Adam Matter, CSCS

Assistant Field Hockey Coach – Lycoming College ||| Sport Performance Coach

[NWS State College @NWSStateCollege]

Tornado Warning including Williamsport PA, South Williamsport PA and Montoursville PA until 9:45 PM EDT

[NWS State College @NWSStateCollege]

Severe Thunderstorm Warning continues for Williamsport PA, South Williamsport PA and Montoursville PA until 9:00 PM EDT

[Adam Matter, CSCS @Adam_Matter]

@JessFerringer Do you have to wear all of them at the same time?

[Osku Partonen @Coach_Osku]

U9–U13 is the GOLDEN AGE for coaching principles. ⚽️

Not just technique anymore.

Not yet about complex tactics.

This is where players learn how to PLAY.

Here’s why 🧵

[Adam Matter, CSCS @Adam_Matter]

I love the part where running for 8 minutes has to be “slow and sloppy”, yet 5 seconds is “fast and sharp”.

Or the part where they only measure the time an active play takes, assuming players walk/rest their way to the huddle or sideline in the 30 seconds in between.

Or the part where it is assumed only 5 seconds or 8 minutes are possible amounts of time to have an athlete run conditioning.

[Bernat Mosquera @BernatME6]

I used to use very small spaces in SSGs to force players to “think fast”.

The problem?
You often remove the chance to run in behind, the only real option left is to shoot.

Bigger spaces can help develop player's movemens, not just the player on the ball.

[Jeremy Toohey @Toohey_sp]

Worked in professional down to youth soccer in Spain 🇪🇸 and noticed:
▪️Development first
▪️Ball mastery starts earlier and higher standards
▪️SSGs are bigger influence
▪️Everything flows through clubs
▪️Free play more encouraged

The US 🇺🇸
▪️Development second
▪️Pay to play (too many games)
▪️Rehearsed drills heavy (not enough tactical intelligence)
▪️Next to no free play
▪️Late specialization in skill

@PaulSpacey

[Adam Matter, CSCS @Adam_Matter]

@RJPcoach @SundayShare10 The number system makes sense in baseball, ⚽️ tactics have evolved so much that numbers don’t make sense for positions, and the fact you’re using position names in this discussion reinforces how outdated it is.

For what it’s worth, I was taught 4/5 are CB’s and 6 is your CDM.

[Adam Matter, CSCS @Adam_Matter]

@coachdeesmith Why would you want to privatize the TSA?

[Osku Partonen @Coach_Osku]

Football is full of pressure, transitions, and chaos.

Yet too many drills remove all three.

[Adam Matter, CSCS @Adam_Matter]

@205_Academy A. Give me that 2v1 against the last defender.

[Adam Matter, CSCS @Adam_Matter]

@NWSStateCollege Where can you see the graphs for Williamsport?

[Osku Partonen @Coach_Osku]

Next time you see a “Pep possession drill” or “Arteta small-sided game”…

pause for a second.

Don’t copy it.

Understand the idea behind it. 🧵

[Osku Partonen @Coach_Osku]

Don’t just coach clean touches.

Coach purposeful ones—into space, away from pressure, toward the next action.

[Adam Matter, CSCS @Adam_Matter]

@jc_playmakerWNY This was being said when ECNL was created, not a surprise to those who felt this way at the time. It’s wild the senior USWNT has made any Olympics or World Cup Finals in the ECNL era.

[Jamie Birch @JB_SoccerCoach]

🧵 Why Ball Mastery Matters at Foundation Level in Football ⚽️

1/

Let’s talk about something simple but often overlooked:

Ball Mastery.

The touches. The repetition. The hours of building a relationship between player and ball.
At the foundation level (ages 5-11), this is where the magic starts.

👇

@SundayShare10 #SundayShare

[Osku Partonen @Coach_Osku]

Coaching U9–U13?

This is the golden window for player development.
But many waste it chasing “tactics.”

Here’s why tactics should stay simple—
…and why principles are what actually shape players. 🧵
#SundayShare @SundayShare10

[Osku Partonen @Coach_Osku]

If you coach U9–U13, you’re in the golden age for developing decision-making.

But how do you actually know if what you’re doing is working?

The answer: track KPIs.

Here’s an example using Bravery on the Ball 🧵
#SundayShare @SundayShare10

[Coach Luca @Coach__Luca]

The language we use when we coach is important

Especially for younger age groups where exploration & curiosity is 🔑

If I choose to use coaching cues I want them to ENABLE & EMPOWER, not constrain

Some ideas by game phase & directed at players on, around or away from the ⚽️:

[Adam Matter, CSCS @Adam_Matter]

Examples from today’s research that has me 🤨🤔:

1) double team defending the direction they attack once they win possession
2) two defenders standing in a flat line instead of pressure/cover
3)game ends when defending team dispossesses attacking

[Adam Matter, CSCS @Adam_Matter]

When designing a drill/game it is imperative for the coach to ask “is this how I want my players to play defensively?” when creating drills for attacking moments. Where we place players in the field is important because they will learn patterns whether or not they are effective.