Thanks Greg, all GREAT advice on what I should be doing. Hopefully an opportunity arises in the next few years!

I have just started senior coaching this year. Senior coaching is different in the way you approach the game and approach the players. Advanced games, conditioning, tactics, physcholgical strategies/tactics can be applied. You must read the game must faster and make adjustments if necessary. Momentum changes a lot during the game. The principles are still the same however. The way you coach the players changes but now includes larger SSGs, functional practices, and phase practices.

With seniors the real world limitations comes into play, with work commitments taking precidence. If you are an Assistant coach you must work with the head coach for the best outcome of the team/club and support his method of play, and give feedback on what you observe.

Take up an opportunity to coach seniors and see for yourself. Only then can you decide which you enjoy best.

Fair enough Greg, just asking!!

I'm not sure. I have only previously coached juniors, and was asking you about the differences/methods in the 'cross-over' between kids and mens, as I'm currently looking into senior coaching options.

My name comes from previously living in Merriwa, and the mauler from my playing 'style'.

Same club. The website is being updated. You sound pretty experienced, what do you see as the major differences between junior and senior football? At the moment I am discussing the National Curriculum from club to reps and its stages. Tell me about your internet name.

Is it this club?
http://www.lakemacquariecityfc.com/Home.html

Can't see any mention of you on there?

But interesting to read Wayne O'Sullivan, Damien Brown and Andre Gumprecht all play there. Must have ALOT of cash!!!!

What do you see as the differences in coaching your senior team, then in coaching juniors? Do you use the same drills, sessions etc?

Thanks merriwa mauler. Yes I am Assistant Coach for NBN League 1st grade team, Lake Macquarie City. Good experience, and a nice club. We will see what occurs in the future.

Great article Greg.

You seem to have a fair understanding of the game.

Have you/ are you planning on coaching at a senior club level?

thanks for the feedback greg, i think his frustration with it is that he wants to play a passing game like he sees at a-league games and on tv, but with other kids not able to do the basics he finds himself doing alot of work to get the team going. which is fine cos he likes to be involved, but it goes against his sharing nature!
your right, futsal is an ssg, and the kids there are like him - they're there to learn more and different skills because, quite simply, they cant get enough of the game! he loves it and has found kids there are at a similar level so he is learning more about his own game and positioning etc. and he can get his fix of being in goal! please dont think im "dissing" the merit of ssg or your column, thats not the case at all. i appreciate your reply very much

chak - steady on mate! im not telling the experts how to do it, im simply highlighting a situation where a child wants something more realistic than ssg and to learn at a quicker rate. he is such a sponge for knowledge! he applies new skills really well. i wish it was like brazil where all kids are playing the round ball in the street in self-regulated "ssg's". as much as every dad(especially in the football community!) wants their children to play football, he simply didnt want to play this season despite the fact that he loves playing so much. im just pleased that at this point, in futsal, hes found a form of the game that he loves.

Thank you for the feedback. Excellent observations from all. JohnnyD1 I understand your dilemma. Futsal is a SSG. This is the model in Brazil. The SSG format is all about development. Yes it is real football, it has opponents,teamates goals, boundries with modified rules.You can teach anything in a 4v4 game. Football 11v11 is an adults game. To teach children how to play we must break it down. At age 6 I would not be too keen to judge the system yet! Talk to your coach and club first. Does your son pass the ball or is he doing all the work? Perhaps he should be changed to a team with similar talent. Children develop at different rates. There are always ways to overcome situations. The player should not be taken off everytime he scores. Place him in another position.

I use SSGs in community teams, rep teams and first grade mens teams. I also use phases and functions in older teams to chunk the game down.

Great to hear you have a talented child. Find a club and coach that suits his needs and develop him in all areas.

"world’s best practice models" .....JohnnyD1, i believe these guys know what they r doing and for you to say u think its rubbish....all i can think is: what would you know?... you see kids out there without the basic techniques, ie passing and positioning and all u r interested in is scoring or goalkeeping (not to sure what your kid is good at, he scores and he keeps?)... even keepers need the basic passing techniques!.... but you know whats best!

great article gregory, and well explained.

i still think the whole small sided games(ssg) is not for developing footballers or love of the game but rather encouraging mediocrity.
children develop at different ages but to take a kid who has scored a few goals off the park is crazy. just so someone else "can have a go at scoring"...takes away the value of scoring a goal, which should be a hard earned achievement in itself.
my 6 year old, for example, has been playing for hours and hours a week for 3 and a bit years(of his own choice) and ssg, the system, fails him. he scores goals, and gets taken off. he is a demon between the sticks with genuine technique, but he cant play goalkeeper for years to come because the goal needs to be left vacated so shots cant be stopped.
so hes playing futsal, which for young kids is the closest to playing the game they love to watch at the stadiums or on tv. maybe he will still love the game enough to rejoin the outdoor version when it becomes "real" in a few years time.

For the first 2 years it should be about getting players to fall in love with the game, to do this use fun games with little coaching. Once they have a love then it is easier to coach and accelerate their football education. I still come across 12/13 year old that are still extrinsically motivated and not intrinsic.

Something people often forget about young kids, even though they do not have the vocabulary of older people they are not stupid. I run my churhes Sunday School and you would frankly be amazed at what young kids can remember. I and my helpers do not 'dumb down' what we are teaching, we may use resources aimed at children but we do not patronise them. Kids will absorb what you are trying to convey to them as long as you have a couple of things firmly in mind:
1, they can detect bullshit.
2, they want to trust you, and be trusted in turn.
Talk to them, keep it interesting by doing different things during your time with them and be genuinely interested in them and what they are doing. Ask them questions, let them ask you questions. Give them honest answers, do not lie. Go over last week/session, get them to tell you about it - give them genuine praise for what they remember (and they will remember most of it!).

Also something very, very important with kids as well, lay down the rules of behaviour you expect right from the word go. Always start and end your sessions the same way.

Reinforce behaviour as either being appropriate behaviour or inappropriate behaviour. Behaviour in itself is neither right or wrong, but the context in which the behaviour is displayed is either appropriate or innappropriate. Also be consistant with what you view as appropriate, and hold yourself and any others the kids need to respect to the same level.

Finally from me, thank you so very very much for choosing to share your experiences with us. I look forward to your next blog!

Am loving the articles on this blog, definitely fulfilling an oft overlooked niche in most football websites.

Keep up the fantastic and informative work.


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