Coach's Corner
January 03, 2012
AYSO Coach's Corner: How to Coach Proper Shooting Technique
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney shows us the proper way to strike a ball. Greg covers the technique by instructing the players where to place the stationery leg, what part of the foot should strike the ball and more. Perfect for U-12 players and up.
Click the video above to watch.
December 20, 2011
AYSO Alum Explains Off-Season Regime
AYSO alum and U.S. Women's National team midfielder Carli Lloyd shares how she stays in shape in the off-season – including her shooting drill that helps refine her technique and an abdominal exercise that she does after training to keep her core strengthened.
Click the video above to watch.
December 13, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: 1-2 Touch Passing
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach program designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney shares a one-two touch passing drill.
Demonstrating quick, targeted touches, Greg starts off with giving players a one touch limit, eventually moving on to two touches. Greg instructs the players to receive the ball while leaving a passing lane open, and approaching the passing player at an angle in order to maintain an open view of the field.
This exercise would be perfect for boys and girls, U-10 and up.
Click the video above to watch.
November 22, 2011
Improve Passing Accuracy With "Marbles"
In this week's Coach's Corner, Greg Vanney,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star, goes over "Marbles" - a fun and challenging passing game great for all ages.
The objective is for each player to aim passes carefully, and hit a soccer ball that's within the circle. This game will help players work on their passing technique in a low-stress situation, before applying it at real speed in a game-setting.
Observe your players while they play and ensure that their form/technique is correct.
Click the video above to watch.
November 15, 2011
Teaching Your Team to Defend in Pairs
In this week's Coach's Corner, Greg Vanney,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star, teaches his team how to defend in pairs.
Greg explains that the player defending the ball is the primary defender, and the other player should act as a backup. Once the ball is passed to the other offensive player, the responsibility of being the primary defender switches. Greg explains how to execute this defensive plan in a simple, easy-to-remember way.
Break your team up into pairs for a 2-v-2 scrimmage and try this activity at your next practice. It's a great way to challenge offensive players and encourage defensive players to work together.
Click the video above to watch.
November 8, 2011
Teaching Your Players to Use Both Feet
This week's Coach's Corner features a simple training game for soccer players of all ages - "Red Light."
In a 20x20 grid, 10 or more players line up across from a cone. Each player will dribble at a moderate speed toward the cone, with the coach announcing "1 - 2 - 3, red light!" At "red light" each player must stop the ball with the sole of their foot.
Ask players to switch off dribbling with their right foot, left foot, outside of right, outside of left, inside of both, etc., to ensure both feet are being developed.
Learn more about "Red Light."
November 1, 2011
George Kuntz's Key to Player Development
George Kuntz - AYSO's Player Development Technical Advisor, shares how coaches can achieve AYSO's sixth philosophy - Player Development. He emphasizes that making soccer fun will help players to develop and embrace the sport.
"What's important for coaches to understand is that making the game fun will encourage kids to go out and practice on their own."
Click the video above to watch George's response in full.
October 18, 2011
Fun Shooting Exercise
In this week's Coach's Corner, CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney goes over a simple shooting exercise that's great for getting your players accustomed to taking shots on goal.
During a practice that's focused on offense and shooting technique, considering trying this activity. In the first part of the exercise, players will learn how to assist shooters as well as remain part of the play after a shot is taken. The second portion of the activity is great for getting players comfortable with one-touch shooting. Perfect for U-12 and up.
Click the video above to watch.
September 27, 2011
How to Handle Parents That "Sideline Coach"
CATZCoach president and Chivas USA strength and conditioning coach Jim Liston answers the following question that was received from an AYSO coach:
"The father of a player on my team keeps screaming instructions at his son during games. Most of them don't even make sense. What should I do?"
Click the video above to watch Jim's response. Reprinted from Hey Coach! an AYSO weekly e-newsletter.
Sign up here.
Read a transcript of this video here.
September 13, 2011
Dribbling Drills Great for Player Development
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney goes over a simple dribbling exercise technique that's great for player development.
