Long Term Athletic Development
Long Term athletic Development was the main theme at the EPYSA meeting on November 16th at Plymouth Meeting. The purpose of the invitation to club Presidents, Club reps, and Directors of Coaching was to explain services offered by EPYSA by way of the new administration and to get feedback about the various programs from those in attendance.
Much of the discussion was about LTAD based on information compiled by the US Soccer Coaching Committee. I’m going to offer and share the ideas with you on my York USA soccer blog.
· The best predictor of future soccer ability is the time invested in deliberate deep practice. To maximize potential, aspiring young players must be self motivated to engage in challenging and purposeful training in order to improve technical range and efficiency to overcome deficiencies. The top players are selfmade who put in extra time and have a passion for and study the game. They relish the hard work and struggle required to make them better.
· Many adults believe that game playing is more important than training. The numbers say otherwise. Playing 100 games in a season , a player possesses the ball about 200 minutes and, in contrast, 10 well planned practice sessions will produce about the same amount of ball possessions. .Six months of training produces the same number of ball possessions as six years of playing 100 games per season.
· In the early years, motor and technical development are most critical and post puberty the physical and tactical elements are more important. As a general operating principle, the best soccer environment is where the most motivated players work with the best coaches to establish a technical foundation that, in time, provides players with the skills to compete against the best competition.
· The technical foundation and potential ceiling of players is cemented around 14 years of age, and after this age, it’s almost impossible to refine motor skills and specific soccer techniques that were never well established.
· In most countries the National Team’s style of play is a direct reflection of the broader soccer culture. In the United States there is a gaping disconnect between the indirect or possession style of our National Teams and the direct play, risk free mentality of the typical parent coach. Risk taking needs to be encouraged to play constructive-sophisticated soccer. Although we need parent volunteers, there is a large disconnect in coaching and those coaches simply don’t have the more sophisticated knowledge of training and players don’t progress as quickly.
· 20 of 55 (37%) of US Soccer State Associations permit young players to register with and compete for 2 or more different clubs in the same season. A club is defined as any organization with multiple teams playing under the same name and management. This is an American phenomenon which negatively impacts long term soccer development. The national registry shows 30 State Associations (55%) following the single carding model, the traditional model of registration for only one team for the season.(restricted opportunity).Four states (7%) have club carding models that allow players on any age eligible team within one club. Ten other states (18%) have provisions for some form of club carding and this approach is a necessary step for elite level clubs. Fifteen states (27%) allow players to register for two different clubs playing at different competitive levels. (primary-secondary carding).Five states (1%) leave the decision to the players and their parents. (multiple carding). Most states stipulate players must honor primary schedule when conflicts arise. The net effect of playing for more than one club is overplaying and undertraining and detrimental on long term development.
· ACL tears which are up to ten times more common in girls, may be due to fatigue as much as the anatomy or physiology .Playing without adequate rest, recovery, and motivation contributes to burnout and dropout, and coaching becomes more about substitution management than tactics or reading the game.
· When playing on secondary teams, better players are not challenged to reach their potential. When playing against weaker players, the rhythm is slower and the speed of play is slower-there is more time and space and players aren’t penalized for poor touches and poor decision-making. The game is tactically slower and less sophisticated, reducing the transfer of learning.
· Ideally, as a broad developmental goal, supporting the cradle to grave soccer clubs will serve to contain ,if not reduce, club fees; provide proper developmental opportunities for players at all age levels: create a more sustainable soccer landscape: Establish natural bridges between youth and adults: and evolve the concept of a club as a community.
John Fellenbaum
York USA, Director of coaching