I enjoyed the bit of time off I took over the last couple of weeks. It gave me some extra time to spend with friends and family over the 4th of July holiday. Things are still in full swing with preparations for the recreational season coming up so it wasn't a complete break but still a nice change of pace. It also gave me time to enjoy watching the quarter finals of the World Cup and a few Sporting KC games (we won't talk about those). My frustration with … [Read more...]
#133 How to Improve Technically and Tactically at Home
The Central Regional Championships for the US Youth Futsal Nationals was in Kansas City last weekend. I had one team win and qualify for Nationals while the other had a tough weekend. They played some very good teams but didn't play as well has they have recently. I've said before that the only thing consistent about young teams is there inconsistency. I can point to the long holiday break and missing players for other sports commitments as reasons but these … [Read more...]
#106 Keeping Soccer Players Safe and Healthy
We concluded our State Cup tournament in Kansas this week. Each state holds it's own competition for U13 to U19 teams. The winner of each age group advances to one of four different regional championships where the winners earn the right to attend the US Youth Soccer National Championship. This is one of my favorite times of the soccer year because it showcases everything that the teams have learned. The competition between the best teams in each age group … [Read more...]
#074 An Overlooked Key Aspect of Skill
I'm Sorry, but I had to get some thoughts about sponsorships off of my chest. I think it matters who's sponsoring organizations and events. You may disagree but if you do I'd ask you where you draw the line? Which companies or products do you think would be inappropriate to have as sponsors for activities your son or daughter are involved in? In this episode I talk to Scott Moody of Soccer FIT about his recent blog post about the most overlooked aspect of … [Read more...]
#071 The Importance Recovery Sessions
Now that we've been playing for more than a month of the season I have an update on Episode 58 where I talked about formations for 9 v 9 soccer. I had originally thought I'd go with the 3-1-3-1 or 3-2-3 I ended up taking the advice of our club's technical staff and have been using the 4-3-1 formation. At the start of the episode I talk about why I've done this and why I think it was the right choice. I had a question recently about recovery sessions. … [Read more...]
#051 How to Function Within the Formation
I’ve had some interest from a couple of coaches that are willing to be part of a coach’s roundtable discussion on the upcoming rule changes. I’d like to have four or five coaches involved to get a wider range of opinions. It won’t be difficult or complicated to be involved. You just need a free account on Skype and 30 to 45 minutes to talk. Email me at tommura@worldclasscoaching.com if you’d like to join the discussion We had our first weekend of the new … [Read more...]
#019 PreSeason Skill and Conditioning
The summer months are an important time because they give our players a chance to rest and recharge at the end of a long season before they prepare for the next one. You can’t constantly train at a high level without breaking down and risking injury and burnout. But it’s important for players, especially as they mature, to prepare for the challenges of returning to training. Goals of Preseason Conditioning Get the players fit enough to start training … [Read more...]
#012 Training Possession Play with Increasing Pressure
Thanks! We continue to receive a lot of positive feedback on the podcast. A ‘Five Star’ review on iTunes from ‘Flying Dave’ says, "I'm thoroughly enjoying this podcast. I find it hard to talk soccer coaching with other coaches. My wife is tired of me bouncing ideas off of her. I'm super pleased to hear about coaching from other coaches. thanks!" Thanks for the review and rating Dave! Another ‘Five Star’ review is from Arima 19 says, "Have … [Read more...]