Try this activity with your team at practice – great for boys and girls U12 and up – to help encourage creativity and confidence on the ball. Consider having a casual scrimmage at the end of practice and ask each player to use their newly learned trick at least once during play.
Click the video above to watch. Reprinted from Hey Coach! an AYSO weekly e-newsletter.
Sign up here.
September 06, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Offensive/Defensive Training
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney explains his "Get Out of Here" drill with U-8 boys. The drill is perfect for keeping an entire team - boys or girls - active and on their toes while working on their ball touches and defensive technique.
Click the video above to watch.
August 30, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Warm-Up Drills
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Founder and President Jim Liston goes through simple warm-up drills with his AYSO U-14 girls team, that also introduce useful motor skills to youth players.
Click the video above to watch.
August 23, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Defensive Keep Away Drill
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoachprogram designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney goes over a defensive "Keep Away" exercise.
Greg's Keep Away exercise involves three defenders against six offensive players. The object of the activity is for the defensive trio to win as many balls as they can. After a minute and a half, the team of three is replaced with three fresh defensive players. The defensive team that wins the most balls wins the activity.
6-v-3 Keep Away is a great way to condition your defenders and teach them ways to stop an attacking offense. It's also a great opportunity for your offense to work on accurate touches and maintaining possession.
This exercise can be a great segue into a practice-ending scrimmage or another defensively-focused activity.
Click the video above to watch. Reprinted from Hey Coach! an AYSO weekly e-newsletter.
Sign up here.
August 16, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: How to Coach Goal Kicks
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoachprogram designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney shows coaches how to teach goal kicks to a young team.
Greg explains the concept of goal kicks and instructs his team on where to direct the kick and how to strike the ball. He makes the exercise interactive by having one group kick and the other group receiving the ball and dribbling across the field. This exercise is great for introducing goal kicks to a young team and preparing them for goal kicks in a game setting.
Consider starting practice with this lesson on goal kicks and segueing into a defense-focused activity that involves the occasional goal kick.
Click the video above to watch. Reprinted from Hey Coach! an AYSO weekly e-newsletter.
Sign up here.
August 9, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Passing Diamond Drill
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach program designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney shows us a simple passing drill called the "passing diamond."
The passing diamond is a great passing exercise that involves receiving passes effectively, learning how to pass on target and following up on the pass by running to open space. This exercise is a great repetition drill, and also encourages conditioning.
Make sure to do the passing diamond drill with both the right and left feet – and for the older teams, consider further limiting the number of touches.
Click the video above to watch. Reprinted from Hey Coach! an AYSO weekly e-newsletter.
Sign up here.
August 2, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Simple Dribbling Drill
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach program designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney shows us a simple dribbling drill called the "sole roll."
The sole roll is a handy dribbling technique, involves light, balanced touches and is a great way to encourage confidence on the ball. After introducing this technique to your players, have a scrimmage at the end of practice and require that each player do at least 3 sole rolls while in play. This way, they will become accustomed to using the skill in an actual game setting.
Click the video above to watch. Reprinted from Hey Coach! an AYSO weekly e-newsletter.
Sign up here.
July 19, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: How to Scrimmage with Neutral Players
In this week's Coach's Corner, AYSO National Coach Instructor John Ouellette teaches the "Neutral Player Scrimmage" exercise to his team. The Neutral Player Scrimmage requires that both teams pass the ball to a player in a neutral jersey prior to taking a shot on goal.
This exercise will help your team's offensive attack and will help get more players involved in scoring opportunities. Instead of one player receiving the ball and attacking by him/herself, the Neutral Player Scrimmage will require players to keep their heads up, look for open players and passing lanes near the goal and incorporate one and two-touch passing.
It also requires a lot of focus out of the neutral players, who attack for both sides in this drill. This scrimmage is a great way to end practice – click the video above to watch.
Click the video above to watch.
July 5, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Teach Your Players Transitional Play
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach program designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney uses the Flying Changes drill to teach his team how to transition quickly from attacking to defending and vice versa.
