When John Harkes was growing up in Kearny, New Jersey, his Thistle FC coach was often his dad, Jimmy.
John, who went on to become the U.S. men’s national team captain, and teammates Tony Meola and Tab Ramos, did just fine on a club without a technical director or “professional” coaches.
The soccer landscape has changed a lot since the 1970s and 80s. So — after a career that includes making history as the first American to play in the English Premier League, two World Cup appearances, selection to the National Soccer Hall of Fame, MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup championships with D.C. United, and USL coaching stints with FC Cincinnati and Greenville Triumph — Harkes is back in youth club soccer.
He’s been hired as technical director for the McLean Youth Soccer club. His appointment — along with former U.S. youth national team and professional coach Omid Namazi as boys technical director — gives the historically strong northern Virginia club even greater cachet.
Harkes is no stranger to the MYSA. His wife Cindi — who, like her husband, had a stellar career at the University of Virginia — spent a decade there, as assistant technical director. Their three children grew up in the club.
The MYSA served them well. All went on to star in college: Lauren at Clemson University, Ian at Wake Forest, and Lily at Elon University. Ian later became part of the first-ever D.C. United father-and-son connection. Ian also followed his father’s footsteps to play pro ball in Britain and for the New England Revs, Ian’s current team.
“It was a no-brainer,” Harkes says, of his decision to accept the position. “I have huge respect for (executive director) Louise Waxler and (girls director) Clyde Watson. I’m a life-long learner. I love building things. Now I can do it in my own community.”
As technical director he oversees coaches, directs the education program, and works with players and families.
Of all those responsibilities, Harkes says, players come first. His goal is for MYSA to provide “the best instruction on and off the field, and help teach the life lessons that come from the game. We want to provide a platform for everyone to be successful, at whatever level they feel comfortable.”
As a youth player, Harkes stayed with Thistle FC from age 4 to 18. That’s a rarity these days. But, he says, if McLean can provide structure, help players grow, and meet their developmental needs, there’s less chance they’ll jump from club to club.
“There are so many choices these days” for players and their parents Harkes adds, referring to the alphabet soup of youth options. “It can be confusing. As long as we continue to help provide a positive experience, through education and good training sessions, we’ll be OK.”
Harkes’ message to his coaches is simple: “You can’t be afraid to care.” The technical director — who played for a wide variety of coaches in his long career — says, “It’s so important to be emotionally invested in your players. That’s what builds confidence. And it’s what leads, ultimately, to success.”
Clear communication is important. So is positivity. But, Harkes knows, at some point every soccer player faces adversity. “Be honest with players and their families,” he advises.
In addition to his USL head coaching jobs — he guided Greenville to the playoffs in all five years, won the league title once, and finished runner-up twice — Harkes spent 2006-07 as a New York Red Bulls’ assistant. Coaching youth is not very different from pros, he says. “We set high expectations. The team culture drives what we do. Whether you’re coaching professional or young players, you have to be calm.”
Of course, he notes, “you need a bit more patience at the youth level. And you have to listen. Sometimes the best communication is just being quiet.”
As a former high-level professional, Harkes has certain insights into the game of soccer. But he has another perspective too, as a former soccer parent with the same club he now helps lead.
He brings both perspectives to bear, in conversations with families. “The child drives their soccer progress,” he insists. “The job of the parents is to guide them through it.”
Despite the storied history of McLean Youth Soccer, it is no different from any other youth club. Two coaches recently left, creating a need for quick replacements.
Harkes jumped right in, to lead the teams. It’s just one more role in the game the National Hall of Famer and former U.S. men’s national team captain loves.
To me this is a great PR move for McLean and a great way of asking parents to do dish out more money since we have John Harkes….
Seriously, do you think these kids will now improve their technical skills and insights of the game???? because Harkes is there….
Enough of this Technical Director BS thinking these guys are going to improve kids. Like Dan Woog stated, Harkes, and Ramos,and I think Reyna all made it without a Technical Director or professional coaching. And now with the all of today’s growth and soccer ‘structure’ in place, professional licensed coaching and whatnot… You would assume the kids today are so much better technically, mentally and more savvier than the kids when Ramos and Harkes played and learned. ” I don’t think so!!!”
