Lexington United:

A Player Centered Approach

Lexington United Soccer Club

“Train them so well that they could leave, treat them so well they decide to stay.”

- Jose Mourinho

What are we trying to accomplish here?

• To have fun playing• To build friendships• To instill the values of sportsmanship and fair

play• To be active and healthy • To acquire new skills• To learn to deal with both success and failure

A Word on Winning

“We want our kids to win, we want our kids to want to win, but there are no consequences for not winning.”

Romeo Jozak, Ph.D Croatian Football Federation Technical Director

Play to a Standard

Be performance, not result driven

“We don’t demand that youth teams win. We demand that they play good soccer.”

- Jose Ramon Alexanco, FC Barcelona, youth director

Control What you Can Control?

Practice Routine• Keep it Consistent• Simple to Complex

Control What you Can Control?

Space• Field Size Small or Big? • Field ShapeLong or Short? Narrow or Wide?

Why?

Control What you Can Control?

Numbers 4v1 5v2 6v3 4v4 +1 Why?

Corrections

Give Feedback, Don’t CriticizeWhen do we correct? • Practice • GamesHow do we correct? • Practice • Games

Remove the But,

Coach Growth

“Ever Tried. Ever Failed. No Matter. Try Again. Fail Again. Fail Better”

Samuel Beckett

We all learn through trial and error.Be Like Yo-Yo Ma, Welcome the first Mistake!

Be a Role Model

• The Coach that is punctual has players that are punctual.

• The Coach that is composed will instill composure not only in his/her players, but the parents as well.

• The Coach that is tardy, will have players that are consistently late

• The Coach that gets flustered at every misfortune and harps on the players and official, will have parents thatfollow suit.

Don’t Be a Puppet Master

Trust Your Players! Soccer is a player’s game. We don’t getto orchestrate theplays and call timeouts.We have to trust ourplayers and allow them to make decisions.

The Ride Home

Return to being the Parent not the coach.

“I really love watching you play”.

1 Final Thought

Enjoy the Journey!

It’s supposed to be fun.The more you enjoy the experience of coaching, the more the kids you coach will enjoy playing aswell.