Fluidsoccer project
- 1. Formalized Pickup Soccer: Providing the Best for your child
- 2. A little about me I have a passion and love for the game I follow major leagues in world soccer UK: English Premier League Spain: La Liga Italy: Serie A Germany: Bundesliga France: Ligue 1 Europe: Champions League USA: Major League Soccer Daily, I spend some time reading about soccer(match analysis, tactics, scouting, transfers, team philosophies, manager philosophies, player strengths, players career graph, managers career path, formations…) I have a kid who is interested in soccer and I am struggling to find a good/best way forward for him. I am specifically looking at a age group of 7-10 year old kids I know there would be more like me out there, and together we can find a way forward with the help of each other
- 3. Soccer Playing Options Recreational Soccer Join a club recreational program, where professional coaches train your kids Join AYSO, where parents volunteer to coach a team Weekly Training and/or scrimmage Scrimmage on every weekend Competitive Soccer Join a club competitive program Weekly Training and/or scrimmage Matches at the weekend, which may or may not involve travel Futsal Indoor soccer with a somewhat heavy ball Classes are conducted by some private agencies
- 4. Drawbacks Recreational Soccer Each season there is a influx of kids wh0 are totally new to soccer. Since your kid has already played some amount of soccer, frustration kicks in, since the newer player will take his own sweet time to come to that level Each season the kid is grouped with unknown kids. By the time they get to know each other, the season ends. As mentioned earlier, at this age its important for the kids to be comfortable and confident Competitive Soccer Too much emphasis on winning No style of play to look forward to Creativity gets killed Type casting players in their early stages Too much costs involved Any mode you choose involves “Pay to Play” No year around play Lack of soccer academies who can invest in the future player(a certain lack of a talent crop might be stopping this)
- 5. What the kids really need at this age(7-10) Psychological Factors Should feel comfortable Are more comfortable playing with family/friends Should be allowed to improvise/experiment a lot on their own, since at this age they think they are experts in all matters, and that confidence should not be broken Should feel confident Technical Factors Introduce technical skills with some amount of random repetition Leave decision making to them while playing Focus on basics, passing/receiving/dribbling/shooting/maximum touches on the ball Introduction to team play Maximum small sided games(4v4) Minimum teaching, the game is the best teacher Maximum fun and exploration
- 6. How is it done elsewhere? A strong soccer culture and free play: Most of the soccer stars(Zidane, Maradonna, Pele) grew up playing soccer on the streets Brazil: All soccer skills are developed on the street just by playing Free play boasts creativity State of the art soccer academies Academies invest in the player starting from the age of 6-8 until when the player signs a contract
- 7. Can it be done here? Its all about: Keeping it natural Maximizing play time Planning about year around soccer Making it a enjoyable experience Maintain and increase passion and love for the game Focus on player development
- 8. How it can be done? Start with forming a group of 15-20 like-minded parents who are somewhat serious about their kids soccer needs Parents should have passion about the game or be willing to contribute in other ways It would be like a club team of kids. Same kids, working together, practicing alongside each other, giving them to know each other, and allowing them to play the game in a known environment All kids stick together and progress for several years Maximize play time by planning for year around activities Once the kids reach a level where they can compete, we can start participating in soccer leagues Plethora of resources are available to carry out the trainings, some of us can also do the USSF coach certifications. As stated earlier, at this age passion is the only fuel which is needed
- 9. What do we get out of it? Provide a natural, free and flourishing soccer environment for the kids Kids stick together with the same group for years, which will act as a boost, considering team work is the most important part in soccer(I am sure we will also grow on the social front making it a bigger family) Everybody has a sense of ownership and pride in what they are doing Bunch of people working together in a common interest are bound to do something good If kids continue to play for 5-6 years in this mode, this will serve as a very strong platform to launch their professional careers Best value for money Kids will have a time of their life!!!!!!!!!!
- 10. Resources Needed Human resources Training Logistics Finance Planning Equipment Soccer goals, balls, cones, jerseys Field
- 11. Does it create a spark? Please email me at: kedsambardekar8@gmail.com with the following details: Your Name, Email Address, Phone Number and Occupation Child’s Name, Date of Birth Child’s Soccer Experience Year and Season Club/Organization I will add you to the “FreeFluidSoccerGroup” on Google You will be notified with the further announcements
- 12. Where to go from here? Stay tuned to the group announcements. As soon as we have enough buy in, we will get the ball rolling
- 13. FAQ’s I don’t have any soccer knowledge but my child is really interested in soccer, can I join? > Its ok if you do not have soccer knowledge or experience. But your kid should have some soccer experience and you should be somewhat serious about his soccer Will this approach be cheaper? > It all depends on how much we want to do. There are some variable factors like field rentals, league costs etc. We cannot give a number until we get into it We are not professional coaches, how will the kids thrive? > At this age what they need is exposure. Training for kids can be carried out by the parents. We will definitely be doing everything by the standards and laws of the game How much commitment is needed from the parents? > This would be a totally volunteer driven work. There would be some commitment needed. But as the group grows, things should ease out. Tentatively we would not expect more than 3 hours of work per week per person How is this different from AYSO? > This is very similar, except that, its like we are forming our own team which will play together for years, giving the child the maximum potential to develop. We will also participate in competitive soccer leagues, once our team is ready to compete.