The key elements to look for are:

• Aggressive dribbling, attacking the space behind the defence and taking on defenders early.
• Energetic support players, busting a gut to get 2,3 or 4 players into the opponent’s penalty area.
• Quick 1-touch and 2-touch passing combinations.
• Playing forward passes as early as possible, moving the ball away from recovering players and isolating defensive cover.
• Intelligent movement, to open space on the wings and using blindside runs to pull defender’s away from the goal.
• Calm finishing and accurate placement of final passes and shots.

Here’s the clip:

You can develop all of these skills by setting up small-sided games in your coaching sessions. Start with 1v1 games to encourage aggressive dribbling and gradually build up the number of players involved. In many of these counter-attacks there are less than 4 players required to move the ball from the Arsenal goalkeeper to their opponent’s net. You might also forward this video to your players for inspiration.

Here’s to some great counter-attacking goals this weekend!

Fortunately the few items of essential gear are fundamentally the same no matter what age or gender your players, and irrespective of where and when you are training. But you will, inevitably, at some point have to check your player’s equipment or be able to answer questions from parents about the best options. One of the most common questions parents ask me is which football boots I would recommend for their child.

With this in mind, I have noted below some of the important aspects I ask them to consider.

Soccer Boots

The single most specialised piece of equipment for football are the boots your players will wear when playing and training. This is also likely to be the largest single expense for your player’s parents so it is important that your players get a pair of boots they will be comfortable wearing for long periods of time and which are versatile enough to adapt to the many different surfaces they will play on throughout a season.

Specialisation even expands to having different types of sole for different surface conditions.

Studs

Screw-in Studs: Variable-length, screw-in studs are used on soft grass pitches and for extra traction when the surface is wet. Smaller rubber studs can be bought which convert the boot into a hard ground boot, but whilst some players prefer the traditional 6-stud layout, these plates are being phased out for newer designs which spread the player’s weight more evenly across the foot and are generally much more comfortable.

Moulded Studs: More numerable, shorter plastic studs are used on harder surfaces (such as firm grass and 3G astro-turf). These boots are more comfortable than screw-in stud models and are generally suitable for any but the most slick of grass surfaces, making them a good all-around choice.

Moulded Blades: Designed to combine the grip of metal/screw-in studs with the comfort of moulded studs, ‘blades’ and other alternative patterns are an excellent versatile option. In particular, plastic blades can be worn in almost any environment (offering good grip on even wet surfaces and comfortable and safe enough to wear on astro-turf). Metal blades are great specialist soft-ground boots but are not suitable for harder surfaces.

N.B. A few years ago, it was suggested that moulded blades were to blame for a raft of player injuries. However, improved modern designs have been strenuously tested and there is no evidence to suggest they are unsafe. If your players buy from a recognised brand, their boots will be fine.

Astro-Turf and Indoor Soles: Other types of flat or dimpled soles are available for playing football indoors, on clay courts or on older astro-turf (the flat, often sandy type used for field hockey). These trainer shoes’ benefit is that they can be worn outside of soccer practices, but this is also their problem – they are not suitably adapted to be worn on grass pitches and should not be worn for any competitive football. Insist that your players wear studs, moulds or blades whilst playing on soft-ground.

Materials

Manufacturers have taken to releasing three different tiers of their top boots (for example see adidas’s Predator Absolion, Absolado and Absolute or Nike’s T90 Shoot, Strike and Laser) with the biggest cost differentiations based upon the materials used to build the boots. Below I discuss the most common materials and the relative merits of each.

Leather: Ideally your players will be able to pick-up some genuine leather boots. They are softer, adapt to player’s feet over time and provide exceptional feel for the ball. Unfortunately they are usually the most expensive type of boot to buy, the top models use the same materials as the professional’s boots and can cost an outrageous amount of money. However it is occasionally possible to find an an affordable pair.

