Rush's Tim Schulz: USSF should play even greater role
Interview by Mike Woitalla
In a new Youth Soccer Insider series, we're asking the leaders of U.S. youth clubs to address key issues on the state of American youth soccer. Tim Schulz is the president and CEO of Rush Soccer, which has affiliate clubs in more than 20 states, representing 34,000 youth players. Schulz has coached at the Colorado Rush for more than 16 years and in 2005-06 served as U.S. U-20 women's national team coach. He is also a USSF national coaching instructor.
SOCCER AMERICA: Perhaps the most common complaint about the American youth game is its high cost. Will playing soccer continue to become more expensive or is any relief on the horizon?
TIM SCHULZ: The expense is getting bigger. As opposed to Europe, in the United States, the better you are, the more you pay. In Europe, the better you are, the less you pay.
SOCCER AMERICA: What is your club doing to reduce or minimize costs?
TIM SCHULZ: It’s important that a club provides many programs at many levels of play. The top players should be able to choose that they want to travel a lot. And the medium-level players should be able to choose that they want to stay in state and play in local tournaments. And the recreational player should be able to say "I just want to play in my local league." The program should allow a player and family to make a choice within their family if she wants to push further for a more elite type program.
Do we offset the cost? It’s foolish to say we give scholarships internally if money comes from within the club because all we’re doing is taking money from one family and giving it to another. You’re just shifting the dollars around.
The only way we can offset these costs is with grants and sponsorships. Then even with that, unless it’s earmarked for the elite athlete, we’re taking money away from the medium athlete and the developmental player.
It is an on-going problem. It is a challenge. But I think free enterprise allows us to stay competitive. For instance, if my neighboring club keeps the cost lower and the product stays the same, our players will leave and go somewhere else. So there is monitoring going on.
SOCCER AMERICA: The Super Y-league, U.S. Club Soccer and the U.S. Development Academy have joined U.S. Youth Soccer in the youth arena over the last decade. Has the increase in options for youth clubs benefited America's young players?
TIM SCHULZ: Absolutely not. I think this is one case where free enterprise does not apply. I believe in one federation almost dictating how we should operate and function.
It has confused the membership. I’m supposed to be an expert in this field and I’m confused.
SOCCER AMERICA: Should the U.S. Soccer Federation create a Development Academy on the girls as it did for the boys in 2007?
TIM SCHULZ: Yes, indeed. Not exactly the mirror image of the boys side but a very similar version.
SOCCER AMERICA: Have you seen significant improvements in youth coaching?
TIM SCHULZ: I think there’s a slow growth, a slow progress, a slow maturation buildup taking place.
Players who have gone through the college system and have played pro -- they have a natural background in the game -- and they’re getting into coaching side.
What’s unique about the United States is I think we’re very advanced in psychology, management, physical fitness, rehab -- so those things can transfer right over into soccer. Now we really need to learn the nuances of the game. The technical side and the tactical side.
The coaching has improved.
SOCCER AMERICA: If you had a magic wand, how would you use it to improve youth soccer in America?
TIM SCHULZ: I would have the [U.S. Soccer] Federation hire technical directors who oversee each and every single branch of our organization and allow him and her the power and authority to create a better infrastructure within U.S. soccer.
SOCCER AMERICA: How is that different than the Federation’s recent hiring of Claudio Reyna, April Heinrichs and Jill Ellis?
TIM SCHULZ: You just named three of them, [but] there's too many factions to oversee. There need to be more and they should be the be-all and end-all.
(Mike Woitalla, the executive editor of Soccer America, coaches youth soccer for East Bay United in Oakland, Calif. His youth soccer articles are archived at YouthSoccerFun.com.)
The role of the Director of Coaching (a "DOC") of a youth soccer club is often misunderstood -- by players, parents, and sometimes even staff.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for the people who actually do the hiring (or supervision) to be somewhat confused as to what exactly they are looking for from the DOC position. In fact, if you reviewed the job descriptions of the DOC at 10 different youth clubs, you would probably find what appeared to be 10 different jobs.
This begs a major question -- what is a DOC supposed to do?
Fundamentally, the job of a DOC can be summarized in one basic proposition: to develop and improve coaches so that players maximize their potential at all ages.
Accomplishing this lofty objective requires wide-ranging professional skills:
Staff Development
Successful businesses have talented people at every level who are ready to “move up” when their superior is promoted or leaves for another company. Both depth and “upward mobility” of staff are reflective of an environment where employees are challenged, developed, and recognized for their abilities.
