over the last 9 months using the same KNVB based methodology on the training track, players touched the ball well over 2000 times per week over the two sessions - one with CFP and the other with the coach at his club. Opposition coaches now think he is a great coach because they are amazed at the improvement in his team. The methodology that is appearing in this session of the forum, certainly works.

The under 15 team beat X team 7-0 last week. The same personnel played the two games 9 months apart from both teams, minus one from their team. I was gobsmacked with the improvement. I hadn't seen them play as a team for 9 months. I had only seen them on a weekly basis at CFP. Also, we've done little structural work on the 1-4-3-3 and a number of its permutations with the under 15 team.

If you are reading this Aussiesrus, I also use and recommend the 1-4-4-2 with the diamond midfield, after a number of coaches complained on here how they hated being given formational edicts.

Good to see that you have associated yourselves with a Club hopefully your playing and training philosophy permeates through the Club.

A Club with a philosophy can be a dangerous thing, for the opposition that is.

If the Club takes a long term approach then this can only be good for all.

Wish you every success and take thanks for my small part in it.:d

The article I have quoted is my bible or Lttle Red Book on how a club should be run. Full of grat ideas and sensible management structure and policy.

JuveJuve wrote:

In relation to no one knowing you, my point was that you voiced your opinions with such authority that I thought you must be an ex NSL/A-league coach or player. When I found out who you were and you history, I thought it might be helpful to you, for me to highlight why you're having difficulties conversing with stakeholders and those with vast more experience than you.





Interesting to revisit this comment. I've had a lot more contact with officials from other clubs since becoming TD. I've seen nearly all their clubs train at senior levels, sometimes with both genders.

I've had a look at a lot more coaching programmes since you made this comment, Juve Juve. There is a lack of technique training in many club programmes, but there are notable exceptions.


The 'vastly more experienced', fit a few categories:

Some club presidents have no interest whatsoever in the world of football that exists beyond their club.

Some club presidents are very suspicious - they think that everyone is out to steal their players. This is because they do it to other clubs.

Some club presidents have no understanding of the world 'altruism'. They also believe nobody does a good turn for anybody else - everyone is motivated by greed, self-interest, or both.

Some club presidents who are running good clubs, pay lip service, but actually do nothing for the greater good of the game beyond their clubs. In their defence this may be an issue of finite resources.

Some club presidents and TDS won't even look at other training programmes that exist beyond their club. Our club has limited response to running a Coerver Introductory course in Tasmania. We have no recently accredited Coerver coach in the state.

Nearly all senior clubs in the whole of the south, and Launceston area, and most regional junior associations across the state, have not responded to the possibility of Coerver training for their coaches. A course can be taken in Tasmania by the Australasian head of Coerver Coaching.

Club secretaries, presidents, committees and TDs have made the decision their club coaches may not benefit from Coerver training. Unfortunately, this decision is not made from an informed position. There are exceptions to the norm. A few are keen to learn about Coerver. We've also sent many accompanying videos to club officials.

There appears be a consensus that to develop good footballers, from looking at a lot of training ground practice, one needs to make them do a lot of running without the ball.](*,)








Edited by Decentric: 21/5/2012 07:59:18 AM

100% on the money
Despite all the rhetoric the running and push ups still is a major part of training sessions.
Players are still picked for all the wrong reasons and coaches still believe their primary roll is to discipline children with physical exertion.

The good of the game is the furtherest thing from most ppl's agenda.](*,) ](*,) ](*,)

to be a state league player or sometimes coach with no interest in football development apart from receiving a bit of extra cash in a brown envelope from the cash in hand ssf match fees. Football Club president, role to have no interest in football development (futsal other training methods) as this will divert the cash outside the club.

Without even looking at Arthur's list of tasks for a TD it is keeping me very busy. Because we are a small club, I also do Development Officer work too.

We've just signed up a few Bhutanese kids for the under 15 team in Division 2. A couple of the best players have injuries which could keep them out for most of the season. When all the players are fit, they will probably be good enough to go up a division. One of the Bhutanese kids is easily the best player in the league. The state team wanted him last year, he couldn't afford $3000, so he just went back to street football, as he couldn't afford club fees either.:(

The Bhutanese kids will replace the under 15 regulars. It will be these kids first experience of club football at 15 years of age. They are just ecstatic to be able to play club football. I have never, ever seen teenagers so excited about playing club football. Unfortunately, we have about another 20 at Community Football Programme who also want to join a team, but there are just not positions at clubs willing to take them.

Next year we hope to take the lot of them at our club, plus anyone else, regardless of ability.

