Training Championship Players and Teams

How We Rate Videos and Books: We have watched over 220 soccer coaching videos (DVD's and tapes) and read over 70 soccer coaching books. Unfortunately, most are not good, many are a complete waste of time and money, and some are actually counterproductive. We only sell videos and books that we truly believe are the best and worth buying, and that we can give 4 or 5 star ratings (on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the best). Our ratings consider the quality, length and value of an item, how it compares to other similar DVD’s, and how well it meets the needs of the targeted audience. We reject about 90% of the videos we watch.

Main Topics on This Video: Attacking, Defending, Girl's and Women's Soccer Training, Skills, Drills, Practice Games, Fitness, Motivation, Tactics, Aggressive Play, Practice Management. All 3 DVD's are great. We sell them as a set because all 3 are excellent and together they describe the entire UNC coaching program.

Recommended For:: Every serious girl's soccer coach should own this. We also recommend it for serious boy's coaches. Anson Dorrance teaches a very aggressive attacking style of play that is well suited for most boys travel teams. Read the Review and Detailed Contents below - there are a lot of excellent ideas and attacking drills and practice games on these DVD's. All 3 DVD's are great. We sell them as a set because all 3 are excellent and together they describe the entire UNC coaching program.

Overview: This is one the best soccer coaching DVD sets we've ever seen, and we've watched over 200 soccer videos. We think it's the best advanced tactical coaching set for girl's coaches. Anson Dorrance is the most successful women's soccer coach in history and these DVD's show the training methods and motivational techniques that have made him successful at the University of North Carolina. His record thru the end of the 2003 season was 559-25-15, scoring 2562 goals and only allowing 274 goals. He has won 18 national championships (as of January 2005, no other women's soccer coach had won more than one) and coached players such as Mia Hamm, April Heinrichs, Kristine Lilly, Cindy Parlow and Lorrie Fair. His players play a very tough, aggressive, attacking style of play, and they also seem to enjoy playing for him. These DVD's show how he trains his players to give 110% and to play aggressively.This set shows top female players and is designed for girls and girls coaches, but it would also be great for any boys coach, and it would be a great present for any serious female travel player age 14 or older.

Review: Every serious girl's soccer coach should own this set of DVD's. They are excellent. In this 3-DVD set Coach Dorrance explains and demonstrates his coaching and training System, using training sessions involving some of the world's best female players, including Robin Confer, Tracy Noonan Ducar, Lorrie Fair, Debbie Keller, Cindy Parlow, Tiffany Roberts, and Staci Wilson, with footage from UNC college games and superb graphics to illustrate the coaching points and tactics. Anson explains his coaching methods, shows the intensity of his training session, and discusses how he develops highly skilled players with astute tactical awareness. His players play a very tough, aggressive, attacking style of play, and they also seem to enjoy playing for him. These DVD's show how he trains his players to give 110% and to play aggressively. We think 50% of Anson's success is due to the quality of his players but that the other 50% is due to the quality of his training program and his motivational techniques. These DVD's show how he trains and motivates players, including how he trains them to win in 1v1 situations. This set shows top female players and is designed for girls and girls coaches, but it would also be great for any boys coach, and it would be a great present for any serious female travel player age 14 or older.

DVD 1: The Competitive Cauldron, why competition is the key to developing players, the importance of keeping score and how they track every player's progress, how to get women to compete and win, the player's perspective, fitness training, team competition, 1v1 drills and games (5 are shown), competitive heading, 5v5 practice game, motivating women.

DVD 2: Teamwork, speed of play, the need to teach individual skills, attacking objectives, individual skill drills (over a dozen excellent drills and practice games are shown), teaching attackers to play with their back to the goal when closely marked (this is excellent and 8 training exercises are shown), small group tactical games, speed of play and rhythm, transition, shape, 5v2 training game, 6+1v3 training game, 4v4 training game, 5v5 training game, possession games. 16 drills, practice games and training exercises are shown.

DVD 3: Attacking with 6 players (3 forwards and 3 midfielders), the UNC Attacking System (penetration, width, support), attacking shape, "choreography", the UNC Defensive system, Defensive Shape, how to defend with 3 Fullbacks and a Sweeper, how to defend with a "Flat Back 3" (this is excellent), Penalty Box Organization (great tips here), practice management, the player's perspective, players give advice to girl's coaches.

Navigation: Navigation is easy with a Menu and Chapters.

