Don Ebert’s Blog – U.S.F.C. Technical Director

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Am I Good Enough?

 

Part 1: Technical Ability

July 1st, 2007

 

That is by far the most asked question that I was asked by the players during the inaugural International Talent Showcase last month. “Am I good enough to play professionally overseas”? The answer is very simple, absolutely. After watching training and games over the three days, all of the invited International coaches and talent scouts agreed that the elite players from the U.S. are definitely talented enough to pursue careers overseas. These coaches marveled at the outstanding athletic ability of our players, the tremendous work ethic and the speed and pace that we play at…those areas are without question the strength of young American players.

 

Over the course of the next couple of months, we are going to be discussing the areas of our game that must improve if young players are going to be successful overseas. Some might be very obvious, many are not and many deficiencies’ that were pointed out by our International guests will surprise many of you.

Today’s topic…Technical Ability. While all our players in the Showcase were extremely talented and technically gifted, there were constant areas that showed glaring weaknesses. The greatest areas technically that we showed flaws in were in crossing and long passing, shooting, opposite foot ability and first touch speed of play. It is amazing to watch how many crosses go behind the goal and how many shots continually miss the target. Compared to players in Europe, this area of technical ability is far from good enough. Without question we must be more proficient in our ability to connect on quality passes of 40 or more yards, it is a major part of the game today with teams looking for counter attacks as quickly as possible.

Finishing, and you can add ball striking, is just not good enough on most young players. When you are in a training exercise and you are doing nothing but long passing with finishing, there is no place to hide this weakness, it stands out like a sore thumb. Elite players must work on this constantly, making solid contact and having control of your shots. You perfect this area, and you are way ahead of most elite players in this country…and this is just not for forwards. In Europe, all players train on this area daily, they are all expected to be able to strike a ball well and to have a good finishing ability.

I was amazed to see how many of the players in the Showcase have a major weakness with their opposite foot. How can that be? It is impossible to be a one dimensional player in today’s game. What kills me is that working on this weakness is easy to do by yourself and can be worked on and improved very quickly. Every training session, work on making the passes with your opposite foot, work on driving, chipping and shooting so that you have no glaring weaknesses. I cannot tell you how many of the players were marked way down on their evaluations for this one thing…and it is so easy to spot. If you really want to play at the next level, you must not have a weakness like this for all to see and take advantage of.

Lastly, the first touch speed of play involves players that can maintain top speed while receiving, passing or taking players on. All of the guys that were rated highly by the European VIP’s had this quality in their game. These players could do things at a pace that clearly separated them from the other players and without question, this was the one technical area that they were all looking for. The overall feeling among all professional coaches is that the game is just getting faster and faster and if players do not have the technical skills to play at this ever increasing pace, then those players will never make it to the first team…and in the football world of Europe, it is all about making to the first team!!!

Part 2: Communication

July 12^th, 2007

In the last blog, we talked about the technical strengths and weaknesses of the elite American player. In addition to the technical evaluations, most of the players were very surprised to learn of other areas that our European coaches and scouts thought our players needed to work on badly if they wanted to be considered for a career in Europe…that is the topic of this week’s blog.

The one area that all of the players were scored very low on by our European guests was in the area of communicating on the field during both training and games. Thismight now seem like a big issue to our players, but once you understand how our European coaches and scouts interpret “quiet players” then you understand their concern…these guys view lack of field communication as a major sign of a player that lacks confidence and presence. Their point is that they are looking for players that are involved in the “whole game”, players that are giving teammates helpful information, players that are organizing the team shape, players that help organize when to pressure and when to sit back…they are looking for players that do more than just worry about their own individual game and issues.

 

Being vocal on the field is a must for all players at the highest levels. The sooner any player can make communication on the field a big part of their “player makeup”, the better off you will be. Please keep in mind one very important element regarding field communication…your words should 90% of the time be encouraging, supportive and positive. Nobody likes a loud, negative, self-boasting player that stands out on the field whining and complaining. The goal of good field communication is to allow the players on the field to perform at their best individually and to allow the team to function quickly and properly as one cohesive unit.

 

One of the biggest things I learned from the Showcase is that any player that is not afraid to take on the responsibility of being a vocal presence on the field will stand out in a big positive way with people that are scouting or evaluating that game or training session. Remember guys, whenever you are in a tryout environment (college, pros, National teams) it is very important to make yourself stand out and being a good field communicator is one of the easiest and simplest ways to make you stand out in a crowd!!!

 

Part 3: The Missing Element (Personality)

September 17th, 2007

So, in the last two blogs, we talked about the technical requirements that all players that wish to play professionally either domestically or overseas must possess as well as the importance of being a good communicator. Both are very important for any player but it is not the single biggest “quality” that European scouts are looking for when they evaluate players…and to the surprise of all our players at the Talent Showcase, not one of those players knew this key element either…Personality!

