Saturday, December 31, 2011

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Overemphasis on winning in US youth soccer, energy drinks, letting players learn to make decisions themselves and how parents can help player development

Some interesting soccer-related articles published recently...

-One of the flaws in the US youth soccer culture is a “misplaced emphasis on winning” at too young an age ahead of player development. This results in a bias toward physical prowess and against technical evolution that may have short term benefits for the team but is harmful to the long-term development of players. (here)


-Young athletes should avoid energy drinks. (click here)

-Parents and coaches should pipe down during the game and let kids learn to make decisions for themselves on the field. (here)

-Former World Cup winning player and new US national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann offers suggestions to parents on the role they can play in helping their kids’ soccer development. (part 1 here and part 2 here)