Koach Karl Dewazien
with French World Cup Champion Coach Amie Jacquet
and Coach Roby Stahl.
"France is the world champion because of long term youth development,"
these words were spoken by Head Coach Aime Jacquet, of the 1998 World Cup champions at the recent United States Youth Soccer Symposium in
Philadelphia. He continued, "There is a consistent youth training program through all the departments; they look at the program carefully and change it every year. Twenty years of hard work is now paying off: Everyone is 'now' on the same wavelength."
"The biggest problem with youth players in France? Technique and 'soccer movement.' To improve these, we organize two hours of technical play a day. The most important thing is to play! To learn the width and depth of the field. Not until U-15 do we really settle in positions."
"Specialized goalkeeper training starts at the age of 13 - not before! At 13, keeper coaches at clubs start working with kids; they spend a lot of time on footwork. Bartheze, the first choice keeper for the national
team, is an excellent striker and midfielder, too."
As fate would have it - only days after these words were recorded the
following letter arrived...
Dear Karl:
Thank you for spending so much time with me on the telephone just prior to the monthly Tiburon Peninsula Soccer League (TPSL) board meeting on
Monday, March 13 and again on Wednesday, March 15th. Can you give me some written feedback on the TPSL program of no goalies in our U8 program? I believe that the TPSL has had a no goalie rule in effect, in our youngest program (U8), since 1995. The TPSL board, of which I am a member, has endorsed this model program of micro soccer (5 per side no goalies) since a mid 1 990s visit from you. Our purpose in adopting this style of U8 play was to promote the joy of soccer's aerobic athleticism, to give each child as many foot touches on the ball as possible and to increase each child's scoring opportunities.
We use 6 feet high by 18 feet wide goals in our U8 games and we encourage our coaches to set up cone goals during practice. We believe that passing for an assist, or scoring a goal is a thrill that most 6 & 7 year old players appreciate.
In truth there are still children that do not score in an entire season.
Many of our team's develop very good defensive skills, with the 6 and
7-year-olds running back, learning the role of a sweeper and clearing the ball out of their goal area. Of course, more players do score goals and this is designed to keep as many of our introductory kids as possible interested in and excited about soccer.
TPSL plays down the wishes of 6 &7 year old players that have a burning
desire to use their hands in soccer and to play in the center spot light
position of the goal, These goalie loving children still have the good
fortune to develop their foot/eye coordination in most of the other athletic activities in which they participate, but foot/eye skills frequently develop only on the soccer field. The general physical ability and learning pace of a U-10 player is noticeably improved over a typical U8 child. The TPSL has felt that the time given in our U-10 program to develop an 8 or 9 year old child to play goalie in the U-10 league is sufficient and appropriate for that age group. If they want to, any child can take a goalie clinic or a goalie lesson on their own (TPSL publishes a list of coaches to contact) and the local futsal and indoor soccer programs use goalies in their U8 flights. The luxury of our simplified U8 game keeps most children's spirits high and most coaches focused on developing the foot/eye skills needed by their U8 players.
In our program, whether in games or in practices, our kids benefit from
increased touches, a greater opportunity to experience the thrill of
scoring a goal, and a soccer environment without the pressure of a goalie in the box or being a goalie in the box. Our U-8 quickly learn the crucial change over from offense to defense without a goalie to rely on. Our kids are running, scoring and having fun. Our entry-level U8 program is designed to promote a love of the game. It appears that with very few exceptions we are successful.
Karl, what do you think? In the mid nineties 5 on 5 with no goalie was
shown to us as a model program for the greater good of the kids and the
game, is it still considered valuable? Is it true that most soccer
injuries occur between front runners and goalies? Is there any world
endorsement of this entry-level program for 6 and 7 year olds? In the
course of our twelve-year program {U8 to U19) do the children in our
league have ample opportunity to develop goalie skills as well as to learn the rhythm of a soccer game with a goalie in place? Will "Johnny" or "Mary" seven-year-old not evolve into a high school or college level
goalie because of playing in our U8 program?
Please give us some answers, some opinions some feedback.
Yours truly,
Marc Hayman, TSIL
Please send your opinions and thoughts on this topic.
Koach Karl
