In this video clip, ussoccer.com hears from Pia Sundhage’s successor, Tom Sermanni, after his announcement as head coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team.  Sermanni talks about his goals for the job, what drew him to the USA and how he plans to build on the success the team has had over the years.  Kwik Goal is proud to be the Official Technical Partner to U.S. Soccer.

The Role of the Defensive midfielder in a 4-3-3 (4-1-2-3) is vital. They are the catalyst of of the speed of the play either slow (retaining possession) or fast (to penetrate). Their awareness of pressure and to play out of tight spaces is vital to keep the ball to manipulate the play. Their range of passing needs to be excellent and their distance and angles of support are important. They need to have the ability to run with the ball to penetrate the play. They are the link between the back four and the 2 central (attacking) midfielders in front of them. To play the role effectively, they need to be technically efficient.

Here is a diagram of the defensive midfielders passing options in a 4-3-3:

Defensively the need to be able to read the game to break the opponent down. Forcing opposing players towards pressure are out of play is vital. There energy levels need to be managed effectively to produce this kind of pressure on opponents all game. They have to maintain their positioning and sacrifice themselves for the team. They need to be a leader and communicate throughout.

The physical attributes a Defensive Midfielder needs to have are:

1/ Very Athletic (quick over 5-20 yds)

2/ Strong –  Individual battles and To hold players off the ball to protect.

3/ Aerial ability – Powerful in the air

4/ Agile- To react to the game

Two of the best Defensive Midfielders: Sergio Busquets & Alex Song

Sergio Busquets is regarded as one of the Spanish greats. His vision, technical ability, awareness is phenomenal, however, what Sergio does not have Alex Song does. Alex Song, in my opinion, has been very underrated for what he has done in the 3 years at Arsenal. His awareness, vision, technical ability is up their with the best.

To compare Busquets to Song, technically Busquets would win, however, Song is not that far behind. What makes Alex Song stand out is his ability physically to dominate opponents. He is quick, agile, strong in the tackle, and can read the game. Busquets reads the game very well, however, he is not quick. Barcelona have lately struggled with pace at the back and in the Defensive Central Midfield Role against Madrid. Song could be that player. Song is good enough technically to be able to posses and penetrate the Barcelona style of play. Barcelona already have Xavi and Iniesta or Fabregas to orchestrate the play and maybe they need that bit of physical dominance and speed to support the team defensively?

You cannot take away the brilliance of Busquets and his footballing mind though. He has been one of the main reasons behind Barcelona’s success. Maybe Song will be his cover when Busquets is injured but I believe Song has all the attributes to fill the position and maybe give Barca another option. Both players are versatile (and can play Central Defender) and can fit into Barcelona’s 4-3-3 style of play very easily.  Alex song was a great purchase by Barcelona as I feel they need a little more pace when defending against teams like Madrid on the counter attack.

Conditioned Passing Games

Jamie Harvey is a UEFA and USSF qualified coach. He is the Director of Boys Coaching at LA Premier FC. Visit his website, Youthtoprosoccer.com for more information on Coaching Sessions, Game Analysis, and Coaching Interviews.

This past September, Dr. John Sorochan, Associate Professor of Turfgrass Science at the University of Tennessee, led a Field Day on goal anchoring.  This demonstration emphasized the importance of ensuring a safe soccer field environment to field managers and field maintenance workers through the use of Kwik Goal anchors for all types of playing surfaces.  The video also shows the effectiveness of proper anchoring through the Kwik Goal Swing Test.

In this video clip from ussoccer.com, U.S. Soccer Director of Scouting, Tony Lepore, talks about the U.S. Soccer Development Academy’s impact on the steadily improving environment for developing young soccer players in the United States.  He talks about increasing training hours and improving and focusing style of play.  Kwik Goal is proud to be the Official Technical Partner to U.S. Soccer.

To make this strategy successful, of course our CMF’s must mark tight or at least be within a step of the passing lane to win the ball.  If we don’t win the ball we hope the ball is played backwards as this will give us time to adjust our shape and get numbers back.  The worst case scenario is that the player receiving the ball can turn and beat our CMF off the dribble, as this could give the opponent a numbers up situation.

