May 2015Issue 25

Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Coaching Newsletter

THE EVOLVING GAMELicenses: Coaching Pathway - Question & Answers

The East Pennsylvania Youth Soccer and U.S. Soccer Coaching Department routinely fields queries regarding programs and services that we offer. Here are some frequently asked questions and answers from the U.S. Soccer Coaching Department. For other questions or more information on coaching programs and services, please contact Gary Stephenson, GStephenson@epsa.org

What are the prerequisites for each license level? The following are the prerequisites for each course:

• “A” License: Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have held the “B” License for a minimum of 12 months.

• “B” License: Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have held the “C” License for a minimum of 12 months.

• “C” License: Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have held the “D” License for a minimum of 12 months.

• “D” License: Applicants must be at least 16 years of age and have held the “E” License for a minimum of 6 months.

• “E” License: Applicants must be at least 16 years of age.

• “F” License: Applicants must be at least 16 years of age.

• “GK” License: Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and hold a “B” License.

If I don’t meet a prerequisite, can I be granted an exception to attend a more advanced course?It is recommended that candidates begin at the foundation of our coaching pathway to familiarize themselves with U.S. Soccer practices and methodology. However, U.S. Soccer permits certain applicants, based on their previous experience, the right to bypass certain license levels under the U.S. Soccer licensing structure. What is an A, B or C Performance Center? Candidates who receive a score of “Provisional Status” at the end of a course are eligible to apply for a Performance Center (at the same license level) after a development period of six months in order to earn their license.

How much do the courses cost?Course fees are always subject to change based on a variety of factors. Course fees will be listed under each individual course once it has been announced.When do I have to pay?The total course payment is required at the time of registration.I’m not currently coaching a team. Can I still apply for a course?Applicants who are not currently coaching are encouraged to gain experience with the appropriate age group prior to starting the registration process. Additionally, pre-course assignments for all A, B, C and GK courses include deliberate practice sessions that will require the participation of a full team of players.What pre-course work is required?Each license level has different pre-course assignments. A full description of the assignments is available on the page corresponding to that license level on www.epysa.orgIs the pre-course work mandatory? What if I submit it late?All pre-course assignments are mandatory. Late submissions will receive instructor feedback, but will be graded with a zero point value. Candidates are encouraged to submit their work on time, as they will receive critical feedback that may improve their performance in the remaining elements of the course. All missing or incomplete components of any assignment will be graded with zero point value for that specific component. The remaining components will be graded based on the quality and accuracy of the content.Do I need to be in 'shape' for the National Coaching Schools? The physical and mental demands of the courses are great. Candidates are encouraged to participate in the sessions in order to maximize learning. Therefore, attention should be given by each candidate to arrive at any course in good physical condition.What do I need to bring with me to the course?Beyond your personal needs, all candidates must provide their own training apparel and footwear, and basic classroom items such as a notepad and writing implements. Field equipment such as soccer balls, cones and training bibs will provided by U.S. Soccer.

Gary StephensonEastern Pennsylvania

Youth SoccerAssistant Technical

Director

Will I need a computer?Most pre-course assignments, and some content during courses, must be accessed, edited, and submitted online. It is highly recommended that all candidates bring a computer with them to any A, B, C, or GK course. I don’t see any "D" or “E” License courses listed. When and where can I take one of those courses? The “D” and “E” courses are only administered and instructed by State Soccer Associations. Please contact Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer your State Association for more information on these courses and course schedules. What if I received a “3.2 Pass” grade from a “B” License course prior to January of 2015?Candidates who received a “3.2 Pass” grade from a “B” License course prior to January of 2015 must meet the 3.2 rule requirement in order to be eligible for a “A” License course. What if I received a "Fail" grade from "C" License Course prior to January of 2006? Candidates who received a "Fail" grade from a "C" License Course prior to January 2006 must retake the entire 9-day course and are not eligible to apply for a “C” Performance Center.How many times may I attend a Performance Center? There are no limitations placed on the amount of times a coach may attend a Performance Center. However, there is a minimum six month development period between each attempt, and a maximum of two years from the end date of the original course. If a period of two years elapses after the original course, the candidate must retake the entire course. Do I have to renew my license? The B, C, D, E, F and GK Licenses are non-expiring. All coaches holding an “A” License must participate in the U.S. Soccer Continuing Education Program to maintain the status of their “A” License. How do I update my "A" License if it expires? Coaches with expired "A" Licenses will be considered “B” License holders, and must re-take a normal 9-day “A” License course and pass the examinations in order to renew their “A” license.

