Club Involvement
My involvement in soccer over the years has taken me to many places. I have worked as a club staff coach and director, served as an IYSA ODP State team Head Coach (u15 & u16) and Assistant Coach (u12 & u13), worked as a scout for U.S. Soccer, and taught Coaching Education courses (D,E,F, and youth modules for the IYSA). I have seen over the course of a year what playing in the “off season” can do for a player. It is important to take into consideration the following ideas as our players continue on in their development outside of the high school season.Players in the high school program need to be playing. Somehow, somewhere, they need to be connected to a team.

Obviously there are teams of various ability levels, but there’s always a place for someone to play. Research who you play for. Technical development in youth players has its biggest impact between the ages of 6-10, yet players continue to refine their skill as they get older, and therefore the more touches a player is getting on the ball, the better.

With increased technical ability (skill), comes improved tactical awareness (decision making). The more composed a player is on the ball, the easier the game is to play. The quicker a player can play, the more dangerous a player can be.

With regard to technical and tactical development, when a player is placed under competitive conditions, where players are under pressure, we can also see how they are forced to develop in that environment.

The psychological aspect of the player in the off season should also be taken into consideration with regard to their development. There should be a healthy balance between the high school program and a player’s club involvement. Be aware of the club environment that lessens the value of the high school experience. If a player coming into the fall season doesn’t set a higher expectation on themselves to perform, allowing themselves to settle for mediocrity, they cannot maximize their abilities. 10 weeks in the fall can only help in the development of a player, provided they have the support of their club coach. Negativity can only hinder a players approach to the game.

Soccer related fitness in the form of playing and competing can give players fitness in the time outside of the high school season. Down time is good for appropriate periods of time to regenerate the body, and certainly appropriate preseason programs will help to address players needs to get back into game shape.

Please advise me of all winter and spring game schedules by email: mwiggins@hinsdale86.org