March 22, 2021
- in Coaching , Culture , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Business , Volunteers by The Soccer Sidelines
Respect For The Remarkable Grassroots Game?
I had just earned my first coaching certification in the grassroots game and was still proud and amazed by how much I had learned. Standing in the foyer of one of my player’s homes, the mother of this player took in my happy chatter about what I had done and the plans I was making […]
Continue reading May 5, 2020
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Solidarity Payments in US Soccer
Connect with me: https://thesoccersidelines.com/connect/ What are solidarity payments, why do we have them, and how do they work? Do they work at all in the United States? Let’s talk through a use case. In this episode, we share some recent news, then jump into the concept of solidarity payments. Specifically, we talk through the case of DeAndre […]
Continue reading April 27, 2020
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2020 Senior Prom MASKquerade
<Share your wisdom and well wishes with 2020 Seniors> In this episode, post a thank you sign for essential workers, host a MASKquerade, and check in on the DA and ODP. From senior graduating without a prom or even a formal graduation to players finding new homes after being displaced from the DA, I cover several […]
Continue reading April 15, 2020
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Essential Workers and Bad Information
There are two big things worth paying closer attention to today: 1. the great things people are doing during this crisis. 2. The proliferation of bad, incomplete, politically motivated, or deliberately incorrect information being shared all over our news outlets and social media channels. Gratitude changes everything – handwriting on a napkin with a cup of […]
Continue reading April 6, 2020
- in COVID-19 , Culture , Parents , Podcast , Volunteers by The Soccer Sidelines
The World is Changing for Good
Human history is like a book with many chapters. Every generation writes their piece and leaves their mark. Some chapters are uneventful and boring. Our chapter is not. The early part of the century brought us the Spanish Flu, the Golden Age, World War I, and the Great Depression. The middle of the century brought us […]
Continue reading March 23, 2020
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What can we do during the COVID-19 crisis?
Having a global pandemic on the loose is a scary thing under any circumstances, but limit social interactions and keep people from congregating and we’re facing double trouble! Humans tend to raft together in times of crisis. This behavior kept us alive when we came down from the tree and faced off against predators. People […]
Continue reading March 16, 2020
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The Positives of a Global Pandemic
When bad news is filling our air waves and social media apps… when we’re locked in our homes, faced with empty shelves, overflowing with toilet paper, and feeling a little down, we sometimes need to look at the bright side. In this episode, let’s talk about the positives of a global pandemic! Making Lemonade out […]
Continue reading March 9, 2020
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8 Week Character Development Coaching Program
If our goal is to deliberately expose our kids to Character Development coaching this season, then we need an actual plan. We can’t leave it to chance that our kids are going to understand the hidden life lessons youth sports teaches. Teamwork, work ethic, perseverance, sportsmanship… these are all multi-syllable words to kids without concrete […]
Continue reading 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 February 24, 2020
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Statement About The USWNT 2017-2021 CBA
On February 12th, 2020, the players association representing the men’s national soccer team made a public statement that sends shock waves through the United States soccer community. If we are to believe the statement they made, it effectively draws back the curtain on previously confidential negotiations between the United States Soccer Federation and its professional […]
Continue reading January 27, 2020
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Gender Bias in the Game
I was minding my own business, eating my lunch alone at a table when two women asked to join me at my table. The conversation that would unfold for the next hour or so went way beyond my expectations. Before I went to this convention, I thought that gender bias in the game was mostly as […]
Continue readingFixed vs Growth Mindset
I’m trying to find way to deliver perhaps one of the most important life lessons that youth sports can teach. I want to help people transition from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. In this episode, I’ll explain the differences between the two, how they each manifest on the pitch and in real life, and […]
Continue reading January 6, 2020
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Crisis of Trust
Sure we have bad sideline behavior, but should we blame parents? What else is at play in our world today that might lead to poor sideline behavior?
Continue reading December 23, 2019
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Happy Holidays!
I don’t think I could have anticipated in 2017, that three years later, you and I would be celebrating our third holiday season together. Whatever your favorite way to celebrate the holidays are, I’m hoping that for you it’s full of family, good health, giving, and gratitude. There are a lot of ways to celebrate the […]
Continue reading December 16, 2019
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Culture of Swimming vs Soccer
Individual development vs organized team sports – let’s explore swimming vs soccer and the ways we support our youth in each environment.
