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Sunday, March 31, 2013

Book Review: View the Game as an Art, not a War


Editor's Note: Soccer America Editor Mike Woitalla's book review of Stan Baker's "Our Competition Is the World" is republished here with permission from the author. While the book is devoted primarily to the outdoor game, futsal enthusiasts know well that the influences Baker favors as influences -- South American and Southern European nations -- are precisely where futsal is strongest internationally. 

 Soccer America has long been the best and most comprehensive publication for soccer news. In addition to its print publication, SA now offers a number of newsletters and blogs readers can subscribe to at www.socceramerica.com. Woitalla will soon publish an article devoted solely to futsal that we hope to share with you in a future Futsal World newsletter. Mike has referred to futsal several times, but to our knowledge his forthcoming article will be the first that features the sport in its own right.


FYI, I wrote for Soccer America in the late 1970s and early 1980s, covering the Tulsa Roughnecks in the North American Soccer League, as well as college and youth soccer.

-- David Knopf
 
By Mike Woitalla
Editor, Soccer America

Imagine if cookbook publishing in the USA had the same approach that the soccer coaching industry has had for
Mike Woitalla
decades. You'd find mainly Northern European recipes at your Barnes & Noble. And you'd be a pretty limited chef.

 

In soccer terms, focusing so much on the Northern European methods is particularly stifling considering the USA’s demographics and the fact that Latin American and Southern European nations have been producing most of the great players and winning teams.
 

It’s been more than two decades since a Northern European nation, on the men’s side, has won the World Cup, 25 years since an Olympic gold, and 17 years since lifting a European Championship crown. It’s been 32 years since Northern Europe has claimed a U-20 World Cup title. Our neighbor, Mexico, has won two of the last four U-17 World Cups.
 

So Stan Baker’s “Our Competition is the World” passes my first test for a coaching book that offers examples from abroad: It presents models from nations that have been producing successful and attractive soccer.
We won’t be able to import any specific system that perfectly suits the unique U.S. youth soccer landscape, but this book by Baker -- an Oregon-based coach who is fluent in Spanish, has lived in Spain and South America, and besides his USSF A and Y, has coaching licenses from Argentina and Brazil -- goes deeper into describing the environments that produce brilliant players than any I’ve read. Barcelona and Spain figure prominently, as do Brazil and Argentina. Baker also conveys some of the best of what U.S. and Northern Europeans coaches have to offer.

 
Baker’s book also passes my most important test: It avoids -- as much as a book for coaches can -- aggrandizing the role of the coach. Baker stresses the importance of free play and makes a strong case against the perils of over-coaching.

I like this advice from Baker in a section about inspiring players to be creative:

 

“Another way to encourage such creativity is by holding
Author-Coach Stan Baker and his family.
practice sessions where there is no coaching and only free play. In this situation, those players who are normally fearful of making mistakes, when the coach is running practice, will have a chance to play in a worry-free environment.”

 
The book does provide, with clear directions, lots of useful practice exercises -- ones that simulate the real game and steer young players to a style of play U.S. soccer is aiming for, eg: playing out of the back, possession-oriented, attack-minded.

 

(A simple suggestion to coaches of young players to help encourage a possession game: Encourage that most throw-ins are to a teammate’s feet and passed back to the thrower.)
 

Covering the whole spectrum, it includes advice on how to help players develop a love for the game that will encourage them to play on their own.
 

The book is subtitled, “Ideas for implementing the United States Soccer Curriculum,” which was unveiled by USSF Youth Technical Director Claudio Reyna in 2011, and it complements it well.
 

Writes Baker: “As a melting pot of cultures, the United States soccer community is built on influences from all parts of the globe. Some view the game as an art, while others see it as more of a war. These differences in philosophy, the fractured nature of our youth organizations, along with the vast size of our country, have made it more difficult than some smaller countries to come together. Despite these difficulties, as we move forward, we should look to develop a common language amongst our players. …”
 

The book is chock-full of aphorisms from soccer minds from around the world (including Johan Cruyff, Pep Guardiola, Tele Santana), U.S. soccer leaders striving to get the youth game on the right track, and non-soccer figures such as John Cleese, Pablo Picasso and Ralph Waldo Emerson. These quotes complement the reference material -- the examples of youth development guidelines from Spain, Argentina, Mexico, the English FA, U.S. Soccer – and the practical guidance for youth coaches.
 

There is, I’ve found, an admirable hunger among American coaches to constantly educate themselves, and Baker delivers the perfect dish for youth coaches, whether they’re novice or vastly experienced.
Our Competition is the World: Ideas for implementing the United States Soccer Curriculum.” By Stan Baker 378 pages, 2012. Lulu Publishing. $22.99.

