Heads Up December2011

HEADS UP!

December 2011

E Coaching Magazine

Contents

1. RMA- My Take After Visiting the NTK

2. 4 v 4 Training Games

3. Making Goals Safe for Your Training

4. Coaching Education Testimonials

5. Indiana Soccer Nominations Now Open

6. US Youth Soccer Concussion Procedure and

Protocol

7. Guidelines for Heading

8. Photo of the Month

RMA…it’s coming to Indiana!

I recently had the opportunity to travel overseas to Holland to gain a firsthand look at the training methods being utilized by Rene Meuhlensteen, Assistant coach for Manchester United. The aim was to see how his methodology, RMA, played a part in the overall skill development of the Dutch youth.

The first portion of the trip allowed me to see regional training at Boxmeer, NL at the Olympia FC. Youth were arranged by age groups and then instructed in the protocol for the days “NTK” (National Technical Championship) Regional Competition. The youth were put through four circuits, once in the morning and then again in the afternoon. Coaches utilized a brief review of the skill training, and then the players got busy.

The four criteria used in both sessions involved primarily: 1) individual moves and turns, 2) 1v1 to four small goals, 3) a combination of passing and 1v1 to large goal and finally 4) 4v4 to large goals. RMA trainers’ evaluated talent as the day went along, with 9 children selected for the finals to beheld two days later at the Olympic Training Center, Papendal, Netherlands.

On Sunday, the finals were held and over 900 youth from throughout the Netherlands gathered for the Championships. Youths 6-10 competed in the morning, while the 11-15 year olds took the afternoon slot.

The same circuit training scheme was utilized, with the first, second and third best players identified in each age grouping. I was joined by Marc Maxi (Indiana Soccer), Rene, and Fons van den Braden (Sports Partners NL) as the selection process was explained in determining the NTK winners.

Vision of Rene

Meulensteen

“The vision of Rene

Meulensteen, first team

assistant coach at

Manchester United, is basic

and straight forward; “the

team with the most creative

players and players who

can dominate the 1vs1

situations all over the field

will be the most successful

team in the world”. Rene’s

vision and philosophy has

proven right many times

over with the confidence

given to him by Sir Alex

Ferguson and the

continued success of

Manchester United.

This vision is now being

carried out via The Rene

Meulensteen Academy

(RMA). When analyzing the

game of soccer we can

clearly see how important it

is to have players on your

team with the ability to

dominate the 1vs1 situation.

Attack minded, crafty

players can make the

difference. Yet it appears

that during everyday club

training very little attention is

giving to this critical feature.

The Meulensteen Academy

will go deeper into the

various 1vs1 situations,

giving each coach

important insight into the

movements, when and

where they can be used

and how they affect the

game.

NTK: Technical Championships

Are you “Boss” of the ball? Are you able to make the difference on the pitch?

These are the questions that go to the heart of Rene Meulensteen’s “Moves and

Skills” philosophy that is the foundation of the US National Technical

Championship (USNTC).

The Technical Championship or USNTC series is founded on the “Moves &

Skills” teaching principles of Rene, Manchester United’s first team coach. Rene’s

methods are admired all around the world and many star players have praised

Rene for improving their game, including Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano

Ronaldo (both now playing at Real Madrid, Spain).

The USNTC allows you to train like the European professional players. Players 7 –

14 years of age will enjoy a full day of technical training and games similar to

what Manchester United Youth Academy player’s experience. In the Netherlands

this three-year-old event has grown steadily, making it now the largest youth

soccer event with 6,200 players and over 100 clubs participating.

Each player will receive a soccer ball, USNTC shirt, trophy, lunch, and a personal

certificate. The “Moves and Skills” learned will give the player the ability and

confidence to dominate any 1v1 situation on the field. At the end of the day Rene

Meulensteen Academy coaches, along with local club coaches will select the top

players of each age-category to attend the USNTC final. In the final event the skill

competition winners in each age-category will be recognized as the best technical

players of 2010 in the US.

The overall winner will earn a long weekend trip to Manchester United, the most

famous soccer club in the world! He/she will watch an English Premier League

game at Old Trafford (Manchester United’s famous field), tour the stadium and

visit the fan-shop at “The Theatre of Dreams.”

