Friday, May. 09, 2008

Setting Goals

Starting Small in the World’s Game

By John English

Contributing Writer

Joga Bonito! The Portuguese phrase translates to "play beautifully" in English, and for Bryan Williams, the expression reflects his personal philosophy toward soccer. Williams, who played college soccer in Ireland and coached in FC Dallas’ youth development program, has incorporated portions of the Brazilian youth soccer teaching method into his program, called Mini-Jogo. But he focuses on teaching the fundamentals and helping young players develop a passion for the game, unencumbered by the traditional American need to win at any age.

"It’s a structured format for 4- and 5-year-olds that really focuses in on a lot of touches for kids," Williams said of his program. "We create games and activities for them every week.

The teams, which gathered last Saturday at Meadowmere Park in Grapevine, play 3-on-3 with no goalkeepers, and practice once a week for 30 minutes, followed by a weekly, 30-minute game that involves both soccer and the fertile imagination of young children. Last week’s game, for example, was called Storm the Castle. Each session stresses parental involvement.

"It’ll start out with some simple stuff involving the parent, because at this age, the kids comfort zone is their mom and dad," Williams said. "As the program progresses, you add more and more. You keep the sessions short and sweet."

Williams also uses props such as sombreros, leprechaun hats, wigs and Shrek ears. In Storm the Castle, "dragons" are set up to protect the castle — the goal — and players team up and try to dribble past the dragon.

Williams said that several factors make his approach more effective at this age than traditional youth soccer.

"One, it’s controlled by a professional coach ...," Williams said. Also, every kid has a ball at their feet the entire time, so there are no lines, and if you get a lot of touches in, you’re going to get better."

Keith Halman, the commissioner of the Mini-Jogo league, whose son went through the program, is a firm believer in Williams’ system.

"I was an early skeptic of the program," Halman said. "I went through it with my son, and I was convinced. … It’s all about positive reinforcement at this age, and that is what we do."

Jennifer Welday of Southlake, whose daughter Abby is in the program, said she chose the Mini-Jogo league because it does a better job of fostering a love of soccer than traditional youth leagues.

She said she chose Williams’ program because her children have such a good time learning the game.

Tammy Ramsey of Southlake said she chose Mini-Jogo for her young son, Will, because it caters more to the younger age group than other leagues.

"I think it is very positive," Ramsey said. "It teaches them a skill, and then they can go out an implement the skill immediately."

"[The program] creates a passion for soccer through a fun environment," Williams said.

"My goal is to build the right foundation and get them energized so that they carry that passion throughout, and they continue to play soccer when they get older. I truly believe that it’s this generation that will win the World Cup for the United States," Williams stated.

The program, which has been operating for two years in North Texas, now has 288 players and 48 teams. Registration is $65 per player, which includes a shirt, shorts and socks.

To register visit the Grapevine-Southlake Soccer Association Web site at www.gssasoccer.org, or contact Keith Halman at keithhalman@tx.rr.com or 817-939-6656.

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