Topic: The RAWK Football Coaching Circle

[AndyMuller]

Is a degree in Sports Science or equivalent essential if you want to get into coaching?

[PhaseOfPlay]

Is a degree in Sports Science or equivalent essential if you want to get into coaching?

Nope.

[AndyMuller]

Nope.

Best answer I could possibly have wished for haha.

[PhaseOfPlay]

Best answer I could possibly have wished for haha.

If you are looking to get into paid coaching (as in tactics and technique), then you need coaching licences, experience and contacts.

If you just want to share your love of the game with developing players, and help them to realise their potential, then you just need coach education, free time in the evenings, and to forget about ever having weekends free again

If you want to break into the top level clubs in any training capacity, though, fitness training is the way to do it, which would be helped by a sports science degree, but it's not altogether necessary if you have other fitness qualifications and a new way of doing things. But then you have to develop a track record somewhere, in order to get noticed.

[AndyMuller]

If you are looking to get into paid coaching (as in tactics and technique), then you need coaching licences, experience and contacts.

If you just want to share your love of the game with developing players, and help them to realise their potential, then you just need coach education, free time in the evenings, and to forget about ever having weekends free again

If you want to break into the top level clubs in any training capacity, though, fitness training is the way to do it, which would be helped by a sports science degree, but it's not altogether necessary if you have other fitness qualifications and a new way of doing things. But then you have to develop a track record somewhere, in order to get noticed.

Thanks PoP!

There is a FA Level 1 course not too far from me starting in a couple of weeks, might do that and see how it goes.

[PhaseOfPlay]

Thanks PoP!

There is a FA Level 1 course not too far from me starting in a couple of weeks, might do that and see how it goes.

Do it!

[afc tukrish]

Do it!

Can only agree with encouraging taking this step, although do feel it necessary to add that despite what PoPs might otherwise maintain, sporting Speedos is not in fact the required coaching uniform...

[PhaseOfPlay]

Can only agree with encouraging taking this step, although do feel it necessary to add that despite what PoPs might otherwise maintain, sporting Speedos is not in fact the required coaching uniform...

It bloody is!

[Col]

Can only agree with encouraging taking this step, although do feel it necessary to add that despite what PoPs might otherwise maintain, sporting Speedos is not in fact the required coaching uniform...

It bloody is!

The amount of rainouts we've had up here this spring, speedos and a backup qualification might actually be the way to go!

[Col]

Our college team is getting an award from USC / NSCAA at the convention next week for going the full season without getting any cards.

Personally, I'd have preferred some cards and fewer opposition players running past us on the break, but there you go!

https://newhavenchargers.com/news/2020/1/8/womens-soccer-presented-platinum-team-ethics-and-sportsmanship-award.aspx?fbclid=IwAR2cfuiz3fgaNykgZbpwngZK6DBOzwhcptht6DEanjVQHdxIlm_l6808lxM

[afc tukrish]

Our college team is getting an award from USC / NSCAA at the convention next week for going the full season without getting any cards.

Personally, I'd have preferred some cards and fewer opposition players running past us on the break, but there you go!

https://newhavenchargers.com/news/2020/1/8/womens-soccer-presented-platinum-team-ethics-and-sportsmanship-award.aspx?fbclid=IwAR2cfuiz3fgaNykgZbpwngZK6DBOzwhcptht6DEanjVQHdxIlm_l6808lxM

No mention of RAWK anywhere in your coaching bio, shame...

[Col]

No mention of RAWK anywhere in your coaching bio, shame...

[rubber soul]

Just wondering if anyone else coaches a kids team and how they have engaged the players during the lockdown?
I coach an under 10's team, very much grassroots. I've given them loads of ball mastery stuff to do and a few have got really into it but there's no getting away from the fact that practising on your own with just a ball gets boring.
We've done a couple of Zoom meetings but that's just for the kids to keep in touch and have a chat and laugh together.

Has anyone else had done anything different with their team, any suggestions to tide us all over until we can eventually get together training/playing again?

[Col]

Has anyone over here in the States received any clear return-to-play protocols for their clubs?

We're getting different info from the state, the state soccer associations, the town we're based in, and the national governing bodies. Some people have been doing private / small group training for weeks, whereas others haven't done a single thing yet.

Is every other state like this (other than places like AZ where they're back to full speed pretty much)?

[afc tukrish]

Has anyone over here in the States received any clear return-to-play protocols for their clubs?

We're getting different info from the state, the state soccer associations, the town we're based in, and the national governing bodies. Some people have been doing private / small group training for weeks, whereas others haven't done a single thing yet.

Is every other state like this (other than places like AZ where they're back to full speed pretty much)?

Just like all the various state protocols, they're totally contradictory...

One of our problems is the various leagues have different return-to-play standards, i.e US Club, USYSA, GAL, US youth soccer is an acronymic nightmare.

