I'm going to try and show a passing drill advanced into progressions which KNVB are so keen to do. Even in the FFA course it was emphasised.


In the aforementioned video it demonstrates inside and outside of the foot passing with both feet.

If we focus on inside of the foot passing, the second aforementioned drill with my best attempts at a diagram follows it.




The next one is a KNVB one I saw the Socceroos perform. This can be done with advanced players/ even at international level.

---------------------P
1------R----1--------E---------1----L----1






---------------------Po


1 denotes poles or tall cones
P denotes players
o denotes ball

R denotes right foot
E denotes either foot
L denotes left foot

There should be 1 metre between the two poles on the right and the two on the left.
There should be 2 metres between the two middle poles.


There should be 3 metres between stationary player with ball and mobile player without ball behind the poles.

Stationary player with ball passes to mobile player behind poles in the middle.
Mobile player receives one touch with either foot and passes the ball is back to stationary player.

Stationary player passes to mobile player on right side.
Mobile player passes back one touch with right foot.
Stationary player passes into the middle again.
Mobile player passes back with either foot.
Stationary player passes back to mobile players left side.
Mobile player passes back one touch with left foot.
Stationary passes back to middle again.
Cycle repeats-right/middle/left/middle/right/middle/left/middle/etc.

After three minutes or so alternate players, so mobile becomes stationary and vice versa.

This is a great drill. It can be done with advanced players. I saw it at Socceroo training.


Edited by Decentric: 14/4/2011 11:29:53 AM

Decentric
The selectors will be you biggest enemy.
If they do not select your players (and I fear they will not)
Those selected will be the ones who are revered and others aspire to be like.
And your school will suffer the condemnation of old soccer.

Krones3 if you mean State selection, then don't worry about it. I'll go out on a limb here and state clearly that in the majority of cases junior state selection is generally a waste of time and money in terms of a junior players development.

In many ways it turns out to be a nice sightseeing trip to Canberra or Coffs Harbour as well as meeting some nice people.

A handful of training sessions and a half a dozen games squeezed into four days is not player development, personal development maybe.

One of the major reasons the FFA has introduced the Skill Acquisition Programs is that it is a 40 week program as against State development programs which are inconsistent.

The concept behind the school, FFE, is to take football to players regardless of talent/experience.

There are at times close associations with some local clubs regarding state selection occur. Cronyism and nepotism are sometimes rife.

What also influenced me greatly has been the attitude of two state coaches.

Their philosophy was that they had no affiliation to any particular club. They told clubs, 'We want to borrow your player for one/two years and return them the best they can possibly be'.

It seemed like a win/win scenario to me. In reality players form friendships with other players and go to other clubs after full time state programmes.

There is also heated discussion about players in state /NTC programmes not being able to play with clubs during that time. This is a moot point . Most kids play football to play with their friends. This is denied in FFA full -time programmes. I think players should still be able to train with their club once a week and play one match per week. Few players in state/NTC programmes take the next step and become a professional player anyway. Don't stop them from social interaction with clubs.

A relative ATM is probably not finding US college football as stimulating as hoped for. Academic studies are nowhere near as stimulating and challenging as in Australia/Tassie. Even in Grade 12 study here is far more rigorous and challenging that the first year of a US college degree.
There is a massive amount of heavy weight training in that US college soccer programme. The player is being played out of position. The player can't ride horses as easily or body board like here. Options outside campus life are more limited. The climate is very wet. It rains all the time.


A similar scenario occurred in Scotland. An elite Aussie was playing in the Scottish Second Division. It was freezing in his last game. There were 800 spectators and it was raining. He thought they had to be more to life that that. He returned tp Aussie and set up a recruitment agency for American college scholarships for Aussies. He thinks that a college degree and a chance to play semi-pro football is a great opportunity compared to him leaving for Europe at 15 and the ensuing roller coaster career.

Comparatively, I'm concerned about the calibre of education in the US. An Australian degree which takes three years, takes four in the USA. The first year seems too easy and too generalist.
Few US college players progress to the professional leagues for women and men. The remuneration is mediocre. The recruiter thinks it is a great opportunity.
I'm not sure it is - apart from the football ops. To get a degree in Australia, be able to work (it is difficult in the US with visas), to play club football and travel of one's own volition overseas, is pretty appealing for Australians.

A mate of mine has a book where he says even players from English leagues one and two, wonder whether full time football is a viable profession, compared to getting a trade or a uni degree.

What all this is getting to, is that the path to elite football may not be that rosy. If guys in the third top league in England are questioining their decision, there are many playing at lower levels who make less money.

The most important aspect of football is enjoyment. A park player enjoying the game is probably preferable to a professional player who is disgruntled.

To add to your point, Krones, some NTC and state players who have gone back to clubs, have not stood out in lower level competition. I think it may be due to too much emphasis on fitness levels in elite programmes, with not enough emphasis on technique.

I feel that FFE is really heavily focused on technique, with a few innovations to increase touches. Every drill we use I'm looking at increasing touches. Players walking back to a point on the pitch, during a drill, is a waste of technique time.

