This weekend we will find out who will win the UEFA 2012 European Championships.

Whatever playing style or formation is chosen it’s pretty certain the winning team will have developed a certain team culture around sustained ‘Excellence’.   The desire to create a culture would have been initiated and nurtured by the team’s Head Coach (often described in the UK as ‘Manager’).  Is it important to develop a Culture?   Patrick Lencioni in his research identified the Five Dysfunctions of a Team. You may want to use the simple questionnaire he devised here to establish how functional/dysfunctional your team, check out the video  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dRKa700RaQ

He identified these characteristics of winning teams
1. They trust one another.
2. They engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas.
3. They commit to decisions and plans of actions.
4. They hold one another accountable for delivering against those plans.
5. They focus on the achievement of collective results.

Sir Alex Ferguson in this video here reemphasizes similar points here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7YmvCbbbIg

This is a case study on how Egypt has dominated soccer in Africa by creating a culture of excellence http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5Qvrxn1L14

To develop a healthy team culture the coach must recognize his or her strengths and weaknesses as outlined in these clips from Arsene Wenger and Roy Hodgson

http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=1800889.html?rss=1800889+The+Coaches:+episode+seven

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtlKTgdesOs&feature=plcp

Howard Wilkinson, former FA Technical Director and LMA Chairman poses these questions to the hypothetical manager, Jason, of the team created for the Scenarios for this course

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkFzuT2Lv10&feature=plcp

The English League Managers Association (LMA) in 2010 launched an online course ‘Creating a Culture of Excellence’ involves 6 modules:
1. Increasing your awareness of ‘What is a Culture of Excellence’
2. Reflecting on your own Strengths and Weaknesses
3. Developing a set of values that define you
4. Establishing realistic objectives
5. Knowing how to achieve these objectives
6. Improving your communication

The course was recognized by UEFA and the Football Associations of England, Scotland, Holland and Iceland for the retention of UEFA Coaching Awards. In the first two years since the launch, over 1,000 coaches from 35 countries have enrolled including at least one coach on to the course from 60% of Premier League and Football League clubs in England

(Courtesy of Robin Russell, Sportspath)

Statzpack are proud to announce a partnership with SELECT Soccer in the US.   

SELECT Sport is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of hand-sewn balls and produces approx. 2 million balls a year. SELECT Sport is recognised as an innovator in quality.   In 1951, the company founder Eigil Nielsen introduced the world’s first laceless football, and introduced further innovations, such as the first 32-panel ball in 1952 and the first waterproof football in 1964.  All features we take for granted today.  

Scott Williams, US Director of Sales said “We are pleased to be able to work with Statzpack.  Our partnership will allow us to provide even more value to our customers.”

As a basis of our partnership Statzpack will offer Select customers preferential offers on use of our stats collection system.   The Statzpack system allows soccer coaches to track and record player and team stats as the game is played, and get instant analysis and reports, that can be shared with fans, parents and administrators.  Teams have the choice of an Apple App (for iPhone & iPad) and an Android App, that operates on over 400 smartphones and tablets.  Our customers include high school, college, academy and soccer schools.

For more information about SELECT Sports visit http://www.selectsportamerica.com.

It all starts today!  It is helpful to review previous Euros and International Tournaments together as the number of games played in any single tournament may not provide a sample which is representative.

Looking at the Euros from 2008 along with the FIFA World Cup of 2006 and 2010 certain trends become apparent with regard to the first goal scored

In 2008 the team scoring the first goal had a 76% chance of winning the game and an 88% chance of avoiding losing

How did this compare with other tournaments and what were the characteristics of these ‘first goals’? 

Read More

Jay Williams is a Professor of Exercise Science in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise at Virginia Tech. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in exercise physiology, kinesiology and muscle biochemistry. His research focuses on the responses and adaptations of muscle to activity, inactivity and disease. He also has a long history of working with athletes ranging from kindergarten soccer players to Olympic tracks and field athletes.

He runs a great blog  http://www.scienceofsocceronline.com/

Two years ago he published ‘The SCIENCE behind Soccer Nutrition’ and he has just published a follow up: The SCIENCE Behind Soccer Nutrition: Training Journal

The SCIENCE Behind Soccer Nutrition gives you the “whys” about diet and performance and provides a broad set of guidelines for eating a solid diet.    The Diet and Training Journal is a bit different.  It is designed as a tool, as a way to promote changes in nutritional habits that will instill a solid diet.  In short, this journal encourages you to examine how you prepare for a match and to take ownership of your diet and training.  By recording and reflecting on nutritional selections and performance, you will be able to raise your game to the next level.

 The Diet and Training Journal chapters include instructions on why and how to keep a diet and training journal as well as detailed information on nutritional choices:

- Why Keep a Journal?

- Making Solid Selections

- How to Keep a Journal

Also included are 12 weeks of daily journal pages – one page for each day plus a weekly reflection page.  Match-day pages are also included so that you can reflect on your match performance. Both books are available for less than $10 (£6) for further details click  here