We have also signed up a young Indian of 8 years old who needs a club and is very talented. He came to the Community Football Programme because no club would take him in his area, as he was late to register.

I also had a rep player a few years ago who was playing rep football , but couldn't find a club. I had to really coerce a club to give her a game - reluctantly. She had outstanding talent too.

Apparently player numbers have dropped by 25% in the last few years in this state.

Our club is organising a holiday clinic in a few weeks for a any players of both genders between the ages of 10-12 from junior clubs in the area and a little beyond.

We will be competing with the biggest club in the state for players next season - they don't know it yet. They have previously enjoyed a monopoly in the area. I wouldn't have proactively recruited in their catchment area, but the club officialdom's patronising attitude annoyed me and other club officials in response to CFP in particular, and about insular attitudes to anything outside their club. In their defence if you are a player in this club you are well looked after. It is very well administered.

We want to be seen as a viable option for kids when they leave junior clubs, under 12, to senior clubs - under 13 upwards.

The holiday clinic will be a specific skill session followed by a 4v4 tournament and a follow up barbecue.

The holiday clinic was a resounding success.

Feedback was that participants learnt a lot more than at the local biggest club in the state/state FFA clinic the previous day. I think they liked a lot of Brazilian Soccer Schools evasion techniques and Coerver evasion techniques in a grid, often with mini goals marked by cones. This probably kept them more stimulated than the techniques taught in isolation. We did short passing techniques in pairs.

Followed this up with a 4v4 round robin tournament with KNVB 4v4 games

http://www.bettersoccermorefun.com/dwtext/knvbgmes.htm

We had an adolescent role model/mentor in each team. One who could take one or two touches and not tackle anyone else apart from the mentor in the other team. They weren't allowed to score either, but I modified the rule because they thought they couldn't do enough in a game!

Coached a lot of nice kids. Hope to coach them again and recruit them to the club.







Edited by Decentric: 19/6/2012 10:29:22 PM

Devised a plan for Community Football Program last night, which ended up being our best ever. THis was in contrast to our second last one, where we had too many players not listening.

We did:

1. Juggling in pairs.

2. About 15 dribbling techniques were demonstrated with players able to try each one in context for about a minute at time. Another coach from my new club led this exercise. He put all players in a very small grid. We often had small goals about a metre apart interspersed randomly throughout the grid.

Whenever players were shown an evasion technique they moved around the grid with an emphais on scoring through the mini goals. Even though correct technique wasn't scrutinised as closely, it seemed to motivate the players even more - ages 10-25. There were an incredible number of touches in a short period of time.


3. Everton Academy passing exercise. Two players face opposite each other 3 metres apart- UEFA Short passing video (now defunct) and drills in Dirk's Academy Session, Atletico Meneiro pages 6-8.
The only difference from the UEFA one was that players had to alternate feet right, left, right, etc, etc, and had to use the inside of the foot. If you have some good players, to challenge them see how fast they can go with their partner. Many players still struggle with dodgy foot work.


4. Arsenal Academy Possession 6 in Dirk's Academy Sessions thread in the sticky section.

This exercise was changed to a KNVB passing and turning drill, also done at Everton Academy. The grid is set out the same as in Arsenal Academy Possession 6, with the four or more players outside the boundary, but instead the players in the middle dribble through the smaller middle square grid, call out a player on the outside's name, pass teh ball, receive a return pass, receiving the ball with furthest foot.
Really good players were shown the pivot turn as a challenge - seen in the EPL a lot. Even some skilful refugee adult player really had trouble grasping the receiving with the furthest foot. One of the refugee stars, now terrorising the rest of the league in the under 15 division 2 league with our club team, is already doing a nice pivot turn with both feet.



5. Arsenal Academy Possession 2 in Dirk's Academy Sessions sticky.

a. For adults and reasonable teenage players did this. This is great if with reasonable players one can get some really fast one and two touch movement in triangles and diamonds. Great as a fitness exercise too and players gain a lot of touches.

b. The younger group did rondos (pig in middle) 3v1. Players instructed to stay away from corners as instucted by KNVB. I don't know why they should do this but if KNVB says they should, I do it - state TD and state Skills Acquisition Program trainer know exactly why, but I'm still confused as to why they do it?:-k

This rondo exercise is a good precursor for younger kids to the Player in Soup Possession 2 one the older players did.



6. KNVB 4v4 main shooting game with keepers. Due to odd number rather we had 4v4 with keepers, plus a fickle player who was on whichever team had possession. The fickle payer could score too.

http://www.bettersoccermorefun.com/dwtext/knvbgmes.htm

It was the Basic Game in the aforementioned KNVB 4v4 games. Except we had keepers.