Continue reading December 9, 2019
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Crafting Your Soccer Experience
Crafting your soccer experience have a place in the future of youth soccer. Imagine the stuff you want without the stuff you don’t need. #nopaytoplay
Continue reading December 3, 2019
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Alphabet Soup in US Soccer
How do you get from wherever you are in the youth soccer ecosystem to the Olympics, a National team, or a professional team? How do you make the most of your experience and come away happy that you participated? As simple as this question should be to answer, it is anything but simple. The array […]
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 November 18, 2019
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Rewarding Development and Suing Coaches
In this episode, we continue the dialog about bad apple officials, introduce some practical ways we can be intentional about coaching character, and share a warning story about a lawsuit against a JV baseball coach that dragged on for 7 years and cost $75,000 for telling a player to slide into third base. More Bad […]
Continue reading November 11, 2019
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Good Eggs and Bad Apples
We have good eggs in every community and bad apples that ruin it for everyone. In this episode, we talk about listener-provided examples – one of each.We have stories like this going on all over the world. I would love it if you sent me one or two that I can use on the show. […]
Continue reading November 4, 2019
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How To Win More Youth Soccer Games
This episode is about winning more youth soccer games. Everybody wants to win, right? So how specifically do Clubs, coaches, and teams ensure the wins? Continue on with me as we explore several ways in which you can win more games. These are tips and techniques that I have personally witnessed and are widely in […]
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
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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 October 7, 2019
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Making Choices in Youth Sports
Please consider leaving a comment and/or supporting the show financially (https://thesoccersidelines.com/go/). We can not control what happens to us in life, but we can control our reaction to what happens to us in life! This weekend, we came across the perfect example of poor sportsmanship. We could have reacted in a number of ways. The way […]
Continue reading September 30, 2019
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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 9, 2019
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Youth Sports Access and Affordability is at Risk
Support the Show (https://thesoccersidelines.com/go/) Access to affordable youth sports is at risk. It’s facing extinction in communities all across America. I’m afraid that too few people understand how precarious the situation is. In this article, I share two very personal stories that I hope illustrate the problem as well as some solutions. Volunteers Keep Costs Low […]
Continue reading August 26, 2019
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Playing Varsity Soccer Without Breaking the Bank
My team came to me two years go with the goal of playing varsity soccer. Today, my team makes up half the varsity bench. They didn’t pay thousands!
Continue reading August 5, 2019
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Passing the Microphone
I’ve spent the last two years and 90 episodes talking about the stuff that really matter in youth sports and hoping to help you understand and appreciate the game and better support your player(s). Now it’s your turn to connect here: https://thesoccersidelines.com/connect/ Your challenge is to use any of the connect options and tell me a story […]
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 22, 2019
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Is Youth Sports in the US Dying
Youth sports in the US is dying, not because the business model isn’t working, but because it is working too well. It’s drawing in $17 B at what expense?
Continue reading July 15, 2019
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Reliability In Youth Sports
If you think coaches are not paying attention in youth sports, don’t. They are. Things like being reliable matter. If you think I’m talking about just consistently hitting a crispy seam pass through defenders, I’m not. I’m talking about a players ability to make an honor commitments. Seemingly little things matter: being late to practice […]
Continue reading July 1, 2019
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Character Matters in Athlete Selection
Skills, fitness, physicality… It’s all important. And it’s often an athlete’s Character that helps them make the cut. Character matters.
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 13, 2019
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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 readingOvercoming the Challenge of Letting Our Kids Go
All birds have to leave the nest or they will die. Our kids have to find their own lives too. They are going to leave. It’s not a matter of if they will leave. It’s a matter of when AND how well prepared will they be when they do. Letting our kids go is a challenge […]
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 readingMental Health in Soccer
Mental Health in Soccer runs deeper and more silent that most of us have given much thought to. In this episode, I share my thoughts and research after a discussion with a mental health nurse in a UK training camp, then I share three things that we can do as parents or as coaches to help our kids manage some mental health issues before they become issues.
Continue reading April 1, 2019
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Parent Engagement in Youth Sports
Youth Sport is bigger than any player. We do our best to let them go and let them play when they’re on the field. That’s a good thing. But coaches only get kids for at maximum, 2 or 3 hours at a time. Parent drive them around, pay for their access, eat and play with […]
Continue reading March 25, 2019
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Improving Access To The Game
Not enough kids have access to the game. Language barriers, cultural differences, and financial paywalls are leaving significant numbers of kids on the sidelines. How big is the problem and what can we do about it?
