\\|// (@ @) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOOo~(_)~oOOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ YOUTH COACHING NETWORK A Free E-Mail Newsletter April 2000 Issue 2 (Links Edition) Kelly P. Hanaway, Editor (editor@teamanizer.com) (maximize your mail tool for ease of viewing) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to 100's of coaches around the world! To subscribe send a message to editor@teamanizer.com, place "subscribe" in the subject field To unsubscribe, forward this message to editor@teamanizer.com, place "unsubscribe" in the subject field ----------------------------------------------------------------- IN THIS ISSUE (Table of Contents) ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1. "Youth Coaching Network" Newsletter Update 2. Feature Articles by Sport: BASEBALL: "Loosey-Goosey; Ikey-Mikey - Keeping a Relaxed Swing" - Coach George J Karukas BASKETBALL: "Basketball Speed Skills - Part 2" - Peter McLean, MS Director - Speed Wins Ltd. - John "Sarge" Siers Director Youth Development Five Star Basketball Camp BASKETBALL: "Become a Complete Basketball Player" - Coach Matt Swanick CHEER & DANCE: "Getting The Help You Need" - Leslie C. Goettsch Owner of DanceCheer.NET GENERAL: "How to Organize a Practice - Part 2" - Coach Joseph P Izzo SOCCER : "A 21st Century Coaching Resource" - Coach David Graham SOCCER-COACH-L owner 3. Input from Coaches (A)SOCCER: PLAYERS PRAYER - Instructor Andrew Castiglione (B)CHEER: "How to Act When You're Spectating" - Coach Jen Botchie 4. Coaching Tools & Info on the Internet New site for Sports Recruitment Get a TOLL FREE number absolutely FREE. Get a FREE Site to Promote Your Soccer Team 5. Next Issue - Contact Me if you'd like to contribute (editor@teamanizer.com) ----------------------------------------------------------------- "Youth Coaching Network" Newsletter Update ----------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Fellow Coaches, Thank you, one and all. Our first edition was an overwhelming hit. We've doubled our subscription list in a month and have had nothing but positive feedback and comments on the newsletter. The overriding theme has been that "give me tools and tips that I need to be the very best coach I can be - ultimately helping me make a difference in a child's life as his coach" In order to make this newsletter a success I rely on you to be the eyes and ears of the youth coaching world. Perhaps you know of a great coaching site that might help other coaches. Perhaps you found a great deal on sports equipment. Or, perhaps you'd like to share some of your coaching expertise with the list. This newsletter will highlight guest coaches as authors each month. Drop me an email if you'd like to become an active subscriber to this newsletter mailto:editor@teamanizer.com. I really need your feedback if Youth Coaching Network is going to be successful. Can I count on you for constructive criticism? "Swing Hard; In Case You Hit It" Very Best, Kelly P (Coach Kelly) Hanaway :-) ----------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE FORWARD THIS ISSUE ----------------------------------------------------------------- If you haven't already done so, please forward this issue to one or two of your friends or fellow coaches. Thanks so much! ----------------------------------------------------------------- Feature Articles ----------------------------------------------------------------- BASEBALL: "Loosey-Goosey; Ikey-Mikey - Keeping a Relaxed Swing" - Coach George J Karukas I know that it sounds corny, but you probably won't forget it. This month's tip is actually two tips in one. Translated, "Loosey-Goosey; Ikey-Mikey" means relax and follow through. One of the most important aspects of any swing, whether it's baseball or golf or tennis, is to stay relaxed before the swing. During the swing your muscles will automatically tighten up where they need to, but unless you are relaxed before, you cannot get any speed during the swing. Think of "Loosey-Goosey" as a keyword, or as golfers call it, a swing thought. The strange phrase should instantly put it in your head to relax your hands and focus on the ball. And the tell - tale sign that you are not relaxed is if, in your stance, the muscles in your forearm are flexed and your knuckles are turning white, you are way too tense. Let's do an experiment. Grab a bat and hold it out in front of you (preferably in the yard, not the living room) and grip it real tight. Now try to wag the barrel back and forth. Now hold the bat out in front of you and barely grip it with loose fingers and wrist pressure. Now when you wag the barrel, it should feel more fluid and easier to swat back and forth with more speed and control. That's because your muscles can act and react with more ease. Tension in your hands will restrict your range of motion. Also, one of the most important parts of your swing is rolling over your wrists at the point of contact. That's the point of transition between the swing and the follow through when your top hand goes over the bottom hand. That's when you get the snap and the most swing speed. Try rolling your wrists with a tight grip on the bat. Your hands don't want to roll so easy. And this whole relaxation thing corresponds with everything else while you are at the plate. Imagine trying to stay focused on the ball with the stress of the days worries on your mind. If your body and your mind are both relaxed, it will be much easier to stay focused on the task at hand - Crushing the Ball! "Ikey-Mikey" can help you concentrate on your follow through. It is simply the names of your two shoulders. Ikey is your