On The Pitch

Looking back as a youth soccer coach – what was your biggest epiphany? That ‘Aha!’ moment or a long term realization of ‘Wow I wish I had been doing that sooner!’. What was it that made you a better coach? Mine was moving from direct instruction to asking the players for solutions. The whole ‘Coaching [...]

Browsing through the site stats the other day and I noticed this phrase was searched for a few times: Coaching U12 Girls Soccer HAHAHAHA You’ve got no idea what you are in for! Don’t get me wrong – I’ve enjoyed coaching my girls travel team EVERY year, but if you’re searching for that, you likely [...]

As the tough economic times continue, many municipalities are making drastic cuts in services. Often recreation departments get hit hard and that can have a huge impact on a soccer program. Here are some ideas on what you can do to ease the pain of municipal budget cuts.

You often hear about a referee shortage in the US, partly due to people not wanting to endure matches with misbehaving parents. But is there really a shortage?

National soccer organizations have finally started to leverage social networking to give themselves, the sport, and regional/national events more exposure.

Back in December of 2008 I started a series called Youth Soccer and the Economy. Then I got so busy I never got a chance to finish it. How crazy is it that 20 months later the economy is STILL bad and the series is still relevant. Guess I’ll need to work on the remaining [...]

Many clubs are starting to offer free skills clinics for U9 and U10 age players in an effort to recruit more players for their travel programs. But is that the only reason they’re doing it?

Tryout season is always a stressful time of year for parents and players. But it’s no fun for league administrators either when you consider what they’re dealing with during the ‘off season’

Cyber crime is becoming a major problem when it comes to the finances of small and medium sized organizations. A single act of theft can bankrupt them since banks aren’t liable for losses on commercial/business accounts. Here are some steps your club or organization can take to protect yourself.

Does your team play a pressure defense in small sided 8v8 matches, and if not, why?

Check out ‘A Coaching Life’ written by Chris in Atlanta

If you haven’t coached a competitive team in U12/U13 when the hormones hit – you’re in for a surprise!