Have you seen a recent FC Barcelona game? After a goal their is euphoria from the players… the more magical the goal, the more congratulatory the celebration. Everyone appreciates FC Barcelona’s technical play, but they really love the creativity they show to break down defenses. The formula is quite simple:

1. Technique is paramount – you’ve got to have belief in yourself and your teammates to take the risks that lead to creativity – you only get that by having sound technical ability.
2. Culture of Support – if your teammates and coaches recognize and appreciate your attempts at creativity, whether they were successful or not, the creative machine is fueled with a constant stream of renewable energy.
   1. Barcelona probably has 40+ buildups each game to the goal and often they only result in 1 or 2 goals… not a good ratio, so consistency of belief and support is

Creativity comes from having tremendous skill and having the freedom to make mistakes. If you are not in an environment that is supportive, you won’t take risks. How many players worry about making mistakes on the field because the coach or parents freak out about losing the ball? That’s rhetorical… too many. Building a level of trust with your players takes time and the older they are, it takes seasons. Why? Because they need to unlearn the fear of making mistakes. Only then can we unlock that creativity, that joy and the passion.

For those that need a little Ivory Tower support, below is a blurb from The Harvard Business Review blog that addresses creativity in companies. Everyone is chasing the creative and the innovative, but the powers that be don’t reward creativity… they punish the unproductive, and reward the robotic… so what type of player are you going to get with that approach.

Tony Schwartz

Tony Schwartz is the president and CEO of The Energy Project and the author of Be Excellent at Anything.

Myth #3: Creativity is genetically inherited, and it’s impossible to teach.

In a global economy characterized by unprecedented competitiveness and constant change, nearly every CEO hungers for ways to drive more innovation. Unfortunately, most CEOs don’t think of themselves as creative, and they share with the rest of us a deeply ingrained belief that creativity is mostly inborn and magical.

Ironically, researchers have developed a surprising degree of consensus about the stages of creativity and how to approach them. Our educational system and most company cultures favor reward the rational, analytic, deductive left hemisphere thinking. We pay scant attention to intentionally cultivating the more visual, intuitive, big picture capacities of the right hemisphere.

As it turns out, the creative process moves back and forth between left and right hemisphere dominance. Creativity is actually about using the whole brain more flexibly. This process unfolds in a far more systematic — and teachable — way than we ordinarily imagine. People can quickly learn to access the hemisphere of the brain that serves them best at each stage of the creative process — and to generate truly original ideas.

Each one of these coaches are making drastic mistakes and hurting the most important muscle of our young players, THEIR BRAINS. The damage to self-confidence and self-awareness can be extremely damaging to the player in the short term and eventually kill the passion that we so much want to see in our kids as they get into their most difficult teen years.

Parents and coaches alike can use the information below to help manage their “feedback” approach. Try it and see what the immediate effects are and once you see how well it works immediately, make it part of every interaction you have with your children and players. Then go get Mind Set, by Carol Dweck and begin to understand how important words are to affecting those little people we are molding.

The below is taken from MindSet Works:

Rule #1: When things go wrong, keep it real.  It’s not easy to tell a child that they screwed up, and knowing this may cause anxiety, disappointment or embarrassment.  But don’t make the mistake of protecting a child’s feelings at the expense of telling them what they truly need to hear.  Remember that without honest feedback, kids can’t possibly figure out what to do differently next time.

Also, don’t take away a child’s sense of responsibility for what went wrong (assuming he or she is in fact to blame), just because you don’t want to be “hard” on them.  Letting children off the hook for their own mistakes, telling them that they “tried their best” when it’s clear that they didn’t, may leave kids feeling powerless to improve.

Rule #2: When things go wrong, fight self-doubt.  Children need to believe that success is within reach, no matter what mistakes they have made in the past.  To do this,

• Be specific.   What needs improvement, and what exactly can be done to improve?

• Emphasize actions that they have the power to change. Talk about aspects of performance that are under their control, like the time and effort that were put into a practicing, or the study method which was used.

• Avoid praising effort when it didn’t pay off. Many parents try to console their child by saying things like “Well honey, you didn’t do very well, but you worked hard and really tried your best.”  Why does anyone think that this is comforting?  For the record – it’s not.  (Unless, of course, it was a no-win situation from the start).

Studies show that, after a failure, being complimented for “effort” not only makes kids feel stupid, it also leaves them feeling like they can’t improve.  In these instances, it’s really best to stick to purely informational feedback – if effort isn’t the problem, help them figure out what is.

