Coach's Corner

Soccer tournaments started in this country as a way for clubs to make some money to pay the bills. Great idea. Clubs would sponsor a tournament early in a playing season, or in the summer when league play was suspended to make some cash. Now these tournaments rule youth soccer.

It is now very important to participate in these types of events. Many clubs advertise for players based on the tournaments they attend. Many coaches entice U16s, U17s, and U18s to their club by promising attendance at tournaments where college coaches will attend. Really? Many players (and parents) choose a club solely based on attendance and success in certain tournaments. Today, the main focus for teams, clubs, parents and players are ... Tournaments!! The weekly league game (or two) is secondary to the Tournaments! And maybe even eliminated from the busy tournament schedule. In Central Ohio club teams must participate in a sanctioned league to be allowed to play in tournaments. Some clubs have a team for the weekly league (usually a weaker team) so the A team can compete in tournaments all over the country. And, if you don’t get into the tournaments of your choice? Change clubs or create your own tournament. It works! Try it!

These tournaments allow our soccer playing youth to play a variety of teams in a variety of states all year long. But, they are expensive. It costs the average family a weekend, car mileage, hotel expense, entertainment for between games, food and video game money to play in these weekend extravagances. Why? Because everyone plays in tournaments! The kids will become better players. The college coaches can see them play! Everyone plays in tournaments. Everyone that is except youth teams in other soccer playing countries.

The weekly game is the most important game for most other countries. Teams have one week of training. One week of learning. One week to prepare for the game on Saturday or Sunday. The most important aspect of learning the game happens in well-founded training programs. The habits necessary to become a complete player are developed in training.

Training is important. Training is critical to the success of these soccer-playing nations. Why is training important? Training allows a supervised and progressive means to learn the game, if done properly! Training allows the player, coach and team to focus on the areas of the game that will influence performance. What are those areas?

• Fitness
• Constant technical improvement
• Improvement of tactical understanding based on problems in the previous game
• Improvement of the mental aspects of the game by applying stress in the training situation in a variety of situations
• Team building

Maybe in America, we are uncomfortable with training. It is a fact that some of our youth soccer coaches do not have the background in the game as a player to feel comfortable in training. The obvious solution is play games. So, we play games and don’t train. Soccer teams in Germany, England, Holland etc. do play in tournaments. But those tournaments are usually during a holiday break or serve as an excuse to go to Madrid for a week. During the soccer season league games count! The entire focus is on the league game. Promotions, relegation, rivalries all depend on the weekly game. Only in America do the players play in tournaments to collect patches for their bag or to spend Memorial Day in Lexington, Kentucky. Play. Play. Play. What happened to training?

These tournaments are killing soccer in this country. Young players can not learn how to play in these types of situations. Everything about these tournaments is bad for the development of American soccer players!!

Tournaments allow players and teams with slow pace or no pace to succeed. Teams play three games in a twenty four hour period and if they are lucky play two more and win a trophy. Assuming we accept the fact that minimum recovery takes twenty-four hours, it is physically impossible to play that many games in a short time. In a recent tournament in Central Ohio, for example, a U18 team played at 4:45 pm and 6:00 pm Saturday night and at 7:30 am Sunday morning! What can a coach expect to get from the players in these games? Nothing! It is not possible to play soccer in these situations. These tournaments breed Underwater Soccer. Nice and slow...no change of pace...no defending. Soccer is not meant to be played this way. Soccer is a game that is played when the player is uncomfortable...when the player closes in on fatigue...when the player runs, works and defends for ninety minutes. The very early laws of the game of soccer stressed a physical component by not allowing a lot of substitutions. Fitness is a part of the game. Ah, so you think there is a fitness component when playing in a tournament? No, there is not. There is an energy conservation component...not fitness? American youth players stop running when they are uncomfortable. And since they are playing so many games in a short weekend, they just don’t run at all. When the players try to move on to the next level (college), they are shocked to realize they cannot make the team. They don’t know how to play! They don’t know how to run and they don’t know how to work. They don’t know how to defend. They don’t know what the physical aspect of soccer is all about. They have never been taught what it takes to play this game at a high level.

Technical development in a tournaments situation? No chance. The games do offer a variety of opportunities to cultivate technical improvement. But, because the games are so slow and there is very little defending, the time and space available for players is not realistic for a real soccer game. In fact, it is counterproductive. When a player does get into a real game, where time and space are limited he/she cannot play!

