http://www.ussoccer.com/Coaches/Resources.aspxClick on Best Practice and read the Appendix.
Under-14 Boy’s National
Development Program
The current U-14 National Program is the first contact a player will have with US Soccer. These
players then graduate into the U-15 Boy’s Program. The goal and emphasis with players of this
age is placed on development of skills and a deeper understanding of the game in a competitive,
fun environment in the company of the most talented players that we can find.
We like to strike a good balance between training and matches, in which the players learn to
take their cues and clues from the game. As attack and defense are in constant battle, the game
has the power to teach and reveal itself to each player. There is plenty of action in the basic
units of the game (1:1, 1:2, 2:2 and other small sided games in even and odd numbers) building
up to the full-sided game.
The hope is to create originals, not clones. We simply follow this simple principle: The
game/competition sets the demands and the player responds (Here is the problem. Find the
solution and try to execute that solution). Players are encouraged/allowed to experiment and
explore the game with the help of the coaches that understand the game and work well with
kids. In this environment, there is plenty of room for trial and error.
Putting children into the straitjackets of positional play too early only destroys their instincts to
be involved in the game. As they mature and are capable of keeping track of more things that are
occurring on the field, we can increase the number of players that compete against each other. As
they move to the full-sided game, the goal is for all the players to be able to keep track of all the
other players on the field, and then to deal effectively with the situations that evolve out of these
relationships. Under these conditions, time and space can be created or eliminated based on how
effectively players are able to cope with the conditions of the game. It is all about ideas and
developing the right attitude. Great skill begins with a desire to be master of the ball, and/or the
key elements of the game and we try to encourage each player to be a master of the ball.
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BEST PRACTICES FOR COACHING SOCCER IN THE UNITED STATES 55
Looking back at the past U-14 camps, there is reason to believe that this approach works. There
have been some highly attractive, very competitive soccer played by these 13 year-olds that was
refreshing to watch. With constant care in the years to come, these young players have the
potential for a bright future. The Under-14 National Camp occurs in August of each year. The
past three years the camp has been held in Massachusetts.
Under-15 Boy’s National Team
Each year we welcome a new age group mostly of players who come from the U-14 National
Camp. We work with this group for a one-year cycle with an emphasis on speed of play and the
ability to solve problems in competitive situations. In general, most of our players have a good
starting point athletically and many are technically sound in slower games or isolated situations.
When we increase the demands of the game and the speed of play, many have a hard time
mastering the ball, staying tuned in, seeing the game and making sense of their plays. By being
in the company of better players and faster games, these aspects improve dramatically.
In our training sessions we play small-sided games with different demands and challenges that
we ask players to confront. The games are fast and to keep up with the speed of play, good
technical ability and good habits on and off the ball are necessary. We ask the players to stay
tuned in mentally, to read the game and the demands of the game and to make decisions that
help their team win. We want their individual personalities to grow and for them to begin to
solve problems as a group. Therefore, we give the players some freedom to make decisions, to
solve problems, and to experiment with the game. We are more concerned with them developing
into better players who can figure out how to win than with telling them exactly what to do. In
this sense, we do not put a big emphasis on the results, but rather on how they are progressing
as players. At the same time, we do provide them with our tactical insights and feedback, and
we give them starting points for dealing with certain situations.
Our events have varied in numbers from 4-6 per year consisting mostly of training camps and
competitive domestic and international events. Over the past three player cycles, the U-15 group
has traveled to compete in tournaments in Mexico, Bolivia, France and Germany. Domestically,
the teams have competed against U-15 regional teams, older regional teams, the U-17 US
National Team, and MLS teams.
Under-17 Men’s National Team
The Under-17 program is a result-oriented developmental program. Result-oriented in the sense
of qualifying for the FIFA Under-17 World Championship, and developmental in the sense that
players are prepared to be successful at the next levels of MNT programs and are prepared to
enter college or professional soccer.
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To this end, the U-17 National Team Program has entered into a new stage of player
development with the increase in numbers in the residency program from 20 to 30 players. This
allows us to bring in more players from the age below our main birth year (the main birth years
for the U-17s are the even birth years). These players can now stay beyond the U-17 WC and
work towards early high school graduation, work to prepare for development with the U-18
MNT, work to prepare to enter the pro soccer environment or work to enter the college soccer
environment one year early.
Our soccer curriculum combines a variety of experiences that (1) prepare the players for the
specific objective of the World Championship qualification and success at the World
Championship, and (2) provide them with an environment that allows them to hone the skills
needed to be successful at the next levels of elite soccer. The players must compete daily for
their spots, and they are given challenging levels of match competition.
The Under-17 MNT plays matches to build toward two events: the CONCACAF Qualifying
Tournament and the FIFA Under-17 World Championship. In the first year of residency (evennumbered
years), the team travels to three of four international tournaments, as well as a foreign
trip to the country that will host the next world championship. The team is in the full-time
residency program so they train together year round, usually practicing during the week and
playing games on the weekend. Domestically, the team plays a mix of matches versus
international teams, pro teams, college teams, older club teams and older MNTs.
Under-18 Men’s National Team
The primary function of the Under-18 Men’s National Team is to identify potential Under-20
caliber players from this age group and to provide soccer opportunities for our players to
develop and prepare for the U-20 National Team. The U-18 age group will eventually provide
more than 50% of the player pool for the next U-20 group. As a result, U.S. Soccer has recently
expanded its full-time residency program to include eight 1987 birth year players. We expect
this group to form the core of the next U-18 player pool.
