Thoughtful Soccer: The Think First Approach to Playing and Coaching
by Russ Carrington
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Book Summary Information
Author: Russ CarringtonIllustrator: Stan Waling
Edition: Paperback
Published: 2002-10-23
ISBN: 1591640164
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Reedswain
Book Reviews of Thoughtful Soccer: The Think First Approach to Playing and Coaching
Book Review: Not Worth the Price, Even if Free
Summary: 1 Stars
I have coached youth soccer for over twenty years, from the basic recreational level to State Champions. In addition, I have been involved with establishing soccer education courses. I was first exposed to the author's ideas six years ago and to his book three years ago. I have read his book and corresponded with him at length.
To me the purpose of a review is to help a purchaser decide if the book is worth the money or if another book or source is a better value.
The book has a number of flaws. First, it is written with the assumption that all people, regardless of age, learn in the same manner. That is wrong. Generally, children younger than eight learn differently than children who are twelve, and they in turn learn differently than adults.
Today, coaching courses across the world emphasize age specific learning. While every child is different and some are able to learn concepts and skills far earlier than others, the vast majority need lessons tailored to their age. There are many resources designed for beginning coaches targeted to the players' age. For example, the Novice Coach Series DVD's produced by US Youth Soccer split instruction into three age groups: 6 to 8; 8 to 10; and 10 to 12. A search of Amazon offers many books targeted at players by age.
A second flaw is the book's "multiple theme" approach, an approach that offers a few minutes of a skill and then moves to another activity with another skill, then to another and finally another that includes tactical instruction. At best only a few minutes are spent on any skill.
No matter the age, beginning players need to learn ball skills first. Once players develop a satisfactory level of ball mastery, the coach can move to elementary tactics. This book starts with tactical soccer from day one.
Research demonstrates that players who are skilled will enjoy soccer more than unskilled players and stay in the sport far longer. It is imperative that players learn basic skills, like "first touch." This research indicates that an average player requires six hours to gain enough proficiency to perform a skill in a game with a reasonable chance of success. With most recreational programs having only one practice a week lasting about an hour, a multiple theme practice diminishes the time players have to gain proficiency with any one skill. The result is players who know a little about a lot, but cannot perform any skill successfully.
A practice for beginning players that focuses on one skill and then encourages players to work on that skill within a practice scrimmage results in far faster learning. A single theme practice does not limit players to only one activity in the practice. The theme may be how to receive the ball; however, players still pass the ball and dribble. The focus of the coach, the corrections made, and the scrimmage, are each designed to increase opportunities to perform the desired skill. The next practice is then planned to introduce a complementary skill: e.g., one week is dribbling; the next is how to tackle. This allows the coach to reinforce what was learned the previous week, while focusing on a new skill. A good coaching book will show the coach how to construct such a practice. This book fails in this regard and suggests a format that will slow your players' learning.
A third flaw is the book's suggestion that a coach need not know skills to teach them. Rather a player can repeat the skill multiple times, without instruction, and learn through repetition alone. This is the hoary idea that "practice makes perfect." As one coach I know likes to say, "Practice only makes permanent". If you are practicing correctly, repeated tries will reinforce the correct technique. If you are practicing poor technique, you are cementing bad habits. Nothing in this book guides the coach on what is correct technique, how to recognize flaws in technique or how to correct the flaws when they are spotted. A recommended coaching book that approaches how to plan a practice is "Developing Youth Soccer Players", by Horst Wein.
A fourth, and a serious flaw in a book that seeks to be thoughtful, is the robotic nature of the drills, called "thoughtscrims". Soccer is a player's game; not the coach's. There are no time outs, few stoppages in play, and a constantly evolving situation. Coaches can rarely influence a game during play. This means the players must learn to analyze play and think for themselves. When players move to basic tactical play, the best coaches teach the players to see and select the best options. Rather than fixed solutions, the good coach teaches fundamental principles of the game so the player learns how to think and can exploit those principles to control the game.
This book does not do that. Rather it suggests a problem, and then a single solution that mandates the players to act without thought. Teaching players to think is the essence of being a good soccer coach. Giving a fixed solution harms a player's development for the player does not learn to adjust as the game changes. A far better book that offers examples of how to coach player's to think from the earliest ages to more advanced levels is "The Principles of Brazilian Soccer", by Thadeu Goncalves.
Finally, many of the exercises in Thoughtful Soccer are little more than recipes for disaster. No one other than the author has reported any success with the exercises and strategies he suggests, such as the Triangle Three. Also, situations where the author claimed his systems were used turned out not to use his systems of play.
There are some valid activities in the book; activities that have been used for years by others. There is no reason to purchase this book for these few activities. They can be found elsewhere.
If free this book would not be worth the purchase price.
Summary of Thoughtful Soccer: The Think First Approach to Playing and Coaching
A truly innovative model for coaching and playing soccer in which the though side of the game is as important as the skills and players begin thinking early in their development.The key to the Thoughtful Soccer picture is unpredictability. Players might pass, shoot or dribble. They might move the ball forward, back or to the side. And they might attack quickly or advance the ball patiently. Observers, as well as opponents, cannot predict what is going to happen. That is what makes Thoughtful Soccer so enjoyable to watch.
Perfect for both new and experienced coaches and players, this unique method will benefit teams at all levels of the game.
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