October 10th Weekend

I just wanted to remind everyone that our rec league will have an off weekend on October 10th. We take this weekend off so that our families can take advantage of the Portland Public Schools 4 day weekend.

We will also be releasing the second half schedules on that weekend. We withhold the the second half schedules so that we can change adjust them to create more even match ups.

If you have any questions please email us at pysafeedback@gmail.com

See you on the field!!!

John

Saturday

I had the opportunity to spend Saturday sitting in the sun watching some of our teams play. Here are a few thoughts I had about the games:

• Referees - I though that the referees did a fantastic job. I don't think people understand how difficult it is to referee a game without having assistant referees. Overall the referees made the correct calls and kept the games moving with a good flow.
• Parents - I thought that the majority of the comments that I heard coming from the sidelines were positive. Unfortunately there were some parents that focused all of their attention on the referee and the other team. We need to make sure that we provide positive feedback to the kids.
• Coaches - The coaches I saw did a great job of giving constructive feedback to their players. Most coaches also sat down and watched their teams play. The game is the for the players, not for the coaches. Soccer is a game that is player centered. We need to make sure that as coaches we do not give the player all of the answers. Try to allow them to make mistakes and learn from them.

If you ever have the opportunity to get out and watch other games, I think you will find it to be an educational experience.

See you on the field!!

John

Homework

I was out at Jackson Soccer Club last night working with some of their teams and a coach gave me a great idea. He has all of his U9 players do homework each week. After his game on Saturday he gives his players three questions.

• The first question has to do with general soccer stuff. (How many players are on the field is a full size soccer game?)
• The second question is about professional or international soccer. (Who is the GK for Liverpool?)
• The third question is about the rules. (Can you be offside on a throw in?)

The coach asks the players to turn in the answers before the next game. I think this is a great way to get players to be involved in the game of soccer. This makes their experience larger than just their team.

I encourage all of you to think outside of the box and see what you can do to make soccer fun for your players!!

See you on the field!

John

Is youth soccer coaching for you?

Here is an article that I found that has some important questions for you to ask yourself about coaching.

John

As I was searching the Internet for articles I stumbled across this information on the US Youth Soccer website. It is a great description of how we should look to teach our players.

John

Guided Discovery

The traditional way sports have been taught is with the coach at the center of attention. The coach told the players what to do {command style} and expected them to produce. With the command style, the coach explains a skill, demonstrates the skill and allows the players to practice the skill. In contrast to 'reproduction' of knowledge in the coach-centered approach, the guided discovery approach emphasizes the "production" of new talents. The approach invites the player to think, to go beyond the given information and then discover the correct skills. The essence of this style is a coach-player connection in which your sequence of information and questions causes responses by the player. The combination of information and question by you elicits a correct response, which is discovered by the player. The effect of this process leads the player to discover the sought tactic or technique. Guided discovery simply means that you raise questions and provide options or choices for the players, guiding the players to answer the questions for themselves because they become curious about the answers. The novice player in a command style setting thinks too much about what they are trying to do, a form of paralysis by analysis. Instead if you guide the players in a player-centered training environment then they gradually become capable of holistic thinking in their soccer performance.

Holistic thought is opposed to the analytical type of thinking. Analysis means to divide the whole into parts which can be studied more closely. Holistic thinking considers the thing as a whole. Soccer performances {training sessions and especially matches} are better suited to holistic than analytical treatment because they involve an integrated set of movements which must all happen at the same time. There simply is not enough time during a match to perform each of the movements separately and then string them together. Holistic thinking has been linked anatomically to functions carried out in the right hemisphere of the brain. The brain has both a right and left hemisphere connected by a bundle of nerves called the corpus collosum. The right hemisphere coordinates movements and sensations associated with the left side of the body and the left hemisphere does the same for the right side of the body. In addition, the left hemisphere is known to control analytical thinking, which includes verbal expression, reading, writing and mathematical computation. The functions associated with the right side of the brain are nonintellectual ones or those having to do with sensory interpretation, coordination of movement, intuitive or creative thinking and holistic perception of complex patterns. This hemisphere can grasp a number of patterns simultaneously.[i]

Sports tradition has emphasized left-side brain functions to the exclusion of the other. We acquire pieces of knowledge one at a time. In soccer, the traditional coach teaches separate points of technique, ignoring the 'flow' needed in actual performance. Some coaches use the holistic approach. In soccer we draw upon right-hand brain capabilities of holistic perception, rhythm, spatial relationships, and simultaneous processing of many inputs. Left brain functions are largely uninvolved. Novice players often go wrong in trying to control their movements with a constant, specific internal awareness. They engage the left-brain functions of analysis and sequence to interfere with holistic coordination of physical movement, which is a right-brain function. Obscuring a player's awareness with too many instructions {over-coaching} will make him or her so preoccupied that he or she can't 'chew gum and run at the same time!' It's called 'paralysis through analysis'.

