To coach effectively, we need to communicate effectively. That means saying as little as possible. Be concise and easily understandable. Most [good] coaches get this point, and consider what they say. How many of them though consider how they say it? To be a better coach I am learning about the subject of reading body …

A few coaches absolutely swear by this layout. It is mentioned here and there online, but rarely explained. I am going to try and explain it here. Essentially you set up four rectangles each with their own color code. Space these rectangles out so that the space between them is equal. You can have an …

I am often asked “what should my child be able to do one year of coaching?” For U10 and above, most beginners should be able to do the following: Head a fairly gentle ball. Be able to execute a decent chest trap. Know the basic rules of defending. Be able to pass a stationary ball …

The UNC Chapel Hill Women’s Soccer team is putting on a clinic to support Carolina for Kibera (CFK), a club here at UNC that is a part of a non-profit multi-disciplinary organization in Nairobi, Kenya. All donations will go toward the Carolina for Kibera Sports Association. What is it? A soccer clinic with various stations …

Those of us lucky enough to live in the Chapel Hill area of North Carolina, are especially lucky next week. Jennifer Doyle of From a Left Wing will be in town to give a presentation at Dook. March 28th 12 @ FHI Garage (Bay 4 Smith Warehouse) Lunch is provided (yum yum)  

“Dominant soccer means that you are the team that decides the flow of the game. Meaning creating more chances than the opponent, playing offensively and doing this based on technical and tactical capacity, whereby the will to win plays an essential role. You therefore assume an offensive rather than defensive organization. Losing if often due …

So after my own coaching sessions this evening I decided to head over to Cary to check out this intriguing preseason friendly. Both teams are coached by guys I respect and also are former Pompey players. Excellent. In the first half Duke looked pretty good. They can keep the ball low and pass firmly to …

So I am looking into putting together some videos for y’all. I’d like to do some tactical presentations, and now that youtube has a transcribe feature, I may as well video them. Can anyone recommend a good tool for recording a white board demonstration? it would be great if it was online. I don’t really …

We need to move beyond the stopwatch and scoring grades system that has become so prevalent in most US scouting.  One of the reasons soccer is a beautiful game is that the players are constantly reacting and driving the action themselves. The coach can advise, but there are no time outs. We don’t need to …

OK, let’s get this started. I have uploaded two guides today. The first is an introduction to youth soccer coaching, and covers some basic coaching methodology. I think it is quite readable and hope that it is useful to many. The second is a simple list outlining some key technical points when coaching. It astonishes …