Simplifying the Game

By: Jon Townsend

Soccer is a simple game. For many of us, our first introduction to the game took place in the streets, in the
schoolyard, on the playground, at a park, essentially any place qualified as a field. The essence of the game is
something raw and unbridled. Watching children play gives us a glimpse of a true form of the game. For them, wins
and losses arent nearly as important as learning and having fun. Oftentimes, children are more interested in learning
a new skill, mastering a new trick, or simply spending time using soccer as a social construct than they are concerned
with winning or losing. Want proof? Recall your earliest experiences playing outside of the organized part of any
sport, not just soccer you probably remember the way you felt over your win/loss record as a kid. This is an
important point to make as we tend to lose track of why we play the game (or should play the game) in the first place.
Growing up, I learned to play the game on the dusty patches of land and in the streets of San Jose, California. The
game was simple and often soccer became more than a game as our social circle revolved around coming together
to play as often as we could. Just like most American kids grew up playing street basketball, neighborhood football, or
sandlot baseball, I grew up playing street soccer. A young player quickly learned to improvise on the spot and utilize
their environment on a daily basis. Soda cans became soccer balls, jumpers for goalposts, tree stumps for goals
the creativity one had to develop is seldom something that can be coached into players. However, that creativity is
often coached out them as the struggle for control in addition to the hovering tactics by coaches and parents alike
coupled with increased apathy and lethargy for the organic version of the game threatens to distance us from the
type of soccer that transcends club affiliation, sporting politics, and cost-heavy factors.
Pick-up soccer is a vibrant game and the following pages provide a glimpse into the roots of the game. All of these
lessons, methods, and applications can be used for formal, structured training session and extended further into
progressive models of player development. It is my profound hope that this guide is merely the beginning for you a
spark that ignites a fire of inspiration and creativity that you can take down whatever path you decide to take.
For me, the game has never changed. As a youth player, I took two paths concurrently the traditional American one
and the more organic path. The traditional path took me around the world to play against some of the best youth
teams and academies in some of the largest youth tournaments on the planet. It also took me through the gamut of
American youth soccer, the collegiate level at the NCAA Division I level, and the nomadic journeyman approach of
pursuing a career in the game on the professional indoor and open league circuits that few know about and even
fewer recognize.
The organic version of the game brought the world to me. In the streets of San Jose I earned my place by playing
with and against the ethnic minorities that championed soccer above all other sports. I learned that soccer can break
down language and cultural barriers in the underground warehouse sessions in Chicago. Beach and barrio soccer
became part of my life on my travels through Central and South America because even though I was not a member
of the community, I played the worlds game. Many of my best friends are those I met through some capacity in
soccer.
Both paths instilled in me the energy and conviction to share my knowledge, experiences, and insights with others
however, I acknowledge that I am still learning as well. As playing gave way to coaching, my tools shifted from using
my feet to win contests and solve problems to using the power of the pen to write about the game within the game. I
believe the game should be open for all players regardless of age, creed, color, economic status, gender none of
that matters to me. By supporting this document you are passing on a version of the game that is still hidden to many.
The game is a celebration and everyone should be invited.