In other situations, while defending in the opponents defensive third and while the outside back receives the ball, we stress to our forwards to make the play or scenario predictable.  The responsibility of our forward(s) is to force the play to the touchline and not allow for the ball to be played back centrally.  The angle of the approach of our forward is very important.  The player must often make a looping run while closing down the first attacker.  This looping run will force the play to move toward the touchline and forward and not allow the first attacker to find support behind or centrally without a creative move off the dribble to beat our forward. This can be a stressful situation for any outside back to deal with and often leads to a mistake for our benefit.  Once again, our players off the ball must be in defensive support and must either be marking appropriately or a step from the possible passing lane for proper execution of winning the ball in the opponent’s half.

Lastly, we often remind the players that this is collective defending and not just defending from one or two players.  The entire team must work cohesively and appreciate the work rate and responsibilities of their teammates around them.  If your players buy-in and execute this defensive strategy then you may embark on a magical season.

Dave Weitzman has compiled a record of 35 wins – 4 ties – 4 losses in three seasons as the head coach of the NPSL’s FC SONIC Lehigh Valley.  FC SONIC ranked #1 nationally among all NPSL / PDL teams in 2012 and has reached the NPSL National Championships twice in Weitzman’s three years while claiming the 2012 National Championship.  Weitzman spent nine seasons as an assistant coach at Muhlenberg College and Lehigh University, is the Ladies Youth DOC for FC Lehigh Valley United, and is the GM at the Iron Lakes Sports Dome in Allentown, PA.  Dave has earned the Premier and DOC diploma’s from the NSCAA.

Here in the Lehigh Valley (Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Pennsylvania), where there is a wealth of soccer history dating back to the Bethlehem Steel days and eventually PA Stoners, FC Sonic was embarking on a magical season.  While accumulating a roster almost completely full of current college players (Colgate, Lafayette, Lehigh, Muhlenberg, DeSales, So. Illinios – Edwardsville, Marywood, and Binghamton), FC SONIC posted a record of 14-1-1 in league play.  While winning the NPSL National Championship was amazing maybe even more amazing was that FC SONIC allowed only five goals during the entire season – only one of those five coming in the flow of play.

• 2012 FC SONIC only allowed 5 goals in sixteen matches
• 2011 FC SONIC only allowed 7 goals in twelve matches
• 2010 FC SONIC only allowed 9 goals in twelve matches

So what’s the trick?  Well, there is no exact science but our defensive philosophy is as follows.

From the first day the players arrive for our pre-season, we stress the importance of pressure on the ball in the opponents defensive third.  And not just any pressure, but collective and highly organized pressure.  The players must fully understand and buy into our belief that the first line of our defense starts with the forwards within our 1:4:3:3 system of play.  If we don’t have the players buy-in then we either look at other players or make the decision to spend considerably more time with that particular, maybe even special, player to help him understand, appreciate, and execute our philosophy.

Without any hesitation, we almost always want to attempt to win the ball in the opponent’s half of the field.  To us it makes sense, as the more often you can win the ball close to the opponent’s goal the more opportunities will present themselves in order to score.  And depending on what area we can win the ball, in the opponents half, we feel strongly that it may be within a pass or two of getting an excellent scoring opportunity.   Initially, we work diligently on our team shape and our forwards approach in closing down the opposition’s center-backs when they have possession.  At this moment, we demand that our forwards force the ball centrally in hopes that their center-backs make an errant pass into one of our three central midfielders.

Dave Weitzman has compiled a record of 35 wins – 4 ties – 4 losses in three seasons as the head coach of the NPSL’s FC SONIC Lehigh Valley.  FC SONIC ranked #1 nationally among all NPSL / PDL teams in 2012 and has reached the NPSL National Championships twice in Weitzman’s three years while claiming the 2012 National Championship.  Weitzman spent nine seasons as an assistant coach at Muhlenberg College and Lehigh University, is the Ladies Youth DOC for FC Lehigh Valley United, and is the GM at the Iron Lakes Sports Dome in Allentown, PA.  Dave has earned the Premier and DOC diploma’s from the NSCAA.

