Learn – 4v4v4 Quick Combination Play

Quick combination play focuses on attacking possession, the ability of players, and players always looking and finding space. This is part of our High School Training for Coaches Curriculum, part of the Rondo and Possession Series referenced here:

Learn about another activity: Shooting 5v5v5 Crosses on Goal

Get the Soccer Training app:

MOTI Soccer App to watch in 3Dfor Android: https://motisports.com/google-soccer-app/

 MOTI Soccer App to watch in 3D for iOS: https://motisports.com/apple-soccer-app/

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post 4v4v4 Quick Combination Play appeared first on MOTI Sports.

Cruyff Turn – MOTI Soccer app – 3D Skill

Cruyff Giro – Watch in Español

Check out another skill: Single Scissors 1v1 Skill

Get the MOTI Soccer training app:
MOTI Soccer for Android: https://motisports.com/google-soccer-app/
 MOTI Soccer for iOS: https://motisports.com/apple-soccer-app/

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post Cruyff Turn appeared first on MOTI Sports.

When you first start coaching – be it your initial foray as a parent coach or the beginning of a new season with a new team for a more seasoned recreational coach, figuring out what to cover in a practice can be daunting. This is often especially true after you have seen them in their first competition – the list of “things they need to work on” feels endless. But you’ve got to start somewhere, and it’s best to go in with a plan.

Start with a Plan:

First, give some thought to the skills you would like to introduce and the topics you would generally like to cover over the span of the season and work from there. Be realistic and age/developmentally appropriate with your expectations and goals.

Pick a theme for the practice. Keep it focused. Don’t worry too much about correcting non-theme-related “issues” that come up in that practice (might be no need to address a missed passing opportunity if you are introducing and working on moves to get around a defender)

Incorporate that theme into the progressive stages of your session: warm-up, drills, and game-type situations. Emphasize throughout. Regardless of the theme – keep it fun and keep them active.

Be over-prepared. Occasionally an activity will be a bust and you’ll need to change course. Having extra theme-related ideas as part of your plan will prevent you from panicking and (hopefully) the 7-year-olds from finding the dandelions more interesting than practice.

Keep building on the themes each week. But repeating an entire practice plan (with tweaks based on what worked and what didn’t) can be a good thing for everyone too!

Playing – scrimmaging is sometimes the best teacher!

And finally, whether it be at the beginning of practice as players are arriving (great incentive for kids to arrive on time) or at the end as your final activity, it is always a good idea to give them an opportunity to just play at each session– scrimmaging with no restrictions and little to no coaching!

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHES CORNER: When you first start coaching appeared first on MOTI Sports.

Single Scissors – Technical Training

Learn about another skill: Outside Hook Turn Skill

Get the Soccer Training app:
MOTI Soccer for Android: https://motisports.com/google-soccer-app/
 MOTI Soccer for iOS: https://motisports.com/apple-soccer-app/

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post Single Scissors appeared first on MOTI Sports.

Congratulations Alan!

On November 7th, 2021 Alan Merrick (MOTI Sports’ Director of Soccer Content) a veteran football/soccer player was recognized by his first professional club joining the “100 game club” and recognized as their 481st professional player in the 143-year history of the West Bromwich Football Club (founded in 1878 in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England).

Why is this important? 

Recognition of a players’ achievements in life allows young aspiring players to have inspirational role models and career paths mapped out before them as potential paths for personal and vocational growth.

Learning to play and compete in Football/Soccer, not only gives us purpose and numerous physical and interpersonal skills, it prepares us to work as a member of a team with a collection of individual talents working towards one goal.

Being able to see and witness this achievement puts a spark of direction and determination inside each person observing the recognition event.
Today, it is important to show youth, vocational and professional paths that are opportunities to be followed. Not everyone will be that lead player, but there are enumerable positions for supporting our teams along the way.

The Albion Tie and Albion Players Cap were presented by Ray Wilson former teammate of Alan’s now the Chairman of the West Bromwich Albion Former Players Association The Cap represents Alan being the 481st player to play for WBA the Tie for playing over 100 first-team appearances with a total of 153 during his 10-year career at Albion.

Visit the West Bromwich Football Club website

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post Alan Merrick #481 appeared first on MOTI Sports.

The fall season is short and hopefully (mostly) sweet. But that doesn’t mean it is without challenges. Often times everyone involved starts a season with renewed energy and optimism. There is a plan and goals for where things will ideally be when the final final whistle blows. This is, however, all before school starts and daylight gets shorter and maybe that master plan isn’t going quite as expected…

If a mid-season dip sets in, what can a coach do to help reinvigorate effort, focus and fun? Sometimes it requires going off-script and changing the plan. Try to figure out what the team actually needs. For younger players, this might mean less drills and possibly some time relay races, 1v1 to goal or more free play. For older players, it helps to ask them for feedback. Take the pulse from some of the trusted leaders on the squad. Maybe an extra day off? Is a relaxed team-building practice needed?

Regardless, the fall can and should be a magical time to play – and at the center of it all is the team experience. Building the energy and momentum of the team as a whole can be a valuable shift of focus and an important motivator to get everyone through the final weeks still smiling and remembering why they love the beautiful game.