The problem is that these kids are stymied in their development due to the structure they are placed in which conveniently has great ‘MONETARY, benefits, all the way around from the Coaching Academy licensing coaches on down to the ankle biters…
First of all these kids need to grow ‘technically’ which is done just through playing and playing ,and playing…There is no short cut to getting the touch and feel and know how with the ball. It is all about ‘DOING’, ACTION, PLAYING with that ball…At the developmental stage, being a licensed does nothing but other than create interference and structure that kids don’t need.
If I ran that association, I would begin to bring in new coaches, retain some, and called them ‘facilitators’ who don’t need to be licensed . These ‘facilitators’ who have to be good technically, creative with the ball, able to DEMONSTRATE, and INTRODUCE new skills to players when they reach a stage that can aide in their game….These are the type of guys whose country of birth is not from here, but from South America, Africa, Yugoslavia…etc…These are the type of guys who love to play , enjoy the beauty of the game and are able to instill this quality over on to the kids…It is all about instilling a love for the game which they can EXPRESS with their feet…..This is a quality that Coaching Academies with their sterile structure are unable to teach….
They will play and train in conditions that will help the kids in their body balance, thinking of the game, improving their technically and importantly help nurture and strengthen their 1v1 abilities…ELEMENTS OF ‘STREET SOCCER, of how the former greats learned will be followed…
One, to make kids look up more and think than when making up teams DON’T make them wear Pennies or Bibs…In my days of street soccer, no one wore Bibs or colors ,instead play with the clothes you have….NO ONE, ever complained and stated that team needed to be separated in colors…By having no specific colors ,the youth will learn the extra nuances, of who is where, and all the other nuances that makes you identify who on your team….
Two, playing on concrete forces you to play with a technique and instead makin runs…It allows the player to think about the angles need to pass a ball or score, or how to beat an opponent 1v1. or with give and go….
Three ,when playing on grass, wear flats , no cleats. By playing on concrete and or on grass with flats the youth will begin to think of his actions , in a way that he won’t lose his body balance and thereby his thinking is raised automatically about the game…
When you take just these 3 examples ,although there are more, when combining these the youth in time will develop much better and you don’t need a licensed coach to carry this out….
I don’t know Mr. Harkes and never met him. All I have is my impression from watching him play and from news stories. Having said that I have 3 impressions.
1. He grew up playing in a soccer neighborhood. And he had good youth coaches.
2. His view of the game is very much US turbo. His play in England didn’t change his physical view of the game.
3. I think more valuable to him as a player and coach was his 3 years playing at DC United with Bruce Arena and the South American forwards there at the time. Those three years might have changed his view of the game.
So in conclusion I don’t know what he will do as technical director. His approach could be conventional or he might just see the game differently now than he played it.
It will be interesting to see what happens at the club. I hope that the club isn’t just using his name to hook parents.
The fundamentals of youth club soccer are simple – if a coach has four or more teams – he has 100 or more players he’s responsible for. Imagine yourself – responsible for the development of 100 players. Can you do this? I could not. This is the challenge for anyone in youth soccer – you can speak all you want about caring – but the club – if they give a coach – two teams – ask them to ‘love’ 50 players. Not possible. All you parents that lived youth soccer – you know this. You know I am correct. The only way to do what Harkes say – I tell you – one coach per team – the only way that works – parent coaches. That – is not what we have in club soccer. In any case – good luck for the new club – if you are a parent – do everything Frank suggests – and your kid will have a fighting chance to become a master of the ball.
Keeping track of players and their names becomes a challenge as the number of players increases. I am head coach of a U14 team and assistant of a U16 team, playing in a grassroots league. Both have about 20 players. Using a printed list of players, their numbers and their positions, printed on a wallet-sized laminated piece of paper got me to the point after the third week (2 training sessions and one match) that I knew all the names by sight, except for the twins on the team. I am still struggling with the names of the older boys.
I am horrible with names, but for coaching it was easy to remember as I was constantly planning lineups and substitutions, and assigning groups during training. I suspect that explains why you do better with the U14 team.
Thank you Frank and Humble for your eloquent comments. Mine were deleted by Soccer America because they must have hurt someone’s feelings.
Thanks for sharing Dan. Kids learn technique best by watching/imitating a good technical/tactical picture. Former elite players, like a John Harkes, playing with the youngers is good for the kids, good for the club, good for the parents. Kudos to Louise Waxler and McLean for another positive move for their club. Kudos to Harkes for staying in the game as a coach, especially with the young players during their important soccer development years.