Just like a high functioning computer, our brain will go in search of an answer when given a situation or question to solve.  Reaching a solution or finding an answer that propels positive reactions/behavior/results is imperative to quality performance.  Coaches and players alike need to be highly aware of the questions that we pose to ourselves and to those around us, as the questions themselves dictate the quality of the answer.

“How come Coach doesn’t start me?”  A player who asks that question of herself will find answers such as; I am too slow, I am not one of the favorites, I have never been a good player, Coach doesn’t see what I have to offer, I have no idea what Coach is looking for…..and many other possible results.  Those answers will not give the player a positive direction for her energy, focus or tasks at hand.  Those answers only lead to dead end thoughts and feelings because the question posed is a poor quality question.

Instead players need to ask a better question: “What exactly do I need to change about what I am currently doing in order to get what I want?”  The answers to that question provoke immediate changes in behavior and ultimately, performance.  There is no space in the answer to that question for blaming others, feeling discouraged or losing confidence.

Also significant is the use of the word “why.”  Questions that begin with the word why can be questions that challenge a person’s values or character.

“Why do you fail to mark your player on corner kicks?”  The player who hears that question can perceive the “why” as a challenge to his values instead of his soccer.  He may feel that Coach is really asking why are you so lazy, why are you so mentally weak, why don’t you have the commitment needed to get the job done, why don’t you work hard enough.  The challenge to his values and character will cause an emotional withholding or withdrawing, consciously or subconsciously.  Our job as coaches is to actually bring out every bit of emotional, intellectual and physical characteristic or resource that our players have within themselves.  A better phrasing of the question could be “what needs to change in your head and your body in order for you to defend properly on corner kicks?”  or “focus your work rate on staying goal side and alertly anticipating the attacker’s movement.”

Coaches can ask why, within a phrase that clearly marks out what is being challenged.  For example, “why do you play a ball over the top to the front player?  Can you describe what affects that choice versus playing a through ball on the ground?”  This question is challenging the decision process and not their values – or who they are as a person.

Re-frame Your State of Mind

Re-framing is one of the very best tricks for changing results instantly.  We all need a refresher on re-framing periodically.

Player self talk on the way to practice: “Today’s training will be tons of running and conditioning, which I hate and I dread. I can’t wait for practice to be done.”  This is not going to get the player ready to be fully engaged and highly functioning.  Re-frame that to “Being fit is what makes playing the game easier and more fun, so I will do the work today for Saturday’s game.”

Coach self talk while watching session: “These players are never going to get this, they are just not good enough.”  Re-frames could be “even slight progress is progress,”  “one player improving is one more player closer to what we need,”  “I challenge myself to create the most effective training I can for this team, and continue to grow as a coach with any talent level.”

Catch yourself when your state of mind is not contributing to your optimal performance, and give yourself a re-frame to affect immediate change in your state and therefore your results.

The Culture of Your Organization

Sustained successful performance will come out of a positive, learning, growing organization. You will put your own meaning to those words, particularly the words successful, positive, learning and growing. You will have an idea and vision of how those words are incorporated into your culture and how that culture is perceived by the members of your organization.  What is your outcome in terms of team culture?  The best way to know more precisely where your team or club is currently positioned in these areas is to get their feedback.  Asking questions can reveal where your players and staff are with relation to many characteristics of a learning organization.  If you were to survey all the staff and players in your organization, the responses would provide useful feedback for where the organization is in this moment.  The feedback can give you direct and useful insight into how communication is being perceived within your program.  Are you willing to take the risk of asking questions that challenge the status quo or how things have always been done, addressing “uncomfortable” discussions, asking all those in your organization to actively give and receive in an open feedback loop?  What kind of responses would you desire, in comparison to what you actually might receive, in response to these questions?

Does each member of this organization feel honored and respected?

Do players in this organization believe that the coaches focus on them individually, in order to affect individual growth and improvement?

Do players believe that coaches have the coaching capability and talent to help them become better individual players?

Do players believe that the coach is effective at creating collective team improvement?

