Advice
Soccer Resilience: Five Tips to Help Players Mentally Recover Through Injury
Advice on the mental side of injury recovery.
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Four reasons why ‘Adultification’ of youth sports is hurting kids
"Changing the Game Project" founder John O'Sullivan explains four specific ways "Adultification" manifests itself in youth sports: The push to become “elite” at younger ages, over and under-emphasis on winning, the discouragement of enjoyment and treating youth sports as a means to an end.
The 10 best reasons to say no to the high-pressure travel team invite
Yes, we want to support our kids. Yes, we want them to have the best chance for success. But in today’s you-get-what-you-pay-for environment, it pays to remember that sometimes you can get more for less, writes Dr. Wendy LeBolt.
Hummer: Best way to keep soccer parents quiet while maximizing player development
What if young players could learn and develop without parents and coaches arguing a referee’s calls? U9-U10 players experienced that at this past weekend's CCL ScrimmageFest, and SoccerWire.com Executive Editor Chris Hummer explains why this referee-less environment is the most conducive to player development.
LeBolt: How to build a successful travel team without ever cutting a player
So, here’s an idea: what if, instead of coaches selecting the players, we let players select the coaches? Dr. Wendy LeBolt takes a look at a much-loved girls travel coach in Northern Virginia with a "no-cuts" policy that might just transform the way we look at "elite" youth soccer.
O’Sullivan: What youth sports can learn from video games
Youth sports coaching and parenting expert John O'Sullivan explains why some kids would rather play video games than sports, and outlines ways to apply the same benefits that draw children to video games in order to get them back into sports.
LeBolt: Strategies to ace your first college soccer recruiting visit
Are you or your young player entering the "campus visit" stage of your college selection process? Dr. Wendy LeBolt offers some useful advice -- and a few voices of experience -- as you make the rounds of your top contenders.
LeBolt: Who can save soccer in America?
How in the world can the USA compete in the rapidly-evolving landscape of international soccer? We may need to dig deep and go long on this one, says Dr. Wendy LeBolt. Arguing about structures, costs and leadership certainly won’t get us there. What if, instead of selecting, identifying or even building players, we wanted to discover them? Where would we look?
Prevent cold-weather muscle strains: Five dos and don’ts
The body is amazing in survival mode, a condition often incurred when the temperatures drop as loaw as they have across North America this winter. Unfortunately, on these very cold days, that’s not good news for the muscles in the limbs we use to play soccer, says Dr. Wendy LeBolt, who offers tips on how to stay healthy when you take the field in chilly conditions.