Rule #3: When things go right, avoid praising ability.  I know we all like to hear how smart and talented we are, and so naturally we assume that it’s what kids want to hear too.  Of course they do.  But it’s not what they need to hear to stay motivated.

Studies conducted by Carol Dweck and her colleagues show that when children are praised for having high ability, it leaves them more vulnerable to self-doubt when they are faced with a challenge later.  If being successful means that a child is “smart,” then they’re likely to conclude that they aren’t smart when having a harder time.

Make sure that you also praise aspects of your child’s performance that were under their control.  Talk about a creative approach, careful planning, persistence and effort, and a positive attitude.  Praise actions, not just abilities. That way, when your child runs into trouble later on, they’ll remember what helped them to succeed in the past and put that knowledge to good use.

Sound advice from a great organization, now go get that book (Mind Set) and get better at molding your children and/or your players.

By Dev K. Mishra, M.D., President, Sideline Sports Doc

To recap: I don’t think there’s any better playing surface than a well-maintained grass field, but I’d prefer one of the newer varieties of turf fields over a poorly-maintained grass field any day.  Some people have also suggested that the interaction between the athlete’s shoe and the playing surface can have some effect on injury rates.  It turns out that this is an issue that’s been studied pretty extensively in the scientific literature for older artificial surfaces like AstroTurf®, and there’s some good information relating to the newer surfaces that use soft rubber infill like FieldTurf® too.

There are two competing issues at work here, and both come down to friction.  From a performance perspective athletes like a lot of friction between their shoe/cleat and the playing surface- it results in what we’d commonly call “traction”.  A lot of traction allows them to start and stop very quickly and also to turn on a dime.  As you can imagine, if you’re slipping (less friction) it will have a negative effect on your quickness and cutting ability.  But from a medical standpoint friction can lead to injury.  Injuries to the ankle, knee, and hip often are the result of forces created on the joints when the foot stays planted firmly on the playing surface and the body goes another way.  The engineering term for this is a “rotational moment” and the higher the rotational moment the greater is the potential for injury.

The main points they found were that for the field surface, the infill-type artificial turf surfaces all had higher rotational traction values than grass, regardless of shoe type.  For the shoe types they found no differences in rotational torques for the 7-stud, 12-stud, hybrid, or blade types; but the turf shoes had significantly less rotational torque than any of the other cleat types.

So what can I recommend based upon the studies I’ve looked at (there are many more than just the one above)?  Remember that my viewpoint for this post is biased towards player safety, and as discussed above this could affect performance.

• If you’re playing on turf the data would indicate that a turf shoe could very well be the “safest” type of shoe, but you might find that you slip a bit too much in these.  If possible I’d recommend that you test a turf shoe out on your field.  If it allows you to perform the way you’d like I’d recommend that you wear it.  If the turf shoe causes too much slipping your next choice should likely be a firm ground cleat.
• If you’re playing on grass the data doesn’t show a difference in traction amongst cleat types. In spite of that I wouldn’t ever recommend a soft ground cleat on firm grass.
• The study also shows that the type of upper material will affect the rotational traction too, for very complex reasons.  A stiff non-yielding upper (like a hard synthetic material) might produce higher rotational traction.  So if possible I would recommend a soft leather upper material.

You can read the whole article HERE

Player Development: Accountable for What? And to Who?

by Gary Kleiban on July 10, 2011

I don’t know if real accountability for player development is possible.

What are the metrics?

• Is it how many players you place in college?
• Is it the number that get called to youth national teams?
• Is it the number of professionals you’ve touched while they were amateur?

Tyler Dennis July 11, 2011 at 10:04 am

Gary Kleiban July 12, 2011 at 4:58 pm

I’m with you Tyler. I think the target must be the moon and the stars.

Now, here’s a problem;
If we consider the vast majority of American MLS players “not developed”, then were their respective youth coaches “good”.

For instance, was the coach who had a big influence with Altidore, Wynne, Casey, et al an excellent developer of players?

Reply

Tyler Dennis July 12, 2011 at 9:44 pm

I would say they weren’t good coaches. If those players were able to make it to the professional level/National team without their “special” physical attributes, I’d say yes.

Altidore is 6’1?, Conor Casey 6’2?, Marvell Wynne is 5’9? but possesses freakish speed. Those guys still aren’t good enough to be special even with those attributes. When it’s easy for a coach to pick a player based on their physical attributes, and they don’t help that player become a phenom then they aren’t good. Sorry, but if Marvell Wynne had a great coach, he’d be playing left back for Barcelona or Chelsea. Altidore scored only 1 goal in 28 appearances for Hull City in the EPL… nope, not good enough.

