ALITHSA Arsenal Mission Statement

ALITHSA Arsenal Mission Statement

ALITHSA believes in teaching and fostering a love and respect for "The Beautiful
Game". We strive to create healthy, challenging, and properly coached learning
environments to develop hard working, technically sound, and tactically savvy
players. It is our goal to build a soccer environment. Where players at all skill
levels can enjoy the game and realize their goals.

CLUB GOALS:

• Develop soccer players who can the play the game the right way
• Develop players to support winning High School Soccer teams
• Develop players to support the State, Regional and National ODP squads
• Create a developmental pathway to play at the highest level
• Support and Develop our Coaches
• Build a lifelong love and commitment to the game of soccer
• Build values of Service and Loyalty to Family & Community

ALITHSA ‘Player Development’ Philosophy

1.Develop each child’s overall appreciation of the game

2.Keep winning and losing in proper perspective

3.Be sensitive to each child’s developmental needs

4.Educate player/parents to technical, tactical, physical & psychological demands

5.Implement rule and equipment modifications according to the players’ age group

6.Allow players to experience different positions (not to pigeon hole players)

7.Players need to have fun and receive positive feedback

8.Practices should be conducted in the spirit of enjoyment and learning

9.Provide ongoing developmental feedback to the player and parent

10.Strive to help each and every player reach his / her full potential

Arsenal Pyramid

H.S. - Advanced U15-U18 Curriculum Focus:
•Keeping players' 100% focused on reaching his or her highest potential
•Increased training demands to challenge players
•Further developing technical speed & efficiency w/high technical repetition
•Complete tactical understanding of role within the team & working in units
•Playing quality, possession-based, attacking soccer
•Developing peak physical size, speed & endurance
•"Putting it all together"
Intermediate Stage U12-U14 Curriculum Focus:
•Building on technical base
•Increasing a players' tactical knowledge when attacking & defending
•Developing possession-based soccer through tactical/technical elements
•Developing a players' awareness
•Increasing speed, endurance & Winning personal battles on the field
•Setting training targets

Junior Stage U8-U11 Curriculum Focus:
•Developing good technical habits: touch, passing shooting, etc
•Emphasis on promoting fun, enjoyment & social interaction
•Teach concept of basic tactics
•Developing attacking & defending: 1v1, 2v1, 1v2, 2v2 situations
•Encouragement of creativity, own thoughts process'

Player Development Feedback

• Player Evaluations TWICE per year—end of fall & end of spring

• New Software that we are evaluating

• Ongoing feedback to players throughout the season
¾Clearly outlining areas of development to each player
¾Arsenal Game/Training cycle………….

                                       Game
                                     Evaluation/
                                      Analysis
                                                      Game:
                        Training                   Execute Key
                      Plan / Teach                   Training
                       Key Areas                      Topics

• Video Analysis: experimenting with video analysis—game evaluation

Additional Opportunities
                     by playing with The Arsenal

• Olympic Development Program (ODP); we had players make state team

• Local High School Varsity programs – HS Varsity coaches on our staff

• Illinois State Cup for select teams – coaching staff/DOC decide which teams
- State Cup is for U13+ teams

• Arsenal Heat United HS program; elite teams, multiple levels

• Collegiate exposure:
- College coaches on staff w/extensive network to area & nationwide Colleges
- College showcase tournaments at older age groups
- Q&A with Collegiate coaches for younger Arsenal families

Arsenal Training Sessions

• Two team sessions per week, plus Friday Technical / Free Play Session

• Conflicts? Let your coach know - we have “open practice” policy
¾Your child can attend another team’s practice if they have a conflict

• Technical / Free Play Session:
¾30 minutes of pure technical focus
¾45 minutes of free play—SSG 4v4, 5v5 scrimmages
¾Opportunity to play with and against players from other Arsenal teams
¾This is for the players to be creative/expressive

• Goalkeeper Training:
¾If your child plays in goal or has aspirations, please send to GK training
¾GK schedule on ALITHSA website

Arsenal Coach Responsibilities

• Be punctual and organized for all games and training sessions

• Provide suitable challenges for the players and constantly assist in their development

• Create a safe and enjoyable training environment

• Coach with an extremely positive attitude

• Be committed to the Arsenal player development philosophy

• Positive Role Model

Arsenal Player Responsibilities

•Equipment (uniform, cleats, shin-guards, INFLATED ball, water, sun-block)

•Acceptable, respectful behavior towards team-mates, coach, opponents, officials

•Positive attitude to every training session and game

•Notification of injury or absence (U14-HS players)

•Exemplify good sportsmanship

•Learn the rules of the game

Arsenal Parent Responsibilities

•Do very best to have your child arrive on time for practices and games

•Encourage practice at home

•Learn the game with your son/daughter by watching games

•Present a positive sports-minded attitude

•Patience – results don’t occur overnight

•NO coaching during games or training sessions

•DON’T approach coach w/questions, issues after a game—wait 24hrs to set up day/time

•NEVER shout at ref's, our team players nor opposing players

•You are representing our community & club - win & lose with class!

Winning vs. Development
Soccer America: Encouraging young players to play possession ball in their
own half is risky because they’ll give up goals – and lose games. Is it the
Federation’s belief that by evaluating clubs on style of play it will alleviate the
pressure on coaches to resort to a results-driven approach?

CLAUDIO REYNA: Yes, and the idea is that the club should be focusing on training
this at the young ages so by the time they get to U-14, U-15, U-16, they’re very
comfortable playing out of the back.

There are many clubs that are doing a very good job, trying to promote playing the
right way. We’re lucky to have good examples to follow and we reward and highlight
them.

The easy way, absolutely to play for wins at the younger ages, is to tell the goalie to
kick it up the field, and every time there’s a throw-in or a free kick, to send it to the
corner and everyone chases it, but I don’t think I’m unveiling any secrets when I say
that’s not going to develop players.

You’re not going to get results/wins all the time by encouraging your young players to
play out of the back and to take risks, but you’re going to get better players. And I
believe, in the long-term, you’re going to have better teams.

Quotes worth a thought
"Talking too much is a big danger for a coach. The words get lost in the wind.“
-Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United Football Club, manager

“Over-coaching is the worst thing you can do to a player.”
-Dean Smith, University of North Carolina, former basketball coach

“We don’t demand that youth teams win. We demand that they play good soccer.”
-Jose Ramon Alexanco, FC Barcelona, youth director

“We need our younger players to be comfortable with the ball. We need our older
players to be able to do it in a phone booth, with two or three defenders around
them. They should be able to receive that ball and put it anywhere they want.”
- John Hackworth, U.S. Men’s National Team, assistant coach

“Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed
with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”
-Bill Shankly, Former Liverpool FC Manager

             [please keep proper perspective—it’s a game after all]