SoccerHelp.com

Mark Pinion (Hancock Soccer Association's Recreational Coaching Director) has arranged for a FREE subscription to www.SoccerHelp.com for our HSA Members to their SoccerHelp Premium site.  This site now has over 1,500 pages, 5,000 internal links, and 70 Soccer Drills that are soccer games.

This subscription can be used by anyone associated with Hancock Soccer Association, including coaches, assistants, referees, officials, administrators, volunteers, and parents.

Below is a brief overview of what this site is about, and what kind of topics, drills, publications, and videos are available.  Read on to learn how you can access this great wealth of valuable information!

Click the image shown below to log in to the SoccerHelp.com Premium site.

About The SoccerHelp.com Premium Site

SoccerHelp was started in 1995 by David Huddleston, a "retired" active coach who lives in Tennessee.  Below are excerpts from the pages of SoccerHelp.com.  At the bottom of this page you will find some coupon codes that can be used when visiting the SoccerHelp.com site.

The SoccerHelp Program got started in 1995 when I was asked to find a good coaching manual for our recreational soccer association to purchase.  (This was in response to my complaints that we didn't have one).  That started a long journey to find a coaching manual that would work for Recreational coaches who had limited time and limited knowledge (like me).  It turned into a major research project involving reviewing over 60 coaching books, 60 coaching videos, taking classes, talking to many coaches and testing a lot of ideas on my Recreational and, later, travel teams. I wrote a coaching manual for our soccer association, became a "student of the game" and in 1999 published a coaching manual titled "Coaching Youth Soccer, Simplified".  Only 350 copies were printed and it was only sold locally, but somehow the book "traveled" to California, Colorado, Canada, Florida and other places.  We started to get calls from all over the country, the local soccer store wanted to buy 100 copies and we could tell it was helping Recreational coaches, which is what it was intended to do.  The popularity of the book led to the idea of putting it on the Internet, and SoccerHelp came online in October, 2001.

It was in response to repeated requests for the book (which was out of print) and for an expanded SoccerHelp program, that the idea for SoccerHelp Premium evolved.  In March, 2002 we started the Premium "Testers" program, with volunteers from 20 U.S. states, Australia and the U.K. testing the Practice Games, tips, tactics, strategies, formations, styles of play and recommendations which comprise the Premium "program".  The Testers program has been very successful and many of the results have been dramatic, and in some cases spectacular.  The comments of some of the Testers are available at "Testimonials and Success Stories", which can be accessed from the "FAQ's" or from "SoccerHelp Premium Contents and Subscription Information".  The Testers Program proved that SoccerHelp can help coaches "quickly and easily become good coaches, even those who have never before coached or played soccer".

SoccerHelp is designed to help make it easy for Recreational coaches to become better coaches so they can have more enjoyment and satisfaction from the soccer coaching experience.  There is a great deal of free information at Socerhelp.  If it helps you, and you want more similar information that can make your coaching experience more fun and rewarding, try SoccerHelp Premium.

SoccerHelp is designed to help coaches win more games.  But I would like to share with you an important lesson I've learned: Don't sacrifice fun or good sportsmanship just to try to win. If you follow this advice you will always enjoy coaching.

I wish you many great seasons,

David Huddleston
SoccerHelp.com

SoccerHelp "Premium" is a tested coaching program that has over 1,500 pages of printable information (including 300 pages about Formations, Positions and Styles of Play) and 5,000 internal links so you can navigate easily between topics. It includes 70 exclusive Soccer Practice Games that were invented by us, are copyrighted and aren't available any where else.  Each Practice Game is rated by age appropriateness and quality.  These aren't the "games" you normally see - they are much better - your players will learn skills and improve rapidly by playing these games, and they will learn under pressure and at "Game Speed".  We have tested hundreds of games and drills, adapted the best to meet our 12 standards and invented others.  It also contains Practice Plans (pre-planned practices).

