Lots of people talk about development but not too many coaches and clubs actually live the word through their approach to coaching young players and teams. 

Why? Because it’s hard! 

There are definitely coaches and clubs out there doing the right thing and prioritizing development; we truly respect and support them. We don’t often post articles that exclusively promote FC England but this one does that; we’ll be open about it from the outset. However, it is well worth reading to get an insight into what happens when you truly focus on development.

While we don’t prioritize winning, we understand and appreciate that many players and parents place a value on ‘winning’ teams. With that in mind, it is worth noting that our club-wide win/loss record is among the best in SoCal. In fact, of around 180 clubs in CSL this season, our win/loss percentage puts us in the top 3 for clubs of the same size or bigger than us (8 or more teams). Note: We do recognize and understand that for bigger clubs, maintaining coaching standards and results becomes more difficult, the bigger you get.

Improvement in terms of player development is something which is subjective and we can really only judge this as coaches, seeing the players over a period of time. Improvement or consistency in terms of results is more tangible of course and with that in mind, the info below shows our consistency over a three year period:
 

In 2016, our win percentage was 64% (all of our teams were in bronze brackets). Our record was 47-19-8.

In 2017, our win percentage was 58% (four teams were in silver and three teams were in bronze). Our record was 56-28-12.

This season, 2018, our win percentage is 60% with one team in silver-elite, five teams in silver and two teams in bronze. Our record is 62-27-15.

For all three seasons, we have won at least double the number of games we have lost (something which few clubs achieve) and despite the fact we have moved up the levels in terms of the standard of teams we face, our win percentage has remained consistently high; again, something which is rare among the majority of clubs when you look at multiple-season records and consistency.

Being a developmental club (prioritizing development over results) is difficult. Being a winning club is also pretty difficult. Being both is extremely difficult but we are proud that we are in a position to say that we are doing both consistently (developing players and winning games). The reality of the youth soccer landscape means that if you are not winning, you are not considered ‘successful’, even if you are developing players. We have tried to get the balance of development/winning right and while it is not easy, so far our approach seems to be working.

We were very clear from day one of starting the club that we would not focus on results. Player behavior and attitude come first, followed by style/performance, followed then by results (because we don’t completely ignore results; we want to win as much as anybody, it just isn’t our primary concern).

Anyway, back to the article headline. So, what is the ’result’ of not focusing on results? This has been another fantastic year in terms of both player development/improvement and team results and our club is now one of the most successful in Los Angeles (for our size) in terms of the general level that the majority of our teams are playing. We’ve achieved this with both boys and girls and our expected playing levels for next season are as follows:

B07 – Silver

B06 – Silver

B05 – Silver Elite

B04 – Silver Elite

B03 – Silver

G05 – Bronze

G04 – Silver Elite

G03 – Silver Elite

50% of our teams will be Silver Elite; not bad for a club that started at Bronze level just over 2 years ago and we’ve been able to achieve this largely by having continuity on our rosters. We don’t focus on recruitment; development for us is about actually developing players for a number of years, not chopping and changing half the roster every season in search of the best players to ‘win’ (which is the approach of many clubs and it is probably considered the norm within club soccer). 

Of course, we do have some minor roster changes (for some teams it might be a couple or a few players; for other teams there are no changes at all) and that’s inevitable when some players no longer want to play the game (especially older kids with more academic commitments) and there are also kids who, for many reasons, just don’t develop at the same rate as their teammates and so it makes sense to move on to a team where they will get more playing time.

It is worth noting also that the majority of our players since we started have come from AYSO, not from other clubs. “They are AYSO players, you won’t get far with them” is what we were told by many people a couple of years ago. ALL players can be developed (regardless of their background) with the right coaching and guidance; there is no question about that.

We believe that going out and trying to simply recruit the best kids is kind of a shortcut and not really ‘development’. It needs solid coaching (and a real connection with young people) to really develop players over the course of a number of years and that’s what we try to do.

At FC England, our retention rate (percentage of players who choose to stay with us each season) is more than 95%. This is probably the highest retention rate in Los Angeles and very likely among the highest retention rates in all of Southern California, not just for soccer clubs but in all youth sports. This past year for example (2018), out of 110 players, only 2 actually chose to leave. That's just over 2% and this reflects our engagement with parents and our commitment to making the experience as good as it can be for every kid we coach.

Now that many of our players are of High School age, we’re able to see how our approach to development is helping them get spots on their respective High School teams. So far, every player who has tried out for their High School has made it onto one of the teams, with many going straight to JV and some playing Varsity in their freshman year. This High School ‘production line’ will continue because of the fundamental skills and level of decision making that we equip all of our players with.

If you are looking for a club to really develop your son or daughter and help them reach their soccer potential (while helping them to develop as individuals, both on and off the field), give FC England serious consideration. Contact Paul Spacey on (310) 403-7166 or email paul@fcengland.com if you are interested in coming to watch a practice or having your son/daughter tryout. 

www.fcengland.com