View another COACH’S CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACH’S CORNER: Team Building as a Mid-Season Pick-Me-Up appeared first on MOTI Sports.

Minute with Merrick – Meaningful Connections – Episode 11 – MOTI Sports

Watch the previous Episode 2 the Rabbit Hole

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post Minute with Merrick – Meaningful Connections – Episode 11 appeared first on MOTI Sports.

• Emphasize: Choose one or two skills to focus on each training session. After players have learned to do a skill without pressure, incorporate it into the rest of that training session (and the next one!) and give them opportunities to try it in game-like situations. Remind players before the end-of-practice scrimmage or prior to a game that you are looking for a certain skill. Challenge them to spend 10 minutes working on the skill at home between practices.
• Encourage: Players need extra incentive to try something new and something they might not find immediate success with. Give a certain skill extra weight/points for that practice or put a restriction on their play that they need to do the skill before they can shoot or score. Keep track of how many times players do a certain skill during a game.
• Praise: In the early stages just trying is a success and should be highly praised! Verbalize and show excitement around your observation of attempts and fully executed skills to the other players, to the individual as they are substituted off, to the whole team at half-time or to a parent and player as you walk off the pitch after the final whistle.

Get the MOTI Soccer app and try it for free.

Get the MOTI Soccer Training app:
MOTI Soccer for Android: https://motisports.com/google-soccer-app/
MOTI Soccer for iOS: https://motisports.com/apple-soccer-app/

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post Making Skills Stick appeared first on MOTI Sports.

MOTI Sports Passing Side Foot Skill. Best viewed in the MOTI Soccer app. Get it now on your Android or iOS device.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post Passing Side Foot 2021 appeared first on MOTI Sports.

When you first start coaching – be it your initial foray as a parent coach or the beginning of a new season with a new team for a more seasoned recreational coach, figuring out what to cover in a practice can be daunting. This is often especially true after you have seen them in their first competition – the list of “things they need to work on” feels endless. But you’ve got to start somewhere, and it’s best to go in with a plan.

First, give some thought to the skills you would like to introduce and the topics you would generally like to cover over the span of the season and work from there. Be realistic and age/developmentally appropriate with your expectations and goals.

Pick a theme for the practice. Keep it focused. Don’t worry too much about correcting non-theme related “issues” that come up in that practice (might be no need to address a missed passing opportunity if you are introducing and working on moves to get around a defender)

Incorporate that theme into the progressive stages of your session: warm up, drills, game-type situation. Emphasize throughout. Regardless of the theme – keep it fun and keep them active.

Be over prepared. Occasionally an activity will be a bust and you’ll need to change course. Having extra theme related ideas as part of your plan will prevent you from panicking and (hopefully) the 7 year olds from finding the dandelions more interesting than practice.

Keep building on the themes each week. But repeating an entire practice plan (with tweaks based on what worked and what didn’t) can be a good thing for everyone too!

And finally, whether it be at the beginning of practice as players are arriving (great incentive for kids to arrive on time) or at the end as your final activity, it is always a good idea to give them an opportunity to just play at each session– scrimmaging with no restrictions and little to no coaching!

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHES CORNER: When you first start coaching appeared first on MOTI Sports.

When asked, via text, from friends and family about how my boys and I are doing during this stay at home time, I inevitably respond, “We have each had our meltdowns, but are mostly hanging in there.” This is the truth. Some days are definitely better than others.

I have seen several jokes about the ups and downs of having a “quarenTWEEN” – and I can relate. Having usually active 11 and 13-year old’s that are now doing remote learning, often begrudgingly, while also managing my own full-time work from home has presented a fair share of emotions and drama – from all of us. However, we have also done our best to find moments of gratitude, try to make the most of it, and come up with a loose “quaranROUTINE” that includes drinking more water and getting outside together to move our bodies in some way every day. We are trying to take this “opportunity” of togetherness and no official schedule to work on things that we did not have or find the time for previously.

With no recess, gym, or organized sports, the boys have not had their regular outlets for competition, so one thing we have adopted is (mostly) friendly water challenges. None of us in our household usually drinks enough of this liquid gold – so we are working on creating a new habit while also having fun with it. We sprinkle random water slams and races throughout the day. Any of us can declare one at any time, and when someone makes the call, we all must step up to drink up the H20. Win-win.

My younger, the dog, and I have been running a mile a day. It was exciting to see his progress as I encouraged him the first couple of times, we got out there. Now he is the one asking me, “when are we going to run today, Mom?”  After we finish, the three of us join the older, who is at the local park, working on breaking some not-so-positive soccer habits he has developed over time. I have observed him improving areas of his skill game that he had not focused on for years. He uses video on the phone to record himself and see what self-adjustments he can make. Locked ankles. Correct technique. Weak foot. Repeat. Perfect practice makes perfect, as his wise grandfather often reminds him.

Occasionally, we mix it up with mini head juggling or quick passing sessions. Timing each other doing short sprints. Setting personal goals and being able to mark the improvement that continued effort brings. I find I am discovering new things about each of them and their learning styles and observing more about my parenting approach and myself during these moments.

