Volunteer turnover is a problem in almost every youth sports organization.  Most youth sports leagues are 501 (c) 3 non- profit organizations and rely heavily on volunteers to handle most mission critical tasks ranging from registration, communication, team building, board members and the list goes on. At Blue Sombrero, we work with thousands of youth [...]

As coaches, the only way we can develop players from stage to stage is if we can build on what they’ve learned. No matter if it is tactics or technical – we have to be sure before we move on. As we rush to put on our training sessions and move through our ‘session plan’, [...]

The first part of our “ How to effectively scout a soccer team “ edition saw us look at the benefits of what a good scouting system can offer you as well as looking at certain areas within scouting, specifically team shape. The second part covered practical tips for scouting an opponent. This week we [...]

In a previous article, we already outlined the benefits of scouting. Now, we’re going to dig in and consider the important factors to consider when we are scouting. With the outcomes of our reports more important the further up the ladder we go, here are some scouting tips to hopefully help you prepare yourself to [...]

Scouting on both an individual player basis and a team basis is one of the most rewarding parts of the game. It can also provide a team and coach a real advantage – if it is done correctly. The modern day soccer scout uses a combination of both his own eyes along with the analysis [...]

Guest author and parent-coach, Barry Saltzman, takes an in-depth look at evaluating and selecting youth soccer coaches – and it’s impact on the game. He highlights some awesome resources for coaches and makes some excellent suggestions for teams and clubs to step out of their comfort zone to improve the game. Click to read about how you can improve your soccer program!

I’ve received a number of requests from readers to share my own personal coaching philosophy. These requests mostly came from the article about “How to Develop a Coaching Philosophy” as well as people who signed up to receive our free soccer coaching book. This is my letter of introduction to the parents of a competitive U11 soccer team. It also weaves my coaching philosophy throughout.

Missouri recently passed a law prohibiting teachers from friending their students or communicating with them in a private manner: text, email or social media platforms. While the teachers union is appealing the law, it brought to light a question for soccer coaches, “What is an appropriate relationship to have with your players?” and “How do you avoid the appearance of impropriety?”

Creating a fun environment during training sessions helps to open a player’s mind. We want to avoid automaticity in our players. Automaticity is putting your brain on autopilot and giving the usual responses, even if you aren’t in the appropriate situation. Too often as coaches we teach players things like, ‘There’s a right way and a wrong way to do everything, regardless of the circumstances.’ What we should teach them is how to think flexibly, to be mindful of all the different possibilities of every situation and not close themselves off from information that could help them.

As soccer coaches, we’re always trying to provide inspiration and encouragement to our players. Unfortunately, we can end up sounding like a broken record. Finding the right words to individually and enthusiastically tell your players that they’re on the right track can be harder than you think. Here’s our cheat sheet to say, “Great Job!”