MYSA Hosts Successful 2012 Winter Coaching Symposium

by Aaron Frederickson

The Minnesota Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) hosted their annual Winter Coaching Symposium Saturday at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Around 500 coaches from around the state of Minnesota and MYSA affiliates attended the symposium.The theme for this year’s symposium was “Innovate, Elevate, Motivate.”  Topics covered at the symposium included useful information for all people involved in youth soccer, including directors of coaching, coaches and club administers.  Some of the presentation highlights included functional training for goalkeepers, backs, midfielders and forwards, as well as useful information on Minnesota’s new concussion “mandate” and information on grant writing.According to John Curtis, Director of Coaching & Player Development for MYSA, the purpose of the symposium was to “learn new ideas and reaffirm the things you already know.”

Peter Reid, DOC with Eden Prairie SC, conducts a session at this year’s symposium called Playing in Tight Spaces

Loren Abrahamson, Treasurer and youth coach for Centennial Soccer Club, echoed these same sentiments. “As a club administrator and coach there were sessions available where I picked up valuable insights and tips in both areas in one day,” stated Abrahamson.Coon Rapids Soccer Association’s Director of Coaching, Ryan Hodgson, was one of the many DOCs who attended the event along with 15 coaches and board members from CRSA. “Any chance a coach can further their education by either their own club’s offerings or alternative offerings such as the symposium is a fantastic opportunity,” said Hodgson.  “Even though I have been around soccer for many years, I still thrive on learning. Any chance I can to pick up something new and take that back to my players or coaches; it makes it worthwhile.”This year the symposium also included a Y module course for coaches.  John Curtis of MYSA stated, “The group that was coming to the program in the past was going because it was only targeting older players—U13 and up.  The program (Y Module) was created for young coaches who were not coming to this, so something was created for the rec, coach, parent coach and the rec coach.”  All coaches who completed the module sessions received a Y Module certificate.One of the presentations that was a part of the Y Module was “Me, Mine, My Ball” by Scott Macleod, Director of Coaching for Blaine Soccer Club. Macleod stated, “We need to provide players in that U6 age-level with fun activities that have a 1:1 ball to player ratio.  Players at that age don’t want to share the ball with someone else and then watch that other player have fun. They want to be the one “playing” with the soccer ball.”MYSA is already busy planning a similar event for 2013.  Further information about MYSA can be found at www.mnyouthsoccer.org/