Anson Dorrance: Anson Dorrance is the most successful women's soccer coach in history. Coach Dorrance started the University of North Carolina Women's Soccer Program in 1979. His record thru the end of the 2003 season was 559-25-15, scoring 2562 goals and allowing only 274 goals. In 2003-04, his team was 27-0. He has won 18 National Championships, coached the gold-medal winning U.S. Women's World Cup Team in 1991, has had 65 All-Americans and in 2004 was selected to ESPN's list of best coaches in the past 25 years. The players he has coached include Mia Hamm, April Heinrichs, Kristine Lilly, Cindy Parlow and Lorrie Fair. We think Anson Dorrance is truly a great coach and that a lot of his success is due to the training methods and motivational techniques shown on these DVD's. His players play a very tough aggressive, attacking style of play, and they also seem to enjoy playing for Coach Dorrance.

Overview of DVD 1: "The Competitive Cauldron" The Competitive Cauldron, why competition is the key to developing players, the importance of keeping score and how they track every player's progress, how to get women to compete and win, the player's perspective, fitness training, team competition, 1v1 drills and games (5 are shown), competitive heading, 5v5 practice game, motivating women.

Detailed Contents of DVD 1: "The Competitive Cauldron"

Minute Topic

0:00 Introduction. Coach Dorrance is introduced and the 3 DVD's are introduced.

2:55 The Competitive Cauldron (The practice environment he considers critical to develop each player's potential. Competition is key to developing players. We think our SoccerHelp Practice Games, which are competitive, are consistent with this.) Quote: "The only environment you truly develop a player in is in a competitive arena."

4:53 Keeping Score. Coach Dorrance says he keeps score in everything he can. He describes some of the ways they keep score, and how to get women to compete and to win.

7:55 The player's Perspective: In The Cauldron - - Players discuss competition in practice. (Lorrie Fair, Debbie Keller, Angela Kelly, Cindy Parlow, Tracy Noonan Ducar, Staci Wilson, Tiffany Roberts, Robin Confer, Nel Fettig, Lindsay Stoecker.)

11:12 Fitness Training. He discusses aerobic and anaerobic fitness training. Specific training exercises are discussed in detail, including 120 yard runs, and 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 yard competitive sprints.

18:58 "3 Tiered Shooting" Drill. This is a pressure drill they use after fitness training to force players to perform while fatigued.

20:50 The Player's Perspective: Fitness - - Players discuss fitness.

22:45 Team Competition. Creating leaders on the field. What is leadership on the field?

23:40 The "1 v 1 Duel" - Coach Dorrance believes strongly in 1 v 1 practice, because he believes that most games are won 1 v 1. (We agree with this). Many 1 v 1 drills are shown in DVD 2, "Small Group Tactics".

27:20 "1 v 1 To Goal" Practice Game (Both defenders and attackers can score points in this game).

29:30 "1 v 1 Top Gun" Practice Games (2 games are shown. These are excellent. Players keep score).

31:30 "Competitive Heading" Practice Game (Score is kept)

34:30 "Bogies In The Sky" Practice Game (Score is kept). This is excellent for travel teams. Robin Confer's dribbling in this reminds me of George Best.

38:27 "5 v 5 + Keepers" Man to Man Practice Game

40:14 The Player's Perspective 1 v 1. Players discuss the benefits of 1 v 1 practice, but how most girls don't like 1 v 1.

44:00 The Player's Perspective: On the Field/Off the Field. The players say they leave competition on the field, but are friends off the field.

45:55 Motivating Women. Coach Dorrance says that the best way to motivate men is with intensity and personal challenges, but that approach doesn't work with women. He says that women value their relationships over the game and that it is important to lead women by relating to them personally. (In brief, he says you must be nicer to women).

49:00 The Last Word. Coach Dorrance gives his final thoughts

49:40 End

Overview of DVD 2: "Small Group Tactics": Teamwork, speed of play, the need to teach individual skills, attacking objectives, individual skill drills (over a dozen excellent drills and practice games are shown), teaching attackers to play with their back to the goal when closely marked (this is excellent and 8 training exercises are shown), small group tactical games, speed of play and rhythm, transition, shape, 5v2 training game, 6+1v3 training game, 4v4 training game, 5v5 training game, possession games. 16 drills, practice games and training exercises are shown.

Detailed Contents of DVD 2: "Small Group Tactics":

Minute Topic

0:00 Introduction. (The same as DVD's 1 and 3).

