The Theory of the Xcel - Soccer - Coaching Model

Many Football / Soccer Associations have mandated that leagues
implement small-sided-games for the younger ages.
e.g. U8 play 4 v 4 , U12 7 v 7 etc.
Which is a start.
However, most coaches still use drills to “develop” their players.
The famous in and out cones, the pass and shoot on net etc.
None of these drills develop players’ creativity, game
awareness, etc.
The Xcel Coaching® Model –
Introduction.

XCEL Coaching is the world’s most comprehensive
youth coaching philosophy. XCEL Coaching has been
developed and researched by Master Youth Coach
Vasco Nunes.
The YDSA head coach has studied the game of soccer,
researched and implemented and tested various world
coaching models.
XCEL Coaching has incorporated ideas from other
sports, like gymnastics, basketball, Futsal and rugby.
XCEL Coaching includes educational tested coaching
philosophies like Dr. Lynn Kidman's Athlete Centered
Coaching, Developing Decision Makers and Teaching
Games for Understanding.

Xcel coaching has been in the process of
development over 25 years , the first ever,
age/physically-appropriate, program for coaching
soccer players. The model continues to be refined,
expanded and updated to include the most valuable
current trends in coaching.
The XC – model has taken the best of other sports,
and soccer models and have been implemented.
This presentation will cover the basic and theory of
the model.
Any feedback is welcome – xcel-coaching@bell.net
The Xcel Coaching® Model –
Introduction.

Young players need to make decisions, exert themselves
physically, perform technical skills and, most importantly, have
fun.
Are the activities challenging?
 Are they enjoyable to perform and will it keep their interest?
Are they games instead of static drills.
Are the activities organized?
Are the objectives clear?
The Xcel Coaching® Model

It doesn’t need to be highly structured or without
any rules, but the purpose and guidelines of the
activity need to be understood.
Are the players involved in the activities?
Is the coach’s feedback appropriate? For younger
players, feedback should be positive and frequent.
What are the implications for the game? Are the
objectives of the activity related to the demands they
will face in a game?

Is creativity and decision making being used?
Are their decisions to move or employ a particular
skill ever changing,
or are they just repeating the same movement
without thinking?
Is the space appropriate for the age group and
number of players? Is the space allowing for the
objectives of the activity to be realized?

All XCEL Coaching sessions are age appropriate, including duration of the
session, coaches involved and equipment used. XCEL Coaching’s main
objective is to develop creative, intelligent, skillful and decisive soccer
players that have great game awareness.
The XCEL Coaching program uses the "Teaching Games for
Understanding (TGfU)" coaching philosophy.
TGfU is an approach to learning and athlete-centered coaching, where the
player comes first and each game has a learning component, the young
players' will learn with little coaches’ interference.

(The TGFU approach was proposed as a way of putting the WHY of a
game before the HOW. Bunker & Thorpe, )
The XCEL coaching games are use for:
· Technique building;
· Decision making;
· Creative and skill building;
· Soccer intelligence;
· Developing game vision and perception;
No more drills, laps and lectures. All aspects of the game: technical,
physical, tactical and game intelligence are developed in an integrated
manner for greater transfer and effect;

Soccer is founded on two basic concepts: scoring goals
and preventing the opposing team from scoring.
The best way to achieve these objectives is to use
game formats adapted to and applied to different
exercises.
The smallest game format is one against nobody.
Followed by the 1 v 1, 2 v 1, etc.

Players should learn how use position themselves
correctly in order to effectively perform the 2 v 1
situation.
The situation changes when another player joins the
game The two players on the same side now have the
option of passing the ball or keeping it and must
decide for themselves which option to take.
Soccer is a team sport that presents a dynamic and
unpredictable environment.

To isolate specific techniques is unwise since technique
is useless without the dynamics of time, space,
decision making, and teammate/opponent movements.
The model works on the premise that nothing happens
in isolation.
It teaches that technique cannot be learned without
incorporating decision making, without considering the
emotional and motivational state, and without creating
an environment that mirrors the physical demands of
the game.

If learning a skill is not enjoyable and if it does not
feature lots of movement, the players will stop
participating before they get to the game.
If learning occurred in a static environment, do the
players possess the understanding to make game
decisions? That would be unlikely.
The XCEL approach is a dynamic instructional method
that allows the participant to fully experience the
sport.
It is NOT the “just let them play,” approach. As players
need to improve using corrective exercise in order to
improve technical execution.

The Xcel Coaching® Components
Athlete (player) Centred Coaching
A player-centered, active-learning, coaching style (versus a
coach- centered one) “Dr. Lynn Kidman”
The coach will need to become more of a guide, creating a
more open environment where the players have more say, feel
valued and actively participate in their own learning.
The old style of “yell and tell” instructions has been proven to be
very ineffective and is not motivating to young players.

Athlete (player) Centred Coaching
Active learning results in much greater long-term memory
retention for players, up to 70% compared to 10-15% for passive
learning. (John Whitmore)
The atmosphere created by the coach is critical.
The coach can offer a safe, comfortable, fun environment by being
approachable, inclusive and non- judgmental.
He / She should encourage players to take risks and try new
things for themselves, knowing that mistakes are not going to be
punished.

