Author: Gordy

I have served in the capacity of the board-appointed leadership role (since 2014), and on the board since 2010.  I farm in west-central Minnesota. My prior business background includes co-founder and owner of Davis, Thomas & Associates, Inc. (DTA) with offices in Minneapolis MN, Chicago IL, and Bangalore India.  I was a former systems programmer in the banking, hospital, and transportation industries.

Something New – Integration at work

Making it Easy for the Administrator

Most of the organizations or teams we work with have a team management system. MOTI has an interface for some of those team management systems to make using our system easy for administrators. SportsEngine is one of them.

We recently upgraded our SportsEngine interface and will be doing more very soon to simplify roster management between our 3D Sports Soccer Training Platform Rosters and SportsEngine.

Onboarding

Our SportsEngine Roster Interface for Roster Onboarding is done by the league administrator.

Now the league administrator can:

  • login to MOTI
  • drop down onto a team
  • Go to the Roster
  • Click Import and then select the team name from SportsEngine to import
  • Go to the organization view
  • Select the next team to drop onto to

Enabling one-button onboarding – Coming Soon

We are looking at improving this process and are working to implement a solution that will enable the league administrator to select the team(s) to onboard.  The league administrator will be able to:

  • Create the Team Name from SportsEngine
    • Onboard the coaches and players to the respective team
    • Allow the league admin to select the type & style of Team Training content put on the team as it is created

One Button League Roster Refresh – Coming Soon

MOTI is working on developing a team roster “Refresh” function, so once a day while the season is starting up, the administrator after making their changes to the rosters can “refresh” the rosters on the MOTI teams. 

MOTI Sports joins SportsEngine Marketplace

MOTI Sports joins SportsEngine Marketplace to Provide MOTI’s 3D Soccer Training Platform and MOTI Soccer App (previously known as MOTI Mobile) to Coaches and Players.

MOTI Sports, Inc. joined the SportsEngine Marketplace to offer MOTI’s 3D Soccer Training solution to coaches and players via MOTI’s Soccer app. Successful soccer programs need volunteer coaches that are consistently training the players using appropriate techniques (foot skills) and activities (drills) for the players to have fun and thrive. This need makes MOTI Sports 3D Soccer Training & MOTI Soccer App the perfect complement for SportsEngine’s soccer organizations volunteer coaches & players. Using the MOTI Soccer App enables coaches to have a season’s practice session plans in their hands to follow, that are visually engaging, easy to understand, and are narrated with all the coaching points to follow.  Players using the MOTI Soccer App develop their techniques using the 3D motion-capture skills and quickly learn close ball control skills. Organizations now have a method to have different age/skill teams using the same 3D curriculum with analytics providing feedback to the organization, coach, and player.

MOTI Sports is an industry leader in using 3D animation in youth sports training, enabling coaches and players to watch and study techniques and activities from any perspective, increasing comprehension and speeding development.

“Many organizations struggle to recruit and staffing volunteer coaches, working to ensure they have a proper training curriculum in their hands that they understand how it works, and a way of walking the new coach through running a proper training session. MOTI provides organizations with a solution of putting that session plan in the hands of their coaches and player’s practice-by-practice, week-by-week supporting them through the entire season,” says Gordy Thomas, CEO of MOTI Sports. “Eliminating the guesswork of what practice sessions should consist of, MOTI provides proven choices of both Play-Practice-Play and Traditional Skill-Drill-Game-Development methods for the organization to choose from”.

Coaches will view and reference the session plans on average 30 times during the season. On average, coaches will see specific techniques 65 and activities 29 times for a total average viewing time of just under 2 hours per coach (depending on their experience).

  • “This is a game-changer for us – many of our coaches at the younger ages have little to no training in soccer. MOTI allows us provide these coaches with a continuum of lesson plans they can see and understand and easily utilize. The coaches are now better prepared to meet needs of the players with developmentally appropriate soccer training, “says David Tarleton, President North Metro Soccer Association.
  • Melonie Robran, Treasurer Corcoran Soccer remarked, “I am really glad we tried it. I think it was a phenomenal tool that provided our coaches something substantial that they could teach their players. We’re a rec league so we get some coaches, who may not take that opportunity, but the ones who are ready for it and the players who want to learn more certainly utilized it. We are very pleased with the first season results.” ”
  • Steve Doimer, Director of Coaching for Wright County Soccer said “MOTI is giving us everything we need in our hand to run a decent session. We can run everything from an average session to a fantastic session, and that it just depends on where that coach is in their development as well. The difference being is that coach that is just running a decent session would be running a bad session without it.”

“We are excited to welcome MOTI Sports to the SportsEngine Marketplace,” said Jody Vogelaar, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Content, SportsEngine. “Providing coaches and volunteers with tools like the ones MOTI offers is part of our mission to help streamline processes and save coaches time so they can spend more time focused on their athletes.”

About MOTI™ Sports, Inc.

