Humble

I survived! I just finished my training at Parkville. I am certified NSCAA National Diploma. Five days running on the field with younger kids was a BIG challenge. It was hot, humid and they were faster than me! I am sore...

But most of it, it was a great learning experience. I thought, I knew some about soccer but really I did not! You could see some young coaches with great knowledge and great communication skills. One particulary, Andy. He is good. I just told him to smile a little more but compliment him a lot!

Anyway, I am glad I went to this training. I feel more confident about the game and how to communicate to our kids.

Coaching is not a science but a craft.

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Great Performance!

Les Bleus had again a great performance at Prairie Center 3 v 3 Tournament last weekend.

From left to right: Tomer, Isaac, Logan, Camden, Patrick and Julien.

Honestly, these kids are phenomenal! We had 2 practices but we could not have every one at the same time! First practice, we were missing 1 player and second practice 2 players.

So we arrived at 9am and I had to introduce every one! Of course, we had to play up!

So we play U9 when you know that they just turned 8! Of course, our first game was a nice introduction to reality! We played against these giants and we tied! 7 - 7

After our lifes started to get easier because the other teams were not that big! They won their games 6-4 and 6-1. So we had to play the giants again!

Wow, our boys fight like crazy. The giants were pushing and using their sizes. They even got a yellow card! So we lost 4-2 but with "panache".

Congratulations!

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Champion League

If you haven't watched Milan - Manchester United, I will recommend that you do it. I have it on my DVR.This is very educative and entertaining. It is 2 different styles of soccer. “Finesse against power”Personally, I love the techniques, the one touch ball.

The only difficult part of watching on TV is that we do not really see every move. Some of the observers of the performance of the US Men’s National team in the 2006 world cup felt strongly that one of the major weaknesses of the American was an inability to make creative and tactically astute runs off the ball. This is perhaps not surprising when one realizes that this is a characteristic of most of the play in our country at the youth level.

During this game, you could see Milan running off the ball and finalized by a goal, playing with flair and incredible individual techniques. One of the players, Clarence Seedorf is 30 years old. Watched is technique! Wow! Kaka is one of the best players in the world. No comments!If we watch the games and then talk to our kids about them the next day it might encourage them to become frequent viewers and more passionate by the game.

Want to come in my house and watch it?

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Credibility

Coaching credibility.... so important and yet so difficult to define. My philosophy is to stay myself. Staying true to my personality, as a coach, is the most difficult part of coaching.

So that is why, during last game, I made the best players in my roster played a little more. I was not going to loose against a team where the parents disrespect me and my team. When you know my team is better technically, and when we know that we are 2 graders playing against 4 graders.

I have not been focusing in winning at all, but last game, I was! So I know it is stupid to try to win at this level and we are recreational team but I am passionate, love the game and the kids.

This is my credibility!

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Last Game

Well, well! That was a nice game! Not because we won against 4 graders 4-1 but because Marc and Dylan did so great moves!

Wow! That was a must! It seems that I am doing something good!

Question: should a coach instruct during a game?

The negative point to instruct is that it can be confusing for the player because they have to take their own decision. It is not like basketball where you can stop the game and talk about strategy. It is the only game where the player has to make his own decision.

What are your thoughts about it?

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