Technical Training
U10-U12 Training Forms - Updtated 8/15/2012
Skills Testing Descriptions Form
An Overview of the Technical Program for our U10-U12 Players
Led by our Technical Director, Dan McAllister, our club will be holding a 3rd day of technical training for all U10-U12 players during the 2012-13 season. The players will train with their team two days/week and then an extra day of training with Dan and our staff on technically focused training.
Additionally, Dan will attend random games during the Fall and Spring season to monitor player progress, how well they are applying technique learned at practice and incorporating them into the games, and our staff will continue to adjust training according to these factors. Dan will be working with these age group’s coaches in order to help them enhance and complement our technical focus in their training too. These practices, while highly encouraged, will be optional for our players.
Dan and our staff will provide a skill testing/monitoring profile for players. This will serve as a tangible reference point to where they are currently and where they can move to in terms of technical progress.
Hopefully this gives you an overview of our technical program for U10-U12 players. We look forward to the year!
TOTAL Technical Training for the spring season for u10-u12 Players
MAR 12 2013
The Michigan Fire Juniors is committed to the technical development of every player, and is offering a very unique opportunity for our U10-U12 players of both genders with a new program for this spring. The new program is called the TOTAL (Technical Obsession To Advance Learning) Technical Hour and is offered at our 28th Ave training fields four nights per week, Monday-Thursday from 4pm-5pm each day. This allows our U10-U12 players to get in some extra training specific to their technical development before their regular team training.
We expect most players will choose to come on one or both of their normal training nights, however players are allowed to come on off nights, also. Training will be lead by our Technical Director Dan McAllister and our new coach David Wood with the assistance of other MFJ’s coaching staff, and some of our older club players. Players will NOT need to register for any of these TOTAL Technical Hour sessions. Each player must bring their own soccer ball, water bottle, and an excellent work ethic.
Technical skills are the foundation of every player’s future, and players simply can NOT touch the ball too often. Most American players do not spend enough time on these necessary skills in team practice or individually on their own, and consequently are often unable to play at the speed the game demands as they advance. Ball Mastery, or Technical Precision is a life-long journey of making the ball do exactly what the player needs under increasing pressure and at every increasing speeds, yet it is the most fundamental and foundational part of every players “tools.”
TOTAL Technical Hour – 28th Avenue Fields
Monday thru Thursday from 4pm-5pm beginning April 8!
Training Method at Michigan Fire Juniors
Our club will continue in our tradition of placing energy and attention on the technical development of our players. The Coerver Method, Vogelsingers Soccerobics, iSoccer skills, and a host of other skills methods are all basically the same training. There is not a revolutionary way of coaching skills to players. However, there are some coaches who do a better job than others with technical skills training.
The Chicago Fire has compiled a skills training program that will be a central focus for our club. As we know, the foundation of every players game begins with their technical skills set. We, the MFJ's, are deeply committed to the technical development of our players, and we will provide a deep emphasis on technical development beginning at the youngest ages of six years old. As players enter a more serious level of development around 9-10, we will ramp up technical training. This is where Dan McAllister’s position comes in as Technical Director. These players will be offered additional days of training, focused on technical work in addition to the two days/week of team training.
As a college coach with 13 years of experience, Dan knows how deficient many players are in their technical skills, and his focus as a youth coach will be to model the European/South American youth development programs that focus heavily on technical development ahead of winning.
In turn, parents need to realize that soccer "tricks" are typically NOT useful soccer skills. They are more about entertainment of the game rather than a means to gain an advantage in the game. Ball Mastery or Technical Precision is the foundation for being the best player/team.
Laura Heyboer, who plays on our U.S. Women’s U23 National team, and is a FC Joga Bonito staff coach, talks a lot about the work they do at the U.S. National Camp on Technical Precision. This is what we will focus on with all our players and not just the younger ones. We have a much work to do with many of our older players too. Technical Precision is necessary as the game must be played faster and faster under increasing pressure from faster, smarter and better players.
If you have specific questions regarding our technical program, please contact Dan McAllister.
