On The Pitch

Thoughts on Youth Soccer from a Soccer Dad, Fan, Coach and Administrator

Entries for May, 2006

And So The Journey Begins…

Jarrett over at TriSoccerFan is your ticket to seeing the USA prepare for the World Cup

MLS Rising – Part II

D at DCenters used Google’s new trend analysis tool to see how the MLS stacks up against the NHL. His results may surprise you.

USSF Advocating No Results For U12 And Below

A recent position paper from US Soccer advocates non-result competition for U12 on down. What is it about soccer that makes everyone NOT want to keep score. No other sport does this.

Gender Neutral Awards

If you coach a co-ed team or organize a coed tournament, finding nice gender neutral trophies can be an adventure.

U10: To Call Offside Or Not…

USYS recommends not calling offsides in U10 due to the short field (60 yds) and the inability of the players to understand it. Yet many leagues still call it. What is the right ‘call’?

Best Tunnel Idea Ever

A group of parents give their tunnel a little pizzazz.

When Boo Almost Became BooHoo

What NOT to do during a tournament final shootout

End of Season Parties

In four years we’ve done a variety of end of season parties. I’m curious what other unique ideas people have had for end of season parties.

The ‘Other’ Football – Going For It

A researcher recently published a paper that claims football coaches are being MUCH too conservative.

Tournament Update

My U10 team came off their outstanding win in the quarter-finals a bit flat and lost their semi-final 3-1

Searching For Soccer

What the folks on ‘The Internets’ are searching for

Strategic Thinking

As our U10 division moves from 8v8 to 6v6, it’s time to think about changes in strategy and positioning.

A Small Sided Soccer Update

Our league made the transition to small sided soccer this year. This is an update on how it went.

One Of Those Matches To Remember

My U10 Co-ed team played their hearts out in the opening round of our tournament and finally realized they are a potent force as a ‘team’

We Finally Get Our New Fields!

For weeks all we’ve been able to do is watch the new grass grow, but not anymore! We finally opened our new soccer complex this week.