Don Williams
@Don_K_Williams
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🇺🇸🇨🇦College soccer Head of Ops The Americas @SRUSA_Official NCAA, NAIA, JC, 🇺🇸 ODP & USL, Youth ⚽️ Coach since 1989 Views are my own
United States
Joined April 2019
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メイドの日
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ONGSASUN CONFLICT
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Whindersson
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メイドさん
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Kyungsoo
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#PLEDIS_TREAT_JUN_BETTER
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トニオさん
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#ساعه_استجابه
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TREAT YOUR ARTISTS EQUALLY
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Gill
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Copa América
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密漁海岸
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高橋一生
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イタリア料理
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Palermo
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#CSKvsGT
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الامم المتحده
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JUN DESERVES BETTER
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Trenes Argentinos
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Militão
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Pinned Tweet
This is why we attend so many events all over the world!
@SRUSA_Official
👀 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗔 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲?
With staff all over North America, it's a great way for us to watch current clients in action, to keep up to date on their current…
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Being a Head Coach is Hard.
Unless you have done it, you do not understand.
Here are 8 Realities that All Head Coaches Face:
1: It will consume you.
Coaching is more than just a job - it's a way of life. You'll spend countless hours planning practices, analyzing game film, and…
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Borrowed from a FB page for Softball, but thought it applied to all sports:
This is how it should be 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
“People always asked "Why do you pay so much money for your kid to do sports”? Well I have a confession to make; I don't pay for my kid to to do sports. Personally, I…
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The Line
The line represents respect.
Respect for yourself
Respect for your teammates
Respect for your coaches
Respect for the process
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When it comes to youth sports, This is the ONLY ROI
(Return on Investment) that really matters
Liked it so I am borrowing it
Author Unknown
This is how it should be 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
“People always asked "Why do you pay so much money for your kid to do sports”? Well I have a confession…
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Meanwhile, back in the 🇺🇸 someone complains that the grass isn’t good enough & that’s why they didn’t play well.
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Over 70% of youth athletes drop out of sports before they enter high school..
The reasons according to the kids themselves: Too much pressure to win, poor coaching, being forced to “choose” and specialize in a single sport at too early of an age, too expensive for parents,…
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This comes as a keeper myself
Pulisic does nothing wrong
De Gea is soft
David De Gea and Lindelof were unhappy after this play from Christian Pulisic.
(via
@NBCSportsSoccer
)
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Parents making videos for their kids
Creating & running social media accounts for their kids
Contacting coaches for their kids
So, parents working harder for their kids than their kids work for themselves
At some point we all should ask ourselves who wants this more?
Parents or…
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The ⚽️ tournament mafia may put a contract out on me for saying this but…
I don’t believe 7-13 year olds should be traveling to tournaments
There is virtually zero value IMO & experience.
Players should also not be in organized ⚽️ play more than 120 minutes in a day & must have…
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Not sure I’ve ever seen any player laugh after a WC PK miss
What’s so funny about it?
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🤔💭It’s not about:
DI
DII
DIII
NAIA
JC
It’s about getting 4 more years to play the game you love while getting your education
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I’ve noticed, at least by the ⚽️ talk on Twitter…
So many English hate the 🇺🇸 ⚽️ community like no other nation hates us
Except when they can move here to coach & make a living at it
Something most cannot do in England
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Fable: DON'T ARGUE WITH “DONKEYS”
The donkey said to the tiger:
- "The grass is blue".
The tiger replied:
- "No, the grass is green."
The discussion heated up, and the two decided to submit him to arbitration, and for this they went before the lion, the King of the Jungle.…
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Sick!!
Obviously hours & hours of having fun with the ⚽️ outside of team training time.
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1v1 skills are often shunned in the name of “possession ⚽️”
When in reality, a baller with loads of ideas how to, as an individual, break lines & maintain possession is the most dangerous of players you’ll come across & an asset to any side
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The ⚽️ tournament mafia may put a contract out on me for saying this but…
I don’t believe 7-14 year olds should be traveling to tournaments
There is zero value IMO & experience.
