Training Initiatives for the OESA Boys

It was great to finally get consecutive weekends of games in. Almost all of our teams enjoyed some level of success during the MASC and/or PRF, but also faced challenges that exposed areas that we now can address as a staff. I believe we should spend time developing our weaknesses and even more time further developing our strengths.

Understanding the situation (e.g. goal up/goal down, playing for a draw to advance, chasing the game, killing the game) is part of player development, one we can not avoid. To that end, tournament play, USSDA and Midwest Regional League games can be an important tool. The other leagues (BPL, TCYSA, etc...) should have the sole focus of player development.

Three of the four teams that controlled their destiny on Sunday morning toward the final failed to come through. (A fifth was automatically in after their two wins on Saturday and a sixth went 2-1 and won 4-0 on Sunday, but was eliminated by their lone loss on Saturday.) As I said in an earlier blog it isn't that we did or didn't make the final or that the two teams that did make the finals won or didn't win, but if we did the things we needed to do- the process of the result that is still my focus. Why were we successful? Or, why weren't we?

With the exception of our U8's, I've been able to see every team play- almost all multiple games. As I continue to work with our staff, we will begin to define our goals for player development. It is important to define these goals as well as what success in each area looks like for each team.

The following five initiatives address both strengths and weaknesses of our teams. It is a cliff notes version of a technical report I'll be providing our staff.

OESA Boy's Training Initiatives

1. Redefine the club as a collection of players not teams. Place players in appropriate training environments, including training up or down with regularity
2. Do all factory work (skill repetition often done without pressure of an opponent) at speed with a focus on dribbling moves, tricks and turns
3. Players must be placed in competitive environments in training to play at full speed where the activity (size and shape of the grid, types of goals, etc...) aids development; coaches must be able to coach in the flow of the game - cuing players, using natural stoppages to introduce coaching points, coaching the individual player without stopping the game, and utilizing the freeze method
4. Basic 1v1, 2v1, 1v2, and 2v2 principles of play
5. Possession principles