My take on US Youth Soccer coaches specifically in the DMV

[Anonymous]

Ask your child’s coach to give a written evaluation. Compare the amount of adjectives they use versus measurable information.

Then look at the price tag. Think long and hard about the price tag. Most coaches in youth soccer simply coach the game as they know it. They may focus on 1v1s or through balls for wingers, only play a 4-3-3 with two CDMs, never teach defensive principles, etc. I’ve seen U17 players not understand what a 3rd man run is.

If your children’s math career stopped at arithmetic and never learned algebra, geometry, etc., your child will be amazing at arithmetic and not understand math.

Think long and hard about that price tag.

[Anonymous]

People don't need to grasp what a third man run is to be a productive member of society. Also, there simply are dumb kids who cannot grasp some concepts and/or kids who don't pay attention and miss it when it's taught or simply forget, just as they might with any discipline they are being taught.

Some kids are playing just to play not to learn and become masters of all nuances of the game.

[Anonymous]

This would explain with my DD got pigeon-holed into CB. “She’s fast”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People don't need to grasp what a third man run is to be a productive member of society. Also, there simply are dumb kids who cannot grasp some concepts and/or kids who don't pay attention and miss it when it's taught or simply forget, just as they might with any discipline they are being taught.

Some kids are playing just to play not to learn and become masters of all nuances of the game.

Misrepresenting the entire purpose. The coach is failing to teach the game.

Everything else you just said is a strawman

[Anonymous]

Most coaches in DMV didn’t play in college or pro team. Most coaches get a license by attending a course paying a fee.

[Anonymous]

Wow, thanks for your take, anonymous forum poster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, thanks for your take, anonymous forum poster.

Funny part? I’m a coach and constantly ostracized. Hate to tell you this but there’s very little professional education or continuing education. Most girls coaches try to keep the best players and their friends on a team without a plan to develop; rely on social circles for success. Most boys coaches rely on athleticism. They blame failures on culture and preach street football “like in Europe” which died in the 90s and will never exist in current DMV climate. It’s laissez faire coaching for the tune of thousands of your dollars.

[Anonymous]

DMV is about two decades behind in coaching. Best coaches I have seen are at Arlington and VDA (besides DC United). The coaches that played in the 90s coach like they played in the 90s. We’ve had some players go to small European countries for trials and they’ve admitted they were behind the curve.

DMV coaches are people, and like most people they’re not angels. They’ll show up and run through the motions but never go beyond the minimum to be more, do more in terms of helping your child grow.

If we can all agree the playing climate in Europe is different, you’ll have to accept the coaching climate in Europe is different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, thanks for your take, anonymous forum poster.

Funny part? I’m a coach and constantly ostracized. Hate to tell you this but there’s very little professional education or continuing education. Most girls coaches try to keep the best players and their friends on a team without a plan to develop; rely on social circles for success. Most boys coaches rely on athleticism. They blame failures on culture and preach street football “like in Europe” which died in the 90s and will never exist in current DMV climate. It’s laissez faire coaching for the tune of thousands of your dollars.

Lol laissez faire coaching. That’s the most apt descriptor DCs coaches over the years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DMV is about two decades behind in coaching. Best coaches I have seen are at Arlington and VDA (besides DC United). The coaches that played in the 90s coach like they played in the 90s. We’ve had some players go to small European countries for trials and they’ve admitted they were behind the curve.

DMV coaches are people, and like most people they’re not angels. They’ll show up and run through the motions but never go beyond the minimum to be more, do more in terms of helping your child grow.

If we can all agree the playing climate in Europe is different, you’ll have to accept the coaching climate in Europe is different.

If you want to mirror Europe we need a ton of clubs willing to sponsor academy teams. Accept that the girls are, by and large, screwed and that they boys who won’t play at least at the college level aren’t worth anyone’s time. You may get that with mlsnext or the mls academies, but parents will still pay to play, so what we have will survive in parallel

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask your child’s coach to give a written evaluation. Compare the amount of adjectives they use versus measurable information.

