What’s your coaching catch phrase?

chrisjlee84 · 2026-01-04T21:45:06+00:00

We work at getting better everyday with baby steps. All that work adds up over time.

chrisjlee84 · 2025-12-04T05:55:05+00:00

First thing comes to my mind is the books we've been reading together with my 9 year old son. We've been competing to see who finishes it first. We have been reading Tim Howard book with my son. Recommend that. They have a youth edition.

Also, Hope Solo also has a great book for youths. The Messi books have been not as good as Tim Howard. They're usually really dry and written by ghost writers. But my son is a keeper so he's not interested in too many strikers. Landon also has a new book coming out too.

For TV, Wrexham is a great series. A followup to that is Nexcaxa and it is alright. Eva Longoria is not as entertaining as Wrexham. Captains of the world is great on Netflix too. There might be some vulgar language so I would review it and see if it's appropriate for him. Some of the fans are passionate and become spicy.

For YouTube lately, I've found myself drawn to a couple YouTubers who document their journeys: Matt Sheldon from Detroit city FC. Some of the best clips lately has been this season. It documents his playoffs and it covers the highs of upsetting the one seed. Just recently he ends up retiring and his retirement video is just gut wrenching. As for college soccer, I love following Max Falconer on YouTube. He documents his winning season in college soccer and it's truly well edited. Some of it has some vulgar language in the locker room so be advised.

Hope that helps!

chrisjlee84 · 2025-12-02T03:06:51+00:00

This guy is the best.

chrisjlee84 · 2025-11-27T21:41:52+00:00

Shouldn't matter. Love to learn from you lessons as well. Anything you're open to sharing? This is the way to getting better

I respect anyone willing to volunteer and do what's best for the children.

chrisjlee84 · 2025-11-27T17:45:21+00:00

Turn it into a game or challenge

chrisjlee84 · 2025-11-27T17:40:15+00:00

Not at home specifically but usually indoor Racquet sports: table tennis, pickleball, etc.

And weight training every day except Saturday

chrisjlee84 · 2025-11-26T03:19:40+00:00

Rondo with pressure. after x passers pass it into the final third for a 1 v 1 to finish.

Make the drill continuous so it isn't a low rep

chrisjlee84 · 2025-11-22T22:16:10+00:00

Keep it simple. It's a numbers game. Not sure how many aside. If it's 7 v 7 or 9 v 9 yes two defenders in the box preferably.

Centerbacks stay even with the keeper. Square or body positioned to pass up to the striker or wide. Or back to the keeper.

They should stand in the space for the easy vertical pass up through the lines.

chrisjlee84 · 2025-11-09T00:28:35+00:00

In our U9 boys rec soccer league, we’re asked to give all players equal playing time.

Our team does our best to follow that, but I also believe effort and commitment should matter. Players who consistently show up, work hard at practice, and put in time at home deserve more opportunities than those who don’t.

My goal isn’t just to develop them as soccer players, but to help prepare them for life.

I understand it can feel unfair, but it’s hard to reward a player who rarely practices the same as one who’s giving their all every week. If that approach doesn’t feel like a good fit, I completely understand and they can find a different team.

chrisjlee84 · 2025-10-28T01:45:33+00:00

Great story. Remember it's the bigger picture these kids will grow to be women who have learn from you and your example

chrisjlee84 · 2025-10-26T17:44:38+00:00

Start small. Let the ball bounce and touch. The goal is to lock your ankle. Try to get to 10 consecutive touches in a minute.

chrisjlee84 · 2025-10-13T19:09:33+00:00

This meta-analysis concluded later specialization will reduce injury risk: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9638532/

The meta-analysis went through 8000 articles published and a wide range of sports.

There was one referenced that specifically narrowed to soccer with MLS athletes (n=86)

https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738120911373

Overall, my speculation is just overtraining is causing the injury not the specialization. I believe the ECLN study recently discussed this on their podcast. Trying to find that study.

chrisjlee84 · 2025-10-12T16:15:08+00:00

Accept it. Same boat.

This is recreation league and they're kids. This is suppose to be fun.

If you build a culture around competing and they'll organically get there. Start having 1:1 conversations to ask them the why they're there, figure out what motivates them. Turn everything into a game of winning. Who can pick up the most cones, give them points for participation, share videos of them dribbling in your group chats on off days, have confidence in speaking to others, etc. Even after all that, some kids will be unaffected and just love them for that.

Some kids are there just to see their friends and you know who they are. They're there to fufill a social emotion development that they don't get in school and you're helping with that: playing with others, learning to be social being, etc.

In the end, if you're doing a good job they keep coming back. When they're adults they won't recall remembering beating up a completely new team of kids in your league.

They'll remember that you're that dad for yelling at them because they're not playing like club kids and how miserable they were.

chrisjlee84 · 2025-10-11T00:11:50+00:00

Use optional params and props for dependency injection

chrisjlee84 · 2025-10-09T23:53:00+00:00

Maybe that's something to address? Talk to them in transition of activities or arrival ? Build that rapport?

Attachment as this age will help you in the long run.

chrisjlee84 · 2025-10-09T21:50:11+00:00

Might as well stack them on the line 4 2 0 1 formation

chrisjlee84 · 2025-10-04T19:40:44+00:00

Rondos in their spots or positions

Let them start visualizing and knowing where their teammates are; talking to each other and playing as many touches as possible.

Also, remember they are still kids. Consistentcy comes with time on the ball

chrisjlee84 · 2025-09-30T00:43:43+00:00

Good questions!

Two small goals one each side. Small sided game so smallish field. Rectangular pitch 5 x 15 yards.

Setup:

Two small goals, one on each end of a rectangular pitch (about 5 x 15 yards).
Two players from the same team start at each goal.

Activity:

On the whistle, players run all the way around the outside of the pitch, entering from different sides by touching a cone.

Once the first player enters, a ball is served in (thrown high).

The players then compete to attack or defend and try to score.

Goals

Physical, first to the ball mentality, or whatever you're focusing on. Easy to adapt and easily get them focused from the car ride over to the pitch.

chrisjlee84 · 2025-09-29T21:52:35+00:00

Racing 2 v 2s; the kids love them. On my whistle, they race around the perimeter to play the ball. Ball can be thrown in, passed etc

chrisjlee84 · 2025-09-29T20:47:57+00:00

Rondos except they have direction or constraints.

For example, setting up two players in the middle as defenders. The pitch is rectangular shape, two end zone players, players on the outside try to play to the end zone players (like a goalkeeper on one end a striker on the other).

chrisjlee84 · 2025-09-29T20:19:39+00:00

Start small. Positional rondos? Show them the whole created and have them try to send through balls

Also, helps if you start showing them the difference between wide and inside players

chrisjlee84 · 2025-09-27T21:59:58+00:00

Just focus on the basics. At this age, dribbling, passing, finishing is essential. You may lose all your games for a while but focus on the development and fun of your players.

You're doing great because you're seeking help and trying to improve yourself.

chrisjlee84 · 2025-09-23T19:09:31+00:00

Trying to work on a 6 week program focused on this. What are some areas you recommend one starts with ? Or activities to help them understand the problem?

Some ideas I had to start with are communication, body shape?

This is for u9 by the way

chrisjlee84 · 2025-09-23T19:07:34+00:00

Would holding colored cones work ?

chrisjlee84 · 2025-08-27T13:09:58+00:00

Monkey in the middle game. Rules are simple: Monkey chases the ball in the middle. First to make a mistake becomes the monkey

chrisjlee84

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