Ignite Coaching Philosophy and Resources

At Ignite Soccer Club our goal is to develop competitive young soccer players while prioritizing perseverance, good attitudes and respect for themselves, their teammates, parents and coaches. As a coaching staff, our objective is to teach soccer fundamentals to each age group that will enable and encourage our players to move onto the next talent level and/or age group. Maintaining a fun and competitive culture is essential for player development and retention. Below are strategies and coaching notes that can be used during practices/games as needed.

Play Style:

As players grow older, pace of play, physicality and ball movement style become more important. Moreover, in order to execute a successful game plan at higher competitive levels the team’s cohesion is as important as individual talent. Starting at a young age, if players are exposed to a consistent set of drills and philosophies our players will have a smoother transition between coaches, rosters and competitive levels.

Rondo (aka Keep Away) is a simple, yet incredibly effective, game that can be used to integrate other coaching points (Defensive Pressure/Cover/Balance, Expand on offense/compact on defense, etc.) in a lesson plan. Proven as a platform for soccer success, a possession-based game plan can be enabled by focusing on finding triangular passing lanes, solid 1v1 abilities and playing “simple”. Rondo helps integrate many aspects of what a possession-based philosophy is built upon and can/should be used as a game/practice warm up exercise.

Mentality:

Most children are not gifted with the natural ability of being a good soccer player. It takes time, practice, and the right mindset to get better. Often times, the intangibles (grit, work ethic, positive attitudes, punctuality, etc.) are what set young players apart from their peers. Developing and encouraging those “non-soccer” attributes will help on the long road of life as well as in a soccer setting. A player’s ability to bounce back and keep fighting will help them compete at whatever they are participating in, whether it is soccer, another sport or other life events. Learning to funnel that “drive” to push forward as an individual and team should be a cornerstone in our coaching philosophy.

Pride:

Ignite was founded on the idea that winning is not everything. Whether a team wins or loses every game, the pride our players have in themself, and their teammates is paramount. At the end of a game or practice, each player should be able to reflect on their efforts and know there wasn’t anything else they could have done to help their team succeed. Having a coaching staff that is entirely volunteer based enables a unique opportunity not to prioritize winning but to be competitive in the best way that team and those individuals are able to. Understanding what it means to do your best and still lose is a much better lesson for our kids than finding ways for them to win with less than 100% effort.

Team:

In our club, there are no heroes. Everything should be focused on pushing the team to play better together while exploiting individual talent. Our kids need to grow into the players they didn’t know they could be. Breaking them out of their comfort zones as players and people to learn more about what they are capable of should be the priority.