“Developing One Player At A Time”

P rimary Goal:
To develop each individual player to have the skills to play creative and enjoyable soccer .

1. Foster the love for the game.
2. Achieve a minimum technical skill level for all players.
3. Encourage risk taking.
4. Encourage creativity.
5. Create a positive experience.
6. Have Fun.
7. Create complete soccer players.

1. Provide a fun and competitive environment, minimizing the pressures that hamper enjoyment of the game..
2. Provide a solid technical and tactical base of skills for all players
3.   Develop players to their maximum potential
4.   Encourage risk taking.
5.   Encourage creativity
6.   Provide U13/14 players the opportunity to play all field positions.

You will notice that nowhere in these goals is winning placed above player development, learning, and fun. In fact, winning as an end in itself is not written anywhere in these goals. This is the basic philosophy behind the Fusion SA. The entire emphasis of play and having FUN in the youth development stages, and even into the young competitive stages of development should be on learning and the development of skill, in line with “USYS Best Practices for Coaching Soccer in the United States” manual.

“Technical competence takes years to mature in many players and only a few have natural talents; and so we must work harder to develop technical proficiency, tactical understanding and a higher level of all-round sophistication in our players... AT THE EXPENSE OF POWER AND HUSTLE AND WINNING .”

        Tom Turner, a member of the USSF National Staff:  

                            FUSION Soccer Academy :

                              Coaching Philosophy.

                                          (FSA)

Introduction -Towards a New Structure for Player Development

Brazil is known for the best soccer players in the world and as a result, has won five world championships. They have been successful because their developmental program emphasizes individual player development over winning at the youth level.

It is Fusion Soccer Academy’s mission to establish a developmental program that combines the training principles of individual player development from Brazil and the structure of the European Professional soccer team’s youth academies to create a Soccer Academy unlike any other club or academy in Indiana.

Our focus will be on the individual player not the win loss record. Fusion Soccer Academy knows that high school coaches are not concerned with how many games a team won at U9. The coach wants individual players that dribble with confidence, shoot with accuracy and defend with tenacity.

Fusion Soccer Academy’s structure will create an environment where soccer is fun again and children will be less likely to burn out.

Burnout

Parents and coaches who are heavily emphasizing winning at young age groups are causing youth soccer players to burn out and quit the sport, and are hurting the development of all soccer players at these ages. The burnout of youth soccer players is occurring at a ridiculously high rate. Currently, 35% of players quit soccer by age 12, and 80% of those who played youth soccer are no longer playing by age 16! This burnout problem is inextricably linked to the pressure child athletes feel to win soccer games—a pressure placed on them by parents and coaches.

Technical abilities versus Physical athleticism     

Unlike other soccer-playing countries, in this country we ask young soccer players to compete and win soccer games before they are taught how to play soccer. The problem with this focus becomes very obvious at higher levels of competition. The effects are remarkably poor when compared with programs in other countries which are focused on technical development—such as the Dutch Soccer Leagues. The United States ODP Regional teams that tour in Europe are selected with the best soccer players that can be found in the region. These teams are very successful when they are athletically superior to their opposition. However, when they meet teams to whom they are equally matched athletically, again for example the Dutch, the Regional Teams struggle to get a good result. The technical skills of these teams and players are not high enough to consistently compete without an athletic advantage.

This problem starts at the young ages. Motivated by this adult-induced focus, young players go out and attempt to win the only way they know how—they kick the ball as hard as they can and run after it. Who could blame them? Without technical skills, this is the surest way for these players to win games. Athleticism wins—obscuring the need to develop skill. The pressure to win, coupled with an inability by some coaches to teach soccer skills, inhibits these players from developing the technical skills necessary to play soccer at a higher level. Ironically, it is at these young ages when these technical skills are most easily and most quickly learned.

At around the ages of U13, the first true premier teams are picked. The selection pool is replete with athletic players who are technically years behind where they should be, and is already missing a large group of players who have either been burned out or dropped out of the sport entirely— ALL OCCURRING BECAUSE OF A FOCUS ON WINNING AT TOO EARLY AN AGE! Compare the average level of American youth soccer players with the average level of Dutch youth soccer players. The disparity in technical skill level is huge. Even in comparisons within the country, the biggest difference between top level clubs and the second- tier of clubs is the technical ability of their young soccer players . In developing an Academy style program Fusion SA will create an environment to help reduce this disparity.

But what else happens with teams that win purely on athleticism? (1). Because of their athletic superiority these teams are usually not challenged on the field, and quickly lose motivation to improve. They come to expect to win without having to work hard. When they eventually are challenged, they do not know how to respond. When they do lose, as they will more frequently as other players physically develop, they are not prepared to handle the loss, and often get frustrated with themselves and with the sport.(2). The constant pressure to win, and the disappointment (and even anger) that parents and coaches show these players when they lose begin to kill the love of the sport and the desire to play the sport. This is a major reason behind the large dropout rate from U8 to U12.

Tom Turner, a member of the USSF National Staff: Very appropriately sums this up

“Technical competence takes years to mature in many players and only a few have natural talents; and so we must work harder to develop technical proficiency, tactical understanding and a higher level of all-round sophistication in our players... AT THE EXPENSE OF POWER AND HUSTLE AND WINNING .”