And Georgia is governed by such an inveterate moron that I can't imagine receiving any clear guidance from the state, despite the fact that, hey, CDC is right here in Atlanta!

We've started doing some of our normal optional "summer training" programs, with protocols such as sitting socially distant when taking a break, groups no larger than 10 including the coach, players do not help gather equipment after training as they normally would do, training pinnies washed after every session.

There are supposed to be boundaries to keep parents distant from the sessions as well, but of course those are being ignored. Just can't help themselves...

We have a lot of surreptitious private training and sneaky "clinics" occurring. Coaches are just as much a part of the problem as are parents...

[Col]

Just like all the various state protocols, they're totally contradictory...

One of our problems is the various leagues have different return-to-play standards, i.e US Club, USYSA, GAL, US youth soccer is an acronymic nightmare.

And Georgia is governed by such an inveterate moron that I can't imagine receiving any clear guidance from the state, despite the fact that, hey, CDC is right here in Atlanta!

We've started doing some of our normal optional "summer training" programs, with protocols such as sitting socially distant when taking a break, groups no larger than 10 including the coach, players do not help gather equipment after training as they normally would do, training pinnies washed after every session.

There are supposed to be boundaries to keep parents distant from the sessions as well, but of course those are being ignored. Just can't help themselves...

We have a lot of surreptitious private training and sneaky "clinics" occurring. Coaches are just as much a part of the problem as are parents...

So... exactly the same then!

We're hoping to get back on the field in small groups in the next few weeks, but nobody knows for sure.

How is your club looking in terms of retention? I saw something about your girls petitioning ECNL to let them in... if they don't, are you likely to lose a bunch?

[afc tukrish]

So... exactly the same then!

We're hoping to get back on the field in small groups in the next few weeks, but nobody knows for sure.

How is your club looking in terms of retention? I saw something about your girls petitioning ECNL to let them in... if they don't, are you likely to lose a bunch?

Already happened, ECNL said no on account of previous issues in the past coupled with us choosing to put our top teams in Development Academy.

GAL, DA replacement, has been formed, but we lost some players.

Greener, grass, always, etc.

[Col]

Already happened, ECNL said no on account of previous issues in the past coupled with us choosing to put our top teams in Development Academy.

GAL, DA replacement, has been formed, but we lost some players.

Greener, grass, always, etc.

That GAL is a joke in some conferences... Colorado Springs to Houston for a 70-minute game with 14 year-olds?
That's a 15-hour drive!

Hopefully your journeys aren't going to be anything too ridiculous?

[afc tukrish]

That GAL is a joke in some conferences... Colorado Springs to Houston for a 70-minute game with 14 year-olds?
That's a 15-hour drive!

Hopefully your journeys aren't going to be anything too ridiculous?

Agreed, but don't Colorado Rapids have to make the same sort of trip to Austin?

In some conferences, ECNL is no better on the distance side of things.

There I am, being defensive. The whole "elite" soccer thing has gone way too far in the travel to compete direction.

Our GAL drives to FL aren't as bad as 15 hours; we would normally fly, but doubt we will do so this year. Jacksonville isn't bad, the drive to Tampa/St Pete will be a long one.

[Col]

How were those flights funded?

Did each family cover their own? I can't wrap my head around it, even having coached for a couple of the big super clubs over the years.

Our club is NPL based with our top teams, and EDP with the second teams. Our second teams won't drive more than an hour for a game - the top teams may have a 90 minute drive, two hours at a maximum. There's no way I could justify giving up 8 hours of a day for one game of kids footie!

[afc tukrish]

How were those flights funded?

Did each family cover their own? I can't wrap my head around it, even having coached for a couple of the big super clubs over the years.

Our club is NPL based with our top teams, and EDP with the second teams. Our second teams won't drive more than an hour for a game - the top teams may have a 90 minute drive, two hours at a maximum. There's no way I could justify giving up 8 hours of a day for one game of kids footie!

Parents pay for flights and hotel rooms. Normally weekends, games Saturday and Sunday...

[Col]

Already happened, ECNL said no on account of previous issues in the past coupled with us choosing to put our top teams in Development Academy.

GAL, DA replacement, has been formed, but we lost some players.

Greener, grass, always, etc.

How did the season shake out for you in the end, buddy?

[afc tukrish]

How did the season shake out for you in the end, buddy?

GA was a big step up from DPL. Not yet at the overall level of ECNL, but it's legitimate tough competition.

Neither my 02/03 Navy nor my 05 Navy (Navy are our second teams) made Nationals, all our Gold teams did and two of our Navy teams did, Nationals in two weeks out in Oceanside. I'll be taking the 05s out for a Showcase as well.

Tryouts done, I have 09 Navy for next year, they look pretty damn tidy. 
Have my 05s again for another year, focus for them will be getting recruited.