We don’t have those coaches. I think there are very few coaches in the American system that would pass up size or speed for a skillful player. Remember, they’ve got to get the kids into college so that they can market their programs… and Colleges want to win… athletes win because its a game of multiple subs and athleticism.

It is hard to get kids to play attractive soccer. It takes a lot of time and attention to detail. It also takes intensity at practice to create an environment that is game like. I just don’t see coaches willing to require that intensity, nor do they pay enough attention to detail to get the kids better. They are too afraid to lose the kids and the parents or they just don’t know what it takes to be damn good.

I still see too many coaches, with credentials galore, playing kickball, bypassing the midfield, not playing out of the back, having a defender take the goal kick, looking for big strong forwards…

So, my answer to your question about the coach of those guys is no, he wasn’t good… because those players had physical attributes that should have given them a huge advantage in the world of soccer and they aren’t in the top 200 in the world.

Reply

BillR July 13, 2011 at 6:52 am

Tyler,

Excellent post, I think you’ve hit the nail on the proverbial head!

My only quibble is with your comment about Wynne, I don’t think he has the level of concentration or creative ability to step up to a World class level. I think the mental capacity to concentrate for 90+ minutes is underestimated by people looking at players (or the game in general). Soccer may place a greater toll on concentration/mental strength than almost any other sport (certainly team sport). No time outs, constant pressure, and a single lapse can cost you the game.

Wynne has World class physically to be sure, but the mental side of the game appears to be well short of the mark. His skill level was probably stunted by his ability to overpower everyone as a youth player.

Bill

Reply

Tyler Dennis July 13, 2011 at 8:44 am

Bill,

I agree with you about the mental capacity being very important. I think that mental capacity is developed with an intense practice. If the practice is lackadaisical, then the player’s mind just isn’t challenged. We have to make them think while they are in practice, call them out on it when they don’t and do our best, as coaches, to get the kids to keep pushing the limits of both their physical and mental game. A good coach is one that inspires and pushes a player to be what they can be and doesn’t let them just be what they are.

The authors examine whether and how observing anger influences thinking processes and problem-solving ability. In 3 studies, the authors show that participants who listened to an angry customer were more successful in solving analytic problems, but less successful in solving creative problems compared with participants who listened to an emotionally neutral customer. In Studies 2 and 3, the authors further show that observing anger communicated through sarcasm enhances complex thinking and solving of creative problems.

According to Patricia Laya, Business Insider

In the study, 72 Israeli students listened to two recordings, one of a customer raging against a cellphone company agent and another where the complaint was expressed neutrally. The students who listened the angry call outperformed the others on analytical questions, but didn’t do as well on the creative puzzles.

This supports the theory that people’s minds go into a black-and-white mode when they’re confronted with anger. They work hard to unravel straightforward, analytical problems, but have trouble with creative solutions.

On the other hand, anger communicated through sarcasm helped some students solve almost twice as many creative problems, as sarcasm takes more of a cognitive effort to be processed.

 

Takeaways for coaches:

If you are frustrated, voice your anger with sarcasm to keep your players creative juices flowing. Obviously, it’s best not to get angry, but teenagers can by trying at times.

I’ve used guided discovery a bit with my players, although I didn’t realize it. But definitely not as well as I will now. The difficulty isn’t in asking the guided question, but in keeping it open ended, taking the time for trial and error and allowing your players to experiment. You can see a group of kids that wouldn’t have answered a single question at the beginning of the session, open up and fight to be the one to answer the question by the end of the session. Carrie Taylor ran the U12 session and demonstrated how effective involving the players in the learning process could be; the players went from silence to extremely vocal in one short hour.

I think Confucious sums it up pretty well:

“What I hear I forget,

What I hear and see I remember a little;

What I hear, see, and ask questions about or discuss I begin to understand;

What I hear, see, discuss and do, I acquire knowledge and the skill;

What I teach another, I master.”

The guided discover method definitely gets the player through most of the learning process; allow them to help their team mates learn the same skills and you will begin to create masters of the game.

The week was extremely full and demanding. Less so on the physical side like most National level courses, but the long days, anxiety from trying new things/doing it “right”, and then working with new players each day was mentally exhausting.

1st Day — The course started on a Tuesday evening – Registration, lecture and assignments. Before the course started you were suppose to do an open book exam and read through the material.

