Blog

Let’s Grow Soccer!

Whether you are back to playing soccer, still in a restricted phase of play, or have cancelled soccer completely now is a good time to evaluate how you can grow soccer in your area.  Did you know that MOTI can help your Organization grow soccer in your area?  Let me lay it out for you, and you can decide if MOTI is right for you.

We all know that the base for a financially solid Organization is the U6 and U8 age groups.  If you can expand the number of players in these age groups, it creates stability within your Organization and prevents others from drawing players away from you in the older age groups.  The larger the base of U6 and U8 players, the more players will remain with your Organization. READ MORE

New to Coaching Soccer. MOTI has you covered!

Relax! Your search for Soccer coaching help via the internet has all been done. MOTI has curated, sorted, indexed, digitized, inserted progressive foot techniques, converted content into 3D Animation and paired it with Soccer Skills captured in Motion Capture for even more clarity. All of this through MOTI’s OneCoach.

The following information will guide anyone through a Soccer Training Platform. MOTI has set the benchmark for training and engaging youth soccer players, all while giving new volunteer coaches the confidence and direction to move their new soccer tasks forward with success. READ MORE

COACHES CORNER: When you first start coaching

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When you first start coaching – be it your initial foray as a parent coach or the beginning of a new season with a new team for a more seasoned recreational coach, figuring out what to cover in a practice can be daunting. This is often especially true after you have seen them in their first competition – the list of “things they need to work on” feels endless. But you’ve got to start somewhere, and it’s best to go in with a plan.

First, give some thought to the skills you would like to introduce and the topics you would generally like to cover over the span of the season and work from there. Be realistic and age/developmentally appropriate with your expectations and goals. READ MORE

Going Forward – Managing our Expectations

The Past 90 days have changed the way we look at things.

Recent changes in social distancing have brought “the family unit” within many countries closer together.

Youth players are at home with their parents and trying to keep their heads in the game, their foot skills sharp and their physical conditioning up to pair. Parents are closer to their players now more than ever before and can now provide positive feedback communications their coaches used to provide on an in-person basis.

Parent’s providing that critical feedback mechanism need to be aware of the positive impact on self-esteem the player will feel with proper communication. READ MORE

Broadcasting during a Quarantine

For the past 6 weeks, our lives have changed in a unique way.  COVID-19 caught us all by surprise,  and we have had to adjust appropriately.

My broadcasting career has been put on hold with the MLS suspending all games. Some MLS teams, however, are using the EA Sports’ FIFA video game to create a virtual league that fans can enjoy.  Believe it or not, this takes me back to my start in broadcasting.

I used to play FIFA in my PlayStation when I was a kid.  I would turn down the volume and do the play-by-play myself.  Now stuck at home, I am doing the play-by-play with my kids.  It is so much fun to hear my youngest say, “GOOOOOOOAAAAAAL!”  It takes me back to my childhood. READ MORE

Distance Learning From The Physical Educator

The COVID-19 epidemic has been a mental, physical, financial, & social drain on many people.  My heart goes out to all of the families that have lost loved ones, and to those who are struggling to make ends meet in a difficult time.  I am in a very good situation compared to others, but it is certainly a new challenge to perform the job of a physical educator to the level of expectation that my Principal & our families expect from me. 

Our school district is situated in a region of Minnesota where all of our families have access to broadband internet.  However, we were unable to pass a referendum recently to provide technology to families in need.  The initial weeks of distance learning have been spent attempting to locate specific students & distribute computers, as well as getting families set up with Wi-Fi hotspots.  As a district, we have developed a team to help organize our teachers & make it as painless as possible for the parents at home to access the information & materials that we create on a daily basis.  READ MORE

Social Distancing Training Sessions

As a coach, you are always looking for ways to be creative and to be better. In our current circumstance in the world, I needed to keep my players engaged to be ready for when our season can eventually start.

I begin by communicating with my assistant coaches.  Together we come up with ideas, working within the recommendations for safety and social distancing, to come up with competitive based sessions that are fun and will keep my players engaged.  We start with a theme.  Then we think of fun competitions designed around that theme.  READ MORE