We will try to carry over some of our new daily practices when that time comes to emerge from this stay at home period.  My hope is that you have been able to find what works best for your family and circumstances and that amidst the inevitable “meltdowns” that you are also “mostly hanging in there.”

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post Our Stay at Home, Trying to Stay Healthy Journey appeared first on MOTI Sports.

Early in my coaching career, I realized that no matter how hard my day had been or how tired I was, I inevitably left practice or time with the team I was coaching in a better mood than when I had arrived. I was and still am consistently energized by sharing my love for the game, by the “aha” moments, by hard work, and the list could go on.

While “fun” comes in different forms for every person, if you aren’t having fun as the coach, chances are high that the kids likely aren’t having much fun either.

What is the stuff fun is made of for you? How can you bring it to your coaching?

This is a friendly reminder to keep it fun, for them and for you!

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post Hey Coach, Are YOU Having Fun Yet? appeared first on MOTI Sports.

I have a kid who truly loves playing soccer. There is a long list of amazing byproducts of this, including great friendships (for the kid and for me!) and learning important life skills and big life lessons (yes, again, for both us).

If I’m honest, there is also a short list of minor annoyances that have resulted from it.

Most of those are obvious: stinky cleats, missing shin pad sleeves, an ever evolving rotation of lost water bottles…There is also a not so well known one. Top of this list is something that nobody warned me about and I would never have guessed was “a thing.”

Apparently, kids who are (healthily?) obsessed with this beautiful game like to dribble a soccer ball around the house and try to surprise attack a parent – or truthfully anyone or thing, including the dog – by stealthily getting the ball between someone’s legs at inopportune times. This can happen pretty much anywhere but seems to occur most often to me while I’m cooking or doing dishes. I’ve learned (see aforementioned great friendships) that this is going on in other households as well. It is an actual thing! So I ask:

DOES NUTMEG REALLY BELONG IN THE KITCHEN?!?

I don’t actually have an answer for this. But it brought me relief and laughter to learn that I am not alone in my struggle to stand with feet at just the right defending angle and distance apart so as not to get exposed while at the oven or sink.

Nutmeg. ‘Tis the season…

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHES CORNER: Does Nutmeg Really Belong in the Kitchen?! appeared first on MOTI Sports.

By now, many parents have probably heard/read that the main or only thing you should say to your young player after a game is “I love to watch you play.” While I wholeheartedly believe this to be true (even if difficult to practice at times), I think that there could be an “also” added to the parental responsibility: also mean it! And by mean it, I mean actually WATCH them play.

I learned early on that my boys were watching me to see if I was watching them. They would occasionally glance over to check in with me, looking for acknowledgment, after doing something on the field or while waiting as a sub on the sideline. Afterward, almost without fail, I would get the post-game questions of “Did you see that time….?” or “Remember when I did….?” They weren’t always referring to a big play they made – sometimes it was something silly that happened, but they wanted to know if I had noticed, if we had had a shared experience. Ultimately, it mattered to them that I bear witness to what they had shown up to do.

This became even more obvious to me when the questions began to change as they got a bit older: “Dad, can you not be on your phone the whole time?”, “Mom, can you not spend the entire game visiting with _____(fill in the blank with another player’s parent’s name)?” While it was by no means the case that I had been chatting through an entire game, my son had likely just never caught me looking because he was engrossed in his own playing. But his perception was important to me, and ultimately, I understood that he just wanted to be seen. This theory was confirmed further when, before a practice, I got a: “Mom, can you watch me play today?”

I don’t think this desire is specific to my kids. In my years of coaching, I have also observed other players behaving similarly, especially in rec programs and early on in a child’s sports playing experience.

Our kids are asking us to be present.

This doesn’t mean that they are asking for additional feedback or critique. It does mean that they actually want you to be more than just their personal Uber and pay attention – which is really great news!

And in the end, you can honestly (and JUST) say “I love to watch you play.”

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHES CORNER: I Love to Watch You Play…HONESTLY! appeared first on MOTI Sports.

The recreational soccer seasons are usually quite short and coaches often
don’t get enough contacts or time with their players. As a parent
coach, we can get so caught up in our agenda of the nuts and bolts list of
things we want to teach the players in practice and the season that we can
sometimes forget one of the important basics of coaching at this, and all
levels: making meaningful connections!

1. Make a one-to-one verbal connection with each player at every practice
   and game day. The kids want to know they are seen and that it mattered that they showed up!
2. Connect to where the individual player is, emotionally, mentally and
   physically. There can be wide range of abilities at the recreation level: try to
   find a way to simplify things for the child who isn’t coming in as
   naturally coordinated, or to have empathy for the child who has had a rough
   day, or to create an additional challenge for the player who comes in with
   more soccer experience.
3. Connect what you work on in practice directly to the games. Remind the
   players about the new skill you introduced earlier that week and tell them
   you are looking for them to try it against that day’s opponent.
4. Remember to connect with the parents! Introduce yourself to the group
   and individually when you see a new face. Ask the kids to thank their
   parents for getting them to practice and games. Let them know, either in
   person or via email, something positive you saw their child do or something
   that you are encouraging their child to try.

