In pursuit of world class, one better have some grip on what that actually means. And that, I think, requires going beyond your domestic soccer bubble, especially if the standard for world class does not reside there. Winning an American league or tournament, no matter which you want to cite, does not give you a […]
Elite
6 Points that Improve Top Level Talent Assessment through Video
The Bottom Line Capture the ‘WOW factor’ with a short video (the shorter the better) to peak interest. In-person talent assessment is hard enough, so your video(s) need to kick ass. Video must be good quality, or your audience will leave after 5 seconds. In a long-form video, try to capture all 4 player properties […]
Xuxuh! American Youth Player Features for Manchester City and Receives MVP
Barely 12, John Kenneth Hilton, nicknamed Xuxuh (pronounced shu-shu) is a Chivas USA player who this past week lit up Europe! … Again. This time guest playing for Manchester City. But before we get to that, we’ve got two videos for you: Trying to capture the “wow” factor. Gives a sense of the multi-dimensional (complete) […]
Our U12s vs FC Dallas [Video] – Surf Cup 2012
The video below is a compilation of every 5-touch sequence (minimum) from both teams, along with the game’s goals. This is what the leading possession soccer in the US looks like at U12. Be sure to subscribe to our youtube channel, along with our blog.
Recruiting is The Right Thing to Do
The perception and values associated with the practice of recruiting depends on who’s doing the perceiving and the act itself – be it an organization, coach, player, parent, or whoever. This post will take the position of what every interested party supposedly wants. Development and a meritocracy. Right? Recruiting If the goal is to develop […]
A Huge Flaw in Logic that’s Keeping You From the Truth
Player development is a topic that applies to all age groups and levels of play. But, let’s keep our eye on the big picture. When the term player development is used, what is the general context it is usually being used in? What is it that’s being visualized? I think you know. We are thinking […]
Warning!!! To All Our New Readers: This Blog is Probably Not for You
I’m dead serious! The majority of you likely joined us after the U11 video. That means the chunk of posts you’ve seen since, have been about kids playing soccer and our trip to Spain. So cute youth soccer stuff. Well, you’re in for a big ass shock if you think that’s what this site’s about. […]
FC Barcelona Trip: Day 7 Notes
Barca Day 7 No need or urgency to wake up early as there were no planned activities in the morning. Ben Lederman First thing on the agenda was attending Cuitat Esportiva to watch Academy games. We arrived at 4pm to watch the FC Barcelona Alevin A (2000’s) team vs Sant Andreu. The highlight for our […]
A Phenomenal Soccer Education in 12 Minutes [Video]
We’ve been talking on this blog. Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. Anyone can talk. And anyone does. Just look at all the garbage online, and the monkeys on TV (I guess you’d have to be able to identify it as such). Well, it’s time to do some show. First some things to keep in mind: […]
Camp For Young Professionals, College Players, and …
There is nothing high-level available for this group of players during their off-seasons. That hurts, and it must be fixed! During the holidays we held a 4 day camp for them. It was a pilot program really, as we have never done such a thing, but I was pleased with the turnout. Here’s the list […]