Expert Responses
We received five expert responses from Youth Coach Advisory Group members
Dai Redwood, Danielle Fagan, Tim Bradbury, Andrew Hammer, & Tom Turner.
Check out what Dai Redwood, Youth Coach Advisory Group Member and Sporting Director for Fremont YSC, had to say in response:
“Without talking with the coach for understanding and reasoning behind the decision to focus on size and intensity, my response is in general to player development.
When outcome orientated and driven by winning, there is often a bias towards the more physical players, and the more ‘intense’ players as this is often viewed as the player being more impactful. This is a short-term approach and often used for winning and the knock-on effect than being recruitment by boasting of team records.
If focusing on a more process driven approach, and following a talent identification framework, a popular one being TIPS (technique, I.Q., personality, speed/physical), the higher order of identification is technique and IQ. In early stages of development (foundation phase) these are most important, where objectives are around the ability in 1v1 confrontations and the role of 1st and 2nd attackers. As players go through maturation, their bodies will adapt to more age-appropriate physical training; and while the players who focused on their technical ability will hit ‘speed bumps’, as their body changes; they will ultimately benefit from the age-appropriate development of early years focusing on technique and game understanding. This is a long-term process, one which needs patience and understanding.
These might be ‘wants’ from a coach but would suggest are from more outcome desires such as winning; while coaches concentrating on technical ability and game understanding in small numbers (your daughters learning phase), are more common with coaches wanting to develop players.”
Find Dai’s response useful?
To continue reading the other four expert responses to this week’s question, click the banner below to sign up for the Soccer Parenting Membership Site at SoccerParentResourceCenter.com. You’ll get a 3-Day Free Pass when you sign up – enough time to finish reading this article and discover the dozens of other Ask the Expert articles along with countless other resources!
Trending Products
