Anonymous
Post 06/03/2024 23:54     Subject: U9 and U10 Coaches that back off
Our team is very humble. We would pass the ball, play from the back and switch players to different positions. No one wants to drive to a game an get beat 0-xx.

Agree that the coach or club did not place the team in the correct division.

Anonymous
Post 06/03/2024 22:54     Subject: U9 and U10 Coaches that back off
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I am just curious - if the team is up by a bunch (5 or 6) and its pretty clear the other team isn't going to make a huge comeback, has your coach or have you encountered a coach that tells the team to back off in the second half? Have everyone touch the ball before trying to score again? Stuff like that. If so, how do you feel about it?


Not back off but do more with the ball before trying to shoot or just trying to keep the ball from the entire team. For one game, they were no longer allowed to score by the refs (mercy rule). But most of the time, our coach plays everyone in their opposite position. Strikers as defenders for example and vice versa; goalie on the field, etc. I think that’s the right thing to do.

OP here - After being absolutely slaughtered for most of the year, we won 3 in a row. But in these three games, coach asked the team to pass it around more before scoring. They had to even pass it back to the goalie before advancing. And I am pretty sure if they did pass it around and everyone touched it, it still wasn't supposed to be our top scorers to take the shot.

Our players have played all positions all year. They had their "normal" positions that they played a lot, but every kid played almost every position except goalie. Goalies played 20ish minutes of the field every game, but not every kid played goalie. Like I said, we got slaughtered...a lot. It was really hard to watch getting slaughtered when your kid is not in their normal position and feeling a bit lost. I know it was for development. I just didn't know how common it was for a coach to tell his team to take those kinds of actions.


This is very common, probably more common than not. On another note, if your team was getting that consistently slaughtered, then your coach did not do a good job placing your team or otherwise selecting competition. One or two disasters is fine for development, but beyond that, the demoralizing outweighs any utility.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2024 22:49     Subject: U9 and U10 Coaches that back off
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:At U10, the coaches should take the opportunity to try to practice body shape and positioning with passes more. Build confidence with building the ball out of the back and develop weaker players.

There is no point in running up the score more than 4-0 in the second half. But there is great value in getting a cornier kick play in or working on switching the play.


Why would these things not be emphasized in EVERY possible scoreline scenario?


Because if most coaches exercised a philosophy of playing out of the back and mistakes caused turnovers and goals/losses, most parents are leaving the team.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2024 22:38     Subject: U9 and U10 Coaches that back off
Anonymous wrote:At U10, the coaches should take the opportunity to try to practice body shape and positioning with passes more. Build confidence with building the ball out of the back and develop weaker players.

There is no point in running up the score more than 4-0 in the second half. But there is great value in getting a cornier kick play in or working on switching the play.


Why would these things not be emphasized in EVERY possible scoreline scenario?
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2024 22:36     Subject: U9 and U10 Coaches that back off
Good coaches know there’s no need to keep scoring. A coach’s job is to challenge the players and if scoring goals are too easy then you have to challenge them in other areas.
I.E. only scoring from crosses, one touch finishing, everyone must touch the ball before scoring. I don’t like taking players off as it doesn’t help build an understanding of shape/positional understanding.

I’ve instituted “levels”
I’d say level 1 and players wouldn’t already know that meant 5 passes before scoring. And have several levels prepared ahead of time so I’m not yelling it/ discouraging the other team. In short challenging the players is the goal and that doesn’t mean just scoring.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2024 21:48     Subject: U9 and U10 Coaches that back off
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In Rec, yes, you keep it fun. In travel, no


For the most part I agree. You can’t tell kids to stop. However you can take a man off, you can say X number of passes before scoring etc…

That being said - coaches have a responsibility to their own teams to make sure they are in the right division. There was a 2015 team this past season that played in the 4th division in the fall and did fairly well, he chose to move the team to the top division for Spring. That’s a big jump and things didn’t go well!! But the coach of that team bears responsibility as much as the opponents coach who now has to tell his kids to take it easy on them.


