We Have The Ball:

• Pivot In Possession.

Why?

1. Able to change directions with the ball, looking to find a player in open space or to create numbers up opportunities.
2. Allows team to keep the ball in possession.

• Good Decision Maker.

Why?

1. Not forcing the ball forward into players who have multiple defenders on them.
2. Able to make the decision on the field which allows the team to keep hold of the ball, or to create scoring opportunities.
3. Plays their game in a simple but effective style. Knows when to dribble and when to pass.

• Can Use Both Feet.

Why?

1. Unpredictable.
2. Allows you to make quicker passes.
3. Allows you to take less touches on the ball, as a player who can only use their right foot to pass, will have to make an extra step and touch to get the ball on their right foot.
4. Create better passes, ex. (able to play curled passes into open space in the pass of your teammate no matter which side of the field they are on).

• Good Distribution / Variety of Passes.

Why?

1. Players who play in this position, are a big part of the team’s build up towards goal.
2. Able to play long driven passes to a player’s chest. (Ping the ball).
3. Able to play curled passes into open space in which a teammate is running into. The ball curls right into their path.
4. Play a driven and skidded ball on the ground for speed and precision.
5. Players who play in this position are the “Playmaker” of the team, due to their distribution and key passes.

• Mobile.

Why?

1. To be able to cover ground throughout the game.
2. In transition moments, being able to react quickly.
3. Having soccer stamina to go the duration of the game.

• Good 1v1.

Why?

1. To keep the ball.
2. Able to turn a defender if receiving the ball with your back to goal.
3. To break a line of pressure.

• Recognition of Spaces in Support.

Why?

1. To allow teammates an option to play the ball.
2. To support behind the ball at an angle to quickly find space and another pass to create numbers up in attack.
3. To break a line of pressure from opponents.

• Recognition of Forward Spaces for Vertical Passes.

Why?

1. Create scoring opportunities.
2. Break lines of pressure.
3. Create numbers up in attack.
4. Ability to pick your head up and scan the field when the ball is not at your feet, this way when it gets to you, you can quickly play a vertical pass as you have taken a peek of the open space.

They Have The Ball:

• Good Reader of the Game.

Why?

1. Allows you to pick up open players or anticipate where the ball is going to go.
2. Able topic out patterns in the game.
3. Know when to step in to a challenge and when delay the player with the ball.
4. Recognize areas of the field to support.

• Anticipation of passing Channels.

Why?

1. Usually playing in a position that shields the “in pass” to the opponent’s center forward.
2. Using your peripheral vision to see players around you, while keeping your eye on the ball.
3. Recognizing when the player with the ball is going to pass the ball (They took a peek at the person they want to pass to, head goes down to look at the ball, planted leg next to the ball, foot is angled to where they are going to use the inside of their foot to hit the ball)

• Willingness to Step into Spaces.

Why?

1. Cover up gaps, and dangerous areas in front of the goal.
2. To take away space from an opponent.
3. No not allow opponents to play into the space you are in.

Being a Fremont YSC Defensive Midfielder:

• Pivot in Possession.
• Good Decision Maker.
• Can Use Both Feet.
• Good Distribution / Variety of Passes.
• Mobile.
• Good 1v1.
• Recognition of Spaces in Support.
• Recognition of Forward Spaces for Vertical Passes.
• Good Reader of the Game.
• Anticipation of Passing Channels.
• Willingness to Step into Spaces.

Our Meet Your Coaches Series, submit your questions and answers clip to be posted online.

Some great content from our Fremont YSC players. From our very youngest in our U8 Training Pool, throughout to our older players with the 05GB and Senior Girls.

The creativity from Marleau is brilliant in this example of dribbling a ball in tight spaces, getting touches on the ball even if the back yard is not an option. Love it.

Marleau Week 1 from Fremont YSC on Vimeo.

Great team effort from the 05GB and the Senior Girls. Great to see the players sticking together when separated by an issue out of our control.

05GB from Fremont YSC on Vimeo.

Fremont YSC Girls from Fremont YSC on Vimeo.

Just for some fun, work together to find the answers, or use it as a competition among each other. Visit our Facebook page and submit your guesses. https://www.facebook.com/fremontyouthsoccer/

We Have The Ball:

• Comfortable in Possession.

Why?

1. To be able to play out from the back.
2. To possess the ball and switch the point of attack.
3. Center backs are the players closest to the goal, meaning, they have to be very technical on the ball, always receiving the ball with the inside of their foot. Looking to make clean and safe passes, without putting players in dangerous positions with the ball.

• Willingness to Receive the Ball.

Why?

1. Confident in keeping possession, upon receiving the ball at their feet.
2. Allows the team to have options while keeping the ball in possession.
3. The awareness of open space to receive the ball in. (usually from a supporting position. or a position to where the team is building out from the back starting with the keeper.

• Good Distribution.

Why?

1. To progress the ball going forward through the units on the field.
2. To be able to quickly recycle and switch the point of attack, to create numbers up opportunities.
3. Able to play a longer more diagonal ball into a wide player who is in space.

They Have The Ball:

• Mobile.

Why?