Couldn’t agree more on being thankful that Harkes and others stay in and give back to the game. Blessing for those fortunate to have their kiddos in that context. My son has met many former players thru youth soccer. Their involvement for him – one word – huge. Last Sunday, his opposition coach was Boniak Garcia, former MLS and Honduras star. Boniak is 100% class. Up and coming coach. Couple years back he met Matias Almeyda, el pelado, and Benjamin Galindo ‘el maestro’. He’s also met Stu Holden, who is big TV personality but is involved with kiddo camps, and many others. In our city the local MLS club is very open with fans and he’s met almost every single player over the years. Good stuff. Harkes he’s been giving back – looongggg time, since I started in soccer with my son over a decade ago and listened to him and Chris ‘Sully’ Sullivan’ on satelite radia, got a lotta miles out of their show, then to start-ups at Cincy, and NC, so many many ways he’s been giving back. May it continue!
I wonder…
Who Technically Directed:
Pele, Cruyff, Best, Maradona, Messi to greatness.
Does Harkes still speak with the British accent?
Scottish.!!!
Paging Phil… Paging Mr. Phil McKraken.!?!?!? … Jajaja
I usually take issue with Frank’s eternal turbo soccer rants, but he is dead-on correct in his assessment that American players need less coaching and more free, creative play. Unless the technical director creates that environment, I don’t see the players making a material jump.
I have been coming to SA forums long time – Frank and others – literally helped me guide my son – to where he will play D1 soccer at a very good program. What is writes – is how it is. Tactics – sometimes over my head – but development ideas – concepts – suggestions – what he writes – is how it is – I read it from Frank – and I saw what he wrote with my own eyes in Uruguay – where everything is old school. My player – benefited from a naive new club – which began with 2 teams – and is now one of the biggest clubs in town – I gave them team 2. They actually encouraged futsal – before they figured out they could not make money from it – so my son played – lotta futsal – which was always – loosely coached. Then, he attended a local elementary school with lots of internationals – lots of frenchies – and they played soccer at recess and lunch – three times a day – intense – fights – no shin guards – blood – we had it all. It was so poorly managed by the school – that for middle we removed the child – as all his objectives had been met – and there was real danger that in middle – the fights – would be more than cuts and bruises. All that – and pickup games anytime anywhere he could find them – where he played – until – literally he dropped – this was the foundation. Here now – he is with several of the best HS and club coaches – literal legends – and they have no clue how to use his creativity, because he is big strong, physical, he is always used as defender, when his real talent is distribution and shooting, but because all that’s burned in, he never looses it. We keep him moving he has many coaches, the european / south american coaches ALWAYS – see immediately – he needs to be part of attack – and put in in 6 or 6/8 or even 10. We don’t complain – just roll – the HS and club for me – I learned – are not where the player is developed – just license to play in their league – the player – the family – the community – this is where the player must be developed.
Cultivate and Identify. I add to the key word development. As this is so important here – as believe it or not – today – with all the poor coaching and lack of understanding of the game – the number of games kids play – is too much. I know this for a fact – as my son has a mentor in Uruguay – who knows his training and game schedule – and he has a mate friend of family there – on the road to pro contract – still in academy that we have followed all along – there is no youth or pro player in Uruguay with my sons training and game load. None. Zero. Fact. Hecho. Here they’ve gone too far with the specialization and the despised word ‘commitment’. We very carefully cultivate the players passion for the game – sometimes – we give him time off. Relax. It’s ok – take a break. Can’t tell you how many of his friends quit or stopped playing because of injury or burnout or both – parents – you know this – begins from 14 – High School basically – forward – it is an epidemic here. Clubs and HS’s out of control. So anyway – words to wise – Identify – be sure your player has talent or passion – I did – I have people watch him – people I trust – and I put him to play in contexts that challenged him – with adults – then cultivate – including rest if needed – cultivate the passion – then when you have those two – develop – with a plan – every player with talent, ability should have a development play – clubs here – no clue and anyway – if a part time club coach has 2 teams 50 players – how’s he gonna have time for IDP – you – parent – you do it. Have fun out there – and thank you Frank!
Hap, Exactly…CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT…. and you don’t need a licensed Big Honcho do that….All you need is to follow the principles of how great players learned their game when they were….
And as far as Turbo goes which is basically a reaction of the first thing you want to do when you have the ball….the lesser the skills you have the more you rely on Turbo/Athleticism…..Playing with flats on grass, and on concrete will right away change your pattern of play and become more savvier, smarter ,MORE CREATIVE, AND MORE TECHNICAL…..