Because this age group does not have a World Championship, the challenge is to set up
environments that come close to replicating that type of environment for the players. The limited
time that the team is together places constraints on what the players can realistically accomplish.
Therefore, we try to put the players in as many challenging matches as possible. We consider
the time in the Under-18 MNT to be a transitional phase of development between the Junior and
Senior levels of development.
In the U-18 program, the players come together for four to five events per year over a two-year
cycle that ends with the players moving on to the U-20 age group. Each nine-day domestic
camp will have 3 or 4 matches against competition ranging from a top youth club or ODP
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BEST PRACTICES FOR COACHING SOCCER IN THE UNITED STATES 57
teams, to other US National Teams and MLS teams. Both the practices and the matches are used
to evaluate the players and provide information to the coaching staff regarding personnel, as
well as player development issues. Each year ends with a top-level club or international
tournament in either Europe or South America. We approach these tournaments as our own
qualifiers and world championships. Our hope is to provide enough quality events to prepare
these players for their next step in international competition.
Under-20 Men’s National Team
The Under-20 team is similar to the Under-17 team in that it is a result-oriented developmental
program. We are preparing players to be successful at a World Championship and to be
successful at the next National Team level.
Much of the development at the U-20 level is about competition and "intensified preparation for
the next level" (i.e., the Olympic team, National Team and/or a professional career). It is
important that we find players who show the characteristics that will help them advance to play
at the next level. We want to help these players mature as adults so they can handle any
environment. We need to instill the belief that these players can win at an international level
against the competition that they will see in the future. In this way, they learn to win in a
manner that will be successful at higher levels. The more we can expose them to quality
competition, training and coaching, the more we improve player development.
The challenge at this age group is blending collegiate players with young professionals. Our
players are competing against international teams whose entire rosters are made up of full-time
professionals in some of the world’s best leagues. We must create opportunities that replicate a
professional training and match environment. Currently almost 50% of this team’s player pool is
comprised of professional players. This is a contrast with the situation ten years ago when there
were no U-20 professional players. As time goes by, we would expect more young players to be
professional at this age.
Similar to the Under-17’s, the Under-20’s use each two-year cycle to prepare for two events: the
CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament and the FIFA World Youth Championship. The Under-20’s
typically take two to three foreign trips a year, participating in at least one high-level European
tournament. Several domestic training camps are held throughout the year, where the
competition ranges from A-League teams to foreign clubs to MLS Teams to regional teams and
other U.S. National Teams. Due to the make-up of this team, it is often difficult to hold training
camps where the entire compliment of players are available, as the college season begins as the
MLS season ends.
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Under-23 Men’s National Team
The focus of the Under-23 MNT program is to develop the professional player in preparation for
representing the U.S. at the Olympics and potentially playing for the full National Team. In our
current system, many of the players enter this age bracket as college players and become
professionals while still in this age group. As our system evolves, we would expect that more
players entering this age group would be professionals – similar to the U-20 age group.
Providing a variety of international competitions and contributing to their growth as pros is a
vital component of this program. For those players who have been members of our youth teams
leading up to the U-23’s, continuing and building on their international experience is important.
For those just arriving on the National Team scene becoming comfortable and familiar with the
various styles and tempos of international play is a must. The components of the game are the
guidelines at every stage of development. From the U-14 program to the MNT, the
incrementally increasing focus is results. Game management and adjusting tactically to achieve
results becomes more important than substituting to provide experience for younger players.
The Men’s Olympic Soccer Tournament has evolved into a professional competition for players
under the age of 23 with the addition of three “overage” players. The focus of the Senior Team
is results. Therefore the U-23 program is a significant link in the development of our players
and teams.
The Under-23 MNT puts it focus on preparing the team for the Olympics and the players for the
pro ranks and the Men’s National Team. As the Olympics approach, the intensity of the camps
and the number of the camps increase, building up to the Pan-Am Games, the Olympic
Qualifying Tournament and the Olympic Tournament. As this pool of players is made up almost
entirely of professionals, this team holds fewer camps than any of the other YNTs. This team
typically participates in European tournaments against other similar age National Teams, as well
as holding domestic training camps that usually include games against MLS teams and other
National Teams.
Men’s National Team
Player development occurs at every level. The objective of the Men’s National Team is to
achieve results in international competition, and to develop players for the international arena.
For this reason, there is a close relationship between the Men’s National Team and the U-23
team, and at times, the U-20 team. Players at the Men’s National Team possess the technical,
tactical, physical and mental tools to be successful, but some players simply lack the
international game experience. Development at the level of the MNT is achieved through
competition – players playing in games and gaining experience at the various levels from
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BEST PRACTICES FOR COACHING SOCCER IN THE UNITED STATES 59
international friendlies and competitions to World Cup Qualifiers to the World Cup itself.
The four-year World Cup cycle builds toward World Cup qualifying and the World Cup, and the
team’s schedule follows that pattern. The first 18 months after the World Cup are used to
identify players. As qualifying nears, the player pool is pared down and focus moves from
player identification to qualification. A large training camp is held in January of each year, and
once the MLS season begins, the MNT activity slows down in non-World Cup, non-Gold Cup
years. In addition to friendlies, the MNT also participate in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, World
Cup Qualifying, and the FIFA Confederations Cup. The U.S. usually plays 10-20 friendlies a
year; typically the majority come against teams from CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and UEFA.