Copyright 2015 Totaalvoetbal Concepts, LLC

Lesson One: There are no shortcuts

Actually, there are shortcuts and I encourage you to find them and take them if possible. However, be advised that
shortcuts are usually for the short term, meaning the more you are likely taking or trusting an approach that bypasses
essential fundamental applications and skills. The following lesson has a wonderful phrase that I cannot take credit
for passing along that honor goes to legendary St. Louis coach, Terry Michler (CBC High School). The challenge
with player development is simple: we live in a microwave society we want results yesterday (so to speak).
Instead, we should consider the value of player development in terms of a crockpot meal, which is prepared
and allowed time to manifest into its intended purpose.
In my experience, shortcuts are often mistaken for alternatives. Applying this to skill-based tasks, a player can take
the alternative over the shortcut and find a wall to pass against instead of waiting for soccer practice or depending
on a friend to want to go out and play. Alternatives are essential. A poorly-held trade secret is traditional soccer
environments will not and do not provide enough time and repetition for a player to maximize their potential. Players
must find alternatives to supplement their core involvement in the game and the even lesser known secret is when
the supplemental work transitions from extra work to core involvement.
For example, many players enrolled in expensive club or academy teams have been bucketed and labeled elite,
premier, academy, or select and on some level, those terms aptly describe what the system has created a
pay-to-play model that labels players accordingly. Most if not all of these players have been conditioned to scoff at
the recreational, pick-up, or informal version of the game. This is less about fault than it is about semantics and a
systemic elitism permeating the American youth soccer landscape.
A player actively looking to improve themselves will not scoff at such environments. In fact, the player who is enrolled
in the popular club that shows up to play pick-up games or plays (often under the radar) in ethnic city leagues is often
the player who has found the alternatives necessary to accelerate their soccer and social development and
maturation. Think about it, a player who is able to exist in both environments or even multiple settings: formal
(club/school soccer), pick-up games (informal, un-coached, unrewarded)/ recreational soccer must display
maturity, patience, exhibit leadership and teamwork skills that many of his or her peers simply are not interested in
developing or are not exposed to in the first place. A player who increases their playing frequency (within reason)
should begin to outperform their talent pool. Their progress will appear as though they have taken a shortcut when in
reality, they have put more work in than people see.
It is essential for players, coaches, and parents to understand a few lessons the game will inevitably teach us:
1.

2.

3.

4.

The game owes us nothing other players will continue their development and get opportunities we do not
have or will not get. Without an innate love for the game, a player will begin to burnout and their motivation
will likely wane and fade away. If you want something, you will have to go out and take it. Complacency will
destroy your chances and let those far less-talented bypass you and you will have nobody to blame but
yourself.
Fundamentals are everything. Players who value learning the fundamentals are displaying more than pure
soccer ability. They are displaying something I call an increased learning capacity and that reveals a few
attributes about that player. It shows maturity, the ability to concentrate, the willingness to pay attention to
the details, the capacity to become technically/tactically sound, and a sense of pride in doing things as
simply as possible (not creating problems for themselves).
It takes time. Encouragement is important but so is the right level and method of criticism. True player
development takes time and patience is paramount. A player might not get it today but if theyre
encouraged in the correct manner or criticized in a way that motivates instead of detracts them, they will
likely get it sooner rather than later. Think crockpot over microwave.
Mastery: Understand the phases of mastery: Apprenticeship, Active Apprenticeship, Active Failure,
Proficiency, and Mastery.
a.

Apprenticeship: Players (or coaches) in this stage must be sponges and take in everything
around them the good, the bad, the meaningful and meaningless. An apprentice must begin to
operate by trial and error and learn how to augment their approach through repetition. An

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apprentice must also be an active listener, a bold trialist (unafraid to try new things, be on new
teams, and explore new methods). This is the information and instruction gathering stage.

5.

b.

Active Apprenticeship: In this stage an individual takes the lessons they learned in the first stage
and begins to operate by trial and error and make decisions (categorical) about what works and
what does not work on the soccer field. This stage will have carry-over and will often revert back to
Apprenticeship as the learning stages are still malleable the concrete is still wet, so to speak.

c.

Active Failure: This stage is extremely taxing but it is also where the real learning begins to show.
Players here will develop short-term memory regarding the mistakes they make and will develop
the persistence needed to advance from stage to stage. Bold players will begin to view training
sessions as opportunities and meaningful competition as importance events while knowing that
they must earn success through trials and tribulations.

d.

Proficiency: This stage is dangerous as most players take their foot off the pedal and begin to feel
as though they have arrived. This is farthest most players will get in the game. Here, they execute
commands, learn new skills, and have a degree of operational competency (the ability to operate
with intermediate levels of success and the occasional moment of brilliance). This is the stage
players will feel they have arrived and as such, is often the stage where shortcuts become bad
habits. On the positive side, players will get a taste of what mastery really feels like and have
opportunities to push-on and advance.

e.

