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Offline Sam

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How do you teach a player to be smart?
« on: June 10, 2014, 06:33:31 AM »
"Football is a game you play with your brain" - Johan Cruyff

Touches made a great point, dunceeness hard to cure, especially if you work hard in training, you talk bout it, you tell them what to do...yuh shout at them from the sidelines and then yuh see dem balls up right infront yuh face.

Take Lionel Messi, did he learn to dribble like that from a coach? Don't think so, he learned by dribbling on his own when he was very young. He probably loved to cut and dribble past people the first time he touched a ball.

At a young age it's best to just play and learn through playing and watching older talented players. Find a good mentor to look up to and learn from - model your game after theirs. This could be watching a player on TV or an older player that plays on a team near where you live.

How to Become an Advanced Soccer Player
Edited by Patrick Marks, Dman0875, Ben Rubenstein, Dave Crosby and 108 others


Soccer is a great sport to get involved with. To become an advanced player, however, you need to start early and work hard. You'll need to work on your fitness, and learn to imitate the soccer greats, but most of all you'll need to have enthusiasm for the game. So get out on that field and start practicing!

1. Try out for the local club team, if you are not already on a team. Also, look for local "club" teams to try out for. Depending on your current ability will dictate what clubs you will be able to play for. Do research on the clubs history as well as the coaches and their backgrounds.

2. Work on your ball skills to be a high-level soccer player. As well as practicing twice a week with your team(s), you should be practicing by yourself or with friends; either in your backyard or an open field. The following are some of the things you should work on. Juggling: although this is not directly used in the actual game of soccer, being a better juggler will improve your 'touch' and overall comfort with the ball. Dribbling: practice dribbling in a thirty yard area. Dribble with your laces using both feet. After doing several repetitions of these, use only the outside and inside of your feet. Alternating inside/outside every touch.

3. Work on different aspects of fitness to be a fit soccer player. There are three main aspects you should work on. These are endurance, speed and strength. To work on (a) endurance run 2-3 miles twice a week and improve on your time each week. Soccer is also a game of (b) speed. To improve your speed, work on sprinting. Find a soccer field, start from the goaline and sprint to midfield, from there jog to the next end line. Repeat this step then walk the length of the field to cool down. Do this as long as possible until you are too fatigued to continue or for about 15 minutes. Your age will determine what you can do for (c) strength. Some exercises that is useful for all ages are leapfrogs, wheelbarrows, and lunges. When doing leapfrogs; start from a squatting position and leap as far as you can, rest for a couple of seconds and then repeat. When lunging start from the standing position, step forward as far as you can with one foot and touch the ground with your knee of the non-stepping foot. Then put your weight on your foot that you first stepped with and now step forward with your opposite foot and touch the ground with your other knee. Continue to do this down the length of the field. You will need a partner to do wheelbarrows. Have your partner standing while holding your ankles. You should be in front of them with only your hands touching the ground. You should both walk simultaneously (you with your hands and your partner with their feet) to midfield. Switch positions at midfield. Do all of these exercise 2-3 times down the field, you will drastically improve your leg/abdominal strength.

4. Learn by imitating. Go ahead and watch professional and college soccer on television. A great way to learn almost anything is watch someone, who is more advanced than you, do it. Watching these players will help you understand how the game can be played and will show you just how good you can be. If you play a specific position, you should focus on the player who is playing your position and take note of the things that they do. Also, watch the referees and the calls that they make. It is very important for players to become experts on all of the rules of the game. You can also buy or borrow soccer tapes. There are thousands of soccer teams that prove to be very helpful in all aspects of the game. These tapes break-down different drills and tactics that will help you become an elite player. They are very easy to follow and have proved to be extremely helpful to soccer players all over the world.

5. Hire an individual trainer, if you have different goals than that of the team(s) you are on. Many very well qualified coaches or college soccer players train individuals by the hour and are relatively cheap. This direct attention on the player and their needs is an excellent way to become a great player much faster.

6. You can also get a group of friends to go out and play mini scrimmages. This can help improve your ball work, and you can get tips form your friends along the way.