How can I get an extension on my "A" License expiration date? Requests for extensions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the Coaching Department at (312) 808-1300 or coaches@ussoccer.org with any questions.How can I replace my A, B, C, GK or National Youth License certificate or card? U.S. Soccer has introduced the Digital Coaching Center (DCC), a state-of-the art online educational platform. All coaches can sign-up for a free account to create a personal profile with their playing and coaching history, and much more. Coaches can also access their U.S. Soccer license information and print their certificates, once their licenses are verified. How can I replace my A, B, C or GK License certificate or card?Please contact U.S. Soccer for information on replacing your license. Please allow 2-3 weeks for your request to be processed. How can I replace my D or E License certificate? Records of “D” and “E” courses are held by State Soccer Associations. Please contact Gary Stephenson, GSttephenson@epysa.org for information on replacing your license.

Licenses: Coaching Pathway - Question & Answers

Available on EPYSA.org

US WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY

May 17, 9:00PMUSA v Mexico

May 30, 4:30PMUSA v Korea Rep.

May 17, 7:00PMUnion v DC Utd

May 24, 5:00PMNY Red Bulls v Union

May 17, 11:00AMMan Utd v Arsenal

May 24, 10:00AMHull City v Man Utd

May 23, 10:00AMPA Classics v NY Red Bulls

12:00PM 2:30PM 4:30PM

May 30, 12:00PMUnion v NY Red Bulls11:00AM 1:00PM 3:00PM

Game Watcher

UPCOMING COACHING COURSES

National E LicenseLN Utd SCLanghorne

22-24 May 2015

National E License Nazereth SC

Nazareth 12-14 June 2015

National E LicenseGVSC

Garnet Valley29-31 May 2015

National E LicenseCatasauqua YSA

Northampton12-14 June 2015

National E LicenseNether Utd FC

Wallingford5-7 June 2015

For more information, details and registration, please visit EPYSA.org

COACHING EDUCATION HONOR ROLL

• TIMOTHY MILLER• COURTNEY MACDONALD• FRANCO LAMESTA• JEREMY KUPPER• IDALIA KUPPER• MARISA PIGEON• ERIC HABERACKER• STEVE GOUDSOUZIAN• BRYAN BELYEA• JOHN MACNAIR• WENDY STEFENACK• SAL CARBONE• RICHARD MARTIN• ROBERT FLETCHER

• BOB STINNER• BRIAN LOVE• CESAR BARTRA• MICHAEL DENNISON• JEFF CALABRIA• PARTHA DASS• DEBORAH WANAMAKER• ESTEBAN JARAMILLO• FRANCIS HEIL• DAVID CHUN• CAN BOLUK• DREW MINKO• ANTHONY BURKHART

