Category Archives for "Soccer Basics"
All about the basics of the game that all members of the soccer community should know
March 2, 2020
- in Coaching , Culture , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Basics , Soccer Business , Volunteers by The Soccer Sidelines
Have-a-Ball Character Development Program
We need practical ways to bake character development into our youth sports programs. In this episode, I talk about one that I recently implemented in my own club and some of the ways that you can implement a similar program in yours. Being Intentional About Character DevelopmentDevelopment is a long game. It’s not something that […]
Continue reading November 25, 2019
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Burn Out in Youth Sports
Flame out or burn on for a lifetime of passion for movement, teamwork, and healthy living? This seems to be an essential question facing young families today – even though most hardly think about it. Personally, I think sports (and support of sport) has a place in our lives from early age on through geriatrics. Let’s […]
Continue reading October 28, 2019
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Inspiring Aggression, Confidence, and Competitive Mindset
Twice this week, I was asked by parents – each from opposite sides of the country – about how to improve the competitive mindset of their children. One dad is father and coach of a 7-year old in California. The other is a mother of a 9-year-old in Maryland. In this episode, I will share […]
Continue reading October 21, 2019
- in Coaching , Culture , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Basics by The Soccer Sidelines
Relative Age Effect in Youth Soccer
Relative Age Effect in Youth Soccer is a bias that highlights the attention we give towards winning vs development. At its worst, it can be cheating
Continue reading October 14, 2019
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The Travel Tournaments Episode
Travel tournaments can be full of excitement and fun. What are the pros and cons of travel tournaments for our players and families?
Continue reading September 30, 2019
- in Coaching , Culture , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Basics , Soccer Business by The Soccer Sidelines
Varsity Soccer Mixed Bag
I’m hearing some variation of this over and over again: “My kids looked forward to playing varsity soccer in high school, but they (or we) have been disappointed with the experience.” Why? In this article, let’s explore the downside of the varsity experience and what we can do about it. The Varsity Experience SummaryWhere we live, […]
Continue reading September 23, 2019
- in Coaching , Medical , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Basics by The Soccer Sidelines
Injury Prevention In Youth Soccer
Physical exercise like playing soccer is preventative for many disease processes. Diseases brought about by obesity, for example, are often prevented or avoided through regular physical exercise. It’s ironic, therefore, that physical activity itself can cause injury too. As with all things: too much of a good thing can be bad for us. Being or getting […]
Continue reading September 16, 2019
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Cognitive Mental Development
The job of being a coach requires men and women who pursue this craft to know the kids they’re working with. Different age groups have different needs. They have different communication styles and differing abilities to understand the game, one another, or even instructions given them. Most coach’s training programs parse development into physical, mental, emotional, […]
Continue reading August 19, 2019
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US Youth Soccer Standards
There is a good reason to standardize the training environment for kids in their development years. Do you know what the US Youth Soccer standards are?
Continue reading July 29, 2019
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It Takes a Team to Win
It’s Easy to Support this Show You would not dream of suiting up and taking on the New York Giants by yourself. I don’t care if you’re the biggest and strongest dude on the planet. You’re going to die. Literally. I have found in my lifetime of working in corporate America and in business that the […]
Continue reading July 8, 2019
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Did you Watch the Womens World Cup?
Imagine yourself sitting at a table. You’re at a nice cafe in Paris. You’re drinking a cup of fresh brewed coffee, eating your favorite breakfast and watching people walk by. People watching can be fun. We all do it. All the different sizes, shapes, colors, personalities, voices… it’s not a half bad way to spend […]
Continue reading June 24, 2019
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Managing The Clock
Become a PatronWhen you’re moving with the current, you can afford to relax. When the current is flowing opposite of the direction you want to go, you may have to paddle like crazy. A mental image of yourself in a canoe on a powerful river is useful for understanding how time can affect the outcome […]
Continue reading June 17, 2019
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Extra Benefits of Soccer – Networking
Soccer offers students many benefits as they mature through the development years, but benefits of soccer don’t stop there. In this episode, we explore how the game of soccer can connect us with 3.5 Billion fans around the world and create networking opportunities in situations far removed from the soccer field throughout life. Soccer is […]
Continue reading June 10, 2019
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Play Practice Play in Youth Soccer
If you haven’t heard it yet, there is a new training methodology in soccer town called Play, Practice, Play. It’s not really new. We’ve been doing it in the context of US Youth Soccer for more than a year now and you’ll find correlation with an article titled Teaching Games for Understanding: A Comprehensive Approach […]
Continue reading June 3, 2019
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Benefits of Watching Soccer
How eager would you be to allow a surgeon to cut you open and remove your gallbladder if that surgeon never watched a surgery before? Not very, right? You instinctively know that performing a physical skill is easier if you’ve watched someone else do it first. Likewise, if you want to learn to play music, it […]
Continue reading May 20, 2019
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The Vertical Game in Soccer
Putting the ball up in the air… should be do it, or should we keep it on the ground? Choosing what to train in youth soccer and when to train it is a combination of science and art. US Youth Soccer gives us some useful guidelines, but how closely we follow those guidelines requires a […]
Continue reading May 13, 2019
- in Coaching , Culture , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Basics by The Soccer Sidelines
5 Things True Soccer Insiders Know About the Game
In every group, there are the “insiders.’ If you’re a true soccer insider, you can often tell the difference pretty quickly. If you can’t tell the newbies from the insiders, chances are you’re one of the newbies. There is nothing wrong with being a newbie, of course. We’ve all worn that title at some point. […]
Continue reading April 29, 2019
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Soccer Team and Players – The 12th Player
If I told you that a 13U or older soccer team has more than 11 players on the field during a game, you might question my knowledge of the game. You might think I’m trying to be clever by telling you that unless a referee issued a red card, there are always 22 players on […]
Continue reading March 11, 2019
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The Future of Coaching
It’s time to promote social and emotional skills, but how? A team of experts spent the last two years exploring this and have a report worth reading.