It is often argued that effective coaching is as much an art as it is a science. Guided discovery in coaching soccer is a balance of the two. In a broad sense our coaching style of the American soccer player must move away from the 'sage on the stage' to the 'guide on the side'.

""I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.""

Confucius

Perspective

I am as competitive a person as you can find. Every time I step on the field as a player or a coach I want to perform at my peak and be successful. I believe that everyone who competes would rather win than lose. Sometimes I think that I have taken this desire to win too far.

This weekend PYSA suffered a loss. The husband of one of our board members died in an accident early Sunday morning. This tragedy has reminded me that while we all want to win, soccer is just a game. Whenever we have a bad day at training or lose a game we need to remember that what we do is about fun and providing a healthy outlet for children.

I hope that as you all head off to training today that you think about making it fun for the kids.

John

Concordia Soccer

Here is an email I received from Concordia about tomorrows game! It would be a lot of fun. I encourage you all to attend.

John

Friends of Concordia Soccer,

This Saturday, September 19^th, the #2 ranked Concordia Women’s Soccer team will host #1 ranked Cal Baptist for the top spot in the national rankings! The game will be played on Strasser Field at Delta Park at 3:30pm.

We want to pack the house for the game and are inviting all youth teams (even HS teams) to attend the game for FREE! Youth teams need only to wear their team jersey or Concordia Soccer Camp t-shirt for free admission. High school teams may also show their student body ID cards for free admission. If you would like your team name announced at halftime, please let me know by Friday at noon that you will be attending.

Please feel free to pass this offer along to anyone who might be interested.

GO CAVS!!

PYSA Newsletter

In an effort to provide our membership with as much information about our leagues and programs, PYSA is now distributing a monthly newsletter to our membership. Keep an eye out for the September issue which should be emailed out this week.

If you would like a copy please contact us at pysafeedback@gmail.com

John

Weather

As the fall weather starts to inch its way into our lives, it is important for us to remind our players and their parents about wearing appropriate clothing. I was at a training session today where high school age boys didn't bring appropriate clothing for training.

Younger players don't manage changes in temperature as efficiently as adults do. We should make sure that we are constantly checking the status of our players to make sure that they aren't getting too cold. Have players bring a sweatshirt and rain jacket to practice so that they are prepared for all possible weather patterns.

Here is a link to an article about cold weather injuries.

See you on the field!

John

Parent Education

There is quite a bit of time spent on educating coaches, developing players, teaching referees, and providing information to administrators. One of the most important pieces of youth soccer is often neglected. Parents.

Parents play a major role in youth soccer. They sign the players up to play, drive them to and from practice and games, support them on the field, and console them after a tough game. It is important that we support parents and provide them with as much information as possible.

US Youth Soccer has developed a parent education program that touches on some of the things parents need to know.

Click here for an article by Tom Goodman that I think you will find helpful.

Thanks!!

John

Rec Plus

We are excited to announce our Rec Plus schedules for the Fall 2009 season. Rec plus is a program developed for players who want more than the standard PYSA recreational schedule. Rec Plus teams will play an additional schedule on six Sundays throughout the season.

To view the schedules please visit the PYSA website at www.portlandyouthsoccer.com.

Thanks!

John

World Cup Qualifying

Today has been a big day in international soccer. There have been some fantastic results. We have reached the stage in qualifying where teams are starting to secure spots in the World Cup.

For schedules and standings click here.

There have been some surprising results over the past few months. Seeing the likes of Argentina, France, and Portugal on the brink of not qualifying shows the parity in international soccer.

As I sit here and watch the US play I cant help but think about the days when we were surprised to be in the qualifying talk. For the past 20 years we have been solid qualifiers for the World Cup. This says a lot about our country and the commitment coaches, referees, and administrators have made to the development of youth soccer in the United States.

Enjoy the upcoming weeks and the results that will come!

See you on the field!!

John

PYSA Schedules

The schedules for the Fall 2009 Season have been posted on the PYSA website. Click here to go the PYSA website and then click on the Fall League tab on the left side of the page. If you have any questions please contact the PYSA office at 503.646.6683.

John

US Mens National Team Returns to World Cup Qualification

With four games remaining and only three points separating the top four teams in the group, the match against El Salvador represents a huge opportunity to gain three points and move closer towards qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Kickoff at Rio Tinto Stadium is set for 6 p.m. MT, live on ESPN Classic and TeleFutura.

US Soccer Website

Why Players Stop Playing

Soccer isn't the only sport that loses players due to poor coaching. Take a look at this article about youth baseball coaching.

Click Here

See you on the field!

John

High School Season is Starting

It is getting to that point of the year that kids are heading back to school. That means that the high school soccer season is starting. High school soccer is a big deal here in Portland. There are a number of quality programs that will begin play this week. I encourage you to check out the schedules for your local high school.

Click here for PIL schedules.

Enjoy!

John