Posts Tagged ‘Training Philosophy’
Training to Win: How Steel City FC Prepares Players for the Next Level
In the Performance Phase (PP) we look to challenge our players individually and as a group. With long-term player development at the front of everything we do as a club, in the Foundation Phase (FP), we were teaching the players in a fun yet challenging way to ‘train to love the game.’ In the Youth Development…
Read MoreHow We Develop Soccer IQ in the Youth Development Phase
Within the youth development phase (U13-U14), we continue to expose players to a variety of training environments focused on developing new skills while introducing new concepts relating to our club’s principles of play. Here are some of our common training methods – The Rondo – A rondo activity involves a group of players maintaining possession…
Read MoreWhy We Start Here: Inside the Foundation Phase at Steel City FC
At the front of what we do, we are trying to help build a love and passion for the sport we all love so much. This is especially true in the Foundation Phase as we focus on ‘training to love the game.’ As a club and individual coaches, we strongly promote training our players in…
Read MoreWhy 5v5? The power of small-sided games
At the forefront of everything we do is individual player development. This is especially true for U10, U9, U8 players as they truly begin to love the game. As we constantly challenge ourselves to evaluate how to best develop and inspire the players, we recognize and believe in the power of the small-sided games. Here’s…
Read MoreThe Relative Age Effect: How It Impacts Young Soccer Players
Being the best and brightest is of utmost reward in society. From an early age we identify cut-off periods to which we group children for both sports and academics. However, a phenomenon has been recognized — those born closest to the cut-off are at an advantage. This phenomenon is known as the Relative Age Effect…
Read MoreBuilding the Modern Keeper: A Look Inside Our Goalkeeping Approach
Let’s be honest. Whenever anyone talks about “models” in soccer, goalkeepers are rarely mentioned. Goalkeepers are undoubtedly part of the team process and approach and need to be included in all aspects of the team. But their role is unique and requires their own attention. At Steel City, we have a plan and a pathway…
Read MoreBuilt for Long-Term Success: Inside the Phase Model That Guides Steel City FC
Throughout a majority of soccer clubs, the unspoken balancing act to determine who a coach is for a team is based on how long a coach can keep the parents happy. If the parents are happy, then everything is OK. Right? We don’t believe so. This approach leaves out the most important pieces of the…
Read MoreDeep Practice: Our Virtual Academy
These days, training goes beyond the pitch. If we saw any silver linings from our forced hiatus from team training due to Covid-19, it was the opportunity for our club to innovate and improve our approach. We strive to remain connected to our players beyond their team training sessions. While some clubs saw Zoom meetings…
Read MoreThe Hotspurs Way: Team Targets
We talk a lot about longterm player development and a set style of play. But, what does that actually look like when put into a true game of soccer? To achieve this style, we focus on 6 Team Targets. This is for all phases and players within the Hotspurs Program. And allows coaches to structure…
Read MoreConsider these 6 things when choosing your next soccer club
The youth soccer industry can be a tough one to navigate. Unlike anywhere else in the world, there are comparably less ‘top-level’ organizations despite the country boasting more registered youth soccer players than many of the world’s leading soccer nations. There are multiple arguments as to the reason for this with many laying the blame…
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