Continue reading March 18, 2019
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Better Coaching With John O’Sullivan
“What do you remember about the best coach you ever had?” John O’Sullivan asked. He had passed out yellow sticky pads to all tables in the room and asked us to write down our top five characteristics- one per sticky. He stood in front of a room full of coaches, team managers, and a few […]
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
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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 25, 2019
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#69 – Volunteer Jobs That Support Kids
Supporting kids in our soccer clubs is more than coaching or being the snack parent. Volunteer jobs that support kids range from cleanup to marketing, to managing awards to organizing BBQ’s. Community Clubs are powered by volunteers of all kinds!
Continue reading February 18, 2019
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10 Ways to Be a Great Coach
There isn’t a polo shirt, a certification, or a hat with a badge that make someone into a good coach. Whether you’re trying your hand at coaching yourself or you’re a parent looking to find a good coach for your child to follow, here are 10 things that separate good coaches from bad ones. Safety […]
Continue reading#67 – Childhood Obesity Threatens to Cause More Cancer
We’re in trouble. Diseases related to obesity are riding into our communities at an alarming rate. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer… all on the backs of fat cells. Last Monday, the American Cancer Society released a report on a study published in The Lancet Public Health […]
Continue reading January 28, 2019
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#65 – Competitive Youth Soccer
Competition is a natural ingredient in the process of strengthening hearts, minds, and bodies. Without competition and struggle, we miss out on valuable opportunities. The question in this episode is: Why do we compete? What’s the end game? Is it to play on the world stage or is it to create stronger healthier adults? In […]
Continue reading January 21, 2019
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#64 – Follow The Golden Rule
This week, we’re in pre-season. There are lot’s of setup activities going on and in many places, buildings are mostly staff-only. That’s where I met Shauna. Shauna is a pretty typical employee working in the youth sports space. Her stories inspired me to share this episode as a cautionary tale for new parents and coaches. […]
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 January 7, 2019
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#62 – Cooperation Human Superpower
Many mammals cooperate, but most stick to cooperating with relatives. Human beings are different in that we have learned to cooperate with people we don’t know. This has made all the difference in our evolution. We’re genetically wired for cooperation, but our ability to cooperate is weakening. Some of the essential ingredients we need in order […]
Continue reading December 31, 2018
- in Coaching , Culture , Parents , Podcast by The Soccer Sidelines
#61 – Finding Success in Real Life
It’s time to take our youth sports character successes home! Moms and Dads are invited to come off the bench with me for this episode! Connect with me at podcast@thesoccersidelines.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSoccerSidelines/ Real Wins Happen in Real Life!It’s important to win. We should never be satisfied with losing. The drive to win pushes […]
Continue reading December 24, 2018
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Pay to Play in Youth Sports
Pay for play is unequal. It’s unfair. And it’s hurting youth sports more than it’s helping. Pay to play in youth sports has been a thing for at least 10 years. It’s a bad thing. And it’s something you should be aware of no matter what sport your kids are playing. Listen to the show for […]
Continue reading December 3, 2018
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#57 – Take Advantage When The Development Window is Open
Before you know it, your young athlete will be walking out the door for their first year of college. This comes fast! It’s important to realize that our kids are only on loan to us for a short period of time. Here is one way to make the best of it!Know Your Child’s Development WindowThere […]
Continue reading#56 – The Mental Game
The crucial difference between an elite performer and one who is good is often not visible to the casual observer. Having a good Mind Game can make all the difference! “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” Mark TwainAuthor It Doesn’t Matter the […]
Continue reading November 19, 2018
- in Coaching , Culture , Parents , Podcast , Volunteers by The Soccer Sidelines
#55 – Referee Respect!