7. Go to your local library and find some books about soccer. A very helpful book is "Soccer for Dummies."

8. Know your position(s). It is very hard to get better at soccer if you still get confused when the coach asks you to be a certain position.

9. Get advice from your soccer coach. They have seen many different players and probably your mistakes can be caught better by someone who constantly watches you play.

10. Have the right size soccer ball and make sure it is not flat. It is harder to improve if your ball is not even the right size or "shape."

11. Go for the ball. Don't be afraid to hit the ball! Get in there, don't just stand there, since that is no help to your team.

12. Aim with the side of your foot.

13. Follow a training schedule. This should be a ritual, and not something you choose to do on certain days or at certain times. Training with a soccer ball 3-4 times a week will definitely improve your skill. Volley against a wall, or practice shooting with both feet on a trampoline or goal, if you have one. Practice foot skills, and juggle. Juggling will help with ball control. You should do this with both feet, so you are comfortable with both feet. Also, shoot and volley with both feet. You will definitely see an improvement!

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Offline Sam

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #1 on: June 10, 2014, 06:56:35 AM »
We have some good talent on our current team but probably not the smartest we have ever had.

The Strike Squad was fundamentally good, none of them played for a professional team yet they played very well, they knew the simple things for success and they work for each other.

The 2006 WC team played together and had leaders, Yorke, Stern, Hislop, Lawrence, Avery, Birchall, Edwards and Latas had a football brain.

Lets look at some of our supposed current top players.

We have Kenwyne who was in position and running out of position. He is built like a machine and play like he running a egg and spoon race. He still eh sure what position he could play. Stoke, Cardiff, Sunderland and Southampton doh want to see him again. Cardiff stuck. A 6 footer getting kick down and manners by a man half he size, a man so muscular and cant even get one shot on goal or beat a player, he running like a toddler now learing to walk.

Peltier, boss runner, beating 3 man and then guess what, he run out of ideas. He eh watch up de field to see no one there, so where yuh going?

Hyland, 3 man on him and he pass de ball back to his defenders immediately putting T&T under pressure. He waiting to be marked then to pass. Do the simple things man, yuh playing defensive midfielder and should be protecting your defenders.

Mitchell, jumping for de ball after it pass him. Communicate with each other nah.

Joevin, de field to big for him, he should get blinders also known as blinkers are a piece of horse tack that prevent the horse seeing to the rear and, in some cases, to the side. Cause he getting stage fright.

Imagine, Justin Hoyte doh even play for his club and he is T&T's fitness player.

Sheldon Bateau love to slide and once you love to sell yourself early, you will eat beats.

Jan Michael Williams is another one, one minute he saving some excellent balls, de next he look like Hayden Thomas. Ah sure allyuh remember he.

Kevin Molino a perfect A League level player, still feel he could do something though, but that's up to him and how bad he wants it.

We have talent and nothing more.

We will get better with more games, but I eh holding meh breath because we already know, so games might be hard to come by.

We waste to much time on one player and then its hard to just drop him. For example, Kenwyne, he should not be on the T&T side UNTIL he improve.

We players NEVER FIT and more than half of the team does play regular football.

So basically, in a sense, everyone have to take some blame but at the end of the day, we players have to execute on the field.

« Last Edit: June 10, 2014, 09:00:22 AM by Sam »
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Offline Tiresais

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #2 on: June 10, 2014, 07:12:13 AM »
If you want smart footballers you need smart people - natural talent will get you far when you're young, but the players who drop off considerably after 21 are those who never learn to play better. How many of our Pro League players did well in school? How many did anything beyond secondary? How many players are dedicated to teh game in their spare time, or just lime? The best players who ever played studied the game, trained every day, watch as many games as they could and tried to learn from it.

Again how many players learnt their technique verses those who are still doing the same as when they were 18? I'm not saying we have many or few of these, and there's not much way I could tell personally (anyone got vids of players when they were in Intercol or young?).

Offline Bitter

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #3 on: June 10, 2014, 07:24:04 AM »
How do you teach a player to be smart?