Players should also not play more than 120 minutes in a day & must have rest between days
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Paid club coaches who need a monthly income (wholly understandable BTW, but there are other ways to do that) tell kids that HS ⚽️ will ruin them, too many games in a congested schedule & poor coaching.
Meanwhile I see some of those same club coaches having those same kids fly…
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Seems like everyday I hear about some new corruption with US Soccer.
Today I found out for the 1st time that current & former
@ussoccer
executives own the travel company that ENCL teams are required to use to book hotels
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“Those who focus on playing time rarely get better”
“Those who focus on getting better usually find playing time”
Tim Lenahan
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As I’m out watching games this week:
Dear youth ⚽️ coaches,
Yelling at your players to “wake up” or “that’s not good enough” isn’t coaching.
In fact if they are even listening, what you’re yelling is going to have a negative effect more often than not.
Learning to control our…
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Earned respect as a Keeper, then turned around and lost it as a good human being.
Uncalled for
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🚨 BREAKING 🚨
MASSIVE PROPOSAL NCAA D1 Changes coming in 2024!!
A
#CollegeSoccer
coach sent this to me yesterday:
Here is a summary starting next year for all NCAA Division 1 Schools
*All will be required to guarantee the scholarships they offer to student-athletes, whether…
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MAYBE AN UNPOPULAR OPINION
I get asked a lot what I think of High School ⚽️
Paid club coaches/directors/club owners who need a monthly income (wholly understandable BTW, but there are other ways to do that) tell kids that HS ⚽️ will ruin them, too many games in a congested…
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I pray I live to see the say when those stud players that commit to play
D2
D3
NAIA
JC are as loud & proud as those players who post that “I committed to a DI”
You’re all studs & in the elite 7% club of playing college ball.
Be proud of what you’ve accomplished!
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In Northern California, high caliber club players are proud to wear their High School gear
The High School playing experience is highly valued (and highly competitive) in California, North & South
I feel sorry for kids in leagues that won’t allow them to play HS ⚽️
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Just in case anyone was wondering, here are all the professional football teams in England
Thanks to Shawn Nicholson for sharing
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Found a Center Back I really like.
Zero college coaches out here
Today I chose to drive 45 min away from the main action with the big name teams & the big name schools.
I am mining for that 💎 in the rough & the overlooked baller ⚽️
Bet I find a few!
@SRUSA_WSoccer
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It’s the opposite of what many 🇺🇸 players are coached to do
We put on GPS units & chastise players if they don’t run more
Covering ground for the sake of covering ground doesn’t make a better ⚽️ baller
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⚽️ Players:
When sending a college scout your schedule, please DO NOT send them the link to a web site where they have to search & figure it out.
Send:
Your Name
Team Name
Major
GPA
Shirt #
Colors
Location
Field #
Opponent
Time
And always include your highlight link…
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NAIA is NOT the 4th division & is not lesser than.
There are high quality schools
High quality sports
High quality facilities
High value education
Opportunities at many
@NAIA
institutions
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There are NO “Elite” players in youth sports.
There are very good youth players…as youth players go.
Let’s reserve the term Elite for what it is, the best at the highest senior level.
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✅ No matter if you play D1, D2, D3, NAIA or Juco, you are one of the very few who have made it to the College level.
You should be really proud of yourself!
Don't forget that!
#Collegesoccer
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Players:
My advice is to go where you’re wanted.
Too many players are begging coaches to take them on the roster even if they don’t play.
Ask any adult how relationships go when you have to beg someone to love & appreciate you
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⚽️🚨Advice for players attending an ID Camp
Stand out from the pack
Shake hands
Introduce yourself
Be:
First to show
Last to leave
Helpful
Kind
Prepared
Competitive
Humble
Grateful
Realistic
Outwork everyone including the coaches
Listen
Learn
Be the best version of yourself you…
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Coaching ⚽️
Is a separate skill from playing
Just because someone played “high level” doesn’t mean they know how to coach
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Many want to coach until they have to deal with..
