How to Coach Your Kid

How to Coach Your Kid

From How To! with Mike Pesca by Peach Fish Projects

May 19, 2026 · 36 min

About this episode

This episode features a discussion on youth soccer coaching with insights from former Major League Soccer goalkeeper Jeff Attinella.

Brian stepped up to coach his 7-year-old daughter's soccer team to save their season, but there's one major catch: he's never actually played the sport. Now battling imposter syndrome and the pressure of intense parental expectations, he feels completely overwhelmed. On this episode of How To!, we bring on former Major League Soccer goalkeeper Jeff Attinella to demystify the art of youth coaching. They discuss the growing problem of early sports specialization and why keeping kids moving is far more important than mastering complex rules. Jeff walks Brian through a foolproof 45-minute practice structure, explains why faking your confidence is essential on the sidelines, and shares a genius "Simon Says" hack for regaining the attention of easily distracted seven-year-olds. Executive Producer Corey Wara Edited by Geoff Craig Booking by Ben Astaire Do you have a burning question or a problem you need help with? Email us at howto@mikepesca.com and we will consider your topic for the show. For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To receive ad-free content, become a Pesca Plus subscriber at ⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/…

People in this episode

Host: Mike Pesca

Guest: Jeff Attinella

Topics covered

  • youth coaching
  • soccer
  • parenting
  • imposter syndrome
  • sports specialization

Keywords

  • youth sports
  • coaching tips
  • soccer practice
  • parental expectations
  • Simon Says hack

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Peach Fish Projects

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