NOTRE DAMES WALDRUM TO SHARE SECRETS OF HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE;
POSSESSION TO PROGRESSION WILL BE TAUGHT AT 2013 CONVENTION
By Dean Linke, Voice of the NSCAA
“I want the USA to continue to be the #1 world power in women’s soccer.” That is Randy Waldrum’s quote. That is Randy Waldrum’s mission.
“That’s why I love teaching and sharing at the NSCAA Convention,” said Waldrum, who has spearheaded one of the nation’s most prolific attacks while leading the Notre Dame women’s soccer team to two national titles (2004 and 2010) and eight College Cups (1999, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010).
“I want soccer at every level – youth, college and on the international stage – to be the best it can be,” said Waldrum, who has led the Irish since 1999 and holds one of the nation's best winning percentages. “If helping women’s soccer succeed means sharing a piece of the Notre Dame success and looking at the bigger picture, then I am in.”
Notre Dame has made the 4-3-3 formation one of the most feared in the country and the core principle of Waldrum’s high-powered Irish attack is ‘possession to progression.’
As such, ‘Possession to Progression’ will be the name of Waldrum’s featured field session at the 2013 NSCAA Convention in Indianapolis, which will take place Friday, January 18, at 9 am.
“It’s no secret that coaches at all levels talk about possession and think of the great Barcelona team,” said Waldrum, head coach of the U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team, which won tournaments in Spain and Norway in 2012. “However, too often we talk about possessing the ball, but we don’t address possession to get to the goal.
“For sure, my session at the Convention will put an emphasis on attacking and (my teams) always have the mindset to attack,” said Waldrum, winner of 11 BIG EAST regular-season and seven BIG EAST Championship titles at Notre Dame.
“The key distinction with my session is that as we start the exercise we will put restrictions in the game that will make the offense keep the ball and possess from the back and middle,” said Waldrum. “Then we will take those restrictions off and encourage really quick progression while keeping the ball.”
Waldrum said his session would focus on various turns in the midfield for the central players, improving the quality of the pass as well as the speed and accuracy of the pass.
“By the end, we will take all of the restrictions off and let the players find the balance,” said Waldrum, who is at the top of US Soccer’s list for the open US Women’s National Team head coaching position. “That’s how we teach at Notre Dame and that’s how we will teach at the Convention.”
Waldrum said he hopes to use under-23 female players at the Convention to show the speed of play as you possess and progress toward the goal.
“I will try and make the space as large as possible, “ said Waldrum. “I want the players to see as much of the field as possible, to recognize the position of the defense in front of them and play around them quickly. We want to encourage the players to be creative and anticipate.”
Waldrum said that as more and more women’s teams are playing out of a 4-3-3 or even a 4-2-3-1, the need to possess and push the wide players forward is critical.
“I hope to be able show a clear picture of what possession to progression would look like in a game,” said Waldrum, whose Notre Dame players have received 27 NSCAA All America honors. “My session will show the importance of movement and support to keep possession. It will encourage patience, timing of runs, and how to strike quickly when it’s on.”
Here’s a sample of three of the activities Waldrum will break down
“The best part of what we do at the NSCAA is to share secrets,” said Waldrum, who came to Notre Dame after beginning the Baylor women's soccer program from scratch in 1995. “I share with you, you share with me … there is no other fraternity or sorority like ours as I far as I am concerned, and that’s where the beauty lies. “Our players get better because our coaches get better and that’s what the NSCAA is all about.
Waldrum has never shied away from seeking further education or accepting key administrative roles in soccer. “Two things happened to me in 2004,” said Waldrum. “First, I basically took a year off with the focus on getting better. I went to Scotland and received my UEFA A license.
“At about the same time, my good friend (Dallas FC head coach and former Southern Methodist head coach) Schellas Hyndman asked me to be a part of his NSCAA administration as he took over the president’s role at the NSCAA. Knowing how important it is to stay on top of coaching education and the advancement of the game, I was happy to do it.”
Six years later, Waldrum would preside as the president of the NSCAA.
“I want to stay involved with the NSCAA,” said Waldrum. “Down the road, I would love to be a part of the NSCAA Board of Governors.
“In my opinion, there is no sacrifice too big in helping the game and an organization (NSCAA) that has been so good to me.”
To see more on Randy Waldrum or other 2013 NSCAA Convention Clinicians, visit our clinicians page.
To register for the 2013 NSCAA Convention, visit NSCAA.com/convention.