4 v 4 Training Games

Coaching via 4v4 games has been heavily influenced by the Dutch methods and philosophies. As a result,

Dutch youth teams play a lot of 4 v 4 with a few of the games detailed below.

Here are a few examples. Some you may be familiar with and others may give you ideas that you can use with

your teams.

4 Small Goals {without keepers} The goals are positioned on the end lines spread

to the width of the field. This encourages play

from flank to flank and takes the play out of the

middle of the field. The 4 goal setup encourages

directional changes. Goals may be scored from

direct passes or from a dribble. The coach may

determine the exact method of scoring – a direct

pass, a give and go, 1 vs. 1 dribble, switch fields

to score.

End Line Soccer Teams must defend the entire width of the

field. A goal is scored when the ball crosses

the end line and is under control — a dribble

or a pass received. The ball must cross the

line and be stopped to count.

Cone Accuracy Game Place cones along the end line – spacing them

apart. a goal is scored by knocking a cone down

with a pass. Once the cone is down, it stays

down. A competitive game for passing

accuracy.

Teaches players how to properly weight and

pace their ball, as well as maintaining the

accuracy needed to knock over the cone.

Long, Narrow field (40 x 15 yds.) The game is played to the length of the field, so

the shape will start with a deep forward. The

first look should be deep and then build from

there.

There is no width to speak of, so the shape will

be determined by the length. Link up quickly

with the deep set forward and go to goal. In the

transition, it is very important for the deepest

front player to break out and establish the

shape.

Combination game – 1 keeper and an end

zone goal area One team will attack the full size goal with a

keeper. The other team will play to the end

zone. To score in the end zone, the ball must

be played or received under control. No

control of the ball, no goal!

The team attacking the end zone plays

through the entire width of the field, while the

other team then must defend the same area.

Switch direction of play so that both teams

attack and defend both goals.

2 small goals and 2 line goals Play directly into the small goals and play

controlled through the line goals.

The ball must be controlled as it passes the

line goal — received by a teammate or

controlled by the dribbler.

The following is an article I took yesterday from Soccer America. I believe too many of

you young players are leaving up to your coaches or parents to secure the goals prior to

training and games. Climbing or hanging on the goals or nets, has the potential for the

goals to tip and possible cause a life threatening injury. The video at the end will show you

why!!

Making Goals Safe for Your Training By Randy Vogt

The goals are 8 yards in length by 8 feet high. The youngest age groups in youth soccer will

often use smaller goals. The goalposts must be white. Should referees come to a field with

goalposts that are not white, play the game and report the color of the goal posts to the league.

Check to make certain that there are no holes in the net that the ball could squeeze through,

such as an opening between the net and the crossbar, goalposts or the area between the net and

the ground. I cannot tell you how many times that I have been to fields that have been played

on that day in which there are several visible holes in the nets that the ref did not try and tape.

Every once in a while, the official’s view of a shot resulting in a goal will not be ideal. Perhaps he

or she was screened or was at a bad angle or the sun was in the referee’s eyes. Making certain

that there are no holes before the game eliminates potential problems on the vitally important

task of whether to count a goal during the match.

Interestingly, according to the Laws of the Game, it is not necessary for the goals to have nets.

Hopefully, every game that you will be officiating will have them. Only once in my career was I

ever confronted with refereeing a match without nets. This is a time when having your cell

phone in your referee case with important phone numbers of league officials, referees and

assignors is useful so that you can find out what the local league’s opinion is of playing a game

without nets.

Many portable or temporary goals now have wheels near the front post to help move the goals.

When you are checking the goals, make sure that the wheel is pushed back off the goal line.

Most importantly, though, is the fact that the goals must be anchored to the ground. Should

the goal not be anchored, the home team or host organization is responsible for placing weights,

sand bags, etc. on the back and sides of the goal to make certain that it will not fall over.

Should they not do this upon your prompting, do not start the game.

To illustrate how dangerous this could be, pick up one goal post off the ground to demonstrate

to all concerned how easily the goal can be dislodged. But be sure that there are no players or

others nearby when you do this!

