US Women’s National Team Has Fun!

Watching the US Women’s National Team win the World Cup was a joy for me.  It was not just the victories nor the celebrations by the players and the fans.  It was the tremendous skill seen by player after player, all executing at such a high level and at such a pace.

It was Morgan’s Cruyff move for a goal verses Thailand or her laces volley verses Japan, Heath’s fake shot to the outside and goal verses Sweden,  and  Rapinoe’s inside of the foot no panic pass to the back of the net verses England that I loved to see.

And then on the biggest stage, the World Cup Championship Game, to see Lavelle sprinting at pace from the top of the center circle, executing a perfect scissors, fake right, goes left, hits an inside of the foot shot from just inside the box to the lower right hand corner side netting.  Awesome goal.

I wonder how all these National Team players learned to develop the basic skills necessary to play at this high level and at the pace they perform.  What do you think?

It is our belief at MOTI that the fundamental skills of the game can be learned by anyone, at any age, simply by seeing the skills, hearing the correct coaching points and practicing them in your own back yard or playground. 

Once that firm foundation is built, who knows what heights a player might reach.  Most importantly though the game becomes fun.  The confidence grows.  And who knows, there you might be some day on the biggest stage of all executing a touch or a move that you learned while playing sharks and minnows for your U6 recreational team, in your back yard or playground during recess.

By Brad Carlson

Brad has coached a variety of sports in the community, middle school, and high school for 40 years including coaching the MN 2021 Class A State High School Champion.  He has coached soccer from U6 at the recreational level to U19 at the club level and all age groups at the high school level, including 11 years as a head coach.  He holds a USSF "B" coaching license and USC diplomas.