At least FFE should provide players with the tools. If elite coaches want to get them fit for bigger comps, they can do it. One state coach said he didn't have time to teach technique. Just get get players fit and work on tactics was how he perceived his role.

KNVB states one must always train players of any age in technique in TIC. The insight and communication is added at different age levels.

FFE prioritises the first two phases of KNVB training.

1. a. Technique drills to reinforce weaknesses. b. Games to reinforce coaching point.
2. 4v4 SSGs.

KNVB believes if you haven't got technique the rest of the game is irrelevant. A player is almost useless to carry out tactical plans, etc.




Edited by Decentric: 15/4/2011 09:47:37 AM

Fair comment, Arthur.

However, in this state if one plays in the state team, one needs to commit to a whole season with many training sessions, twice a week, and one match per week.

I'll have to ask our state TD for more info about the Skill Acquisition Programmes.

I don't like to see private profit making academies operating in one way, but if they provide options for players not otherwise available, then fair enough.

Ken Morton, of Ken Morton Soccer Schools, has picked up a few players who didn't make state/rep programmes. His school is a private one with fees of $175 per month. When I think about it that is cheaper than state programmes which cost about $3000 per year.

An analogy I use is music.

I was an underemployed professional musician. I had a music teacher who had been in the army. He was sick and tired of being a musician. He wanted to do anything else. He drove trucks.


I know a guy who plays in the VPL. This, with the NSWPL, is the top league in Aussie outside the A League. He has a commerce degree.

He trains four nights per week.

He works part time using his tertiary qualification. I think this must be close to the ideal. He has a profession as well as playing football at a pretty high level.

If one stays in football for a whole career with no back up qualifications, there is only coaching one can do at the end of a career.

Coaching professional teams is stressful. One has to get results. Football is a competitive business. Poor results usually means dismissal.

Development coaching is less stressful. The pressure is not there to the same extent. How does one define success/failure in terms of development?

I think there is pressure on state NTC coaches to get their players into national teams.

Edited by Decentric: 14/4/2011 01:50:54 PM

lol

How do you think the likes of Kelly Cross has remained in employment for the past 100 years?

It's an unaccountable position - the very reason why fifth rate dutch hacks fill such roles in football-naive countries.

Edited by judy free: 14/4/2011 01:36:32 PM

Fair point.

They don't have to be mutually exclusive though.

I feel for some kids who go to play for some teams/coaches where everything is one/two touch football. Kids are rebuked for trying things that don't work. In both current KNVB and FFA methodology, results based football is not considered important until ages 17-18.

Kids need to be able to dribble out of some situations on the pitch. One and two touch football is good most of the time, but players need to be equipped for scenarios when all passing lanes are blocked. Asian teams from Korea and Japan show our players up in the ACL, having better one on one skills.

Many of the top Brazilian players are effective and look flamboyant too.

Nick Carle is often effective and flamboyant simultaneously.

Kelly is probably more successful as a development coach/trainer of other coaches than a results based coach with a club. They are different roles.

Arie Schans sometimes apologises for his presentation skills as a trainer compared to Ad Derkson. Schans has been a results based coach. Mind you he is still an excellent communicator in training coaches.

Ron Smith may be similar to Kelly Cross, being good at hands on development of players, like Kelly may be a do as a presenter of theories to coaches. Many extol his virtues as a development coach.

Results based coaching is a tenuous and fickle business. Ernie Merrick was considered highly successful 12 months ago. He has just been sacked.

Louis Van Gaal was touted as a highly successful coach a short time ago. He has just been sacked too. Other than Mourinho, Wenger and Ferguson, all club/international coaches seem get sacked at some stage in their career, no matter how good they are.

Edited by Decentric: 14/4/2011 11:10:54 PM

I agree and understand everything you have said.
However I have personally seen players selected who have no ability and suddenly their parent’s, coaches and RDO are heroes.
These people gain credibility and popularity due to the selection whilst other players and coaches are ridiculed and condemned
Chips once assured me that the cream always raises to the top and I have found this to be true however the top can be a long way up and it is hard to remain enthusiastic until you get there.
But I hope I am wrong and you can stay with it until you see the results.
One more thing old soccer (the blazers) are not going to sit on their hands and just let you go for it.

I can remember that as one of his rare lucid comments too.

When I read biographies and auto-biographies about our top Aussie players I'm not so sure. It seems most have struggled. Then out of the blue they have got a lucky break.

It seems football is a game of subjective opinions.

Robbie Slater's youth/junior coach in Sydney thought he was very lucky to have had the successful career he had, with the innate ability he had.

He was Oceania player of the year at least once. He also won an EPL title.

Tim Cahill was overlooked as a junior for rep teams too.



Edited by Decentric: 15/4/2011 09:28:19 AM

Unlike Tasmania, it's extremely competitive at the top end of town of elite junior/youth football in NSW. Many talented kids don't take it to the next level for a myriad of reasons.




Proving my point that cream always rises to the top.

Tip for Krones; parents are poor judges of their own kid's ability.

Edited by judy free: 15/4/2011 08:38:01 AM

Edited by Arthur: 15/4/2011 08:05:27 AM

Edited by Arthur: 15/4/2011 08:07:29 AM

Oh really?