Tactical improvements? Don’t look here. There is no time between games to either discuss any tactical problems or work on them before the next game. If your team faces a formation or tactic you haven’t seen before, what do you do?? Hope you don’t see it again. As a rule, there is very little teaching going on in regards to tactics in many clubs. The prevailing mentality is simply ...find the best players and let them play! Not a bad strategy. But as players move on in their soccer career, an understanding of tactics is very important. Even a constant teaching/review of 1v1; 2v1; 3v2 etc is essential to complete the maturation of a soccer player. This tournament mentality does not allow this teaching to take place. A player who relies only on athletic ability without learning the game will hit a soccer plateau and not get any better. This happens far too often in the United States. There is too much emphasis on the athletic ability of a player at the expense of soccer ability. In addition, tactics are important in the development of the whole team. If you agree with Alan Wade that the most difficult aspect of coaching a soccer team is getting all the players on the same page then you will agree that teaching tactics is very important.. To accomplish that, the team must have time to train together and learn about tactics after each game!

And the problems do not end there. The mental aspect of the game is lost. Soccer is a game where the mental aspect is so very important. In fact we delight in selling the game as a player’s game and as a mental game. But, we do nothing about it. No less an authority than former German international Jurgen Klinnsman feels that working on the mental side of the game is lacking right now in soccer all over the world. There is no mental preparation during tournaments at all. If it’s 2:00 it must be Vardar. Let’s go play . The young players do not learn that a warm up prepares you to play physically and mentally! Rather they show up, perform some cursory warm up(or no warm up at all) and play. As a result they simply go through the motions of the game and never get any better. Preparation is important. Preparation is important for the individual and for the team. The game of soccer is both physically and mentally demanding. It is the responsibility of the coach to prepare for both. In tournaments preparation does not happen.

Fields? Are you kidding. So many teams want to attend tournaments that most tournaments don’t have the space necessary to supply good fields. Fields are created on any space possible. The grass is too long, the holes are too big, the field is too narrow and very bumpy. The fields create problems with injuries and bad soccer. Narrow, bumpy, heavy fields are not the surface to learn how to play. These fields contribute to a very direct style of play and don’t allow for any creativity or any positive dribbling. The fields at most tournaments are simply unplayable.

Officials? There is a shortage of officials all over this country. Any fall weekend will see many officials working a high school game in the morning and a college game or two in the afternoon and evening. As the hours on the job increase, the quality goes down. This is exactly what happens with tournaments. Officials will do four, five or six games each day. Officials have been known to eat lunch while working a line. And, how about that six-o- clock game. What can anyone expect from an official who has been on the field for six or eight hours? These long hours for officials can cause real problems in tournaments!

Some parents and coaches argue that they cannot get better playing the same old teams and tournaments allow better competition. Every league in every other country plays the same teams each year. The concern for these teams is to make themselves better. There is very little concern about who they play. The teams train hard all week to put what they learned on the field on the weekend. They learn how to play the game systematically and with a sound progression. Our tournaments kids miss out on a lot of necessary soccer information. Traveling eight hours to play three games in eighteen hours does not make a team better. Quality of competition is important, but the quality of each team’s effort each game is what counts in the end. The time spent traveling would be better spent training at an intense level and preparing for the GAME on Saturday!

Some tournaments have addressed some of these problems. The Cincinnati Blue Chip Classic each April allows each team to play only once each day. The teams play three games in three days. Not great, but better than the usual five games in two or three days! Recently adidas began an Elite Soccer Program (ESP) that brings in some of the best male and female soccer players to a site for five days of training and games. Each of these programs allows the players to be seen by college coaches and play only one game a day. The players have a chance to play the game at a higher level than the weekend tournaments. The college coach can see if the kid has a game.

A tournament now and then is fine. It can be fun for the club, the players and the parents. Maybe they can travel to some cities that are fun. A tournament can bring a team together and build some morale. But too many tournaments will prevent the natural progression of learning that will take place in well organized and thoughtful training sessions. Training sessions that use the last game as a learning situation to build on and training sessions that prepare the team for the next opponent. The old coaching expression that ...the game is the best teacher is not true. Games used as a laboratory and supplemented by systematic and progressive training sessions ...is the best teacher!

