In this article I hope to provide parents an overview of how we choose what to teach and work on with the RTSC Impact.
Rose Tree SC encourages and sponsors all volunteer coaches to obtain coaching “licenses” through US Soccer. This begins with what’s called “Grassroots”, meant to be the foundations of youth soccer development and coaching across all levels of competition. RTSC and other ordained soccer clubs (RTSC—>EPYSA—>USYS) commit and adhere to USYS models and recommendations.
The accompanying Grassroots Framework (full PDF of age groups) provides a very high-level overview (by age group) of developmental goals and targeted “player actions”. Below is the Impact’s current step in the journey.
US Soccer Grassroots 9v9 Framework (Ages 11-12) - summarized here and supplemented with a learning plan
Then at each level, “Learning Plans” are published. These documents to a good job clicking down into the principles and visible outcomes that players are hopefully learning, practicing, and demonstrating during games.
(Click to open 27 page PDF)
For example, within the U11-12 Learning plan on Attack, we have been working the last two weeks on overloads/overlaps (wide runs past the ball), which is a part of the “Provide Options to Play Forward” main principle. And we’ll continue integrating overloads for a few more weeks, with specialized undefended passing patterns and defended drills, and emphasis/incentives in our small-sided games.
I think the Grassroots framework is excellent! It provides coaches with good guidance around a step-wise approach to build holistic player development over time, and keeps us thinking about player needs and behaviors at various age levels. Once familiar with the grassroots framework, it’s easy to evolve as the kids grow up, since it’s well-written in the context of the next step of a player’s overall journey through youth soccer.
There’s not a whole lot to it, but the framework helps us understand and guides what’s appropriate or inappropriate to expect or teach, inclusive of the physical, mental and behavioral aspects of being a kid.