front shoulder (toward the pitcher) and Mikey is your back shoulder. During your swing your chin should start out at Ikey and say hello to Mikey after the follow through. If your chin doesn't touch Mikey after your swing, you are not getting the full range of motion and you're losing valuable swing speed and you are pulling your head out and not seeing the ball hit the bat. Think of Griffey's follow through. It's a classic. And his left shoulder is always right up in his face. He has a beautiful pose after he hits one a mile and it's because he swings with a full motion. Other than Macguire, how many of us can hit a Bombs-Away-Bye-Bye-Baby-Blast with a check swing? Introduce your chin to Ikey and Mikey and you too will see a difference. I hope these tips help you become a better hitter. Always seek the advice of people you trust to help you improve your game. Coach George J Karukas The Batter's Box 1-843-477-1874 http://www.aluminumbats.com \\|// (@ @) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOOo~(_)~oOOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BASKETBALL: "Basketball Speed Skills - Part 2" - Coach "Sarge" Siers Force Development To ensure a more explosive first step it is imperative for each stride cycle to be as efficient as possible. Every time the foot makes contact with the playing surface, maximal power must be attained. You may have the strongest athlete in the league, but if he/she cannot transfer this strength to the foot strike point, all of this strength is wasted. I will outline some of the drills we use to improve ground force mechanics and the explosive first step. a) Wheeling Drill This drill will be done while leaning against a wall, arms fully extended torso at about a 60 degree angle. Athlete brings one knee up to 90 degrees, on cue drive the foot down to the ground and scrape the sole of the shoe against the ground and bring knee around to the start position. This is one cycle. We describe the action as "scraping dirt off of the sole of the shoe", the action of the leg will be rotational. The drill should be done very deliberately and with explosive action. 10-20 cycles on each side b) Power Stride The athlete lines up with feet parallel, hip width apart and arms at side. On cue the athlete takes one explosive step out in perfect running position. Head up, back leg extended, chest over front knee. It is important to be sure that the rear ankle, knee, hip and shoulders line up at between 45 - 50 degrees. Repeat this drill until it is perfect. Be sure to note the arm position. Check to ensure countered arms and legs, 90 degrees at elbow joint, and pocket to shoulder hands (see above). c) Two Step Power Stride Same as above but continue with the other leg. Be sure to check that athlete does not over stride . The chest should be over the foot. If the foot is set beyond the chest, the stride is too long and will reinforce bad mechanics. Be sure to cue the arm action. 10 repeats on each side c) Bounding >From neutral position, drive the lead foot and leap on contact alternate feet and bound 20 yds. This drill will trigger the neural systems to react quickly to stimulus from the ground. For the athlete to properly execute this drill, he/she must generate high forces and propel the foot to the ground forcefully. Coach should correct any athlete that double hops or skips. This drill must stress a single quick touch on each foot contact. When bounding is successfully attempted, the athlete will look as if he/she is power running. 3-4 sequences of 20 yards each. d) Power Stride - Bound Athlete will perform power stride and continue into a bound. This is a very difficult drill for the novice so be prepared to spend some time working on the mechanics of this drill. The power stride -bound incorporates all of the concepts we have spoken about in the clinic. We stress proper mechanics, good arm action, driving from the toes, explosive, precise leg drive and quick turnover. This will be the final drill in this drill sequence. You should try to incorporate these drills into the beginning of the practice session so that all of the neural components are stimulated and ready for the remainder of the training session. These skills work best when the athlete is fresh and mentally alert. As the season develops these drills can become part of the conditioning or the functional warm up of any practice. I also recommend that some of these drills be used as part of your pre-game warm-up. The same principles apply to the game environment as the practice session, we want the muscles to be stimulated in the precise firing order to maximize performance. The scope of this clinic does not allow me to fully detail all of the aspects of speed, agility and quickness we cover in a three-day Speed Wins camp. These drill sequences address the two areas I believe are most lacking in the young athlete. If a basketball player can improve stride mechanics and develop a more explosive first step, he/she will be more competitive in all aspects of the game. Explosive speed can distinguish the great player from the good player and make a great player a champion. For more information on speed, agility and quickness training please visit the Speed Wins web site at speedwinscamp.com or contact me directly at petemclean@speedwinscamp.com. For more information on hosting a camp at your school please contact me at the above email address or call 888 562 4456. Peter McLean, MS Director - Speed Wins Ltd. and John "Sarge" Siers Director Youth Development Five Star Basketball Camp \\|// (@ @) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOOo~(_)~oOOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BASKETBALL: "What Does it Take to Become a Complete Basketball Player" Part 1 - Coach Matt Swanick Basketball is a game of physical and mental proficiencies, a combination of natural and acquired skills which, when properly and efficiently executed, is like a beautiful blending of sport and ballet. Playing the game well requires endurance, finesse, power, speed, and intensity, along with a split second timing and a fanatical dedication to honing numerous skills. At the high school and college levels, the only way a player can develop these skills is by putting in the hours. That means a commitment to hard work, to practicing year-round, and to finding new ways to improve. The age-old cliché; "Rome was not built in a day" surly applies here! You can't develop as a basketball player - or as anything else, for that matter - without dedication! Coach Matt Swanick http://www.SportsAssistant.com \\|// (@ @) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOOo~(_)~oOOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHEER & DANCE: "Getting The Help You Need" - Leslie C. Goettsch, DanceCheer.NET As owner and web master of a popular dance and cheer web community, I get mails from a lot of coaches asking for help on issues that are common to coaching. Many of them are anxious to get some help for whatever challenges they are encountering at the time. These coaches can often get the help they need if they know where to look. Typically I suggest that they try to expand their knowledge base in any and every way possible. What are some ways you can do this? Learn from the masters. Learn to troubleshoot more efficiently by seeing how other coaches deal with similar situations. Network with others in your field. Read coaching articles. Attend coaching classes. Join professional organizations that offer coaching education and support. Seek out the information that will help you to learn skills necessary to manage your own coaching challenges more efficiently. So where do you start? The Internet is one of the best starting points because you can find numerous coaching resources without ever leaving your home. Look for: * Places for networking with other coaches via web communities, listbots, newsgroups, coaches associations, forums, mentor & team adoption programs * Informational resources like eosins and newsletters * Web sites offering tips, technique, news & support for coaches * Online classes including basics, professional certifications, coaching youth & all star teams * Professional organizations offering coaching support, rule books, camps, clinics and educational conferences * Directories listing specialists and services like choreographers, judges, consultants & prep classes * Web sites posting schedules of camps, competitions, & educational conferences (be sure to videotape the televised events!) * Online malls or catalogs featuring products including books, videos, team wear, music mixes, coaching software (often with free trial downloads) * Web sites reporting on the latest innovations in products, services, choreography, industry trends, & much more The best ways to locate these resources are to use the search engines, ask others in your field, or visit the "Directory" or "Links" sections of web sites listing quality resources for coaches. The most resourceful web sites are often written by coaches, camp companies, or others knowledgeable in the field. I did not cover off-line resources, because I find that most coaches are already familiar with the more "traditional" resources. Of all the resources listed, probably the single most important thing a coach can do is to learn to build a network with other coaches, choreographers, camp instructors, judges and consultants in your field using the networking resources listed above. Talking with others who are knowledgeable in your field enables you to get personalized assistance for all aspects of your coaching program whenever you need it. The more people you are able to consult with, the better your odds are of getting help for all aspects of your coaching program. Coaches love to network and help each other excel in what they do. Who knows...you may even make some lifelong friends in the process! Leslie Goettsch http://www.dancecheer.net \\|// (@ @) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOOo~(_)~oOOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GENERAL: "How to Organize a Practice" Part 2 - Coach Joe Izzo Last month I discussed how important it is to organize your practices by planning what material you what covered, and how you want to cover it. If you are reading this part I assume that you believe that practice planning will help both you and your team. This month I will present some rules for organizing a practice and the practice plan structure that I use. Keep in mind that I am NOT a professional coach. I have know idea how professional coaches organize their practices. The method I am presenting here is only one way to organize a practice. It is the way I use and have developed over 19 years of volunteer youth coaching. Practice Planning Rules: * Plan your practice ahead of time. * Keep the practice moving (dead time will kill you). If you don't keep the kids busy, they will find a way to keep themselves busy. And they typically don't choose the same type of activities that a coach would. * Don't try to cover too much material, and don't concentrate on one topic too long. You will have to tailor this rule to fit your team. The age and skill level of your players will have to be taken into consideration. * Always save time to allow for a scrimmage. The kids can't