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 […]
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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!
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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 […]
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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 […]
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<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 […]
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It is official. US Soccer has shut down the US Soccer Development Academy effective immediately. This is officially due to “…extraordinary and unexpected circumstances around the COVID-19 pandemic…” but SoccerWire and other news outlets suggest that there is more to the story. Rumors, articles, social media, and blog posts have been circulating for days. Let’s talk […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Happy President’s Day 2020! Big news in the world of US Soccer this week. Full episode coming soon after the holiday. Get ready!
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None of us are perfect parents. Let’s talk about a parenting and work promotion tool that is within your reach. Improve your parenting and your career!
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Sorry I’m out this week at the united Soccer Coaches Annual convention. I’ll be back with some cool stuff from that event later in the week! Meanwhile, have a quick look though my back catalogue! There are lot’s of episodes here that might be interesting for you. 🙂 https://thesoccersidelines.com/shows-menu/ Please: support the show and join our community […]
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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 […]
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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?
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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 […]
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Individual development vs organized team sports – let’s explore swimming vs soccer and the ways we support our youth in each environment.
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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
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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. […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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
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Travel tournaments can be full of excitement and fun. What are the pros and cons of travel tournaments for our players and families?
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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 […]
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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, […]
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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 […]
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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, […]
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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 […]
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Support the Show Finishing in the game of soccer is a string of a complex series of actions and thoughts that end with a net rattle. The finishing mentality follows a flow, from the goalkeeper and defenders through the midfield, to the player taking the shot. Each player in the chain processes a three-part Do loop […]
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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!
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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?
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Support the Show and our Mission Dealing with loss in life can be a profoundly life-changing experience. Learning to deal with loss on a smaller scale before the big life-changing losses affect our lives is a way for us to learn some basic things about staying positive, turning negative experiences into positive ones, and more. In […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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?
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Skills, fitness, physicality… It’s all important. And it’s often an athlete’s Character that helps them make the cut. Character matters.
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Whether you’re a coach, a parent, or an interested observer, you bring more than your lawn chair to a game. You bring your ability to spot leadership, form a thought about that leadership, courage to share your thoughts, and an ability to express yourself. These are powerful tools! Accidental leadership may not even be noticed by […]
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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 […]
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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. […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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In Episode 34 I first revealed our partnership with Global Image Sports and the Stoke City Potter. I interviewed Andy Foxall from the Stoke City Academy after we spent a few days together running the Maryland ID Camp together. Then in Episode 40, I talked about taking my kids to Atlanta for the National Soccer […]
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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.
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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 […]
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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?
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“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 […]
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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. […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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What does it take to bring parents, players, and coaches together around the concept of Team? We start every season as individuals, and we hopefully walk off the field at the end of every season as something more. This is a question that parents and coaches wrestle with in every state in this great country. […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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. […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Physical literacy in kids comes from a healthy range of activities. Each activity exposes athletes to new physical vocabularies. The best…
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Measuring performance is one of the best ways to ensure consistent improvement. Let’s talk about keeping statistics that really matter in youth soccer
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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“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 […]
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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. […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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, […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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“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 […]
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This is About Your MissionFundraising is about finding more fuel for your club or organization. We simply can’t do what our mission calls us to do without money. As a youth sports club, a school, or a not-for-profit, even if you think you’re all set, the reality is: there are people we could and should be […]
Continue readingDefining 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 […]
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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, […]
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”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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Making college affordable is something we’d like to hear more about. In this show we tap insider knowledge and review 5 financial models that do that!
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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 […]
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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 readingIn 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 […]
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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 […]
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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 readingInspired 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[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 readingYouth 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 readingAfter 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 […]
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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[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 […]
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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. […]
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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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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 […]
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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 […]
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Striking a balance between under and over challenging players on the soccer field can mean the difference between a good experience and a bad experience. Too much of a challenge can lead to frustration. Too little of a challenge can lead to boredom and a lack of engagement. We call the sweet spot being “Age […]
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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 […]
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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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