US Soccer Has a Player Development Problem: Julie Foudy offers new/old perspective
What if the best way to get your kid on the U.S. National Team was to not attend their games? Or allow them to quit soccer for a season or two on a whim? Both of these techniques worked for Julie Foudy, one of the most capped U.S. players in history (271) and a leading […]
Can Your Kid Handle College Soccer?
When Suzy Germain and her freshman class (1980) teammates were recruited by Anson Dorrance to play for the UNC Tarheels, they were a force to be reckoned with. Describing it, Suzy says, “Practice was a battle. We took over every starting position. We knew we were better.” She says this matter-of-factly, with the confidence I’m sure gave […]
Making Mistakes is A-okay
Many girls, by nature, are tentative. Go ahead. Watch the U7 boys play. They throw themselves into the game, into their opponent, get whistled for rough play. Then watch the girls. They fight over offering the other player the ball. A whole new species. Girls are tentative, not necessarily because they are being polite, but because […]
The “Coach-Athlete” Conversation about Playing Time
One of the hardest issues for kids in today’s competitive youth sports setting is playing time. No one likes to spend time on the bench; the fun is in playing the game. But, the more competitive the team, the more important the win. Coaches whose jobs and reputation depend on fielding a winning team play their starters. Maybe only […]
We Need to Give Kids a Break in the Season
Here’s a riddle: What do you call something you do almost every day, all week, year round? … work, right? What do we call it when our kids do it? … sports. Is anyone laughing? Neither are our kids. They’re paying the price in exhaustion, stress, injury, and burnout. The scenario sounds very much like the […]