Encourage the risk takers

by Mike Mierau

While typing up the area high school soccer schedules for Soccer Times, it got me thinking about the quality of play at the high school level. It seems to me the level of soccer has reached a plateau around SW Michigan over the past few years. Unfortunately, that plateau is at something only slightly above mediocre. Granted, the number of games I've been able to see has been limited (so if you feel I've missed something holler), but conspicuously absent are players with an ability to beat defenses one-on-one. Missing are players who can trap a ball in a crowded penalty area and fight for space enough to shoot.

With the growth of soccer in our area, one might think the quality of play would be rising steadily. It's certainly not a lack of athletic talent. We have plenty of kids with great potential, but we seem to be unable to develop good athletes into good soccer players.

I expect there are many theories that can explain this glaring lack of flair. The question is, what might a youth coach do to improve the current situation? Well, you can look for drills that address the fundamentals involved and do your best to make the most of practice sessions. But beyond that, you should go out of your way to encourage players to take chances. You must foster an environment at practice and in games that challenges players to be creative, and rewards the attempts, whether successful or not.

This may not be easy. An attempt at being creative too deep in the defensive end can be disastrous. It's much safer to bang the ball forward than to trap and dribble to open space. But if players are not allowed the freedom to take these chances during practice, they will never get the confidence to be creative in games. When a coach recognizes the imaginative move and praises the player for it, regardless of the outcome, you're more likely to see other players taking those chances and consistently beating defenders doing it.

A major trouble spot could come from teammates who make fun of the player who tries something new and fails. When you hear this, stop everything and insist that it not be repeated. Soccer is 25% skill. The other 75% is having the confidence to use it. If teammates routinely criticize each other and find fault when risks are taken, whatever creative juices that a coach might encourage will dry up. An entire team can end up equating risk with ball possession and players will get rid of the ball first and think about where to send it later. This is a disaster when your primary goal is to develop skillful players.

So then, it's those of us at the youth levels that must do more to improve high school play. We must continually applaud creative play and encourage the risk takers.

Perhaps I'll be proven wrong this high school season. I may have been too harsh on my assessment of high school play to date. Perhaps more of those Baggio wanna-be's will emerge from the pack and show the sort of skill and creative play that makes soccer such a wonderful game. When I see it, you can bet I'll be shouting out in appreciation of the attempt, successful or not. Hopefully, the coach, players and other fans will be doing the same.

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