70hr+ work weeks
10 hr bus or van trips
3am Laundry
Middle of the night player emergencies
Not seeing their family for days or weeks
Missing your own kids games & life in general
All while being 2nd guessed at every turn
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It’s really NOT about the height of the keeper that good ⚽️ coaches care about…
It’s how BIG a keeper plays
I’ve seen 6’2 keepers play small & weak & I’ve seen 5’2 keepers play BIG, Strong, & never falter
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To those parents secretly running your child’s Instagram or Twitter account as you manage their college recruitment process:
Many coaches are going to take that as a big 🚩.
You’re possibly a 🚁 or lawnmower parent.
Players can manage their own SM accounts & parents can monitor
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According to the NCAA:
Of the ⚽️ Men & Women that entered the transfer portal at the end of the 2021 Season:
40% of the women didn’t find a new college home & it’s 50% of the men
Players need to be careful
The grass is often not greener on the other side, sometimes it’s desolate
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It’s so strange when I look back at my life over the last 60yrs.
From a lost 8yr old, absent dad, alcoholic mom, food stamps, latch key kid on the verge of trouble, to one year later falling in love with ⚽️
⚽️ changed my life
All the friends, connections, travel, that has…
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After assessing tens of thousands of youth players it’s my conclusion that the through ⚽️ is overused in the 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 youth system.
The idea of playing to feet, to the correct foot with pace & circulating the ball quickly to draw the defending team out of spaces is rare.
Every pass…
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What to show people when they say college soccer isn’t quality football ⚽️
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Why do so many youth ⚽️ & college coaches have such a hard time just telling ⚽️ players & their parents the truth about their ⚽️ abilities?
How are soccer players supposed to improve if there is little to no honesty in the evaluation process?
Lack of honesty makes players…
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Any player thinking about transferring should at least take 60 seconds to hear this 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
Great answer from Eli Drinkwitz when asked about transfer portal.
"We are such a instant gratification era, myself included -- I'm not putting this on anybody, it's the entire world we live in.
"We are trying to skip the step of adversity -- you can never skip that in life."
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Youth ⚽️ Coaches:
Maybe an Unpopular Opinion but:
I recommend not using team training time for fitness without the ball
A properly planned session will have plenty of fitness built in
Players forced to come out of the game because they physically cannot play for the duration…
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I think everyone would be much happier if players were playing because they love ⚽️.
Not because they want a college scholarship or roster spot.
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If my ⚽️ jobs over the past 35 yrs have taught me anything, it’s that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.
What is one coaches difference maker, is another coaches bench warmer.
& they could both be coaching at the same level.
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Why ALL THE WAY too the line?
I mean, it is just a line, it’s a small detail
Because the attention to small details IS the difference between being good & being GREAT! 🏆
The Line
The line represents respect.
Respect for yourself
Respect for your teammates
Respect for your coaches
Respect for the process
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Why Juco?
Up to 24 full ride scholarship at the D1 level
Better shot at immediate playing time (most cases)
Smaller class sizes
Less restrictions on coach's time spent with players
Team training year round
A chance to prove yourself to 4-year colleges
Learn what it’s like to…
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The school you’ve never heard of just might be your perfect fit!
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D1 You’re a stud
D2 You’re a stud
D3 You’re a stud
JUCO You’re a stud
NAIA You’re a stud
USCAA You’re a stud
NCCAA You’re a stud
Don’t listen to the haters
Go where you’re wanted & appreciated
@SRUSA_Official
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I know some NAIA programs that could regularly beat a very large percentage of D1 programs and do with astonishing frequency in spring and pre-season matches. NAIA is NOT 4th level nor is all JC soccer
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I am hearing people talk about FULL RIDES to college for ⚽️ players.
I am here to say, that is rare.
Perhaps the confusion comes when discussing what a FULL RIDE actually is?
A full ride means:
✅Tuition paid
✅books paid
✅fees paid
✅housing paid
✅food paid
Full rides are…
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Yes, coaches do have favorites!
Coaches favorites typically include players who:
Are 1st to show up
Are last to leave
Put We before Me
Ask what they can do to help the team
Lead by Example
Bring Joy
Do more than what’s asked of them (Extra)
Help others be better
Express…
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Had a client today choose a sweet 16 DIII over a 6 win DI
Academics were solid at both schools.
