Lawsuit Seeks to change Heading Rules for Youth Soccer Players
I always follow this theme – and have posted several times before – as there are not many activities in life that require you to bang your head into something else. In soccer, the activity is...
View ArticleParent-Coaching: Perspectives of an Elite Player’s Parent (College-Bound Player)
This comment was left to my post on Can a Parent-Coach be a Professional Coach. I received a lot of email regarding that post – Sam Snow, our U.S. Director of Coaches, distributed it to all 55 State...
View ArticleCoaching Youth Soccer: Teaching Progressions and Building Proper Foundation...
The biggest mistakes I see from youth soccer coaches, whether they be parent, or worse, they are paid to coach, is the failure to follow teaching progressions and failure to communicate with youth...
View Article8v8, 6v6 and SSG: Coaching Fails or, Alternatively, Where a Little Bit of...
Small-sided (“Small sided games” or “SSG”) soccer has been introduced in the States. It has, through the years, trickled down to even the smallest clubs. Courses are taught praising SSG — and that we...
View ArticleLearning as a Soccer Coach: And you thought you were good
Biggest problem in professional development, no matter the profession, is an unwillingness to recognize that you can still improve. Masking inadequacies with over-confidence is all too common. It is...
View Article6v6 Formation Ideas
This season I am coaching a U9 boys team. It has been a while since I have coached this age group. I love it. We are privileged to play in the Houston Texans exclusive Academy development league...
View ArticleLUSC: 6v6 Team Shape by Brendan Donahue
*While researching images for 3-2, I found this wonderful article from Brendan Donahue. I emailed him and received his permission to re-publish it here. Thanks Brendan! This is an article to provide...
View ArticleYouth Soccer Tryouts – Which Club or Team is right for my child?
It is that time of year again…tryouts for youth soccer teams. Or rather, it is the hunting season for clubs and coaches to recruit players and find new investors. So, having 5 kids in the system and...
View ArticleSoccer Camp – Is it Worth It?
We are halfway through what soccer coaches refer to as “camp season.” This is the time that paid coaches for clubs have available time to make some extra money in the form of “camps.” And that is the...
View ArticleSoccer Camp Review: Manchester United Soccer Schools (“MUSS”)
We made the trip over the pond and took our 11-year-old to Manchester United Soccer School. This is a 6 day camp. The location of the boys camp was Denstone College – a Boarding School south of...
View ArticleHeading and Brain Damage in News Again
If you have read this blog for any amount of time, you will note that I repost or link to articles discussing the issue with heading in youth soccer. Many “head trauma” articles as they relate to...
View ArticleUS Youth Soccer and US Club Reach Concussion Settlement – Heading Restricted
I can hear it now … blame the lawyers. Well, I am one and I applaud the efforts made to affect change. I have posted many articles and links on this blog regarding the issue of repetitive heading for...
View ArticleSebastian Giraldo: Behaviors of Elite Soccer Players
Another great article submitted by Sebastian Giraldo. He has contributed several others before. Thanks Sebastian! Making it in soccer is difficult. Training programs and players have improved...
View ArticleCoerver Coaching: Review of Youth Diploma I Course
I attended the Coerver Youth Diploma Course in Arizona June 2015. Charlie Cook was the instructor. The same Charlie Cook who played for Chelsea and several other professional organizations. What a...
View ArticleCoaching 442 – My “Aha” Moment
You can follow my education on coaching soccer on this blog. I was a clean slate starting in ’06 and relied on coaching experience and coaching education to form my foundations. At that time, the US...
View ArticleSummer Camp Special – Should You Spend the $$$?
This is my annual take on summer soccer camps. I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on camps through the year – from England to Dynamo to local colleges to UT to LSU to Challenger. I have 5 kids...
View ArticleHow do I help my kid get better at soccer?
I have been coaching soccer for over a decade. During that time, I have also been raising 5 kids. All of them play soccer, some at very high levels. I think one question I get a lot from parents of...
View Article12 Years In – The Most Important Question I Ever Ask A Player
OK, so those here know I am a lawyer. And, as a lawyer, I am actually a trial lawyer – the ones that go to court, object, cross examine, etc. I love a good question. One thing I loved about the...
View ArticleA New Take (To Me) on 4231
I took one of my boys up to Dallas to play with a team in the NPL. It is an 04 team – so the boys are still struggling to play 11v11. Having been coaching for over a decade now, I will say that the...
View ArticleMVP of Premier League
Great article about “the most effect player in the EPL.” http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/22/football/kante-chelsea-roi-football-stats-win-percentage/ Love this article because of the point it makes....
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