Levels of Competence Part 2

Levels can assist the youth educational process by providing players, parents and coaches with a set of guidelines to help prepare for the future. These guidelines will be some of the new standards and expectations that a "step up" will require. By being aware that each stage in the journey brings a new, and possibly unique, set of problems a little preparation can help to ease the transition. "To be forewarned is to be forearmed." Some examples:

Youth players that are moving into high school soccer find a new standard would be the incorporation of several different ages in the team. A fourteen year old 'big fish' in their club team might be a 'small fish' in the high school pond. This change has as much to do with understanding their position in the pecking order as it does in their play on the field. They go from calling the shots, to taking orders. The education for these children can involve having them practice or play up an age level or two for short periods. Very talented 12 year olds can train with 13 or 14 year olds on a regular basis. This not only helps them to adjust to the increased speed of play, but helps them to understand their limitations and lowered expectations when 'playing over their heads.' (The same thing can be done for high school age players making the transition to college. This select group is passing from the world of youth soccer into the adult game. By training with senior amateur teams, talented youth players begin to get a taste of the demands of the college/adult game.)

Parents can find that a change in levels can have a dramatic effect inside the family. Sibling rivalries can develop as one child has more success or gets more attention then another. Higher levels of play usually means more traveling, greater distances, fewer free week ends, spending major holidays in motels at tournaments, greater financial obligations all wrapped up in a questionable return on the investment. Often the increased time and money doesn't bring anyone any increased enjoyment. In fact it can bring the opposite. When the expectations aren't quickly met it doesn't take long for the whispering to start, fingers to point and excuses to be made. A good club structure is the best way to work through these problems. Talk with parents who have already gone through the scenario or club officials like the DOC.

Coaches should be aware of and prepared for changes in the demands that they face. Two common situations that often 'break the back' of well meaning parent coaches are taking a rec. team into select play and moving from small sided games to a larger size in the competitive phase. In the first case the star players that carried the rec. team may become very average in this new environment. This means that going in everyone, parents, coaches and players have increased expectations only to find that they are far from being met. Also, parent coaches who enjoyed success at the rec. level will be going up against paid trainers and will be routinely out coached. This can lead to high levels of frustration and self doubt. Coaches also need to be prepared to deal with the selection process, an unavoidable part of select play. This means making hard decisions that until now were largely handled by an administrator.

Moving from 3v3 to 4v4 and 7v7 or 8v8 to 11 a side brings a new set of problems. The complexity of the game and how to organize training to meet the new demands are two areas that can take years to adjust to. The best course of action for coaches to avoid these situations is to invest time in their own education. The State level coaching courses are the best place to start. They provide a structure to hang onto and a frame of reference for the new found problems. Short of that, seek out experienced help and be patient enough, both with yourself and with the children.

(from http://www.bettersoccermorefun.com)