Instructor-Led Learning ADAPTABILITY "When you are a football coach, to survive you either adapt, or you die", according to Gerard Houillier, Former Liverpool FC and French Football Association Manager at 2008 NSCAA convention. Where are you now in your coaching journey? How will you continue the process during this time of uncertainty? Social distancing presents [...]

What Kind Of Coach Are You? What Defines You? "Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit." Kevin Sims, United Soccer Coaches President. Your core values are a reflection of what you do during the planning of every practice, [...]

Reset the Culture Core Values - Should be Instilled At Training What new ways can your club instill core values that integrate from the grassroots to your senior teams, post-COVID - 19? How can a club unlock this potential among each team's coaches, players, and parents? Does your club have core values and a vision [...]

Personal Protective Equipment on During Coaching Better Safe, Than Sorry Youth soccer participants need to have a safety guide in place before returning to play activities. This guide shares responsibilities to be undertaken. These steps will help minimize the spread of COVID-19 and other infections. Play On, Play Safe I have often neglected safety during [...]

Play is Learning Engaging, embracing, educating, and empowering should be the focus for youth soccer camps. Engage - let them PLAY, the first stepEmbrace - accept differencesEducate - coach sparinglyEmpower - praise generously. Only if you allow them to play will they experience the joy of the game. Kids want to play and have fun. [...]

CARE - CONNECT - COACH SHOW YOU CARE “Kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” President Theodore Roosevelt. As quarantine restriction ease and players return to programs of team training, camps, and clinics, you need to aware of steps to connect and show you care. Building players’ confidence, [...]

Phasing in Playing Soccer Fields Remain Closed As restrictions start to ease from the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, the bigger challenge for leagues, clubs, and coaches is no longer the WHEN of playing, it's the HOW to play. This is especially important during the first 1 - 3 weeks of play. For re-opening in New York [...]

A Road Map To The Field RETURN TO PLAY - Smaller Numbers As states ease COVID-19 restriction from weeks of lockdown, local representatives, soccer clubs, coaches, and parents need to apply a health and safety first approach. The benefits must out weigh the risks. To get back on the field, you will have to follow [...]

Post COVID-19 Training Injury "Failure to prepare is preparing to fail." according to former UCLA head basketball coach. Depending on when COVID-19 paused school and sporting activities in your community, your players could be inactive mentally and physically, for at least 12 weeks. That far exceeds summer break. Virtual training indoors or in the backyard [...]

CATCH THEM BEING GOOD Virtual Coaching - 'Me & My Ball' "30 seconds or less," Kenichi Yatsuhashi former DOC for Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association would emphasize. That was the time for kids to start playing during practice. That time becomes ever more important when you are coaching a player virtually. Connection, demonstration, and [...]

It's a Player's Game "Let's not be fooled, the game belongs to the player, it's as simple as that", as stated by Arsene Wenger, former Arsenal Football Manager. "A player has to always perceive a situation, make a decision, and execute." The team - player relationship was shared by a Barcelona legend. "Teams don't learn. [...]

Training At Home The New Normal “We had to do it in a rush and there are lessons to be learned here,” Andrew Cuomo said. “It basically functioned well and teachers did a phenomenal job stepping up to do this.” Soccer training remotely is now the new normal. Your playing field is no longer the [...]

Learning From Peers DIFFERENT RESULTS, NEED DIFFERENT METHODS "Little I say is original, I have learned almost everything from watching or taking from others," Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds United Football Manager You have that opportunity, to learn a wealth knowledge during this lockdown. Sure you could binge streaming services, but that would not inspire or motivate [...]

GETTING YOU TEAM TO FOCUS "One, two, three...all eyes on me," "Hey guys stop fooling around." Sounds familiar? You have probably used commands along these lines to get your players' attention at most of your practices. Next, you deliver some form of punishment to get their behavior in line with your expectations. Time outs, laps, [...]