Mastery: This stage is still rife with mistakes but the level and ability have reached a point where
learning becomes secondary to execution. This is where the game appears instinctual and natural.
Confidence is an expectation and the game is a lifestyle. Tasks associated with skill acquisition
play a major role into the actual implementation of those learned skills. Mastery takes years to
acquire and requires constant and consistent attention to maintain this level.

Curb the Ego. The perception of ones self is often misguided and built upon a foundation of positive
reinforcement and guarded sentiments. Players who are told they are great when their play or attitudes
suggest otherwise run the risk of being ego-driven on the field. The Ego and Confidence are two different
attributes and youth soccer culture often mistakes ego for confidence in players. Players should be bold and
brave but not at the expense of displaying a requisite level of respect for others including their parents and
coaches. Parents should be advised that they are likely the biggest factors in a players development both
on the field and off it. If a player has an ego that begins to get out of control, its likely the parents have
contributed to the inflation of the ego. Leave the ego out and view the game through an objective lens from
time to time.

A good lesson in player development is to be wary of false advertisements and empty promises. In soccer, if it seems
like it is too easy, its usually nonsense. Think about those saw advertisements for 8-minute abs and Couch to
Marathon plans that preach Run once a week! those are designed to get your money while keeping you away
from the goal. Real progress comes through work and dedication not some lofty promise of instant success. In
soccer, there are ways to expedite ability and teach new skills but it takes consistency. If I showed up to run 26.2
miles following shoddy advice, I would not only fail physically, but I would be mentally destroyed. Modern society likes
to fashion ways to convince people they can be the next Lionel Messitomorrow. Success is marketed as something
instant and coaching and club success is often dictated by winning over learning. Winning is a byproduct of
learning, not the other way around. Allow players to find their own path, to struggle, to battle through problems, and to
persist when challenges arise because that is the best way for them to learn on their own.

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Lesson Two: What does easy really mean?

If it was easy, everyone would do it. There are certainties in life and soccer that apply to that phrase. Showing up is
easy. Staying after everyone else leaves well, that might be a bit more of a challenge. Kicking the ball in a panic is
easy. Playing out the back and remaining calm under duress and pressure is a challenge. The goal for players should
be to embrace challenges and convert their weaknesses into strengths with some degree of success and frequency.
Easy implies entitlement in many tasks. Many people think winning should be easy. Even if it should be easy, that
doesnt mean that it actually is easy. Winning requires a cohesive effort from a collection of individuals working
towards a specific task against another group vying for the same outcome. Learning the game takes years and it is
often unglamorous and less-than-thrilling for long stretches of time usually before any sort of winning takes place.
As I mentioned in the previous lesson, success takes work, time, and consistency.
Its easy to get drawn into the trap of over-complicating the game. Its also easy to underestimate all that is involved in
playing the game in a simple way. Johan Cruyff rightly said, Playing football is very simple, but playing simple
football is the hardest thing there is. The truth of the statement cannot be ignored. As such, heres a valuable lesson
that anyone can extract from Cruyffs words. Before a player or coach can do anything of grandeur they must be able
to master the simple things. For players, this comes down to doing the simple things well such as working the
fundamentals of the game, learning how to listen, discovering ways to problem solve on their own, developing a
sense of functionality within the constructs of their own abilities. For a coach, it could come down viewing the craft of
coaching as teaching because that what it really is at its core. Instruction is just as much about the delivery of the
content as it is about the content itself.
All across the sporting landscape, players and coaches fall into the same trap: coveting the result without respecting
the process. For example, everyone wants to learn a new trick or collect all the accolades these are natural desires
of soccer. However, few are really willing to simplify the process involved in reaching these goals or performing these
tasks. Drive to any soccer practice and you will see coaches over-complicating their message and players overcomplicating their game (dribbling and trying to nutmeg an opponent instead of passing to an open player). There is a
delicate balance here for both players and coaches trial and error. The game is the best teacher and we must afford
ourselves and others the opportunity to make mistakes and to learn from them.
Below is a list of things that should be considered easy that contribute to the more complex parts of the game. Note:
these are elements that are within an individuals total control.

