Coaching my games this weekend and covering for a couple of other coaches the "kickball" being played by some of the teams we played against was killing me. It was hard to play against because anytime we build the play up if the opponent won the ball they just kicked it as far up the field as they could. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that my way of coaching the game is the only way. We've had coaches on this podcast that have a wide variety of methods … [Read more...]
#094 Check Your Shoulder!
Technical Training for our club started this week. Once a week all of the teams, U12 and below, complete the same training session. It's focused on a particular technical topic. I talked about how we structure our technical training back in episode 18 - Creating a Technical Training Plan. It's a great way to make sure all of the team in an age group are being exposed to the same instruction on the most important technical topics. Our spring outdoor league … [Read more...]
#088 Balanced Shooting
Last week's episode on the qualities and habits of the world's best coaches was the most popular episode we've had in a few months. If you missed it, I'd suggest that you go back and listen because there's some great food for thought there. We can all incorporate these qualities into our coaching and become much more effective and successful coaches. This week’s question is from Dennis and concerns how his team defends. Dennis gave me some background … [Read more...]
#080 Why are We Doing this Coach?
It's hard to believe that this is the 80th episode of Coaching Soccer Weekly! That's more than 38 hours of training sessions, commentary and interviews. I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to listen and especially those who contribute to discussions in the comments section of each episode, review the podcast on iTunes or send me emails with questions and suggestions. Hopefully the information I share here helps you and your players get more … [Read more...]
#079 Training Players to Communicate on the Field
The end of the fall outdoor season is a great time to evaluate the progress of your team. I had one of my teams finish the season 8-0. That might sound great but I think it also begs the question: Where they in the right division to maximize their development? There are many factors that go into the proper placement of a team in a league or tournament. If you put a team in a division below their ability they won't be challenged so they won't grow. If you … [Read more...]
#077 Five Keys to Youth Soccer Success
Everything is easy when you're playing on good fields. Last week I had a game on an aweful field in a wicked wind. We started off the game trying to play our normal game but it quickly became apparent that it was going to be an exercise in frustration. I explain the change I made and why I was concerned if it was the right thing to do. This episode is a bit of a long one because I had a great discussion with Mike Saif, President and Founder of WORLD … [Read more...]
#075 When It’s Just Not Working
Thanks to the coaches that took the time to give the podcast a ranking and review on iTunes. I really appreciate your support of the show! One stood out because the coach commented that they would like the show to be longer because I sometimes gloss over important points. This got my attention because if there's something you want to know more about then I want to bring it to you. Please let me know if there's ever something on that show that you'd like … [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...]
#073 Drills or Small-Sided Games?
Last weekend was weird for me because I didn't have any soccer games! The first month of the season can be a very busy time so this break was a welcome one for me and the players. As I talked about in #071 The Importance of Recovery Sessions, it's important to balance stress and recovery so this short break could help the teams take an important step forward in the coming weeks. The players did seem a bit rusty in their first training session of the week. … [Read more...]
#067 Training Your Brain
I had a fantastic week in Florida. It was actually a break from the heat we've had back here in Kansas City. I talk about my takeaways from the week and give you a sample CogiTraining session during this episode. You can also find the diagrams and descriptions in the Show Notes. But first I look at last week's controversy at USYS Nationals. I describe all of the details in the episode but the basic facts are that in the U18 G game between Carlsbad Elite (CA) … [Read more...]