I would see a lot of "skill" trying to be developed, and one of the biggest barriers to creating it is... There is no consequence to the action, meaning it lacks purpose and intent. Even more reason to practice with the look and feel of the game.

What predicts performance? In a study on elite field hockey players, athletes performed better when they had: -Sense of Autonomy -Sense of Mastery -Feel Belonging -See the game as a challenge instead of a threat Satisfying our basic needs predicted performance.

Johan Cryuff’s most powerful yet most under appreciated quote in 2025: “I trained 4 hours a week at Ajax as a boy but I played four hours on the street everyday. Where do you think I learned to play football.”

We burn kids out with 4 practices a week plus often 2 games on a weekend, why would you ever play in the street? So backward.

Thread 🧵 1) "Remember this Kenyan 🇰🇪 runner Abel Mutai who was just a few feet from the finish line, but became confused with the signage and stopped, thinking he had completed the race. A Spanish runner, Ivan Fernandez, was right behind him and, realizing what was happening,

𝓡𝑜𝓈𝓈 𝒞𝑜𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓇 And what if we told the world that working that deceleration (& COD) in relation to an opponent is almost an entirely different skill than working it in isolation as most people across this field do?!

Skill learning isn’t about copying a perfect model, it’s a search for solutions. Coaches guide that search by shaping environments, not prescribing movements.

Okay, now some are getting it! Skillful movement behavior in sport as a problem-solving activity, you say?! Dr. Tyler Yearby frontiersin.org/journals/sport…

”How do I teach my players to spread out?” It’s a common question from newer coaches — and an important one. Creating space is a core attacking principle. Here’s how you can teach it from U8s to U12s using age-appropriate small-sided games 🧵

No idea is true just because someone says so. Test ideas by the evidence gained from observation and experiment. If a favorite idea fails a well-designed test, it's wrong.

A lot talk about early specialization vs multi sport - if we are focused on development, the answer is simple. But even worse, we are seeing specialization of ⚽️ positions at 9/10 years old. That is such a disservice to every kid involved. Teach them to be soccer players.

Youth Football/Soccer Coaches! ⚽️👇🏼 Stop judging a book by its cover! 🙅‍♂️ Just because a player looks or acts a certain way doesn’t define their potential. Here’s how to unlock every child’s potential: ✅ See Beyond Appearances: A shy child or smaller player might have heart,