2010 OBJECTIVE
The primary purpose of the 2010 National Standards Project was to gather measurable and objective assessment information. Working with coaches, clubs, leagues, states and national governing bodies across the country we gathered uniform, standardized technical assessment data using the National Assessment. Results were analyzed to isolate strengths, weaknesses and trends on a local and national level. The resulting National Standards will be the benchmark against which future player development can be measured, both on an individual player and national level. Every player, team, and coach will know how his or her technical ability compares to the National Standard. Login to Download the 2010 National Standards Report!
2011 OBJECTIVE
For the 2011 National Standards Project, iSoccer will continue to collect hard data from an ever-growing population of players, coaches, clubs and youth soccer organizations. Additionally in 2011, club directors, coaches, parents and players will have the opportunity to share their perceptions, observations and feedback. Adding more objective and subjective data to an ever growing objective assessment database will enable us to analyze the technical level of soccer in the United States both qualitatively and quantitatively. The final 2011 objective is to establish a college standard. Working together with the NSCAA, our goal is to have 100 college programs perform the iSoccer National Assessment. This will not only provide a benchmark for the college level but also be a motivator for all the youth players who have aspirations of playing in college and providing them with a technical proficiency they should be able to achieve. GOAL
In order to achieve the most accurate results possible, representing all ages, geographies, and ability levels, our goal is to collect 1 million assessment results.
DATA COLLECTION
With millions of soccer players spread across a large geographic area, data collection will be a significant undertaking. The simplicity of the National Assessment and the accessibility of an online platform are key in distributing and gathering assessment results from around the country. The majority of assessment results will be collected through The National Standards website, the iSoccer website and a smaller portion of results will be collected at sponsored assessment events to be held across the country.
RESIDUAL AFFECT
Today, parents, players, coaches and clubs recognize winning, losing, goals scored, and playing time as the primary metrics to judge success and improvement. These metrics typically reward and encourage physical, direct play, and early childhood maturity to the detriment of ball control and creativity, attributes/skills/abilities that become harder to teach as players grow older. Emphasizing technical improvement as a significant player development metric and comparing players and teams to an objective national standard will help change the focus from winning games in the short-term to developing players for long-term success.
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NO SILVER BULLET
Technical ability is just one of the four pillars that make a complete player. The National Assessment does not directly test physical, tactical, or mental aspects of the game. For this reason it is not intended to be a silver bullet for player identification. It is, however, intended to help players and coaches at every level make informed decisions about the most effective and efficient ways to improve their technical ability.
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