If I could answer that question, I'd still be coaching... :frustrated:
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Offline elan

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #4 on: June 10, 2014, 09:13:44 AM »
Have smart coaches if you want smart players.

We are stuck or obsessed with the MNT. If you want smart players you have to turn away from the MNT and look to the youths.

At 24 Messi is a world star. At 30 we are still wanting to teach players movement off the ball. Sorry not gonna happen.

Hazard, Balo, Rooney, Neymar, Ronaldo, etc are/were being polished. We are still trying to teach 30 year old players. See anything wrong.


Players need to be coached at the young age to understand the game and how to operate within the game according to what they see. The game ask players questions and the players must be provide with the tools to assist them in answering these questions.



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« Last Edit: June 10, 2014, 09:20:17 AM by elan »
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Offline diamondtrim

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #5 on: June 10, 2014, 10:25:14 AM »
Had to chime in here.....

'We are stuck or obsessed with the MNT. If you want smart players you have to turn away from the MNT and look to the youths.'

This is so true, yet at the same time its the root of our problems as footballers.

Youths are not as excited or up to learn basic, intelligent football at their age. Rather, they want to be extravagant and pretty in their play. Its all about who could dribble more, run faster or shoot harder. Its never about proper technique, proper passes or good running off the ball.

I've mentioned it before, my son plays at the U16 level, at practice the coach will stop the session and show the team a simple knock off or an easier play....yet, when the session restarts its the same nonsense.

It starts where most of us learn our football....the community sweat.

Fortunately I live very very close to a stadium and witness and sometimes participate in the afternoon sweat that goes on on the training field. These kids absolutely refuse to play football. Its all about forcing the ball forward at all costs.

For example, as is apt to happen in a small goal sweat, players follow the ball. So if the ball is on one side of the field you'll find everybody gravitating to that side. No one seems to decide to pull off a lil wide so at the very least an outlet pass can be made. Another example is the youths seem to hate the back pass which can start over a play....its forward or out. If there's an attack near the goal. it doesnt matter if 15 guys are jumbled up in front of the goal....they seem to think it wise to force their way through by dribbling or passing into a player who has 4 or 5 men around him.

What amazes me is that they will always call out Barcelona or Madrid, so I know they see these teams, and more so Barcelona, playing passing, patient and attacking football, yet they come on the field to play and its like wild animals let loose.

Imagine in a small goal sweat, with the goal no more than two feet tall and four feet wide, guys will swing in a high cross...for what? For someone to leap in the air and score a header?

There's a particular youngster who plays very simple and intelligent football. When he sees the play crowded he starts it over. He is usually heckled and berated for such a play.

I don't necessarily subscribe to the belief that an academic brain translates into a higher level of football, as a football or cricket brain is a hell of a thing to possess.

The problem is that we learn the wrong thing from young. Football, like a human, has cognitive stages of development. Your football 'personality' is developed by a certain age. When a youth is constantly practicing the wrong thing up to ages 15/16 and more (due to the ssfl)....it is damn near impossible to correct it when they get to senior level.

Offline maxg

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #6 on: June 10, 2014, 10:58:10 AM »
Experiencing some of the above, as i am coaching U16 boys. 1st time this age level. I don't know how allyuh manage.  I think, they rarely sit and watch a whole game, to boring, to much other football to watch. I think the ones who seriously interested just watch Highlights, cause it seems to me that's how they play and lose. There seems to be  2 extremes and 2 in between, the guys who kicking way the ball because of lack of self confidence, the guys who trying, working hard, but very little natural skill/athletic ability, the guys who have good athletic ability, but unfamiliar with the game and wants to be told everything ,and the guys who know the game, have the ability, and every play must be a highlight.
So we practicing the good stuff, the support, the lay back, the cover, the wing play, the over lap...then we go in the game and is down the middle, beat, beat till lorse..simple collect and shoot, starboy going for bicycle..cyah make 2 simple pass, is cap, is cap...so I realizing, we practicing simple play, and the boys doing something else in game...without practice beforehand.. so I resign myself to taking the lorses this year...and making them better players for next year coach.  I realize I could coach to win by moving players around strategically, but I mature enough to take the loss and do the development they didn't get. I don't need no fame bout I is the most winningest coach...especially as my son on the team...I don't really care if he win or lorse in football..I care if he enjoy getting better at the game, and understand the little intracacies, becoming a knowledgable player...will he then be a pro/national player..probably not...but he already a National athlete, he not depending on that..he will simply be a smarter footballer, around all aspects of the game.. but in truth, them boys head hard, real testing my patience and making me a better coach...i see where SH develop his patience now