Stop the tournaments!

Dr. Jay Martin is the current head soccer coach and Athletic Director at Ohio Wesleyan University, the 1999 NCAA Division III national champions. He is one of the winningest collegiate coaches. Jay is the past president of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), and serves as the head district ODP coach for the Columbus area.

Potential Causes and Prevention Methods For Dealing with Cramping Muscles

Muscle cramping is not an uncommon problem among athletes. Although it is not entirely clear what causes muscle cramps, they are often instigated by loss of fluids and minerals during a hard workout or game. Sometimes muscle cramps can be serious enough to take a player out of a competition. According to U.S. Men’s National Team Strength and Conditioning coach Pierre Barrieu, even though the causes of muscle cramps are not entirely known, that does not mean measures cannot be taken to prevent them.

Potential Causes of Muscle Cramps

“Actually, science hasn’t figured it out completely,” Barrieu said about the causes of muscle cramps. “Probably one of the reasons is dehydration, another one is lack of minerals that is affecting the regular muscle contracting mechanism. It also has something to do with the central nervous system.”

Dehydration is certainly one of the most common factors that contribute to muscle cramps, which are often coupled with large losses of minerals such as sodium, calcium and potassium through sweat. Fluid, mostly water, makes up more than 70 percent of the human body. Along with the loss of sodium—a mineral that initiates signals from nerves, which in turn leads to muscle movement—and other minerals, the loss of fluid in the human body may cause muscles to become irritable. When the muscles are irritated in such a way, any slight stress, such as movement, may cause the muscles to contract and twitch uncontrollably.

Another factor in muscle cramping may be flexibility. Most people tend to relate lack of flexibility and stretching to pulled muscles, however, according to Barrieu, if the muscle is tight, it tends to cramp a lot easier than other muscles.

Preventing Muscle Cramps

Since the majority of muscle cramps are associated with loss of fluids and minerals as well as tight muscles, the most obvious preventative measures are to keep well hydrated, replace the sodium and other minerals lost through excessive sweating and stretch adequately.

“You definitely want to make sure that your players don’t get dehydrated,” said Barrieu. “Same thing with minerals.”

When it comes to the Men’s National Team, Barrieu makes sure players are hydrated and get plenty of salt. Salt not only replenishes sodium lost through sweat, it also retains water, which helps players stay better hydrated.

Barrieu also makes sure that players get enough minerals such as potassium and calcium and works on flexibility daily, making sure that players’ muscles are not overly tight, especially since some players are more prone to cramps than others. Stretching properly on game day is particularly important because of the intensity of the workout.

Another way to prevent muscle cramps is not only to pay attention to hydration, but also to make sure to avoid dehydration by staying away from alcohol, said Barrieu.

“When you drink alcohol you definitely expose yourself to cramps,” Barrieu said. “The reason is that alcohol is sucking a lot of water out of your cells. You definitely have to stay away from alcohol if you’re an athlete and you don’t want to cramp.”

Relieving Muscle Cramps

Sometimes muscle cramps occur despite an athlete’s efforts to prevent them. When muscles cramp during a workout, they can be relieved by:

1. Stretching. A muscle cramp is the contraction of a muscle, so what the athlete needs to do is try to relax that particular muscle, which often brings to mind the typical image of a person stretching, Barrieu said.

2. Drinking fluid. If the muscle cramping is extreme (whole body cramping), fluid should be given through an IV, said Barrieu. However, players should try to rehydrate with a fluid containing electrolytes, such as Gatorade, so that the muscle may receive the minerals it requires to function properly. According to research from U. Connecticut, oral rehydration (drinking) offeres psychological and physiological recovery benefits not obtained from IV treatments.

3. Adequate recovery. This actually means resting and trying to make sure that the muscle is not active until the central nervous system recovers and no longer sends signals to that muscle to contract.

So while the exact causes of muscle cramps may be unknown, cramping can often affect a player’s productivity on the field, which makes preventing muscle cramps very important. Adequate hydration, stretching and staying flexible and making sure that the proper mineral levels are maintained are all key factors in avoiding muscle cramps. Also important is avoiding alcohol and other such drinks that dehydrate the body, and making sure that if a player’s muscles do cramp, that player allows the affected muscles to relax and recover completely.

