Contacts:
  • Clinic Coordinator: George Peabody
  • Annapolis Soccer Club Commissioner: Jesse Simmerman
    • 410-693-7677 cell whitewalnut@comcast.net
Objective:
  • Have fun, learn skills, and keep the children coming back.
  • The more fun you have coaching and playing with the kids, the more fun they will have, and the more they will want to learn and compete. A couple of my best players have taken a season or two to come out of their shells. Encourage them and give them a chance to succeed. Many of our coaches are new to coaching and to soccer, but at this young age, enthusiasm is the only prerequisite. Almost all of our coaches, new and experienced, comment on how rewarding the experience is. ASC will pay for ASC coaches to take coaching courses.
  • The U4 children will need to learn everything (from the purpose of whistles to no pushing, to no hands). NO GOALIES FOR ALL U4-U7 games. Both team's coaches on the field. ASC does not keep scores and team records.
  • Ideally, the U6-U7 games should evolve into 4 versus 4 situations as the season moves on. For Saturday games, each team will divide into two groups to play two concurrent games against the opposition team (which has also divided into two groups). This promotes maximum playing time for each child. Small sided games allows each child to touch the ball more and more goal scoring. But keep in mind your roster size, giving all children adequate playing time, and the weather. NO GOALIES. Both coaches on the field. Try to encourage players not to hang around the goals. Also if you have a defensive minded player, occasionally put them in an offensive situation. ASC does not keep scores and team records.
  • IMPORTANT: 
    The U7 players (8/1/04 to 7/31/03) will be continuing our highly successful alternate Saturday training and game day format this year. The format will consist of small-sided games as done in the past; tentatively at 9:45 once every other Saturday. In the in-between Saturday, the Club will provide team-wide professional coaching.  The professional coached sessions will likely be at Georgetown East Elementary and are tentatively scheduled for 9am, 10am and 11am. The professional coaching sessions will focus primarily on individual player skills.
  • U8 children will play 7v7 with goalies and referees. Coaches off the field.  The referees will be high school kids (some refereeing for the first time); give them every benefit of the doubt.  I am asking the refs to be instructional in nature.   Lets keep the atmosphere positive and collegial.  ASC does not record game scores or keep standings.  The purpose of these game-like situations is exposure, not perfection. We have all season to get it right. U8s will also have occasional professional training before some Saturday morning games.
  • Remember, the kids, referees and parents are your neighbors and likely future team members.
Safety:
  • All children MUST wear shin-guards
  • Safety: Annapolis Soccer Club Clinic is not a drop off sport. Coaches will require that a parent or responsible adult be attending for each child. If a parent must leave, the parent must get another parent to cover this responsibility. Get your parents involved in the drills and activities so they aren’t bored, this will ultimately give us more coaches and more playing time for all kids.
  • All coaches and assitant coaches must get a background check - talk to Jesse about process. http://www.aacounty.org/RecParks/background/index.cfm
 
Rosters:
  • Coaches once teams are rostered and after the age group meetings, please e-mail (then call if they don't respond to e-mail) all of your players ASAP about their team placement. You will likely get more players due to late entries. Coaches, you may not add children to your roster with out receiving Annapolis Soccer Club approval. ASC is happy to accommodate player additions as space allows.
Equipment:
  • Each U4-U7 child gets a ball and a team T-shirt (distribute these at the first game/practice). Please put each child's name on his/her ball. ( Asking children to color their balls will reduce confusion and save time during practices, as well as prevent loss.) Don't put players names on the balls until the child shows up (saves balls from cancellations/no-shows and allows for correct spellings/nicknames). Each U4-U7 team will get a set of "Pugg" pop-up goals, cones, and practice pinnies. (Pick a pinnie color that is contrasting to your shirt color.) This equipment must be returned on last game date. The Pugg goals have plastic tent spikes that readily break. Please "pre-drill" holes in the ground with a hammer and screw driver. Or buy metal tent spikes. Submerge spikes to avoid injury. Remove broken spikes to avoid injury.
  • Each U8 team will get balls, cones, corner flags, practice pennies, and a goalie jersey.
  • Each U8 child gets a uniform (socks, shorts, numbered shirt).
  • Don't allow litter. Please self-police your teams. We are lucky to get the fields we get, lets not loose them. How about assigning a clean-up family as well as a snack family.
Games/Drills:
  • Please see me or your peers for ideas. Remember, drills and games that provide the most touches of the ball per child should be stressed. Try to avoid too many drills with lines.
  • With the help of one of our coaches, ASC has started a “Coaching Ideas Manual” I can E-mail you a copy, and all coaches are welcome to submit additional ideas to the manual.
  • There are plenty of ideas on the various internet sites.
Coaches:
  • We will have an age-group specific meeting in late August to dispense equipment and go over objectives for this upcoming season.
  • Please use your best efforts to encourage/promote the parents of your team members to step on the field to help you as coaches and get some experience in that role. With more potential coaches in the future, ASC can make the teams smaller and allow you (and other coaches) to become more productive and give the kids more time with the ball. To help promote the coaching position, each team gets two coaches T-shirts - so pass one out to a likely candidate.
Secure Web Access:
  • You can log in to our secure web site at http://www.annapolissoccerclub.com and view your roster. E-mails will be sent to the coaches with their userid/password.
  • The listed rosters SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED FINAL UNTIL LATE AUGUST.
Good Luck. Thank you for your time and effort.
George Peabody, Clinic Coordinator
  • Join The Fun!