Offline frico

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #7 on: June 10, 2014, 11:47:31 AM »
Sam,you have said a few things that I wondered about for sometime,most important is,does our players  intelligence match their skills,I honestly think,they don't.When I look at TT play,I always see,simple mistakes over and over,it is very annoying.

Offline Tiresais

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #8 on: June 10, 2014, 11:54:45 AM »
Experiencing some of the above, as i am coaching U16 boys. 1st time this age level. I don't know how allyuh manage.  I think, they rarely sit and watch a whole game, to boring, to much other football to watch. I think the ones who seriously interested just watch Highlights, cause it seems to me that's how they play and lose. There seems to be  2 extremes and 2 in between, the guys who kicking way the ball because of lack of self confidence, the guys who trying, working hard, but very little natural skill/athletic ability, the guys who have good athletic ability, but unfamiliar with the game and wants to be told everything ,and the guys who know the game, have the ability, and every play must be a highlight.
So we practicing the good stuff, the support, the lay back, the cover, the wing play, the over lap...then we go in the game and is down the middle, beat, beat till lorse..simple collect and shoot, starboy going for bicycle..cyah make 2 simple pass, is cap, is cap...so I realizing, we practicing simple play, and the boys doing something else in game...without practice beforehand.. so I resign myself to taking the lorses this year...and making them better players for next year coach.  I realize I could coach to win by moving players around strategically, but I mature enough to take the loss and do the development they didn't get. I don't need no fame bout I is the most winningest coach...especially as my son on the team...I don't really care if he win or lorse in football..I care if he enjoy getting better at the game, and understand the little intracacies, becoming a knowledgable player...will he then be a pro/national player..probably not...but he already a National athlete, he not depending on that..he will simply be a smarter footballer, around all aspects of the game.. but in truth, them boys head hard, real testing my patience and making me a better coach...i see where SH develop his patience now

Not well placed to give you advice personally (have a FA coaching course level 1, which is to coaching what two years in Primary school is to education :p), but have you tried specific ruled matches, like 10 passes before you shoot, or keep the ball for one minute before shooting? You can also do points for every second they have the ball in the opposition's penalty area or half/third, or you're not allowed to hold the ball for more than 3 seconds. Little games like this appeal to their intense competitiveness whilst also cementing what you've imparted during drills. Anything that moves away from a reliance on physicality (which large pitches can encourage) is supposed to help at younger age groups, which is the major problem in English football coaching (playing with pitches and balls too big favours large, strong, quick and tall youngsters, which is rather silly given how early they are in their development).

Hell if you're doing it at a serious outfit, you could have a day trip to a football game and give them a check-list to complete during the match (player passed back, slide tackle in penalty area, How many times a player dribbled past another), or have them watch a classic match between two clubs your kids love the most (Él Classico?)
« Last Edit: June 10, 2014, 11:56:21 AM by Tiresais »

Offline elan

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #9 on: June 10, 2014, 11:59:19 AM »
Sam,you have said a few things that I wondered about for sometime,most important is,does our players  intelligence match their skills,I honestly think,they don't.When I look at TT play,I always see,simple mistakes over and over,it is very annoying.

Yeah but that has nothing to do with intelligence.

The question might be better phrased "does their decision making match their skill?" or "are they properly developed to make the correct decision in specific situations?"

This goes back to coaching. What T&T need is updated and relevant coaching education at the grass root level. Coaching is not just showing or telling or putting players in a drill. Coaching is much more than that and our coaches lack the education and development to develop our players properly for international football.
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Offline Football supporter

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #10 on: June 10, 2014, 12:20:28 PM »
The thing about football in T&T is that school football sets the pattern for players careers. I don't dislike school football, but I dislike it's philosophy.

