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GPS: The Game's Worst Teacher

GPS: The Game's Worst Teacher

Remember the good ol’ days? When there were no cell phones, selfie sticks, or GPS? Life’s everyday challenges were slightly more difficult, and today, those challenges have no doubt been made easier by technology. But along with all those old-school gadgets and methods, we have also lost all the skills and thought processes that came along with them. Nowadays, if someone’s phone dies while coordinating to meet someone, they have no way of knowing where each other are since

Choosing Our Words: Performance ≠ Score

Choosing Our Words: Performance ≠ Score

Think about the last time you asked a young player about a match he/she recently played in. Chances are it went something like this: “Hey Sarah! How did your game go?” Sarah replies “Great! We won 4-2.” If that’s the case, hopefully there is a follow up response like “How did you do?” to which Sarah likely replies “Good. I scored one goal!” Does this sound familiar? If so, we need to take serious look at what just happened. What’s wrong with this situation? Firstly, the a

Coaching Education: It's Not What You Think

Coaching Education: It's Not What You Think

I recently returned from another excellent weekend at the NSCAA Convention. It doesn’t get much better than 10,000+ soccer coaches hanging out, interacting, and learning from some of the best minds in the industry. As I looked around the room in various lectures and sessions, I couldn’t help but consider that many of these coaches – although very enthusiastic and eager to improve – did not know how to learn from these great presenters. Many of them took notes and jotted dow

Should My Child Play Up?

Should My Child Play Up?

Sometimes it’s the parent who thinks his child needs more of a challenge. Sometimes it’s the coach who sees an exceptionally talented younger player who he wants on his team. Regardless of whose idea it is or what the reasons are, many adults are faced with the question “should this child play up?” Unfortunately, the result is often driven by the wrong reasons. Usually, there are two scenarios: 1. A parent wants to push a child more by playing him/her against older kids, or

Pushing Players to Be Their Best

Pushing Players to Be Their Best

The most important thing we need to do as coaches is identify why the children we are coaching are participating in the first place. Although I am competitive and love soccer and treat it as my profession, my players might not care that much about the sport. They might just enjoy it as one of several activities. And even though another coach is volunteering for a recreational team and sees it as one of several fun activities and does not take the game seriously, her playe