April 2015 Coaching Licenses

Awarded

MEET THE COACHES- EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA YOUTH SOCCERKarl Reddick, Director of Coaching at Nether United F.C.Reddick’s experience as a player helped him become one of the youngest t e c h n i c a l d i r e c t o r s i n E a s t e r n Pennsylvania. He played for the Nether Mustangs, a team that reached the US Youth Soccer National Championship game in 2003. A 2007 graduate of Strath Haven High School—where he was twice named Delaware County Daily Times Player of the Year—Reddick went on to enjoy a four-year career at Boston College. He recently sat down with us to discuss the transition from player to coach and how he hopes to grow the game at Nether United.What was the transition from player to coach like for you? Was it something you always considered? If so, what steps did you take to prepare for life as a coach? The transition was very organic. As a young player I was not naturally a technical soccer player. I had to work really hard on the different technical aspects of the game and I think that helped me transition into coaching because I started from ground zero and had to develop over time. I never really considered coaching until I was in college. Once I matured as a player and person I thought it would be a great pathway for me to be able to teach some of the things I learned and also learned from the players I coach. What can you say about the USSF Coaching Licenses in terms of the effectiveness of the courses? The courses have been absolutely great. Each course brings an in-depth view of how to approach training sessions, how to provide in-game adjustments, different ways to deliver a coaching point and specific areas to focus on based on the age and development of the players . Each course provides a clear pathway to become a well-rounded coach. You not only learn a ton from each instructor but you also learn new things from your peers that are taking the course with you.What standards do you look for in club coaches?The standards I look for club coaches range from their playing experience, coaching experience and soccer knowledge. I look for each coach to be able to provide energy along with developmental ideas to help further each player’s ability. I mandate that each

coach at the travel level be USSF licensed and must go through what I call a trial period. The trial period allows me to evaluate each coach and make sure he or she is the right fit for a particular g roup . Ne the r Un i ted has a l so encouraged certain parents with extensive soccer backgrounds to get involved and learn from the professional c o a c h e s . A s f a r a s c o a c h i n g characteristics go, I look for the coaches that are 100 percent there to develop and do not necessarily look to win at all cost. I believe that if the coach and the club is developing the players then winning will be a byproduct. What should the role of the parents be in club soccer? We’ve all seen parents on the sideline, shouting out inappropriate comments at the top of their lungs that are not only directed at their own child, but often at their teammates, coaches or the referee. How much does this behavior influence the experience of their child? How much should the parent be involved? It goes without saying that parents have an i m p o r t a n t r o l e i n t h e a t h l e t i c development of their child. However, caution needs to be taken in their approach as parental behavior can have both positive and negative effects on their child’s sporting experience. Parents a re somet imes caugh t be tween support ing their chi ld and l iv ing vicariously through their athletic journey. The conduct of the parents tends to influence not only their child but their teammates as well. To summarize, the importance of the role parents play in youth sports is unquestionable, but caution must be taken to ensure the enjoyment and development of children is not hindered.As someone who played Division I at a high level, what advice would you give young players considering the multiple pathways—ie academy teams, the de-emphasizing of high school soccer—available to them? This is a tricky question for me. When I was coming through the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer pipeline my peers and I did not have the academy teams or the ECNL teams on the girls’ side. Growing up playing for my local team, Nether Mustangs, we were able to have players from our local communities come together and play at a high level.

We were able to create a college r e c r u i t i n g p a t h w a y s f r o m t h e commitment of the players and parents of our particular team. My advice stems from my experience and also the understanding I have of the soccer landscape today. From my experience I was one of many players from my local team that got recruited and offered the opportunity to play college soccer. We were able to stick together opposed to switching clubs while maintaining a competitive level that intrigue local and national colleges. Now the landscape has changed and the capacity of the academies and ECNL pulled the “top player”.With the younger age groups—U10 or lower—why is the quality of a coach so important? In other words, why can’t you just have a parent or a high school player run drills considering the inexperience of the players?The quality of coach is important at every age from my standpoint. In particular it is important to have quality coaches at the younger ages because they have the best opportunities to mold and form the players to maintain proper technic and game values. In some cases, high school players and parents have decent enough knowledge of the game and are capable of running certain drills and even sessions, but the more experience you have with the game as a player and coach give you more value as a coach. In most cases the more experienced the coach is the more he or she can provide as a coach.     

to bring coaching education topics to the fans and coaches who are supporters of the Union. This partnership is unique to most state associations but both parties in Eastern Pennsylvania see numerous benefits to working together. These "Chalk Talks" willbring the latest methodology from US Soccer's Coaching Education Department and provide correlating information from a Union's professional perspective.

Hear the line-up & thoughts from the Union coaching staff,

COACHING INSIGHTCHALK TALKEastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer and the Philadelphia Union have continued to join forces in a partnership...