The best DOCs have a program for internal staff development -- both formally (licensing courses, seminars, etc.), and informally (regular feedback and observation, mentoring, etc.).
Staff Recruitment and Assignment
Identifying coaches with special talents, or coaches who can help your club in specific areas, is key in creating a staff with depth and breadth.
A DOC should always be looking to attract great coaches, and individuals with the potential to become great coaches, to the club. Just as important, a DOC needs to assign the right coach to the right age group based on the particular strengths of the coach and the demands of the age group.
“I feel that one of the most important responsibilities as a DOC is to make sure each coach is with the proper team with relation to his or her strength, experience and ability,” says Brian Doyle, DOC of the Michigan Hawks and Wolves. “Some coaches are excellent with younger players (U8-U12), but would not be successful with top U13-U18 teams. Understanding each coach’s strengths as well as their limitations is imperative for your club to be successful.”
Culture Creation
Club culture can create an environment conducive for success or failure, and an environment that retains players and staff or loses them. Creating positive culture can be as basic as defining (and limiting) the roles and responsibilities of different constituents -- parents, the Board of Directors, coaches, etc.
Positive culture is reflected in an environment where players and coaches internalize the work rate and commitment required for success, and feel loyalty to the organization. At the highest level, the DOC is the most important person in the club in creating a culture that values and rewards player development instead of a culture that focuses solely on winning.
“The role of the DOC will never be a ‘one size fits all’ proposition, but there are some core principles that apply to the position,” says Ian Barker, former Minnesota Youth Soccer Association DOC and current head coach of Macalester College. “While qualifications and experience are key indicators of how a DOC will do, it is critical that the DOC fits the club culture and can help shape it. This is not something understood based on holding a coaching license or having played at a high level.”
Playing Philosophy
One common tenet of coaching is that the system of play should be chosen based on the players, not the opposite. With that said, the style of play within a club should not vary from one age group to the next, or from one coach to another.
At a basic level, the goal of any youth club should be to play possession-oriented, attacking and skillful soccer. Within this guideline, there is room for tremendous variance based on personal preference. The best clubs in the country are marked by the fact that their teams, at every age group, attempt to play with a similar style and philosophy. (This is also a tremendous aid in player development across age groups.)
Understanding the factors above, below are some basic criteria that can be used when hiring or evaluating a DOC:
Staff Turnover
What is the degree of staff turnover and why? Is it because staff members are unhappy, or is it because good staff are developed and more opportunities are then available to them? (Bear in mind that little turnover can actually indicate a lack of standards and expectations.)
“One of the most important qualities needed by any DOC is the possession of strong, interpersonal skills,” says Tim Lesiak, DOC of Ohio Elite Soccer Academy. “The ability to manage people and solve problems is paramount to developing and retaining a staff that will help foster the culture and playing philosophy that the DOC is driving.”
Playing Style
Do the club’s teams all seem to play the same way, or are there huge differences in style and philosophy between one team and the next? (Keep in mind that a consistent style does not mean that every team will be as successful as the next.)
Culture
Are the key values of the club reflected in the behavior of the staff and players? (While any enterprising individual can describe lofty ideals and values -- are they ingrained in the staff and players?)
Player Development
Is the club consistently developing players who can play at the next level? While there can be many reasons why teams are or are not successful, the ultimate responsibility of a DOC is to create an environment where players can maximize their potential. As a “quick and dirty” measurement, individual player development is a good barometer of a DOC.
Finally, while the personality of every DOC will be different, the following traits seem to be consistently found in the very best DOCs:
* Unquestioned personal integrity -- leadership of any kind demands nothing less, and a lack of integrity will always end up hurting the club and its players, no matter short term success.
* Technical expertise -- you can’t lead if you don’t know.
* Great communication skills -- without a well conveyed message, good ideas are useless.
* Eager to learn -- the best in any field are always trying to get better.
* Visionary -- great DOCs are always thinking about the future of the game, and specifically how their club will adapt to that to best serve its players.
* Controlled Competitiveness -- while everyone wants to win, a DOC must be able to distinguish between short-term wins and long-term success.
Sounds like an easy job, right?
(Christian Lavers is the Executive Vice President at US Club Soccer. He holds the highest coaching licenses in the United States - the USSF "A" License, the USSF "Y" License, and the NSCAA Premier Diploma, and is the USSDA Director and ECNL Director with FC Milwaukee Nationals in Wisconsin.)