These little efforts can make a big difference in giving the entire team a
fun soccer experience.

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHES CORNER: Making Meaningful Connections appeared first on MOTI Sports.

When you first start coaching – be it your initial foray as a parent coach or the beginning of a new season with a new team for a more seasoned recreational coach, figuring out what to cover in a practice can be daunting. This is often especially true after you have seen them in their first competition – the list of “things they need to work on” feels endless. But you’ve got to start somewhere, and its best to go in with a plan.

First, give some thought to the skills you would like to introduce and the topics you would generally like to cover over the span of the season and work from there. Be realistic and age/developmentally appropriate with your expectations and goals.

Pick a theme for the practice. Keep it focused. Don’t worry too much about correcting non-theme related “issues” that come up in that practice (might be no need to address a missed passing opportunity if you are introducing and working on moves to get around a defender)

Incorporate that theme into the progressive stages of your session: warm up, drills, game-type situation. Emphasize throughout. Regardless of the theme – keep it fun and keep them active.

Be over prepared. Occasionally an activity will be a bust and you’ll need to change course. Having extra theme related ideas as part of your plan will prevent you from panicking and (hopefully) the 7 year olds from finding the dandelions more interesting than practice.

Keep building on the themes each week. But repeating an entire practice plan (with tweaks based on what worked and what didn’t) can be a good thing for everyone too!

And finally, whether it be at the beginning of practice as players are arriving (great incentive for kids to arrive on time) or at the end as your final activity, it is always a good idea to give them an opportunity to just play at each session– scrimmaging with no restrictions and little to no coaching!

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHES CORNER: When you first start coaching appeared first on MOTI Sports.

COACHES CORNER: The Playground is the Ultimate Soccer Field for Free (and Fun!) Play

When my two boys are asked what their favorite part of their school day was, the answer is inevitably “gym” or “recess.” I know nobody wants to think of the end of summer quite yet, and especially not a return to school, but I also know my kids are already excited about getting to again hang with their extended friend group all at once – something that only happens during recess.

In the case of my eldest son, recess also proved to be a useful soccer recruiting tool. He and his friends play before lunch every single day, even outside in the winter months. This group has grown steadily over the years, which has in turn also grown not only a love of the game amongst the other students, but actual players that went on to join the local competitive club.

As a parent who always emphasizes the importance of academic learning, I have learned to see great value in the lessons my kids are picking up on the playground when they just get to figure out how to get organized in their own way, on their own. Of course it doesn’t hurt that they have also become ambassadors for a sport I adore. And while there’s no doubt it’s great to hear about those magical moments of discovery in the classroom, I also must admit that I look forward to hearing them recount the often funny and heroic moments from their recess free play field.

So, really…back to school can be back to fun? It certainly can be, if we remember to just let them play!

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHES CORNER: The Playground is the Ultimate Soccer Field for Play appeared first on MOTI Sports.

Most teachers are well aware of a little phenomenon called “The Summer Brain Drain.” This is the loss of skills and knowledge that often happens during the months away from school. With many seasons already coming to an end just as official summer begins and a rather long gap before tryouts and then another before the start of the fall season, a parallel concept could be applied to our favorite youth sport: Summer Soccer Brain Drain. While this usually refers to a slide in math and reading skills, in the case of soccer it would be a loss of technical skill in the time away from the game. This is the perfect time to “MOTI UP” and helps combat a summer skill slide with some fun soccer homework.

• Encourages your player to learn and be active while also getting some bonus tech time.
• Learn Together! Study the skills on the app with your player and ask some directed but open-ended technique questions: “What do you notice about where the ball stays when doing the lateral four touches?”
• Opportunity to set up mini-challenges – the adult can participate too. See how many reverse Vs. can be done in a set amount of time.
• Record the players trying a skill and let them see themselves on the replay. Then give them a turn to do the same with you.

The prescription is in! A few healthy doses of MOTI (with World Cup viewing as an added supplement) to keep skills and learning on track.

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHES CORNER: Remedy to Summer Soccer Brain Drain appeared first on MOTI Sports.

If you are looking to gain some credibility with your player(s) or in conversations with those in the know, here is a quick list of some fun dos and suggested don’ts of things to say.

First, two sideline pitfalls to avoid!

Boot it! – Usually used to instruct a player to get the ball cleared or plead with them to just kick it really hard.  The only time the word boot should come out of your mouth around soccer players is when you are quaintly referring to the soccer cleats on someone’s feet or instructing someone to grab some equipment from your car trunk. Think “cool new boots” or “could you please grab the cones from the boot, my car is the white Honda.”

Unlucky – This isn’t a phrase to completely steer clear of, but using it comes with a responsibility not to overuse it. Occasionally, a player is actually unlucky on the field, but more often you can hear “Unlucky!” exclaimed after any errant shot or pass. As a coach, these moments present an opportunity to give some more specific instruction and encouragement or to remain quiet. Further, hearing it repeatedly and inaccurately might discourage a player from a moment of on-field self-reflection, adjustment and correction…and could prove quite unlucky for the team in the long run.

