Below is a link to a podcast done by Red Nation Online, a Canadian on line soccer magazine that I write articles for. It contains an interview with my friend and colleague Dino Rossi of the Ontario Soccer Association and Ontario League 1, and and Steven Sandor, publisher of the E-Mag Plastic Pitch as well as [...]
Today I am posting about something that came into my head as I was speaking to a parent of one of the athletes who trains in my facility last night. In my business, I have worked with thousands of young athletes. Among these, the great majority are participating in my training programs to help them [...]
I have a little nephew. He is just over 5 months old. I try to visit and see him as much as I can, but it can be hard to make time during the winter season, which is typically very busy for me. Because of the time off that the Christmas break has afforded me, [...]
At the Soccer Fitness Training Centre, the month of December is typically one of our busiest months of the year. Part of the reason we are so busy this month is that many of the young athletes we work with are part of academies or clubs that schedule a break from training in December, and [...]
I came across this article last week, sent to me by a parent of one of the young athletes I work with. I thought it was really interesting and figured it would be good to share it here. It was originally posted on the 'Far Post Footy' blog, which can be viewed here: http://farpostfooty.com/category/game-changers/ Rule [...]
Below is a link to a great article written by Todd Dagenais, a former University of Central Florida (UCF) volleyball coach and current UCF Forum columnist. It should be a very interesting read for any parent who has considered having their child pursue a university/college athletic scholarship.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-university-of-central-florida-forum/parents-of-young-athletes_b_5655329.html?utm_hp_ref=college&ir=College
Here is a great article from the 'Changing the Game Project' website. It discusses some of the draw-backs to the 'early specialization' model in youth sports. Many of the points raised in this article are directly applicable to youth soccer here in Canada, and I really like the fact that the arguments made in favor of 'late specialization' are all [...]
With the FIFA Women's U20 World Cup (hosted here in Canada) less than 1 week away, many here in Canada are becoming interested in 'player development' - that is, what exactly is the best pathway for talented young Canadian girls (and boys) to reach the highest levels of the game?Here is an interesting article written by Jason De Vos, former [...]
DeVos: No Scores, Standings More About Adults Than KidsThis is a great article, written by Jason De Vos, that discusses how the LTPD, and the "no scores/no standings" rule in the new OPDL, can address some of the problems with the "rep" soccer system in Ontario. A very interesting read for soccer parents, coaches and players...Let me [...]
When Did We Decide Kids Shouldn't Suffer?Here is a great article I came across that really resonated with me. In my career I have encountered lots of people (athletes, parents, employees, volunteers) who have a poor work ethic and an unfortunate sense of entitlement. I wonder how much of those problems can be attributed to [...]