Good comments from the rest of the posters….Mike Lynch made a good comment about kids learning from John Harkes, a more experienced player. Mike’s comment is very, very MICRO for instead we need to look more at the Macro, which is the youth learn by WATCHING and PLAYING with older, better and more experienced players at all levels and age groups, which is called MIXED SOCCER, that is how they learn. Mike is focused on one man when the focus should be on the whole overal PROCESS of how youth develop. You don’t need to hire a technical director for that…
It is naive to think hiring John Harkes as technical director is the answer to watching him with a ball in front of young kids. That’s like a Phd math professor teaching 2nd graders math…. you don’t need that…John Harkes past experience is better put to use working with and giving tips to older more experienced youth players who are about to move on to college or pro-ball. That is where he is best suited for.
Furthermore the question ,”who were technical directors” is perfect. How ’bout’ did George Best need one or Sir Stanley Matthews, Jimmy Johnstone, Eusebio, Mario Sivori…I could go on. All these players learned their game in the aforementioned statement of “MIXED SOCCER” ,in the MACRO……
The problem is that those who run the system the ‘pay to play’ crowd has the parents(read some of Humble’s past and present) believe in this hierarchy of structure of licensing coaches and whatnot , is the way, the ‘yellow brick road’ for your kid success as a soccer player….I’m surprised they havent’ forced parents in buying a soccer CD costing a few thousand to make your kid a better soccer player but conveniently has to be part and parcel of the whole experience..
This ‘pay to play’ (PTP) cartel basically believes in teaching soccer by the numbers and structure. This is like you need a licensed coached to show how to dance the ‘foxtrot’ which I learned as a 10year old watching older kids after school perform.
If you look at these Academies…everything is so structured and hierarchical, leaving little creativity for the youth. Another suggestion I would make for youth development is to have kids when play(older ones) 11v11 half field, with full goals…Instead of telling player, one-touch, move and think faster or handle the ball faster when they are playing full field does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING…YOU NEED TO PLACE THEM IN AN ENVIRONMENT that forces upon themselves to be more aware ,for just telling them doesn’t work…
Study Cruyff’s development in his youth ,he was always placed with older youth and was never told to get rid of the ball, or one-touch it or “you dribble too much”. He learned as he played with older players he needed to get rid of the ball sooner, he also knew he couldn’t outrun older players so he learned ON HIS OWN what his LIMITATIONS were in a natural progressive development. And more IMPORTANTLY through this process his thinking about the game was development and certainly not through a licensed idiot telling him to do or not to do this and that.
BTW, how many kids do you come out of those Academies that can play with both feet, after having paid thousands of thousands dollars through the years….
If the technical director is given free reign to do what he or she believes needs to be done to improve player development, and it does improve player development, then that’s a step in the right direction. Maybe Harkes will do that. An old, late soccer buddy (helped bring Pele here) of mine’s favorite U.S. player was Harkes, so I have a soft spot for Harkes and am rooting for him. If he’s going to try something different, his biggest challenge will be convincing the parents and some of the players who think they know best. Escape from the U.S. soccer bubble isn’t easy.
Philip, The question that should have been posed to Harkes is ” What are you going to do different in approach to the other technical directors everywhere else….
If I were him, I would have explained some of the aspects that I just mentioned, with a virility, for I didn’t need to wait and be asked. I would have stated the changes I want to see…Instead, we get milky toast statements. “I’m a live long learner” ; “help teach life-lessons”; provide a platform for everyone”, BLAH ,BLAH, BLAH…. We’ll Philip good luck with that…….
McLean Youth Soccer big operation. Lots of responsibility. Harkes has done well in all his prior ex-player roles. Surely he will do same there. VA, NC, SC, they have everything, lack nothing in facilities, so it’s really all about the approach to ID cultivate and develop the talent there. No reason that region is not one of the top talent producing regions in the world for soccer. You throw grass in spring – it sprouts. In winter – you countless indoor single and multi-sport facilities that can be used for soccer training. They lack nothing. Only maybe someone like Harkes deciding – it’s time. The challenge is – and this many just don’t get here – is that from U00-U14 – smaller – NOT bigger – is better. The NO TRAVEL team – and access to a wall at home – is better than the travel team. Parents, can and should be involved in the cultivation and development of the child’s foot skills – in many many ways – including – leaving them alone to play – even when it frightens you. Still, given the constraints at the big clubs – young players and their characters can be shaped and developed – that’s his challenge. Make it happen!