A decade ago, I was an assistant referee for a tournament game played near where I live on

Long Island. Before the match, I checked the south goal and it was sufficiently anchored.

During the first half, the north goal, which had been checked by the other assistant referee

(AR), fell over. Obviously, the other AR did not check to see if the goal had been anchored.

Thankfully, nobody was hit or killed. The goal was immediately anchored so that the game could

continue.

There is no bigger safety issue on a soccer field than falling goals. According to the Consumer

Product Safety Commission and the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research,

from 1979 to 2008, at least 34 fatalities and 51 major injuries in the United States occurred

have been linked to unanchored or portable soccer goals. An estimated 120 people per year were

treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries stemming from soccer goalposts during the

period from 1989 to 1993. The serious injuries and deaths have been the result of blunt force

trauma to the head, neck, chest and limbs.

Most of these serious injuries and fatalities occurred during practice sessions when nobody

such as coaches or other adults checked the goals to see that they were anchored before

training began. Another concern is goals not being used for training but that remain unanchored

on soccer fields.

Taking a couple of minutes to check that the goals are anchored upon arriving at the field could

save a life and a lifetime of regret.

Please take the time to watch the

following video with your family.

Zach's Law PSA - Promoting Soccer Goal

Safety http://youtu.be/6i8KWPxb1j4

Coaching Education Testimonials “I really enjoyed the D course. After the first weekend, I found myself looking forward to the second weekend

just because of how fun and interactive the instructors made it and because of the other coaches attending.

One of the most beneficial things in this course is the amount of practice coaching we

have to do. The experience and feedback from those sessions helped me more than

anything else. I am continually building knowledge and these sessions gave me more

confidence in my own abilities. It was pretty evident that every coach there improved from

the first practice session to the last, which is a testament to the instructors.

What I learned in the D course will help me with organization and planning of training

sessions and in managing a team in different situations.

Also, the opportunity to observe different coaches, other than the ones I am around all

the time, is very valuable to me. I picked up a lot in how they phrase or demonstrate

things and learned ways to tweak the same activities I already do. It is so beneficial to be interacting and

getting ideas from other coaches. Overall, the class gives you new perspective and is a great way to make new

contacts and extend your network of fellow youth coaches in the community.”

Lisa Gebhard

Assistant Coach

IUPUI Women's Soccer

Former Player for FSV Gütersloh 2009

“I found the entire class very interesting and informative. I walked away each day with new knowledge and information. I especially liked the Analyzing the Game segments.” “As for myself, as a coach, I learned that I can utilize many of the drills I already

have in my coaching toolbox in new ways to develop different skills in my players.

Even though I came into the class with a wide berth of experience, I left feeling

like I learned a great deal to improve my coaching.”

Geoff Gordon President, NYSL

“When I attended the D coaching course the past two weekends, I really didn't know what I was getting into. I

would have to say without a doubt it was an awesome experience. I learned how to make my lesson plans flow

enough, so that when practicing them, breaks could be limited and I could jump from one activity to another

extremely fast.

I also learned a ton of new activities to bring to my teams practices. I learned new ways of how to incorporate a

goalie into the whole practice and new activities for shooting and finishing. Being a first time coach, this course

is what I am going to reference to when I am trying to think of what to do at practice next week. All that we

learned in the last two weekends are great references and ideas for my future practices. It was a great learning

process for me, not only about the new activities and how to use them in practice, but also for myself and what

kind of a coach I will be.

I learned that being a player and a coach are two completely different categories. When

I played, I demanded a lot from other players and I yelled quite a bit. Now being a coach

I learned how to approach situations a little differently and instead of demanding

something out of someone, I learned how to explain the problem and help the player

understand the reasoning to why it should be done this way as opposed to the way they

have previously done it. All in all, the course was a great experience for me and I really

enjoyed it.”

