Coaching Soccer: Official Coaching Book of the Dutch Soccer Association

As a Director of Recreational Soccer and a competitive coach, this is one of my top books in my library of over 30 books. Bert starts by defining age groups and age characteristics and how kids learn. Then in Chapter 3 gets into Learning How To Play and Chapter 4 Coaching Young Players. Bert gives great insight into coaches and kids and breaks it down by age groups. A lot of yellow marking and side notes by me on these pages! Chapter 5 is Reading the Game, with excellent bullet points. The book takes off in chapter 6 when Bert gets into the Dutch Approach section. The talks age group shows sessions, talks concepts and philosophy and then makes sure we understand "soccer moments" and "soccer problems". The team in possession and oponents in possession sections is excellent. He tells us about TIC (technique in soccer) and then goes into the 4v4 and the 7v7 training. I highly recommend this book to coaches that understand "The game is the best teacher"

From an Australian point of view, we have many people telling us how we need to improve our junior coaching techniques. I have spent many months and a considerable amount of money looking for a resource like this. It seems to meet the guidelines of everything the commentators and experts in our country recommend is taught to our children and the Dutch have had obvious success.

When they teach young players to play soccer, the Dutch focus on TIC (Technique, Insight and Communication). This book focuses on the Insight players need to develop to understand how to play the game, to understand what is happening on the pitch. An outstanding resource. Very highly recommended...

This book teaches you how to read the game for on and off the ball movement of your players, and provides small sided games to improve deficiencies you have diagnosed.Who else but the Dutch would be serious enough to have a chapter titled "Didactics and Methodology in Youth Soccer Training?"Do not look to this book for skills coaching, however.Useful for coaching U-10 and up.