Stand OutsSometimes, a really good referee just stands out in the crowd. It’s more than the calls. There is a comfort and synergy on the field, a connection with players and coaches, a message that carries on the wind that says to everyone: “we’re in good hands.” I met a set of referees this weekend that […]
Continue readingCommon Soccer Injuries
I’m literally typing with hunt and peck, and getting ready to head out to the Emergency Room (ER) as I produce this episode. Lot’s of good information here about soccer injuries, but I don’t have a lot of time to chat this week. I’m taking my own soccer injury to the doctor this AM. I should […]
Continue reading November 5, 2018
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#53 – Bad Referees
How Would You Deal With a Bad Referee?I had occasion to find out how I would deal with a bad referee this weekend. It didn’t go as well as I would have liked What would you do if you were faced with a bad referee situation? What is a Bad Referee?If you’ve been following this […]
Continue reading October 29, 2018
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#52 – The Heart of a Lion
What Makes a Winner? Can you lose a game and walk away as a winner? There is ZERO question that a youth player can be a winner when the scoreboard reads in favor of the other team. Let’s talk about how player can leave the field as winners – even when the score board says otherwise. […]
Continue reading October 22, 2018
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#51 – Being Beside THAT Mom or Dad
In the Line of FireThis past weekend, I was asked to be the Assistant Referee (AR) for my son’s 2003 travel game. I’m not a referee, but on this day I had just come from a game and was wearing my coaching uniform. We look like race cars on the field and stand out from […]
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 October 1, 2018
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#48 – Setting The Bar In Youth Sports
The Reason We CompeteCompetition between human beings has been around a long time. Paintings in the Lascaux caves in France, it is believed, show images of sprinting and wrestling around 15,300 years ago. Similar paintings and sculptures show humans participating in sports like wrestling, swimming, gymnastics, and archery in Mongolia, Libya, Japan, Iraq, Egypt, and […]
Continue reading September 24, 2018
- in Coaching , Culture , Parents , Podcast , Volunteers by The Soccer Sidelines
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#47 – Commitment Through Youth Sports
What is so Important About Commitment?Commitment makes The Soccer Sidelines “Important Stuff” list across all categories: parents, players, coaches, and volunteers. Commitment is a basic building block of the foundation for every youth athlete and is something that each member of a community – from parents and coaches, to organization leadership and volunteers – all […]
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 20, 2018
- in Coaching , Culture , Parents , Podcast by The Soccer Sidelines
#42 – Resilience in Sports
Making Lemonade out of LemonsThose with the power to take anything that is thrown their way and turn it into something positive truly have the power to save the world. When instead of seeing lemons, we see lemonade – when instead of seeing failure, we see opportunity, we rise above the common person and become […]
Continue reading July 16, 2018
- in Coaching , Culture , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Basics by The Soccer Sidelines
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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
- in Coaching , Culture , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Basics , Soccer Business , Volunteers by The Soccer Sidelines
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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 July 2, 2018
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#35 – Getting To Play Soccer
“Necessity is the Mother of Invention.” Plato Playing Soccer Can Cost Money and TimeWhile “the Beautiful Game” can be played with just a ball, a flat surface, and bare feet; in the US, we tend to throw in paid coaches, paid referees, field fees, travel fees, uniform fees, and we need to pay someone to […]
Continue reading June 25, 2018
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#34 – English Football in America
Partnering with Stoke CityIt’s taken months to put together a partnership with Stoke City Potters and Global Image Sports. This past weekend, we realized a major benefit from that partnership: an ID camp for kids throughout the region. We got rained out for part of the camp, but the camp continued – even when wet. […]
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 11, 2018
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#32 Earning and Owning What You Do
It Goes Back Thousands of YearsIf you wanted to be a medicine man (a Shaman) you couldn’t get there without some help. You needed to be recognized by your community as a Shaman before you could officially call yourself a Shaman. Someone else would have to see the Shaman in you and name what they […]
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 28, 2018
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The Soccer Mom Uber
Mom and Dad’s investment in soccer is not just money. It’s shopping for stuff, replacing stuff, cleaning stuff, picking up stuff, vacuuming the lawn of dead grass and astro turf bits that multiply in corners, cleaning scuff marks from car footwells, cleaning scuff marks from walls, scooping up a never ending tide of water bottles, […]
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 May 14, 2018
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#28 – Empowering Our Kids to Succeed
Who is Youth Sports For?Sometimes we forget one of the most important elements in youth sports – who everybody is working for. It’s not the coach, the Club President, mom or dad… it’s our future. It’s our future expressed by, shaped by, and executed by our children. I don’t mean to suggest that kids have the […]
Continue reading May 7, 2018
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#27 – Safety on a Soccer Field