1. Lecture covered the following
   1. Jean Piaget
   2. Guided Discovery
   3. Learning Theories (Expansion, Slanty Line, Flow)
2. Assignments were explained and consisted of:
   1. Developing your coaching philosophy (1 page)
   2. Group topics
   3. Methodology exam (4, 1 page papers on various subjects covered in course)
   4. Oral presentation topics (5 minute presentation on topic and ability to answer Q&A)

2nd Day

1. U6 Lecture
2. U6 Field demonstration
3. Lunch (time to prepare your U6 practice session)
4. Ethics
5. Youth Fitness
6. U6 Field Practical
7. U6 Practical Video review (watch yourself on video, get critiqued by group and instructor – realize that you are no Tom Cruise)

3rd Day

1. U8 Lecture
2. U8 Field demonstration
3. Lunch (create those session plans folks – do some homework too!)
4. Street soccer lecture
5. Field Street soccer
6. U8 Field practical
7. U8 video review

4th Day

1. U10 Lecture
2. U10 Field demonstration
3. Youth Goal Keeping
4. Lunch
5. Turn in Methods, Coaching Philosophy
6. Group Presentations
7. U10 Field practical
8. U10 video review

5th Day

1. Oral exam
2. Club development lecture
3. U12 Lecture
4. U12 model session
5. Practical coaching exam
6. Closing ceremonies

Our instructors for the course were Tim Bradburry, Carrie Taylor, Nate Shotts, Carlos Menjivar, and Sam Snow. They delivered a very good product and I think we will all be much better coaches for taking the course. Many of these theories and practical applications need to be incorporated in the lower level licenses and NSCAA curriculum.

Here’s a revelation: eat the least processed food you can find.

Right, that’s not a revelation. You’ve heard it before but it’s not an easy thing to do when feeding the typical American teenage athlete. But it can be done, especially if you try to stick to the 80/20 rule that I’ll outline below.

There are a lot of different diets and recommendations around but the number of choices is very confusing, and frankly, I’m not sure all of them are safe for young athletes. What we’re trying to do with a young athlete is make them as healthy as possible to improve their sport performance — but more importantly I believe that we can set them up with good habits for a lifetime of healthy eating.

What I’m talking about here is eating as close to natural and minimally processed foods as possible. Some nutritionists call this “eating close to the ground” and other call it “eating clean,” etc., and it means stepping back to the old days of eating the most nutrient-packed and least processed foods you can find.

It means shopping on the edges of the grocery store and not down the middle of the store in the pre-packaged frozen foods section. The nutrients, vitamins, and minerals found in natural foods will almost always lead to an improved health profile, improved performance, decreased body fat if the child is overweight, and increased energy levels.

Examples of good food choices for the young athlete
It’s hard shopping for young athletes because they can be pretty set in their ways and are heavily influenced by their friends — who may be eating poorly. Here are just a few examples of what you should aim for in the food choices:

Fruits and Vegetables

• Apples, bananas, berries, kiwis, oranges
• Dried fruits as snacks
• 100 percent fruit smoothies from places like Jamba Juice Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, collard
• Beans and lentils
• Avocado

Meat, Fish, Nuts, and Dairy

• Lean meats: chicken, turkey, lean beef
• Fish: tuna, salmon
• Nuts: almonds, walnuts, macadamia, pecans, cashews
• Dairy: low fat milk, low fat yogurt, eggs

Bread, Cereal, and Grains

• Bread: 100% whole wheat or whole grain, rye, sourdough
• High fiber cereal such as Kashi or Cheerios.
• Oatmeal
• Couscous

Let’s get real, kids will be kids: the 80/20 rule
The guidelines above represent the ideal situations but the practical matter is that it’s impossible to have a young athlete follow these suggestions all the time. That’s where the 80/20 rule comes into play.

The 80/20 rule means that 80 percent of the time you stick with the healthy eating rules and 20 percent of the time you’re allowed to “cheat” and stray from the ideal. When one of your teammates has a birthday and cupcakes are the post-game “snack”– go for it and enjoy it with your friends! Having a (very) occasional burger, fries, and soda? OK, then do the best you can with your other meals that week.

Be realistic and do the best you can, when you can. You’ll live a healthier life for the effort and it will allow you to perform at your best during games.

(Dev K. Mishra is the founder of SidelineSportsDoc.com, where this article first appeared. He is an orthopedic surgeon in private practice in Burlingame, Calif. He is a member of the team physician pool with the U.S. Soccer Federation and has served as team physician at the University of California, Berkeley.)

1. Deep Learning (10,000 hours)
2. Immediate feedback
3. Repetition
4. Coaching to oversee and direct the learned behavior

Here is a quick video of his presentation for U.S. Soccer. Check out Good Stuff! to buy his book.