In many nations, a school would be delighted to see one of it's students playing with a professional club. Not in T&T. Some coaches actively prevent players from training with Pro League teams. I know of at least 15 youngsters who had professional contracts, renege on those contracts to return to school football.
There is no support or advice from TTFA or zonal football associations, so how can you prevent this?

If you teach a child to carry out a task incorrectly, it takes an awful amount of time to teach him to do the task correctly. Muscle memory is an important football technique because repetitiveness leads to automatic reaction.

So if a player is taught the wrong technique at age 12 and continues with that technique until age 16, no matter how much training he receives, under pressure, his muscle memory will kick in and revert back to the original technique. 

Hence why you see players shooting with their right foot when the left foot was the better option.

School coaches must embrace professional football. Like it or not, their players should be benefiting more from training with, say, Central F.C. than with their school. Just the fact that they need to push harder to compete should improve them. I'm not suggesting that players don't train with their school team, but that they should be encouraged to train with the pro teams as well.

Some of these youth men have no heart and prefer to be a big fish in a small pond rather that battle for a place on the first team in the Pro League. Currently, there are very few pro league players who stayed at school until age 20...even 18 is too old really. And I'm not talking about curtailing education. If they are studying, that's a different story. I'm talking about 18,19, 20 year olds who leave school and can barely write their names!

Offline frico

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #11 on: June 10, 2014, 02:11:07 PM »
Sam,you have said a few things that I wondered about for sometime,most important is,does our players  intelligence match their skills,I honestly think,they don't.When I look at TT play,I always see,simple mistakes over and over,it is very annoying.

Yeah but that has nothing to do with intelligence.

The question might be better phrased "does their decision making match their skill?" or "are they properly developed to make the correct decision in specific situations?"

This goes back to coaching. What T&T need is updated and relevant coaching education at the grass root level. Coaching is not just showing or telling or putting players in a drill. Coaching is much more than that and our coaches lack the education and development to develop our players properly for international football.
You have put that so well that I have to agree,but don't you think intelligence comes into it,I am talking about intelligence in general.

Offline soccerman

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #12 on: June 10, 2014, 02:56:13 PM »
Sam,you have said a few things that I wondered about for sometime,most important is,does our players  intelligence match their skills,I honestly think,they don't.When I look at TT play,I always see,simple mistakes over and over,it is very annoying.

Yeah but that has nothing to do with intelligence.

The question might be better phrased "does their decision making match their skill?" or "are they properly developed to make the correct decision in specific situations?"

This goes back to coaching. What T&T need is updated and relevant coaching education at the grass root level. Coaching is not just showing or telling or putting players in a drill. Coaching is much more than that and our coaches lack the education and development to develop our players properly for international football.

 :beermug:

Offline CK1

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #13 on: June 11, 2014, 10:27:01 AM »
Have smart coaches if you want smart players.

We are stuck or obsessed with the MNT. If you want smart players you have to turn away from the MNT and look to the youths.

At 24 Messi is a world star. At 30 we are still wanting to teach players movement off the ball. Sorry not gonna happen.

Hazard, Balo, Rooney, Neymar, Ronaldo, etc are/were being polished. We are still trying to teach 30 year old players. See anything wrong.


Players need to be coached at the young age to understand the game and how to operate within the game according to what they see. The game ask players questions and the players must be provide with the tools to assist them in answering these questions.



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Offline Trini

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #14 on: June 11, 2014, 12:04:39 PM »
Same way we talk about physical fitness, there is also mental fitness.

Every single game we play against top level teams, in the first few mins we do not look overmatched. Even the last game vs Argentina. Even Ray Hudson was saying we play a nice little tiki-taka when we ready....We were passing around the ball nicely in little zones, looked composed etc. But as time goes on, it wears down. In our case against that level of opponent, it was about 15-20 mins.

When you play under high pressure and lose fitness, both your body and mind shuts down and you revert to memory.