“It is estimated that half of all sports-related injuries among children can be prevented. Protective equipment, safe playing conditions and the development and enforcement of safety rules help reduce the number and severity of sports injuries.” Sarah Cox Who is Responsible for Safety in Youth Sports? Players Parents Coaches RefereesHost Org Pre-Season check Be sure […]
Continue reading April 23, 2018
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#25 – Competition and Sportsmanship Through Youth Sports
Defining Competition in Youth SportsCompetition should be managed like a prescription drug. It’s really great for creating certain chemistries, but there should be warnings on the label. Mis-use or overuse of competition can be bad for your health. In this article, we explore the concept of competition in youth sports and share some perspectives from […]
Continue reading April 16, 2018
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Empathy Through Youth Sports
Being able to connect and empathize with teammates and our opponents is a powerful skill that youth sports helps us to develop. In this episode, we talk about learning empathy through youth sports – what it looks like, good examples, bad examples, and some things to look if you’re coaching character development in your program. Too often, […]
Continue reading April 9, 2018
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#23 – Integrity Through Youth Sports
”We look for three things when we hire people. We look for intelligence, we look for initiative or energy, and we look for integrity. And if they don’t have the latter, the first two will kill you, because if you’re going to get someone without integrity, you want them lazy and dumb. I mean, you […]
Continue reading March 26, 2018
- in Coaching , Culture , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Basics by The Soccer Sidelines
#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 19, 2018
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#20 – Protecting Our Kids From Predators_Youth Protection
This episode made me sad to have to deliver, but this is a subject that is important to talk about. Better now than after another child is abused. Violations of youth protection result in pain that can last a lifetime. It’s important to talk about the pain that’s already happened, but it is equally important […]
Continue reading February 19, 2018
- in Culture , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Business by The Soccer Sidelines
#16 – How Much Does it Cost to Play Soccer – Part 2 (The Programs)
In this episode, Part 2 of How Much Does It Cost To Play Soccer, we dive into the programs available. We reveal what each program costs in the area we live in, and what you get for the money you pay. [spp-player] Anyone new to the game of soccer – or interested in exploring hat’s […]
Continue reading February 5, 2018
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#14 – Bundle of Sticks – Playing Together to Achieve Team Synergies
Sticks in a bundle can’t be broken but sticks taken singly can be easily broken. Same applies to people. [spp-player] One of the most potent superpowers any team has is Unity. In this episode, we talk about creating unity on the field, amplifying it at home, and using Unity as a measure of a game’s effectiveness. […]
Continue reading January 29, 2018
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#13 – Talent is Only Part of Success in Sports
Inspired by an article written by Fred Bowen of the Washington Post titled “Athletic Ability is just a part of success in sports,” we hear what 5 high school coaches are looking for from players beyond athletic ability. [spp-player] We also hear about what Tom Statham from Manchester United’s Youth program has to say about […]
Continue reading January 15, 2018
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#11 – Making Community Connections
Youth Sports is a rallying point in the community for many families. In this episode, we look at a real-world scenario where a family in trouble reached out to a Club, and the Club came through. More than 15 volunteers delivered a FUNd-raising tournament that raised 4 digit donations and sent a message loud and […]
Continue reading January 8, 2018
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#10 – How to Be Intentional About Development
After the crowds go home, the final scores are tallied, and our youth athletes leave the field for the last time, it’s on to real life. Whatever education they were able to pick up; coupled with the tools they got from their youth sports, home life, volunteer, and other club activities; are all that our […]
Continue reading December 18, 2017
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Moms and Dads Can Coach – But Should They?
My first day of coaching started off, literally, in a lawn chair on the sidelines of my kid’s soccer game. The coach’s assistant, a dad of one of the kids on the field, couldn’t make the game. The coach, another dad of one of the kids on the team, needed someone to keep the time. […]
Continue reading December 4, 2017
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Making Mistakes in Youth Sports is Good
Mistakes are a part of life. When we stop making mistakes, it usually means we stop trying to do anything. Without mistakes, we stop growing and we encourage those around us to stop growing. So why are we so bitter about our mistakes? In this episode, we talk about the value of making mistakes in youth […]
Continue reading November 13, 2017
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Entertainment vs Development Culture
Culture affects everything about the youth sports experience. In this episode, we will explore the two primary cultures found in youth sports: the Entertainment Culture and the Development Culture. Which one you chose or create depends on the outcomes you want. In an Entertainment culture, attention centers around the game. Practices are preparation for games. Games […]
Continue reading November 7, 2017
- in Coaching , Culture , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Basics , Volunteers by The Soccer Sidelines
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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