ORSC SENIOR DIVISION SUMMARY U15-U18

Overview of U15-18:   By 15 and 16 years old, players should be comfortable dealing with the ball in a variety of situations. This means that the focus will be shifting toward tactical acumen and physical development. Of course technique will always be a focus during training.

It should begin to make some sense to the players how to translate these concepts into team issues, such as how the backs work together in different parts of the field or the relationship between the different lines of the team (defenders and midfielders, midfielders and forwards, etc.).

By U18, the technical blueprint of who the player will be as an adult soccer player is almost complete. From here on, any growth is largely determined by how well the player has developed up to this point. Most of the growth is fine-tuning the qualities that already exist. Areas that can still be influenced greatly are game insight, physical conditioning and attitude.

By this point, players should be focusing on soccer as their primary sport and be willing to put in the extra hours of work necessary to progress at an appropriate pace. Simply putting work in during organized club training sessions won’t be enough to excel. Going through fitness and specific skill set workouts outside of training is a must for the dedicated, driven player.

Players should understand different formations and their roles and responsibilities (ie: 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-5-1, 3-5-2, etc…) as well as set pieces on both sides of the ball.

Players should understand how their adjustments and movements within the game affect the success of their team.

Coaching U15-19s: Coaches of older age group teams need to be tactically astute and highly motivational. Much of a player’s technical proficiency will have been learnt by this stage. The focus starts to shift dramatically toward the physical, tactical and psychological aspects of the game, all of which the coach needs to address on a weekly basis.

Much of the learning that players will experience in training will be based in small to medium-sized games (ie: 6v6-9v9). Coaches can identify and address tactical issues within these training matches such as the shifting movements of a line within the team or the team as a whole. Players must be held accountable for their decisions and their performance. These players are ready for an increased level of problem solving that focuses on using their soccer mind and not just their physical attributes. Winning and losing takes on more of an importance in the older age groups. With that, coaches and players must evaluate their successes and failures and understand what went wrong and what went right and how to address the negatives and sustain the positives. Players will be challenged everyday to solve soccer problems.

Supplemental learning opportunities will be provided by the coach in the form of the Player Blue Book. This book/binder will have been issued to all competitive players at the youngest age group (U11) and will be built by the player over the years as they are introduced to different topics (defending, attacking, nutrition, set pieces, travel, etc…) As the players get older and get close to graduating from the Club, they should have filled most of their book, which will have been valuable in their education process and provided insight into the tactics and strategies implemented by the coaches and club.

Seventeen and eighteen year-old players playing against more skillful teams or older teams on a regular basis will help their development. Older players should be better soccer players and not just better athletes. There should be a continued emphasis on professional attitude including game preparation, on and off field behavior, work ethic, individual fitness, dealing with health and preventative issues of health, and spending time on technical issues to keep sharp.

Players at this age must aspire to have technical precision. Accountability for their execution and decisions with the ball is important. Players need to be made aware of how their ability to collect and pass the ball has a direct impact on all aspects of the game.

Each month, coaches will provide a player feedback email to each player on the team which will address the areas a player needs to work on, has improved in and excels at. This will be in addition to a monthly team email that gives a synopsis of the past month including an overview of what the team’s goals were and a game analysis for each match.

College Preparation: The dedication and intent of players within these older age groups can vary significantly. Half may be driven to play collegiately while another quarter could be playing just for the enjoyment of the game and have no intention to play after club soccer finishes. Another quarter may not know what they intend to do. This is why it is very important that the coach plans his or her sessions according to the players that have the most aspirations. The players that do intend to play beyond high school should take advantage of the club’s College Advisory Program (CAP) by contacting the club director through the website. This program gives players a clear picture of the steps needed in the quest to find the college that fits their needs.  

Playing Time and Positions: Playing time will always be up to the coach, however, it is always the goal to get each player half of the game time. This may mean a full game on Saturday and no time on Sunday. Substitutions are a tactical adjustment made by the coach to help solve problems within the game. They should never be made on a preset schedule.

All players will be afforded an opportunity to start matches. The methodology here is to prepare all players and to give all players the confidence they need to be strong contributors to the team. If a coach has a preset starting group, a gulf will develop in ability and mentality between the ‘starters’ and ‘non-starters’. Additionally, how well prepared will ‘non-starters’ be after warming up if they don’t feel there is a chance to play? If they expect that there is always a chance to get called into the starting line-up, they will prepare more adequately.

All players in the older age groups should be comfortable playing a variety of positions and should expect to do so frequently.

Although roster sizes increase to a maximum of 22 players at U16, often injuries, work, vacation and sickness leave the coach with minimal player selection choices. This means that coaches have to work hard to find time for all players to ensure adequate growth and maintained depth of talent so that when they are short of players, any of the rostered group can step in without missing a beat.

Travel/Tournaments/Guest Players:

Teams will compete in State Cup at this age and potentially in regional tournaments. Expect to travel out of state between 3 and 5 times a year at the discretion of the coach and dependent on the level of the team. Sometimes several players may not be able to travel to a particular tournament. One of the many benefits of being involved with Rush Soccer is the guest playing opportunities. This is beneficial for our individual players looking to get out to specific tournaments as well as our teams that are short on players for an event. This is especially valuable at the older ages as showcases are very important in the college recruitment process. Guest players are not picked up to make up the numbers. When looking for players, coaches look to bring someone in who will make a positive impact playing big minutes. It is important to do well in these showcases as the deeper into the tournament the team goes, the more opportunity the players will have to be seen by college coaches. Additionally, success or failure one year will have a large influence on whether or not a team from our club gets accepted the following year. The team manager will create a college recruitment roster which includes all of the players’ stats (GPA, position, awards/accolades, etc…) to hand out to college coaches at attended showcases and high level events.

Role of the Parents:

As players get older and are able to drive themselves, parental involvement usually diminishes to the point of just supporting their son or daughter financially and emotionally. All technical soccer related issues should be directed to the coach. Parents should never take on the role of a coach and give their child strategic advice as it may be contradictory to what the coach is teaching the team. This puts the parent in a position where they are undermining the authority of the coach as well as creating a awkward situation for the player.

Seasons of Play:

Seasons of play for the high school aged player will be league play in the early spring along with training and tournament travel throughout the year. Typically, high school age teams will not train in the fall during high school soccer, however, players may be expected to attend supplemental sessions in preparation for tournament travel during this time period.