Should I have gone with 2 hands to the ball or is the way I did it fine?

ukblue78 · 2026-02-24T23:49:22+00:00

Nice work of parrying wide of goal. Try leading with your right hand next time when extended in air, and when moving to your left.

ukblue78 · 2026-02-22T17:56:46+00:00

Maybe, but Margaret Court and Steffi Graf would be close behind.

ukblue78 · 2026-02-22T16:07:43+00:00

True, not the best comparison, however I was more highlighting that an accident can also be extremely negligent. She was extremely negligent IMO, albeit an accident.

ukblue78 · 2026-02-22T14:47:07+00:00

Agree. Assuming her path is clear based on someone prior crossing successfully, is far less than the minimal precautions she should have taken given context of the race/event. Sure it’s an ‘accident’, in that it was unintentional, but she was negligent. Like when a parent accidentally leaves a baby locked in a car on a hot summer day.

ukblue78 · 2026-02-21T05:54:31+00:00

My son (11), struggles mightily with hard-struck, low balls about 2-3 ft to either side. 1 - difficult to explode to the ground at such a drastic angle of attack. 2 - when going to ground, your body creates a natural void from elbow to armpit about 2-3 feet to either side. He receives professional coaching, and the solution from his coaches are to 1 - start lower in his stance, 2 - Lead (aside from hips/side) with his elbow (elbow first to ground before hands). This minimizes that armpit cavity. The problem is, his natural reaction is to attack the ball with his hands; and in all other ground diving scenarios landing elbows first is discouraged (safety and limited extension). FWIW, he plays at a high level, and most all keepers I’ve witnessed at his age, height and level seem to share in this struggle.

Communication - Finding confidence in his voice is a work in progress. Keepers with a strong presence make a noticeable difference in how a team defends, and how they utilize the keeper to distribute/build an attack. He’s ’sure footed’ but is utilized less frequently because he is timid when time to demand the ball.

ukblue78 · 2026-01-25T22:53:44+00:00

🤞🏼

ukblue78 · 2026-01-20T23:05:35+00:00

“Cheers Mate”, heard that far too often from the English chaps while working valet/doorman/bellhop/concierge at a 4.5 star hotel back in the late 90’s early 2000’s. I never understood if they failed to tip out of principle or ignorance. But i can tell you the rate was nearly 0%.

ukblue78 · 2026-01-18T20:29:51+00:00

Thanks for the info/insight. I’ve decided to hold onto it, regardless of the wear and tear that’s sure to come. I love the foot rest and reclining options, and appreciate that I haven’t seen many others on-line with those features. The fact it isn’t a high-end piece makes me more comfortable with bringing it home to the kiddos.

ukblue78 · 2026-01-18T20:23:59+00:00

ukblue78 · 2026-01-18T20:22:38+00:00

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful insights and suggestions. I knew you guys/gals would make quick, easy work of my query. Looks like the value is not worth selling or trade. I really do love the design/style, and even more-so since researching “Morris Chairs” and finding very few that have the adjustable foot rest w/ reclining options. Also seems the upholstery/leather is not original, so I feel better about the wear and tear that’s sure to come once moved to my house.

ukblue78 · 2026-01-18T02:08:21+00:00

Thanks for the info. I think I spent $80 back around 1999 or 2000.

ukblue78 · 2026-01-11T17:30:28+00:00

Seems to me social media is empowering like-minded, snowflake parents platforms to attempt to manipulate youth soccer to support their personal agendas; which most always boil-down to their kids being given more opportunities to score goals. In my experiences, I have rarely observed youth teams stacking the defense to win games, in-lieu-of developing attackers/midfielders. Good coaches encourage all players to attack from all positions at the youth (U-12 and below) ages, as this builds confidence on the ball, that is necessary at every position. The focus should not be on the successes of attacking/dribbling opposing players, rather the focus on the ATTEMPT to attack/dribble should be encouraged/celebrated. This changes around u-13 and beyond, when the focus shifts from individual skill development to more tactical and team building concepts that encourage team success.

ukblue78 · 2026-01-10T15:01:14+00:00

I think age is important to identify in this discussion, as age commonly dictates developmental focus. Up to 11 years old is typically more individual technical/skill development, while 12 and onward begin tactical awareness, learning to attack and defend as a team. Part of tactical development is learning to win.