1:55 Coach Dorrance discusses Team Work, Speed of Play and the need to teach individual skills, especially the ability to beat an opponent in a 1v1 situation. This is one of the best simple descriptions I've ever heard of attacking objectives.

4:30 Individual skill drills - (These are Excellent for Travel Teams U-12 and older)

4:35 "Triangle Passing Drill" (Long Ball Service and Reception)

8:20 Long Ball Service/Long Ball Heading Drill

11:12 "Technical Back to Pressure Drills" (Beating a Defender with Technique. Training for playing with your back to the goal. Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!! These drills alone are worth the cost of this DVD. The comments by Coach Dorrance are excellent

12:29 "Against The Grain"

12:59 "Dummy", (Excellent!)

13:20 "Self Pass" (Excellent!)

14:05 "Control Pressure" (This is Superb!)

14:56 "Side On"

15:50 "Accelerate & Turn" (Excellent!)

16:55 "All Options" (Excellent!)

18:30 "Competitive 1 v 1" (Excellent!)

20:35 Tactical Back to Pressure Drill (Excellent attacking drill showing how an attacker can beat a defender on a "Give and Go")

24:40 "Finding The Seams" Drill (attacking the defended goal)

27:45 "Team Trains The Keeper" Drill (excellent game simulation)

32:40 Players Perspective: Competing At The College Level (Comments by many famous women players including Angela Kelly)

34:50 Small Group Tactical Games (excellent comments by Coach Dorrance)

Speed of Play and Rhythm (The importance of one and 2 touch play)

Possession

Transition (transition from defense to attack and attack to defense is critical)

Shape (Shape is the placement of players on the field. Penetration, width and support are the fundamental elements of attacking shape).

40:20 5 v 2 Training Game)

42:00 6 + 1 vs 3 Training Game

43:25 4 v 4 Training Games ("Narrow Field" and "Wide Field")

46:20 5 v 5 + Keepers Games ("Pass and Follow" to teach "Knocking and Moving" and other games - There are many good points here, but one we don't agree with is the idea of teaching young players to follow their pass, we think it's better to teach those players to move away from pressure into open space in order to create an opportunity. If a marked passer follows the pass she will be pulling her defender toward the receiver, which creates a problem for most U-12 players.

54:10 Possession Games (Games to teach possession. These make good warm-ups. These are excellent).

55:55 The Last Word (Wrap-Up). Advice for coaches. This is excellent).

57:40 End

Overview of DVD 3: "The North Carolina System": Attacking with 6 players (3 forwards and 3 midfielders), the UNC Attacking System (penetration, width, support), attacking shape, "choreography", the UNC Defensive system, Defensive Shape, how to defend with 3 Fullbacks and a Sweeper, how to defend with a "Flat Back 3" (this is excellent), Penalty Box Organization (great tips here), practice management, the player's perspective, players give advice to girl's coaches.

Detailed Contents of DVD 3: "The North Carolina System":

Minute Topic

0:00 Introduction. (The same as DVD's 1 and 2).

1:45 Anson Dorrance. He says he feels that there are differences in training men and women, and that he uses a different system and shape than when he coached men's teams

2:30 UNC Attacks (Coach Dorrance says he believes in attacking with 6 players) -- he pulls all up on the attack except his Defensive Midfielder and his Flat Back Three Fullbacks. (This is an attacking oriented style of play)

4:35 The UNC Attacking System
*Penetration - he uses 3 players always playing on the edge of the "opponent's restraining line." This means he leaves his forwards pushed up and plays a lot of balls into the space behind the opposing fullbacks

6:55 *Width - How to spread the opponent out

7:32 *Support - In his attacking system, "Shape" means to have support in a shape that can quickly defend once you lose possession (this is consistent with the approach SoccerHelp recommends for recreational teams).

8:00 Attacking Shape- He selects to have his width in the midfield, and he uses a star-shaped midfield, with an "Attacking Mid" and a "Defensive Mid", who some might called "Stopper". So, he plays a 3-1-2-1-3

10:11 "Choreography"- What he means by this is how to "imprint" this "shape" on his players, meaning where should players be at any given time. He teaches this by moving the ball around the field and showing players where they should be. This is an excellent and effective teaching approach. Examples are shown using computer graphics and on-the-field overhead video. That shows the player's movement.

14:30 Flank Choreography

23:00 The UNC Defensive System- - He originally played a combination zone and marking approaching in the back (3 fullbacks and a Sweeper), but he now plays a "Flat Back 3" without a Sweeper, which has forced his Goalkeeper to act as a "Sweeper".

