Sam's Blog - Jan. 8

Sam’s Blog will be a weekly addition to the US Youth Soccer Blog. Sam is the Director of Coaching Education for US Youth Soccer

I just finished teaching a “Y” License course in Houston, Texas and another course concludes tomorrow in Weston, Florida. The Texas course had two coaches from Mexico attending and the Florida course has a coach from the Czech Republic in attendance. In the past other coaches from other countries have attended the “Y” License coaching course.

The American way of coaching preteen players is making its way across the world as well as across our nation. The course will definitely change your outlook on how to coach children. The coaches in the course learn to shift their training perspective from a coach-centered environment to a player-centered one. They learn how to ask the players questions to help them learn rather than always telling them what to do.

The coaches learn how children learn and this impacts their coaching style tremendously. The results are players who not only grow technically and physically but also mentally and tactically. The long-term result is the development of a self-reliant and independent player who can make decisions for him/herself on the field.

Because of these changes in the coaches we will produce some of the finest players in the world!