Every scout and coach spoke long and hard about looking to bring players into their clubs that have personality, players that make the game come alive and that have no problems showing every coach, teammate, supporter and opponent that you love to play this game. It sounds so simple, yet, without question, it was the single biggest missing element of every player we brought in. The clubs are looking for players that are “special”, and not in terms of technical ability, overseas, all the players are technical. They are talking about players that put their stamp on the game, and that is done in a number of ways. Personality does not mean you have to be able to dribble like Messi or Ronaldino or hit free kicks like Beckham…it means that your passion and love for playing in this 90 minutes comes shining out of you for everyone to see. For a defender, this means being the leader, winning every challenge, every head ball, every tackle, every slide tackle, every 50/50 ball…look at John Terry of Chelsea, not the most gifted player but every time he plays, you never doubt his heart and his spirit and his personality…he wears it on his sleeve. For a midfielder, it might be making tireless runs and crosses from the outside or constantly reorganizing, directing and controlling tempo from the middle. When I think of midfielders with great personality I think of Steven Gerrard of Liverpool, Messi and Ronaldino of Barcelona and Ronaldo of Man United. These guys always play with the spirit and passion that is absolutely contagious amongst their teammates; they without question put their personality into the team. For forwards, it might come in the grace of Henry in Barcelona or the grit and toughness of Drogba of Chelsea, either way, for forwards, putting your personality on the game is about making penetrating runs through defenders, taking defenders on one vs. one, constantly harassing and pressuring on defense, basically, making the life’s of defenders crappy for a full 90 minutes…oh…and putting the ball in the back of the net!

How do I know if I need to work on my “game personality”? That is easy…make sure if someone was watching you for the very first time, and maybe only for one time, that that person walks away seeing your passion and love of the game pouring out in your play. Players that possess great personality all have one common quality that makes them so sought after by scouts and coaches, players with personality make all the other players on the team better through their own play and by setting the standard at a very high level. That is why everyone wants personality players. If you have it, show it…being technical is one thing, placing your personality into every training session and game is priceless!!!

Could I make it overseas?

September 26, 2007

We have talked about a lot of the necessary characteristics that are needed for any player that is seriously pursuing a career overseas. I have seen many talented players that have outstanding technical ability, have personality and are real leaders on the field but I would worry if they could be successful playing and living overseas. That is the key statement, playing AND living overseas. If you are really serious about taking on this challenge, you have to ask yourself some very tough questions and give yourself very honest answers.

So, lets say we have established that you are talented enough on the field and you have peeked the interest of some international scouts and they would like you to come over for a couple of weeks for a trial…what is your next step. You need to ask yourself the following questions and if you answer these questions in an affirmative nature, you should pack your bags and go chase your dream.

Question # 1: Am I really prepared to live on my own and be happy without having my parents, brothers, sisters and friends around me.

Question # 2: Am I able to make new friends easily and do I adapt to new challenges and new surroundings well?

Question # 3: If I am not immediately successful, would I stay and fight through the tough times or would I just come back home?

Question # 4: Is becoming a professional footballer the most important thing in my life right now and the number one burning passion that makes me wake up every morning?

If you can honestly answer those four questions with a non-hesitant YES, and you have the necessary tools and abilities, then I would say to you that you have “the goods” to make it overseas and to be successful. But, no matter how talented, no matter how hard you train and play, no matter how badly you want to be a pro, if you are not ready to deal with those four questions, I think your odds of making it are slim. That is why playing overseas is not for everyone, that is why players that do make the sacrifices and put in the time and work are rewarded…making it as a professional overseas comes at a huge price, and if you are willing to put in the time and effort, then one thing is for sure…the prize at the end of it all is “priceless”.

C.O.A.C.H. – Guide to Collegiate Success

Part 1: ”C” – Cardiovascular

For the last couple of blogs, we have been focused on making it as a young professional overseas. For the next couple of blogs, I want to focus on the five biggest mistakes that players entering college for the first time make that greatly impact their ability to earn playing time and win credibility with the coaching staff. If your goal is to play in college, you must fully understand that unlike club or high school, college programs are dominated by the head coach. It is his baby, his program, his decisions…he picks players that play the style and system he wants to play, he schedules half of his opponents, he decides who gets what money and for how long…the head coach in college is a one stop shop and you have to fully understand that in order to survive. See, in the pros, you have General Managers and Owners and Scouts that have more say most times than the coach…in sports like football, you have offensive and defensive coordinators and coaches that can buffer the feelings of the head coach but in college soccer, every decision is made by the one man…COACH. And those five letters stand for the five biggest mistakes I see first year players make…lets go.

