Watch as Dr. Lee Dorpfeld discusses some tips for coaches who are dealing with athletes that have experienced some form of trauma. These athletes are not trying to push your buttons or be difficult but […]
7 Key Steps for Making Ethical Decisions
By: Dan Gould & Cliff Mallett Originally Published in: Sport Coaches Handbook Provided by: Human Kinetics To help you make ethical decisions in your own coaching, here are seven key steps. Recognize that ethical decisions […]
9v9 Drill with Eric Rothwell – Elder High School (OH)
Watch as Coach Eric Rothwell explains and shows video of this 9v9 drill. This drill is run near the end of practice and has two 10-minute sessions. At the half, the teams will flip sides […]
3v1 to Goal Fast Break with Ian Barker – United Soccer Coaches
Watch as Coach Ian Barker explains this 3v1 to goal fast break drill. This is a full-field drill with 2 goalies and a 1v1 (center back and a striker) in front of each goal. On […]
Coaches’ Stressors & Mental Health with Dr. Peter Ormsby – Univ. of North Carolina Pembroke
Watch as Dr. Peter Ormsby discusses coaches’ stressors and mental health. He cites case studies that indicate the three main stressors are performance-related, organizational-related, and personal. Performance stressors deal with injuries to athletes and poor […]
The Grind
By: Coach Mickey Marley Originally Published in: Game Ready – 52 Takeaways for Winning If you are a professional, or at the least someone who has sought out to be a champion, you probably have […]
1v1 Defending Drill Progression with Colby Peek – McKinney Boyd High School (TX)
Watch as Coach Colby Peek explains and shows practice video of this 1v1 defending drill progression. The drill utilizes cones as the player runs to the cone, working on pressing to a specific direction. The […]
Are You Trustworthy? with Dr. Timothy Baghurst – Florida State Univ.
Watch as Dr. Timothy Baghurst explains that trust is the #1 factor in building culture. It all starts with you and if the players, assistant coaches, and staff don’t trust you, it does not matter […]
Assistant Coach Checklist
By: Denise Corlett – (Retired) Stanford University Originally Published in: Winning Ways of Women Coaches Provided by: Human Kinetics ☐ Always be loyal to your head coach, staff, and school. At some point you might […]
2-Part Counter Pressing Drill Progression with Guy Nell – Lamar High School (Houston, TX)
Watch as Coach Guy Nell explains counter pressing and how it helped his team to win a district championship for the first time in 10 years. Counter pressing is trying to win the ball back […]
Improving Your Players’ Confidence with Zack Etter – Univ. of Massachusetts
Watch as Zack Etter discusses improving your players’ confidence. It is key that the players understand that the conversations they have in their head (self-talk) can be either beneficial or detrimental. The words you use […]
3v3 +2 Rondo with Marcus DiBernardo – Monroe Univ. New Rochelle
Watch as Coach Marcus DiBernardo explains and shows practice video of this 3v3 +2 rondo exercise. This is a 3v1 in the middle of the field and the teams reverse with loss of possession. Each […]
You Are What You Eat
By: Adam Sarancik Author of: Coaching Champions for Life One of the most dramatic and consequential shifts in my lifetime in the personal habits of people, including many athletes, is the casual way in which […]
Attacking from Wide Areas: Overlap Drill with Darren Powell – Lexington Sporting Club
Watch as Coach Darren Powell explains, and players demonstrate this attacking wide areas overlap drill. Coach will go over each of the player’s roles and actions as the drill progresses. The players execute the overlap […]
Head Coach Blueprint: Cover Letters Are the Key to Getting Interviews with Chris Fore – Eight Laces Consulting
Watch as Chris Fore discusses how to get that first head coaching job. The key factor of getting an interview for the head coaching position is the cover letter. A great cover letter can make […]
The Butterfly Effect
By: Jamy Bechler Originally Published in: The Leadership Playbook One person can have such a strong effect on the world such as Martin Luther King, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Jordan, and Mother Teresa. In […]
Back Foot Defense with Alan Yost – Kings Hammer FC
Watch as Coach Alan Yost explains, and players demonstrate defending with the back foot. Goalkeepers are taught to defend the near post, and the back post is the responsibility of the first defender. The first […]
Leadership Drives the Culture with Jon Gordon – The Jon Gordon Companies
Watch as Jon Gordon explains that leadership drives culture. It is important to identify what you stand for, what you want to be known for, and what you value. Culture is not static, it is […]
Create a Positive Self-Talk Routine with Zack Etter – Univ. of Massachusetts
Watch as Zack Etter discusses creating a positive self-talk routine when communicating with players. He recommends sharing positive information everyday as today’s players are surrounded by negativity. Create an environment that focuses on the positive […]
Coaching Yourself: Managing Your Emotions
By: Rainer Martens & Robin S. Vealey Originally Published in: Successful Coaching Just like athletes, coaches must manage their emotions to perform effectively. Your personal example of managing your anxiety is a powerful model for […]
Recruiting, NIL, and Student-Athlete Priorities
By: Adam Sarancik Author of: Coaching Champions for Life One significant reason Hall of Fame college coaches such as Nick Saban, Jay Wright, Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski retired prematurely is NIL (Name, Image and […]
4v2 Keep Away Transition Drill with Ian Barker – United Soccer Coaches
Watch as Coach Ian Barker discusses, and players demonstrate this 4v2 keep away exercise that encourages athletes to pick their head up and spread the field in transition. Coach Barker also emphasizes the importance of […]
Mental Toughness: Emotional Control with Jay Martin – Ohio Wesleyan Univ.
Watch as Coach Jay Martin discusses emotional control in a time of crisis. The mental aspect is the preparation leading up to play and the emotional control is how you take care of business in […]
3 Phases of 11v11 with Jose Arenas – Univ. of Denver
Watch as Coach Jose Arenas explains and shows practice video of the 3 phases that are in the 11v11. Phase #1 is building out from the goalkeeper, moving forward, and organizing spacing for the back […]
The Mantra of “Get Better Every Day” Applies First to Coaching
By: Adam Sarancik Author of: Coaching Champions for Life After 40+ years in coaching, certain things are automatic for me. One of those things is, from the moment a practice, training session, game or season […]
Flying Transition Drill 4v0 Progression with Andy Holt – Justin Wakeland High School (TX)
Watch as Coach Andy Holt explains and shows video of the 4v0 Flying Transition Drill that focuses on anticipation, speed, and effort. A ball is played into the goalkeeper who will pass to the #9 […]
Scouting the Opponent’s Offense with Ian Barker – United Soccer Coaches
Watch as Coach Ian Barker discusses what is important to observe when scouting an opponent’s offense. What do they do on the attack? He will focus on the style of play, their width, which players […]
Defend the River Rondo with Eric Rothwell – Elder High School (OH)
Watch as Coach Eric Rothwell explains, and players demonstrate this ‘Defend the River Rondo’ competitive warmup drill. The field is divided into two sides of the river with two teams of eight players per side. […]
Developing Athletes at Practice
By: Adam Sarancik Author of: Coaching Champions for Life “The best athletes have the most potential to be the best players.” Prior to, and possibly including 8th grade, I think all players benefit from playing […]
Athletes’ Stressors & Resilience with Dr. Peter Ormsby – Univ. of North Carolina at Pembroke
Watch as Dr. Peter Ormsby discusses athlete stressors and resilience. Nearly 33% of athletes report mental health symptoms which is higher than general population samples. He will explain some of the types of stressors that […]