Hot Links from the Futsal Griddle



Specialized futsal goalie training

That's Andy, second from the left, during a training trip to Brazil.
There’s not a whole lot out there for futsal-specific goalie training until Andy Reading came along and started sharing some of his techniques on You Tube and his Facebook page. Most of you have read about Andy here before, but for those who haven’t, he’s a former English international keeper who has transitioned to full-time training around the world. He’s done clinics for the English National Teams, a number of English futsal clubs, the New Zealand National Team, a Brazilian professional club and recently in France. Here’s a sample of what he does:


In many of his techniques, he’ll take specific kinds of blocks or saves  – in this one, for example, split-leg saves – and work them into a drill where the keeper moves from post to post performing both blocks, area coverage and memory-reinforcing repetition. Here, the keeper picks up two cones at one post then shuttles to put them down at the other. Complicated? Not really. Learn more at Andy’s Facebook page. It’s a good place to learn of other futsal contacts, as well.



 

Rondo, the keep-a-way warmup Barcelona-style

Almost every professional and national team does this as a pre-game warm-up, but we didn’t know it had a name. It's something futsal teams use, as well, to prepare for the speed of play. The Rondo – we Americans like to refer to it
as “monkey in the middle” or keep-a-way – has more value, Johan Cruyff and author Stan Baker say, they just breaking a sweat before the game. You can read about it in Soccer America’s blog at http://www.socceramerica.com/article/50661/rondo-a-simple-practice-game-with-multiple-benefi.html#reply

You might want to watch how quickly Barcelona performs a pre-game Rondo. The players are so intent on winning the back that they slide as if in a game. And, of course, Messi has done this a million times but he’s still smiling!


Of course, the sliding something you’d want to emphasize in a pre-game warm-up for futsal

For coaches, SA’s Youth Soccer Insider blog is a good source of information about training, motivation and other aspects of coaching, including “Getting Players to Pay Attention,” which we still haven’t learned to master. You can subscribe to the free newsletter and others at the Rondo link above.

 

Can futsal save football for the Three Lions?

Bobby Moore lofted the World Cup trophy in 1966.

In England, they take their football seriously, and at least one publication views futsal as its national team savior. 
Although soccer has achieved much in the U.S. and Canada - US Soccer, for example, now includes futsal in its national youth curriculum - England's fervor to reclaim its glory years in the outdoor game exceeds from we North Americans can understand. 

Follow this link to take a read and see what one publication has to say about the connection between futsal and the outdoor game.

Six Pack of Futsal World Video Picks



Kids, try this at home

Here’s a futsal (or soccer) move that looks a lot like something the great Falcao would use in a game situation to
It's all in the feet, the imagination and the courage.
bypass a defender. Of course, you can use variations of this … add, subtract, create a move that works for you. This is one of the best instructional presentations we’ve seen, so we’re passing it on.

 

Have to wonder why this doesn't use the word

The Spaniard Iniesta is the focus of this inspirational Nike Football video about the fundamental values he learned
Iniesta and Barcelona mates get ready for some futsal.
playing futsal to become an 11v11 playmaker for Barcelona and Spain’s national team. What stood out here – aside from his observations about learning to escape tight spaces, experimenting with new skills and keeping possession – are the camera close-ups of Iniesta’s feet. Watch how he moves the ball with different parts of both feet, always keeping it close to his foot.

 

Dancing with the futsal stars

Don't know if John could've played futsal in those shoes
The title of this futsal/soccer move – the Electric Turn – brought back memories of the era of John Travolta disco dancing, but the first time we watched the video we saw a move that resembled a weapon in the great Falcao’s arsenal. The steps are defined in words on the screen, as well as slow-motion repetition by a variety of players. If you watch the different players do this, you may notice that while the move is the same for each, some perform it more effectively because they a) do it more quickly and b) use changes in speed and explosiveness to deceive a defender.  

 

Young player's got some moves

That's Noah Alves with the ball.
From winter 2012, a great futsal highlight video for (Noah) Alves … looks to be U-10 or U-11. Let’s face it, some of these moves are taught and many are learned through hours of repetition and competition. But what about the imagination to piece them together and the courage to try them? Not sure those things are taught! We can only guess that this Alves (not to be confused with the Portuguese futsal star) is from Canada. The person who posted this, Gilles Smith, is from Ontario, Canada and has had some association with the Unionville-Milliken Soccer Club there. Gilles has several videos posted for Alves, both playing futsal and outdoor soccer.

Level of difficulty an 11


Here’s one of … who else … Falcao scoring after a long goalie throw, a trap, a rainbow and a back heel going away from the goal at a tough angle. John Hassis, USYF’s videographer, found this one for us. The goal was posted in March 2013.

We can only guess how senior would play

We weren’t that familiar with this former Brazilian professional and national team player, who also starred as a pivot in the Spanish league. Then we came across this eight-minute video of highlights. Eight minutes of highlights? And his name is Lenisio Teixeira Junior, better known to futsal fans as Lenisio. If he’s a junior, how long would the highlight film be for senior?