Over twenty million Americans are playing the great game of soccer. This guide is for their coaches; it will help both the new and the experienced youth and high school coaches develop complete players, those who master the three fundamental elements of technique, tactics, and function. There are many technique books on the market, and a few tactical books, but none which attempt to integrate technique, tactics, and function with accompanying game activities. As in state-of-the-art coaching for all sports, this integration is best developed through a system of progressions. Building upon a...

The games presented in this book were designed to allow the ball and the game to be the true teachers. The aim is to get away from stagnant, boring line drills and restrictive exercises and give ownership of the game back to the players in the form of fun, age-appropriate exercises. In recent years, coaching at youth level, not only in soccer but in all sports, has trended toward specialization and over-coaching, which in effect has taken the joy of the game away and in many cases driven players away from the sport. These games will not only make your practices more fun, they will teach your...