Sent one to UGA, one to Ga Southern, one to Truitt McConnell (small North Georgia school) and one to Rhodes in Tennessee from last year's 02/03s. Not bad for a club's second team.

This coming year looks like it will be a good one, virus permitting.

I forget, you up in the NE, or back out in Cali?

Still doing NPL teams?

NPL is vanishing in the SE, ECNL working it's brand-name black magic with the new ECNL-R leagues...

[Col]

GA was a big step up from DPL. Not yet at the overall level of ECNL, but it's legitimate tough competition.

Neither my 02/03 Navy nor my 05 Navy (Navy are our second teams) made Nationals, all our Gold teams did and two of our Navy teams did, Nationals in two weeks out in Oceanside. I'll be taking the 05s out for a Showcase as well.

Tryouts done, I have 09 Navy for next year, they look pretty damn tidy. 
Have my 05s again for another year, focus for them will be getting recruited.

Sent one to UGA, one to Ga Southern, one to Truitt McConnell (small North Georgia school) and one to Rhodes in Tennessee from last year's 02/03s. Not bad for a club's second team.

This coming year looks like it will be a good one, virus permitting.

I forget, you up in the NE, or back out in Cali?

Still doing NPL teams?

NPL is vanishing in the SE, ECNL working it's brand-name black magic with the new ECNL-R leagues...

That's good. Glad the experience was appropriately competitive and the girls didn't miss out too much with the whole ECNL thing.

What's the percentage of your kids in the top teams getting recruited in comparison to your second teams?

I think maybe 3/4 of my second-team 05 players could end up playing in college, with the vast majority of top team players being able to also.

With our 11v11 teams, our top teams in the age group (and second teams if they're strong enough) play in the EDP regional leagues not that NPL is essentially defunct, and our weaker second teams / third teams if we have them - we absorbed a lot of kids from a couple of local clubs that folded recently - play in in-state EDP leagues.

Our placement with regards to our location in southern CT means our strongest teams can travel south to compete in NY and NJ, and the second teams travel north to compete in MA and RI where the competition is typically not as tough. The in-state leagues aren't super strong at the moment due to the dilution of the various league options but we still give the lower teams the same experience as the stronger ones.

[afc tukrish]

That's good. Glad the experience was appropriately competitive and the girls didn't miss out too much with the whole ECNL thing.

What's the percentage of your kids in the top teams getting recruited in comparison to your second teams?

I think maybe 3/4 of my second-team 05 players could end up playing in college, with the vast majority of top team players being able to also.

With our 11v11 teams, our top teams in the age group (and second teams if they're strong enough) play in the EDP regional leagues not that NPL is essentially defunct, and our weaker second teams / third teams if we have them - we absorbed a lot of kids from a couple of local clubs that folded recently - play in in-state EDP leagues.

Our placement with regards to our location in southern CT means our strongest teams can travel south to compete in NY and NJ, and the second teams travel north to compete in MA and RI where the competition is typically not as tough. The in-state leagues aren't super strong at the moment due to the dilution of the various league options but we still give the lower teams the same experience as the stronger ones.

All of the players on our top teams go DI.

We do as well as anyone in the nation with our best players.

Indiana, Columbia, Duke, Arizona, Princeton, South Carolina, Boston College, Vandy, Berkeley, Virginia, Kansas, UCLA< Notre Dame from the last 01/02 top team.

Southern Connecticut, that's sort of "tri-state" area, yes? Play good football up there, I hear...

[Col]

All of the players on our top teams go DI.

We do as well as anyone in the nation with our best players.

Indiana, Columbia, Duke, Arizona, Princeton, South Carolina, Boston College, Vandy, Berkeley, Virginia, Kansas, UCLA< Notre Dame from the last 01/02 top team.

Yeah... not bad!!

Southern Connecticut, that's sort of "tri-state" area, yes? Play good football up there, I hear...

There is *occasionally* good football to be found. It's even *occasionally* played by us.

A few of our seniors on the boys side are involved with a USL program we're partnered with and we get the odd D1 recruit but we're a ways off having a placement record like yours... and don't ask about our girls side as it's very much under construction!

[afc tukrish]

Yeah... not bad!!

There is *occasionally* good football to be found. It's even *occasionally* played by us.

A few of our seniors on the boys side are involved with a USL program we're partnered with and we get the odd D1 recruit but we're a ways off having a placement record like yours... and don't ask about our girls side as it's very much under construction!

You know the old saw about coaches tending to be good at either constructing teams or maintaining and sustaining them at a high level?

I've become convinced that I do better with the building bit, the younger ages, second teams, etc.

"Under construction" is always more interesting to me...

[Col]

You know the old saw about coaches tending to be good at either constructing teams or maintaining and sustaining them at a high level?

I've become convinced that I do better with the building bit, the younger ages, second teams, etc.

