An Olympic coach tells how to lead the team to victory. This is the first and best handbook for mastering both the "soft" conceptual skills of coaching youth soccer-such as good sportsmanship and dealing with parents-to the tactical skills of executing winning offensive and defensive strategies.

Football is ubiquitously acknowledged as ‘The Global Game’ and/or ‘The People’s Game’ – everyday all-encompassing terms familiar to anyone with an interest in football which illustrate, albeit nebulously, the game’s international reach and popularity. Yet much academic and popular attention has been, and continues to be, narrowly centred on topics pertaining to the elite and professional aspects of the game. At a time when there appears to be an ever-widening gap between the grassroots and elite levels of the sport, this book brings together, for the first time, a collection of research articles dedicated solely to youth and junior grassroots football. The intention is to generate future inquiry, encourage theoretical debate and stimulate empirical research on topics and issues within the relatively marginalised area of the game that is youth and junior grassroots football. The collection represents a preliminary consideration of what is already currently known about grassroots football and, no less importantly, point towards what remains unknown and under-researched but which deserves much more attention than has been given hitherto. As such, the collection includes contributions from practitioners and researchers alike. Topics included range from the provision, organisation and development of grassroots football in one national association, to broader issues such as the sources of enjoyment in participation, the lived experiences of junior players and coaches, to the causes of youth dropout from football. In addition, the significance of social stratification and various forms of social division which structure children’s participation in grassroots football are discussed. These include female participation and the role of elite female role models, and issues relating to the participation of immigrant youth. The book is intended to appeal to practitioners, academics and football enthusiasts alike. This book was originally published as a special issue of Soccer & Society.

A preparação a longo prazo de jovens atletas para o alto rendimento pode ser incompatível com opções de curto prazo centradas na obtenção imediata de resultados desportivos. Só o conhecimento do essencial dos processos de crescimento e maturação pode confluir na máxima expressão das capacidades individuais e, por outro lado, evitar o esgotamento precoce dos sistemas biológicos e psicológicos de que depende o rendimento desportivo. Outro imperativo à qualidade do processo de treino com crianças e jovens decorre da gestão das exigências da participação desportiva em termos familiares e escolares, na observância de princípios essenciais para o desenvolvimento pessoal e social. O presente livro e os seus autores oferecem uma colecção de capítulos devidamente organizados, cobrindo tópicos fundamentais ao treinador e às organizações que enquadram a formação desportiva. Em resumo, a investigação presta um valioso contributo ao desenvolvimento do treino desportivo.

“Entertaining, very informative, and essential for parents, fans, and players.” —Tony DiCicco, Head Coach, 1999 Women’s Cup Champions “Two thumbs up.... This book will broaden your knowledge of the game.” —Ron Newman, all-time winningest American Soccer Coach “This book will help people to understand why soccer is the world’s sport and why we love it so much.” —Tiffeny Milbrett, Forward, U.S. Women’s National Team “Fans will love it, and those who want to become fans will devour it.” —Bob Ley, ESPN/ABC Broadcaster Simplicity alone doesn’t explain soccer’s enormous popularity worldwide. Soccer is a game that can be as frustrating as golf, as physical as football and hockey, as sporadic as baseball, and as graceful as basketball. It can also be addictive. Whether you are a youth league player, a soccer parent, or a World Cup fan, here, at last, is the book you’ve been waiting for. Written by New York Daily News soccer columnist Michael Lewis with the full support and participation of the United States Soccer Federation, Soccer For Dummies shows you how to: Get a handle on soccer rules and regulations Learn the basic moves and plays Improve dribbling, passing, and other basic skills Find a league to play in Coach kids effectively Get more out of the game as a spectator Featuring expert tips from U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Soccer Team stars and packed with hundreds of action photos and illustrations, Soccer For Dummies is the ultimate beginner’s guide to the sport. You’ll discover: The where and wear of soccer Laws of the game Footwork, passing, shooting, receiving, goal tending, and other game fundamentals Staying in soccer shape Teamwork and strategy Coaching youth soccer Everything the informed spectator should know The current state of soccer at all levels from youth leagues to geriatric leagues Get Soccer For Dummies and get the lowdown on the world’s most popular sport from some of its most celebrated players.

Strength and Conditioning for Young Athletes: Science and Application offers an evidence-based introduction to the theory and practice of strength and conditioning for young athletes. Fully revised and updated, this second edition draws on leading research to offer a holistic approach to training centred on the concept of long-term athletic development and the welfare of the young athlete. With 20 new authors and 8 new chapters, the book explores every key topic in strength and conditioning applied to young athletes, including: Growth and maturation Talent identification and talent development Monitoring and assessment Coaching young athletes Motor skill development Strength development and plyometrics Speed and agility development Metabolic conditioning Mobility and flexibility Periodisation and nutritional strategies Injury prevention and wellbeing Developing a holistic programme for young athletes. Written by a team of leading international strength and conditioning experts and paediatric sport scientists, the book includes expanded practical guidelines in every chapter to show how the latest scientific research can be applied by coaches to optimise young athletic potential. Including sample training programmes and exercises throughout, this is an essential resource for all students of strength and conditioning or paediatric exercise science, as well as any coach and athletic trainer working with children and young people.