On top of that, he / she provides the optimal number of
repetitions to allow the young player to recognize and apply the
solutions.
Effective questioning (rather than instruction only)
Coaching is an interaction between the coach and the players. The
teaching and learning process, therefore, is a dialogue rather than
a monologue.
To enhance performance, develop this dialogue to recognize, value
and use the attributes and experience of the players.

Questioning demands a commitment from the coach to
experiment – because most people have a natural inclination to
simply tell!
While most young players live in an environment dominated by
telling, the coach helps them much more by trying to involve them
in the decision-making process.
Effective questioning or “guided discovery” simply means that the
coach uses a more indirect route to new information.
He raises awareness through open and closed questions and
provides options or choices for the players, arousing their curiosity
and guiding them to answer the questions for themselves.

Teaching Games for Understating
Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) is a games based
pedagogical model aimed at generating greater understanding
of all aspects of games, while increasing physical activity levels,
engagement, motivation and enjoyment in physical education
lessons. ( Forrest, Webb, and Pearson, 2006).
TGfU places an emphasis on the play, where tactical and
strategic problems, ultimately drawing upon the soccer players
to make decisions.
The TGfU places the focus of a on the player in a game s
situation where cognitive skills such as “tactics, decision–
making and problem solving are critical.

Teaching Games for Understating
By concentrating on game based activities, children
are able to:
develop kills within a realistic and enjoyable context, rather
than practising them in isolation and from
a technical perspective.
Become maximally engaged in dynamic game based
activities that
use fun approach to developing a range of motor skills .

Small Sided Games
The on-going debate on how to develop skill and technique for
young soccer players is as old as the game itself.
Any many countries around the world, Street-Soccer has been
replaced by structured competitive leagues with vocal coaches
continually giving instructions.
Every week fields are occupied with teams spending most of their
time taking corners, free-kicks and practicing using drills to
“develop” skills.

Small Sided Games
The most famous drill is the 1 meter spaced cones in a straight
line two groups of players lined up next to each other waiting their
turn to run up and down , whilst trying to pass the ball to their
team mate and making sure the ball goes through the cones.
Bruce Lee (the famous martial artist, actor and philosopher) was
asked why doesn't he break bricks to prove his strength. His reply
was “Because bricks don’t hit back”.

Small Sided Games
The same with drills—have you ever seen six defenders lined up
behind each other waiting to be beaten?
Therefore, Xcel Coaching uses small-sided-games to develop and
improve skill, technique, game awareness, intelligence, multilateral
vision and decision making.
Xcel Coaching Small-sided games use the TGfU principals in every
game, that is, every game is “real game related” , has an
objective, competitive, has a teaching and understanding
component.
Examples of games : 1 v 1 , 3 v 3, 5 v 3 etc.

Difference between a drill and SSG
Characteristics of
Drills
Characteristics of Game/Activities
Static Dynamic
Military Organized but unstructured
Lines Free Movement
Boring Challenging
No Thought Decision Making
Age Inappropriate Age Appropriate
Waiting around No excessive coaching pressure

The benefits of Xcel Coaching SSGs are:
They are games;
Players understand when and how to apply what they have
learned in the real game;
Competitive;
Stimulate creativity;
Develop game awareness;
Develop perception, interpretation and decision-making skills;
And most important—challenging

Steps to
plan and
structure
your own
training game

Where is the XCEL being used?
Xcel Coaching®—has been implemented at various clubs around the World:
Youth Development Soccer Academy—Canada—Youth Soccer Academy
Youth Development Soccer Academy—South Africa -Youth Soccer
Academy
Hellenic FC—South Africa— Semi-Professional Club
Santos FC—Cape Town—South Africa– Professional Soccer Club
Neuchatel Xamax - Switzerland—Professional Club
FC Colombier—Switzerland—Semi Professional Club
Stouffville Soccer Club—Canada—Youth Amateur Soccer Club
Acton Soccer Club—Canada- Youth Amateur Soccer Club
St. Thomas Soccer Club—Canada Youth Amateur Soccer Club
Tay Township Soccer Club—Canada—Youth Amateur Soccer Club
And GROWING!!!

XCEL coaching—Circuit Training
Xcel Coaching believes in using the circuit training model.
The following are the steps for a successful training session for a team of
12 players.
Set up your circuit:
A warm up grid, 1 v1 grid, 2 v 1 grid, agility/speed grid and various
scrimmage grids end of training.
Warm up as a group. (Depending on the age and player level warm
ups can vary in duration and intensity)
For players of ages 12+ use dynamic stretching during your warm up.
Split the team into groups of 5 and have each group move to a grid.
Each grid is managed by a coach or an assistant coach.
Each Grid exercise should last around max of 12 minutes at which point
a water 1 minute water break is called and the groups move to the next
grid.
End your training session with a small sided game of your choice and
rules.

XCEL coaching—Circuit Training

Click here to order Xcel Coaching manuals
www.xcel-coaching.com

The Theory of the Xcel - Soccer - Coaching Model

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