Specialist Skills Coach

[rils]

Originally Posted by ian.curry

I think this debate has developed into coaches who coach for entertainment against those who coach to win.

As your players get older(I have found) they want to win more, development is 11-14 years, achievement is 14-17 years. This ties in with school(SATs at 14, GCSE's at 16).
Its another debate though I suppose.

If I can manage to get 3 training sessions a week in the summer(I get 6 weeks holiday), then I'm likely to do a fitness and passing session, an progression to SSG session, and a skills and match session per week.

We have just won our league and about to do the double - half the squad are being tapped up academies and have attended trials. Oh and they love winning - and coincidently they are capable of pulling off ronaldos, rivelinos, cruyff turns, ryan giggs etc as well as perfomr these 90 % correctly within a match situation and set pieces on corners.

PS They when they were 5 - some have had coerver training - they are aged 7 and 8 and yes they are in the UK

Winning is a by product of playing good football

[steve_mccue@yahoo.com]

I coach for Coerver which is a skills based programme. This debate seems to be looking at skills coaching in isolation. Remember, all pro clubs employ not only skills coaches but fitness coaches, tactical coaches, and sports scientists. Alone, these coaches would offer little all round development. But put together they are key to a players development. My opinion is that very young players dont need fitness or tactical training as a main focus therefore it is the perfect age to develop their ball mastery, in turn developing their technical ability. As they grow, tactics and fitness can all be introduced. A coaches job is not only to teach the skills, but explain the whys and whens so players know that these skills are not for showing off but can be used to create space or a shooting opportunity. Always paint a picture to relate to match situations.

[DanD]

Originally Posted by niinoi

i just feel its one thing being a freestyler and another thing being able to pull of a tricks in a match sitution, that all comes down to instinct, thats why england only have joe cole as their skillfull player, i have seen some pro players do tricks in training, but dont do it in a match because they dont have the flair/instinct to do it in a match,i could name ten brazilain players with natural flar in 10 secs, but wouldnt be able to name 10 english players in 10 secs with the same amount of flair. teaching someone to be a freestyle and teaching someone to be able to pull it of in a match are two different things.

I agree. I was just using John as an example of what can be done with practice and that its not all about being born gifted. Incidentally John started with the Brazilian Soccer Schools as a teenager. He played for the town team as a youngster and is a very good player now. I think skills coaches are a good idea as they can only help with the development of skills and decision making needed in the English game.

[nelson]

Originally Posted by niinoi

But the Brazilains are the most successful in the world and they do churn out flair players!

Not at the moment they aren't !!!!