C stands for Cardiovascular…simply put, this means what type of shape you show up to preseason camp in. I see time and time again first year guys that come into two-a-days completely or partially out of shape. How is this possible? You have had all summer to get yourself fit and at the proper playing weight yet you show up for your first impression with the COACH and you finish in the back of the pack. It is OK for that senior who was first team All-American last year to “glide” through the early fitness runs; he has proven himself in the college world…what have you done? I tell all first year guys to be in the top third of every conditioning run or exercise that the team does. It is a must. Remember, you are trying not only to make the team, but to get some playing time and the college preseason camp is only 2-3 weeks long before games start. A college coach has a very limited time to work in new players, get them to fit in and start the season on a winning note…whenever in doubt, coaches will go with what they know…and they know their returning players. Do not cut corners on this one, for me, it is one of the easiest ways to score points with the Coach right off the bat. Most coaches in college will equate fitness to being ready to play just like they will easily push an unfit player to the back of the charts…no time…remember, college coaches have no time to baby-sit players and wait for them to get fit. They expect you to report fit and to be at your best on day one! They are paying you to play, is that too much to ask!

What type of running should you do to ensure you are top third…make sure you can run two miles under twelve minutes. You may not be asked to do it, but if you can get two miles in between 11:30 and 11:50, you will be viewed as fit. Do a lot of sprinting and recovering exercises as well…Run a full field sprint, jog back at a slow pace, sprint another and try to get in 12-15 of those in without significant dropping in speed. One day a week, go and run long distance at your comfortable pace just to build endurance. A lot of guys only do this type of running in the summer and they fall way short once camp opens…soccer is about burst and recovering running, not jogging at one constant pace for long distances.

Remember one thing, putting the time in your cardiovascular training on your own will pay huge dividends for you later…put in the time and the work now and you will be one step closer to getting along with the COACH.

Next time, we will talk about what the O stands for…

 

Part 2: “O” – Outgoing

 

The letter “O” stands for Outgoing – fitting in with your teammates right off the bat from day one of training camp.  This is one area where I don’t think a lot of freshmen understand how important this is in order to be successful right away.  Thus, many players isolate themselves and stay off by themselves, setting up a small barrier between them and the returning players that will need to be broken down during camp.  Why set up that barrier in the first place?  I always tell the freshmen to reach out to the returning players, to take the initiative to eat with them, talk with them, laugh and joke with them.  A college team is first and foremost a team, and as a new player, the onus is on you to make yourself part of that team.  The sooner you accomplish that feat, the sooner you will be accepted into the team and feel much more comfortable, and as a result, you will play muchbetter. Being outgoing and fitting in is even more important with girl’s teams or with teams that are already a very close and tight knit group.  Remember, returning players will almost always protect returning players before they protect or look after new players and the reasons are obvious;  the returning players are friends, they have lived and already played one, two or three years together, there is a built in trust factor that already exists.  

As the “newbie,” it is your job to make it possible for the returning players to get to know who you are and what type of person you are.  If there are “team outings” during camp, don’t miss one of them.  If the captains tell everyone to go have lunch as a team, don’t miss it.  If the team arrives early and likes to play keep away or other group games make sure you are there early and participating every time.  It is during these non-training times together that a team builds trust and team chemistry and I have seen so many new players miss out on this very easy opportunity to fit in with the team.  It is during these times when players joke around, laugh, criticize, poke fun at one another and as the new kid in town, it is imperative that you are part of that.

Being outgoing means that you are reaching out to your new teammates and this one single act will go a long way towards you fitting in with the team sooner and you experiencing a much more enjoyable first year in college.

Part 3: “A” – Attitude

 

Now that I have returned from spending ten days in the cold and wind of the Midwest for the NAIA Men’s National Soccer Championships, it’s time to continue our discussion on five major mistakes players make their first year in college.

The letter “A” in C.O.A.C.H. is a very simple word but involves so many different things.  “A” stands for ATTITUDE, a very important trait that coaches look for right at the beginning of each and every training camp.  Having a positive attitude is a must for every first year player.  Many times recruited freshman seem to come into their new team with an “entitlement attitude” regarding their playing time, their position and their status within the team.  This entitlement attitude will be the first thing that will get them into trouble with the Coach.  You must remember that the Coach looks for all first year players to bring energy, positional competition and freshness into the team…that is a very important function of new players.  If a new player has the attitude that he “has already arrived” and does not bring the energy and positive attitude that the coach is desperately seeking, then there will be an immediate problem.

Listen, as a freshman, you will be told to move goals, pick up cones, gather balls, do the laundry, carry bags at the airports, film games…it goes with being a freshman.  How you handle those small tasks and your attitude when asked to do these tasks are important, both to the coach and your new teammates…trust me, your new teammates are watching you as well.  They did the same stuff as you are being asked to do and they want to see how you handle your business.   Do it without whining, do it without being told for the 41^st time, do it with a smile on your face and let everyone know that you are happy to be a part of your new team and program.

Remember, coaches constantly read their players – their body language, their effort, their excitement or lack thereof – they are always sizing up their team at each and every training session and game.  Do yourself a huge favor and make sure every time he looks your way, he sees a player that is happy, eager for training and is most definitely willing to bring the energy and positive attitude that is so vital to the long term success of every college team.