Do we (in this organization) fear failure?

Is the atmosphere in this organization where learning, including mistakes, are accepted and addressed as part of the development process?

Are we allowed to excel without alienation?

Is open and honest communication encouraged, demonstrated?

Are people in this organization rewarded for offering ideas different to the leader, or tradition?

Does this organization have a method for consistently giving and receiving feedback?

How would you describe communication in this organization during difficult, stressful or challenging situations?

Is there clarity and consistency between coaches and players about roles and responsibilities?

Is the language used by staff consistent from coach to coach?  Are the words utilized creating the highest level of performance?

When performance is not as good as we want…does the staff place blame or responsibility on the players, the coaching, the referees, other?  Where and how does responsibility for performance get “assigned” within this organization?

These questions begin to explore the many facets of a team or club organization in terms of what people say and do and how it is understood within the system.  Knowing how your message is perceived is the first step toward making your communication result in the best possible impact on staff and players.

Our daily responsibilities demand our focus on so many tasks.  Those demands can distract us from noticing details about the language we use and the quality of our communication.  Frequently we assume that people will “know what we mean” when we say something.  That leaves a vital aspect of communication to luck or chance because the meaning of our communication is in how the receiver responds to it.  And very often, we measure how the receiver responds to our communication by their performance or wins and losses.  Consider communication to be a vital component to achieving excellence in performance within your team.  Most exceptional leaders are characterized as also being excellent communicators.

Jennifer Griffin is a Sports Performance Analyst at Syracuse University for the women’s soccer program and is also a consultant on Organizational Leadership and Development, Personal Development and Mental Skills. She has also been part of the US Soccer Federation’s Per Diem Staff and was formerly a member of the Women’s Soccer Committee for the NSCAA.  Jen’s soccer resume also includes having been a coach at the high school level for nearly 22 years.  She can be found on LinkedIn.

One aspect of the way we function is our tendency to be “going away from” or “going towards” thinkers.  For example, if I don’t want to wash the dirty dishes because I find it unpleasant, I will find any possible way to avoid the task.  I am avoiding, or going away from, what I don’t like.  Going toward people will quickly complete the task because they want to go toward the feeling of having it done or toward the feeling of having clean dishes.

The problem with going away from language and thinking is that there is no actual target or goal other than to avoid the undesirable.  Going away from thinking tends to go in circles, only to come back to the undesirable in worse condition then it was initially.  In contrast, going toward thinking and behavior provides positive energy and clear focus in the direction of a desired result.

It is vital that your instruction and language be “going toward” a positive outcome.  Consistently coaching in the form of “don’t do this” or “we can’t have that” will not give your players a clear, focused target.  Frame your instruction in “going toward” language.

Also, our brains cannot directly compute a negative.

Don’t miss the target.  The brain will first go to - miss the target-before going to the intended meaning which is – hit the target.

Now direct your attention to the language of coaches on the field.

Don’t dribble too much.  Player’s brain thinks about dribbling, then how much is too much, then the correct amount of dribbling.

Don’t be afraid to head the ball.  Brain thinks about fear, then what to fear about heading, then how to head and not be afraid.

We are not playing well because we are not talking.  This is a going away from statement.  Coach is saying we need to avoid “not talking”. There is no going toward foundation to this statement.  Instead, give clear and precise examples.  We need this kind of communication -“Goalkeeper, push the defenders up,”  “midfielders call for the ball from the backs,”  “front players shout when you are putting on first defender pressure.”   All of these give player’s brains a targeted outcome and efficient places to direct their focus.

In training, keep your instructions going toward exactly what you do want.  Repeat phrases often that are going toward and eliminate negations. You will clarify their focus.  Efficiency and effectiveness will be amplified.  You will create thinking pathways in your player’s brains that lead to the decision making you desire in game play.

