by Tim Nash
In 2013, ESPN looked at the exploding youth club sports landscape and came to this conclusion: “Youth sports is so big that no one knows quite how big it is.”
While ESPN was stumped by the sheer number of players involved in youth sports, last year a study by WinterGreen Research published in Time Magazine determined it was a $15.3 Billion industry and rapidly growing.
by Tim Nash
A mom once told me that her daughter performs best when she is yelled at by the coach.
I told her, “Well, I won’t be doing that.”
She went on to give some examples of coaches who yelled at her and how it seemed to work, or something like that. I wasn’t really listening. My mind was occupied imagining what a miserable experience this girl must be having with soccer.
by Tim Nash
Every youth soccer club will tout player development as the cornerstone of everything it does.
But making player development the top priority rarely happens. In many cases, the club is exaggerating its commitment to player development. In most cases, they are wishing it was true but not doing a lot to make it happen.
There are a lot of reasons, of course. But one in particular is especially frustrating in youth soccer, and that’s when winning games is more important to the coach.
Coaches endure an internal argument between their naturally competitive impulses and the desire to do right by the players. Too many times, when the competitive beats development.
That’s why Noel Gillespie’s job is so interesting.