I want to congratulate Brooke Elby and Taylor Ramirez and wish them the best in their next soccer chapter. North Carolina head coach, Anson Dorrance, recruited and got verbal commitments from the girls in the first half of 2010 during their U17 season. And last week he got their signatures. What They Can Teach Us […]
Club Soccer
Winning vs Development: Really? That’s the problem?
I’ve said it before and will say it again: We have only just begun the discussion on what’s wrong with soccer in the States. This discussion always surfaces, and rightly so, when we flounder on the international stage. Perhaps most recently when the US women lost to a lowly Mexico side, and subsequently limped in […]
Martin Vasquez: A Youth Soccer Coach?
So we’ve all heard about climbing the career ladder. And yes, sometimes we hear about demotions or taking a step back. But how about going from CEO to a line worker? Yes my friends, it looks like former Bayern Munich assistant and this season’s Chivas USA coach, Martin Vasquez, will become a U10 coach for […]
Youth Soccer Coaching Philosophy: The Right Way
One of our readers from Ohio truly believes his U14 son has a great coach who can develop players. He is Coach Everett Palache, from Cleveland United Soccer Club, and with his permission I’m sharing an email he sent to his team. Pay close attention to the soccer philosophy … Hello all, Here is the […]
Moises Orozco Must Go Pro!
So I took a drive to the Home Depot Center today where the US Development Academy Finals are being held. Specifically, I went to watch Real So Cal vs Concorde Fire. My objective was to identify if there were any elite players. One of 3four3’s missions is to scout and promote the absolute cream. In […]
Who Says The US Doesn’t Have Quality Soccer Players? [Video]
Here’s our U-19s doing a one-touch warmup before last Monday’s National Cup game. It is 7 v 7 with 2 neutrals (in blue). The dimensions of the grid are roughly 32 x 20 yards (about 1/10 a soccer field). If you can’t see the video, click here. Things To Keep in Mind This was only […]
To Specialize or Not to Specialize?
Someone from a soccer forum I frequent asked for my thoughts on whether a potential keeper should begin specializing (become “full time”) at the U-9 level. There had been an ongoing discussion in a thread with parents falling on both sides of the fence. So here it goes … From a developmental perspective only, at […]
Advice To New Club Soccer Parents
There is so much to know and so much advice that can be given. I’ll offer a couple big ones here. Ones that I think can act as great guideposts over the years. Become a dedicated fan and student of the sport. If your ultimate goal is to have your child fulfill his/her potential, you […]
US Soccer Development Academy: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The Academy is a step in the right direction. There’s a list of things that are correct – many of which have been mentioned within the soccer community. The Good A unified national league. Virtually year-round. Extra day of training. Level competition. MLS teams involved. Better logistics for scouts. Phasing out of high-school. Abolishing crazy […]
Breaking Bad Habits
Most of us have seen that TV show or movie where the cowboy jumps on a horse’s back with the aim of domestication. The wild animal violently resists being ridden and will buck, jump, twist, whatever it takes to knock the cowboy on his ass! After all, the horse is wild and doesn’t want to […]