Blog

Podcast

Mike Muñoz

Just Kickin’ it podcast featuring Mike Muñoz!

Blog

Purist Or Pragmatist?

Which coach are you?

Podcast

Marc Nicholls

Just Kickin’ it podcast featuring Marc Nicholls, Academy Technical Director of the Seattle Sounders.

Podcast

Jed Davies

Just Kickin’ it podcast with Jed Davies, author of “Coaching the Tiki-Taka Style of Play” and “The Philosophy of Football: In The Shadows of Marcelo Bielsa”.

Blog

Tactical Inflexibility

“Does your team have the ability to shift their tactical approach based on the game they are playing? Or does your team try impose the style they adopt from the opening kick of the ball until the final whistle?

Blog

Sweeper Keeper

“Why does it seem that most coaches are so hesitant to develop the GK position? Why is that I rarely hear another coach talk to his GK during the flow of play?”

Blog

Recycle

The past few weeks has been a joy to watch more and more players react positively to the call, “RECYCLE.” The ball is moving backwards to a supporting player in order to retain possession and provide time for the player on the ball to make better decisions.

Blog

That Chance Encounter

…Cruyff has been my favorite soccer personality. Of course as a player, but even more so, as a manager. As a player, he was an artist. As a coach/manager, he was an innovator. I’m intrigued by his thought-provoking outspokenness.

Blog

What’s The Rush?

Recently, I found myself in a conversation with a group of youth academy (U9/U10 age group) directors from a neighboring club…a big club.

Blog

Attitude Is Everything

How do we change the mentality/attitude of young players? Is the development of a strong mental attitude in the control of youth coaches?

Blog

Simple.

Too often, we as coaches, look to make things (training sessions) too complex for our players when simplicity would be a more valuable solution. We want to progress from one activity to the next…continually adding another layer – increasing the difficulty and demand on the players.

Blog

The Hate To Lose

Here is my dilemma…if our youth system is set up to chase wins, medals, trophies and accolades – why doesn’t it show at this crucial time in a young player’s developmental process? Is it these particular players? Is it something we are neglecting them in the youth soccer developmental process?