After one team of two scores or has a shot on goal, they have to immediately defend a new attacking team of two. This keeps the players on the field very active, and the players on the touchline, waiting for a change in possession, on their toes.
This drill will get your players in the habit of making a rapid transition from offense to defense after a player misses a shot on goal, or loses possession of the ball.
Click the video above to watch.
June 28, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Introducing Corner Kicks
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach program designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney shows us how to introduce corner kicks to a young team.
Vanney shares that introducing a new concept can be done on a normal or smaller-sized field. He teaches players to raise one hand when they're ready to proceed with the kick, where the ball should ideally be placed, and how the attacking player should strike a corner kick that is delivered on the ground. A simple run-through of how to familiarize a team with corner kicks, this is a great video for new coaches and/or experienced coaches with players that are new to soccer.
Click the video above to watch.
June 21, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: 1-2 Touch Passing
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach program designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney shares a one-two touch passing drill.
Demonstrating quick, targeted touches, Greg starts off with giving players a one touch limit, eventually moving on to two touches. Greg instructs the players to receive the ball while leaving a passing lane open, and approaching the passing player at an angle in order to maintain an open view of the field.
This exercise would be perfect for boys and girls, U-10 and up.
Click the video above to watch.
June 14, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Heading the Ball
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney goes over how to properly head the ball.
In this drill, Greg starts in a kneeling position and has another player toss him the ball. Greg instructs players to lean back a bit before heading, and to keep the abdominals tight.
Click the video above to watch.
June 7, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Learning How to Juggle
Do you have players on your team that are new to juggling? In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney goes over how to introduce soccer players to juggling.
With controlled and numbered touches, Vanney teaches players to juggle by placing the ball where they want it, as opposed to wild touches and chasing the ball.
Click the video above to watch.
May 24, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Perfecting Passing
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney goes over a passing game called "Marbles." Perfect for any age group, "Marbles" helps players perfect their passing accuracy and technique before applying the skill to a real-game setting.
Click the video above to watch.
May 3, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Goalkeeping Exercises
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney shares a variety of goalkeeping exercises. Greg goes over the proper way for a goalkeeper to catch a ball on the ground, in the air and mid-bounce.
Click the video above to watch.
April 12, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: How to Coach Proper Shooting Technique
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney shows us the proper way to strike a ball. Greg covers the technique by instructing the players where to place the stationery leg, what part of the foot should strike the ball and more. Perfect for U-12 players and up.
Click the video above to watch.
April 05, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Offensive/Defensive Training
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney explains his "Get Out of Here" drill with U-8 boys. The drill is perfect for keeping an entire team - boys or girls - active and on their toes while working on their ball touches and defensive technique.
Click the video above to watch.
March 22, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Warm-Up Drills
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Founder and President Jim Liston goes through simple warm-up drills with his AYSO U-14 girls team, that also introduce useful motor skills to youth players.
Click the video above to watch.
August 9, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Passing Diamond Drill
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach program designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney shows us a simple passing drill called the "passing diamond."
The passing diamond is a great passing exercise that involves receiving passes effectively, learning how to pass on target and following up on the pass by running to open space. This exercise is a great repetition drill, and also encourages conditioning.
Make sure to do the passing diamond drill with both the right and left feet – and for the older teams, consider further limiting the number of touches.
Click the video above to watch. Reprinted from Hey Coach! an AYSO weekly e-newsletter.
Sign up here.
August 2, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Simple Dribbling Drill
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach program designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney shows us a simple dribbling drill called the "sole roll."
The sole roll is a handy dribbling technique, involves light, balanced touches and is a great way to encourage confidence on the ball. After introducing this technique to your players, have a scrimmage at the end of practice and require that each player do at least 3 sole rolls while in play. This way, they will become accustomed to using the skill in an actual game setting.
Click the video above to watch. Reprinted from Hey Coach! an AYSO weekly e-newsletter.
