By Mike Woitalla Sometimes we older folks feel compelled to tell our children about how different things were when we were kids. No Internet. No cellphone. If you wanted to watch your favorite TV show, you had to be in front of the television right when it aired – and no fast-forwarding through the commercials. […]
youth girls
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Methods for maximizing flexibility
By Dev K. Mishra, M.D. We tend to think of young athletes as naturally flexible but in truth athletes of all ages can improve performance for sports by maximizingflexibility. In very simplistic terms, think of your muscles and tendons as elastic structures like rubber bands. A stretchy rubber band is generally capable of greater motion […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Brian heads Cavs' deep recruiting class
[VIRGINIA WOMEN] Led by U.S. under-20 women’s national team forward Morgan Brian, the 2011 Gatorade Girls Soccer Playerof the Year, Virginia has landed one of the top women’s classes in the country. Brian, who captained the 2010 under-17 national team and also represented the USA at the 2008 Under-17Women’s World Cup, and is joined by […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
The high-school dilemma; Fair play or not?
By Mike Woitalla HIGH SCHOOL VS. CLUB. One of the most unfortunate aspects of American youth soccer is forcing kids to choose between club soccer andhigh school ball. For sure, in many cases it’s not an either-or, but the pressure on the very elite players, especially those in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, to skip […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
You've become a good ref when …
By Randy Vogt You will know that you have become a good referee when: • After the game, players and coaches go out of their way to say “Goodjob,” “Great job!” or “You were the best ref we’ve had all season!” • People say to you, “Could you officiate all our games?” • Your phone […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Sleep well, play well (The teenager's challenge)
By Dev K. Mishra, M.D. I’m sure anyone who’s raised an adolescent or teenager can attest to the idea that teenagers don’t get as much sleep as they need. For the adolescent or teenager a number of outside influences take place: more demands on time for homework, socializing, sports, music, or any number of other […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Anson Dorrance: 'Coaching is stealing best practices'
Interview by Mike Woitalla Twenty years ago, Anson Dorrance coached the USA to victory at the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1991. During his1986-1994 national team tenure he coached the USA’s first generation of great female players, including Mia Hamm, April Heinrichs and Kristine Lilly,who also played for him at the University of North Carolina, […]
Posted inStory
U.S. Club Soccer has changed radically in 10 years
Interview by Mike Woitalla This year marks the 10th anniversary of U.S. Club Soccer, which since gaining U.S. Soccer Federation membership in 2001 has served as analternative to U.S. Youth Soccer. We spoke with U.S. Club Soccer chairman Phil Wright about the past, present and future of the organization that now has member clubs and […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Fueling the young athlete: How much water and when to drink it
By Dev K. Mishra, M.D. Water seems to have gotten a bad rap lately. It used to be perfectly acceptable to drink water during sports events, but nowadays it seems thatthere is a big push toward flavored waters and so-called “sports drinks.” Human bodies are about 60% water. Drinking water is critical for all human […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Director of Coaching – What's the job?
By Christian Lavers The role of the Director of Coaching (a “DOC”) of a youth soccer club is often misunderstood — by players, parents, and sometimes even staff. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for the people who actually do the hiring (or supervision) to be somewhat confused as to what exactly they are looking for […]