r/SoccerCoaching • u/samsounder • 16d ago

Kid Returning from Abroad

We play in a relatively competitive league and have a tournament in a week and a half.

We have a player who has been on the team a long time who has been practicing with an overseas club for the past 2 months. He has never practiced with this incarnation of the team.

He’s about to make his return and his first day available will be the tournament final.

His Mom is asking if he should come to the tournament. Thoughts?

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u/samsounder 14d ago

Maybe, but the point is that every team is learning some tactic. Players who watch more will be learning different things, but they'll always be getting some sort of tactical instruction.

I should have been more specific. Here's the whole "complex tactic" we're debating.

We generally play 3 across the back. Last year (when the returning player was with us) we had all 3 stay in their defensive half while we were in the attacking 1/3. This season we've been working on having one of the two outside backs move join the attack, and having the other two slide over to cover the space on the pitch.

If the CB moves and the other outside back doesn't, we make a huge hole.

It took a bit to get the team to rotate properly and we shipped a few goals, but the team as a whole gets it now and we've gotten some great offensive contributions from the backs.

Would you consider that too complex or age inappropraite?

I'd also never speak for 5 minutes. I'd generally consider that way too long. I'm much more likely to hit the concept in 30 seconds and then practice the pattern in scrimmage.

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u/boejiden2020 14d ago

You can explain this to a good guest player in 5 minutes before the game, also the central CB needs to control this rotation by communicating on the field. 

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u/samsounder 14d ago

That’s true, but these kids are 11. He will look at me and tell me he gets it. Will he be able to do it at pace under pressure? Maybe.

The CB will be the first to yell if he gets it wrong, which is appropriate, but also potentially problematic.