"Under construction" is always more interesting to me...

I think I'm largely similar. The job is the same unless you're a head coach in a results-based environment, which I'm not right now.

I'm taking over the DOC role with our HS-aged boys program this season but will likely spend most of my on-field time with the second teams. There's a lot to be said for helping someone develop and grow, regardless of whether or not they're growing into a pro environment.

[afc tukrish]

I think I'm largely similar. The job is the same unless you're a head coach in a results-based environment, which I'm not right now.

I'm taking over the DOC role with our HS-aged boys program this season but will likely spend most of my on-field time with the second teams. There's a lot to be said for helping someone develop and grow, regardless of whether or not they're growing into a pro environment.

Nice one, congrats on the new role.

Our newest buzzword is the "performance environment."

College coaches are complaining to us that they are receiving players who expect to start and play as long as they come to training.

So now we get to explain to the parents that, "no, Johnny, or Taylor, doesn't get to play the whole game just because they came to all three sessions this week. They actually have to perform."

Not so much results-based, but in a proper performance environment, results should follow...

[Col]

Nice one, congrats on the new role.

Our newest buzzword is the "performance environment."

College coaches are complaining to us that they are receiving players who expect to start and play as long as they come to training.

So now we get to explain to the parents that, "no, Johnny, or Taylor, doesn't get to play the whole game just because they came to all three sessions this week. They actually have to perform."

Not so much results-based, but in a proper performance environment, results should follow...

Cheers. I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be nice to be stepping into the role in a well-established environment instead of needing to scratch and claw for everything like I had to with my old club.


I don't mind that performance-based application at the older levels, assuming that every player is getting a fair chance to showcase themselves even if there are better players in the group. It's a tough balance but it you can find it then players will happily rotate in and out of the side knowing that they're going to get their opportunities to impress and get some good vilm clips, but precisely how long they stay on the field for at any given time is based on more than just showing up.

[afc tukrish]

Cheers. I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be nice to be stepping into the role in a well-established environment instead of needing to scratch and claw for everything like I had to with my old club.


I don't mind that performance-based application at the older levels, assuming that every player is getting a fair chance to showcase themselves even if there are better players in the group. It's a tough balance but it you can find it then players will happily rotate in and out of the side knowing that they're going to get their opportunities to impress and get some good vilm clips, but precisely how long they stay on the field for at any given time is based on more than just showing up.

So you're moving into an established elite role, you don't have to construct it? 

[Col]

So you're moving into an established elite role, you don't have to construct it? 

No, just a club that's not falling apart at the seams

[Joff]

Jesus. A lot of this is way out of my league.
I just coach my local u11 (have been since u6) and it's total lay-coaching. It's obviously including fa level 1, but to be honest I thought that was awful. They told me to put sessions on in 'size' order and age order as you can often see huge differences in quality dependant on size and age...
Not in my squads you can't 😂 That would have been the case at u6 as much as u11

[Col]

Have you coached the same group for 5 years there mate?

[Joff]

Have you coached the same group for 5 years there mate?

Yeah, something like that. Maybe 4 and a half years.
Love coaching the kids, hate the admin/parents.
We've lost a couple this season to 'Junior premier league' which is great and awful at the same time.
Wish I could dedicate more time to session setup, as it's all done ad-hoc which really isn't ideal

[afc tukrish]

Love coaching the kids, hate the admin/parents.

Youth coaching universal, that...

[Col]

Youth coaching universal, that...

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Yeah, something like that. Maybe 4 and a half years.
Love coaching the kids, hate the admin/parents.
We've lost a couple this season to 'Junior premier league' which is great and awful at the same time.
Wish I could dedicate more time to session setup, as it's all done ad-hoc which really isn't ideal

Players moving on is a great thing as long as where they're going is the right environment for them. You must have been doing something right if they are moving to a more challenging level!

[Joff]

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Players moving on is a great thing as long as where they're going is the right environment for them. You must have been doing something right if they are moving to a more challenging level!

One of them is very very (very) good. One of them is very very fast. Neither of them as a result of coaching 😂
I will keep my eye out for one of.them,  but my nephew was talented enough, got a scholarship at a professional club, but quit football cos of covid. Got moved to digs during lockdown with a host family. Couldn't leave the house except to train once a day, they had no wifi so he was bored out of his skull.

[Col]

Feels like that could be classed as child abuse these days!

Hopefully he falls back in love with it again... always a shame to see talent going to waste.

[Joff]

Feels like that could be classed as child abuse these days!

Hopefully he falls back in love with it again... always a shame to see talent going to waste.

I dunno, his plan is to go to college and play for one of the local semi pro sides and see what happens.
He got in the u18 team at 14 so there were high hopes for him, but when he trained with the first team, he was a wall, or something else.
He's still only 17, so who knows, but he's not played in 9 months