IUPUI #12 Margaret Allgeier Position: Defender

Class: Senior Height: 5-6

Hometown: Fort Wayne, Ind. High School: Bishop Dwenger

Each year, thousands of people give their time and talents to make youth soccer possible in Indiana. Most volunteer their time without thought or need of recognition, but Indiana Soccer believes that recognizing these special individuals is a wonderful way of saying thank you. Nominations for the Indiana Soccer Awards for 2011 are now open. Please nominate a special coach, parent or administrator today. Nominate one or nominate many, there is no limit. It is very helpful if you submit several letters of recommendation from others with your nomination, but it is not necessary. Summit your APPLICATION Nominations will close on January 15, 2012. The 2012 awards dinner will be held February 25, 2012, at 6:30 PM at the Renaissance North Hotel, 11925 North Meridian Street, Carmel, Indiana. More information and reservation forms for this event will be available soon.

Concussion Procedure and Protocol

For US Youth Soccer Events

Concussion: a traumatic brain injury that interferes with normal brain function. Medically, a

concussion is a complex, pathophysiological event to the brain that is induced by trauma which may

or may not involve a loss of consciousness (LOC). Concussion results in a constellation of physical,

cognitive, emotional, and sleep-related symptoms. Signs or symptoms may last from several minutes

to days, weeks, months or even longer in some cases.

CONCUSSION SIGNS, SYMPTOMS, AND MANAGEMENT AT TRAINING AND COMPETITIONS

Step 1:

Did a concussion occur? Evaluate the player and note if any of the following signs and/or symptoms are present: (1) Dazed look or confusion about what happened. (2) Memory difficulties. (3) Neck pain, headaches, nausea, vomiting, double vision, blurriness, ringing noise or sensitive to sounds. (4) Short attention span. Can’t keep focused. (5) Slow reaction time, slurred speech, bodily movements are lagging, fatigue, and slowly answer questions or has difficulty answering questions. (6) Abnormal physical and/or mental behavior. (7) Coordination skills are behind, ex: balancing, dizziness, clumsiness, reaction time.

Step 2:

Is emergency treatment needed? This would include the following scenarios: (1) Spine or neck injury or pain. (2) Behavior patterns change, unable to recognize people/places, less responsive than usual. (3) Loss of consciousness. (4) Headaches that worsen (5) Seizures (6) Very drowsy, can't be awakened (7) Repeated vomiting (8) Increasing confusion or irritability (9) Weakness, numbness in arms and legs

Step 3:

If a possible concussion occurred, but no emergency treatment is needed, what should be done now? Focus on these areas every 5-10 min for the next 1 - 2 hours, without returning to any activities: (1) Balance, movement. (2) Speech. (3) Memory, instructions, and responses. (4) Attention on topics, details, confusion, ability to concentrate. (5) State of consciousness (6) Mood, behavior, and personality (7) Headache or “pressure” in head (8) Nausea or vomiting (9) Sensitivity to light and noise

Players shall not re-enter competition, training, or partake in any activities for at least 24 hours.

Even if there are no signs or symptoms after 15-20 min, activity should not be taken by the

player.

Step 4:

A player diagnosed with a possible concussion may return to US Youth Soccer play

only after release from a medical doctor or doctor of osteopathy specializing in

concussion treatment and management.

Step 5:

If there is a possibility of a concussion, do the following:

(1) The attached Concussion Notification Form is to be filled out in duplicate and signed by a team official of the player’s team.

(2) If the player is able to do so, have the player sign and date the Form. If the player is not able to sign, note on the player’s signature line “unavailable”.

(3) If a parent/legal guardian of the player is present, have the parent/legal guardian sign and date the Form, and give the parent/legal guardian one of the copies of the completed Form. If the parent/legal guardian is not present, then the team official is responsible for notifying the parent/legal guardian ASAP by phone or email and then submitting the Form to the parent/legal guardian by email or mail. When the parent/legal guardian is not present, the team official must make a record of how and when the parent/legal guardian was notified. The notification will include a request for the parent/legal guardian to provide confirmation and completion of the Concussion Notification Form whether in writing or electronically.

(4) The team official must also get the player’s pass from the referee, and attach it to the copy of the Form retained by the team.

Guidelines for Heading

Photo of the Month

Indiana Soccer’s Lori Lindsey (2nd

from right) being honored, along with her teammates from the US Women’s National Team, at the White House by

Michelle Obama.