In Latin America and across the pond in Europe, teams at the local and national levels play soccer in their own unique way. In Chicago and its surrounding suburbs, youth soccer is no different.
Clubs tout a specific style of play or training that the organization, as a whole, follows. Players matter, of course, but often overlooked are the coaches and their chosen technique.
At the Addison United Soccer Club, according to club president Shawn Downhouser, the club’s hybrid style of play results from a combination of the players it draws and the background of the coaches. Both Downhouser and a fellow coach were influenced by German coaching during their careers. Two other coaches, Downhouser said, were born and raised in Latin American countries.
As for the players: “Our player base is predominantly Latino and this heavily influences our ability to play a more individualized (style) as they tend to be highly technically skilled,” Downhouser said.
Many clubs that use a Latin-style, for instance, focus more on possession. Plays centered on individual players going one-on-one with a defender are a central element to this style. To employ it successfully, a coach needs players who are confident with the ball, skillful and creative on the fly.
Addison United’s offense fits the mold of a Latin-style but is slightly different according to the coach.
“Offensively we rely heavily on individual play but surprisingly I would not consider us a possession style team,” wrote Downhouser in an e-mail. “We tend to be a fast break team. We encourage 1v1 situations as much as possible in the offensive third.”
The Latino players may affect the team’s offense but Euro-centric coaches on staff also inject a European-centered defensive style, according to Downhouser.
“I would describe our defensive philosophy as similar to England or Germany,” he said. “No nonsense quick passes to the outside … cautiously taking forays up the field into the offensive third.”
That style of play is also characterized by a more physical approach compared to the finesse of the Latin style.
Another club, Team Elmhurst Soccer Club, uses the Dutch training method, according to director of coaching Karsten Roy. Training includes small-sided games (four-on-four soccer) that help players get more touches and helps them become a smarter player, Roy said.
But while many teams in the Chicagoland area trumpet a certain style of play or training, some in the youth soccer community believe most of it is just advertising speak to entice parents to a club.
Kevin McBride, the president and founder of the Blue Fire Soccer Club in Naperville, said he sees different styles at the older levels of play but for the younger teams, like the age group he concentrates on, U10, he doesn’t see much of a difference.
“A lot of the local clubs say they’re doing something like ‘We teach the Brazilian way.’ But they’re teaching the same thing everybody else is teaching,” McBride said. “It looks to me like it’s more of a marketing gimmick than it is an actual style of play.”
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Todd Bailey, the director of the boys program for the Chicago Magic Soccer Club views it slightly different. The style of play doesn’t depend so much on what the club promises but on what players it has.
“Anyone that tells you they play a certain style is like trying to fit a round peg in a square hole...or just selling something to parents,” wrote Bailey in an e-mail. “Teams/style of play are based upon the players/individuals and what they bring to the game..., [It] should be different in every team.”
Ben Jacobson, the club president of the South Side Fire FC in Chicago, said serious youth soccer clubs have two challenges: long-term player development vs. short-term winning. Any number of styles can meet one or both of these goals depending on who you ask. As a result, clubs vary on which style will achieve both goals effectively enough for the players, coaches and parents.
The United States Soccer Federation has its own philosophy in a report titled Best Practices for Coaching Soccer in the United States. The document doesn’t pretend to reveal any coaching secrets but it does state that there isn’t one single way of coaching soccer that is better than others. While soccer styles at higher levels of youth soccer may be more defined by the background and styles of the players and coaches, the United States Soccer Federation does believe in a central principle for younger athletes.
“In general, young soccer players require a certain amount of uninterrupted play,” the report reads. “This allows them to experience soccer first hand. They should be allowed the opportunity to experiment, and with that, succeed and fail.”