The other night, I went to a banquet. It was an induction ceremony for the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame, and two North Carolina based teams that won national championships were being honored. One was the Greensboro United U15 girls team that won the US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup in 2011. The other was the Duke University 1986 NCAA championship team.
[Read more…]Avoiding Burnout
At some point during the season, burnout will most likely become an issue for your team. It seems to make sense to talk about it now, rather than later when it is too late to head it off before it pops up.
[Read more…]Tired Brains Equal Poor Performances
Does any of this sound familiar?
During training, a player or two seem to be wandering around in a fog. They seem clueless as to what’s going on around them. The ball sneaks up on them, surprising them to the point where you are not sure if that was their first touch or a one-timed shot.
Or during a game, you notice you’ve used the word “focus” a record number of times, and the more you say it, the more it sounds like you are begging and pleading. The mistakes your players are making are baffling. You’re sure they know better, and you’re at a loss to understand what in the world they are doing. [Read more…]