tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57156471950554459502011-09-14T12:49:04.498-05:00Coaching News, Instruction, Player Training, Equipment Source, and More!Jimmy Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646024260604368832noreply@blogger.comBlogger121100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715647195055445950.post-33319842085587165412011-06-28T08:09:00.001-05:002011-06-28T08:09:17.325-05:00

Soccer Coaches Only Edition:USA Gold Cup, Player Development Review: Outside Defenders:Dear Coach,We need your thoughts here. Without interference / comments / blogs / interviews / tv commentary / from the Soccer Pundits who have not coached a young US player. As a longtime youth coach who has studied techniques, tactics, training methods and grew up in the USA playing at all levels,

Jimmy Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646024260604368832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715647195055445950.post-25137800317431861042011-06-13T08:56:00.001-05:002011-06-13T08:56:25.389-05:00

How many times have you heard a player or coach say or imply or, you have thought to yourself: "I want to be great and will do whatever it takes to reach Greatness?". I myself, wanted to be a Pro and trained rigidly from 15 years of age until my dream came true 7 years later. Along the way a few friends came out to follow my routine and chase my dream. After a few of my daily training sessions

Jimmy Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646024260604368832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715647195055445950.post-17546623323995823962011-05-29T12:43:00.000-05:002011-05-29T12:43:10.975-05:00

I and you have watched great soccer teams for the last 30 years.  A few months ago, for the first time ever, I began wondering if this Barcelona Team was the best club team ever to play on a soccer pitch.  Their amazing ability to hold possession and break down opponents, in all areas of the pitch, has been amazing. The greatest club teams in the world have packed it back defensively and tried

Jimmy Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646024260604368832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715647195055445950.post-50046382103893139272011-05-28T17:31:00.001-05:002011-05-28T17:31:23.827-05:00

OK, so I am in the soccer business. Fortunately I am still a soccer coach and player as that helps my product design and business creativity. I get to experience first hand, with eyes wide open, good designs, bad designs etc. Lucky me, if I feel a soccer equipment need, I can create it and test it. (And so can you. Which I will address in a future blog.)Fortunately I have been a soccer freak

Jimmy Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646024260604368832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715647195055445950.post-16271133770471035042010-12-17T20:56:00.001-06:002011-03-11T17:19:11.196-06:00

Do you know what famous Coach said that? Well, quite an accurate statement. So, are we working on player techniques? (Also known as skill.) No, not enough. We are confused. It is a shame, as working on skill is so easy. Your biggest challenge is to keep your skill training from getting boring. We are getting there, as pockets of soccer coaches and soccer organizations and clubs have the

Jimmy Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646024260604368832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715647195055445950.post-51816358352469038962010-12-17T20:53:00.001-06:002010-12-17T20:53:50.646-06:00

As I sit here enjoying Christmas with my family and in-laws I cannot help but write this blog. When I was 6 my best friend's grandma had this great idea. Soccer! Let's sign the kids up! Well, with great support and a positive attitude from my coach I loved it. That with my travels to my mothers native land of Germany made me a fanatic. And here I am today 44 years later still in the game.

Jimmy Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646024260604368832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715647195055445950.post-77111945239614121302010-06-14T07:55:00.044-05:002010-06-15T07:05:57.186-05:00

Defensive schemes are easy to teach, however, attacking schemes, attacking tactics, attacking skills are more complex for players, teams and coaches.  But why?  Lets take  a look. 1) Attacking Play Requires Skill 2) Attacking Play Requires Creativity, Elusiveness, Risk, Confidence 3) Attacking Play Requires Speed (Tactical Speed, Technical Speed and Physical Speed) 4)  Attacking Play Requires a

Jimmy Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646024260604368832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715647195055445950.post-14900170722616252572010-03-30T10:09:00.004-05:002010-04-15T09:57:57.975-05:00

Defensive marking has changed!   It used to be easy, just follow your man.  But it has changed, now you must consider the space and the man.  It's zone defending which combines man marking and space marking creating a tighter defense.  Lets take a closer look:   Back in the late 70's and early 80's and most of the 90's we, here in the USA, were taught man to man marking.  Most of us are products

Jimmy Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646024260604368832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715647195055445950.post-75238430896354230672010-02-22T08:28:00.001-06:002010-02-22T09:11:42.353-06:00

Paul Gardner and Soccer America make some interesting observations regarding the Art of Crossing. Do your players cross well?  Do you feel crossing is a dying art? I am afraid, I too, have observed and studied the cross.  It is a very valuable tool and always has been in our sport.  But, most players below the Top Pro level struggle with it.  Even in our own MLS and National Team play many of

Jimmy Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646024260604368832noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715647195055445950.post-63418462068024582352010-02-20T22:28:00.007-06:002010-05-15T12:49:39.525-05:00

Communication is the key to maximizing your team's success.  Always start your season with a quality team meeting.  Bad coaching and bad playing is inevitable but can be overcome with quality and heart felt communication, starting the first day of the new pre-season.  Introduce the team, the season, the opportunity, the challenge. Paint a pretty and powerful  picture of the season's potential.

Jimmy Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646024260604368832noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715647195055445950.post-53876273402017277092010-02-20T12:36:00.000-06:002010-02-20T13:48:00.595-06:00

Seems simple enough but I cannot say how often I notice bad team shape and slow or no reaction from the coach. I notice a team defending in its attacking shape. That seems to be the bigger issue. However a team attacking with its defensive shape is also noticed. It is a fundamentally simple principle that will make your team a more formidable opponent in most any match. When ball possession is

Jimmy Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646024260604368832noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715647195055445950.post-62519707353054959622009-05-13T09:03:00.000-05:002010-02-20T13:48:31.851-06:00

As coaches we have been trained to get pressure on the ball. We often see a defensive player attacking their opponent (who has possession of the ball) without any other consideration. Sometimes we call for pressure because it has been drilled into us. But, at times, staying connected to your team is more important than pressure on the ball. An example: Your opponents defence has clean

Jimmy Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646024260604368832noreply@blogger.com0