Most would argue that England’s greatest technical player was Paul Gascoigne. For the United States, perhaps John O'Brien before injuries ruined a very promising career at Ajax. One thing for sure, however, is that neither country has produced a Messi or Ronaldo. One of the big initiatives sweeping through these countries and more is this obsession of producing a Messi. We want to produce confident, technical dribblers who attack and attack. Yet, just like many initiatives, it's extremely short sighted. Ultimately we've traded one end of the extreme, "the win at all costs/kick it long" mentality for the other extreme end of the spectrum: the "dribble at all costs" mentality. All too often at the youth levels we are now hearing that possession at U10 is the enemy and kids need the freedom to constantly dribble at defenders repeatedly. Now, this article is not focused on the very young ages, up to 8 years old perhaps. Please don't think I'm encouraging "robots" or whatever the cliche word of the day is within the development realm. Technical ability is rooted both in individual possession and group possession, yet for some reason we've forgotten that group bit. We should encourage players to be confident when on the ball, to take defenders on, and to be creative. But does this mean we should encourage a player to dribble right into three defenders every single time? NO! Messi is who he is because he has a footballing brain that is unrivaled. What happens when you constantly let a player dribble to no end without any instruction? You are not helping them develop, no matter what you think. We've ended up with a cult within the youth development world who believe that players will become Messi and Ronaldo by always trying to rainbow defenders and never passing the ball. It's a complete disservice to proper development, because we've now become so obsessed with developing one type of player that we shun the other types. At the younger ages, if you have a player who knows how to receive the ball on his back foot, has a great first touch, and passes he ball well, but can't do ten YouTube skills and tricks, do we cut him now that he doesn't have that Messi flair? We now live and work in a time where some youth coaches actually think Sergio Busquets isn't a special player. Let that sink in for a second. Sergio Busquets, an average player according to some, because he doesn't need to do 35 step overs. Xavi must only be OK for these folks. We have never produced a Messi, but I can also tell you we've never produced a Busquets, or a Xavi, or a Paul Scholes, or a Paolo Maldini type player either. Development is not a factory line, we aren't producing iPhones. The player is the syllabus, and yet most coaches have to impart their preconceived notions of what a "good player" is on the young kids. Go to a soccer field and watch some league games for 9, 10, or 11 year olds. Trust me, we've got some great "dribble at all costs" players. They keep dribbling. But what about the player who knows how to play simple, who is able to find a pocket of space that puts him past a defender already, and can switch play with a crisp pass? What about the player who only needs a simple feint to beat a defender, and decides after beating one that the pass is the better option? What's often lost with the "let them dribble" mentality is the idea that players will just somehow figure it out. It is our job to help develop our players ability to read the situation, and we need to encourage them to dribble when they should, but also pass when they should. If you just let kids dribble repeatedly and offer little to no instruction, maybe some get it, but the vast majority are left in the wilderness. Let me repeat again: We need to help improve our players individual technical ability and encourage their confidence on the ball, but it should fit within the context of the game. Take this picture for example. This was sent in from a coach of a U10 team: Whats interesting about this is that the team that possessed the ball also had more first touches for their players. They had, in essence, many more moments that make the game what it is. Dribbling at all times allows for players to switch off mentally if they aren't directly involved with the play, whereas possession requires players to stay focused, because if they don't have the ball, they are actively moving to create space. When we encourage our players to understand when to pass and when to dribble, and we encourage a game that features passing when it is the right choice, we are helping our players fully develop. There are some players that can do a rainbow yet can't receive a ball well with their first touch from a pass. A team that passes when appropriate, that encourages its players to think rather than just receive and run, is a team that will see its players put into more situations that will encourage proper development. When you hear a coach admonish his players for passing at U9 of U10, stop and think for a moment how astounding that is? It's important to recognize that players that are not technically proficient more often than not can't possess the ball as a team. Possession encourages technical development as well as tactical development. It isn't a secret, it's quite a simple truth really, yet it's almost always overlooked. A possession based game requires players who are technically proficient otherwise their first touch or their pass will let them down. A possession based game encourages players to really understand WHEN to dribble and WHEN to pass. That's what makes Messi what he is. He's the best because he has a footballing brain to match his technical level. "Just let them all dribble" may improve their technical ability of only for the repetition, but what about their footballing brain?
The best players are the quickest thinkers. Dribbling into 3 defenders and being praised doesn't promote thinking, quite the opposite really. We have to create the best possible environment to develop players to the best of their abilities. We cannot have a one size fits all approach, because a game of 11 Messi's may not be as balanced as you'd like. The game requires Busquets, and Pique, and Xavi just as much as it requires Messi and Neymar. I leave you with this thought. Imagine Busquets at La Masia receiving the ball and finding a great pass to unlock the defense in a split second. Now imagine his youth coach yelling at him because he didn't do "a skill move every time you receive the ball." Sounds silly doesn't it? The player is the syllabus. Don't do them a disservice by making them all the same. Continue the Discussion! On Facebook: The Coaching Journey On Twitter: @TheCoachJourney
24 Comments
The Answer
9/21/2015 04:15:41 am
Where can I find myself a U10 coach to keep stats like that? That's priority number one.