Both highly respected institutions.
Cost factor wasn’t an issue.
So I’ll say that From a pure ⚽️ competitive perspective, I love it.
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Coaches 💯 do have favorites!
The favorites tend to be those players that:
Work hard
Show up on time
Don’t complain
Do their job
Are consistent
Do extra
Contribute to good culture
Show early & stay late
Take care of their bodies
Do all the little things right
Are tuned in to…
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Kevin Paredes, now at Wolfsburg in Germany, says he used to get snubbed by US youth teams because of his size.
“My biggest obstacle was I’ve always been the smallest player and hardly got noticed. I remember playing with older guys for the U-14s and was killing it, scoring 16-17…
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Many youth clubs have next to zero or substandard ⚽️ GK knowledge within the club.
Being a former GK, I was far from knowledgeable about coaching.
I had to go seek out the coaching skills & knowledge.
I had to hone my craft.
It took years.
Many Clubs are letting their GK’s down.…
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Jürgen Klinsmann was right
JK was demonized for saying this and ultimately sacked when he was right all along
A Must Listen! 💥
Reggie Cannon describes the competition overseas vs MLS.
Respect
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For all those that don’t want their players to dribble…
Trust me, the issue isn’t dribbling too much.
The issue is losing the ball too much.
Knowing The right time & place to make a run & keep the ball is as valuable as being able to do it.
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As a keeper coach whose coached college women for most of my career, I cannot tell you how crazy it makes me seeing goal after goal after goal that is prayerfully lofted shot over/through a keepers hands from 25-50yds out
It’s NOT a good goal, it’s terrible goalkeeping
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Everyone would be much happier if players were playing because they love ⚽️…
NOT because they want a college scholarship
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Today a college coach told a 17yr old PSA that he has reached his potential.
With all due respect coach you’ve no idea what you’re talking about
Who tells any human at 17 that they will never grow or Improve?
Not for us? Sure, understood.
But will never improve?
Come on 🤦🏻♂️
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It makes for entertaining fodder to see GA & ECNL parents, anonymous Twitter accounts & clubs tear each other apart over who’s better.
Meanwhile, Not one single tweeter talks about what’s best is for the kids & development.
It’s all about flexing to back the horse they chose.
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I’d 💯 rather have my kid go though a rough patch with difficult people early on and learn to be resilient, rather than overprotect them, allow them to quit, & have a difficult time later in life when I’m not there to guide them through it
Compassion doesn’t mean giving in to…
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Had the mom of an unfit GK ask me:
“Do keepers really have to take a fitness test in college too?”
Yes, yes they do, they are part of the team & an athlete just like everyone else
And rightfully so I might add
Keepers have to be leaders that lead by example
No excuses…
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Initials are just initials
Organizations are just organizations
NAIA, NJCAA, NCSAA or NCAA DI, DII or DIII
Labels are just labels
But the opportunity to continue to play the sport you love for 4 more years while you earn your degree? Only 7% achieve this
#Priceless
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In the world of youth soccer:
Only about 2% on the girls side and 1% on the boys side will get to play NCAA DI soccer.
It’s fantastic when it happens, but clinging hard to a DI or Bust mentality may mean not playing in college or settling for a sub-standard program.
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Is anyone listening?
This can’t make the stakeholders of the major youth ⚽️ platforms happy to hear this
"I don't care what boxes we tick. There's no development at the [U.S.] youth stage."
@carlilloyd
breaks down what she believes is fundamentally wrong with the U.S. soccer system on the latest episode of Kickin' It, streaming NOW on
@paramountplus
🔥
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@UtdEra_
It’s demoralizing to field players when keepers make a mess of what appears to be a routine save
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The ability to pass a ⚽️ with pace, to the correct foot, smoothly, on the floor over distances greater than 15+ yards (assuming the pitch allows for it) is vital to high ⚽️ speed circulation.
It’s also a skill I see lacking in our 🇺🇸 ⚽️ system, bottom to top.