MOTI™ Sports Inc. is a software company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. MOTI specializes in the development and delivery of software and 3D digital content for use by coaches, players, parents, and fans in youth sports  (6 – 12 years old).  MOTI™ Sports Inc. helps its customers by providing tools & subscriptions which enable coaches to utilize and or design and share plays with their team through a “3D Gaming” medium.  Coaches, teachers, players, students, and parents learn how to execute unique plays and movements associated with their individual sports. Fans can use the tools to engage in their favorite sport through a new medium.

To learn more, visit https://motisports.com, facebook.com/motisportsinc,  twitter.com/motisportsinc, instagram.com/motisports/?hl=en

About SportsEngine, Inc.

Helping the world play smarter and live more, SportsEngine, Inc., an NBC Sports Group company, is the leading software provider of sport life management solutions for 35MM coaches, parents, athletes, and sport relationship management applications for more than 1MM clubs, leagues, governing bodies, and associations. SportsEngine helps sports organizations around the globe reduce the time they spend on administrative tasks, and enables them to focus more on developing their athletes, providing safe experiences, and furthering the love of sport.

Learn more at: http://www.sportsengine.com, Facebook.com/sportsengine; or twitter.com/@sportsengine .

Remember your most loyal supporter at home!

During soccer season coaches and players are going non-stop to practices, clinics, training, and games. Hours of traveling, sitting at practices or games, added laundry,  meals on the go, and missed weekly chores are all part of the normal chaos that is part of the soccer season. All too often we take for granted the support we receive at home. Whether it is a parent driving us to practice/game, shopping for shoes, or a spouse that is taking on extra duties around the house so you can focus on coaching or playing, now we need to recognize our base of support and thank them!

I know from experience over the years and thousands of hours of volunteering in community-based activities, boards, and working with teams of youth, I could not have done it without my home base of support.

So, take a moment this season and thank those around you that provide you with encouragement and support, allowing you as a coach or player to have the time to work at this beautiful game.

It’s not time to make a change, just relax and take it easy?

November and early December allow most organizations to pause and reflect a bit.  Board meetings will bring up new topics, as new board members come on board and try to rejuvenate the organization’s leadership. High School awards banquets or Club banquets celebrate the players and coaching achievements, and often the parental involvement for being supporters of their players.  Many organizations are beginning to work hard to improve skills with their competitive players, and in some cases, that is in-doors.

The buzz among soccer coaching directors, recreational directors, and organizational leadership  revolves around several questions regarding training, retaining and growing youth players in that 13+ age range.

  • How do we increase the percentage of players in recreation moving up to competitive, to greater than 30%?
  • How do we decrease the fall off of the 60-70% of the players at age 13+ that leave the game?
  • Should we try the Play-Practice-Play methodology to increase the “Fun” factor in hopes of both retaining players and improving their soccer skill set?
  • How do we continue to provide advanced skills, techniques and tactics to players as they grow past the “parent coach” expertise level?

Yet, the conclusion is as you walk around and listen to the conversations, nothing seems to be breaking this pattern.

At MOTI Sports, we believe young players in recreation need to begin learning a solid foundation of foot skills/techniques.  

As young players begin to learn basic ball handling techniques, it becomes apparent their confidence and self-esteem increases.  Success from maintaining possession grows proportionally with the close ball skill handling, passing lane awareness and increasing the rapid movement of the ball between team-mates.  They develop the skills to beat their opponent and learn to restrict the player movements of opposing players.  They experience success, and it continues to grow.

During this lull between Thanksgiving and Christmas, consider making a change. Bringing in skills training at the lower level of recreational soccer really helps players (and their parents) get involved in their own development if they have a mind to do that.

Change the stigma, so success is measured on the players’ ability to play, and not on their family’s ability to travel and pay for experienced coaching. Create community opportunities for solid recreational league 13+ (non-traveling) play so that players who cannot afford or parents, who don’t have the spare time to drive everywhere, have a viable socially acceptable alternative.

Hey, bring players back into the community, don’t make them leave.

You don’t need to hire a coach, as in most cases you have a coach. They grew up with your players and have been developing their skills right along with the players.

When enjoying a quiet moment this Holiday season, ask yourself: “is it time to make a change?”  It just might be the perfect time to do just that.

Happy Holidays!

MOTI Soccer App – In-App-Subscriptions for Foot Skills (Techniques) Available

MOTI™ Sports is pleased to announce in our latest release of MOTI Soccer the availability of in-app-subscriptions. 

We are making our famous 3D Foot Skills available for youth soccer players in both boys and girls models. We have several development levels available:

  • Foundation Foot Skills – contains eight (8) narrated 3D motion-captured skills and 2 exercise 3D drills for beginning players – Priced at $0.99 per month
  • Advanced Foot Skills – contains nine (9) narrated 3D motion-captured skills and 2 exercise 3D drills for players who have mastered the Foundation Foot Skills – Priced at $1.49 per month
  • Premier Foot Skills – contains eleven (11) narrated 3D motion capture skills and 2 exercises 3D drills for players who have mastered the Advanced Foot Skills – Priced at $1.99 per month

Users, who require Spanish, can change the language in the app user profile and on the display.

