Feb, 2008

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT MODEL

A player development program must have a plan. A player development program prepares for the future by focusing on each step that must be taken to get there. Match results in the short-term must take a back seat to player development.

Development vs. Winning. "Before they begin training young people, youth coaches have to choose between two very different approaches. 1) Trying to lead their teams to victory in the short term - at any cost. 2) Gradually introducing their players to the complexity of soccer, using age-oriented methods and focusing on long-term goals." - Horst Wein

Here are some important distinctions between programs which follow the two approaches. Player development starts at the youngest ages (u6-u10). Therefore the table below contrasts the approaches for the youngest players where individual player development should be the complete focus. At u11-u14, individual development will still be the primary focus, but the team will become increasingly important. At u15+ the team will become more important still.

Objective: to Win Matches	Objective: to Promote Player Development
Program is selective, with preference given to players who are physically advanced.	Program is more inclusive, with preference given to players who show signs of intelligent soccer behavior.
Playing time is clearly unequal, with preference given to players with an advanced asset (speed, strength, powerful kick, etc.)	Playing time is more or less equal.
Technical development is underemphasized.	Technical development is given high priority.
Team tactics are overemphasized at an early age.	Tactics are slowly introduced over time beginning with individual tactics (e.g., 1v1 attacking/defending).
Players rely mainly on long passes and play faster than their skill level allows.	Players tend to dribble and make many short passes.
A few players take the majority of touches on the ball.	All players are involved in the game and get many touches on the ball.
The goalkeeper kicks the ball as far as possible.	The goalkeeper usually plays the ball to a nearby teammate to build the next attack.
Little thought is given to building the attack. Usually the ball goes directly to the forwards via long passes instead of going through the midfield.	The ball generally advances from defenders to midfielders, with the game based on communication and cooperation.
When attacking there are few changes of directions.	The point of attack is changed frequently with an eye toward creating spaces for penetration.
The ball is rarely played backwards. Instead, players play almost exclusively forward regardless of the situation.	The ball is frequently played backwards to maintain possession, to find a way around pressure, or to draw the opposition out of a defensive posture.
The style of play relies on the mistakes and weaknesses of the opposition to be successful.	The style of play demands self-reliance and reliance on one's teammates to be successful.
Attacking play tends to separate forwards from the rest of the team, with longer passes over the top and forwards always turning toward goal.	Attacking play tends to connect the team with passes to feet and back passes from forwards that bring the rest of the team forward.
The match is the main focus. The result is important.	The match is a chance for the players and the coaches to test what has been learned.
Training focuses on what needs to be fixed for the next match in order to get a result. The match result controls the training content.	Training follows a curriculum. The match helps to determine if the players are ready to move on. The program controls the training content.
Player future value is judged on current performance levels and contribution to winning.	Player value is judged based on uptake of the current curriculum content.
Players are cut from the team and new players recruited to take their place.	Players are allowed time to develop. Players are developed from within the program.

Measuring Success. Ultimately the success of a program is measured by the number of players who are capable of playing competently at successively higher levels. For younger players (<14), development is itself success. Match results won't tell the truth about player development. Youth matches can be won using unsophisticated soccer methods. Matches can be lost even when developing young players are doing very well the things that they have been learning.

Coaches need to assess program success by how well the players are progressively gaining competency in each area of the curriculum being taught. This means that the standard of success for young developing players is largely the curriculum, and not match results. Any program that aims to help players progress to true competency in the sport must have a curriculum (level-appropriate progressive content), follow the curriculum (run activities consistent with the content), and measure its success based on the uptake from its players.

Starting Young with Development. Very young players (5-6) are capable of beginning to build their soccer base in earnest. Too often programs for our youngest players limit their role to providing "exposure of players to soccer," rather than aiming to truly begin the development process. Too many program administrators, and parents express the notion that the players are too young to learn and have time to learn when they are older. Yes, the players are young, but not too young to learn. And unfortunately, if they don't start learning very young, then the whole process is backed up to point that what they need to learn to become competent won't fit into the window left for learning. If players don't learn what they are capable of learning early, then they will not be able to reach their potential.

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