Jennifer Griffin is a Sports Performance Analyst at Syracuse University for the women’s soccer program.  She has also been part of the US Soccer Federation’s Per Diem Staff and was formerly a member of the Women’s Soccer Committee for the NSCAA.  Jen’s soccer resume also includes having been a coach at the high school level for nearly 22 years

Language, or the individual words we choose, is another tool to consider in our quest for excellent performance.  Language has massive influence over behavior.  Words bring about responses in the form of images, emotions and feelings.  Words can enhance focus or break concentration.  Words make the same task seem impossible, challenging, rewarding or common place. Think about how these words can create different meaning to players.

Bad…  as compared to…  not as good as.

The effort put forth today was bad.  The effort put forth was not as good as what we are capable of.

Correctly…  as compared to…  perfectly.

When under no pressure, the pass needs to be correct.  When under no pressure, the pass needs to be perfect.

Hard … as compared to…  challenge.

Our opponent will be hard to beat.  This opponent will give us a great challenge.

Opportunity… as compared to…  failure.

We failed to implement our training priorities into our game today.  We have an opportunity to continue training with the aspects we have yet to master.

Losing…  as compared to…  learning.

Aggressive…  as compared to…. active.

Get the ball off your foot…..  as compared to…..  find a good pass.

If you did a quick inventory of the words that your coaching staff regularly uses with players, you will find places where the consistency and quality of the meaning players put to your directions can be enhanced by word choice alone.  Do coaches use the same words for the same meaning?  So does stuck in mean the same as goal side?  When one coach says push up, does another coach use press?  Are you using words that will give you the optimal response? Can you substitute words that inspire, motivate, energize?  Try having one member of staff, or an observer, note the word choices made in your training session, then feedback on yourselves regarding language.  When you are planning training sessions with your staff, be sure that all everyone is using the same words to identify instructions or concepts.

Another consideration in word choice is our tendency to use vague phrases, or hints and tips, as opposed to direct and clear instruction.  While coaches have a definitive idea of what a phrase means to them, many players are uncertain as to what is exactly being said.

“Find someone in the box” is a common phrase that can be characterized as a tip instead of real coaching. Who do I find, when do I look for them, how do I find them (on the ground, in the air), where am I on the field when I look to find them, all questions that enter the payer’s mind when trying to determine how to “find someone in the box”.

“Get wide” is another frequent instruction that often amounts to only a hint. When, where, how, what does it look like and feel like to “be wide” the way that my coach wants?  These words, without clear supporting demonstrations, explanations and specific instruction in training environments, offer a player unlimited options to determine “what this means and therefore what I should do.”  What exactly do you mean when you say “be creative?”  What is your outcome when you say it?  And how will you know that the players understand what you mean?  And how will players know that they know what you mean?

Digging Into Less Than Ideal Performance 

(Note the use of the word “digging” – would it affect your reaction to the topic if I substituted the word “examining”?)

Being aware of how players are interpreting the world will help you improve the performance of your team.  Taken on an individual basis, for example, you may have a player that you feel has been given instructions and should know what is expected.  But, the player continues to do things incorrectly.  Frustration and disappointment often appear when your coaching and his behavior do not align.  We often then “blame the payer” for not being coachable or talented.

Blaming the players is a pitfall that we often encounter.  Take a step back and find out what the player is seeing and thinking.  When the world is happening at game pace, the player is running the constant analysis of “what does this mean and so what should I do?”  It can be that the player is not recognizing the time and space, and not able to make the decision you desire.  His mind is processing through his filters and past experiences producing a different behavior than what you want.  He is doing the best he can with the resources at his disposal.  His mind is seeking the best option it can find. With the best of intentions, the player’s mind is not putting the same meaning to the moment that you are.

Help the player see that the answer to “what this means” is what you are directing – It means X and therefore you should do Y.  Chunk it down into smaller parts (or up to bigger picture), use different words, paint a different picture, understand more by asking the player to walk you through his thoughts and decisions.  Players can be overwhelmed by past experiences or fear. You will improve performance by interrupting the old pattern and replacing it with a new one.

Jennifer Griffin is a Sports Performance Analyst at Syracuse University for the women’s soccer program.  She has also been part of the US Soccer Federation’s Per Diem Staff and was formerly a member of the Women’s Soccer Committee for the NSCAA.  Jen’s soccer resume also includes having been a coach at the high school level for nearly 22 years.