To subscribe to our 3D Skills, look for the Shopping Bag in the App (In-App Purchase) in either the App-View or soon in our next app release in Web-View.

If you haven’t already, download the MOTI Soccer App for FREE at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now.

Where are youth playing soccer in the USA?

Across the USA soccer appears as the corner stone of attracting youth and their parents as one of the best team sports. From the ages of 5 up to 12 years old, soccer is played everywhere. While all the groups below have differing offerings, the idea and end results remain the same. Get the players on a team to:

  • Have fun
  • Exercise
  • Learn skills
  • Learn to work together as a team (team work)
  • Build relationships
  • Learn to communicate
  • Develop self –confidence
  • Develop empathy for others

Recently, in visiting with a several people, I learned that depending on the “level” of soccer parents sign their player up for, the cost can range from as low as $30 to $4,500 and beyond to be “on the team”.

While considering investing in their coaching and programming, parents may wish to ask themselves:

” Are my children benefiting greatly from a high cost program, or is the perception that because my children are in a high cost program, it is changing their or my status in the community?”

They won’t pass the ball

Do you remember when they wouldn’t pass the ball to you?

 Do you remember? That “feeling” when as a youth player you first began playing the game; another player passed the ball to you, and you lost the ball to the other team because you misjudged how to handle the pass. Then later on in the game that “feeling” you experienced when, you were “open to receive,” and the other players would not pass the ball to you because they thought you’d lose the ball to the other team. 

Young players from the age of 4-5 years old upward, know when not to pass the ball to another player with a limited skill set. 

Youth players come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have family members, friends, or neighbors to work with them, guiding them in their skill set development; some do not. 

We believe, and it is our goal to provide every young person that has the desire to learn a skill, the opportunity to “See it, and Do it.” We understand that the vast majority of young players are visual learners. Other players require auditory instruction. Finally, there all players need to practice, so the kinetic mind-to-foot muscle eye-foot coordination becomes second nature. 

Many parent volunteer coaches or family members do not know how to square up and strike the ball accurately. Incorrectly learning a skill can become problematic, because if a skill mastered incorrectly, it can take several hundred repetitions to re-learn a skill correctly. 

Young players are sensitive to their standing among their peer group. It is essential to guide their skill development properly. 

Next time you see a player lose the ball because of improper handling of the ball, and you know what their feeling, suggest they spend some time with the MOTI Soccer App (previously known as MOTI mobile) working on their close-quarter ball-handling skills. We’ve seen players as young as 5 years old be able to “watch and learn” these skills time and time again. 

Tips for Coaches using the MOTI App

Coaches using the MOTI Soccer App (previously known as MOTI Mobile) do several basic functions on a weekly basis. This short article will guide you thru these basic functions as if you were on your phone vs a desktop platform.

1. Set-up the App to save your password, so you do not need to enter it every time

a. Before signing in Check the box on the Sign-In saying “Remember Me”

b. Switch to APP VIEW from Web View, by pressing the button at the bottom of the Screen. If you see the “Gear” or Settings Button at the top of the Screen and the bottom button says “SWITCH TO WEB VIEW” – Then you are in APP VIEW.

c. Touch the “Gear” or Settings Menu to open it.

d. Slide the “Save Password” to Yes

e. Side the Switch for “Use Web as mobile UI” to YES

f. Now Sign Out and Sign back in once again entering your password. Now your Password  will be remembered as well as your Username

2. “What is the Hamburger Menu”, “Where are my Practice Plans”,” How to Schedule a Practice Plan”?

a. On the left is the position of the Hamburger Menu (3 horizontal lines), Once touched on the right the Navigation Menu will expand and appear.

b. Touching Titles listed in the Navigation Menu will cause those features (if optioned) to appear

c. Touch the Plan Library to see the Practice Plan Library

d. Touching a Plan Name allows you to View the plan

e. To Schedule a Plan for players to see (Players can only see Plans that are scheduled and when it is the next in chronological order to view, or previous plans where the date is in the past), Click the 3 DOTs to the Right of the Plan Name and Modify the Plan Date, Time & Location pressing SUBMIT when finished

3. “Have my players signed on to see the Plan”?

a. Select the Hamburger Menu and then touch the ROSTER on the Navigation Menu

b. Look them up in the ROSTER

c. You can ADD PLAYER here if necessary

d. If they have not logged in, touching the 3 DOTS Allows you to Resend Invitation

e. You can also touch ANALYTICS off the Navigation Menu as well and view how many times they have logged and more. This takes time to display as it is viewing history so be patient. Also some of these functions display better in a larger display such as a tablet or laptop, which is recommended