Day 4 - the final round of coaching in Albuquerque ending a great week of soccer. The aim for this day was to take the players through a decent warm up maximizing touches, run a fun one-on-one drill and let them play.

All the groups ran the circle drills with warm up exercises and touches really well. It’s the fourth day of this and I was looking for that comfortable rhythm from all the players while keeping an eye on their vision and  awareness. Asking the players to ‘check’ over their shoulders is a daily mantra. For the youngest players we concentrated on knowing everyone’s name so the game later would be easy. Nothing worse than playing 8v8 and wanting the ball but not being sure who the other team-mate is! Every time they worked with a different player around the circle they had to exchange names (just to make sure). It was another way of having them think and communicate while executing a skill.

The youngest group had done a fabulous job on the ‘pass and replace’ drill. It’s a simple circle in which one (to start) is in the middle. If you pass to the middle you replace the middle - when you pass out of the middle you replace that person, who passes back to the new person coming in. So it runs round in either direction. The aim is playing it first time - but taking a touch is fine. It’s actually important to know when a touch to bring the ball under control is necessary. I’m sure as coaches we’ve all worked towards playing the ball first time and over emphasized it - sometimes you have to throw an extra touch to keep it going. The youngest group did really well as you can see below. The managed to run the drill making the circle  smaller in and then bigger again with 3 balls (so 3 people in the middle simultaneously) - the blue ball even left the circle briefly but they got it back in and kept going.

The concept of how drills / practices are explained became a discussion point with the oldest group. I was pleased to hear they knew we all learn with a bias towards the manner in which the information is delivered. My descriptions were started with verbal and then visual information. Some learn kinesthetically, by doing too. I’m a visual learner, so a picture actually does speak a thousand words for me. Many of the players were aware of their preferred style, like Chase, who said he liked doing something rather than just having it explained. Of course, in soccer actually doing the skill is essential! You can’t learn to play by reading a book - but that is still an important source of information. We are lucky that the US has a lot of soccer on TV now. I would recommend to all the players on the camp that they watch as much soccer as possible. Domestic, European and International. Get the kids to focus (for a while) on one or two players. Although the typical media coverage will pan the camera in too close (you often miss the movement off the ball to see the detail around it), there is still value in trying to pick someone out on and off the ball. In the best scenario video a game that shows all the play. The average soccer player covers a lot of ground but at different intensities of effort. Distance covered is around 5 miles per game, but that includes walking to sprinting pace. Lots of effort is required when in possession. I like to incorporate this into training by including the ball in different types of pre-season fitness training. However, with 22 players on the field a lot of running is without the ball. Players at the academy have run drills where physical exertion is followed by skill execution. The example would be the right midfielder who makes a handful of pitch length runs at pace to support play (running forwards, changing direction etc), then track a defender back while monitoring the ball. It takes great effort and concentration to have to control a 40 yard cross field ball immediately off that exertion, bring it down and play an accurate pass into a forward’s feet (oh, and then make a wide overlapping run to support...).

Anyway, too much talking. Let’s make good on that promise to show some action. Here is a collection below....
The youngest group running a 3 ball 'pass and replace drill - two clips ('cos I'm not a techno whiz to stick it in one).

Here's a clip of the middle group running the touches warm up..

 Here is the same drill with the oldest group...

Endzone with the oldest group...

Finally, it has been a wonderful week and I truly hope all the players enjoyed themselves and take away a handful of experiences that make them a better player. My role is also to select a few to be invited to the National Camp in California. That is not something I take lightly or over emphasize at the camp. The primary purpose is to take the players through the same drills / games as the players in the West Ham United Academy in London, improve their vision and awareness, give them a taste of how you can maximize touches on the ball and have fun. A few will be offered the chance to attend the National Camp, which is attended by Tony Carr MBE, the longstanding Director of the Academy. The ‘MBE’ stands for ‘Member of the British Empire’. It’s a honor bestowed on a person by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Tony got his for ‘services to football’. I am petitioning for Paul Heffer to be next. He is a wonderful coach who has brought Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Glen Johnson and Frank Lampard through their footballing youth careers. There is a new crop coming too. Look out for Alfie in about 10 years time....

Thank you to everyone in Albuquerque and especially the coaching staff at Rio Vista FC. Thanks to Matt and Chris for looking after me - and for two great authentic Mexican meals. I’ll be asking for ‘green and red’ in the few decent places to eat here in Indy. Thanks to the players for their wonderful effort and enthusiasm - keep playing. I hope to see you again some day soon. Thanks to the parents, especially those who spent time talking about how to help improve their son / daughter in the coming months. Great interview below - Mady talking Mateo - both smashing soccer players...

I’m back in Indy now after a ridiculously early flight across the country. Today (Monday) I’m rolling into work as the normal Matt Self - Assistant Principal at the International School of Indiana. Come visit one day. In fact, I’m working very hard on a plan to bring a lot of you in Indy in 2012. Stay posted on the one - just check the West Ham United International Academy Website - and, of course, join the Facebook group too.

Clean boots? A first at Indianapolis Airport...

Last pic - on top of the world looking down. Beautiful. Cheers all.
Matt