Effective Periodization in Youth Football:
The Case for Economical Training
By Leigh Cullip, Houston Dynamo
Youth Soccer: Out of the Zoo and
Into the Wild…..
Ideology for Philosophy: Building Blocks
Create an environment that is both challenging and fun by way
of developing players intrinsic motives and transposing them
into success technically, tactically, physically and psychologically.
Therefore Implementing a player centric training model that
uses a ‘play based’ learning system
What is Economical Training?
Economical training is the Incorporation of the components of the game into the
methodology and structure of the session
•
Technical
•
Tactical
•
Psychological
•
Physical
•
Think “Small Sided Games” as the Ultimate Youth Soccer Teaching Tool
What is ‘Effective’ Periodization?
•
A ‘Big Picture’ View on Player Development
•
Introducing teaching, and focusing on Core Techniques that are age
specific and developmentally appropriate for the player
•
The collection and use of objective data from technical testing and from
charted performances in Small Sided Games
•
A system to encourage the learning and demonstration of the
“Characteristics of a Youth Soccer Player at Phoenix FC”
•
The development of a new player promotion policy between club teams
and developing relationships with ECNL/USDA Clubs
Creating and Developing A Technical & Tactical
Periodization for a Youth Soccer Club
Problem
• Presenting all of the philosophical points means teaching a mass of information which
causes us to run the risk of the overall message getting lost and players not taking away
concrete lessons.
• Youth coaches need a simplified message so that they can better focus their efforts and so
that coaching points can be wrapped in a “theme” so that the message is more
continuously repeated and the possibility of learning and retention increased.
• A simplified point of view allows the youth coach to increase the development of the
most important parts to develop their teams. age groups: Receiving, Running with the
ball, Releasing (passing & shooting/ finishing).
• A single clear point of view paints a crystal clear picture as to the make-up and character
of our Club, our staff, our players, and our Way from the grassroots right through to the
top level.
Solution
• Focus on overtly coaching the club philosophy in training sessions
and teach the key elements of player development via facilitation.
• The key R’s for these ages and for our vision of a Dynamo player
would be Receiving, Running with the ball, and Releasing (passing
and shooting).
Coaching
Education/Develo
pment
Player
Centric
Educational
System
• The baseline syllabus for 2013 could be to develop a “skillful
receiver, vision based players that are creative dribblers, and deadly
finishers.”
• Accounting for this change, and the shortened schedule, player
development model would look like this:
Implementation
of Methodology
Focused Training on Fundamental Technique
• What?
• 6 Core Fakes and Feints: Matthews, Double Cut, Pull-Push, Lunge, High Wave, Fake Cut
• 6 Core Controlling Techniques - Inside/Outside, Bk Ft/ Frt Ft, No Touch, Aerial, 1T spin w/
Outside, 1T spin w/ Inside
• 6 Core Turns: Inside Hook, Outside Hook, Drag Back, Cruyff, Stop-Turn, Step Over
•Why?
• To utilize the principle of block practice and to maybe start to provide the foundations for
“deliberate practice.”
•To deliver more concrete, age appropriate lessons/ information.
• To bring the Phoenix Curriculum more in line with that of a development academy club.
• To provide another opportunity to mine objective data.
• To provide us an opportunity to assign and encourage homework/ individual training
• How?
• These core techniques will be taught in fundamental activities in each warm-up
• Use of small sided games as a core teaching tool
• Once we have taught the techniques, you can assign them for homework. The following sheet
can be used to track the players’ progress with their homework. The way that points are recorded
will change shift from time/ effort to performance at every 6 week period.
6Core Traps
Inside/
Outside
Bk Ft
/ Frnt
Ft
No
Touch
Aerial
6 Core Fakes and Feints
1T Spin
w/
Outside
Matthews
1T Spin
w/
Inside
Double
Cut
PullPush
Lunge
6 Turns
High
Wave
Fake
Inside
Cut
Inside
Hook
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
Instructions:
 Players can train individually, in pairs
or groups, or with Mom, Dad, a
sibling, a neighbor, etc..
 For every minute spent training a
specific fake/ feint, trap or turn, a
player may record 1 point. There is
no limit to the number of minutes
that you can train or points that you
can earn.