Plastic: The cheapest model often bears only an aesthetic resemblance to the professional boot – they are usually made of plastic and any other features are merely cosmetic. Plastic boots stubbornly hold their shape, even when that bears no resemblance to the player’s foot. These boots often rub against the toes and heel giving some players blisters.

Synthetic: A third option is a synthetic material which is often used on mid-range boots. it is a polyurethane base but modified with micro-fibres to create a more flexible and softer material. These boots are only slightly less comfortable than leather boots and are often half the price. For the majority of players these boots are ideal.

I think the boot manufacturers make enough money as it is, so I don’t like to suggest the most expensive boots to my players’ parents. I usually recommend my parents buy the cheapest pair of boots they can find which aren’t made of plastic – the longevity and comfort of a pair of synthetic or leather boots is well worth the extra expense for a mid-range pair.

Alternatives

Nike and adidas dominate the football boot market in both Europe and the USA, in part thanks to innovative, high-quality and stylish boots, but in even larger part due to the vast marketing budgets of these companies which enables them to sponsor superstar players, purchase full-page ads in any magazine and plaster the television with images of their boots.

But when recommending boots to your players and parents also please consider an alternative company Kick 4 Change. They make very affordable synthetic leather boots with moulded soles which are ideal for junior players (e.g. velcro fastening) and more than 50% of the profit from every pair is donated to a grassroots sports club (or school of your choosing). This means that more money spent on equipment is reinvested in youth sports development and not in Ronaldo’s next Ferrari!

1) Specify And Write Down Your Soccer Coaching Philosophy – your philosophy helps you in every aspect of your coaching; from planning sessions to dealing with parents to your conduct on the sideline. Writing your ideas down will help you to crystallise your thoughts, identify inconsistencies and be more specific.

2) Create A Long-Term Plan For Your Coaching Sessions – A long-term plan helps you to cover all areas and ensure that you’re not focusing too heavily on one topic. For information about effective long-term planning and maximising your player’s development take a look at The Echo Method… How To Triple Your Player’s Understanding And Make Your Coaching Stick

3) Take A Step Back – Consider the Number 1 reason why you started coaching a youth soccer team and identify at least one way you can improve in that area. For example, if you started so that your kids got to play – can you give every player more match-time or can you allocate more training time to games?

4) Keep A Coaching Logbook – Get into the habit of writing down ‘What You Do’ (and Why) for future reference. Even if you already do this when planning, also evaluate ‘What Works Well’ and ‘How You Would Improve Next Time’ at the end of your session.

5) Teach Your Players A Warm-Up And Use It – You can see the elements of the ‘Perfect Soccer Warm-Up’ in this post. A warm-up reduces injuries, improves intensity and leads to much better focus and it only requires 8-10 minutes at the start of your session. Teach your players how to perform a warm-up and develop the habit of performing it before every match and training session.

6) Base Training On Small-Sided Games – If you are still using line-drills and static practices to develop player’s basic techniques, change it up and start using small-sided games instead. At least download ‘SSG: Attack’ for free and read it to see the benefits of using small-sided games and to get 8 templates you can use in your own sessions – try it for four weeks and if you don’t see the benefits you can always switch back to your old drills.

7) Get Your Players Involved In Their Learning – Engage your players in your sessions by setting them problems and allowing them to create as many different solutions as they can. If you want to prompt your players, ask a leading question and then leave them to discuss the answer in small groups. Set your player’s simple homework tasks (call them ‘challenges’ to avoid negative connotations) such as “Learn a new trick you can demonstrate next week” or “Create a unique set-piece routine using three or more players” – encourage your team to practice ball control and think about the game outside of your limited time with them.

8) Develop Your Knowledge – Ask Your Club To Fund / Invest In A Coaching Course. If you’re a Level 1 coach, ask for Level 2. If you’re a Level 2 coach, get on a UEFA ‘B’ course or enrol on an age-appropriate coaching course. (For US-based coaches visit http://www.nscaa.com for equivalent courses)

9) Become A Better Player – Players have more respect for coaches who are able to effectively demonstrate soccer skills. If you are not a natural footballer, find somewhere to play the game – whether this is in a recreational league or in a kickabout with your kids – you will get to practice you technique, develop your game understanding, and see the game as your players see it. This is in addition to the obvious fitness and social rewards.