Fitness preparation: Players can control how much extra fitness they build-up, maintain, and hone
throughout their playing days. Doing the right things while taking care of the fitness demands of soccer are
100% within the players own abilities and they should be beholden to this as a role and responsibility. It is
NOT up to a soccer coach to get you fit their job is to teach the game, not be a strength and conditioning
coach.

Fundamentals: Execute the simple elements of soccer such as passing five yards before assuming that 50yard pass is something that will be pulled off successfully. Players and coaches must inspect the
fundamentals of their own roles in the game and work on them diligently. For most people, the fundamentals
are boring and are not valued enough.

Mindset: Attitude control and emotional fortitude are up to the individual. Each person can decide well
before they approach the field how they will react, act, accept, deal with, manage, and approach feedback
and situations. The more a player can play in pick-up games and in unsupervised, unprompted soccer the
stronger this area becomes as they will learn NOT to seek the approval of others and develop a strong
innate sense and passion for the game.

Decision-making: Everyone should control their decision-making abilities. Soccer is a game of choices both
on and off the field. Learning how to control your decision-making is essential as it applies to behavior,

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performance, and social interactions in the game. Decision-making is also directly involved in training and
performance habits. Deciding to take a day off, to take the easy way out, to ignore a glaring weakness might
not seem like a big deal, but it doesnt take a genius to figure out the detriments of such a habit. Decisions to
listen or NOT listen to those trying to help you are also important. We mustnt sacrifice develop because of
stubbornness.

Emotions: Much like Mindset, a player or coach (or parent) must develop control over this element.
Emotions are good and bad, much like habits. The players who learn how to rule their emotions instead of
letting their emotions rule them generally find the game to be a much more enjoyable activity. Coaches have
to balance the way they project themselves, their initiatives, and position of authority onto others 24/7/365.
Controlling the input will help others understand your output.

Discovering the game within the game often comes down to embracing challenges. Far too often, we run from that
which threatens to expose our weaknesses. This is why playing street soccer, jumpers for goalposts, and
experiencing a variety of playing environments is so crucial it strengthens an individuals resolve while providing
ample opportunities to try new things out without the pressures of organized soccer. Soccer is a game of
consequence there are winners and losers. As such, its important to learn how to lose; that in itself is a skill.
Everyone involved in soccer has the decision to view something, an obstacle, a situation, a question, as a molehill or
a mountain. Dont create conflict where there is none and remember, not every obstacle is worth navigating over or
throughsometimes its better to just go around or in the opposite direction.
Discomfort is your friend.
Progress is the result of you staying in the uncomfortable zone longer than others. Think about it, the more youre
willing to work when others are not, the better your chances of success become. This stratagem can be framed in a
number of ways. The first is physical. The player (athlete) willing to train more and for longer periods of time is often
better equipped to handle situations where success comes down to physical components, like the dying moments of
a game or the decision to track a runner on defense. The mental side is a bit more complex, but it neednt be.
Individuals who are willing to test their resiliency and deal with difficult situations are better cut out for success than
those who run off to a new team, find a new coach, quit, or hide when adversity rears its ugly head.
Without discomfort we cannot know what our limits truly are. When I played in Holland my coach told me that
progress begins where your comfort zone ends. Such a statement is truly valuable because the sooner one can
understand that message and apply it to whatever theyre attempting to accomplish, the more progress they can
make. Some players and coaches (parents, too) simply have no idea how to handle losing, tough decisions, internal
strife, external politics, and often opt to run and hide or worse, to deflect and blame others when they should be
viewing the episode as a test. Soccer is a game of tests. From the moment we lace up our boots and kick a ball we
are confronted by people, injuries, situations, and decisions that test our resolve.
The best players in the world often come from the most humble beginnings. Most did not have the luxury of quitting
when soccer got tough because they knew that whatever life they would have to live away from soccer was that much
harder than the game itself. To frame this more clearly, if attending soccer practice twice a week and working on your
own the other days is too hard, try not knowing where your next meal will come from or being resigned to living a life
where playing soccer is not an option. Such a reality is present all over the world the game is gift. Learn from the
periods of discomfort, understand that its OK to have bad days, and believe that you will learn much more from a
loss than you will from victory.
Ending Thoughts:
I once read Hidetoshi Nakata learned to conceptualize the field by thinking of space, positioning, and passing angles
from a Bird's Eye View. As astounding as that may or may not sound, the real lesson is two-fold. For starters, a player
must understand how they themselves view the game and how others view the game. Additionally, the sooner a
player can distinguish between the two viewpoints, the better off their development will be. This involves studying the
game at length. By extending your understanding beyond what is just there, you begin to unlock the puzzle pieces
of formations, tactics, and you begin to apply these lessons instinctually. Players who get ample supplemental work