26:16 Defensive Shape: The 4-3-3 (How to defend play with 3 FB's and a Sweeper. Some advanced concepts techniques are described here.)

28:56 Defensive Shape: The "Flat Back 3". A great explanation of the Flat Back3 and coaching tips.

30:45 Penalty Box Organization - Excellent explanation of his tactics. The tactics he describes apply to Rec teams and most boys and girls travel teams. Great tips here such as at minute 32:40 and at 34:04.

35:40 Practice Management - Coach Dorrance says his training sessions only last 90 minutes. His reasoning for short practices is that "what the players lose in repetitions, they will gain in enthusiasm for their next practice".
A great quote: "The challenge in training players is to keep the practice short enough that by the end of practice they can't wait to come out the next day." We at SoccerHelp agree 100%.
Excellent advice: He says he tries to keep a balance between serious practice and a light-hearted environment. (Minute 37:37) He says practice should be as enjoyable as possible.

40:19 The Player's Perspective: Fun at Practice. The Players say the 90 minute practices are very well organized, competitive, but also enjoyable. The first thing they do is a jogging lap, then stretching.

43:35 The Last Word - Coach Dorrance gives his final thoughts. He says the one thing he insists upon is that his players try their best to become the best they can be and that they try to get along with each other.

45:05 Player's Perspective: Advice to Girls from the players. One very interesting comment: Lorrie Fair says she wishes she had done more foot skills work as a youth. Debbie Keller says the same thing and that she wishes she had played more 1 v 1.
The Player's Perspective: Advice to Girl's Coaches. Players give advice to girls' coaches. The primary comment is for coaches of younger girls to make learning fun and avoid high-pressure. At SoccerHelp we agree 100%. Lorrie Fair mentioned that coaches should not discourage aggressive play- - we agree with this comment.

53:20 End

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Minute	Topic
0:00	Introduction. Coach Dorrance is introduced and the 3 DVD's are introduced.
2:55	The Competitive Cauldron (The practice environment he considers critical to develop each player's potential. Competition is key to developing players. We think our SoccerHelp Practice Games, which are competitive, are consistent with this.) Quote: "The only environment you truly develop a player in is in a competitive arena."
4:53	Keeping Score. Coach Dorrance says he keeps score in everything he can. He describes some of the ways they keep score, and how to get women to compete and to win.
7:55	The player's Perspective: In The Cauldron - - Players discuss competition in practice. (Lorrie Fair, Debbie Keller, Angela Kelly, Cindy Parlow, Tracy Noonan Ducar, Staci Wilson, Tiffany Roberts, Robin Confer, Nel Fettig, Lindsay Stoecker.)
11:12	Fitness Training. He discusses aerobic and anaerobic fitness training. Specific training exercises are discussed in detail, including 120 yard runs, and 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 yard competitive sprints.
18:58	"3 Tiered Shooting" Drill. This is a pressure drill they use after fitness training to force players to perform while fatigued.
20:50	The Player's Perspective: Fitness - - Players discuss fitness.
22:45	Team Competition. Creating leaders on the field. What is leadership on the field?
23:40	The "1 v 1 Duel" - Coach Dorrance believes strongly in 1 v 1 practice, because he believes that most games are won 1 v 1. (We agree with this). Many 1 v 1 drills are shown in DVD 2, "Small Group Tactics".
27:20	"1 v 1 To Goal" Practice Game (Both defenders and attackers can score points in this game).
29:30	"1 v 1 Top Gun" Practice Games (2 games are shown. These are excellent. Players keep score).
31:30	"Competitive Heading" Practice Game (Score is kept)
34:30	"Bogies In The Sky" Practice Game (Score is kept). This is excellent for travel teams. Robin Confer's dribbling in this reminds me of George Best.
38:27	"5 v 5 + Keepers" Man to Man Practice Game
40:14	The Player's Perspective 1 v 1. Players discuss the benefits of 1 v 1 practice, but how most girls don't like 1 v 1.
44:00	The Player's Perspective: On the Field/Off the Field. The players say they leave competition on the field, but are friends off the field.
45:55	Motivating Women. Coach Dorrance says that the best way to motivate men is with intensity and personal challenges, but that approach doesn't work with women. He says that women value their relationships over the game and that it is important to lead women by relating to them personally. (In brief, he says you must be nicer to women).
49:00	The Last Word. Coach Dorrance gives his final thoughts
49:40	End