Then look at the price tag. Think long and hard about the price tag. Most coaches in youth soccer simply coach the game as they know it. They may focus on 1v1s or through balls for wingers, only play a 4-3-3 with two CDMs, never teach defensive principles, etc. I’ve seen U17 players not understand what a 3rd man run is.

If your children’s math career stopped at arithmetic and never learned algebra, geometry, etc., your child will be amazing at arithmetic and not understand math.

Think long and hard about that price tag.

Gonna say, 100% opposite for our club/team. We are pure defensive lock-down team who struggles to score. Unsure if this is a reverse tactic, but dang, I'd love to score a bit more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DMV is about two decades behind in coaching. Best coaches I have seen are at Arlington and VDA (besides DC United). The coaches that played in the 90s coach like they played in the 90s. We’ve had some players go to small European countries for trials and they’ve admitted they were behind the curve.

DMV coaches are people, and like most people they’re not angels. They’ll show up and run through the motions but never go beyond the minimum to be more, do more in terms of helping your child grow.

If we can all agree the playing climate in Europe is different, you’ll have to accept the coaching climate in Europe is different.

If you want to mirror Europe we need a ton of clubs willing to sponsor academy teams. Accept that the girls are, by and large, screwed and that they boys who won’t play at least at the college level aren’t worth anyone’s time. You may get that with mlsnext or the mls academies, but parents will still pay to play, so what we have will survive in parallel

Brand name doesn’t dictate quality. SYC pulled in tons of kids for their two MLS Next groups. 2008 boys did okay, 2007 boys did horrible. The coach is a massive reason why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask your child’s coach to give a written evaluation. Compare the amount of adjectives they use versus measurable information.

Then look at the price tag. Think long and hard about the price tag. Most coaches in youth soccer simply coach the game as they know it. They may focus on 1v1s or through balls for wingers, only play a 4-3-3 with two CDMs, never teach defensive principles, etc. I’ve seen U17 players not understand what a 3rd man run is.

If your children’s math career stopped at arithmetic and never learned algebra, geometry, etc., your child will be amazing at arithmetic and not understand math.

Think long and hard about that price tag.

Gonna say, 100% opposite for our club/team. We are pure defensive lock-down team who struggles to score. Unsure if this is a reverse tactic, but dang, I'd love to score a bit more.

Point proven in reverse. No teaching how to attack.

[Anonymous]

Did you ever notice how rare it is to see a team be able to play positional football? Most American coaches don’t coach it because they don’t understand it, let alone how to coach it.

They don’t study the game, they apply what they know. Sure, they like Barça but they’ll never introduce total football. I’ve been counseled by my technical director for using different formations for a team I used to coach. We used 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 3-4-3, 3-3-1-3, 4-1-3-2. The one day he shows up to watch (girls team, of course he rarely came out) we were cruising. Girls were connecting and attacking with creativity; rarely saw the same attack twice. TD even said “oh wow they’re all over them”. When I gave the lineup for 2nd half, he cut me off and put them in a 4-3-3 and TOLD THEM to find the wingers.

He didn’t understand the way they were attacking and changed it so he could coach. Went from doing well to not having fun and no chances. Absolute disgrace. Once he left I changed it back and we kept shooting, scoring.

[Anonymous]

There are 6 core functions of a professional football coach
1) Lead player developmnet
2) Lead the team
3) Coach training sessions
4) Coach matchrs
5) Manage the perfirmance environment
6) Provide Leadership to advance a program

Most coaches in the DMV are not educated to be teachers, they are perhaps best vetern players ill prepared to execute a higjly sophisticated and difficult task of unstilling character, skill and performance in the players, team and parents. Most cant afford tonpay thier own bills yet you entrust them with your children. The result is they use you as an ATM card as you evaluate them as players vice leaders and teachers. Lack of standards and licensing based on parents fear, narcissim and ego of "being left behind" alloe thr biggest clu s to emoy celebrity coaches vice proven developers of character and skill. Guel.all of this with the crazy dads and moms living thier life through thier children a.d the result is a disasterous toxic environment .

USSF/UEFA oaching standards are not being applied becuase you dont understand them and cannot evaluate coaches to them.