Now, for the fun ones:

Nutmeg – it’s not just for eggnog anymore. Also indicates you have successfully knocked the ball between an opponent’s legs. Often used to be a bit cheeky and embarrass another player, hopefully in good fun.

PK – aka penalty kick, penalty, pen, dot shot. A direct free kick within the goal box against only the goalkeeper.

Nil – zero, zilch, nada. As in “the score was 2-nil.”

Hat Trick – three goals in one game by the same player.

Brace – two goals in one game by the same player.

I haven’t forgotten pitch, match and football, of course…but you might need a British accent to legitimately pull these words off!

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

View the TEAM TERMINOLOGY page here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHES CORNER: Parental Advisory! A Beginning Guide Soccer Lingo appeared first on MOTI Sports.

There might be a poem and a song that declares it to be so, but I mean, is it really? I understand somebody decided to place Mother’s Day smack dab in the middle of it to make us feel like it is “our” month but I think many of us, especially us “Soccer Moms” might wonder why. May feels like it sends schedules into overdrive and moms right to the edge.

So many activities to juggle. The band and choir concerts. The end of year school projects and parties. Remembering which kid needs to be at which field in which uniform as seasons kick into high gear.

As you simultaneously play the top 40 DJ, throw snacks into the back seat and try ever-so-calmly to request (for the third time) that “Player A” get his shin pads on…take a quick peek at yourself in that rearview mirror and give yourself a mental high five.

You are doing a GREAT job!

Wise elders tell us that someday we will miss these moments. I am going to try to believe them and seek a little bit of merry amidst the chaos.

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHES CORNER: The Merry Merry Month of May?! appeared first on MOTI Sports.

In addition to the often recommended “I love to watch you play!”, some suggestions of supportive words to offer and questions to ask the young player that will help them grow as a teammate and in their understanding of the game:

You worked so hard today.

I saw when you helped that opposing player up, that made me smile.

I am sorry that today was rough. I’m so glad you have tomorrow to try again.

It was fun to see you have fun with your friends.

What did you do today on the field that made you feel proud?

I know you felt nervous and you were so brave anyway.

What was your favorite part of the game?

Is there something that you observed that the other team did well?

I noticed you listening intently when the coach was talking at halftime. What made you listen?

You never gave up the entire game!

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHES CORNER: The Power of Positivity appeared first on MOTI Sports.

By now, many parents have probably heard/read that the main or only thing you should say to your young player after a game is “I love to watch you play.” While I wholeheartedly believe this to be true (even if difficult to practice at times), I think that there could be an “also” added to the parental responsibility: also mean it! And by mean it, I mean actually WATCH them play.

I learned early on that my boys were watching me to see if I was watching them. They would occasionally glance over to check in with me, looking for acknowledgment, after doing something on the field or while waiting as a sub on the sideline. Afterward, almost without fail, I would get the post-game questions of “Did you see that time….?” or “Remember when I did….?” They weren’t always referring to a big play they made – sometimes it was something silly that happened, but they wanted to know if I had noticed, if we had had a shared experience. Ultimately, it mattered to them that I bear witness to what they had shown up to do.

This became even more obvious to me when the questions began to change as they got a bit older: “Dad, can you not be on your phone the whole time?”, “Mom, can you not spend the entire game visiting with _____(fill in the blank with another player’s parent’s name)?” While it was by no means the case that I had been chatting through an entire game, my son had likely just never caught me looking because he was engrossed in his own playing. But his perception was important to me, and ultimately, I understood that he just wanted to be seen. This theory was confirmed further when, before a practice, I got a: “Mom, can you watch me play today?”

I don’t think this desire is specific to my kids. In my years of coaching, I have also observed other players behaving similarly, especially in rec programs and early on in a child’s sports playing experience.

Our kids are asking us to be present.

This doesn’t mean that they are asking for additional feedback or critique. It does mean that they actually want you to be more than just their personal Uber and pay attention – which is really great news!

And in the end, you can honestly (and JUST) say “I love to watch you play.”

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHES CORNER: I Love to Watch You Play…HONESTLY! appeared first on MOTI Sports.

Do you know what kind of coach you are? Can you describe your style? How you motivate players? Are you impactful in tapping into players needs to be affirmed and coached positively?

I won’t continue with the 20 questions, but I will suggest that however you usually show up, it can be a game changer when you are able to be you – but also be the kind of coach (each of!) your players needs you to be for their growth and love of the game.

In other words, you should absolutely bring your authentic personality to the field – it won’t work to try to over-emulate to be too much like somebody else or something you are not. But after thoughtful reflection and getting to know your players, you should also absolutely have a strong sense of how to provide communication that is individualized to the receiver when giving one-to-one feedback. This will lead to greater impact and larger intended outcomes for the player, and possibly for the entire squad.