Sign up here.
July 19, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: How to Scrimmage with Neutral Players
In this week's Coach's Corner, AYSO National Coach Instructor John Ouellette teaches the "Neutral Player Scrimmage" exercise to his team. The Neutral Player Scrimmage requires that both teams pass the ball to a player in a neutral jersey prior to taking a shot on goal.
This exercise will help your team's offensive attack and will help get more players involved in scoring opportunities. Instead of one player receiving the ball and attacking by him/herself, the Neutral Player Scrimmage will require players to keep their heads up, look for open players and passing lanes near the goal and incorporate one and two-touch passing.
It also requires a lot of focus out of the neutral players, who attack for both sides in this drill. This scrimmage is a great way to end practice – click the video above to watch.
Click the video above to watch.
July 5, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Teach Your Players Transitional Play
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach program designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney uses the Flying Changes drill to teach his team how to transition quickly from attacking to defending and vice versa.
After one team of two scores or has a shot on goal, they have to immediately defend a new attacking team of two. This keeps the players on the field very active, and the players on the touchline, waiting for a change in possession, on their toes.
This drill will get your players in the habit of making a rapid transition from offense to defense after a player misses a shot on goal, or loses possession of the ball.
Click the video above to watch.
June 28, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Introducing Corner Kicks
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach program designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney shows us how to introduce corner kicks to a young team.
Vanney shares that introducing a new concept can be done on a normal or smaller-sized field. He teaches players to raise one hand when they're ready to proceed with the kick, where the ball should ideally be placed, and how the attacking player should strike a corner kick that is delivered on the ground. A simple run-through of how to familiarize a team with corner kicks, this is a great video for new coaches and/or experienced coaches with players that are new to soccer.
Click the video above to watch.
June 21, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: 1-2 Touch Passing
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach program designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney shares a one-two touch passing drill.
Demonstrating quick, targeted touches, Greg starts off with giving players a one touch limit, eventually moving on to two touches. Greg instructs the players to receive the ball while leaving a passing lane open, and approaching the passing player at an angle in order to maintain an open view of the field.
This exercise would be perfect for boys and girls, U-10 and up.
Click the video above to watch.
June 14, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Heading the Ball
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney goes over how to properly head the ball.
In this drill, Greg starts in a kneeling position and has another player toss him the ball. Greg instructs players to lean back a bit before heading, and to keep the abdominals tight.
Click the video above to watch.
June 7, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Learning How to Juggle
Do you have players on your team that are new to juggling? In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney goes over how to introduce soccer players to juggling.
With controlled and numbered touches, Vanney teaches players to juggle by placing the ball where they want it, as opposed to wild touches and chasing the ball.
Click the video above to watch.
May 24, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Perfecting Passing
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney goes over a passing game called "Marbles." Perfect for any age group, "Marbles" helps players perfect their passing accuracy and technique before applying the skill to a real-game setting.
Click the video above to watch.
May 3, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Goalkeeping Exercises
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney shares a variety of goalkeeping exercises. Greg goes over the proper way for a goalkeeper to catch a ball on the ground, in the air and mid-bounce.
Click the video above to watch.
April 12, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: How to Coach Proper Shooting Technique
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney shows us the proper way to strike a ball. Greg covers the technique by instructing the players where to place the stationery leg, what part of the foot should strike the ball and more. Perfect for U-12 players and up.
Click the video above to watch.
April 05, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Offensive/Defensive Training
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Program Designer and former Major League Soccer star Greg Vanney explains his "Get Out of Here" drill with U-8 boys. The drill is perfect for keeping an entire team - boys or girls - active and on their toes while working on their ball touches and defensive technique.
Click the video above to watch.
March 22, 2011
AYSO Coach's Corner: Warm-Up Drills
In this week's Coach's Corner,
CATZCoach Founder and President Jim Liston goes through simple warm-up drills with his AYSO U-14 girls team, that also introduce useful motor skills to youth players.
Click the video above to watch.
