By COACH MARCOS ALVES
SOCCER YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
QUALITIES OF A SOCCER PLAYER
Throughout my experience as a professional soccer coach at youth, international and professional levels around the world assessment of players who aspire to a higher level. I have been asked many times what I look for when observing youth players. Quite simply stated my answer has always been: "Can they play?" While there are many experienced coaches in this country that will understand this response there are also many coaches and parents who will require a more detailed analysis. While observation is relative to the standard of play (age or ability level) let us look at some of the qualities coaches are seeking at tryouts and provide the background for our evaluations. KNOWLEDGE OF THE GAME Positional Play
Players must have an understanding of their offensive and defensive functions (roles) on the field. Vision
Players should be looking around before they receive the ball to assess their options so that when they receive the ball, they will know where to play the ball. Many players will think about their options only when the ball is at their feet . Often this is too late and will result in a loss of possession. Awareness
At all times players must know where they are on the field as their positions rel ate to the location of the ball, their teammates and the opponents. Instinctive Reaction
The better players will know how to react immediatel y in any given situation whether
under pressure themselves or relieving pressure from teammates. E.G. On offense they will know how and where to run to create passing or shooting opportunities for themselves or teammates. On defense the y will know how far and how fast to retreat or how quickly to challenge in order to avert danger. Adaptability
One of the many beauties of the game is that all players have the opportunity to be the quarterback. Whenever they are in possession they can aff ect the nature of the game. For this reason players must be able to adapt quickly to any given situation. Players away from the ball on offense and defense must al so be able to adapt quickly to the constantly changing "pictures" that the game presents. Inventiveness
There are many times in a game that players have to use their own individual flair to create shooting or passing opportunities. Players who can turn quickly, evade challenges, shoot off balance or perform their own "tricks" to create opportunities are assets to teams.
PHYSICAL ABILITY
Skill - Application of technique under pressure There are many facets of the game that will cause a breakdown of technique. Good players are able to maintain technical efficiency under pressure. They will show composure under the following demands.
Movement of the ball. Movement of the body with the ball (body/ball control). Opponents. As concentration lapses and technique deteriorates when most players are tired, good players will be able to perform under the pressure of fatigue.
MENTAL ABILITY
Confidence
In the make-up of good players physical ability goes hand in hand with mental ability. Not only must players possess good skill but also, they must have the confidence to play to their potential. Mental Toughness
There are many situations in a game that affect confidence and concentration. E.G. Losing by more than one goal in the latter stages of the game, the team being totally dominated throughout the game, individual breakdown in technique, constantl y losing "individual battles" can all result in a loss of confidence and concentration. Mentally tough players will endeavor to perform to their utmost despite those odds. Impact
Good players have the ability to affect the nature of the game from their positions on the field. Goalkeepers, defenders, midfield players and forwards can all make an impact on the game from their respective roles on the team. FITNESS Endurance
Fitness is a vital component of the game. Not only must pla yers have the ability to play for the game's duration but also, they must be able to recover while working in the game. Concentration lapses and skill levels decline when players are tired. Therefore, the greater the soccer endurance the less chance of errors created by fatigue. Speed
While speed of movement is a wonderful advantage in the game it is not vital to success. However, speed of thought is essential. Good perception and quick reactions save much time. The following elements combined are ideal.
Perceptual Speed is the time that elapses between the occurrence of a situation in a game and its recognition by a player. Reaction Time is the time that elapses between the occurrence of a situation and a player's initial physical reaction. Contractile Rate is the rate at which a player is able to get his muscles into action; quickness and explosiveness. Speed of Movement is how fast a player is able to move over a distance of five to fifteen yards.
Balance and Agility
Good players must have both static balance to resist challenge and dynamic balance (agility) so that they are in control of their bodies while moving without the ball or performing skills of the game. Strength
As the game presents many challenges both on the ground and in the air, players must have the strength to withstand those challenges.
Naturally, not all players possess all the qualities stated. In fact, not all professional and international players have all those qualities. As a result, when observing players for selection or evaluation, coaches must take into consideration the standard of the game and the level of competition being assessed. The art of good coaching is in combining the talents of the players selected.
