In April US Soccer completed its overhaul of its recommended curriculum for young players. The goal is to "improve development of players in the organized player base in the United States" and -- just as there are standards in school for what a seventh grader should know -- set development expectations by age.
Former US captain Claudio Reyna, who developed the plan, commented "The core of it is really the philosophy, which is all of the components around the game: tactical, technical, physical and psychosocial. Those four components are the demands of a soccer game, no matter what age. The best coaches I had were the ones with the clearest information. It was with those experiences that the curriculum was formed. It’s simple and easy for everyone and I think that’s one thing we really wanted to focus on."
SBF Technical Director Todd Saldaña and Director of Player Development Lee Hancock integrated portions of the US Soccer plan (which they had in draft form) into the club’s curriculum last year, and plan further work on this in 2011 - 2012. The development focus ties in with the club’s move to the new Southern California Developmental Soccer League.
The complete US Soccer document is available online and is a great guide for coaches at any level as well as parents and players who want to see how US Soccer’s basic principles are broken down into development goals by age group. Please note that each of the following documents are large in size and will be downloaded to your computer via the links if you click on them (links to US Soccer site):
You can also watch the entire video presentation as given by former US Captain Claudio Reyna by linking on this link to the US Soccer site.