Premium is the "Next Step" for most coaches who like SoccerHelp.  Premium Members receive re-usable Coupons so they can save 10% on any merchandise we sell.  Over 15,000 coaches have become Premium members.  Premium has over 5,000 internal links, over 1,500 pages (compared to 150 pages on this Basic version), a Forum where Premium Members can ask questions that will be answered by other Members and David at SoccerHelp, links to over 100 SoccerHelp Newsletters (the entire newsletter archives), and over 300 pages about Formations, Positions and Styles of Play.

Soccer Videos, DVD's and Books-We only sell videos, DVD's and books that we have reviewed and recommend.  We have reviewed over 200 videos/DVD's but only recommend about 10% of those we have reviewed (most are not good and some are terrible).  There is a detailed review of each item we sell and we try to keep our prices low.  This will save you a lot of time and money.  We offer "Combo Deals" at discounted prices.

The SoccerHelp System and Philosophy

SoccerHelp is an innovative coaching system and philosophy based on fun and our copyrighted Practice Games which are "self-teaching" (players learn to play soccer by simply playing the Practice Games).  The SoccerHelp practice method is 100% to 200% more effective than normal practices and, as a result, players learn faster.  Coaches using the SoccerHelp system achieve more in 3 practices than other coaches achieve in 6 to 9 practices.

The SoccerHelp Philosophy is summarized by: "Better Coaches, Better Players, Better Teams, and More Fun".  Players who are on a team that uses the SoccerHelp system have fun, enjoy going to practice, gain confidence and play with enthusiasm.  The results are that they play better, enjoy it more, win more games (or at least play more competitively), are proud of themselves, and everyone (players, parents and coaches) will have more fun and be proud of the effort the kids are showing.

SoccerHelp Practice Games are better than drills because they involve competition and pressure, which drills don't, and better prepare players to perform under pressure in "match" conditions and at "game speed".  It is one thing to perform an activity without pressure, but it is very different to perform the same activity at "game speed" and under pressure.  Players improve more quickly and become better players when they practice at game-speed in match-related conditions.  Most of our Practice Games are original and were developed by us; they can't be found anywhere else.

Drills train players to play slow -- our Practice Games train players to play fast.  Think about it - drills aren't at "Game Speed" and aren't under pressure.  Our Practice Games are played under pressure and at the fastest speed possible (the Practice Games involve competition and players want to win the Practice Games, so they play fast and under pressure).  Our Practice Games are a better, more effective way to train soccer players, and as a result, players improve faster and play better in their league games.

SoccerHelp Practice Games are better than other games because they are more efficient and effective.  They are designed to meet 15 standards, such as: they minimize lines, maximize activity, maximize "touches" on the ball, one coach with no soccer experience can easily set up and manage the game, they are fun, kids learn legitimate soccer skills by playing the games, they can be played in a small area or indoors and they work for almost any number of players (and even or odd numbers).  We DON'T use "knock-out" or "elimination" games which leave kids standing on the sideline instead of practicing.

We encourage coaches to be nice, happy, encouraging and easy-going at practice.  We believe in positive motivation and don't believe in punishing a child who has tried their best but lost a Practice Game.

What Is Unique About SoccerHelp?

We get a lot of praise for SoccerHelp.  In fact, we get so much that we only put a small part of it online where there are links to "Testimonials" and "Coaches Comments".  We encourage you to read the Testimonials and Comments.  They discuss what coaches found useful.  Some of the success stories are incredible; coaches have gone from losing all their games to winning most.  Most Premium subscribers gain confidence as a coach.  We don't know of any other soccer program that has helped Rec coaches as much as SoccerHelp.  We offer a program that can have an immediate impact on your team's success.  You will see very quick results, often in just a few practices.  The Practice Games are unique to SoccerHelp and were developed and tested by us.  THEY REALLY WORK.  Your players will have more fun, learn more in less time, practice attendance should improve and your team's play will improve.  Coach Chuck said: "What a huge difference.  We have outscored opponents 18-3."  Coach Don said: "Wow! Who would have believed this stuff would work this well."  Coach Hal said: "The concept of playing soccer games for drills at practice is brilliant because the girls now perceive practice as fun and not work."  Coach Dave said: "The transformation of my team was incredible."

Who Are SoccerHelp, Premium and Advanced Soccer Tactics For?

