Soccer 1:1

 Parents & Friends,  

The qualities of a great teammate is the first week of homework we send to any new family in the Soccer 1:1 program. We follow that up with sportsmanship! 

This is what it looks like... 

Title: Sportsmanship 

Task: Please type up 5 ways we can show good sportsmanship in soccer e.g., being a referee is a tough job and they are human beings too. We always keep that in mind and are respectful to referees and their decisions. Have fun! 

It’s important to us that the families understand early on that we are not just teaching soccer. We want to teach values and life lessons. Not just being a good athlete but a good person as well who respects the game. 

Below is what one 11-year-old player submitted… 

1. Accepting the call when you foul someone. 

2. Not yelling at the referee. 

3. Help someone up if they fall. 

4. Telling people nice try if they mess something up. 

5. At...

 Parents & Friends,  

Homework is a fantastic way to engage kids off the field and of course gauge their interest level in the sport. Are they keen to learn more and increase their knowledge? How long will it take them to complete? If the child is younger are their parents supporting their journey? Homework will answer these questions!  

In the past we would print out homework and give to the kids at the field. But in the last few years we've used Google Drive to share. The parents submit when complete through the drive and we then give the kids feedback at the field. The level of detail and frequency of the homework would always depend on the age of the child.  

The qualities of a great teammate is always the first homework we issue to any new child in the program…  

Title: The qualities of a great teammate? 

Task: Please write or type up 5 qualities that a great teammate should have and include a brief explanation e.g., a great...

Parents and Friends,

Exciting news! We are running indoor winter training classes in San Francisco.

These will be futsal-based, for 1st and 2nd graders, and run for 12 weeks.

The sessions will be held at Moscone Recreation Center (Mondays) and Hi5 Sportszone (Tuesdays) and start next week.

Sign-up today!

Families these days are looking for options and want their child to experience different practice environment.

And practicing over the winter is a great opportunity to get touches on the ball, receive technical training, and get ready for the spring!

Supplemental training is the key to getting better.

Simply because the specific amount of practice time and technical training needed to improve is significantly underestimated in our local area.

For example the United Soccer Coaches player development curriculum for children in Stage 2 (6-8 year olds) recommends..

1. That the kids play 2 to 3 seasons per year
2. Participate in 40-60 training sessions per year training twice a week (100-120...

Parents and Friends,

With new families interested in our training program there are there two prerequisites before they can sign up.

Those are a phone interview followed by a field evaluation.

I screen because unlike other training programs I don’t want to help everyone!

I’m looking to establish early whether the family really wants help.

Simply because I know the perfect fit is a COMMITTED family that really wants their child to improve.

When chatting on the phone the problem the player is having is nearly always technical.

The parent feels their kid isn’t getting the PERSONAL ATTENTION they need and help with their game.

And that’s never a surprise because players can display significant technical limitations despite having played soccer for years.

Especially if the child is coming from an environment that prematurely focuses on team success and not individual player development.

If the phone interview goes well the next step is the field evaluation with...