The Coaches Corner

Ferdie’s Soccer Magic
100% focus on individual ball skills

Greater sophistication for a higher level of simplicity

752 Bay Road, Belchertown, MA 01007.
Tel/Fax: 413.253.4888

Welcome Directors, Coaches and Parents to the FSM Website.

You are probably seeking information on how you can improve the skills of your players. You are not alone. I hope you find the sight informative and helpful. Contact me to find out how to bring the program to your Club or town, Below are at least 4 good reasons why FSM can work for you.

1. The nature of soccer in America makes it very difficult for coaches to accomplish all they need to do for a player in a given season. There is simply not enough time in a two- month season for any kind of development to take place. Even when kids play indoor in the off season it is still a league, and you work tactically to win as opposed to teach. In a league winning is the only way to measure development. The team wins as a result of good tactics, but the individuals lack skills to be able to play anywhere else. Today we all realize that this is not good development.

2. As the President of a soccer club or even Director of player development, how much would you like to be assured that every single kid who has paid to join your club is getting professionally developed and specialized individual ball handling and ball control skills. More often than not the club coach of a particular age group(especially younger ages) is a father or mother who took over from another coach who moved up with his son or daughter. Granted that most parent intentions are good and will work hard for their kids to get the best education, the fact of the matter here is that most don't have enough knowledge and expertise to teach skills to a team. A few kids get good teachers, but most of the kids make due with whoever they end up with.

3. Most clubs are far from developmental even though their literature claims as such. If a club leaves the responsibility of development to the coach for the season, then chances are each coach is going to a different source for ideas on what to do and how to do it. A club is Developmental when the u-13 coach gets the u-12 team and knows exactly what the kids have been doing for the past year. Without uniformity and some sort of continuity from one age group to another, then how is the club or program developmental? Even ODP programs are guilty of this misunderstanding. Ajax and Man.Utd definitely do not function like this.

4. Talk with any human on earth and they will express a liking to a particular age group. A person might be very well versed in a field of study but lack the characteristics or personality to work with 18 year olds. Or they can't stand kids so they prefer to work with adults. It even takes different personalities to succeed with boys or with girls at the same age level. A successful college coach may not necessarily be the best person to teach 9 year olds. The time has come for coaching and teaching to be separate. There is a saying within coaching circles that 90 % of coaching is motivation. Well, at FSM we say 90% of teaching is Patience. The patience to teach is a gift, and FSM is a collection of personalities whose mere presence inspires learning. We will bring this gift to your club or team to make sure your kids get the skills they need to succeed in the game. This way we separate the teaching phase from the coaching phase. We will focus on teaching individual skills so that you can focus on coaching the team.

Our system, concepts, and method of teaching will ensure that your players clearly understand the use, purpose and value of each skill. Two coaching clinics a year will update all your coaches on what we are teaching so that they can reinforce them during the season. FSM skills report quantitatively measures a player's skill, and this can be charted over time, enabling you to track each players development. It allows comparison with kids from other age groups, gender and even other areas of the country. Regional and national skills competitions will help boost and raise standards across the country. The report even helps you identify your best skillful players and your best technical players.

A good developmental program must have a philosophy. A philosophy that leads to a developmental objective. An objective defined by it's elements and characteristics. Then establish a process to acquire the elements and characteristics leading to the objective. Without a way of measuring and tracking this process it will be difficult to know where you are going or what you have done. This is what we will do for you. Now you don't have to worry about the contents of your skills development philosophy because FERDIE'S SOCCER MAGIC has taken care of that.

We will bring the program to YOU!

CUSTOM WEEKEND SKILLS PROGRAM

If what you need is skills, speed, and quickness along with a technical support system then please feel free to Contact Us.

America's Best Play US Youth Soccer
Soccer America announces top 20 boys and girls youth soccer clubs in America

RICHARDSON, Texas (February 12, 2004) - This week twenty US Youth Soccer clubs were named "America's Best Youth Clubs" by Soccer America. The common denominator of success was US Youth Soccer.

"We congratulate these clubs for receiving this honor," said David Messersmith, president of US Youth Soccer. "We are very proud of our brand of soccer and it's ability to reach all ages and levels. It's wonderful to see Soccer America recognize the work of our coaches, players and their support systems as evidenced in their criteria used to select 'America's Best Youth Clubs'."

The criteria for determining 'America's Best Youth Clubs' was success in the US Youth Soccer National Championships since 2001, the number of players who went on to national and US Youth Soccer ODP regional teams last year, and a survey of college coaches on the best clubs at developing and showcasing players.

"Soccer America's acknowledgement further solidifies US Youth Soccer's position as the leader in providing player development opportunities through such as programs as the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series and the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program," said Jim Cosgrove, executive director of US Youth Soccer.

"It is still the youth game at its highest level that drives our sport," said Lynn Berling-Manuel, CEO and publisher of Soccer America in reference to the magazine's focus on youth clubs "the game that continues to drive soccer in America."

Girls Top 20, State Association
1. Bethesda, Maryland
2. San Diego Surf, California -South
3. PDA, New Jersey
4. Sereno Golden Eagles, Arizona
5. Dallas Texans, North Texas
6. Laguna Hills Eclipse, California - South
7. Colorado Rush, Colorado
8. Michigan Hawks, Michigan
9. Pleasanton Rage, California - North
10. Busch, Missouri
11. Slammers FC, California - South
12. Challenge, South Texas
13. Carmel United, Indiana
14. HBC, Eastern New York
15. Gwinnett SA, Georgia
16. Colorado GSA, Colorado
17. SC Blues, California - South
18. D'Feeters, North Texas
19. Eclipse Select, Illinois
20. Dallas Sting, North Texas

Boys Top 20, State Association
1. FC Delco, Eastern Pennsylvania
2. Chicago Magic, Illinois
3. Irvine Strikers, California - South
4. CASL Elite, North Carolina
5. Concorde Fire, Georgia
6. La Jolla Nomads, California - South
7. Dallas Texans, North Texas
8. FC Sockers, Illinois
9. Houston Texans, South Texas
10. So Cal United, California - South
11. Sereno Golden Eagles, Arizona
12. Colorado Rush, Colorado
13. Michigan Wolves, Michigan
14. Vardar, Michigan
15. PDA, New Jersey
16. West Kendall Optimist, Florida
17. Scott Gallagher, Missouri
18. Oakwood, Connecticut
19. Solar, North Texas
20. Bethesda, Maryland
20. Potomac Cougars, Maryland

For more information on US Youth Soccer visit www.usyouthsoccer.org.

About US Youth Soccer - US Youth Soccer - The Game for ALL Kids!® is the largest youth sports organization in the United States and a member of the US Soccer Federation, the governing body of soccer in America. US Youth Soccer registers more than 3.2 million players annually, ages 5 to 19, in 55 member state associations. US Youth Soccer programs provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game.

---------------------------------------------

Contact: Todd Roby, 800.4.SOCCER
troby@usyouthsoccer.org
www.usyouthsoccer.org