Physical Fitness loss = technique goes away.
Mental Fitness loss = mistakes/bad choices that bring on more pressure.

Combine these 2 and you see why we always look like we on edge vs the USA.

Both physical and mental fitness, at these elite levels,  are not built on beach runs and doing football laps, it is only built on the field playing high level games REGULARLY.

Repetition is the key.

World class players have faced every single scenario possible on a field at the highest level. And that experience makes them look more composed, keep their guile and maintain technique longer.

This is why playing regularly is so important as a team, and why managers always talking about players being "match fit" even when in training they would appear physically fit.

Offline MEP

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #15 on: June 11, 2014, 10:41:16 PM »
maybe simply you need coaches who know how to develop players physically, technically, mentally and tactically. You need coaches who know how to move players from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset as well as coaches who know how to do the same themselves.
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« Last Edit: June 11, 2014, 10:43:49 PM by MEP »

Offline amwood

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #16 on: June 13, 2014, 09:26:54 PM »
Had to chime in here.....

'We are stuck or obsessed with the MNT. If you want smart players you have to turn away from the MNT and look to the youths.'

This is so true, yet at the same time its the root of our problems as footballers.

Youths are not as excited or up to learn basic, intelligent football at their age. Rather, they want to be extravagant and pretty in their play. Its all about who could dribble more, run faster or shoot harder. Its never about proper technique, proper passes or good running off the ball.

I've mentioned it before, my son plays at the U16 level, at practice the coach will stop the session and show the team a simple knock off or an easier play....yet, when the session restarts its the same nonsense.

It starts where most of us learn our football....the community sweat.

Fortunately I live very very close to a stadium and witness and sometimes participate in the afternoon sweat that goes on on the training field. These kids absolutely refuse to play football. Its all about forcing the ball forward at all costs.

For example, as is apt to happen in a small goal sweat, players follow the ball. So if the ball is on one side of the field you'll find everybody gravitating to that side. No one seems to decide to pull off a lil wide so at the very least an outlet pass can be made. Another example is the youths seem to hate the back pass which can start over a play....its forward or out. If there's an attack near the goal. it doesnt matter if 15 guys are jumbled up in front of the goal....they seem to think it wise to force their way through by dribbling or passing into a player who has 4 or 5 men around him.

What amazes me is that they will always call out Barcelona or Madrid, so I know they see these teams, and more so Barcelona, playing passing, patient and attacking football, yet they come on the field to play and its like wild animals let loose.

Imagine in a small goal sweat, with the goal no more than two feet tall and four feet wide, guys will swing in a high cross...for what? For someone to leap in the air and score a header?

There's a particular youngster who plays very simple and intelligent football. When he sees the play crowded he starts it over. He is usually heckled and berated for such a play.

I don't necessarily subscribe to the belief that an academic brain translates into a higher level of football, as a football or cricket brain is a hell of a thing to possess.

The problem is that we learn the wrong thing from young. Football, like a human, has cognitive stages of development. Your football 'personality' is developed by a certain age. When a youth is constantly practicing the wrong thing up to ages 15/16 and more (due to the ssfl)....it is damn near impossible to correct it when they get to senior level.


Spot on analysis...if you create an environment where good decisions are rewarded, you change the perception in the minds of players of what great footballers are all about.

Offline Touches

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #17 on: June 14, 2014, 09:51:48 AM »
Notwithstanding all that has been said above.

I feel some people just have "genius" mentally when it comes to football and see plays, situations, passes and scenarios before they occur.

Muscle memory and training exercises could only take you so far,instinct too...but there are players out there who will purposely beat you in a certain direction, trap a ball in certain direction, feint etc to create a play not immediately but 2-3 plays down the line.

Most TT players from rec to national team operate in the now... man rush een, beat him to avoid the foot...not beat to create the space for the pass or to help your teammate.

This intelligence to me is a gift...you either have it or you don't.

However a duncee player with fitness or skill could get up to speed with practice, videos, training and prep.

