STRAIGHT TALK
Here you will find a collection of topics that have been raised in the past about soccer in Albuquerque.
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![]() Dennis Genas, Elite F.C. Director of Coaching, USSF ‘A’ License, English Advanced License, Region IV Staff Coach, former professional player in England and Finland (full résumé) WHAT’S NEW IN OUR SOCCER WORLD
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The Face of Football in AlbuquerqueBy Dennis Genas Yes I am BACK! ‘Hold on to your pants, if what I discuss upsets you! Then it must be TRUE! How can we change it? I am already seeing & hearing things that are so funny! Teams are losing games by large scores, which by the way benefits NOBODY! Unless some soul searching questions start to be asked:
Excuses heard for losses so far:
I believe winning & losing become habits, as does whining! (Insert crying face emoticon) Losing is, or should be a great development tool for us! Stop crying, learn why you lost, work out HOW you can improve & learn to accept, SOME TEAMS ARE BETTER! I give you these tips in the hope we can create a better Football atmosphere! The true test of YOUR character is not when you win but how YOU lose! IF YOU MAKE EXCUSES, YOUR CHILD WILL TOO! IF YOU DEMAND THEY WORK HARDER TO WIN, YOU WILL GET THE TRUTH!
Sideline Behavior: Why are you crazy parents having track meets up & down the sideline during games? Most of you have NEVER ran up & down a Football pitch, so why NOW? You are yelling nonsense most of the time& you are disrespecting the opposing team parents in their half of the field by being in their space! You THINK you know what offside is! You celebrate an opposing player being knocked down but are silent at moments of magic! ‘Ask someone to tape you one day and take it to your boss at work, have your children & family friends watch it at a social get together! Better still YOU watch it. ARE YOU THAT CRAZY PARENT?’ It is very hard to watch your child play, without emotion, I know this! It is scarier if you don’t know what you are watching, so try to respect other fans, your poor child & hopefully it will be a vaccine to others & make match days more fun, win or lose! Football truly is a beautiful game; the preparation for big clashes should be savored because they are what develops our players & coaches. ‘The understanding of HEALTHY COMPETITION is sadly void from the game in Albuquerque!’ What is it I hear you asking yourself? It is to have a love & respect for the beautiful game. Look forward to beating coaches, teams, clubs & having bragging rights for that win, but do it respectfully. Leave the game on the field. Teach our players to Love the battles too, instead of developing resentment of players, clubs & coaches! Understanding the game will change, ‘The Face of the game in Albuquerque’. |
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Playing TimeBy Dennis Genas This has been a major topic in the USA, especially in soccer. I will try to shed some light on this topic with you readers, purely from my perspective, of course. Comments and opinions expressed on this subject are mine, so please do not go attacking other coaches! I have to say that because some people are getting upset about my page! PLAYING TIME
Contrary to popular belief, I know that all coaches select players at tryouts intending to play them all as much as possible throughout the season. Every player wants to play all the time; every parent wants their child to play all the time. Some of you are now saying, “I don’t want to play all the time, but I want to play more.” There is our first problem: DENIAL. If you do not want to play all the time, regardless of the other players or parents, then you are probably already not playing all the time! PLAYING TIME IS EARNED! It is not guaranteed! I take that back– it IS guaranteed up to U-9’s and in recreational programs. WHAT FACTORS DETERMINE PLAYING TIME?
Sometimes a game is so tight that it is difficult for coaches to make changes because the rhythm of the game could be affected in a negative way. Be honest, some games are crucial to win; if coaches are focused on playing time rather than the result, everyone would be upset about the loss! Would you rather your team win State Cup, Regionals, or other tournaments, or for the coach to make sure everyone gets playing time? Sadly, the truth is RESULTS MATTER! Now I hope you start to understand the dilemma coaches are faced with every game! Successful teams are ones where everyone plays their part when called upon. Every player has a role and needs to be ready to perform that role to the best of their ability at any given time, for the benefit of the team. If they are pouting on the sideline because they did not start, then they wont be ready mentally when called upon. HOW TO INCREASE YOUR PLAYING TIME:
Did you score, pass well, defend well, control the ball, communicate in the game, dominate your goal, show leadership, deliver crosses, make good saves, win your tackles, and give 100% effort so you were shattered at the end of the game? If you evaluate your performance on the field with some of the pointers above, then you will know when it is time to talk to your coach about your playing time. If you are not hitting the pointers, there is your first clue!! Parents, I know you all want your kids to play. And we as coaches want to play them. Remind them that nothing good comes easy. If they want to play Competitive, they need to prepare physically and mentally for the ups and downs of this competitive game. Enjoy your soccer through the good and tough times!! To all you readers: If you have any comments, questions or topics you would like addressed, feel free to email me. |
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The Game is a Simple, Beautiful Game (I think!)By Dennis Genas All over the World the game of soccer/Footie is played in parks and streets by players dreaming of ‘Making it in the Professional Game’, by players who are too old to make but still believe they are better than some of the professionals playing. (I have to admit, some of them are probably right!) When these players come together for pick up games they throw down some bags, clothing or use whatever resembles a goal. They keep score, call their own game and select professional team names and player names. They truly believe they are Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, Barcelona or Chelsea; Henry, Gerrard, Ronaldhino, Eto’o, Drogba, Jenas or for the weaker players a Goalkeeper! Youth leagues are formed and teams play each other every week, come wind, rain, hail, snow or invariably, SUNSHINE. The top teams play each other in the top leagues; the lower league teams fight every week to win promotion into the top league for the chance to play the top teams. Teams never have to worry about referees; it is the Leagues responsibility. There are never any questions at the end of the season as to what a team’s standing was. Leagues around the world have a system that should be looked into with a view to implementing it here. (Take some time to see if you can understand this complex system used to rank teams at the end of the season around the world!)
If you look at the game here, it is far from simple:
I vote for the scoring system used around the world, and if the top teams need to play each twice to make it a tougher schedule and season, guess what– teams play each other twice around the world in a season! How many of you out there understand the color-coding and algebra scoring system? Sadly, I do not! It is sad when you need to understand a scientific formula to know where your teams are ranked. If the world formula were used there would be NO need for ranking meetings! This is a simple and beautiful game!! |