Blog

Preparing for Next Season

As High School or College coaches, we often view this time of year as a season break! The season is completed, and summer is beginning, sure there will be summer camps and newly recruited players showing up for fall practice, but not much you need to do right now, or is there?

Remember new players will be showing up for Varsity Practice in High School or the newly recruited players for your college program in August.

They will all arrive with what techniques (foot skills) they have acquired, but usually not a complete complement of tools are in their tool bag. READ MORE

Champions League or The Dutch Ladder

“Competition is key to developing players. The only practice environment in which you truly develop a player is a competitive arena. . . Competitive drive is not governed by innate ability, but by self-discipline and desire.” – Anson Dorrance

As a High School Soccer Coach, the one event every soccer player looks forward to each week is our Champions League competition.  Why?  It is fun.  It is competitive.  It’s rewarding for everyone.

Here is how the game works. READ MORE

A Different Approach To High School Tryouts

“Competition is key to developing players. The only practice environment in which you truly develop a player is a competitive arena. . . Competitive drive is not governed by innate ability, but by self-discipline and desire.” Anson Dorrance

It’s been a great off season.  Here is where you should be BEFORE your first practice.

  • You have met with your Captain’s Parents and have given them a laundry list of things for them  to do before and during the season.  Let them take as much off your plate as possible.  Delegation is hard for many of us.  The key is to follow up.  People will do what you inspect, not what you expect – even good people like your Captain’s Parents.
  • You have provided times (twice a week for me) during the 2 months leading up to the beginning of the season where the players who want  to can do such things as weight lifting, speed and acceleration training, and ball skills training.
  • You have provided your players with list of skills you want your players to practice during the summer so that when they come to training their first touch is solid.  I use the MOTI App, of course.
  • You have met frequently with your Captains.  You have prepared them for their Captain’s Practices and have very loosely monitored (through parents perhaps) to make sure everyone is safe and having fun while preparing for the season.

I love training week, the first week of coaches training for the regular season. It is a blast, the kids love it, the parents love it, and the coaches love it! Why? Because we make this training week about competitions. We play games. We have contests. We work hard, play hard and rest hard. We have fun. And by the end of the first week, we will know which team each player will be placed on. READ MORE