10) Have More Fun – Remember that football is a game that we play and that’s all. Don’t be afraid to mess around, laugh at yourself or drop all plans and let the kid’s play every now and again. Make 2010 your most fun year yet!

Gilterlan Ferreira is a professional fitness coach at Brazilian league side Mossoro, in Rio grande do Norte. He is a graduate in fitness education and post-graduate in sport training.

I asked him about the player development system in Brazil and how his country managed to create so many top-class footballers. The answer is perhaps not as straightforward as one might expect. Here’s the interview:

Pavl Williams: Hi Gilterlan, thanks for agreeing to do an interview for Better Football. It is very much appreciated!

First of all could you tell us where do the majority of kids start playing football in Brazil?

Gilterlan Ferreira: Here in Brazil, it seems almost all kids are born liking football! The culture of this sport is very deep.

The majority of kids start playing football in the streets or in sand fields. Only a very small proportion of those kids get the chance to play at a football club. We have a huge number of clubs around the country, but even so the number of young athletes is much greater than the supply of clubs.

PW: The belief in England is that complete players move from street soccer or beach football straight into league football. But the reality is a little different isn’t it?

GF: As I said, beach football and street soccer is very common here in Brazil and I believe that kids have the opportunity to play from an early age and every day after school. As a result they have a highly developed motor connection compared to kids who might only get to train in school’s [organised] football.

But even the youngest kids who are taken on at clubs must work like professionals, this is the job of football schools here. Each year there are extensive open trials over a few days and only the best players are taken on for the following year.

PW: What is life like for a junior footballer at a Brazilian club? How often do they train, how often do they have matches, and what other activities are they expected to do?

GF: The Under-15, Under 17 and Under-20 groups have training everyday. The Under-20 especially have a training regime very similar to the professional level.

Any athletes over 17 years old must become a young professional and live and work full-time at their club. These players can be called into the senior team at any point but they also have very competitive leagues.

PW:What is the most important thing that Brazilian clubs teach their players?

GF: I think the most important thing we teach yet is how to be a good citizen: this is the most important message we can pass to them. Football is a consequence for the few who make it but there are millions more trying to be succesful.

PW: Thanks Gilterlan, again I appreciate your time in answering these questions and I’m sure Better Football readers will find your answers really interesting!

GF: Thanks a lot to the oportunity. Was a pleasure talk about our football culture. Thanks!

For me the most interesting points about the club development system are;

1) “the youngest kids who are taken on at clubs must work like professionals”

2) “Under-15, Under 17 and Under-20 groups have training everyday. The Under-20 especially”

I think that the additional hours spent practicing football is the single most obvious advantage Brazilian footballers have over their young English counterparts.

The 10,000 hours theory is becoming, thanks to Malcolm Gladwell’s popularisation of the idea, more well known – what this basically states is that it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. Therefore the amount of time spent practicing as a youth player will directly affect the age at which they fulfill their potential. In Brazil, players master technical skills earlier and this allows them to compete at a higher level than players of the same age in England are able to.

Conversely the youth system in Brazil can keep players in a development environment until the age of 21, with dedicated Under-20 teams and leagues. In England the oldest official youth category is U18s and then players are expected to graduate to the first-team, or else train with the reserves – with a mixture of unmotivated, injured and semi-retired players. It seems that in Brazil, more players are given the opportunity to reach their 10,000 hours at an older age by playing in meaningful competitions.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the differences between youth development in Brazil and in England (or indeed the USA). Either in the comments below or on Twitter (@betterfootball), let me know what do you think?

Gilterlan Ferreira can be found at his website http://www.gilterlanferreira.com and also on Twitter (@Gilterlan).