Personality. Mood. Confidence. History. All of these and more can play into the nuances of how a message is received. Your choice of approach and words are important. They can encourage and energize or paralyze and deflate. And what works with one player, might not (actually, likely won’t) work for another. “I need you to…” vs. “I know you can…”. Public acknowledgment vs. private discussion. Intense and impassioned vs. calm and casual. And so on.

If it feels like an overwhelming prospect to try to personalize your coaching, I am guessing you already do some of it quite naturally without realizing it. I’m also willing to bet that you are capable of doing even more with great benefit! It’s worth the effort, so:

I need you to try! Also: I know you can do it!

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post Coach’s Corner: One Size Doesn’t Usually Fit All appeared first on MOTI Sports.

• Minimize the lines, maximize the ball touches – players should rarely be standing around. Set up more than one station of the same drill, go to both goals to shoot or have a passing sequence lead up to a shot so more players are involved, one ball per player and keep them moving during skills session.
• Players will respond to your energy level and enthusiasm, both physical and verbal…you should be almost as tired as the kids by the end of practice!
• Try to make one to one contact/connection with every player throughout the course of each practice and game. Make direct technique corrections with a player that is struggling to execute a skill, acknowledge great effort to the player who sprinted back on defense, high fives as they are getting subbed off.
• Incorporate some analogous visuals as you talk about technique. Ankles should be locked when doing an inside of the foot pass – what would happen if a hockey stick had a blade on a hinge?
• Come up with some fun/silly catch phrases that are easy for the kids to latch onto and for you to pull out during games and practices. “Say no to the toe!” to remind them which part of the foot they should be using to shoot or pass. “Zak, Rutabaga!” when Zak is looking up at the sky instead of focusing on something soccer related.
• Stop a skills session or a drill in the middle when you catch a player doing something really well and have them do a demonstration for the whole team. Let them take a bow at the end and encourage a round of applause from teammates.  

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHS CORNER: Keeping Practice FUN AND EFFECTIVE appeared first on MOTI Sports.

Goals are an essential ingredient to sports, but in this case I don’t mean the kind you score – I’m referring to the kind you set. As many people take the time to make resolutions and commitments at the start of a new year, seems like a fitting opportunity to reflect on how coaches can help establish a foundation for a lifetime of individual goal setting in players beginning at a young age.

There are an abundance of techniques and theories surrounding goal setting, but that doesn’t mean you need to employ a sports psychologist for your team in order to give it a go. If this is a new frontier for you but you’d like to try, it’s okay to keep it simple – it is good for coaches to do as they coach…and practice things/take risks too!

For very young players, most of the goals should/will be short-term, for an immediate game or practice. It is likely that you will need to help guide them. If the goal seems unattainable (“I’m gonna score 15 times”) or too broad (“I want to do better”), ask open ended questions to help them become a bit more specific. Or, if you’ve got someone especially shy who doesn’t want to say anything out loud or a player who says they just can’t think of anything they’d like to do today, start out by setting one for the player (“I’d like to see you try one step over this game” or “In this first half I want you to take one shot”). Celebrate their successes with exuberance!

As players get a bit older, longer-term goals, in the way of improving something over the course of the entire season, can be mixed in. Often, players may be already acutely aware of a physical limitation (not very fast) or the aspects of the game that have proven to be repeatedly challenging (successfully taking players on one vs. one) for them. It’s okay for them to recognize the parts of their game that need work and to make a plan (set goals!) to mitigate those deficiencies. Practice is a great time to focus on this type of goal, perfect chance to take some risks and try something new. There is no benefit for players to operate from a mindset of being afraid of making a mistake or thinking too much about what they aren’t any good at. For games, bring a strengths-based focus to the goals. Ask the player what they know they do well and how they can bring more of that strength to match day.

So, coaches, as you start this calendar year anew: what are your gooooooals!?

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHS CORNER: New Year, so…ready, (to) set, GO(als)! appeared first on MOTI Sports.

It doesn’t matter if you are a retired youth player turned parent coach…or a newbie to the beautiful game as a parent cheering from the sideline, there are many ways to find opportunities to play:
-suggest an end of season parents vs. kids game
-organize parent free play/pick-up in a local park (could be a practice or scrimmage)
-find an adult recreational team to join, or start one with some of the other parents
-many communities that run youth indoor tournaments in the winter also include adult coed brackets
-if running is out of the question for you, research “walking soccer” – it’s a real thing

However you decide to play, your kids will think its pretty cool – even if they’ll never admit it. Just remember to keep it fun and share the joy of the game!

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHS CORNER: Never Too Old To Play appeared first on MOTI Sports.

The benefits are many. And while the challenges are few, they can be part of the balancing act when you are playing the role of coach and parent at the same time.

In my case, the main obstacles centered around:

• Honoring that I never stopped being Mom in the eyes if my boys, even as I was trying to be coach to/focus on all the other kids on the field. Especially early on, there was no putting momming on hold.
• Trying to not have my boys always be the sacrificial lamb (playing goalie when no one else wanted to or giving them shorter/less shifts when we had too many subs).
• Turning the coach brain off (at least outwardly, to them) when we got to the car after a game or practice. Remembering to simply ask them if they had fun and let them know that it was fun to watch them play.