learn how to play the game without playing the game. You may have to modify the rules of the game early in the pre season if the players have not been introduced to all of the skills and or rules of the game. * Save the "fun things" for last. I use the scrimmage as a "treat" for getting through all of the other material. * Try to get the kids tired before "lecturing" them. I typically combine water breaks with "lectures". The kids are tired so they might need a drink, and they are less likely to goof around. Practice Plan Structure: Similar to a good speech, where you tell the audience what you're going to tell them, you tell them, and then you tell them what you told them. A good practice involves telling the kids what they are going to work on, working on it, and then telling them what they just worked on. This approach does two things for the kids. First it allows them start thinking about the sport. We all know that only half of any sport is physical, the other 90% is mental. Second they need the mental repetition as much as the physical repetition. With that in mind I have divided my practices into the following segments: 1. Introduction 2. Warm-ups 3. Activities 4. Conclusion The Introduction is where you tell the kids what they are going to work on. The Warm-ups and Activities segments are where they work on it. (Warm-ups and Activities are kind of the same thing. I separate them because too many coaches skip the very important aspect of warming up.) The Conclusion is where you tell them what they worked on. The following paragraphs go into detail on the Introduction segment. The remaining segments will be covered in the up coming months. Introduction I break my introductions into two parts. In the first part I review the last practice or game. During the pre season I review the skills worked on during the previous practice. I actually use the notes from the conclusion of the last practice. During the season I review the previous game. Praise the good team play as well as individual play. Reward the behavior that you want to see by letting the players know how good they did. Let them know the one or two areas that need the most work. This will lead into the next section, practice overview. In the practice overview tell the kids what skills you are going to work on during this practice. Be sure you tell them why they are working on a particular skill. The purpose of dribbling in soccer for example, is to move the ball down the field - away from your goal. This may sound obvious, but young or first time players may not understand. With older players you can explain the strategic reasons for the activities you have scheduled. This part of the practice (the Introduction) should not take too long. Coaches love to talk, but players/kids don't like to listen. If you get the kids involved by asking them questions and/or allowing them to ask questions you can go a little longer, but even then, if you go too long you'll get into trouble. I allow five minutes for the entire introduction. Most of the time it doesn't last more than three or four minutes. Coach Joe Izzo \\|// (@ @) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOOo~(_)~oOOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SOCCER: "A 21st Century Coaching Resource" - Coach David Graham SOCCER-COACH-L in a nutshell SOCCER-COACH-L is an Internet mailing list for the discussion of coaching soccer. The list was founded in 1994 at wang.com by John Rogers, but since 1996 it has been run from Memorial University of Newfoundland (St John's, NF Canada), where it is housed on morgan.ucs.mun.ca as a mailing list running under listserv 1.8d. The list has nearly 1,900 subscribers, who discuss questions of all types related to soccer: fitness and conditioning, injuries, mental preparation, technical drills, tactics and strategy, team management, resource materials, coaching certification and so forth. Typical daily volume is from 30 to 50 messages, with a ceiling of 75 messages per day. A digest is available for subscribers who wish to receive only a single daily mailing. List members come from several continents and a wide variety of backgrounds; a majority are youth coaches, but a number also coach at the secondary-school and college or university level. The list is open to anyone who wishes to participate: the only requirements are an interest in soccer coaching and a willingness to tolerate a diversity of viewpoints about soccer coaching. This article will briefly describe the four main functions of the list: stand-in coaching mentor, coaching chat group, seed bed for projects to help the coaching community, and information archive. SOCCER-COACH-L as "hot-stove forum" Discussions on SOCCER-COACH-L are divided by topic into several categories. These include such areas as preparing players physically and mentally, developing good practices, match-day coaching, resources (equipment and facilities), management of teams and players, and so forth. The most frequent topic, however, is simply called 'Talk'. This topic is reserved for chatting about coaching: sharing of experiences, anecdotes, "war stories" and the like. As anyone involved with coaching knows, a lot of coaching talk is of this type, and the list provides a hugely valuable forum for it, especially for coaches who have little or no access to it where they are located. Discussions occasionally grow heated, but for the most part they take place in a spirit of real camaraderie and good humor. The international character of the list sometimes comes into play here. Though the majority of members live and coach in North America, the list currently has