Anonymous
Post 10/08/2019 09:12     Subject: I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:is it your experience that defenders and goalies have communication issues?

Frustration coming from DC that instructions are ignored ... for example, telling defender to play wide or carry ball and it is played back with opponent bearing down. Then when mistake is made, the defenders complain.

Suggestions on ways to improve? Is it true that defense should always be deferring to goalie on how she/he wants them to play? Like asking to mark player and then defender decides to give space, leading to unmarked players in box.


Based on my observation, I see this with full time goalies that didn't get enough field experience. I'm hoping the coach chimes in but i really have a hard time seeing a specialized goalie below U13, they just don't have the field experience needed to communicate effectively. In fact, I've seen them give the completely wrong instruction.


We have this on our team. The goalie is very vocal (u12) and will yell at defenders---even when defenders are doing exactly what the coach tells them to do. Then, if things go wrong, goalie's dad blames the defense. Well--actually everybody blames the defense no matter how poorly the offense is doing and not chasing back. Par for the course.
Anonymous
Post 10/08/2019 09:07     Subject: I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA
Anonymous wrote:is it your experience that defenders and goalies have communication issues?

Frustration coming from DC that instructions are ignored ... for example, telling defender to play wide or carry ball and it is played back with opponent bearing down. Then when mistake is made, the defenders complain.

Suggestions on ways to improve? Is it true that defense should always be deferring to goalie on how she/he wants them to play? Like asking to mark player and then defender decides to give space, leading to unmarked players in box.


Based on my observation, I see this with full time goalies that didn't get enough field experience. I'm hoping the coach chimes in but i really have a hard time seeing a specialized goalie below U13, they just don't have the field experience needed to communicate effectively. In fact, I've seen them give the completely wrong instruction.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2019 23:21     Subject: I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA
is it your experience that defenders and goalies have communication issues?

Frustration coming from DC that instructions are ignored ... for example, telling defender to play wide or carry ball and it is played back with opponent bearing down. Then when mistake is made, the defenders complain.

Suggestions on ways to improve? Is it true that defense should always be deferring to goalie on how she/he wants them to play? Like asking to mark player and then defender decides to give space, leading to unmarked players in box.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2019 21:34     Subject: I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA
Coach - for U9 girls who still bunch up and get in each others way chasing a ball, what are the best drills to help them stay in positions or at least spread out more?
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2019 18:36     Subject: I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA
Anonymous wrote:Thanks, I was talking about time and money, those types of sacrifices would have to be made to let her play DA, if she makes it of course. But I’ve seen some of the other players on the team she’s interested in, would not say she’s too far behind them if behind at all.


Keep in mind that you should be comparing your player to the top five kids on the team of rising U13's to make comparisons. Not all of the kids on that current team will make DA the following year.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2019 17:51     Subject: I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA
Thanks, I was talking about time and money, those types of sacrifices would have to be made to let her play DA, if she makes it of course. But I’ve seen some of the other players on the team she’s interested in, would not say she’s too far behind them if behind at all.
NOVASoccerCoach
Post 10/07/2019 16:18     Subject: I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Coach, Thanks for taking questions! if it were your U12 DD, who wants to play DA next year, would you make the necessary sacrifices to let her play or stay with her small club?

What necessary sacrifices would you make?


Little confused by what you mean. If she wants to make DA, she has to first get looked at, see where she is at, figure out a plan, then start training every day, constantly get feedback from whoever is the private coach after every game weekend then she has to tryout. No guarantees but that's how you get anything in life. Evaluate yourself where you are at right now, make a long-term plan and set benchmarks, train every day and then check where you are at every couple of weeks.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2019 16:13     Subject: I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA
Anonymous wrote:Coach, Thanks for taking questions! if it were your U12 DD, who wants to play DA next year, would you make the necessary sacrifices to let her play or stay with her small club?

What necessary sacrifices would you make?
NOVASoccerCoach
Post 10/07/2019 15:56     Subject: I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA
Anonymous wrote:
NOVASoccerCoach wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Coach, Thanks for taking questions! if it were your U12 DD, who wants to play DA next year, would you make the necessary sacrifices to let her play or stay with her small club?


If she wants to play DA, I would first get someone qualified to look at her and see where she is at right now. Then I would start training every day and have a long term plan. It's up to her on what she wants to do.


