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MOTI Website Tip: Adding & Creating a New Practice Plan

As a coach you may desire to modify, add or change an existing practice
plan.

It is recommended that you do the following actions from a desktop or
laptop computer, creating and editing are done best in those environments.

Adding & Creating a New Plan

  1. Go your Plan Library
  2. One the far upper right hand corner click the “+” (plus sign). This
    opens a new Plan
  3. Fill in the Practice Plan Header

a. Fill in the ‘Practice Plan Title” with a new name

Suggestion: Use a prefix like abbreviated team name first followed by a name that is meaningful to you and players

b. Fill in the “Practice Plan Date” using the date picker (you can do this
later as well)

c. Fill in the “Practice Plan time” using the time picker (you can do this
later as well) READ MORE

MOTI Tip: Camera Controls for Drills

Christopher Ebbert is the author of the MOTI Soccer App, this is the article discusses existing and new features available in the next release.

MOTI Soccer Tip: Camera Controls for Drills – Part 1 of 4

MOTI Soccer (previously known as MOTI Mobile) Camera Controls for Drills provides the user dynamic options to review and study drills.  From tracking a player on the field to viewing a drill from overhead to actually being the player, the camera controls provide a multitude of options.

The review of the camera modes will be divided into 4 different parts.  Topics for the 4 parts are: READ MORE

FROM THE SIDELINES: How to be a good soccer parent

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.

Making the most of Spring – never mind the weather

Coaches: Ever changing weather patterns can present major challenges to your spring practice times! In some areas, practice fields won’t be ready to play on until the end of May! Overcome the weather by giving your players Home Work! Players need to be creative and find a square yard or larger in their home, bedroom, basement or the garage. Assigning MOTI Skills from the Library of Technique Skills challenges them to fiddle with the ball and build familiarity, emphasizing close control and ball manipulation. The skills needed for development are all in the palm of their hands which they can view in 3D and then try, emulate and master. It also allows coaches to monitor the players time on the MOTI App and see how active and prepared their individual motivation is. Think of it as being on the virtual field.

Here are some MOTI Sports ideas to save the season and maximize the time you do have for practice, as we strongly recommend that you encourage and enable your players to get those touches on the ball on their own time.

Consider assigning homework. As you schedule the practice plan for the players, put a note up on the Announcement board telling the players to:

  • Practice each 3D Foot Skill on their own time, so they have performed the individual skills 100 – 200 + times each before they get to the next organized practice. We suggest younger players do 100+ repetitions, while 200+ repetitions for older players are recommended. This work load will help form good habits and the skills will develop much faster. Following the precision of the MOTI motion capture ensures ‘perfect practice’ references, promoting natural player movements even faster. Practice makes Permanent – Perfect practice makes Perfect – Don’t be confused!
  • Recommend that players watch each 3D Drill 5 times so they can visualize which foot skill they would be using in the drill as they move through each rotation and progression in their head.
  • Remember visualization creates a great learning environment.
    It is well documented, that time on task and practice repetitions increase skill mastery. Using a simple backdoor step from the garage or the front door step can act as a player home rebounder, returning the ball in a 1 – 2 passing movement. Or better still have them find a neighbor or a parent to pass back and forth with.

    • READ MORE

    MOTI Website Tip: The Practice Plan – Creating or Modifying

    Plan It, Schedule It, See It, Do It

    If you are a Coaching Director, Recreation Director, Coach, Volunteer Parent Coach, or Player, you all have a responsibility to make practice time on the pitch productive and fun.

    Plan It

    While not all of you have a role in the specifics of “Planning It” [Creating a Practice Plan], those that do are:

    Coaching Director or Recreational Director

    Coach [Note some clubs have already done this work for the Coaches; if so, go to “Schedule It”]

    Do this step via a Desktop or Laptop computer “NOT via a Mobile Device” READ MORE

    MOTI Tip: Audio Controls

    MOTI Soccer app Audio Controls give the user complete control over the audio
    playback including volume, play/pause, mute, restart-when-done and
    “scrubbing”. The audio controls are accessed through the audio button
    (below outlined in blue) on the right side of the top menu bar.

    Pressing the audio button will bring up the audio control panel (see
    Controls Overview, directly below).

    Controls Overview

    Once the audio button is pressed, the audio control panel will be
    displayed, as shown below. READ MORE

    Top 5 Coach to Player to Parent Communication Tips

    As the season gets started, it is important that the entire team is on the same page when it comes to communication. As a coach, the best way to make sure the parents and player’s questions have been addressed is to simply update the Announcement board through the Coach’s page. At any point in the season, communication is the most important part to make sure parents stay informed as well as players. Here are some tips to ensure coach-parent-player communication:

  • One of the biggest influences for a child in sports is their parents. In order for a child to have a good experience, that requires the parents to be encouraging their youth player and supporting them if they have any questions or concerns to address it with the coach.
  • For coaches, it is very easy to simply add comments to the announcement board, but good coaches always dig deeper. Learn about your player’s background, their goals and passions. This will allow you to have a better understanding of your players and parents.
  • If there is a conflict with a player or players, coaches need to make sure parents are notified immediately and it is dealt with carefully. This can be done quickly and easily through the messaging system to players. Or directly with the parent and player. Often it is better to talk face to face when possible as not everyone can read emotions via a message when there is conflict.
  • Parents should encourage their player, if the player has a concern, to address it with the coach directly. This method of player to coach communication is a positive thing for a player to learn.
  • When using the messaging system, players and coaches are also able to message each other. Utilizing the messaging system and Announcements Board allows coaches and players to communicate in a positive manner as well as a convenient and consistent outlet.

    • READ MORE

    Spring and New Era of Coaching

    Spring and the Birth of a New Era in Coaching using Visual Technology – “Watching the Game”.

    Virtual experience is the new key to shortening and shaping the learning curve for Soccer Coaches and Players. Instead of watching unimaginable hours, even years of game footage, or live matches, a new option is available through mobile 3D animated content. Think of a Soccer Session in your shirt or hip pocket at all times via a phone or tablet.

    The Modern Game demands coaches and players to increase their understanding of the important ‘small elements’ of the game. These elements, like good technique and positioning are the glue that enables Speed of Play, Cooperative Input, Cohesive Interactions, and Synergies of Offense and Defense. A shared virtual learning experience can produce both individual player and team organizational speed and execution of tasks on the soccer field, even before taking the pitch. If that virtual learning is a Soccer Training Platform that has soccer ideas, concepts and theories melded into an intuitive, organized, curriculum, which is age and gender specific, it can be an instrumental aid for all participants in the Modern Game.

    Make better Soccer decisions! Place yourself in a position where you can make yourself and people around you more successful, improve your game understanding and competitive edge from Recreational to the highest level. Don’t be scared or timid about the ‘Birth of a New Era in Coaching – try using Virtual Technology and share with your Director of Coaching, your Board of Directors, your Team Coach, Players, and Parents. No one wants to be stagnant and everyone wants to have fun.

    Having a streamlined Soccer Training Platform that has real time collaboration and fast operational efficiency is available now with MOTI Sports! Welcome to a New Era in Coaching with Accelerated Soccer Education for both coaches and players.