The key to successful coaching is preparing your players to make intelligent decisions on the field. For years, the best-selling Skills & Strategies for Coaching Soccer has helped coaches of every level do just that. Now, soccer’s premier coaching resource has been updated and expanded to provide you with more insights into developing individual talent, team tactics, and winning play.
Skills & Strategies for Coaching Soccer provides you with over 125 drills for teaching skills and techniques. You’ll also learn how to develop these skills in realistic game situations with beginning, intermediate, advanced, and all-star players.
Essential skills are presented, including collecting and controlling, passing, dribbling, kicking, heading, and goalkeeping. You’ll then apply those individual skills with attacking and defensive tactics, team formations, and set pieces. With Skills & Strategies for Coaching Soccer, you’ll learn the what, how, and why of soccer through these essentials:
Over 125 drills for beginning, intermediate, advanced, and all-star players
Progressing basic drills into realistic, competitive situations
Tactics in attack and defense
Tactics in set plays
Team management
Mental and physical preparation for games
Handling problem players and parents
Fitness and conditioning
Preparing and developing coaching sessions
Establishing a coaching philosophy
Skills & Strategies for Coaching Soccer is an invaluable guide for coaching any team in any setting. The best team doesn’t always win—but it usually does.
Part I Preparing to Coach
Chapter 1. Ethics and Your Coaching Philosophy
Chapter 2. Personal Coaching Strategies
Chapter 3. Group Coaching Strategies
Part II Skills and Techniques
Chapter 4. Collecting and Controlling the Ball
Chapter 5. Passing
Chapter 6. Dribbling
Chapter 7. Striking the Ball
Chapter 8. Shooting
Chapter 9. Heading
Chapter 10. Goalkeeping
Chapter 11. Tackling and Defensive Skills
Part III Tactics and Teamwork
Chapter 12. Principles of Play
Chapter 13. Team Formations and Systems of Play
Chapter 14. Coaching Teamwork
Chapter 15. Tactics in Defense, Midfield, and Attack
Chapter 16. Set Pieces
Part IV Team Management
Chapter 17. Physical and Mental Preparation for Games
Chapter 18. Working With Problem Players and Parents
Chapter 19. Fitness and Conditioning for Soccer
Alan Hargreaves MA, Med, DLC, played for Lancashire, Loughborough Colleges, and English Universities. A fully qualified Football Association coach, he directed national residential coaching courses for players up to 18 years of age and codirected the Soccer Academy for Young Players in California. He was head coach for the British Colleges soccer team and coached professional soccer for five years—two years with Stoke City and three years with Crewe Alexandra. He has conducted numerous coaches' and players' courses in England and California and was a consultant in fitness training for soccer and hockey players.
Alan directed the fitness training program for the 1980 and 1984 British men's Olympic field hockey team. He has also worked extensively in universities, soccer coaching clinics, and residential camps, many for the American Youth Soccer Organization.
Now retired, Alan enjoys playing tennis and golf and traveling with his wife, Janet.
Richard Bate, BEd (PhysEd), played for Sheffield Wednesday, York City, and Boston United football clubs and represented the British Colleges while a student. He is a UEFA professional license holder, an FA staff coach, an AFC staff coach, a UEFA license coach, and an England Youth team coach.
Richard has coached at Leeds United FC, Notts County FC, Lincoln City FC, and Hereford United FC and has been technical director at Watford FC. He was also technical director for the Malaysian Football Association and the Canadian Soccer Association.
He has directed and conducted several UEFA professional license courses and over 25 UEFA “A” license courses. Together with S Subramaniam, he has devised and instigated the Coach Education Programme throughout Asia on behalf of the Asian Football Confederation. Currently he is director of Elite Coaching courses for the Football Association.
Richard lives in Ross on Wye with his wife, Maggie, and enjoys traveling, reading, and walking in his leisure time.