Both the ‘freestyle‘ game and the ‘structured‘ game are critical. But much like the rec & pro mindsets, each has their place. Freestyle This is the place for tons of experimentation and individual play. This is where you “let the kids play”. Where you: Dribble all you want Long ball all you want Play on […]
Education
Chivas USA is a Lemon
In case you don’t follow us on Twitter or Facebook, we were in St. Louis, Ft. Lauderdale, and Indianapolis last week for the MAC Hermann award, MLS combine, and MLS superdraft, respectively. The most worthwhile thing to mention from the combine and draft is the comportment of Chivas USA. I think it’s safe to assume […]
Quality Pro Player Development or Recreation? People don’t know the Difference.
Before we go any further, something must be made clear. A line must be drawn between two camps: Those who ultimately view soccer as recreation. Those who are about creating professional footballers of the highest quality. Both have vastly different requirements. 1) Recreation This does not mean the ‘rec soccer community’ – as in reserved […]
Who Developed Him?
A player ‘makes it‘, and then everyone who’s ever touched him claims development credit. So who’s responsible? All of them? Some of them? None of them? And how can credit (or blame) be distributed? Age So at what age(s) was a certain player under the tutelage of a certain coach? Much is made of “the […]
Jose Mourinho Documentary
Because what we stand for is genuine passion, and the genuine pursuit and study of excellence. This is a man with the courage to expose his humanity. To expose his inner self even if it transcends what others have outlined as acceptable. And that not only makes him remarkable, but I believe is the enormous […]
Matters of Circumstance
Who ‘makes it’ versus who doesn’t is just as much a matter of circumstance as it is a player’s quality. Ben Lederman wasn’t some phenom, out of this world, player. But before we proceed, let’s get something clear: he was a player with good qualities and potential before he left to Spain. And having seen him […]
Map to the Gold Standard (version 1) Infographic
This is going to be an iterative process. Here’s the base version containing fundamental requirements.
It’s Time for Some Tough Love Again
Gary, let’s ‘move on’ already. What is all this crap you’re writing? Start telling me / showing me, how to do ‘it’. You’re repeating yourself. Ok guys, I hear you. Ever consider the possibility that I’m doing exactly what I should be doing? Ever considered that these so-called ‘repetitive’ posts are crucial? Think about this: […]
Influence! Are You Making A Difference?
I believe anyone can make a difference. But here we encounter the usual problem of language. Why? Well, because words break! They ALL do, if driven hard enough. Do you make a difference? Depends on what you mean by difference, doesn’t it? The Problem The fact that words can be made to break, is at […]
How Much Time Does US Soccer Need?
People like to believe time fixes problems. Yes. It’s important, but only if spent doing the right things. Consistently do the ‘wrong things‘, or simply not ‘right enough‘, and no amount of time will EVER produce quality. Part of 3four3 is about illuminating the wrong things, the right things, and the continuum in between. For […]