Just curious from all you club soccer coaches. At what age do you start tactical training? My sons U10 team seems like they spend all the training on foot skills and every known move you can think of. I know that is important but most of the kids can execute most of that stuff. I only say this because the last season a bunch of the teams we played had us chasing them the entire game and could execute corners and crosses so much better than us. It doesn't seem like we practice any of that stuff and it shows. I bet last year we gave up 5 or 6 goals on corners. Our boys aren't even a threat when we have corners because they really don't know how to do them. Keep in mind we were D2 in CUSL last season and will be D1 this spring. I just hope we can handle the D1 teams. Thanks

You should start with a basic formation at U8, have a definite formation at U10 and then advanced concepts begin at U12.

 

At the U10 level, there would DEFINITELY be formations and understanding of restarts, free kicks, corner kicks, etc.

Sorry duplicate thread. Mods please delete because i can't find where to do that.

First, the team must be pretty good to make the jump from D2 to D1.

 

Secondly, I think it depends on the skill set of the team. My perception about how soccer should be taught has changed drastically over the years as I've watched the progression of my daughter and others that she started playing with. Footwork takes years to master, and it's always going to be an ongoing process. You can spend one season/session working on spacing and passing, and the kids will pick it up. However, if you start this too early, they start looking to pass as soon as they get the ball, and they stop using their footwork. I watched a u10 or u11 boys team the other night practice while my daughter practiced. They did nothing but footwork drills until the very end of practice when they did a little shooting game. I watched my daughter's team go through passing drills and headers, and I wished they were doing the same drills the boys were doing. Those teams that are beating you by spacing and passing, watch their technical footwork. Do they have it? Many teams don't and they focus solely on the spacing and passing at the younger ages, and they typically do very well. However, as the kids get into the middle school ages and into high school, those teams that spent all those years on footwork move to the top of the standings.

My boys are on King's Hammer Academy U14blue. So, while I'm not a coach, I've watched a TON of soccer. Footwork over tactics at that age, BC, when you get to the level that my boys are at, and are facing kids going through puberty that can flat out fly for their age. They close down everything so quickly, that a poor first touch is punished over and over. The boys' coach pulled us all aside in the Fall and said that due to their poor technique, he can't implement a lot of tactics that he would like to use. He needed to get the boys more comfortable at receiving the ball and making a quick decision. Tactics don't mean anything if you are constantly chasing a pass that comes off of your foot incorrectly. I'd say, sacrafice some wins now to have technical quality. Then, you can slowly implement tactics so that by the time they are U16 and U17, they are above and beyond the competition. Check out La Masia, often times their teams are mid table in their leagues and then they become the backbone of Barcelona and the Spanish National team going forward.

I think that a coach needs to mix things up. When I used to coach, the kids hated foot skills, but it is necessary. I think part of the practice needs to focus on this, but foot skills is also something that the players can work on during their own time.

If you were at Boone Pee Wee field that was probably my sons team. They are U10 and usually do a power and finesse shooting drill at the end of practice.. Thanks for the input I was just curious how other coaches do it.

If you were at Boone Pee Wee field that was probably my sons team. They are U10 and usually do a power and finesse shooting drill at the end of practice.. Thanks for the input I was just curious how other coaches do it.

 

I was at another facility. As mexitucky alluded to also, they'll be better for it in the long run. Hopefully the coach is encouraging that type of play in the games also. I see some coaches teach it, but in games get away from it because they get caught up in winning the game.