The Inside Scoop with Anytime Soccer Training - Discussing Youth Soccer from Around the World

I'll admit it: my approach goes against common youth coaching practice. When I started coaching, I believed kids could grasp tactical concepts much earlier than we give them credit for. So instead of giving young players endless options, I limit their choices, like requiring the goalkeeper to touch the ball before a team can score, or restricting how a player can release the ball. In this episode, I explain how constraint-led coaching can teach players to pass wide, build up play, and dribble with real bravery. As players learn, I gradually remove the constraints. I've used this in 3v3 games and recreational leagues, and I believe it can work in official matches too, where opponents and spectators create pressure you can't replicate in training. I also share why I became a youth coach in the first place. Could fewer choices be the fastest path to better decisions?

I've spent years focused on technical training. My 16-year-old son has reached the advanced academy level, and he's learning something I didn't prepare him for: performance alone is not enough. In this short episode, I announce a 30-day journey to build mental fortitude and adaptability, with short podcasts and simple daily exercises that take no more than five minutes each. Academy environments are full of adversity, and that's exactly where resilience and coping skills get built, skills that carry over to business and life. I'll explain why I'm asking my sons to commit with a simple "yes," and why you might want to do the same with your child. Some exercises may push you outside your comfort zone, and you can opt out anytime. Will you join us?

In this episode, I respond to a comment from the Anytime Soccer Training Facebook group about whether being paid is what makes a player or a program professional. The commenter's point is that unpaid means amateur and paid means professional, and I understand the concern about "smoke and mirrors" in youth soccer, especially with so little structure in U.S. soccer. But I make the case that classification depends on goals, structure, and industry standards, not just payment.The same goes for programs. How a program is funded shouldn't determine its standards. Some recreational programs run with high standards, and some fully funded academies don't. What matters is quality and conduct, not who pays the bills. I also share why descriptive labels like "volunteer-based" or "privately paid" are more useful than funding-based classifications. If you're a parent choosing a program, look for one that holds itself to professional standards no matter how it's financed.

Most parents can skip this debate, but the "everything is rec" argument keeps coming up. I break down what recreational really means and why the real conversation is about standards and organizational discipline.

I take on the debate over whether young players should focus on dribbling or tactical awareness first. My take: you can sharpen technical skills later, but tactical understanding gets much harder to teach past 14. I break down how structured scrimmages with specific constraints — like restricting certain passes or touches — can push players to build both creativity and game sense at the same time, using my son Matthew as a real example.

I watched a game this weekend that changed how I think about fitness in practice. Two teams, similar talent, wildly different outcome — and it came down to something most coaches don't want to talk about. I'm breaking down what I saw, borrowing a personal finance trick to make sense of it, and admitting I might be a little old-school on this one. Curious what you think — come argue with me in the Facebook group.

Every parent has said it at some point: "I'm not qualified to train my own kid." I used to believe that too — until I built a system that changed everything about how my sons train, and how I show up for them. In this episode, I get more honest than usual about what's actually behind that excuse, what it costs the kids who never hear otherwise, and the specific approach my wife and I use that most parents have never considered. If you've ever told yourself you're not the right person to help your child improve, this one might change your mind. Come tell me if I'm wrong in the Facebook group.

I'm continuing my series untangling the assumptions behind pay-to-play soccer, and this time I'm tackling a terminology problem that's easy to miss but really matters. I break down a proposal from an ECNL leader for a new national scouting program aimed at "amateur clubs" — and why I think that label is misleading. As I see it, a program like this would mostly benefit families already paying into the system, not the grassroots kids it claims to help. I also share a personal story about my own son, who landed on the national team radar from outside the MLS Pro Academy pipeline, to make the point that talent doesn't only come from paid systems. Getting the language right matters if we actually want to reduce costs and widen access.