SoccerHelp and SoccerHelp Premium are for anyone who coaches Recreational soccer (youth and adult teams), for coaches of select/travel soccer teams up to about age 16, and for parents and players.  They are written in a simplified way that anyone can understand.  Advanced Soccer Tactics is for serious coaches at all levels of play.

Below is a list of 6 things on Premium that will really help coaches:

1. Shoulder Tackle & Strength on the Ball - This game can quickly make a difference in one practice.  It teaches bravery and aggressive play, that soccer is a physical game and to not be afraid of contact or being bumped or pushed, strength on the ball to maintain possession while dribbling, shielding the ball to maintain possession when challenged, a legal Shoulder Tackle, challenging for the ball to slow the attack and how to legally push a player off the ball.
   
   
• "This Game made an immediate improvement on my boys on how to fight for a ball." Coach Chuck, U-10 Boys
• "We did this first thing after warm-ups until I was satisfied the girls weren't going to be afraid of contact." Coach Corey, U-12 Girls (they won the tournament)
• "The other team was bigger and trying to play very aggressively against us, but we have been playing the Strength on the Ball game since the beginning of the season, and, although they really tried, the other team could not push my boys around." Coach Stephanie, U10 Boys
• "I LOVE the "Shoulder Tackle & Strength on the Ball" drill - it has HUGE benefits.  It paid off this past weekend when we played a team from another league.  Their girls were very aggressive until we got on their shoulders and then they generally went to pieces and we took away the ball." Coach Tony, U16G
  
  
2. Dribble Across a Square will teach composure in traffic, peripheral vision, instinctive reactions, how to turn with the ball and to dribble with head up.  Make the square larger (15 steps wide) to teach recognition of Open Space and acceleration into Open Space, which teaches how to Breakaway.  I recommend playing this at the start of every practice as a warm-up. If you use this drill for 2 practices you will see improvement.  Coaches are starting to post videos on You Tube of young players who practiced with Dribble across a Square dribbling through entire teams.
   
   
3. Dribble Around Cone & Pass Relay Race to teach Aggressive Receiving, how to kick the ball while running and One-Touch play.  I recommend playing this a lot - it will make a huge difference in speed of play and in aggressive receiving.
   
   
4. Win the 50/50 Ball or Be the First Defender 1v1 Attacking and Defending.  The team that wins the most 50/50 balls often wins.  If the player on your team who is closest to a 50/50 ball can’t win it, he or she must become the First Defender to slow down the attack so teammates have time to recover to defensive positions.
   
   
5. 22 Coaching "Rules" contains "rules" you can easily teach your players that will quickly improve your team's play.  Some of them, such as Coaching Rule No. 3 (how t properly defend throw-ins, goal kicks, punts and free kicks), are worth a goal or two per game and can change the flow of a game.  This is a useful way to teach young players, since most have been taught to "follow the rules".  There are 25 "rules" you can teach your players about what to do and not do.
   
   Below are some of the comments I have received from coaches about these "rules":
   
   
• "Coaching Rule No. 1 (Don't get thrown over) really is worth a couple goals a game.  When we marked up properly, we easily won the ball 90% of the time.  Super easy to teach, and super easy to coach from the sidelines." Coach Bob, U10
• "I taught my players Coaching Rule No. 3 from Premium and the results were immediately phenomenal!" Coach Charlie
• "For about 2 weeks, we worked on nothing other than soccer Coaching Rules 1 - 3.  We won our next 5 games scoring 20 goals and giving up none, we won 6 - 0, 3 - 0, 4 - 0, 3 - 0 and 4 - 0." Coach Tony, U16
  
  
6. 4-Step Plan for Successfully Motivating Players, Teams, Athletes and Students is 5 pages long and is based on the premise that success results from doing the right things with the right attitude.  It discusses:
   
   
• Why Every Coach, Parent, Teacher and Manager Needs a Motivational Plan
• How to Develop a 4-Step Plan for Successfully Motivating Players, Students and Anyone - List, Incentivize, Praise, Reward (LIPR)
• Tips for Developing Your Motivational Plan (Do's, Don'ts and Ideas)
• How to Give Effective Positive Encouragement and Praise That Gets the Results You Want