Latapy is a boss...he had it, Dwighty too, Pirlo have it, Zidane had it, Carlos Valderamma had it. In terms of fwds, players like bergkamp, Van Nistelroy, Suarez all of them have more than the physical tools to see space and movement.

Believe it or not..I know I might get real licks for this and it might just negate everything I type above, but Stern John had that gift. The ability to put yourself in the correct space at the correct time and finish the play was a part of his skill set. Stern ent do that on a one off...he was always in the correct position game after game. It was even more evident as when injury, weight, lack of speed etc was taking a toll on him...his "upstairs" allowed him to still function and get the job done. (please bear in mind I used to say #14 was d worse ting in a tugs)

Again, a player can only be considered "bright" when he is compared to another who is "duncee". But dunceeness pervading the national team at this point. You only need one smart player to help develop others and in time I am sure that individual will be discovered.


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Offline elan

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #18 on: June 14, 2014, 12:17:02 PM »
Notwithstanding all that has been said above.

I feel some people just have "genius" mentally when it comes to football and see plays, situations, passes and scenarios before they occur.

Muscle memory and training exercises could only take you so far,instinct too...but there are players out there who will purposely beat you in a certain direction, trap a ball in certain direction, feint etc to create a play not immediately but 2-3 plays down the line.

Most TT players from rec to national team operate in the now... man rush een, beat him to avoid the foot...not beat to create the space for the pass or to help your teammate.

This intelligence to me is a gift...you either have it or you don't.

However a duncee player with fitness or skill could get up to speed with practice, videos, training and prep.

Latapy is a boss...he had it, Dwighty too, Pirlo have it, Zidane had it, Carlos Valderamma had it. In terms of fwds, players like bergkamp, Van Nistelroy, Suarez all of them have more than the physical tools to see space and movement.

Believe it or not..I know I might get real licks for this and it might just negate everything I type above, but Stern John had that gift. The ability to put yourself in the correct space at the correct time and finish the play was a part of his skill set. Stern ent do that on a one off...he was always in the correct position game after game. It was even more evident as when injury, weight, lack of speed etc was taking a toll on him...his "upstairs" allowed him to still function and get the job done. (please bear in mind I used to say #14 was d worse ting in a tugs)

Again, a player can only be considered "bright" when he is compared to another who is "duncee". But dunceeness pervading the national team at this point. You only need one smart player to help develop others and in time I am sure that individual will be discovered.


Believe me it can be trained. Obviously some players will always stand out (or not), but that's the outliers.

Players who are coached in a proper environment and has the desire to excel will keeping everything equal. How many top athletes flunk out of college but are star players in the NFL and NBA.

It comes back to creating that environment where players minds are challenged and nurtured. First touch is a taught technique.

Looking at Stern John, from many accounts he wasn't to bright in school and from some recent reports still not to bright. He being able to be in position is coaching and learning.

This touches on the psychological aspect in understanding how people learn. In teaching a concept of the game players will go through various mental stages in eventually learning/not learning the concept being taught. This is where quality coaching comes in. It takes a very astute coach to recognize which stage the player is in and how to assist the player in moving on to the next stage. Here is where we arrive at our problem in T&T.
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Offline Star Child

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #19 on: June 14, 2014, 08:05:26 PM »
If the coaches are not smart, the players would not be.

He picks the players, uses the different system and train the players.

Mr Beenhakker and even Wim had our team playing really smart football, the best I have seen.

Not picking on Hart, but he has to take blame, because it starts with him or anyone in the position.

Sam, the team has been inactive for 7 months and he knew and accepted.

Beenhakker refuse to come to T&T until things are cleared up with the TTFA, a Trini coach will just accepted what they give him, so obviously, the players will be the same way.

Hart seems like a decent guy, however, I'm not sure if he sees his job as a retirement job so he doesn't have to go back to cold Halifax and just accepts what the TTFA sells him or genuinely wants to put his career and team first??

He is picking players to save his face.

He has to get involved with the T&T pro league admin and work something out where he can access his local players monthly and also invest in the youths a little more, players like Kenwyne Jones and flat footed Jan Williams should not be regulars on this team, they are to ineffective for too long.

Who cares if we lose, just build for the future.

