March 15, 2021
- in Coaching , COVID-19 , Medical , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Business , Volunteers by The Soccer Sidelines
Returning to Youth Sports
Returning to youth sports is something we all want to see happen – the sooner the better. Let’s get ready for the fun to come!
Continue reading June 15, 2020
- in Coaching , COVID-19 , Medical , Parents , Podcast , Volunteers by The Soccer Sidelines
Returning to Play
At long last, it’s time to try to get back to the field. What we’re returning to looks very different from what it used to be like before COVID-19, but it’s a start. In this episode, let’s talk about who’s returning to play, how we’re returning to play, and take in a good example of […]
Continue reading March 16, 2020
- in Coaching , Culture , Medical , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Business , Volunteers by The Soccer Sidelines
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 February 3, 2020
- in Coaching , Medical , Parents , Podcast by The Soccer Sidelines
Playing on More Than One Team
This episode was inspired by another great sideline chat. This one was between myself and a soccer day on the side of our futsal court last weekend. His son is looking at playing for more than one soccer team at the same time in the Spring. He was asking me about it & it reminded […]
Continue reading January 27, 2020
- in Coaching , Culture , Medical , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Business , Volunteers by The Soccer Sidelines
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 October 14, 2019
- in Coaching , Culture , Medical , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Basics by The Soccer Sidelines
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 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 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 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 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#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 December 17, 2018
- in Coaching , Medical , Parents , Podcast by The Soccer Sidelines
#59 – Parents Are Not Perfect – And Should Not Try to Be
The bottom line up front: it’s normal for kids and parents to experience conflict during the process of letting go. Kids are genetically wired to create conflict – no matter what you do or how you do it – so that they can achieve a more grown-up state of autonomy, independence, responsibility… all the things […]
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 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 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 September 10, 2018
- in Coaching , Culture , Medical , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Basics by The Soccer Sidelines
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 September 3, 2018
- in Coaching , Medical , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Business by The Soccer Sidelines
Effective Weather Policy for Youth Soccer
Who Cares?”How’s the weather?” is a common conversation opener, but when I hear it, I brace myself for a boring discussion. I get it. This is important stuff though. People have been hurt or killed, and thousands of games get cancelled or delayed every season. I’ve heard parents and coaches complain about a closure or […]
Continue reading May 7, 2018
- in Coaching , Culture , Medical , Parents , Podcast , Soccer Business , Volunteers by The Soccer Sidelines
#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 2, 2018
- in Coaching , Medical , Parents , Podcast by The Soccer Sidelines
#22 – Concussions in Soccer
Concussions may as well be called “the invisible injury.” They happen to an organ which is completely enclosed by bone and usually covered by hair. It’s hard to see a concussion – and consequently, it is often underestimated. In this episode, we describe concussive injuries, put them in context of soccer related activities, explain how to […]
Continue reading December 11, 2017
- in Coaching , Medical , Parents , Podcast by The Soccer Sidelines
Dehydration Effects on Athletic Performance
In this episode we’re going to talk about dehydration effects on athletic performance. Dehydration decreases mental and physical performance both on the field and in school in dramatic ways. Not staying hydrated, for example, cut performance by nearly 50% in laboratory studies for patients who were just walking!Dehydration affects the body and the mind in many […]
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