There has been a high incidence of knee injuries among athletes in recent years. More specifically, the ACL is often torn in such injuries, ending an athlete's season and possibly their career. Rupture of this ligament can occur from direct trauma/contact but is often a non-contact injury. Female athletes may be more prone to such non-contact injuries due to various reasons: i.e. wider hips, smaller/weaker ligament/anatomy, and decreased ability to fire their hamstrings as compared to males. Studies show that female soccer player's risk of an ACL injury is two to eight times that of men. Recent research is showing that many of these injuries are preventable. By implementing a proper strength/jump training program, we can train the female athlete to better adapt to non-contact forces and decrease the stress to the knee.

 One such program is offered by the Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group. Their program is quoted though out the Physical Therapy community. It involves simple exercises that can be incorporated into training programs and as warm up drill. The PEP, Prevent injury, Enhance Performance, can be downloaded from their website.

More information on ACL injuries can be found at About.com's ACL Injury Prevention Training Program

 Click here for a good video demonstration soccer specific drills.  

Coach-the-Coach

Fakes and Faints 

Do you know the difference between a Cruffy, scissors or Rivelino? www.strongsoccer.com has a complete video selection of these and other fake or faints, ranging from the simple but effective pull back to the more advanced Maradona. www.strongsoccer.com also offers a full range of drills and practice plans.  To learn how to use these moves in a practice click here

Suggested Fake/Faint Practice. Have the player try the move standing still watching you demo the move. Once they have grasped the basics of the move have them perform the move on the dribble. Dribbling in a box on command they perform the move. Progress to having the player “explode” out of the move by explaining the importance of performing the move and getting away or by the defender and moving into space.  Don’t allow them to stand still once they perform the move regardless of how well they have preformed the move.  

Progress to two players pass a ball between them as they move through out the square. On your command the player with the ball dribbles to the other and performs the move. The defender will only offer passive defense at first, once the attacker learns the distance required to do the move have the defender be more aggressive.

 From there progress to a 1 v 1 drill such as  1v1v1 aka Gladiators Click here for full directions

 Finish with a simple games as 1v1 with support. Click here for full directions.

Coach the Coach

Ash Mohtadi session outline from the Sept 6th Mini Coaching Clinic.

Ladder Agility Drills

Ladder agility drills are an excellent way to improve foot speed, agility, coordination and overall quickness.

Click here for speed ladder drills

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House Playing Guidelines

Coaches Information

• Coaches Information General Ver 1

• U6 Playing Rules - Coaches Information

• U7-8 Playing Rules - Coaches Information Ver 1

• U9-10 - Playing Rules - Coaches Information Ver 1

• U11-12 - Playing Rules - Coaches Information

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Laws of the Game

Do you know the difference between being offside and being in an offside position? No, check out FIFA's interactive guide to         Offside Law 11.

FIFA Interactive Guide to Offside Law 11

BCSA GrassRoots
Development

Excellent Clinic recently provided by Dave Shankland BCSA GrassRoots Development. His Coaches Handbook for U6-U12 Ages provides an exceptional collection of training sessions for the grassroots players and even older. VP Development, Darrin McLeod, available to provide team development sessions based on the philosophy and models outlined by BC Soccer Association. Contact Darrin at e-mail: mcleodclan@telus.net

Coaching Clinics

Community Coach Children's
 Instructor: Roy Tufnail

Sept 27 - 2pm to 6pm
Sept 28 - 8am to Noon

Community Coach Youth
Instructor: Roy Tufnail
Valley View Courtenay
 

Sept 19 - 5pm to 9pm
Sept 20 - 8am to 5pm
Sept 21 - 8am - Noon
 

These clinics are open to all club coaches wishing to attend. The club will pay for the coaches that attend. Anyone wishing to take either or both clinic are to email our VP of Development Darrin McLeod, mcleodclan@telus.net for the payment code. Once they coaches have the code they are required to register with BC Soccer buy using the link below. There are no prerequisites for either of these clinics. They may be taken in any order.

BC Soccer Coaching Clinics