Continue reading March 4, 2019
- in Coaching , Culture , Medical , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Basics , Volunteers by The Soccer Sidelines
Play Up and Play Down Situations in Youth Soccer
Play up and play down situations happen every season in youth soccer. In this episode, we talk about the who, what, and why of the play up and play down scenario.
Continue reading February 4, 2019
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#66 – Playing Soccer in College
For many players, playing soccer for their college is a dream. This article is about how to get there. Below you’re going to find a collection of video and linked resources that will get you well on your way to:Understanding the processGetting your plan togetherKeeping you and your athlete […]
Continue reading January 14, 2019
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Playing Chess with a Ball
There is so much more to watching a soccer game than watching the player with the ball. Come along with me as we explore some of the history, the formations, the styles, and the 99% of the game that is played without the ball. Come away with a better sense of the game and how […]
Continue reading October 15, 2018
- in Coaching , Medical , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Basics , Volunteers by The Soccer Sidelines
#50 – Keeping Warm on Cold Days
Being Cold is No FunIt’s amazing to me how many parents I see every year on the sidelines who are unprepared for the weather. I expect this from my teenaged kids, but when I see full grown adults shivering on the sidelines, I think I need to do an episode on this subject. There is […]
Continue reading October 8, 2018
- in Coaching , Culture , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Basics , Volunteers by The Soccer Sidelines
#49 – The Coaching Pathway
The Adventure of CoachingI think most parents come into the world of coaching out of a love for their own kids and a desire to support them and provide well rounded learning experiences wrapped in fun. If we consider the world of grassroots soccer, by that I mean non competitive travel or select soccer, we […]
Continue reading September 17, 2018
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#46 – Synergy on the Sidelines and the Power of Relationships
Don’t Miss or Underestimate This!Something powerful happens when a group of good people come together around a common goal. Bringing people together in a positive way around youth sports activities in our community not only benefits the kids, but brings adults together in really positive and powerful ways. There are more than two teams on […]
Continue reading September 10, 2018
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Your Child and Physical Literacy
Physical literacy in kids comes from a healthy range of activities. Each activity exposes athletes to new physical vocabularies. The best…
Continue reading August 27, 2018
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Different Soccer Ball Sizes
Different Size Balls?You betcha. If you didn’t know that there were different sized soccer balls before, than I’m happy to tell you that your next shopping trip will be easier after listening to this episode or reading these notes. There are different size balls, different ball construction, and even different balls for different purposes. Almost […]
Continue reading August 13, 2018
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#41 – Gaining Confidence Through Youth Sports
The Confidence ChallengeOne afternoon during a practice session, the mother of a young girl on my team approached with a request. “Can we do something about my daughter? Her confidence is low. Her sister plays at home and her confidence is growing. This is causing some conflict at home and I want to see both […]
Continue reading August 6, 2018
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National Soccer Camp
National Soccer Camps offer a channel for kids interested in soccer to pursue higher levels of competition, gain exposure to many coaches (often world class coaches), a chance to build unique memories, and to gain exposure on a much larger stage for those interested in college or professional soccer careers. This experience is not for […]
Continue reading July 30, 2018
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Measuring Performance in Youth Soccer
Measuring performance is one of the best ways to ensure consistent improvement. Let’s talk about keeping statistics that really matter in youth soccer
Continue reading July 23, 2018
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Soccer Cleats: The Basics Before You Visit the Soccer Store
Choosing a “Boot” at The Soccer StoreDon’t let the word “boot” raise an eyebrow! Soccer cleats are also called soccer “boots,” “cleats,” “football boots,” and even “soccer shoes.” These are all the same thing. I’ll use them interchangeably in this article. For newer parents, having a lot of names for the same thing creates only […]
Continue reading July 16, 2018
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#37 – Getting the Most From Training
The World Cup is Coming to AmericaThere isn’t an American soccer player who isn’t already talking about and thinking about the World Cup in 2026. The excitement such a world-class event will bring to our continent is huge! That said, there is also a lot of thinking going on around not only how do we […]
Continue reading July 9, 2018
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#36 – Bad Sideline Behavior