Reply
Ryan
9/21/2015 05:06:25 am
All our teams do it at Alexandria Soccer Association!
Reply
Saw your post. Retired from 35 years of travel coaching in Northern VA to develop and publish training progressions for developing youth players. Looking for teams and players in uniform to video tape. If interested reply or go to soccergamesense.com and complete Feedback form at bottom of page.
Laz
9/21/2015 04:44:06 am
Player intelligence is the top priority at the highest level. Decision making involves when and when not to dribble. This article is spot on and illustrates a very good understanding of what player development is!
Reply
Gary
9/21/2015 09:26:09 am
So true
Reply
Scott Nelson
9/21/2015 05:31:53 pm
Any coach who really desires to develop a player who only dribbles and never passes has never played on a team with one
Reply
Shawn
9/21/2015 07:11:05 pm
My 8 year old guest played with a decent team in the area. The team had some good players. Their coach followed a philosophy out of a book he read and a club he belonged to. He insisted in yelling constantly from the sideline "receive the pass, do a combo move, then decide". After the game I told him we would not be back. We can't be a part of this American brain dead approach to the sport that requires the highest level of intelligence in the world. Thanks for the article ...
Reply
José
9/22/2015 04:17:46 am
Hi, I am from Barcelona, Spain. Trust me when I say that Busquets is one of the most valuable players for the Spanish coaches and supporters. I do agree with the article 100% but also is important the way you help the players to understand they have to pick up different decisions. Sometimes you coach a players that is use to dribbling at all cost from his old team or coach and it is not easy to help him change his mentality by not damaging his confidences. Using positive feedback at the right moments and talk to the players on an appropriate way will help better than yelling or punishing.
Reply
David
9/22/2015 08:33:21 am
Right on the money! Possession and tiki-taki play can be taught at these young ages - but the soccer IQ and quick thinking to know when and how to create plays is more of a gift that is nurtured and developed. I totally agree that when I see those players who are told dribble, dribble, dribble - it hurts their development.
Reply
Roman
9/23/2015 05:42:57 am
We should never talk about Messi!! Messi benefits from playing along the best in the world at Barca, and also some of the best at Argentina. Messi would never be able to do what he does outside Barcelona. Zidane, Ronaldo, Maradona, Zico and Pele are a few who are a millions steps from Messi skills.
Reply
Illuminati
10/7/2015 02:17:26 am
Roman. With due respect. Stay away from football. enjoy your family or something don't waste your time on things you don't understand.
Reply
Roberto Magellan
10/22/2015 02:55:59 am
Roman idiot!
Reply
Matt
9/23/2015 09:09:34 am
I agree with the article, but I have not run across any coaches with this philosophy, so not sure if this is regional or just a certain subset of coaches. At my club, we start talking about decision making at U8, and usually are pretty balanced between taking people on with a dribble and deciding to pass.
Reply
Decision making under match pressure comes down to the answer to one simple question "Who is in the "Best Position" to help their team.
Reply
10/11/2015 11:49:09 am
Looking at the things and compare them is very good, as you can see the look before and the look after, and your mood become higher as great differences can be slightly seen.
Reply
10/11/2015 11:49:24 am
It is no matter what we are reading, the best way to achieve the success is to read something that is worth of your attention, something that is good for your sould and for yourself.
Reply
10/13/2015 04:16:51 am
I already saw many blogs but I like this commenting platform. Thanks a lot for your guidance and sharing information.
Reply
8/31/2016 01:35:21 am
good You can currently by producing usage of the mobdro Notebook or computer system apk that allow us you find any Tv set placed present for no price and any sum of many up-to-date video tutorials all for no price. nice.
Reply
11/29/2016 04:25:43 am
Penetrex Male Enhancement it's miles critical on the way to hold your oral health that is accountable for your general fitness. you may be able to have first-class dental heath with the help of satisfactory dental health plans. those plans can provide you with discounts.
Reply
11/29/2016 06:37:23 am
good Mobdro on PC enables to see Latest Movies, video clips, TV networks & NFL live streaming online. The ideal component of the application is cost-free streaming.nice.
Reply
2/10/2017 06:38:04 am
Penetrex Male Enhancement In truth, the corporation produces Anabolic and Creatine Testosterone boosters with an appropriate mixture of different dietary supplements to enhance testosterone in conjunction with decreasing Estrogen impacts. http://musclesciencefacts.com/penetrex-male-enhancement-reviews/
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |