US Youth Soccer Coaching Education Department. 2012. - 117 p.Welcome to the US Youth Soccer Player Development Model. The purpose of this publication is to help youth soccer coaches and soccer clubs raise the level of play across the country. This can be achieved by becoming aware of the capabilities and aspirations of their players at each stage of their development and by creating more positive, player-centered learning environments. The key to modern youth player development can be found in the lessons of the free play era, where children took charge of games, learning and fun. By participating in endless hours of player-centered soccer, the children of the street soccer generation developed a life-long passion and a practical feel for the game that has been all but lost in the transfer to over-organized sport. By returning to the ideals of the free play era, youth coaches and soccer clubs can use meaningful soccer games and soccer-related activities to unlock the potential of their young charges to produce savvy, sophisticated American players.
The Player Development Model is divided into three main parts. Part I is the Primer, which provides general information on coaching methods, training tools and the elements of a healthy soccer environment. Part II, Zone 1: Preteen Age Groups provides information on coaching U-6, U-8, U-10 and U-12 age groups and is organized into separate chapters for each of those age groups. Part III, Zones 2 and 3, Teenagers, discusses the challenges and solutions of working with the U-14, U-16 and U-18+ age groups, with separate chapters for each of those age groups. The US Youth Soccer Player Development Model is written as a complementary publication to the U.S. Soccer Player Development Guidelines – Best Practices for Coaching Soccer in the United States.1 Reference will be made to Best Practices throughout this publication, so please keep a copy nearby. The coach inspires the soccer experience for the players, and this Model provides the knowledge needed to pass on the beautiful game to the next generation.
