Samantha Tran…US Women’s Teams Star in the Making

This is a treat for all soccer parents, coaches and players out there…Please read below and then watch video #1…when that is complete please read part 2 and then watch video # 2…

Part 1

It’s funny…in America we are male dominated sports society that is obsessed with ego and brute force…

If you want to solve any competitive problem, the answer is to become bigger, faster, quicker and stronger…

And that applies across the board for all contact sports…

So it is no surprise that men’s soccer, from the youth level on up, gets all the accolades…the majority of the better coaching…more opportunity…more exposure…etc…

Well, I’m not buying into it…I am sold on the women’s game…It is really the only contact sport, here in America, where I believe the girls are just flat out better…I’m not saying our top girls could beat our top boys by any means….

But what I am saying is that the girls play a better game…on average…they are smarter and more graceful…they are more intelligent and willing to allow their intelligence to dictate the game as opposed to brute force and their egos…

So I want to introduce you to the next big female soccer star here in the United States…Currently, she is only 15 years old, but she has been a part of the US National Team Program for a couple years now and recently attended the U-17 National Team Camp…

Now what do I love about Samantha Tran and the way she plays…It’s simple!  It’s smart!  It’s effective

She knows how to move into space off the ball…she uses verbal and non-verbal communication with her teammates when making runs…she always touching the ball into space when she receives it…she doesn’t use fancy tricks to beat players…she uses feints, cuts, slashes and change of speed…

The creativity she shows on the field cannot be taught individually…for her, it’s not about what she does on the ball that is so phenomenal, it’s about what she does off the ball that I marvel at…

Now, for those of you that know me, you know that I don’t have a whole lot of good things to say about many youth coaches outside of my circle…But my hats go off to whomever coached that little girl through her initiation stages…they did a phenomenal job…

DeAnza Force ECNL U14 is the team she is on in the clips above…they won the ECNL Championship in 2013 and are set up to do the same this year…I have never seen this team in person or met the coach or Samantha…However, if you look at the full games, not clips of this team online, you see that they play possession based soccer…there are games posted where they hold the ball for 15 passes before losing it…it is very obvious to me that this team has been playing possession soccer well before their teens…You can’t wake up from 5 years of kickball and play the type of soccer they play…you can’t play 5 years of kickball and harness the intelligence and skill Samantha exudes…

To many of you, it is her technique that is going to make your jaw drop…to me, it is her ability to read the situation…to know where the space is while also knowing where the defenders and her teammates are at the same time…her ability to analyze of that in just a split second and make the decision to pass, dribble, shoot, pass and move, etc…

I would like each of you to show this video to your kids…but don’t just let them watch, educate them on the intangibles this young lady has…

Show them how she points in behind defenders to signal her teammates to play the through ball so she can run in behind…

Show them how she always touches the ball into advantageous positions and sets herself up for her next play…

Show them how she passes and immediately moves into the open space to support her teammates…

Show them how she uses basic feints, shifts, cuts, slashes and change of speed and direction to beat opponents…you won’t see very many step-overs here…

Now watch Video #1

Part 2

So, by far, the most important thing to Samantha’s Tran’s development has been her coaching…looking at that clip, there is no doubt in my mind that her coaching was a class above the rest here in the United States…

But the buck doesn’t stop there…There are qualities that are innate that made her the great player she is…you have to realize that all kids can’t achieve her level…regardless of the quality of their coaching…she is determined by nature…a hard worker…a phenomenal athlete…dedicated…and someone who will persevere regardless of circumstance…

So how does Coach Randle know that if he has never met her?

Please watch below:

Video #2

Warning…This video is remarkable and one of the most inspirational videos I have ever seen from an athlete of any age…make sure you have your Kleenex close by

So what do you think?  Did this touch you like it touched me?  Do you think Samantha Tran will be the next big thing?  What are you impressed most by…her creativity or her mental fortitude to never give up?

Just remarkable…Enough said…

I look forward to your thoughts…

Coach Randle