Last weekend I had my first games back with my teams after the long holiday break. Because of the way the schedule worked out we didn’t have a practice before our games. I knew we wouldn’t be really sharp but I was surprised by just how rusty the players really were.

You could tell that the players knew it and were frustrated by how they were playing. I tried to high my frustration because it wasn’t that they weren’t trying, they were just out of practice.

Hopefully this experience will motivate the players to work hard in training this next week because we have a Regional tournament to qualify for Nationals that’s coming up this weekend.

This week’s question comes from Ben. He left them in the comments of Episode 128 on Futsal Techniques and Tactics

Ben asks,

 “Has it been a hard adjustment for your players who are trained to receive with their back foot in outdoor to switch over to receive on the front foot for futsal?

What are your thoughts on coaches who have their teams play futsal for the speed of play and ball control required but don’t necessarily coach the futsal specific techniques?”

Thanks for your question Ben!

It’s always an adjustment that takes a couple of weeks. Then in the spring it will take them some time to think about using their back foot more often but then they have an understanding of when to use each technique.

I used to be one of those coaches! It took me a few years before I saw the benefit of teaching futsal specific techniques. I was missing an opportunity to add skills to my player’s ‘tool box’ because I wasn’t seeing how teaching the different techniques would benefit the overall development of the players.

In This Episode

On December 20 US Soccer announced a change to the Coaching License system. They’re calling it the ‘Grassroots Pathway Initiative’.

Today I talk about my experiences with coaching licenses and how the system has changed over the year. I’ll also share what I’ve learned about the new system from our State Director of Coaching that I haven’t seen detailed anywhere else.

If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. If you’re serious about passing a coaching course, you need to start preparing months in advance. After all, it’s not a fun break when you can relax. Coaching courses are high pressured, stressful and expensive. You either pass and get certified or face the disaster of all your time and money being wasted, and failing to earn a promotion or a new role.

If you want to advance your career, Conquering Your Next Coaching Course – The ultimate guide to preparing for any coaching license, is essential reading. It’s a unique guide on exactly what to expect at every stage and what to do to impress the assessors. With these valuable insights, you know exactly what’s expected of you before you arrive. Instead of massive pressure and stress, you’ll feel confident and ready to pass.

Remember!

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Future Episodes

Next week I’ll discuss what players can be doing at home to improve technically and tactically in their own time?