Watching Jorge Campos navigate San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf reminds one of what made him such a delightful soccer star. During his futile search for a Starbucks -- he settles for a Peet's -- he's always smiling and cracking jokes. Later in the day, he's signing autographs in San Jose and enjoying himself as much as the children who idolize the Mexican goalkeeping legend.

Unquestionably, I've made many mistakes officiating soccer games. If there were a list of soccer referees in the United States and the number of mistakes they had made, my name would be near the very top of the list. Yet a longtime coach recently said to me, "But the percentage of calls you make that are wrong is very low."

Shattuck-Saint Mary's, a Minnesota day and boarding prep school, became famous for its hockey "Center of Excellence" that has spawned more than 50 NHL draft picks since the program's inception in 1992. In 2005, the Shattuck-Saint Mary enlisted Tim Carter to create a soccer version. Its alumni include U.S. international Teal Bunbury and this year Carter's U-18 team finished U.S. Soccer Development Academy runner-up to the New York Red Bulls. We spoke to Carter, who served as U.S. Soccer's Director of Youth Development in 1995-2001, about his unique program and the evolution of American youth soccer.

Many a big game has been lost, and many a performance has been ruined, before a single player even steps on the field. It's called the car ride to the game!

Numerous researchers have asked athletes of all ages and abilities what was their least favorite sports moment, and their answer was nearly unanimous: after the game and the conversation on the ride home.

In the latest edition of "Keeper Questions": How to get keepers to communicate -- and in the most useful manner.

David Epstein's book, "The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance," is a fascinating look into scientific attempts to gauge "nature vs. nurture" in sports.

In the latest edition of "Keeper Questions": Coaching for consistency and spicing up practice ...