Soccer Positions with Detailed Specifics for Your Position
GOALKEEPER - The soccer position of goalkeeper typically requires a t all, courageous athlete that has great reflexes, superior hand-eye coordination, and is fearless . The goalkeeper must be fearless and courageous because they are required at times to layout a diving tackle and snatch the ball from an attacking forwards foot.
Since the goalkeeper is the only position on the field that can touch the ball with their hands during play, the keeper should be comfortable handling the ball. The keeper must be good at receiving balls out of the air in order to cut off crosses from the outside, and must comfortable with catching the ball overhead. They are also e xpected to stretch out and dive at balls played to the sides and be able to hold on to the ball. The keeper is also required to possess the ball with their feet, so feet skills of a keeper should not be overlooked. It is also important for the goalkeeping position to learn how to distribute the ball with their hands or by punting the ball down field to relieve pressure on the back, and possibly gain an attacking advantage. At times, the attack begins in the back, so it is important for a goalkeeper to have good vision and understanding of where the most efficient place to play the ball would be.
SWEEPER
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The sweeper is one of the most important soccer positions. This player is the heart of the defense and helps control the defense. This soccer position calls for a player that can read dangerous situations quickly, is cool under pressure, posses the ball comfortably, can read the game and intercept frequently, and is able to make positive passes out of the back in order to e ffectively build the attack from the back. This player must have speed, strength, stamina, good soccer awareness, confidence and a good tact for defending. Since this player is the last line of defense, they are the clean-up man.
STOPPER
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The stopper plays in front of the sweeper. This soccer position is important to place a player that isn't afraid to stick their nose in on a tackle and is often a bruiser. Their main role is to mark the opposing team’s central striker. They must have good tackling ability, the ability to control balls out of the air, and the ability to strike a long clearing ball to the midfielders or forwards. - This position requires a tenacious player who is aggressive, s trong, confident in the air, and a knack for relieving pressure on the defense. RIGHT AND LEFT FULLBACK
The outside fullbacks are often very defensive minded, but are able to go forward on the attack too. Their main objective is defending, but should always be looking for attacking opportunities. The main responsibility of an outside fullback is to defend his own goal and his skills must be those of a defensive minded player. This player does a lot of man marking, closing down attackers, supports other defenders, winning balls and most importantly watches for back-side runs. This position must possess good tackling skills, be good in winning balls out of the air, superior at heading, and able to concentrate fully. The defender is also good at reading the game and they are constantly repositioning themselves with every movement of the ball. This soccer position requires a player with speed, strength, concentration, aggressiveness and a good understanding of defending. RIGHT AND LEFT MIDFIELDER
The outside midfield players act as a link between the defense and the offense while stretching the width on the field giving a wide presence. This position’s roles can vary based on the team’s tactical approach; however, this position requires a great amount of running. At any moment the midfielder might be defending in their own penalty area, and a few seconds later attacking deep in their opponent’s penalty area. This player should be defensive minded players with goal-scoring potential. These players require the ability to beat defenders down the line, crossing ability, and have speed, strength, stamina, and the ability to attack and defend.
ATTACKING MIDFIELDER
The attacking midfielder is a position that is crucial to the attack and scoring goals. This player’s main responsibility is to provide close support to his strikers when on the attack, and is first to challenge an attacking opponent in the midfield area. Attacking midfield players must have a knack for scoring goals as well as stamina, strength, speed, determination and confidence on and off the ball. DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER
The defensive midfielder typically plays between the defense and the other central or attacking midfielder. This soccer position acts as a marking back and adds another line of defense in front of the fullbacks. This player must be the link between the defense, midfield and forwards. This player must have stamina CENTRAL MIDFIELDER
The central midfielder is typically the play maker. This player is responsible for supporting all players on the playing field, and must be able to calmly and confidently distribute the ball. These players must be offensive and defensive minded. Central midfield players must be intelligent and have a great understanding of the game along with stamina, strength, speed, determination, creativity, and confidence on and off the ball. WINGER
The left and right forwards, also called wingers, are attacking players who are positioned near the sidelines. The forward’s primary job is to score or put their team in a good scoring opportunity by beat the defenders, get in crosses, or get within range to shoot. Outside forwards are STRIKER
The goal of the striker is exactly that; goals. Forward players start out just behind the opponent’s penalty area, with the number varying from one to three. However, there are subtle differences in the style of striker: TARGET MAN
The target man plays his football in the penalty area and acts as a focal point for attacks. They are typically good ‘poachers’ (meaning they are op portunistic) and headers of the ball, but rely on chances made by the midfield.