I think your google skills need a little sharpening.

Robbie Slater was Oceania player of the year twice in the early nineties... not as worthy an achievement as Asian player of the year would have been- but he still had to beat other Aussie players, plus the likes of Wynton Rufer and French Oceania players like Karembeu and Vahirua.

Arthur, this paragraph neatly encapsulates the state/rep team scenarios.

Krones, I have always been keen on alternative pathways to rep/state selection. I would hope we would pick up a few of those in FFE. I've known players disliked by state/rep coaches who have missed out on rep/state selection. On ability alone they should have been selected.

Chipper never made any rep teams until the Socceroos.

What did Ogger do before the VPL which helped him get a contract with Roar?

Edited by Decentric: 15/4/2011 09:40:30 AM

Thanks Localstar.

Premature dementia is setting in!!!

For those who don't realise, Localstar, a pretty modest character, has played football at a pretty high level.


Another nameless participant in these discussions might take note of his/her humility when posing some thoughtful questions.

They display considerable insight about football.

My niece made the Australian Schoolgirls Hockey side and I stumbled upon this link when I was searching for results of her tour of europe.

http://www.schoolsport.edu.au/lib/pdf/sportsinfo/mf2080.pdf

The Aussie Schoolboys side is almost like a kiss of death. The names I have heard of haven't exactly set the world on fire. I wonder what happened to all the others that haven't pursued a football career.

QSL
David Han/ very good player

Brett Hay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I23NXu_eQkc

Thanks for putting it up, Dirk.

I'm in a remote area and can't access the link.

This is an interesting adjunct to the Barcelona directional control passing exercise.

It is funny to see the Barcelona drill explained by one of the world's greatest youth coaches on the interent. I think his name is Manuel. He sits next to Guardiola at Barca games.

The supplememntary training exercise was learnt many years ago from a 9 year old playing, in another team in another district. She explained it to me. Her under 9 coach used it. Kids love it. My point is, a coach can learn a drill/exercise from any source.

One creates a circle or half circle. Use use a square maked with cones if you have no lines. The centre circle of half of it is a good grid.


.........Po...@
........@.........@..P
Po...@...................@..P

@............P..............@..P
...@....................@..P
..P.....@.............@
...........Po..@

P denotes player
o denotes ball
@ denotes cone or delineates a cricle


There is one player in the middle of the circle who is called 'it'.

Players on the outside of the circle will receive the ball from other players balls that miss 'it'.

Players on outside of the circle try and inside of the foot shoot/pass at the player in the middle who is 'it'.


Outside players can use instep (shooting or drive pass), inside of the foot passing or outside of the foot passing to try and hit 'it' below the knee.

Andy, this can be used by a range of players with different passing/technical abilities. You might have some good kids with the instruction of using the outside of the foot with both feet wherever possible, whereas others struggle to use use the inside.


If 'it ' is hit, they are out. They are replaced by the person who hit 'it' with the ball.

I used to have more than one player in the middle as 'its', but since I'm now obsessed by number of touches, only one player, 'it', is not using the ball at a time.

Initially, it is probably best used for inside of the foot one and two touch passing/shooting.

Use two, three, four balls, five balls to get more touches from outside players.

This is part of 1.b in a four phase KNVB coaching module.

This reinforces particular technique instruction with a 'game' in what a child defines as a game - fun activity. This is integral to children/youth learning football and enjoying it.
This is an intemediary step between the instructed skill, 1.a and KNVB phase 2. 4v4 SSGs.

The original model I used in the first post of this thread would have had more of these and less explicit technique work. Essentially, it was a session to show coaches technically advanced dribbling techniques.





Edited by Decentric: 18/4/2011 01:13:39 PM

I thank you for your contemporary views on modern football practices.

None of these drills, or variations of these drills, ever existed prior to your recently found luv of sockah.

I think we get the point. :lol:

To put them in the context of an effective coaching model is important too.

Decentric,

Keep up the good work mate. There are quite a few of us that read this topic with interest and ignore/skim over the useless posts ;)

Edited by Aussiesrus: 18/4/2011 09:46:52 PM

Tip for Krones; parents are poor judges of their own kid's ability.

Edited by judy free: 15/4/2011 08:38:01 AM[/quote]

If they come from a background of paying attention to detail and critical of faults they can be perfect and vindicated.

=d> =d> =d> =d>

If they come from a background of paying attention to detail and critical of faults they can be perfect and vindicated.

=d> =d> =d> =d> [/quote]









If a parent has been involved in football they can be a good judge of their child's ability.

Sometimes they may not be objective enough though.



Edited by Decentric: 20/4/2011 01:45:19 PM

Fair point.

Entertainment value and effectiveness don't have to be mutually exclusive though.

Christiano Ronaldo, Robinho, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Kaka, etc, are entertainers and effective too.

Edited by Decentric: 20/4/2011 02:28:20 PM

I can't find it on the internet anywhere.

You would have seen it before.

A player jumps off the ground, then inside of the foot with the right foot, cuts the ball into the inside of the left foot and dribbles the opposite way, left, from what the original right inside of the foot dribble looked like it was going to do.

It is great for wrong footing opponents.