 Homework sheets with scores should
be shown to your CoE coach each
week so that you scores can be
recorded.
Training Ideas:
 To train trapping, play pass with a
friend, sibling, neighbor, etc. and
focus on trapping the ball on the
ground with it moving into space by
using these specific kinds of traps.
You can also pass the ball against a
wall to train trapping.
 To train fakes and feints, start at one
end of a space, dribble towards an
obstacle as if to play a defender 1v1,
and beat that obstacle with one of
the fakes or feints.
 To train turns, you can do the same
activity as the dribbling, but turn at
the obstacle instead of beating the
obstacle.
Outside
Hook
Drag
Back
Cruyff
Stop
Turn
Train the Dynamo Way to
become a…
Skillful Receiver
Creative Dribbler
Deadly Finisher
Train to be a …
Dynamo Player!
Step
Over
Example of a Technical & Tactical
Periodization Chart
Example of a Typical Two Week Micro-cycle:
Week
I
Sun
Mon
Tues
Weds
Thurs
Fri
Sat
MATCH DAY
Rest
Passing &
Receiving
Shooting &
Finishing
1 v 1 Core
Element
Training:
Attacking
Rest
Individual
Training/Ho
mework
Week
II
Sun
Mon
Tues
Weds
Thurs
Fri
Sat
MATCH DAY
Rest
Passing &
Receiving
Individual
Possession
1 v 1 Core
Element
Training:
Defending
Rest
Individual
Training/Ho
mework
Objective Data
• Why?
•Objective data will give us more reliable information about players and the actual state of their growth and development.
• Objective data allows us to compare apples to apples when comparing players from different locations, age groups, etc.
• Objective data allows us to provide concrete and reliable feedback to players and their families that paints a very clear picture of
the player and their abilities at this moment in time.
• Objective data can provide us with evidentiary support to either promote players or defend our decisions not to promote them.
• How?
• Creation of activities to measure the tangible skill set of a player. We can do this testing on
whatever schedule we deem appropriate.
• A suggestion to set test, score and rank players’ skill, tactics, fitness, and psychology if we
devise a “Dutch Tournament” style collection system.
• The following tracking sheet has been developed to help the coaches track this and other
data. These should be handed to the DOC each week.
Coach
Player
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Location
Atten.
RSVP
Character Points By Code
Age Group
HWK Points
Characteristics of a Dynamo Player
Demonstrates a passion for the game – shows a love of soccer, of competing, of teammates, etc.
Team player – shows a willingness to work to achieve as a member of a group
Maturity – is on their best behavior both on and off the soccer field
Desire – will to succeed – perseverance despite and/ or through obstacles
Positive work ethic – works consistently hard, tries their best to succeed
Active student of the game – asks questions, seeks advice, engaged listener
Learns from mistakes and successes and makes adjustments to future behavior
Critical thinking/ problem solving – attempts to think through and solve problems
Leadership – sets a positive example of the characteristics of a Dynamo player for others to follow
Date
Tracking Points
CHARACTERISTICS OF A DYNAMO PLAYER
Because these characteristics are such an important part of the player ID process, I think that we need to
do a better job of teaching, instilling, and rewarding these traits.
One way of doing this might be to hold a “Characteristics Tournament” through the CoE season. Here,
players would receive a point from CoE coaches (points which are tracked on the CoE tracking document)
whenever they are observed exhibiting one of the listed “characteristics of a Dynamo player.”
The points are tacked for the entire season and, then, at the end of the season, we announce winners.
We can decide how to organize the tournament: top point earner per age group, top point earner overall,
most improved per age group, age group with the most points per location, most improved age group,
location with the most points, etc.
Prizes can be tickets, scarves, signed memorabilia, soccer balls, etc.. Promotional items that kids will love.
 In addition to this, we could develop a points system to reward players for positive academic
performances. They could bring and show a report card for points.
 I think that a program like this not only teaches and encourages the characteristics that we are interested
in instilling but, because these traits are really life skills, assigning value to these traits will help our program
to impact kids beyond the soccer field and, thus, help to assign more value to our program in a parent’s
mind.
Thanks for Attending!
Q&A
Leigh Cullip
Houston Dynamo
leigh.cullip@hotmail.com