Oconee FC “Educating the Parent” Youth Development Education Program

1. Oconee FC“Educating the Parent” Youth Development Education Program

2. Careful !! - Children at Play Our Generation Had more unsupervised free time Made our own rules Ownership/power to decide what to play/how long Our Children Constantly supervised/shielded Monitored by overbearing adults Evaluated to adult standards Fast tracked to achieve goals Losing their autonomy/creativity opportunities

3. YOUTH SPORT HIJACKED BY ADULTS WHOSE NEEDS ARE CONSIDERED? WHOSE EXPECTATIONS ARE MET? WHOSE AGENDAS ARE FULFILLED? WHY PARENTS FIND IT HARD TO VIEW YOUTH SPORT AS JUST ANOTHER LEISURE ACTIVITY? (the return on investment syndrome)

4. THE CYCLE OFUNDER-DEVELOPMENT

5. HOW CHILDREN DEVELOPThis presentation will cover: Cognitive development Understanding players’ needs Phases of commitment Trainable components Optimum practice to game ratio State of flow for max creativity Player Evaluation / Playing up Responsibilities of the soccer parent

6. COGNITIVEDEVELOPMENT(Piaget) SENSORY – MOTOR (birth to age 2) PRE-OPERATIONAL (from 2-8 years) Egocentric – Imagination – Non logical thinking CONCRETE OPERATIONAL (8-11) Logical thinking related to concrete objects Less egocentric – more cooperative - rules FORMAL OPERATIONAL (11 and up) Logical thinking related to abstract objects Time and space – Thinking in advance - rules

7. Characteristics of Children U-6 Players Motor development primitive (head, body center) Easy fatigue, rapid recovery Short attention span Egocentric (me, my, mine) Can only handle one task at a time Does not understand ‘Team’ concept Immature understanding of time and space Play consists of imagination & pretend games Psychologically easily bruised - Need generous praise

8. Characteristics of Children U-6 Players – Implications Need ‘Movement Education’ approach (walking, running, jumping, hopping, bending, twisting, throwing, catching, kicking, etc) Simple rules. Short activities. Fire imagination Parallel play with own toy (ball) Mostly Dribbling activities Unopposed activities with ball Unable to think ahead – tactics not possible They don’t play soccer – they play at soccer Criticism not appropriate

9. Characteristics of Children U-8 Players Physical abilities still immature Playmates emerge. ‘Best friend’ Team identity limited Attention span still short Limited self-evaluation: Effort equal success Still can mostly attend to one task at a time Looking for approval from adults Energy to burn – constantly in motion.

10. Characteristics of Children U-8 Players – Implications Movement Education still a priority More pair activities – Cooperative & competitive Introduce 1v1 activities Still mostly dribbling and some passing/shooting Wean them from dependence on adults Generous praise Difficulties with throw-ins, goal kicks, etc Tactics still beyond them

11. Characteristics of Children U-10 Players Boys and girls begin to develop separately Motor skills starting to refine Rapid gains in learning Starting to think ahead Loves competition Ability to sequence thoughts and actions Peer pressure and Team identification important

12. Characteristics of Children U-10 Players – Implications Small group activities emphasis on Technique Make it a competition as much as possible Short explanations. It has to make sense More confident psychologically – but still needs positive feedback Ready to assume more responsibility Allow them to solve problems Fundamental Tactical concepts (2v2, 3v3) Don’t dictate. Guide.

13. Characteristics of Children U-12 Players Golden age – sponges Great variances in physical maturity Increased ability to sustain complex skill Begin to think in abstract terms More time with friends. Less with parents. Peer pressure. In crowd. Self evaluation. Adult logic/values start to imprint Questions everything, including sport participation

14. Phases of Soccer Development Phase 1 – Introduction to soccer Phase 2 – Commitment to soccer Phase 3 – Commitment to excellence Phase 4 – Commitment to winning

15. TRAINABLE COMPONENTS TECHNICAL Ability to control the ball. Touches TACTICAL Ability to solve soccer problems (cognitive) FITNESS Endurance, speed, strength, agility PSYCHOLOGICAL Enjoyment, coping with anxiety, confidence

16. TRAINABLE COMPONENTS PRACTICES FAR MORE IMPORTANT FOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT THAN GAMES (MANY MORE TOUCHES) YOUTH SOCCER’S BIGGEST PROBLEMS: OVER COACHING BY PARENTS AND COACHES MISGUIDED EMPHASIS ON GAMES WHY TEAM DEVELOPMENT CAN STIFLE INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT TOURNAMENTITIS

17. FLOW STATE MODEL(Dr. MihalyCsikszentmihalyi) Activity or task matches ability Do not treat training like medicine Achievement = happiness (artists, athletes) Finished product less important than process If not in state of flow, other behavioral states: Distracted, bored, frustrated, anxious, defensive, mischievous, undisciplined

18. Player Evaluation -What parents should ask the coach U-6/U-8 Is he/she having fun? Period.

19. Player Evaluation -What parents should ask the coach U-10/U-12 Is he/she having fun? Is he/she learning skills? Is he/she socially adapted to team? Too early for analysis of strengths/weakness

20. Responsibility of the Soccer Parent Understand the role of sports Understand the odds Be a role model Evaluate the club and coaches Understand pursuit of excellence

21. Role of the Soccer Parent Understand the role of sports Develop a healthy lifestyle (Sport = Leisure) Develop sport skills Develop life skills Social skills Positive self-image Values character and coping skills Mission of youth organizations

22. Role of the Soccer Parent Understand the odds Academy/Select no guarantee of success Only 6% high school soccer players to NCAA Only small percentage get athletic scholarship Only 2% of NCAA soccer players to pro Only 0.08% high school to pro Need to prepare your child for disappointment. Not build up his/her hopes unrealistically. College coaches only interested in U-16+ ‘Exposure’ over-rated

23. Role of the Soccer Parent Be a role model Listen to your child (likes/dislikes) Sideline behavior – NO COACHING!!! Dealing with game results (unconditional love) Don’t compare or be critical Focus on positives Be supportive (towards child, coach, club) Shield from abuse, NOT from life lessons It’s your child’s game. Not your game.

24. Role of the Soccer Parent Evaluate the club and its coaches Consistent with mission statement Club coaches No lines/lectures/laps Certification level Philosophy of coach, motivation skills Ethical issues Best interest of the individual players Recruiting Playing time Zero tolerance for abuse

25. Role of the Soccer Parent Understand pursuit of excellence Intrinsic motivation (if you need to push….) Know the opportunities Academy - Select soccer – ODP Know the two best coaches in the world: Watching professional soccer Playing pick up games How to reach potential Touches on the ball Self training Learning from the pros Practice to game ratio Perishable vs transferable skills Focus on process. Where is he/she at 18?

26. If we take care in the beginning, the end will take care of itself