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Based on what I’ve seen in the 4 major youth ⚽️ tournaments I’ve gone to this year on both coasts, I’m deducing that there is a lot of training on playing out from there back
Not much in the attacking 1/3
As a college coach Attacking 1/3 is where we spent most of our sessions
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Today I chose to drive 45 min away from the main action with the big name teams & the big name schools.
I am mining for that 💎 in the rough & the overlooked baller ⚽️
Bet I find a few!
@SRUSA_WSoccer
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That was me as a parent.
When scouting, I’ll start in the corner & if there are interesting players, I’ll go by the parents for a while.
I can usually tell who belongs to which kid when the parents are having a psychotic break while screaming incessantly.
Now I know which kids…
When you see a sports parent sitting alone at their kid’s game it doesn’t always mean they’re antisocial . It often means they’re intentionally staying away from the drama and trash-talk happening among other sports parents! 😬
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2 parents 👀 youth ⚽️:
P1: Who’s your kid?
P2: Why?
P1: I want to tell her how terrible she is doing
P2: You can’t do that! She is only a kid. How would you feel if I did that to your kid?
P1: You’ve been doing that all game!
P2: No I haven’t, whose your kid?
P1: The Ref
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Nearly every player going to college says they are willing to sit, pay their dues & learn…
Until they actually have to sit, pay their dues & learn
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After having returned from visiting a number of academies in ⚽️ 🇪🇸 something stood out:
The players are quite humble, polite & respectful in a way we don’t see in the 🇺🇸 as often
I think most kids who spend time with top academies internationally get humbled by being around…
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⚽️ Player Advice
When you’ve committed... phone ☎️ the other coaches that spent all that time recruiting you (don’t text) tell them thank you, but you’ve made your choice to go elsewhere
It’s not just the right thing to do, but you also never know when you might need them later
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⚽️🚨Advice for players attending an ID Camp
Stand out from the pack
Shake hands
Introduce yourself
Be:
First to show
Last to leave
helpful
kind
competitive
Humble
Grateful
Outwork everyone including the coaches
Listen
Learn
Be the best version of yourself you can be!
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And to all those people that say juggling does nothing for your game I present this technical display👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
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⚽️ Players:
I’m consistently seeing a lack of ability to pass the correctly textured, nuanced ball to the correct foot of the receiver over 10,20,30,40+ yds.
Why does it matter?
Playing the correct ⚽️ to the correct foot allows us to play faster, allows more time for the…
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A scathing article
Calling out some of the top
@ECNLgirls
clubs & biggest names in the 🇺🇸
“More than 85% of top executives at ECNL Girls clubs are men, The Post found, & some 50 ECNL clubs appeared to employ zero women in coaching leadership jobs”
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How about local Jamoree’s instead?!
No standings
No trophies
Music
Food
Family fun
Games
Just let the kids & families enjoy their local ⚽️ communities
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I watch a ton of college ⚽️ recruitment film
One of the missing pieces that is crucial to success at the next level is change of pace
I see players creating space with a move & then, nothing, no change of pace to exploit the space
⚽️ Players, show me your change of pace
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This may be a very unpopular opinion but IME…
Many people want soooooo badly for ⚽️ IQ to replace or make up for low level athletic ability.
That is not realistic.
⚽️ is a highly physical game with a complex strong mental component.
In addition, the technical ability &…
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Watching some of these youth games, listening to coaches (in my opinion) verbally abuse kids.
I just want to go up & hug the kids & tell them
“coach is an A** who is clueless
Leave, run, find a better coach, you deserve so much more”
Our kids deserve better
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How an athlete treats their parents & siblings tells me a lot about the kind of person they are
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At some point, you have to admit he is just screwing with guys for the fun of it
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If you don’t love this - we can’t be friends. 😉.
RIP Diego 😢
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Borrowed from a FB page for Softball, but thought it applied to all sports:
This is how it should be 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
“People always asked "Why do you pay so much money for your kid to do sports”? Well I have a confession to make; I don't pay for my kid to to do sports. Personally, I…
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