Sports have the potential to create several positive outcomes for children and adults alike (Crocker, 2016). However, sports do not always create positive outcomes. This article explores the five biggest myths surrounding youth sports and consequently what parents and coaches can do in order to ensure children stay in sport for life.
Category: World Football
The Rise of the 3-1-4-2
In terms of formations and tactics, one of the major surprises of the 2018-19 season in Europe has been the rise of the 3-1-4-2. Although the formation is only a very minor spin on the popular 3-5-2, seemingly a host of teams around Europe have implemented this formation, and not just in Italy where back-three … Continue reading The Rise of the 3-1-4-2
The Qualities of a Good Sports Captain
In any sport, a team captain can be invaluable if the right person is given the role. Team captains shouldn't just be the best players on the team or the player that the coach likes the most, it's about having certain qualities that make that player a good leader and a reliable force on the team. These are some of the most essential qualities for any good sports team captain to possess.
3 Essential Reasons Kids Quit Sport
Sports have a countless number of benefits, from physical health to emotional well-being to the development of traits, skills and lifelong friends. So it's a mystery why any kid would want to quit a sport. But then again, there are several factors that just make kids no longer want to participate, all of which are very fixable.
Here are three essential reasons why kids quit sport, coming from someone who quit two sports at an early age due to some of the reasons listed below. Although this list is not exhaustive and many more explanations exist, these three reasons are some of the most widely researched and discussed in the literature.
5 Ways To Modify Small-Sided Games
Over the past decade, small sided games have become the preferred method of teaching game mechanics in football. Whether for young players or pros, small sided games have been proven to have benefits in allowing players more touches on the ball, more decisions to make but less time to make them, more 1v1 situations, more … Continue reading 5 Ways To Modify Small-Sided Games
The Winners and Losers as Zinedine Zidane Returns to Real Madrid
It was a season of trouble and turmoil for Real Madrid and following a disappointing Champions League exit to Ajax, Santiago Solari was sacked from his position as Real Madrid manager. Although Solari had a reasonably successful time with Los Blancos and a win percentage of 68% to match, there was just something missing all … Continue reading The Winners and Losers as Zinedine Zidane Returns to Real Madrid
Coaching Lessons From a Video Game – FIFA 19
One of the biggest dangers in the world of coaching in youth sports today is the concept of "joy-sticking" - whereby coaches control every act their players do and do not give their athletes freedom to be autonomous in their decisions. What is described in this article may be controversial as it is a literal form of "joy-sticking". However, this article presents the various ways that playing EA Sports' FIFA video game can be useful in analyzing your players, tactics and playing style, especially if coaches are mindful that what they do on the game may not translate into the real world. Although it is only a video game and a literal form of joy-sticking, every coach can benefit in a lot of ways from creating and playing with their team on FIFA 19.
Best Formations for 11v11
In the ever-changing world of football, dozens of formations are being used on a day to day basis around the globe. Choosing the right formation can affect the balance of the game, while the decision of which formation to play can also be instrumental in getting the best out of the players a manager has … Continue reading Best Formations for 11v11
