1. I will begin with advice given by Bill Parcells of the NY Jets.
Keep possession of the ball.
Play to win.
Do not commit fouls that cause penalties.

2. Pass the ball the way that you are facing. That also means to prepare to receive the ball by turning to the direction that you want to pass the ball. Related to that...shield the ball. Do not attempt to turn with the ball. They are all related. Pass to feet and not space. Finally as Rinus Michels said many years ago, "go to the ball!, always, go to the ball!" Do not wait for the ball to come to you.

3. Become two footed if you are not good with both feet. It is never too late to learn. You will be twice as valuable as a two footed player.

4. There is a difference between dribbling and driving. Practice both. Dribbling means a touch of the ball with every step. Driving means to push the ball ahead and run on to it. Two different things.

5. Practice shooting with the instep. Both feet. Push the ball ahead. Lift your head and Peek at the goal. (Where is the net?) Then pop it a good one. P.P.P. Now where exactly is the instep?

6. Learn to turn with the ball. Two ways to the left, two ways to the right and two ways in the reverse direction. Two ways in each direction. When players do the same thing all the time they become predictable. Learn to fool the opponents. Have more than one move. Switch back and forth. But have two for each direction.

7. Do not stand and pass; do not stand and receive If there is one thing that bothers me, grouped two by two, standing and passing back and forth. It is not a reflection of the real game. Move and pass; move and receive Ah, that is the real game. At any age level. High level coaches ask about a player's work level. How can a work level be measured if the players are standing?

8. I have a friend who places cones about ten yards apart on a diagonal leading to the goal. He instructs the players to dribble to the cone, stop, and continue to dribble. Why? Change of pace! Players must learn to change the pace of the game. More important, control the pace of the game. Only the player with the ball can do that. Only the player with the ball can control the pace of the game. The old saying is that the team that controls the pace of the game controls the game. Pace. Change of pace. Dribbling and driving under control with a predetermined pace in mind. Pace.

9. This will be the odd comment. Go see soccer games. One does not have to see the pros play to learn or enjoy the sport. I am serious. Why should not young players watch older players? High School? Or college games. Much can be learned. Even if the teams do not do well, help the young players to understand what went wrong. There is nothing wrong with doing that. Also, go to tournaments and see teams from other places and learn from them about how they play. Even if you are not in the tournament go to it and learn. Every game can be entertaining and instructional. Both.

10. Homework. This is the last and the big one. Until the players learn to play by themselves the game will never go. I am surrounded by people who play street hockey with roller blades in the street. And basketball by every other telephone pole. Where are the soccer players? Why do they need a coach to play? Why must they be told what to do? Just do it! Just do it!

While I was taking course work for a Ph.D. at Fordham University my favorite instructor said, in a quote of a famous French philosopher, "To be is to participate in being." In other words, to be a soccer player is to participate in being a soccer player. Go to games, play in the streets, play in the back yard, practice in the garage...but do it. Do not talk about it. Do it. To be is to participate in being. I love it.

That is ten for the road. Have a good year! And I hope to be with you all at the real millennium year from now.

Alan Maher

Editors note:
You can correspond with Alan Maher by writing to:
Alan Maher
340 Euclid Ave.
Massapequa Park, NY 11762
alanmaher@aol.com