1. To cover ground quickly, upon loss of possession.
2. Able to drop quickly and slide from side to side with the back line.
3. To keep up with the opposing team’s fast center forward.

• Good 1v1.

Why?

1. Doesn’t stab or jump into a tackle right away.
2. Delays the attacker with the ball and waits for a heavy touch, then step in and win possession of the ball.
3. Body shape while defending forces the player with the ball into help.
4. Never going into a challenge flat footed or square.
5. Angle of approach, distance of approach and awareness of support and cover from your teammates.

• Good Anticipation of Ball Pathway.

Why?

1. To be able to read the pass and step in to make an interception, before it gets to the opponent.
2. Always looking at the ball.
3. Using your peripheral vision to keep an eye on the center forward’s positioning.

• Alert to Dangerous Situations.

Why?

1. Awareness of where our goal is.
2. Able to react, recover, make a quick challenge or contest a shot, in or around the 18yd box.
3. Defending a numbers down counter attack, being smart and taking away the supporting player and delaying the player with the ball.

Being a Fremont YSC Center Back:

• Comfortable in Possession
• Willingness to Receive the Ball
• Good Distribution
• Mobile
• Good 1v1
• Good Anticipation of Ball Pathway
• Alert to Dangerous Situations

Here is our first installment of the practice at home program from Fremont YSC.

Coaches will be conducting online conferences with their teams to cover the session, and provided guided discovery to ways in which the player can further develop the session at home, along with individual challenges and competitions.

Players, do not forget to upload a 15 second clip to your TeamSnap account under the media files.

Practice Away from the Field

For a player to reach the highest level it comes down to firstly enjoying what they are doing, the player must enjoy and embrace the process. This comes from being able to play in a stress free environment. Yes, there must be challenges and targets, but with correct feedback to encourage a player to continue. A player must also be disciplined enough to practice on their own away from the field, accruing hours of deliberate practice, and getting as many touches on the ball as possible.

The Conklin’s (02 Boys), can be found at fields around Fremont, staying after practice, and whether rain or poor air quality, will always find a way to practice.

Key practices you can do on your own by being creative with what you have available.

While we are away from the soccer fields as a large group, practice individually and set challenges for your team mates. Submit your response video’s by emailing a short 15 second clip to [email protected]

We Have The Ball:

• Good Speed Endurance To Get Forward.

Why?

1. To make overlapping runs, under lapping runs, and unbalance the defense at speed.
2. Create numbers up in attack.
3. Not being physically fatigued to join the attack.

• Willingness to Get Forward / Knowing When to Get Forward.

Why?

1. Create numbers up in attack.
2. Taking a risk to leave space behind you when going forward.
3. Having an attacking mindset when We Have The Ball.
4. Recognizing space in behind the defense to make an overlap.
5. If playing Right Back, when the Right Winger rolls in towards the center of the field, this creates space for you to get forward down the wing.

• Good Delivery of Passes / Crosses.

Why?

1. Create scoring opportunities.
2. Knowing what type of pass or cross to make, (early cross behind the defensive line / normal cross when between the top of the 18yd box and 6yd box / hard low driven cross / late cross once reaching the byline hitting the ball low and hard towards the top of the 6 yd box / lofted cross to the back post / in-swinging cross, out-swinging cross).

They Have The Ball:

• Good in 1v1 situations.

Why?

1. Most times Fullbacks will be in 1v1 situations down the sideline, and behind them is dangerous space for the attacking player to get in.
2. Knowing when to poke for the ball / make a tackle, and when to delay and wait for the heavy touch from the attacking player.
3. Coning in “side-on”, forcing the player with the ball to a specific side. Forcing the player away from the goal in in defensive third, or taking away the sideline and forcing the ball into the middle when we are in our attacking third.
4. Not allowing the player with the ball to get off a cross in the box.

• Recovery runs to cover weak side of the field.

Why?

1. The weak side of the field is normally the area teams try to find their open player, when either switching the point of attack, or when crossing the ball.
2. Recognizing the loss of possession and awareness of what part of the field you are in / where the ball is at.
3. Reacting and recovering back on defense should be instant without hesitation.

• Body shape to scan weak side of the field.

Why?

1. When ball is on the opposite side and your chest is facing the ball, you cannot see the player or space behind you.
2. Keeping your hips open to the field (facing opponents goal) allows you to scan and see the ball, and the open space and players on the weak side from where the ball is at.
3. Keeping good body shape will also allow you to react and recover better if the ball ends up getting switched or played to your side of the field.

Being a Fremont YSC Fullback:

• Good speed endurance to get forward.
• Willingness to get forward / Knowing when to get forward.
• Good delivery of passes / crosses.
• Good in 1v1 situations.
• Recovery runs to cover weak side of the field.
• Body shape to scan weak side of the field.

There are so many factors that can influence a players development. There are 4 common pillars to long term player development, one being, psychological pillar. The 4 pillars are all connected, and are not exclusive of each other. Each one of these pillars will effect the other, and careful consideration must be taken with a players development pathway plan, as no two individuals are the same.

Gavin Carvalho presents the following presentation on, Psychology.

Psychology for Players – Fremont YSC