Initially this was a shooting game. Players initiially used faster, accelerated attacks, to score a lot of goals. Again adults couldn't tackle 14 year olds and under, 14 -13 years couldn't tackle the younger kids.

After about 30 minutes I changed it to a passing game. Every player in a team, including the fickle player and keeper, had to touch the ball before they could shoot.
It was interesting to see how the games became possession games and were better to watch. It was also good to bring lesser lights into the game.
One of the Nepalese refugees is developing really quickly with this sort of high emphasis technical training. He is fast developing his left foot too, after it was a weakness. A player agent on this forum might like to have look at him in the near future. He is a technician with excellent vision.

This was the best session ever taken at CFP. :d








Edited by Decentric: 19/6/2012 11:39:08 PM

Under 17 most suitable and effective payers are X team.

............................K


...X................X...............X.................X.....

............................X

...............X...........................X



Under 17 most effective forwards and fringe midifelders , plus 1 Aussie Vikings rep and 1 female state league senior player are Y team.



Y.........................Y...........................Y

.............................Y

...........Y...............................Y

.............................Y


These two teams, X and Y, are set up facing each other to play a game.


After a technique session involving shooting, passing, dribbling from KNVB/ Ajax, Chelsea academies etc, plus some warm up 4v4 KNVB games, we worked with an under 17 team Division 2 at our club on structure. They have a big knockout game this weekend.

They play a team who beat them 17-0 a year ago. This team is in Division 1 in the split state under 17 league. Unfortunately, I'll be tied up with a FFA Sports Trainer's Course and can't attend on Sunday.

The objective for X team is to keep a compact shape and for the defensive midfielder, or screener, to keep position and assist the other two shadow strikers or attacking midfielders keep position.

In the last year about 7 of our club under 17 team have trained with Community Football Program regularly. Their coach uses CFP methodology on the training track this season. They have picked up a few new players, plus 2 Nepalese refugees, one who have only played once, but one is the best player in Division 2. Winning is more important in the cup game.

With the above 7v7 exercise the X team were practising with the team keeper. The defensive line and the midfield play with the attacking midifeld triangle in team X. This is essentially the core of the team - first choice defence and midfield.

The Y team objective is to play the defensive midfield triangle, with one CB making up the bottom of the diamond.

The Y team is the first eleven forward line, plus two fringe midfielders. During the home and away season, the fringe players get equal game time. With the Cup game, there will be quite a number of extra games every time they move to the next round. Two of the fringe players can't attend on Sunday.

I also brought in a state league senior female player to play one defensive player in the Y team, at the bottom of a midfield diamond
(1-3-4-3) for the Y team for training purposes to ping the ball all over the park to her teammates. We also brought in a male Vikings Australian rep to play as an attacking mid at the apex of the diamond. He is an excellent technician, has good game sense, apart from excessive showing off, as well as being very quick over the turf. Moreover, he has a shot like a cannon. This really evened up the practice game. His role was to keep the shape of the forward line of 3.

The major problem we are having in this under 17 team, is not having a defensive midifelder with good enough positional play, technique and game sense. There are two guys who alternate between CB and DM, both are good ball winners, physically strong, sound technicians, who've improved immeasurably over the last year playing in the Community Football Program. However, they lack positional sense as DM and game sense.

There are three players with technique and game sense in the team, one is a CB , the other two are better shadow strikers ( or attacking mids) in a 1-4-3-3 with an attacking midfield triangle. There are another 5 who have technique, but little game sense. The rest have game sense but little technique or/and are timid.

With the X team I'm really focusing on the defensive midfielder sitting, rather than sprinting down the pitch trying to score. I think he hates me, as I've been on the pitch coaching him and another CB to sit when the team goes forward. They love going forwards, but when they do, massive holes are left.

If the team loses the ball they get caught in the defensive transition and are often punished. In the past they've probably been lauded as good players in the team. Now a new TD has arrived and is reading the riot act about their decision making and playing a role for the team, not for themselves.
They must also perceive me as being lenient and too complimentary to a lot of their teammates, who have limited technical qualities, but good game sense and who are playing to the best of their ability in a team plan. I think the two CB DMs can't understand why I am so concerned with their performances. I've told them off pitch that if they can play the DM role well, keep the compact 1-4-3-3 shape with the attacking midfield triangle, the team may have the potential to play in Division 1.

