Keisuke Honda Embarks on U.S. Youth Soccer Development
Soccer’s status as “the world’s game” has never been more apparent. In January of 2016, Japanese icon and A.C. Milan midfielder Keisuke Honda gave an interview to Fox Sports in which he explained the reasoning behind the skills camp for youth soccer players he had just hosted at the Los Angeles Galaxy’s training facility in the […]
Why Smart Kids Don’t Become Valedictorian
*Coach Reed is presenting multiple topics on Communication at the NSCAA 2017 Convention in Los Angeles January 12th. Join us that week to hear more about his Echoes Beyond the Game* “My daughter is very intelligent. She is top percentile on all state tests, she excels in every subject matter, and has a very creative […]
Echoes Beyond the Game Series: The Dirty Little Secret
*Coach Reed is presenting multiple topics on Communication at the NSCAA 2017 Convention in Los Angeles. His Echoes Beyond the Game Series is a lead up to the material he will deliver that week* Want to know a dirty little secret? This is the kind of secret that can create moments of magic – turning […]
Echoes Beyond the Game Series: My Offensive Picture
*Coach Reed is presenting multiple topics on Communication at the NSCAA 2017 Convention in Los Angeles. His Echoes Beyond the Game Series is a lead up to the material he will deliver that week* I’ve got this picture I sometimes show people. It’s awful. I don’t show it often because of the graphic nature. It […]
2016 San Diego Developmental Academy Showcase
The San Diego Developmental Academy (SDDA) was founded with the dedication of San Diego’s leading coaching directors. The competitive program is a combination of clubs that work together to focus on long-term athlete development for the Southern California player. Ongoing with their focus, the SDDA holds an annual showcase where teams and players have a […]
CVFC takes 3 out of 4 USSDA Matches Over Halloween Weekend
Chula Vista Football Club returned to U.S. Soccer Development Academy action on Saturday, October 29th, with two matches against fellow USSDA teams from San Diego Soccer Club. Chula Vista would lose the first match with a late goal by SDSC and even up the tally with a win in the second match. Shortly after kickoff […]
Echoes Beyond the Game Series: Getting the Attention of Very Young Players
You want to know who I admire in the coaching world? No, it is not the latest Champions League Winning Coach. Not a World Cup veteran. Not someone in the collegiate ranks. I have many coaches I consider mentors and pioneers from the above mentioned ranks, but the ones I admire are not among those […]
SoCal Blues, San Diego Surf and LAFC Awarded Places in US Soccer Girls’ Development Academy
US Soccer has today announced the first 25 youth clubs to be awarded a place in the prestigious Girls’ Development Academy. The Academy initiate was designed to enhance the development of world-class youth female players and competition is set to begin in the fall of 2017. The 25 clubs awarded places in the Academy are […]
The Four Types of Player Bullying – Scenario Three – Parent Proxy Bullying
I have a friend out West who runs a large, very competitive sports club. The children and parents in this club can be quite intense. He struggles regularly with balancing skewed expectations with the club mission. We talk often about some of the behaviors exhibited when winning becomes the primary goal. Sometimes the adults overemphasize […]
The Four Types of Player Bullying – Scenario Two – Coach-Side Vs Player-Side
This is the second part in a four part series on player-based bullying in youth sport. “Wait ’til we get to the locker room!” He hissed, threateningly, into the back of “Joe’s” neck. “You’ll get your justice.” He put an exclamation point on his statement with a shoulder into “Joe’s” side as he passed him on the […]
STATEMENT FROM YOUTH COUNCIL TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP TO U.S. SOCCER
The following update posted on usclubsoccer.org on February 5th, 2016: The Youth Council Technical Working Group unanimously agreed that there has been generally insufficient dialogue between the U.S. Soccer Federation technical staff and the technical leadership of the various youth membership organizations. Substantial questions remain about the impact of the new calendar-year registration model, and the […]
We are going to be good at throw-ins and goal kicks: Part II
Scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development In education, we have learned to scaffold the learning process for our children in order to create a more effective teaching environment. Scaffolding is the belief that in certain instances some elements of a skill are beyond the current ability of the learner, and the only way for […]
We are going to be good at throw-ins and goal kicks: Part I
This article digs into the science of education and of coaching methodologies. This was done to prove the point with peer-reviewed, empirically developed theories. It was not meant to be a rant, but rather as a review of legislative decisions from another perspective and a kick-start to begin a discussion of what we can do […]
Fewer Headers, More Footers
On Monday, U.S. Soccer announced new initiatives aimed at improving safety with respect to head injuries in soccer. The policy sets strict limits on youth players heading the ball. These initiatives come in response to and serve as a resolution to a proposed class-action lawsuit filed against U.S. Soccer in August of 2014. U.S. Soccer […]
I have no idea what is going on with the new field sizes…
I have gotten this comment a lot in the last few weeks, and as a club Executive Director, and also a coach, the people asking me want to know more than the simple details or logistics. Most parents asking me are trying to figure how the new field and rosters will affect their children, why […]
Echoes Beyond the Game
“You are terrible!” “What are you doing?!” “How did you miss that one?! Get back here and sit on this bench!” “My grandmother could have scored that goal blindfolded whilst knitting me a new sweater!” These are (mostly) all things that can be heard on soccer fields around the country coming from the mouths of […]