On The Pitch

Maybe Americans will forget soccer for another 4 years, but I don’t think so. This time around feels different.

Kids need ball touches at home to develop solid ball control and to play soccer you need space to play. Right? A nice big yard with lots of flat grass… Right? Well if my kids are any indication, maybe not…

Taking the USSF National ‘C’ License Class the next two weeks. The 234 page course manual starts off with: “Creativity and ball skills always come first” This is going to be a great class!

When you get asked why you coach youth soccer, especially if you don’t coach your own children, what’s your answer?

Claudio Reyna recently spoke about the challenges we still face in developing youth players and what US Soccer is hoping to accomplish as they try to revamp how we develop youth players in America.

A little league coach wrote an open letter to his little league parents trying to give them perspective on what goes into coaching and the sacrifices made. This should be required reading for all sports parents.

US Youth Soccer has just released three new coaching guides for U6-U8, U10, and U12 youth soccer coaches. They are packed with useful coaching information as well as a lot of suggested practice activities.

Pickup soccer is often credited with helping many of the world’s best players refine their skills. But in the United States, pickup soccer is seen as a rarity. This article takes an in depth look and finds that may not be the case.

@soccer_nation: Youth Soccer News: PLAYER CARDS STOLEN – Theft of Equipment Bag Ends SDSC B97 Elite Navy State Cup Dreams – what… http://t.co/S3mSthIBEU I simply cannot believe they tossed these kids out. Club registrars are agents of the state association. How could they not certify the roster was legit if they had done the cards […]

U8 and U10 players often develop bad habits that will hold them back as they get older. Allowing U8/U10 players more freedom can help foster a more creative style of play, but can also cost you some wins. Is it worth it? Absolutely!

Not only has the warm weather returned, it was exciting to se my U8s finally learn to strip the ball 1v1 or when they gained possession on the run, confidently turn upfield with it…

When you coach for player development instead of wins, it can be difficult to keep parents on board. This recent list of questions can help your parents look for development, even if your teams aren’t winning all the time.