The A.D.S. Philosophy on Soccer Coaching & Training:
Coach Chris’s Vision of Soccer Training
During the past ten years as a Dutch soccer trainer in the Netherlands and in the United States, Coach Chris has trained many girl’s and boy’s teams of all ages and interacted with coaches from every level of the game. (see resume)
Coach Chris believes that the Dutch Soccer Philosophy , more explanation available at www.bettersoccermorefun.com, is the best foundation for young soccer players because it teaches the very important technical skills and the communication aspect of the game, along with an overall understanding of soccer while playing in an offensive formation. All of these aspects combined with the players having fun during the trainings enables the player to improve their soccer ability.
Based on Coach Chris’ own coaching experience, he has found that teaching the technical skills to a player at a young age is important for them to develop at the same rate as other players. The longer the delay in the development of the technical skills, the more difficult it will be for that player to reach comparable abilities for their age group. He has also noticed that players tend to learn a skill at training, but have the tendency to forget to use that skill during a game. In order for them to feel comfortable using these new skills, Coach Chris requires that the player implements these skills during the game and points out how to use these new skills prior to and during the game. Coach Chris requires soccer skills, understanding of the game and communication as mandatory from players while training and more importantly, during their soccer games. A player only becomes better than their opponents when they use their training at the place where their opponents are… on the soccer field.
In the Dutch Soccer Philosophy , when players are between 7 to 16 years of age, the soccer game is, in our opinion, a game that should be won by using and improving their technical skills and understanding of the game. We do not consider a game that is lost as a total loss, as long as the players have tried to improve the skills of themselves and the team. We also believe that respect for the opponent is an important aspect of the game. Your opponent should be viewed as someone that can also make you better. They are providing the pressure required to improve as a soccer player. As a coach and parent, we should encourage the players to try out new soccer skills on the field and if they fail at first, we need to continue to encourage them to try it again. Belief and encouragement are very important for any soccer player and is necessary for soccer players when they try new skills and work on improving their technical ability.
The main goal of our coaches and trainers at the Academy of Dutch Soccer is to develop the skills and knowledge of the soccer player to a level of mastery over the soccer ball and of their opponent at their appropriate level. This can also mean discussing the “theory” of the game during the practices along with before, during and after the soccer game.
AN EXAMPLE OF THE PHILOSOPHY DISCUSSED ABOVE
The trainer teaches his players the scissor move and practices that move with them for weeks during trainings. While watching a soccer game that they are losing, the trainer realizes that the players never use that move on the soccer field in a game situation against their opponent. The result is that the training looks like a waste of time while the move itself has been proven effective on the soccer field. Did the team lose because their opponent was better or because they did not use the skills that they learned at the practice?
AN EXAMPLE OF “TRAINING UNDER PRESSURE”
Any coach trainer at the Academy of Dutch Soccer, when hired as a coach, will ask from their players that they try out the skills, taught during the practices, in the game. This will benefit the player directly when he or she tries to use the skill while being under pressure from a real opponent. When a move or tactic is performed successfully against the real opponent, the player gains confidence in their ability and is proud of their success, therefore improving their skill and knowledge of the game.
We also require from the A.D.S. Coaches / Trainers that they implement the technical skills and moves in their practice as often as possible so that the soccer players use it so often that they become comfortable using it under pressure by a team opponent. We prefer that a player trains him/herself under soft and hard soccer pressure by a team mate. The result of this is that the trainings take on a real game scenario and the player can work on improving their skills during each practice.