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have a distinct advantage over those who play when theyre required to play. Oftentimes, there is no coach telling
them what to do or how to think and in these instances and environments players begin to develop a sense of
creativity.
One of the best ways to improve is what youre doing right now finding solutions to problems that would otherwise
not be addressed. With the absence of a true soccer culture, most players are simply unable to get enough
repetitions and log enough hours playing the game in comparison to their counterparts around the world. Understand
this: there is always more a player or coach can do to positively influence their direct impact with the game. Playing
street or pick-up soccer is just as important as encourage it from the parental or coaching perspective. Reading and
seeking the right materials to aid in holistic understanding while introducing new and different viewpoints to ones
prior knowledge and experiences in soccer can only help. The biggest mistake anyone can make is assuming they
have arrived.
The following section has some strategies and games extracted from years playing street soccer. These are actual
scenarios, dialogue morsels, and interactions that are both tongue-in-cheek but also quite literal. Some read
humorous and others read blunt and borderline haughty but are the product of years of interactions at all levels of
soccer. This list will continue to grow more robust, but for now the list should provide a good start to expanding your
knowledge and sparking a bit of creativity.
Youll Learn
Player: "Coach, how do I practice controlling the ball w/ my chest?" *player throws ball up, attempts task*
Coach: "Find a curb. Pass at it. You'll learn"
--Player: "Coach, how do I get better dribbling the ball?" *player dribbles around cones casually*
Coach: "Go for a jog. With the ball. You'll learn."
--Player: "Coach, how do I get a better first touch?" *player watches YouTube*
Coach: "Find a ball. Find a wall. You'll learn."
--Player: "Coach, how do I turn with the ball? I dont have cones
Coach: "Find an empty parking lot. Turn at each line. You'll learn."
--Player: "Coach, how do I get a better shot?" *player shoots at empty goal*
Coach: "Won't matter until you learn how to create space TO shoot in the first place. You'll learn"
--Player: "Coach, how do I get a better chance at playing more?" *waits for an answer*
Coach: "You don't 'get' anything. You EARN it. You'll learn."
---

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Player: "Coach, what tricks should I practice?" *tries unsuccessful elastico*

Coach: "Instead of practicing tricks, first learn and master the basics. You'll learn."
--Player: "Coach, how do I get to the next level?" *waits for 'profound' answer*
Coach: "Do the business at THIS level first. You'll learn."
--Player: "Coach, play me at center mid, thats my 'best' position?"
Coach: "When you learn to play every other position. You'll learn. Or, instead of "play me at center mid?" Try "How
can I earn the chance to play center mid?
Takeaways: There is no algorithm to greatness. Those who achieve it were willing to sacrifice more and work harder
for longer. Everything we learn in the game, on our own, will have a cost: time, effort, relationships, sleephowever
the more we invest into the intangibles, the lessons within the lessons, the better we set ourselves up for lasting
success. Individual work is more than simply showing up its application and study of the games intricacies. When
a player isnt actively playing they can be watching; when they arent watching they can be thinking about soccer. If
you havent figured out the lesson from the list, its quite simple: attitude dictates decision; the decisions we make
dictate the lives we lead. The more we treat soccer as a chore or extracurricular activity the farther away from truly
enjoying it we get. When soccer becomes a lifestyle thats when the magic happens.

Copyright 2015 Totaalvoetbal Concepts, LLC