Upcoming Chalk Talks

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Team talk ahead of kick off...

MLS League GameSunday, May 17 at 7:00PM

MLS League GameSunday, June 6 at 7:00PM

MLS League GameSunday, July 11 at 7:00PM

Register for a Chalk Talk today and receive:• An introduction and explanation of Game Analysis as used

by the U.S. Soccer Federation Coaching Education Department• Insight of the current game day line-up as well as trends and strengths of the competing team from

Philadelphia Union Coaching Staff• Access to pre-game warm-ups• Opportunity to submit analysis to the State Office for feedback from Director of Coaching, Mike Barr

and Assistant Director of Coaching, Gary Stephenson 

Be a part of the action and register today to be one of 30 coaches to experience a pre-game talk with coaching staff of the Philadelphia Union.

To attend a Chalk Talk, you must have a valid ticket to that day’s Philadelphia Union game.

Last 1-2 footwork steps are executed & the shot delivered. Each GK completes 9 reps.1. Volley and half volley2. Ground strikesRepeat sets over increased distanceCoaching PointsPHYSICAL: 9 reps of short, but intense footworkTECHNICAL: No wasted movement to be successfulTACTICAL: Real game situation--use imagination to create tactical situationsMENTAL/EMOTIONAL: Create intensity similar to game. GKs have to cope with the goals will be scored

Organization (Physical Environment/Equipment/Players)6v5 - Big goal & small goalTRAINING AREA = 60W x 55L. Place (1) one large goal on one end-line, and small goal on the half-way line. Build a "restraining" line 60W x 40L for #1,2,3,4,5 to defend behind. #6 can move across the lines & between spaces.Red & white scores by passing/shooting the ball in the goal.Coaching Points/Key Concepts*Who - #6*What - Shifting cover, and rotating across the field based on the speed, distance, and angle of pressure of #6 on the ball*Where - #1,2,3,4,5 rotate across the field above the 18 yard box below the restraining line

Organization (Physical Environment/Equipment/Players)4v4 PenetrationTRAINING AREA = 44W x 30L. Make a 44W x 15L channel in the middle of the space where the defenders will play. Place a (T) target player on the other side of the channel. The offense (white) tries to pass the ball around to connect with the target. White players must stay in their zones. Reds must stay in the middle channel.Reds (Defense) emphasize = Pressure on ball, stepping up individually & group, shift right/left, drop, slide, cover, etc. to deny penetrationCoaching Points/Key Concepts*What - Pressure, cover, balance*What - The body position should angle of pressure, cover, support should deny penetration *Who - Player closest to the ball = pressure, player(s) in immediate support of ball = cover, furthest player from ball = balance*Where - Inside the width of the 18 yard box, 5-7 yards above the "D."

Organization (Physical Environment/Equipment/Players)8v7 Big GoalsTRAINING AREA = 60W x 55L. Place (1) big goal on the end-line and half-way line for each team to attack.Red & white scores by passing/shooting the ball in the goal.Coaching Points/Key Concepts*Who - *6,4,5,2,3,1*What - Compress spaces between supporting defenders to deny penetration*Who - #9,8,6*What - Shifting cover, and rotating across the field based on the speed, distance, and angle of pressure of #9,8, 6 towards the ball*Who - #1*What - Instructing #2,3,4,5,6,8 to recover back to prevent penetration; initiating pressure forward by "stepping up," or defending zonally by "dropping off."

Zonal Defending U14 playersEric Redder, Technical Director, New Hampshire Soccer Association

EXPANDED SMALL-SIDED ACTIVITY

Game

SMALL-SIDED ACTIVITY

Improve team's ability to defend zonally (1,2,3,4,5,6,8)

Organization (Physical Environment/Equipment/Players)9 (1-3-2-3) v 9 (1-3-2-3), positional numbers shownLaws of the games apply - play with assistant referees

Coaching Points/Key ConceptsAs before being able to apply the basic concepts of defending through the central column of the field. Marking switching from man-to-man to zonal, communication and understanding between #4/5, #6 and #8

TECHNICAL WARM-UP