TOM SEASHOLTZ is Vice President and Co-Founder of The NHSA. He is a critical part of our league's success. His work behind-the-scenes and as a coach has been key to helping us grow as a soccer league. We often get asked many questions about why we do what we do as a league. In this blog entry, Tom answers some of YOUR FAQ's.....1. How are we doing?
So far we have been working on getting the kids a lot of time working with their feet and getting comfortable with the soccer ball. The coaching director for Ohio Youth Soccer (Tom Turner) tells us that we need to focus on getting kids as much time with the ball as possible. We do this through games and drills that look a bit chaotic. Games we play have names like "Pac Man" and "Sharks and Minnows". They are intended to let the children learn from the game rather than to force them into solving the problems that soccer creates in a specific way. The youth soccer organization has told us that this develops more creative players. Kids that are in this age group are not focused so much on team play and a lot of their attention is needed just to focus on their feet and the ball. Kids in this age group also tend to have a pretty short attention span. That is why we try to rotate through the games pretty quickly to help keep their interest. From an organizational perspective we have challenges related to our success. With 220 kids we have 17 fields to manage. This is a pretty daunting task on practice and games days - and we are working to get better at it :)
2. Why don't we have fixed teams?
Answer: We are focused on developing the individual player - not creating a winning team. We believe the kids can wait to have a team focus. At early ages it is important for them to get experience and to develop as an individual player. The team strategies and positions can be taught as they get older and have mastered the basic skills that they need to be an advanced player.
3. Why does my child's play vary from week to week?
You may see your child playing really well in practice or games one week and then struggling with some of the concepts that they seemed to get the next week. This is very normal. A lot of times concepts they learn this season will not come out until the next season.
4. How do the game days work?
Game days may change from week to week. The main things we do are dividing the kids into teams that they will play on for the hour of games. We find that it is easier to bring all the kids together into one large group so that we can divide them up more evenly. That is why they don't stay with just their groups. The tournament format we use is based on changing fields when you win or lose. This provides for a leveling of the teams as the day progresses and provides for a competitive environment. I have seen a lot of great games! Unfortunately the kids and parents need to move when we do this and it can be a bit confusing.
5. Do you have enough Coaches?
Sometimes we are a little short on coaches to help run the fields on game or practice days. Because of the format that we play we need more parents and coaches to help facilitate the games. If we have one coach who has a conflict we will need a parent to volunteer to help run a field. If you are willing to do this please see me or any of the coaches and let us know you are willing to help run a field or drill. We have had parents step up to do this and it is a huge help!
6. What can I do to help my child become a better player?
Encourage them to have fun! Don't criticize their performance - encourage their effort. Make time to play with them at home. Watch Soccer with them. Going to a high school game or watching soccer on TV may help them visualize the game in a different way. Please feel free to forward this on to anyone else who might find it helpful.Thanks again for being a part of the NHSA. I look forward to seeing all of you this Thursday! If you have any questions feel free to give me a call.
Tom Seasholtz - Group C LeadVice President - NHSA216.262.8193
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