representation from over 30 countries including Argentina, Croatia, Greece, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal and South Africa. Experiences of coaches from around the world enrich the discussion and sometimes reveal surprising differences. SOCCER-COACH-L as project incubator From time to time, list members decide to undertake a collective project. To date, two of these projects have been completed: these are the SOCCER-COACH-L Coaches' FAQ on the Laws of the Game and the SOCCER-COACH-L Basic Coaching Manual. The FAQ was designed to give coaches a ready reference to the Laws, written from a coaching rather than refereeing point of view. It is a comprehensive and practical guide which is also useful for newcomers to the game such as parents who want to understand some of its less intuitive aspects. The Basic Coaching Manual was written in response to the perception of a need for something that beginning coaches could turn to to find help with the most fundamental aspects of soccer coaching. It contains practical advice on how to organize and manage the various aspects of a team as well as a full introduction to the basics of technique and tactics, suitable for coaches from the youngest ages up to about U12. Both the FAQ and the Manual are accessible from the list web page To subscribe to SOCCER-COACH-L, send SUB SOCCER-COACH-L Your Name (replacing 'Your Name' with your real name), to listserv@mun.ca Coach David Graham SOCCER-COACH-L \\|// (@ @) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOOo~(_)~oOOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3. Input From Coaches (A)SOCCER: PLAYERS PRAYER - Andrew Castiglione Referee Instructor, Assessor/Mentor Gr.3 Ken Aston Camp Administrator/Instructor Retired Registrar Region # 54 Area E Section 11 Co-Administrator/Owner of AYSO-L Lord you made my neck a swivel, Help me not to ball watch, But rather scan the field, With the wisdom to anticipate, When my teammates need support. Running quickly to my mate, For many are needed for possession, But also let me see, The path of the through ball, To devastate our opponents. Please give me the strength, To make my share of runs, Showing for the ball handler, For quick distribution. Give me the sense, To play safe near our goal, But also give me the courage, To take on the foe's defenders. Let me peek at their goalie, Before I shoot, First touch if I can, But if I ever needed help Lord, It's with low hard shots, To the far post. Should we lose the ball, Let me nimbly regain it, But if not tackling an opponent, To markup quickly. And if I'm outnumbered, Please give me patience, Not to sell my body, But delay for my teammates, Who I trust to aid me, As I have faith in you Lord. But above all, Help us to get through, This game, With fun and without injury, Respecting the Ref, So we can play these guys, One more time! (B)CHEER: "How to Act When You're Spectating" - Coach Jen Botchie One thing you definitely want to do, since the judges will watch you in a game situation, is make sure you do all the "little things" well. If you sit on the bench to cheer, make sure your squad is always sitting neatly and properly (There's nothing that looks worse than a squad that is slouching all over the place with their legs every which way on the bench!). Always look neat, don't fuss with your hair a lot. Pay attention to the game and don't talk amongst yourselves. Show a lot of spirit for your team -- jump up and yell for them when they score. Demonstrate a good knowledge of the game -- don't do offense cheers when your team's on defense! And whatever cheers/halftime routines/etc. you do at the tournament, make sure they're clean and full of spirit! Best of luck! \\|// (@ @) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOOo~(_)~oOOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4. Coaching Tools & Info on the Internet. * Great site for sports scholarships information There is a new site up, called Career Sports, its a Sports recruitment site for all high school athletes. Its free, so kids who have modest means can get important information. The more we support this site, the more sports agent scams we can eliminate. Please relay this message to all coaches you know, and tell your kids about it. The site name is http://www.careersportsinc.com * Get a TOLL FREE number absolutely FREE. If you haven't seen this yet it is a wonderful service. You can get a FREE 1-800 number for you internet activity. Place is on your team web page, or use it to converse/fax with you National, or keep in touch with your team when your on the road. A Real Deal. http://www.ureach.com * Get a FREE site for your Soccer Team Promote your team on the World Wide Web. Sign up today and start taking advantage of the exciting features that are yours for FREE. Its easy, you don't need to know HTML. Our easy menus and extensive help will guide you all the way. http://www.townsoccer.com * Coaches, can you help here with a good deal or great coaching site? Let me know and I'll include them. editor@teamanizer.com \\|// (@ @) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOOo~(_)~oOOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5. May Edition BASEBALL : Guest Coach Article BASKETBALL : Guest Coach Article BASKETBALL : "What Does it Take to Become a Complete Basketball Player Part 2" - Coach Matt Swanick GENERAL: "How to Organize a Practice - Part 3" - Coach Joseph P Izzo CHEER: Guest Coach Article FOOTBALL: Guest Coach Article SOCCER : Guest Coach Article If any coaches out there would like to contribute as guest authors (or in any other way), please email me at mailto:editor@teamanizer.com.