I am finding that this intelligent defensive midfielder, with good distribution skills, excellent game sense, organisational ability and a good reader of the game (Vince Grella, Lucas Neill type playes ), plus ball winning ability, is a very rare phenomenon in this state, even in men's and women's split state league senior teams. There are some veteran players who can perform this role well, but they are late in their careers, probably have limited technical skills and are now playing social football.

We had Brett Pullen, a former Adelaide player in the NSL, who was a brilliant controller of tempo in games, plus a couple of players in the female split state leagues, often coached by coaches who have no appreciation of their abilities. Unfortunately, these types of players are a rare commodity. Hence there is often disconnect between the defence and midfield at all levels. I've never seen the above KNVB exercise performed at any club training session (I've seen about 20). All teams playing 11v11 need to do it all the time.

The under 17 team are also not used to having an outstanding shadow striker, the new Nepalese player, in front of them. He also combines superbly with one of their regular attacking players, who was previously a bit of a lone wolf up front. The Nepalese guy created 5 assists in his first game out of 7 goals scored. They also have another new Nepalese player in the team, a reasonable techician, but who has no understanding of the offside rule- but he is picking things up quickly.


There is one CB who is the fulcrum of the team. He has excellent positional sense, a good ball winner, a reasonable technician and has good game sense. He is flanked by two full backs with limited skills, but good positional sense and game sense. In this month we've really worked on their jockeying skills.

The DM just doesn't get it.](*,) I know a split state league senior coach, whose team is in the upper half of the ladder. When I've been at his training ground, he reckons his team are mostly devoid of game sense too, apart from one notable exception. With female players they are often so much smarter, quicker on the uptake, and you don't have to repeat things to them. Advice is quickly transferred to game sense, or often they figure things out quickly for themselves.

I deliberately had a very intelligent DM female player with good technique and superb vision on the pitch for under the 17 male DM to observe by playing against her. It was good because she was able to control the game and kept playing balls quickly to the Aussie Vikings rep at attacking mid, or held onto the ball and chose the opportune times to beat players, jockey effectively or launch into a well- timed tackle - yet she was slower over the turf, but possesses much greater speed of thought, than all other players on that pitch.

She thought she played poorly, because of balls played which would have reached their target, but were intercepted by much faster 16 and 17 year olds than players in her league. She still had about an 85% pass accuracy though. The extra athleticism of the under 17s, give her much less time and space on the ball.

With the the Vikings Aussie international rep, at times I put a restriction of one or two touches on him. He was excellent to have playing with some of the fringe midfielders who adulate him, particularly when he was restricted to one or two touches. He also moves well of the ball opening passing lanes for some less talented teammates and combined well with the attacking trio.

We have other players with the game sense and positional acumen to play this important DM position, but they are poor ball winners and have limited technique.
I have each line coaching the line in front, but some younger players are frightened to tell some players they perceive as better, what to do and where to go.

I have suggested the attacking triangle for the under 17 team to the team coach, which he agrees is a good idea, because to have two DMs in the other formation would be worse!

If they can hold this attacking midfield 1-4-3-3 triangle formation shape, they have a reasonable chance. Apart from the Nepalese star player, nobody else playing as the shadow strikers or attacking mids has the positional sense to cover and keep the triangular shape if the incumbent DM goes forward and loses the ball. The team gets caned in the defensive transition. As a back up, I'm trying to get the DM to at least shout, "Cover!", if he does see an opening to go forwards.

Technically the under 17 team has improved immeasurably in the last year and will have closed the gap on the Division 1 team. I'd love to see by how far, but I'm not available.

If anyone is interested in the above formational stuff, look at Gregory Parker's excellent article/training session he wrote on playing through the midfield in the Performance Section . I think it is in here in the forum section of Performance somewhere. If it isn't look at the Performance section that isn't a forum.





















Edited by Decentric: 20/6/2012 09:03:40 AM

Edited by decentric: 20/6/2012 09:41:38 AM

Edited by decentric: 20/6/2012 09:54:28 AM

Edited by Decentric: 21/6/2012 11:59:46 AM

http://huntingterritory.com/index.php/corporate/theory/downloads.html

Have a read of his articles about group dynamics, may explain why players behave this way, they feel they are overstepping "their territory".

Not a problem for Dutch National team players who seem to be able to tell everyone else how they should play.
:d

A few weeks ago, I also coached one of my new club's our senior women's teams, playing in third tier.

Did a lot of the stuff I've done with other teams. Their major problem was receiving the ball with the furthest foot.

They were excellent listeners though and gave me a lot of constructive feedback at the end of the session. They articulated what they liked and didn't like about specific training exercises. One player said she may be unique, but she doesn't like keepings off games. Interestingly I was pleased with what I saw. There was often quick improvement in their teamwork in some of the exercises seen with the Arsenal and Dutch Ajax academies. This of course is a perception from a coaching perspective.

