Players and families meeting

Cambridge Clash
Fall 2007
Richard Kasperowski
David Cohen

• About the coaches

  • Volunteers

    • Donate >200h/y/coach of personal time

    • Unpaid or worse: we paid the same CYS fees you did to have our kids on the team
      

  • Richard Kasperowski: regular guy, US Soccer F license, coach soccer because I love soccer, I love coaching, and I love family time.
    

  • David Cohen: regular guy, US Soccer F license, great soccer coach
    

• About CYS

  • CYS goals

    • Enjoy soccer now, enjoy soccer later

    • Be athletically fit now, be fit later

    • Have fun
      

  • US Soccer coaching guidelines

    • Modeled after Dutch system

    • Formalized by US Soccer development system

    • Followed by Mass Youth Soccer, Cambridge Youth Soccer

    • Players of similar skills on the same team
      

    • Training sessions mimic game situations, let guys learn soccer skills for themselves

      • Individual skills

      • Small-sided games (1v1, 2v1, 2v2, 2v4, 3v3, etc.)

      • Maximize ball touches

      • No lines, no lectures, no laps
        

    • Positive feedback
      

  • This team

    • BAYS Division 2F: competitive, a step up from last year's Division 3

    • Second of the 4 Cambridge BAYS U14B teams: this is a group of good soccer players
      

• Coach responsibilities (what players and families can expect)

  • >=1 of us will be at every practice and game

  • Punctual

  • Prepared

    • Training plan (published on kasperowski.com)
      

    • Game plan

  • Communicative

    • Email list

    • Blog

    • Calendar

    • Face to face
      

  • Responsible for player safety during practices and games

    • Field conditions

    • Medical releases

  • ... but not necessarily responsible before and after practices and games

    • We are not your extra baby sitters

    • We have lives outside of soccer, and usually leave the field immediately
      

  • Coaching style

    • Training sessions: Teach skills, following the US Soccer coaching recommendations

    • Matches: Let the kids play, make sure there are 11 guys on the field, watch for injuries, head cheerleaders, enjoy the match

  • Always trying to improve
    

  • Help players and families meet their goals responsibilities

  • Good role models

  • Have fun
    

• Player responsibilities (what coaches and families can expect)

  • Schoolwork

  • Attendance

    • 80% of practices and 80% of games

    • Your attendance at practice indicates that you want to play on game day, and you'll be rewarded for that with extra playing time on game day.
      

  • Punctual

    • On time for practice

    • 30 minutes prior to game
      

  • Prepared

    • Wearing all required equipment for practices and games

    • With a ball
      

    • Water or sports drink
      

    • Healthful snack (Richard likes peanut butter on whole wheat bread, but understands that peanut butter is not OK for everyone)

    • No jewelry
      

    • Well rested, well fed

  • Play every position (e.g., Jay Heaps)
    

  • Must bring a ball to practice

  • Respectful, well behaved

    • To coaches, teammates, and parents

    • Opposing players

    • Referee: zero tolerance
      

  • Good teammate

  • Always trying to improve

  • Watch higher level soccer.

    • Cambridge Rindge & Latin

    • Colleges (Harvard, Tufts, BU)

    • New England Revolution

    • US National Team
      

  • Have fun
    

• Family responsibilities (what coaches and players can expect)

  • Match behavior

    • Be a vocal supporter

    • Be positive

    • Let them play their own game--don't micromanage

    • Don't talk to or about the referee: zero tolerance

  • Help players meet their responsibilities

  • Communicate with coaches privately, outside of practice time and game time

  • Good role models

  • Watch higher level soccer
    

  • Have fun