Molly D.

I have had a blast working with athletes between ages 3 and 50! My passion is coaching athletes of all ages who are motivated to grow and perform at their highest potential. I have coached both beginners and competitive college athletes and teach both technical and tactical skills. I have expertise in these areas: defensive formations, ball control, and training midfielders to think. I know the game inside and out and have coached outdoor 11v11 and indoor 5v5 teams. I also have experience coaching and working with children who have disabilities. I am passionate about helping anyone at any age learn to love the world’s most popular sport!

Coaching positions
- William Smith College Women’s Club Soccer Coach (ages 18-22)
- San Francisco Dragons Intramural Team Club Coach (ages 23-50)
- Shooter’s Gold Camp Coach and Counselor (ages 3-16)
- Camp Robindel Coach and Counselor (ages 6-18)
- Gilford Soccer clinic organizer and coach (ages 10-14)

During my high school years, I was captain of the varsity team for three years and was a two-time recipient of the MVP Award and 1st Team All-State. I also represented New Hampshire in the Lion’s Cup tournament and on the Olympic Development Program team where I served as captain. In college, I played for William Smith’s varsity team and won an NCAA DIII National Championship.

Warm up working on ball control:

1 - Dribble slowly (at a comfortable jog) using only the right foot, make sure to look up and maintain control (alternating between the inside and outside of the foot for 1 minute)
- Do a stretch or two then switch to the left foot only then do some more stretches then use only the outside of both feet
2 - Finish warming up with some more dynamic stretches. *It is important to develop both feet and all areas of ball control.

Ball control and release:

1- Cones are added to the warm-up drill, now athletes must dribble at speed through cones using only their right foot, left foot, inside and outside (2 times each)
- During the last four rounds, athletes take a shot at speed when they round the final cone—aiming for the lower corner of the goal. *This simulates the exhaustion and quick shot release that a player would experience after beating multiple defenders during a game.
- Dribble through the same cones at speed using both feet (any part of the foot), at the last cone the player will pretend they are beating a defender and perform a move or fake before shooting into the lower corner of the net. *The athlete should be making mistakes during this drill because that means that they are challenging themselves and improving more rapidly.
2 - If the player is an outside midfielder or defender we will shift the cones to the side of the field and have them work on crosses or clearing the ball when they reach the end of the cones.

Attacking:

1- We will simulate a one v. one situation in a small square. I will demonstrate some options for moves and then act as a passive defender at first so the athlete can work on his or her technique with new moves--then progress to real defense. To beat the defender the athlete must stay within the borders of the box get past the defender then trap (stop) the ball on the far end-line. *This drill works on staying in control of the ball within a small space and also can serve as conditioning.

Defending:
1- I will go over the proper defensive stance and technique for approaching an attacker. Then we will continue the same drill and switch positions so the athlete becomes the defender. *As defensive form is important for all players on the field I will continue to pause and point out where the athlete loses form and can improve his or her stance and approach.

Receiving (in the air):
1 - Starting with controlled volleys I will toss the ball to the athlete and they will hit it back to me in the air with the instructed side of the foot or body part. We will repeat 5 volleys on each foot and body part.
Next, the athlete will control the ball that is tossed or kicked by bringing it softly to the ground(settling the ball) then turn around as if to start dribbling the other way to simulate a game.
The athlete will now receive the ball in the air, turn and quickly shoot into either side of the net
2 - Next the ball will be crossed(kicked) in the air by the coach and the athlete will decide whether to shoot it with one touch or to settle the ball and take a more controlled shot.

Conditioning:
*Conditioning can be incorporated into the training if the athlete wishes or we can delegate time at the end for focused conditioning. I coach both strength and cardio conditioning.

Summary: I like to simulate situations that are as game-like as possible during my sessions. With younger kids, more fun and games will be incorporated to keep them motivated and make them think and with older more experienced players sessions will target skills that they need to work on and can focus more on specific aspects of the game.