I was very nervous taking adult women from ages 20 -45. There were a number of FFA trained coaches in their ranks. Many of these players had a good critical level. Apparently they were nervous about being scrutinised and trained by me. Even though the body could not always place the furthest foot forwards when receiving, players could see the logic behind any suggestions made. Testoserone charged male teenagers are a different proposition altogether!!!](*,)

Later in the session when players were receiving the ball with the furthest foot more often with their first touch, their body shape was in the right position for a shot on goal with their second touch in some SSGs.






Edited by Decentric: 21/6/2012 11:49:44 AM

The 1-4-3-3 with one screener in the midfield triangle.


..X................X...............X.................X.....

............................X

................X......................X

....X.......................X.........................X



The team used this variation of the 1-4-3-3 on Saturday in a home and away game. They lost 3-6 against a long ball team who scored a lot of goals that went over the keeper's head from range. I think our club team played better football, that was essentially on the deck. Next time, the score could be different from the balance of play on show. Our finishing needs to improve.


On Sunday this same formation was used against the team that beat them 17 -0 in a Cup tie last year. They lost 2-4 this weekend. All the other team's goals were scored from corners. This team is in Division 1.

I wasn't there, but the team plan was to bring the two wingers back in defence in the defensive transition. This manifested closer to Adelaide's 1 -4-5-1 in the ACL, with the 1-4 midfield shape. When the ball was won back it changed to a 1-4-3-3 again.

Our club team was probably outplayed. However, our club coach was surprised at how much pressure the defence could withstand, with effective distancing between and within the lines. We worked on it in training last week in 7v7 with attacking and defensive midfield triangles.

So from a 17-0 loss to a 4-2 loss in just over a year isn't too bad.:)











Edited by Decentric: 26/6/2012 05:22:15 PM

The most important thing for your boys is they not only plugged their leak but managed to score goals too!

We have moved the Community Football Program to an outlying suburb of the capital to try and attract and recruit players 10-14 to our club.

We still have the refugees being transported down from their northern suburb with the Migrant Resource Centre bus. Since the club, which I'm now TD of, has had a number of players, and coaches in particular, supporting CFP, we are moving into a northern extremity of their catchment area for recruiting purposes, as well as assisting with regugees' assimilation.

We were hoping to attract players 10 upwards. We had a few attend, but not as many as we would have liked. We had mainly 7 -8 year olds attending. The flyer sent to local schools and to local junior clubs, explicitly stating the program was for 10 years to 15, not prescriptive though.

It was difficult to run a session catering for 7-10 yer old novices on the one hand, and, 13 -17 tear olds, one or two good enough for state/NTC representation!!!!!!#-o

Sometimes an alternative is to advertise by school Grades, a 10yo being grade 4. So I have also learnt that it may help to advertise age and school grade;

Players from 10yo-11yo (grades 4-5).

Seems to help.

Thanks, Arthur.

I'll try it.

We did advertise from ages 10-15.

Edited by Decentric: 4/12/2012 11:18:09 PM

Edited by Decentric: 4/12/2012 11:18:39 PM

Edited by Decentric: 4/12/2012 11:22:32 PM

Still struggling to attract kids 11 years plus. We have heaps of kids under the age of 11. This wasn't the idea at all!#-o Any Grass Roots trained coach can do what I'm doing ATM. ](*,)

I'm doing a clinic in a school this week, specifically targeted at the specific age group. If they don't turn up en masse next week, we will pull the plug on the program for a few months.

I am speaking to a few organisations about rep coaching again next year. Mainly to have a squad of reliable players as a nucleus. I might be able to use the CFP as a corollary.


Edited by Decentric: 4/12/2012 11:22:46 PM

Took some clinics in a school today. We are trying to target 11-12 year olds.

I think we only have a few interested. All the kids seem to have other commitments.

I did skills sessions, game related, then 4v4 SSGs, with a round robin system. Some of the kids were disappointed, because they didn't play a big game withe the whole class divided into two teams, about 13v13, 14v14 or 15v15.](*,)

I explained to subsequent groups, that the big game, meant a few players dominate whilst the rest have very little influence, involvement or touches. They seemed happier with the 4v4s after that.

One of the teachers is one of the best players in the state. He played well for Tasmania against Victory. Next week we will have him and three other young adult senior players at our CFP session, but we will be overrun with 7 year olds.#-o

Edited by Decentric: 6/12/2012 11:47:28 PM