Thanks, by get someone qualified to look at her, what do you mean? Anything besides attending a tryout or ID session?


Sure thing, get a private coach to come to her games and watch. Someone who can be unbiased and give a fair eval
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2019 15:51     Subject: I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA
NOVASoccerCoach wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Coach, Thanks for taking questions! if it were your U12 DD, who wants to play DA next year, would you make the necessary sacrifices to let her play or stay with her small club?


If she wants to play DA, I would first get someone qualified to look at her and see where she is at right now. Then I would start training every day and have a long term plan. It's up to her on what she wants to do.


Thanks, by get someone qualified to look at her, what do you mean? Anything besides attending a tryout or ID session?
NOVASoccerCoach
Post 10/07/2019 15:35     Subject: I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA
Anonymous wrote:Coach, Thanks for taking questions! if it were your U12 DD, who wants to play DA next year, would you make the necessary sacrifices to let her play or stay with her small club?


If she wants to play DA, I would first get someone qualified to look at her and see where she is at right now. Then I would start training every day and have a long term plan. It's up to her on what she wants to do.
NOVASoccerCoach
Post 10/07/2019 15:31     Subject: I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
NOVASoccerCoach wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Coach - What do you do?

We have a player on the team that is probably 1-2 levels below the rest of the team, the coach seems very frustrated and because he's on the squad he feels the need to play the the individual. Our club has 3 teams for this age group and they preach the benefits of the club's ability to move players up and down appropriately but it seems like they are afraid of the politics that may come with moving players down. i've seen it down during tryouts, but never during season, we seem to only move players up because that's a good news story.


Sounds like a team problem which is out of your control. You're going to have to deal with it or just move clubs. One player is definitely not ruining your team, I can guarantee you that. He may not belong there but if it's just one player then the coach can easily find ways to "hide" him or play him in positions to succeed.


So you would just let it play out for the year and not ruffle feathers? Seems like a soft approach and not fair to other kids on the team.


How exactly is this one player impacting your kid's development? What age group are we talking about here? I'm assuming u-little because you seem to be very focused on results.


Agree with this. I don't really understand why one kid being not so great is causing so many issues. I guarantee you on every team there's always one kid who's behind. If the coach is drawing this much attention to it where the players know and all the parents know, then I would say your coach isn't that great, also is kind of an asshole and that kid also needs to find a new home. Why is it not fair to other kids on the team? One kid isn't losing your team games I guarantee you that.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2019 14:54     Subject: I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA
Coach, Thanks for taking questions! if it were your U12 DD, who wants to play DA next year, would you make the necessary sacrifices to let her play or stay with her small club?
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2019 14:26     Subject: I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA
Anonymous wrote:
NOVASoccerCoach wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Coach - What do you do?

We have a player on the team that is probably 1-2 levels below the rest of the team, the coach seems very frustrated and because he's on the squad he feels the need to play the the individual. Our club has 3 teams for this age group and they preach the benefits of the club's ability to move players up and down appropriately but it seems like they are afraid of the politics that may come with moving players down. i've seen it down during tryouts, but never during season, we seem to only move players up because that's a good news story.


Sounds like a team problem which is out of your control. You're going to have to deal with it or just move clubs. One player is definitely not ruining your team, I can guarantee you that. He may not belong there but if it's just one player then the coach can easily find ways to "hide" him or play him in positions to succeed.


So you would just let it play out for the year and not ruffle feathers? Seems like a soft approach and not fair to other kids on the team.


How exactly is this one player impacting your kid's development? What age group are we talking about here? I'm assuming u-little because you seem to be very focused on results.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2019 14:16     Subject: I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA
NOVASoccerCoach wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Coach - What do you do?

We have a player on the team that is probably 1-2 levels below the rest of the team, the coach seems very frustrated and because he's on the squad he feels the need to play the the individual. Our club has 3 teams for this age group and they preach the benefits of the club's ability to move players up and down appropriately but it seems like they are afraid of the politics that may come with moving players down. i've seen it down during tryouts, but never during season, we seem to only move players up because that's a good news story.


Sounds like a team problem which is out of your control. You're going to have to deal with it or just move clubs. One player is definitely not ruining your team, I can guarantee you that. He may not belong there but if it's just one player then the coach can easily find ways to "hide" him or play him in positions to succeed.


So you would just let it play out for the year and not ruffle feathers? Seems like a soft approach and not fair to other kids on the team.