Performance Evaluations

I have heard a lot over the years about player evaluations.  Most coaches would rather not deal with them.  They take time and coaches are often afraid of upsetting a parent by being honest.  The truth is, that thoughtful player evaluations are critical to the success of players and coaches should be providing feedback to players and their parents regarding their expectations and what they need to work on to improve as well as all of the good things they do.

Just as important, I believe is that coaches be evaluated, and DOC's be evaluated to ensure that everyone is performing at a high level and that the players are benefiting from the best possible training environment.

Coaches and DOC's must hold themselves and each other to a higher standard if we all want what is best for the kids.  Lets be honest, just like any other profession, there are coaches, who despite their passion or best intentions should not be coaching children. Some are potentially great coaches that need to be developed (just like players).  Playing pro or semi pro soccer and getting an E or even a D or C license doesn't make someone a good coach.  Coaches should..must continue bettering themselves and working as hard to prepare and understand the best methods for coaching young players.

DOC's can be instrumental in this regard.  I believe that DOC's should be setting clear expectations for coaches and then constantly being available to evaluate and support their coaches to ensure that the players get the best possible training and treatment.

I don't know if US Youth Soccer has a club evaluations system, but if not they should.  I would also think that Cal South should be ensuring that clubs and coaches are performing their duties properly.

We are talking about children here.

Too often, good-intentioned coaches do the wrong things and treat kids poorly and do not develop them properly.  Just as often, there is no DOC there to keep an eye out and help those coaches get better.

Training young players is actually very simple, but most coaches make it more complicated and advanced than they need to.  Every single notable expert on child soccer development says the same things.  Smaller spaces...more touches on the ball...focus on skills and technique.  Positive feedback and validation.  Patience.  Not worrying about teaching complicated concepts at the younger ages when they should be learning the game through playing and getting lots of touches.  Not sitting them for 15 minutes talking to them about how they need to focus.

Regardless of all of this, you will still see coaches consistently running "training sessions" with 20 or 30 kids scrimmaging with one ball for 1.5 hours or a coach with 8 little kids spread out very far apart on a big field doing complicated patterns and crosses.

Neither are what is taught as good ways to train.  From AYSO to US Youth Soccer to Ajax, to Barca to ManU...you name it...

They don't do it that way.

We need to hold coaches accountable if we ever want to produce the best footballers.   Do it for the children.  Hold yourselves to a higher standard. Learn, develop our coaches so that they can properly develop our young players.