For my CAS project, I got the opportunity to coach primary football. With no sports teams at OSC for nearly 2 years, it was a chance to participate in as much sports as possible. Coaching is also something that has interested me, and I definitely wanted to try at some point.

I started off coaching a group of around 20 kids from grades 4 and 5 alongside Mr. Josiah. The first sessions were simply introductory, where I ran various basic fundamental drills such as rondos to improve passing and movement. We would then move to matches where I was able to get a better gauge of various skill levels.

With Mr. Josiah Coaching the Primary Team

I was then informed of a tournament on Sunday the 13th of March, where OSC would be taking an under 14 team and an under 12 team. It was decided that I would coach the under 14 team, while Mr. Josiah handled the under 12s. The under 14s included a few 5th graders, but was mostly comprised of players from grade 6. Because of this, I was unsure of some of the skill levels and my first session was just me experimenting with different players in different positions to find the combinations that worked best. From my first session I found out that:

• Robin and Varun were the most talented players. Robin wanted to play striker and Varun left wing. However, I decided to play Robin in the middle of the midfield so he could be on the ball more, and Varun on the right due to his crossing ability.
• Despite not volunteering to play there, Leon was the best goalkeeper and I decided to give him the gloves.
• Zara and Kayla at the back were really quick and good on the ball.
• Alex was our most versatile player and could play anywhere outfield

I was told that the tournament was 9 a side, so after the first training session I made a tentative starting XI for the team.

Leon

Kayla.        Alex         Zara

Varun.       Robin.      Isaac       Ivar

Desmond

I went with a 3-4-1 formation, which I felt was the most balanced for 9 a side. It allowed the central center back (Alex) to push forward when we had the ball, as long as Kayla and Zara tucked in centrally to anchor the defense.

Over the next few weeks, I put emphasis on tactical work, mostly with the starting XI that I had in mind, but also rotating the subs so that they all understood their roles coming off the bench.

One session, someone named David who I had not seen before turned up and scored a hat trick in a practice match. Upon realizing that he wasn’t signed up for the tournament, I made sure that he signed up and inserted him straight into my starting XI. He was an extremely strong and powerful player, so it made sense for him to play in midfield next to Robin and push Isaac up to his more natural striker position.

Just a few days before the tournament, I was thrown a few curveballs. Zara had unfortunately injured her hand and was unable to play. Kayla too would not be able to make it, while we found out that Alex, an extremely important player for us, had been called to play for the under 12s as is still just 10 years old. This put me in a tricky place, as I had lost my entire backline.

Things got worse upon arrival at Racecourse stadium for the tournament, as starting goalkeeper Leon was not able to come due to unforeseen COVID circumstances. This left me without an entire backline and goalkeeper, and with just 30 minutes before kickoff, I only had one sub available for the team.

The team (that turned up)

The Team at the Opening Ceremony led by captain Isaac

I put together the following team for the first match.

Gabe

Tyler       David       Lea

Varun  Isaac Robin   Ivar

Daryush

Isaac and David both had to be moved back due to player shortages, and Gabe filled in as goalkeeper. Another surprise came during warm ups when Daryush claimed he was feeling sick, so I instead replaced him with Desmond at striker.

Our first game was against tournament hosts Barcelona academy A. We started poorly, not being able to string passes together, and soon found ourselves 2-0 down. Just before halftime, we were able to tap in a scrappy goal to head into the break at 2-1. I decided to get Daryush on at striker, who almost immediately scored to equalize the game at 2-2. For the remainder of the second half, we dominated the ball, but were unable to be clinical in front of goal. Our opponents sat back and pounced on counter attacking opportunities, slotting two goals past a nervous looking Gabe. It was disappointing to lose 4-2 after playing quite well, but it was important that I rejuvenated the team for the second game, which was must win.

We took on Fraser academy. And I decided to make a key change. Gabe struggled in goal so Tyler put his hands up and volunteered to play there. I then moved Desmond to the right side of defense and started Daryush at striker. We also received 9 year old Zach as a sub from the under 12s, since we only had 1 available sub. This game started sluggishly, as we only took shots on from distance even with space available to penetrate the defense further. However we were able to score 3 quick goals in the first half, highlighted by David’s long range strike after surging up from defense. Our reliance on David to offer creativity going forward became clear, as even as a defender he made forward runs with Robin sitting in on some occasions to cover him. The second half was a dull affair, with a Varun free kick and a defensive error meaning the game ended 4-1 to us.

Signalling for a Sub (Credits: Chloe Grandbois)

This placed us second in the group to what we thought would be a semi final against the winners of the other group. However, the tournament structure meant that we would instead have to take on CIS in the game for third place.

I used the same starting lineup as the previous game. Once again however, the game started extremely slowly as our players looked like they were half asleep. CIS scored a free kick and a sloppy goal from a corner to put us 2-0 down within the first 5 minutes. Once we started to get into the flow of the game, we were able to create chances. Ivar toe poked in from a deflected corner to bring the score back to 2-1. As the second half was getting underway, Leon surprisingly turned up, cleared to play after receiving a negative test. I immediately signaled to the referee for a substitution, withdrawing Tyler from goal. I then also decided that we needed a bit more energy up front, so I put young Zach on for Daryush, despite the latter having just slotted home to make it 2-2.

Getting Zach ready to sub in (Credits: Chloe Grandbois)

It turned out to be an inspired move, as Zach tapped in a Varun cross to give us a 3-2 lead. He then turned facilitator, threading a through ball to the overlapping run of Robin, who thumped in to the top left corner. The game ended 4-2 in our favour, giving us third place overall.

Post tournament debrief

Overall, this was an experience which I really enjoyed. Given that it was my first time as a coach, I thought I was able to deal with challenges quite well. Going forward, it is definitely something that I want to do in the future. My biggest takeaway was how to deal with unexpected challenges, adjusting quickly.

Learning Outcomes:

2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.

3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.

4. Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.