Good topic anyway.

« Last Edit: June 14, 2014, 08:11:17 PM by Star Child »

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #20 on: June 15, 2014, 11:49:52 PM »
Notwithstanding all that has been said above.

I feel some people just have "genius" mentally when it comes to football and see plays, situations, passes and scenarios before they occur.

Muscle memory and training exercises could only take you so far,instinct too...but there are players out there who will purposely beat you in a certain direction, trap a ball in certain direction, feint etc to create a play not immediately but 2-3 plays down the line.

Most TT players from rec to national team operate in the now... man rush een, beat him to avoid the foot...not beat to create the space for the pass or to help your teammate.

This intelligence to me is a gift...you either have it or you don't.

However a duncee player with fitness or skill could get up to speed with practice, videos, training and prep.

Latapy is a boss...he had it, Dwighty too, Pirlo have it, Zidane had it, Carlos Valderamma had it. In terms of fwds, players like bergkamp, Van Nistelroy, Suarez all of them have more than the physical tools to see space and movement.

Believe it or not..I know I might get real licks for this and it might just negate everything I type above, but Stern John had that gift. The ability to put yourself in the correct space at the correct time and finish the play was a part of his skill set. Stern ent do that on a one off...he was always in the correct position game after game. It was even more evident as when injury, weight, lack of speed etc was taking a toll on him...his "upstairs" allowed him to still function and get the job done. (please bear in mind I used to say #14 was d worse ting in a tugs)

Again, a player can only be considered "bright" when he is compared to another who is "duncee". But dunceeness pervading the national team at this point. You only need one smart player to help develop others and in time I am sure that individual will be discovered.


good talk, part of the reason why trini players think that way is mainly because they live in a selfish society, individuality rules, team work is not in their mindset, every man for themselves kinda vibe... unselfish players often make other players better bc of their unselfish actions

Offline elan

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #21 on: June 16, 2014, 09:39:42 AM »
Notwithstanding all that has been said above.

I feel some people just have "genius" mentally when it comes to football and see plays, situations, passes and scenarios before they occur.

Muscle memory and training exercises could only take you so far,instinct too...but there are players out there who will purposely beat you in a certain direction, trap a ball in certain direction, feint etc to create a play not immediately but 2-3 plays down the line.

Most TT players from rec to national team operate in the now... man rush een, beat him to avoid the foot...not beat to create the space for the pass or to help your teammate.

This intelligence to me is a gift...you either have it or you don't.

However a duncee player with fitness or skill could get up to speed with practice, videos, training and prep.

Latapy is a boss...he had it, Dwighty too, Pirlo have it, Zidane had it, Carlos Valderamma had it. In terms of fwds, players like bergkamp, Van Nistelroy, Suarez all of them have more than the physical tools to see space and movement.

Believe it or not..I know I might get real licks for this and it might just negate everything I type above, but Stern John had that gift. The ability to put yourself in the correct space at the correct time and finish the play was a part of his skill set. Stern ent do that on a one off...he was always in the correct position game after game. It was even more evident as when injury, weight, lack of speed etc was taking a toll on him...his "upstairs" allowed him to still function and get the job done. (please bear in mind I used to say #14 was d worse ting in a tugs)

Again, a player can only be considered "bright" when he is compared to another who is "duncee". But dunceeness pervading the national team at this point. You only need one smart player to help develop others and in time I am sure that individual will be discovered.


good talk, part of the reason why trini players think that way is mainly because they live in a selfish society, individuality rules, team work is not in their mindset, every man for themselves kinda vibe... unselfish players often make other players better bc of their unselfish actions

According to what you write there, how come the USA does beat we arse and they damn selfish.
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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #22 on: June 16, 2014, 01:44:24 PM »
why bother ? I thought selection was supposed to separate the sheep from de goats ?

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Re: How do you teach a player to be smart?
« Reply #23 on: June 16, 2014, 03:14:16 PM »
I hope allyuh watching this Wc really well and allyuh see some of allyuh stars are just as brainless as ours. just to name a few. Rooney, Ike, Pepe.

 

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