Qualified experienced and knowledgeable youth coaches know to turn the game into a training exercise and creates challenges for their team to accomplish that develops individual and tactical skillsets.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2024 21:34     Subject: U9 and U10 Coaches that back off
Anonymous wrote:In Rec, yes, you keep it fun. In travel, no


For the most part I agree. You can’t tell kids to stop. However you can take a man off, you can say X number of passes before scoring etc…

That being said - coaches have a responsibility to their own teams to make sure they are in the right division. There was a 2015 team this past season that played in the 4th division in the fall and did fairly well, he chose to move the team to the top division for Spring. That’s a big jump and things didn’t go well!! But the coach of that team bears responsibility as much as the opponents coach who now has to tell his kids to take it easy on them.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2024 21:26     Subject: U9 and U10 Coaches that back off
At U10, the coaches should take the opportunity to try to practice body shape and positioning with passes more. Build confidence with building the ball out of the back and develop weaker players.

There is no point in running up the score more than 4-0 in the second half. But there is great value in getting a cornier kick play in or working on switching the play.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2024 21:11     Subject: U9 and U10 Coaches that back off
Yes, our travel coach does this. He moves the high scoring players to goalie and defense and makes them pass at least x number of times before taking a shot with your non dominant foot. No need to pour on 8/9 year olds.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2024 20:59     Subject: U9 and U10 Coaches that back off
In Rec, yes, you keep it fun. In travel, no
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2024 20:54     Subject: U9 and U10 Coaches that back off
Anonymous wrote:I am just curious - if the team is up by a bunch (5 or 6) and its pretty clear the other team isn't going to make a huge comeback, has your coach or have you encountered a coach that tells the team to back off in the second half? Have everyone touch the ball before trying to score again? Stuff like that. If so, how do you feel about it?


We’ve faced this a number of times this year. Our coach has actually taken players off in multiple occasions - in a way that is not obvious. Usually it’s just a man, playing 6v7, but once or twice we’ve played 5v7 in 2H this year. I much prefer this to playing keep away, it actually makes this kids who are still out there think more. Although it hasn’t always slowed the scoring.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2024 20:53     Subject: U9 and U10 Coaches that back off
We have been on both sides of this and I have huge respect for coaches who follow mercy rules whether the league requires it or not.
At one point, I actually had the other coach offer to play a player down. This is after it was clear that they were benching starters, switching positions, all of it. We were in a bracket we did not belong in and they were just so helpful in trying to make it as fair as possible.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2024 20:48     Subject: U9 and U10 Coaches that back off
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I am just curious - if the team is up by a bunch (5 or 6) and its pretty clear the other team isn't going to make a huge comeback, has your coach or have you encountered a coach that tells the team to back off in the second half? Have everyone touch the ball before trying to score again? Stuff like that. If so, how do you feel about it?


Not back off but do more with the ball before trying to shoot or just trying to keep the ball from the entire team. For one game, they were no longer allowed to score by the refs (mercy rule). But most of the time, our coach plays everyone in their opposite position. Strikers as defenders for example and vice versa; goalie on the field, etc. I think that’s the right thing to do.

OP here - After being absolutely slaughtered for most of the year, we won 3 in a row. But in these three games, coach asked the team to pass it around more before scoring. They had to even pass it back to the goalie before advancing. And I am pretty sure if they did pass it around and everyone touched it, it still wasn't supposed to be our top scorers to take the shot.

Our players have played all positions all year. They had their "normal" positions that they played a lot, but every kid played almost every position except goalie. Goalies played 20ish minutes of the field every game, but not every kid played goalie. Like I said, we got slaughtered...a lot. It was really hard to watch getting slaughtered when your kid is not in their normal position and feeling a bit lost. I know it was for development. I just didn't know how common it was for a coach to tell his team to take those kinds of actions.

Anonymous
Post 06/03/2024 20:26     Subject: U9 and U10 Coaches that back off
Anonymous wrote:I am just curious - if the team is up by a bunch (5 or 6) and its pretty clear the other team isn't going to make a huge comeback, has your coach or have you encountered a coach that tells the team to back off in the second half? Have everyone touch the ball before trying to score again? Stuff like that. If so, how do you feel about it?


Not back off but do more with the ball before trying to shoot or just trying to keep the ball from the entire team. For one game, they were no longer allowed to score by the refs (mercy rule). But most of the time, our coach plays everyone in their opposite position. Strikers as defenders for example and vice versa; goalie on the field, etc. I think that’s the right thing to do.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2024 20:04     Subject: U9 and U10 Coaches that back off
I am just curious - if the team is up by a bunch (5 or 6) and its pretty clear the other team isn't going to make a huge comeback, has your coach or have you encountered a coach that tells the team to back off in the second half? Have everyone touch the ball before trying to score again? Stuff like that. If so, how do you feel about it?