P.A.S.S. Coaching Method

What is the P.A.S.S. Methodology?

Coach Glenn Alpert

Glenn Alpert began coaching soccer since 2002 and holds a USSF B License, National Youth License, and United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma. After many years of coaching players of all levels, he created the P.A.S.S. Soccer Training Methodology, a U7-U19 Youth Soccer Training Curriculum to develop possession-oriented players of the future.

Possess the Ball

Coach Glenn Alpert

Often, a player with the ball may not progress forward, especially when facing a disciplined defensive structure. The attacking team must first possess the ball by creating width, offering support options, and off-the-ball movement.

Advance Forward

Coach Glenn Alpert

Advance Forward

Establishing a possession rhythm creates space and opens gaps in the defense. The attacking team can exploit these gaps and advance the ball closer to the goal. Of course, a team can advance more directly if needed, making smart plays and picking the right moments.

Score & Success

Coach Glenn Alpert

Advance Forward

Within shooting range and the attacking third, the objective is to score. Without scoring, any method of possession or attacking is useless - the ball needs to find the back of the net. The more scoring chances are created, the more likely a team is to score. Sucess is achieved when a team creates chances and scores (the more, the better).

Q&A With Coach Glenn Alpert

Q&A about the program can be found below.

Who is this content for?

The E-Books and Curriculum Manuals are for coaches, trainers, administrators, soccer club staff, and parents interested in learning more about developing youth soccer players. The purpose of these publications is to help spread knowledge and experience of youth soccer training and pass it on to others. Hopefully, you can use the information provided to improve the quality of youth soccer players under your supervision.

Where did this coaching methodology come from?

As some background, I began coaching while in college and took on my first coaching role after completing the USSF (U.S. Soccer Federation) D License back in 2002, mostly with boys’ teams of different levels. After getting hooked on coaching and taking many other licensing and certification courses, I obtained the USSF Level B License and the Premier Diploma from United Soccer Coaches (USC).

I took a few years off from coaching for graduate school and another typical office job career, but in 2016, I found my way into the game and started coaching again with a fresh perspective. That year, I was asked to coach a rising U9 Girls team (the 2008 age group), and as they say, the rest is history.

I stayed with this team for eight years, from U9 through U16, while retaining many of our original players as the team rose through the age groups. The opportunity to coach this team for eight years with a consistent group of players allowed me to experiment with different training ideas and develop my coaching methodology. During this time period, I also coached at the girls' varsity high school level and the men's pro/am level in addition to younger age group players.

For video examples of the coaching in action, there are over 270 videos of the 2008 age group girls' team accessible here: GFR 2008G Elite - YouTube

Can you briefly explain the philosophy and thought process behind the P.A.S.S. Coaching Method?

P.A.S.S. stands for Possess, Advance, Score, Success.

Possess: A player with the ball may not be able to progress directly up the field toward the goal immediately, so the attacking team must first possess the ball.

Advance: Establishing a possession rhythm creates space, and gaps are opened in the defense so the attacking team can advance the ball closer to the goal.

Score: When a team is within shooting range, the objective is to score.

Success: Possess, advance, and score = Success!

The concepts of possessing the ball, advancing toward the goal, and scoring are not original in themselves, but the P.A.S.S. framework is my way of defining how I like to see the game played. Are there times to go directly to the goal without sustained possession? Sure, of course, there are moments, but as for the rest of the game, soccer is a game of possession and the best professional and national teams in the world lead by example.

What level of teams (and players) is this for?

The curriculum up or down to meet the needs of any youth player. If a player is advanced for their age, they can work on curriculum material for an older age group. If a player is still developing or is on a developmental team, the coach can choose curriculum material from a younger age group. The final step of the program, the U17-U19 game model, which uses a 4-3-3 as a base formation, can be adapted for just about any level.

The training covers coaching curriculum content from a 6-year-old showing up to their first structured training session all the way up until a player's final game as a youth player. The programs are focused mainly on technical and tactical development and can be applied to both boys’ and girls’ teams of all levels.

When will the U13+ age groups be released?

U13-U14 and U15-U16 program will be released in 2025, starting with the transition to 11v11 and concluding with a U17-U19 club and high school soccer season plan.

These upcoming programs are designed to provide coaches with guidance, direction, and recommendations when coaching these age groups.

Each program includes a seasonal training curriculum for the entire year and a list of off-season activities for the players. The training sessions for each age bracket can be adapted based on experience level or level of play.

Where did you develop your own coaching philosophy?

Before developing the P.A.S.S. Method, some of my coaching inspirations come from many different sources:

Ajax's youth development model
Weil Coerver's publications along with many other soccer authors
Pep Guardiola & Sir Alex Furgeson's coaching styles
Barcelona's youth development philosophy
Material presented in the USSF and United Soccer Coaches courses
Small-sided games coaching methods,
Learning from other coaches
Time spent at the Tahuichi Soccer Academy, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida

All of this plus many hours on the field coaching since 2002 helped me develop and refine my ideas of the game of soccer and develop ideas for coaching youth players.

Bio

Glenn Alpert began coaching soccer in 2002 and currently holds a USSF B License from the US Soccer Federation (USSF) and a Premier Diploma from United Soccer Coaches (USC). He has coached numerous teams of all levels in Northern Virginia and Maryland and has coached many youth players who have gone on to excel at higher levels of the game.

He is currently a member of the Virginia Youth Soccer Association (VYSA) coaching education staff and has received several coaching awards for club and high school soccer, including the National Capital Soccer League (NCSL) Girls Competitive Coach of the Year Award and the Virginia High School League Patriot District & Occoquan Region Coach of the Year Award.

As a soccer coach and educator, Glenn believes in teaching and coaching the game of soccer to players across a wide range of age groups and skill levels and maintains a global perspective on the technical, tactical, physical, and mental aspects of the game.

Glenn holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in exercise science from Salisbury University.

P.A.S.S. Coaching Method

P.A.S.S. Coaching Method

What is the P.A.S.S. Methodology?

Coach Glenn Alpert

Coach Glenn Alpert

Coach Glenn Alpert

Possess the Ball

Coach Glenn Alpert

Coach Glenn Alpert

Advance Forward

Coach Glenn Alpert

Advance Forward

Score & Success

Coach Glenn Alpert

Advance Forward

Single Training Sessions Now Available

Q&A With Coach Glenn Alpert

Subscribe

Contact Form

Contact Us

Please reach out with any questions, comments, or feedback!

P.A.S.S. Coaching Method

P.A.S.S. Coaching Method

What is the P.A.S.S. Methodology?

Coach Glenn Alpert

Coach Glenn Alpert

Coach Glenn Alpert

Possess the Ball

Coach Glenn Alpert

Coach Glenn Alpert

Advance Forward

Coach Glenn Alpert

Advance Forward

Score & Success

Coach Glenn Alpert

Advance Forward

Single Training Sessions Now Available

Q&A With Coach Glenn Alpert

Subscribe

Contact Form

Contact Us

Please reach out with any questions, comments, or feedback!

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