Blog

How to watch and learn Soccer

I was asked last week how MOTI can help me understand the game of soccer when I watch broadcast games on TV.

Go to the MOTI Sports Activities and look for the simplest ball movement like ‘passing in pairs’ and you will witness two players facing each other delivering a ball back and forth.  This setup and format are the backbone of the game of soccer and deserve your observation as a key element to building one’s understanding of soccer excellence.

The next progression is to see the inclusion of a third player, then the fourth. With this spectator directive, your observations can now turn to the flow and effectiveness of possession and sequences of passes to move forward against the opposition. Possessions by a team will settle the game’s momentum on how a team is set up to take advantage of a perceived weak point and exploit that weakness. READ MORE

MOTI Sports joins SportsEngine Marketplace

MOTI Sports joins SportsEngine Marketplace to Provide MOTI’s 3D Soccer Training Platform and MOTI Soccer App (previously known as MOTI Mobile) to Coaches and Players.

MOTI Sports, Inc. joined the SportsEngine Marketplace to offer MOTI’s 3D Soccer Training solution to coaches and players via MOTI’s Soccer app. Successful soccer programs need volunteer coaches that are consistently training the players using appropriate techniques (foot skills) and activities (drills) for the players to have fun and thrive. This need makes MOTI Sports 3D Soccer Training & MOTI Soccer App the perfect complement for SportsEngine’s soccer organizations volunteer coaches & players. Using the MOTI Soccer App enables coaches to have a season’s practice session plans in their hands to follow, that are visually engaging, easy to understand, and are narrated with all the coaching points to follow.  Players using the MOTI Soccer App develop their techniques using the 3D motion-capture skills and quickly learn close ball control skills. Organizations now have a method to have different age/skill teams using the same 3D curriculum with analytics providing feedback to the organization, coach, and player. READ MORE

Remember your most loyal supporter at home!

During soccer season coaches and players are going non-stop to practices, clinics, training, and games. Hours of traveling, sitting at practices or games, added laundry,  meals on the go, and missed weekly chores are all part of the normal chaos that is part of the soccer season. All too often we take for granted the support we receive at home. Whether it is a parent driving us to practice/game, shopping for shoes, or a spouse that is taking on extra duties around the house so you can focus on coaching or playing, now we need to recognize our base of support and thank them! READ MORE

What is on my mind as we approach the Holiday break?

The Holiday Season is here, and the excitement is quite noticeable at school from our students.  My colleagues & I enjoy the buildup to holiday break as well, with special contests, potlucks, & even a day to wear our favorite “Ugly” sweater. 

Every year I compile a list of items to accomplish over holiday break that is a mixture of school-related projects & personal/family time that is important for “recharging my batteries”.   This year is no different, with a sizable curriculum project on the list and scheduling activities for the second half of the school year. My holiday break will include time at school to accomplish these tasks, but in a peaceful child-free environment conducive to productivity.  Lastly, I use the holiday break to reflect on successes & possible ways to improve my physical education classes.  I spend a great deal of time looking for quality teaching tools, as well as ideas to incorporate into my lesson plans.  The use of apps & exploration of websites is an example of this task.  Our profession requires a great deal of self-evaluation, and this is the ideal time for this to take place. READ MORE

What can make our Soccer players improve?

Metacognition is “cognition about cognition”, “thinking about thinking”, “knowing about knowing”, becoming “aware of one’s awareness” and higher-order thinking skills. The term comes from the root word meta, meaning “beyond”, or “on top of”. Metacognition can take many forms; it includes knowledge about when and how to use particular strategies for learning or problem-solving. There are generally two components of metacognition: (1) knowledge about cognition and (2) regulation of cognition. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metacognition) READ MORE

Be Proud Of What Your Child Accomplishes

As a professional soccer game announcer and analyst, I was honored to be asked to announce a Pre-Olympic game.  With their National Anthems playing and me reading the last names on their shirts, here were all these guys from Central America living the dream.  Then I thought “If my child were on the field how proud I would feel.”

These were U-20 players representing their country and dreaming of playing in the Olympics.  Their dreams came true because of the support of their parents. READ MORE

New to Coaching? What to focus on.

You just got talked into coaching your first soccer team.  CONGRATULATIONS! 

Here are FIVE tried and true suggestions for you.

Be Positive

If you want players to come to practice, respect you, have their parent’s respect you, the other coaches respect you, and – yes – even the referees respect you . . . be positive.  Look for little “victories” with each player and compliment them when they succeed.  Success breeds success.  Sarcasm and negativity will tear a player down rather than build them up. READ MORE

Volunteer Parents are the lifeblood

Volunteer Parents are the lifeblood of every Youth Soccer Club or Association.  They make the organization work and determine the short- and long-term success of the youth soccer club.

My experience and understanding of youth soccer are that most organizations lose up to 50% of their volunteer base predominantly in the coaching ranks each year.  By stopping a revolving door of losing these coach volunteers the Club can enjoy coach and management experience with continuity. Clubs need to offer age and gender specific programs that fit the organizations culture to make volunteer coach experiences rewarding and enjoyable, so they will sign on for another year or even more and continue to volunteer. READ MORE