SOCCER FITNESS AND CONDITIONING
Soccer or football as it's called in most of the world is a game that requires a wide range of fitness to play at an elite level. You need not only good cardiovascular fitness; you need core strength, speed, agility and stamina. All of this in one player who can play a full 90 minutes or more, at as close to peak level as possible. How do you reach this goal? Simple, hard work and dedication to being the best you can be. The components of soccer fitness training include the following: proper warm up, sprint training, Power training, agility training, speed training, and recovery.
Proper Warm Up
You need to start your soccer work out by doing light jog to warm the muscles up. This is followed by a dynamic (active) stretching of your muscles. Stretching is especially important for the optimal performance of your body. The warm up is an area of sports that is most commonly overlooked when it comes to performance enhancement training.
Sprint Training
Sprint training should mirror the game. You should sprint for 30 seconds and then jog or run lightly for 60 seconds. Why, because this is how you run in a game. How many times does a soccer player sprint the field for more than a 30 second burst? Almost never, so why train that way. Some coaches for example, have their players jog for miles at 50% intensity. Do you want your athletes chasing the ball at 50% of what they are capable during a game? Then why would you have them train at 50% intensit y, rather than at the intensity level they will experience in a game. It makes no sense. Train the way you play. Two important notes: never start sprint training or a game, until you are properly warmed up and stretched: and Do not do sprint training the day before a game. Always allow 48 hours of recovery before a game.
Power Training
Let's start with Power. I define power as the quick and strong movement of the leg; starting from the hip, to the knee, and ending at the ankle. Ol ympic (Power) Lifts and Plyometrics help to develop these areas. The Olympic (Power) Lifts include: the push jerk, split jerk, cle an, clean pull, clean high pull, and Dumbbell Snatch. The Plyometric exercises include: jumps, hops, and bounds. These exercises use the body's weight as resistance. Power also includes strengthening your upper and lower body. Lower body exercises include: squats, single leg squat, step ups, and lunges. The upper body exercises include: Bench press, push ups, pull ups, lat pull, shoulder raises, curls, extensions, and wrist rolls. Agility
Next is Agility. Agility is the ability to change direction while running or moving. Sometimes we call agility "quickness." We've all been at a game and heard someone say, "that guy's quick." Quickness should not be confused with speed, it's related but it 's not the same thing. There a variety of agility drills that can be done, including: running around poles, working with an agility ladder, or even jumping over step hurdles. Speed
The final aspect to consider is Speed. We've all heard the old saying, "Speed kills." In soccer this is probably truer than in almost any other sport. The ability of a team to have the endurance and stamina to run the pitch successful for the complete game is critical to success at the highest levels. It's one of the most important attributes of any player. Speed comes to play everyday, and speed never goes to be coached. The faster, and quicker you can become, the better all around basketball pla yer and athlete you will become. Speed exercises include: sled pulls, band runs, and hill runs.
Recovery
I cannot stress enough the importance of recovery. Too often I see coa ches destroy players with their "No pain no gain mentality." When you push your players 100% you need to give them a day off or at least do an active recovery day. The key thing to remember about recovery is that during the workout all you are doing is breaking down the muscle and the muscle fiber. When you are recovering or sleeping, that is when the rebuilding process occurs, this is when we are i n essence getting better. So keep that in mind the next time you choose your post workout meal, and deciding what time to go to bed. You should ask your self this question “How good do I want to be?” Then make some of those tough decisions that come up in life.