Qualified Coaches

Until these issues are resolved, the development and improvement of soccer at all ages will be slowed. But resolving these issues alone will not solve the problem until there is a more concerted effort to provide young soccer players with qualified coaches.

Without proper coaching for these young athletes, players are not forced to learn soccer skills because their athleticism is temporarily enough for them to win games—often until as late as U13 or U14. At these ages, when the “slow- maturing” players have physically caught up, teams that win purely on athleticism very quickly begin to lose. Only the supremely talented escape this cycle with the technical skills required to play at a higher level.

That brings up part two of the problem. Many soccer coaches feel that they are “above” coaching young soccer players, and so they will only coach players over a certain age. These same coaches often then complain about the quality of players they have to choose from at the older age groups. While it is true that different coaches are better with different age groups, NO COACH IS TOO GOOD TO COACH YOUTH SOCCER PLAYERS. These players are the foundation of the future.

On top of reducing the pressure to win and all of its related effects on youth soccer, soccer clubs must make youth development a priority by putting some of their most talented coaches and administrators in the youth program. We must look beyond this season to next year and the years after. Only then will players develop the skill and confidence that fosters love of the game and allows for attractive, skillful soccer. Only then will players continue to play soccer as they get older, and only then will this country begin to consistently produce world-class players.

Continued Coaching Improvement

Within the Fusion Soccer Academy ’s New Coaching Philosophy and to further promote “Good Soccer” in our communities.    We believe in the encouragement of those most senior or past players of our area organizations to consider becoming soccer coaches, coaching staff and board members. We should all be encouraged to identify these people and offer them the necessary coaching courses to help them develop into Fusion SA soccer coaches and in turn build our organization on complete soccer player development. This will complete the circle and allow our incoming young players the enjoyment and the FUN time playing soccer, as did those players before them.   

Success

Perhaps a more sophisticated view of youth soccer, which looks beyond statistics and quantifiable data, would also help. We tend to judge coaches solely by their win-loss record. This may be appropriate at a collegiate and professional level, where winning is the ultimate goal.    At a youth level, however, coaches should not be judged and rewarded based on whether they went undefeated and won a state championship, but on their ability to develop superior players. This is not so easily quantified, but if the technical level of the players is improving, if their tactical knowledge is growing, and if the experience is positive, then the youth coach is successful. These players are being prepared to play at a higher level of competition, be it high school varsity, college, or ODP. Surely this should be the goal of youth soccer programs, even if they lose a few more games in accomplishing it.

Our Goals

Based on all these findings the ultimate goals of the Fusion Soccer Academy and the goals of the Coaching Staff are stated below:

Primary Goal: To develop each individual player to have the skills to play creative and enjoyable soccer.

Youth Development: – Ages U6 to U12 To foster love of the game, and the desire to play soccer in all players.

1. To provide a basic understanding and knowledge of the game.
2. To reach a minimum technical skill level for all players that enables players to take risks.
3. To encourage every player to take risks during games and practices.
4. To encourage every player to be creative during games and practices.
5. To create a positive physical, social and mental experience
6. By U13 all of our players in the FSA should have been developed using the basis of having FUN and coached in the basics of soccer skills within a developmentally appropriate environment.
7. To create complete soccer players not defenders, midfielders and forwards. All players will learn to play all field positions.
8. To have the best coaches at the Travel Academy level (U9 to U12) to establish a strong developmental base.

Young Competitive Players: Ages U13-U19

1. To provide a fun and competitive environment, minimizing many of the pressures that hamper enjoyment of the game. Players must have a solid technical, tactical, and mental base of skills before pressure to win games should be introduced.
2. To provide a solid technical and tactical base of skills for all players, preparing them to play at a competitive high school, college, or ODP level.
3. To develop individual players to their maximum potential.
4. To encourage every player to take risks during games and practices.
5. To encourage every player to be creative during games and practices.
6. To create young adults who will have adopted our principal goals so that they can become solid contributing members of our society today.
7. To provide a Safe environment under our Risk assessment Policy to all players in Fusion Soccer Academy.
8. To provide players at U13 and U14 the opportunity to play all field positions.

You will notice that nowhere in these goals is winning placed above player development, learning, and fun. In fact, winning as an end in itself is not written anywhere in these goals. This is the basic philosophy behind the Fusion SA. The entire emphasis of play and having FUN in the youth development stages, and even into the young competitive stages of development should be on learning and the development of skill, in line with “USYS Best Practices for Coaching Soccer in the United States” manual.

Unfortunately, this philosophy runs contrary to the way in which youth sports are typically run in this country. This philosophy is player-based, considering the age, needs, and desires of the players involved. In the end, players will be better, and they will have had a much better time playing. A philosophy like this should also aid in reducing dropout rates for young soccer players.

But how do we introduce this concept, and how do we ensure that it is run properly? The answer is to develop our younger players, ensure they have FUN playing soccer, and develop their skills and to ask ALL our Fusion SA members to embrace and make way for our new coaching philosophy.  

  Roy Polhill                                                                
Director of Coaching                                                  
Fusion Recreational Soccer Academy.