Player development occurs when each player’s training and playing environment is of the highest quality.
It is important to note that each player and each team is different.
The ultimate goal of each coach should be to prepare the players to compete at the next level.

Foundation Phase:
(To U-12)
Development of individual skills.
At U-12 Individual skills and small group tactics.
· The golden age of learning.
· Most important age for skill development.
· Demonstration is very important.
· Players learn best by doing.
· Time to teach the basic principles of play.

The Coach at the U-12 age:
· Sensitive and enthusiastic.
· Possess soccer awareness.
· Ability to demonstrate or utilize someone who can. (Paint a good picture)
· Knowledge of the key factors of basic skills.

Technique:
Important to establish a good strong solid base at the early age so at this age the coach can develop skills under the pressure of time, space and an opponent-must increase technical speed at this age.
· Dribbling: encourage risk taking. Teach moves to beat an opponent and how to keep possession.
· Shielding: Spin turns, change of speed and direction.
· Receiving: Ground and air balls, (under control), all surfaces from a partner and on the move.
· Shooting: Proper striking technique, all angles, turns, cut backs, volleys.
· Passing: Proper technique of laces, inside and outside of the foot. Short and long crossing of the ball.
· Heading: Teach jumping to head, turning the ball, attacking and defending headers.
· Defending: Jockeying, tackling (when and emphasis on balance and having no fear.

Tactics:
The dawn of tactical awareness.
· Individual- 1V1 situations in attack and defense. Play 1V1 frequently.
· Small Group: continue with 2V1, 2V2, 3V1, 3V2, 3V3, 4V2, 4V3, 4V4
· Positions: Players must play a variety of positions. They must develop an awareness of the game. Emphasize the complete player and the basic principles of play.
· Attacking: Encourage keeping possession and risk taking. Players learn to take players on 1V1 in proper areas of the field. Concept of supporting play, basis combination play (wall pass, takeover, overlap). Promote attacking soccer.
· Defending: Emphasize proper pressure. Teach the concepts of channeling the player, immediate chase, cover and marking.
· Team: Team tactics do not take priority at the age. Focus is placed on maintaining balance and playing skillful soccer. Emphasis is placed on player development instead of getting results as a team.
· System: Spend very little time on coaching a system of play. Focus on principles of play as opposed to systems. Training games usually are at 6V6 to 8 V8.

Physical:
All fitness work should be done with a ball, with partners using fun and engaging activities. Components should include-flexibility, agility with and without the ball, speed, strength, endurance and balance.

Psychological:
· Keep it fun and enjoyable to foster a desire to play.
· Encourage decision-making.
· Imagination/creativity.
· Increase demands in the training session.
· Emphasize discipline.
· Encourage players to watch professional and National team games.

The Formal Phase:
Commitment (U-14)
Continual development of individual skills-individual and small group tactics:
Pace of development quickens due to the acceleration of physical and mental maturation.
Demands of skill training and training loads should increase.
Improvement of mental toughness and concentration.
Awareness of tactics within the game becomes an important facet of the learning process.

The Coach at the U-14 age:
· Stronger personality
· Good soccer knowledge.
· Enthusiastic, patient but demanding.

Technique:
· Build on the base
· Emphasize the development of individual skills under pressure of time, space and opponent.
· Continue to increase technical speed.
· Dribbling-Still encourage 1V1 skill development. Teach more feints/moves, how to keep possession. Shielding and spin turns.
· Receiving-Emphasize a quality first touch. Have players taking balls out of the air and work on turning. Use all surfaces and learn to receive the ball on the run, with speed.
· Shooting-Shooting on the run, on the turn, from all angles, from crosses and volleys.
· Passing-Work on short, long, bent, crossed, driven and chipped balls. Using all surfaces. All should be learned on the run.
· Heading-Work on going to goal (shooting and glancing headers). Learn to pass and to clear.
· Tackling: Proper techniques.

Tactics:
Increase tactical speed. (Decision making under pressure)
· Individual: Work on 1V1 in attack and defense. Teach players to keep possession, but encourage risk taking, and taking players on in the proper areas of the field. In defense teach how to apply proper pressure, how to channel, where and when to use immediate chase and how to use angles of pressure.
· Small Group: Continue with 2V1, 2V2, 3V2, 3V3, 4V2, and 4V4. In attack, teach to keep possession, support, combination play (wall pass, takeover, overlap, the double pass). Introduce the concepts of width, depth and penetration. Begin work on crossing with proper runs in the box. Start to demonstrate simple set plays. Shadow play, pattern play starts to be a part of the training sessions. In defense, Players should be introduced to angle and distance of cover, defensive balance, delay and pressing as a group.
· Team: In the attack: Teach players how to deep position and how to play the ball away from pressure. How to maintain balance in a chosen system. Introduce interchange of positions during the run of play. Circulation of the ball should be introduced. Encourage players to take the defender on in the final third. The keeper now becomes an integral part of the attack. Play balls back to the keeper. Players should still play different positions. In defense: players should learn to maintain good team shape. Zonal concepts should be introduced and should include knowing when to “delay or step”. Coaches should teach how to maintain good pressure and cover in all three thirds of the field. Defensive rotation should be introduced. System of play can be introduced more. Recommended is a 3-4-3 or 4-4-2 with a sweeper/stopper system.

Physical:
Fitness should be done with the ball. Flexibility, agility, speed, strength, endurance and balance should continue.

Psychological:
The game should remain fun and enjoyable.
· Imagination/creativity
· Increase demands.
· Establish training targets.
· Maintain discipline
· Encourage players/teams to watch professional and National team games on television.

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