I've been on the job now for nearly a month and mother nature has not been kind to the Cincinnati soccer community. Is it really possible that we'll play some games this weekend? The month has been filled with reschedules and make up training sessions and finally it looks like I'll have a chance to see some of our teams play.
The PRF Cup is the perfect event to watch our Gold and a couple Academy teams play. It's still March so the results are honestly not that important. Sure, I'd love to see our teams win and we'll coach them to do just that, but a critical component of developing the boy's side of OESA to the level and beyond that of our girl's teams and to the level expected in the US Soccer Development Academy is understanding the strengths and weaknesses of our players as well as our coaching staff and then creating the road map that meets the necessary demands.
This weekend is about evaluation pure and simple. The result of each game only tells part of the story. While the US MNT was beating Poland 3-0 the other night it was about preparing for qualifying not the result of a friendly. The result was a bonus, but the biggest thing we learned is that the Poles are dreadful in defending set pieces. Too many coaches and parents use the results of a given game as their report card for success. Of course, there is a time and place where results are the most important, even in youth soccer. (I don't think UCLA much cares that they have benefited at least three times in the last month from curious decisions by the officials. The PAC 10 and NCAA tournaments are about winning regardless of how.)
So, what will I watch for... For the players, (1) effort/competitiveness - do our players give maximum effort when we have the ball, when we don't and in transition regardless of the scoreline for the entire match; (2) technical competence - primarily 1st touch and dribbling; (3) small group principles - 1v1, 2v2 attacking and defending. For the coaches, (1) the ability to impact the game through information given to the players; (2) a quality 1/2 time; (3) the ability to evaluate the players/team, determine appropriate topics for future sessions and create sessions toward that end.
See you on the pitch!
- Mike
