Interview by Mike Woitalla The Richmond Kickers have announced they will be covering the costs of players on their U.S. Soccer Development Academy teams. We spoke withLeigh Cowlishaw, the Central Virginia club’s Director of Soccer, about the impact he expects from the move – and the Academy’s new 10-month season, which keeps its playersout of […]
Youth Soccer Insider
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Is it OK to play in pain?
By Dev K. Mishra, M.D. “What’s the difference between discomfort and pain? And is it OK for me to keep playing if I just have a little bit?” Those are two ofthe most common questions I’m asked by injured young athletes, and I’m guessing the same is true for our sports medicine colleagues across the […]
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Klinsmann and Co. make case for 10-month club season, no high school ball
By Mike Woitalla U.S. Soccer made it official last Friday that its 78-club Development Academy league will move to a 10-month schedule starting with the 2012-13season. More than 3,000 of the nation’s elite boys play for Academy teams in U-15/16 and U-17/18 leagues and the schedule change means no high school soccer for them. That’s […]
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Dribble on! … High school more fun?
By Mike Woitalla FEEDBACK …We need dribblers! In response to Wednesday’s YouthSoccerInsider on curricula for American youth soccer, BradPartridge of FC Florida pointed to a bit from the “U.S. Soccer Curriculum” he had issue with. In the second paragraph of the document, in the “Style of Play” section, a key element(Quick Transitions and Finishing) description […]
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Another curriculum! (US Youth Soccer's is worth a read)
By Mike Woitalla For sure, there’s no shortage of advice out there for America’s youth coaches. Books, manuals, DVDs, clinics and courses. Among themany e-mails with the latest, greatest drills and training plans landing in my inbox is one from a British firm with the subject line, “Make your players all-round geniuses.” I hadn’t thought […]
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The case for high school soccer
By Mike Barr The U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy league will soon be telling its players to not play high school soccer or any other high school sports. Most parentsof these elite players will buy into the decision, much in the same way they believe it costs thousands of dollars to assure their child becomes a […]
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The Ref-AR Relationship: When to overrule
By Randy Vogt The referee can overrule the assistant referee but the assistant can never overrule the ref. The assistant is to assist the referee and not insistinstead. We have a situation in which the ball has gone over the touchline near the assistant referee, who indicated that it is blue’s throw-in. However, the AR […]
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'Coaches should help, not disturb' (Q&A with Bayern Munich's Werner Kern, Part 2)
By Mike Woitalla Bayern Munich, Germany’s richest and most successful club, buys international stars (eg Franck Ribery and ArjenRobben) and top domestic talent (eg Manuel Neuer and Mario Gomez) — but its starting lineup usually includes four or five homegrown players. “Every time Bayern has been very successful it’s had a lot of players from […]
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Inside Bayern Munich's youth program (Q&A with Werner Kern, Part I)
By Mike Woitalla Bayern Munich stars, such as Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm and Thomas Mueller, often crosspaths with the youngsters at the club’s Sabener Strasse grounds — though they arrive in a different manner. The pros drive Audis provided by the team sponsor whose license plates end with theirjersey numbers. After parking in the underground […]
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You Know You're a Player's Parent When
By Donna OlmsteadYou know you’re a soccer player’s parent when … You keep Icy Hot, Ace bandages and cold packs in the trunk of yourcar. Your calendar revolves around P & G (practices and games) You spend more on cleats than you do on your own shoes. Your drawers are full of tournament T’s. You […]