Defending to Attack...

     Today I went to watch a U8 game in another indoor league and I noticed how often the offensive attack from the stronger team began in their own half with solid play from their defense.  The stronger team's fullbacks were consistently either trapping and moving with the ball before passing it up or they were making controlled first touches into open space before attempting to clear the ball.  The affect was that this team possessed the ball for much more of the game with their defensive play leading directly into their attack. 
     I try to encourage that sort of play with my own teams by giving every player who goes into a defense position specific instructions that they are to always attempt to trap and move into open space with the ball rather than simply trying to make a big clearing kick.  Does that occasionally result in an easy shot on goal for the other team when our defender muffs the attempt?  Yes, it does.  That doesn't matter though.  If I don't encourage my players to test their abilities in pressure situations they won't improve and those same skills of trapping and first touch that you need for defense you also need for offense so I want the kids to see even their job in defense as being part of the attack.  Besides, if you watch a lot of soccer you see, at any age level, that the kid's instinct to make as big a kick as possible at every ball they get near just does not make for good defense...unless the other team is playing the same way I suppose.
     I wish we could record a new stat for good defense that tracked the way a player can help keep the attack alive by playing from the back-field with control.  Kids and parents probably see the obvious successes in defense, when a player stops an attacking player, stealing the ball away.  But how often do we connect a great shot on goal with the defensive play that initiated the whole sequence?  Of course we record the assists along with the goals but what about the assist to the assist?  The smooth trap and dribble that gets the ball up to midfield which then leads to a run inside, a shot, a rebound and a goal?  Even if there is no stat for this it is what I'm coaching them to do so if you see your kid back in our own half and the ball comes to them with a little space in front of them don't start yelling "kick it!" because what I've instructed them to do is to keep cool and play the ball smartly.  It may make you crazy at first but keep watching.  They'll get better at it and it will translate into confident play everywhere on the field.  I've seen it work.