Some of the great joys include:

• Building lasting relationships with the families.
• Growing a love of the game right in my backyard.
• Contributing to and investing in the development of the kids beyond their soccer skills.
• Getting to continue to see the growth of the players I started working with when they were only 5 and 6 years old as they move into the tween years and beyond.
• Always feeling like “coach,” even when I am no longer in charge of running the training sessions and sub rotations.

So even though I now get to sit on the other sidelines and (try to quietly) drink my tea and “just” cheer, I cherish the moments I get to see the kids I’ve coached off the field (and give them a high five) or when I still get to chat with parents about their child’s accomplishments and soccer progress.

Ultimately, it is incredibly rewarding to be part of two strong soccer families – our immediate core unit and the larger club community to which we belong.

I will always be “Mom” to my boys. I hope they, their teammates and the families know that I will also always feel like “Coach” and will continue to cheer them all on from life’s sideline for as long as they let me.

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHS CORNER: On Being “Coach” and “Mom” appeared first on MOTI Sports.

It doesn’t matter what age group I have coached, there inevitably comes a time when I need to seek a little “coaching therapy.” To me, this means consulting with my coaching peers and mentors to discuss the different triumphs and pitfalls I have encountered in a certain practice, at a game or throughout a season.

It doesn’t matter that it is “just a recreational league” – kids emotions…parental expectations…player development…practice plans…the general energy it requires to try and give everyone a positive experience can, at times, leave a coach needing a friend to lean on! So don’t go it alone. Find your people that are in the know who you can celebrate the little victories with and who can give you the perspective you need to re-energize you for your next round.

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHS CORNER: Parent Coach Seeking a Good Therapist! appeared first on MOTI Sports.

I was recently in my friend’s backyard and the conversation turned to her 8-year old daughter’s blossoming love of soccer. Before I knew it, I was up and teaching her “The Maradona,” just for fun. My friend and her older daughter soon joined us. Later, I received a text informing me that the three of them had spent a significant portion of their evening continuing to try the move together and that her youngest couldn’t wait to show dad “The MADONNA” (her version of this famous turn).

Of course, the MOTI 3D skills are great for the players, but this got me thinking about how great of a tool it is to connect parents and their kids with each other and to the game. The players get extra practice, the parents gain an appreciation for how difficult some of the skills can be to perform and additionally, the child feels the benefit of one-on-one attention and investment in the relationship.

So, why not use the technology to learn the game together? Take turns giving each other scores for executing the skill or video record one another and compare your moves to the MOTI animation. Regardless of how you decide to “strike a pose” and make it your own, remember to: KEEP IT FUN!

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHS CORNER: Learn the Game Together appeared first on MOTI Sports.

Goal scoring is fun, of course. Fun to do, fun to watch. And even though
most clubs don’t keep score at the recreational level, the truth is that
the players often know exactly how many goals each team has when the final
whistle blows. However, many of these kids rarely get the opportunity to
feel the rush and glory of scoring an individual goal during their young
careers. It is important for coaches (and parents!) to make other aspects
of the game just as exciting as finding the back of the net:

• Set up a system of tracking when players try and successfully execute
  certain skills you have introduced at practice. It is helpful to have a
  parent or assistant keep track and often the kids on the sideline will join
  in too (for example: today I am watching how many outside hook turns you
  can do).
• Give each player something specific you want them to accomplish that
  matches their level of playing ability. This could be a concept you want
  them to grasp, like only playing the ball to the outside when they are in
  the middle of their defensive field or challenging them to make sure they
  are trying to pass with a purpose and find a teammates feet each time the
  kick the ball.

Celebrate these victories to the player directly with verbal praise and
high fives. When they are young, it is ok to make each player feel like
they were the game VIP and give them something concrete they can tell their
fans they accomplished when they are asked “How was your game?” It can also make players begin to understand early that there are many ways on the
field to make significant contributions to their team and that being a goal
scorer isn’t the only way to add value to the game. This all takes some
extra forethought, effort and time on the coach’s part but the benefits are
well worth it!

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHS CORNER: Scoring goals isn’t always the goal appeared first on MOTI Sports.

Being a referee is not an easy job. Starting with recreation soccer and through much of the early youth stages, these refs are often also KIDS. They will absolutely make mistakes as they are out there learning to make difficult and definitive calls. No matter how much you want to be relaxed as a coach, it can be frustrating to keep quiet when a ref isn’t blowing their whistle or is blowing it too much, when the calls aren’t going your team’s way. But keep quiet you must. Model this good behavior for your players. When they want to complain, this is a teachable moment about playing through: focusing on the game, working hard and having fun.

In the end, remember how you would want a coach to treat your own child who might someday be brave enough to be on the field as a ref, doing their job in front of a live audience of ready-to-judge adults…

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACHS CORNER: Respect the Ref appeared first on MOTI Sports.

I played soccer for the first half of my life. I have coached it for the second. Both halves were fun…and challenging…However, I don’t know if either fully prepared me for the transition to becoming a soccer parent – another fun challenge, but one that takes practice, for sure!