Information obtained from US Soccer Men’s National Team Strength and Conditioning coach Pierre Barrieu and the Gatorade Sports Science Institute

The good thing about soccer is the game can be played year round. The bad thing about soccer is the game can be played year round.

I can remember while growing up, playing many pickup games on basketball courts, an open plot of land or anywhere there was available space. If a ball was available, we played. What I don’t remember is hearing about is muscle and ligament injuries. There is no question that some of you are playing, training for too long, and too hard without recovery time. I am speaking to you as players but also to the parents and coaches out there who continuously push to the limits. The professional organization and structure of children’s sports has led to a staggering increase in the number of overuse injuries that are reported.

Recently, I had a conversation with a Sports Medicine doctor who he told me some downright ugly situations in terms of joint injuries, in particular knees. Overuse injuries are exclusive to organized sports and are true sports injuries. No pain – No gain can lead to possibly being inactive because of injury. Over training and playing while hurt will hurt you in the long term. If you hurt or if you feel pain – STOP or you will make it worse. Treat it now and maybe you can return to activity. Wait until later and you risk not being able to play for a much longer time or, even worse, not being able to play the sport again. You are at risk for overuse injuries because you are growing and you are very active!

You must train and practice intelligently. It is impossible to be constantly in shape throughout the year. Rest is important; however the older you are and the more in shape you are, the length can be shorted. According to research, after high intensity training, interval running, or competition in soccer games, it is required that there be at least 48 hours of recuperation and during hot weather, 72 hours. Now, we are not saying that you should do nothing for 48 hours, but the intensity and duration of exercise should be a lot less.

Some of you are playing intensely upwards of 70 games in a season! Professionals from around the world don’t every play half that many games in the season. We have seen an increase every year of the signs of overuse from organized youth sports like soccer with many reports of knee injuries, lower back, and lower leg – ankle pain. There might be other factors that have to be looked at like shoes, field surfaces, and physical body make-up, but most of these injuries stem from overuse, and improper rest in between activity. Remember, rest also means fueling up properly.

A national study has begun and already many organized youth sports programs have begun to make changes in these areas. You will benefit from this study – I am sure of it. Stay tuned; I will continue to report on this study as more information is released. Stay Healthy!

What should my diet consist of prior to games?

A healthy diet can only affect your performance in the long-term, while eating the wrong things can degrade it rather quickly. Make sure you consume carbohydrate-rich meals two to three days prior to upcoming matches. It is recommended to stay away from fried, fatty or spicy foods within 24 hours of kick-off. To empty out the stomach and upper small intestine, your pre-game meal should not be in less than 3 hours before the match. From that point on, stick to liquids, juices and light snacks. Make sure you are well hydrated because that can affect your performance dramatically. Drink plenty of fluids before, after and (when possible) during the game.
Throughout the rest of the week, you may eat protein (meats) but try to keep it low-fat. The basic idea is to have your body store its calories from complex carbohydrate foods. Players burn approximately 1700 calories per game while the body can only store about 600 per day.

Here are some examples of low-fat, high-carb foods that you may consider:

Breakfast & Snacks

• non-sugar coated cereal
• cold or hot cereals (oatmeal)
• soy or low-fat milk
• English muffins
• pancakes
• French toast
• potatoes
• yogurt
• bagels
• juices
• fresh or dried fruit
• sandwiches
• yougurt
• corn
• pretzels
• low-fat cottage cheese
• graham crackers
• egg whites

Lunch & Dinner

• fish (seafood)
• veal
• chicken (without the skin)
• turkey
• other lean meats (not fried)
• rice
• vegetables
• pasta (marinara sauce)
• variety of breads (multi-grain)
• soups (broths are best with a little onion)
• salads (low-fat to non-fat dressings)
• sodas (can assist with Glycogen recovery after games)
• pizza with vegetable toppings (mushrooms, green peppers)

CONDUCT OF PLAYERS AT TRAINNING SESSIONS AND GAMES

Players who persist in violating these standards of conduct will jeopardize their standing as players within the Black Thunder F.C.   Flagrant disregard for rules of play and standards of conduct will result in stringent disciplinary action, including possible loss of standing, loss of travel privileges, and/or complete removal from the club.