A National EpidemicWhat I’m about to share with you is a problem of National consequence. I’m not exaggerating! Producing this podcast, acting as Club President, and coaching, I tend to be reaching out and connecting with a lot of people. I’m hearing the same story from all corners of my world. Bad sideline behavior is […]
Continue reading June 18, 2018
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Soccer is Coming to America – Bid For the 2026 World Cup
North America Won The Bid for the 2026 World Cup!What Did We Win? The United States, Canada, and Mexico will co-host the 2026 World Cup. This will be a 48 team World Cup – a global phenomenon – with 80 games played in total. 60 games will be played in the US. 10 games will be […]
Continue reading June 4, 2018
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#31 Three Common Mistakes Made on the Soccer Pitch
Playing Next to One Another vs With One AnotherIt takes human beings a few years to figure out that there are other humans in the universe. When kids are young – in the earliest years of soccer development – kids do what’s called parallel play. We witness this phenomenon as kids playing next to one […]
Continue reading May 21, 2018
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#29 – Improving Skills Off the Soccer Pitch
We have experienced a lot of rain this past week and a half. We were able to get games in last Saturday, but practices were all called off this past week. As we wind down the end of the Spring season and look forward to the summer, many Clubs are facing several months of no […]
Continue reading March 26, 2018
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#21 – Cross Training
Cross training into soccer from other sports or into other sports from soccer… Parents often ask if it’s a good idea for kids to cross train. In this episode, we go into some of the pros and cons of cross training as youth athletes. Some topics we consider include overuse injuries, strengthening of different muscle […]
Continue reading March 5, 2018
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#18 – The Offside Rule Explained
Arguably the most difficult and most argued about call in all of soccer, the offside rule has given plenty of sideline enthusiasts, coaches, players, and referees alike a lot to talk about. In this episode, I will break down the four conditions that must be satisfied to result in an offside foul, give you the one […]
Continue reading February 26, 2018
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How to Know Where My Kid Should Play
How can we tell where in the soccer system our child should play? In this episode, we look at behaviors you can find at home or on the field that tell us where our kids want to play. Should we move them into a more technical environment, into a more social environment? Which is best […]
Continue reading February 12, 2018
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#15 – How Much Does it Cost to Play Soccer – Part 1 (The Variables)
Soccer families that understand the economics of the game early will make better investment decisions over time. It’s possible to just “follow the crowd” and see where it takes you, but you’ll spend more time and money this way than you need to. By understanding what’s involved in costing a soccer experience, you’ll go in […]
Continue reading January 22, 2018
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#12 – Get Ready to Enjoy a Tournament!
[spp-player] So much of the tournament experience happens beyond the pitch. Building esprit-de-corps, enjoying local food, experiencing the hotel, and checking out many different game and coaching styles are just a few! In this episode, we explore two real-world soccer tournaments that are hosted in the Maryland area. As co-owner for both of these tournaments, David shares […]
Continue reading January 1, 2018
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What in the World is Futsal?
Please connect with me here: https://thesoccersidelines.com/connect/. You’re the reason I do this!Please support the show here: https://thesoccersidelines.com/go/. Every dollar counts! Shortly after picking up my first futsal license, I thought to myself: I’ve been coaching futsal like I’ve been coaching outdoor soccer for three years! How many others have the same questions I did? Maybe you […]
Continue reading December 25, 2017
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#8 – Getting Familiar with The Throw In
[spp-player] The throw-in is a basic maneuver that all soccer players, parents, fans, and coaches need to be familiar with. There are rules for the throw-in: where they are relevant, body position, physical position relative to the field, the movement itself, what other receiving players can or can not do, whether offsides rules apply during […]
Continue reading November 27, 2017
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Systems of Play in Soccer
Understanding the system of play being used in a soccer match provides a whole new layer of appreciation for the game. There are four things we need to consider when choosing or evaluating a system of play: 1. The team makeup. How well suited are each of the players for various positions around the field? What […]
Continue reading November 7, 2017
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Welcome to The Soccer Sidelines!
In this first episode, we introduce you to the podcast. The Soccer Sidelines is about bringing parents, players, and coaches together around the most important aspects of the youth sports experience. And we don’t mean winning games. Youth sports allows us to create thousands of teachable moments in the context of a 15-year window. This is […]
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