Just like in playing the game, you can make being a soccer parent complicated, but it is better to keep it simple:

Follow your child’s lead. Early on this can mean understanding their level of intensity/ interest in the game. Most youngsters are more casual and just out there to socialize and learn a little teamwork, great! Some may be naturally more competitive. Listen to how they felt about practice or the game, support them in that and find ways to gently challenge them.

Play the game with them(even if you don’t know what you are doing)! Find a small grassy area, put down some makeshift goals and go for some 1v1 or 2v2. In addition to appreciating how hard your child is working on the field, you might be surprised how soon they are having to let you win.

Set up environments that allow them to practice their skills outside of practice. Spend 5 minutes trying to get one more juggle than their last record. Pass against the front step with picture posing technique. Set up a small square for them to get 100 touches and work on two new moves they’ve learned.

Don’t coach from the sideline. This can be a really difficult one. Definitely cheer, but don’t coach. At all. And never yell at the referee or the other team. Never.

I try to be a good soccer parent…and just as I encourage my boys to do when they play, I will continue to practice to be better every opportunity I get.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post FROM THE SIDELINES: How to be a good soccer parent appeared first on MOTI Sports.

As a recreation coach, you might just be a first introduction to the beautiful game of soccer for many kids and their parents. This is an opportunity to provide a positive initial experience for families that can nurture a love of the game and help grow lifelong players and fans (no pressure!). Here are some quick and easy tips to create some hype and help you on this mission:

• Have a competition with the kids at practice and add extra incentive by telling them you will do something silly, like star jumps or singing Twinkle, Twinkle, if they “beat” you.
• Give some fun homework: recommend that they try to get 200 touches on the ball before the next practice, spend two 5-minute sessions practicing passing with perfect posing form or work on increasing the number of juggles they can get by one.
• Keep parents in the loop about the things you are asking the players to work on so they know what to emphasize with praise too (I love the way you tried that drag back, you really locked your ankle when you passed today, etc.).
• Encourage players/families to watch a professional or college game – live or on TV – and give them ideas of things to look for during the run of play: count how many passes one team can string together before they lose possession or how many times they see a certain move, for example.

Bring lots of energy and keep it fun while they are learning and you will keep them coming back for more!

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACH’S CORNER: Nurture a love of the game! appeared first on MOTI Sports.

The recreational soccer seasons are usually quite short and coaches often
don’t get enough contacts or time with their players. As a parent
coach, we can get so caught up in our agenda of the nuts and bolts list of
things we want to teach the players in practice and the season that we can
some times forget one of the important basics of coaching at this, and all
levels: making meaningful connections!

1. Make a one-to-one verbal connection with each player at every practice
   and game day. The kids want to know they are seen and that it mattered that they showed up!
2. Connect to where the individual player is, emotionally, mentally and
   physically. There can be wide range of abilities at the rec level: try to
   find a way to simplify things for the child who isn’t coming in as
   naturally coordinated, or to have empathy for the child who has had a rough
   day, or to create an additional challenge for the player who comes in with
   more soccer experience.
3. Connect what you work on in practice directly to the games. Remind the
   players about the new skill you introduced earlier that week and tell them
   you are looking for them to try it against that day’s opponent.
4. Remember to connect with the parents! Introduce yourself to the group
   and individually when you see a new face. Ask the kids to thank their
   parents for getting them to practice and games. Let them know, either in
   person or via email, something positive you saw their child do or something
   that you are encouraging their child to try.

These little efforts can make a big difference in giving the entire team a
fun soccer experience.

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACH’S CORNER: Connect 4 appeared first on MOTI Sports.

When you first start coaching – be it your initial foray as a parent coach or the beginning of a new season with a new team for a more seasoned recreational coach, figuring out what to cover in a practice can be daunting. This is often especially true after you have seen them in their first competition – the list of “things they need to work on” feels endless. But you’ve got to start somewhere, and its best to go in with a plan.

First, give some thought to the skills you would like to introduce and the topics you would generally like to cover over the span of the season and work from there. Be realistic and age/developmentally appropriate with your expectations and goals.

Pick a theme for the practice. Keep it focused. Don’t worry too much about correcting non-theme related “issues” that come up in that practice (might be no need to address a missed passing opportunity if you are introducing and working on moves to get around a defender)

Incorporate that theme into the progressive stages of your session: warm up, drills, game-type situation. Emphasize throughout. Regardless of the theme – keep it fun and keep them active.

Be over prepared. Occasionally an activity will be a bust and you’ll need to change course. Having extra theme related ideas as part of your plan will prevent you from panicking and (hopefully) the 7 year olds from finding the dandelions more interesting than practice.

Keep building on the themes each week. But repeating an entire practice plan (with tweaks based on what worked and what didn’t) can be a good thing for everyone too!

And finally, whether it be at the beginning of practice as players are arriving (great incentive for kids to arrive on time) or at the end as your final activity, it is always a good idea to give them an opportunity to just play at each session– scrimmaging with no restrictions and little to no coaching!

Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

The post COACH’S CORNER: Tackling a Practice Plan appeared first on MOTI Sports.