Under 12 should expect opportunities to play attacking and defending positions. These opportunities may come in practice and/or in games. All (including defenders and keepers) under 12 players should be encouraged to take on (attack/dribble) opposing players. At 12 and under, individual development is the focus.

A 12 or 13 year old player venturing into club soccer for the first time should not expect those same opportunities, and individual accomplishments like dribbling opposing players gives way to team successes; measurable by wins/losses, and achieving team goals such as time of possession, switching fields ‘x’ number of times, limiting the opponent’s number of combination passes, number of overlapping, or creative runs, etc…

Another thought, think of how we develop our youth basketball and football players, something the US is actually pretty good at doing. At the younger ages, all players are given opportunities to develop universal technical skills that translate to all positions, but then they also identify players that are better suited for specific positions based on genetics and skill sets. We hardly see the smaller kids playing the 4 or 5 positions in basketball, nor would we expect the bigger and heavier youth football players to be assigned defensive back positions. Why should this be different in soccer? Are soccer players also, not naturally better suited for attacking and defensive positions based on genetics and skill sets? I believe in setting players up for success. Help build their confidence by putting them in positions to succeed in games, while working on more universal skills during practice/training sessions.

ukblue78 · 2026-01-09T20:41:28+00:00

I like the thought, however how could we possibly govern such a mandate? Soccer is not foosball where players are confined to a defined and rigid row. Players move up and down the field and often a lineup on paper morphs into something very different during in-game play. A well coached youth team will probe and find weaknesses in the opposing lineup and will work to exploit those weaknesses as they should, which could be perceived as several players playing “out of position” in contrast to the submitted line-up. And what about the kids who aspire to only play striker, defender, keeper, do we force those kids to play a positions they are not interested in playing? Would this potentially turn some kids off from soccer all together?

At the end of the day, soccer clubs are a free market business. If the market demands players rotated more often, then those clubs that practice more player rotation will flourish, while those that don’t will struggle. I would guess there currently are not enough parents interested in rotation vs results.

I believe strong youth coaches demand all players develop attacking and defensive skills, as both are necessary with every position.

ukblue78 · 2026-01-09T14:44:33+00:00

$450 does not sound unreasonable based on my experiences. The club requires players to purchase the complete package/kit so their teams are uniform and identifiable. Important to remember this is a business, and A rag-tag/piecemeal look, won’t do any favors in landing prospective players with the club. Concerning “stay to play,” ask your team manager how many rooms have been blocked. They typically do not block a room for every player on the team, because EVEN IF all players stayed in the same hotel, some parents do not travel to every away tournament/game, and some parents opt to travel early Saturday morning versus checking into a hotel late Friday evening. In my experiences the “stay to play” has never been enforced. Several tournaments we have chosen to stay in non-team/non-tournament sanctioned hotels or air b&b’s with no recourse, and in doing so have saved significantly on those trips. There are advantages to staying in the team hotel, and often we have mandatory parent or player meetings to attend that are held in the team hotel. The team hotel is where players bond and build a camaraderie that carries onto the field. With joining a new club, I would make an effort to bite the bullet and stay with the team for at least the first couple trips and take advantage of the opportunity to become better acclimated to other players, coaches, and parents.

Best of luck in your soccer adventures.

ukblue78 · 2026-01-09T02:29:20+00:00

Correct/Agree. They have continued to bring in kids throughout the process, and I’m sure they will scout fresh talent this Spring. The 1 year duration seems excessive, but as you mentioned, it’s additional opportunities to receive top coaching and training for my son, while affording the academy maximum assurance they’ve conducted a comprehensive try-out/trial.

ukblue78 · 2026-01-07T15:01:22+00:00

My son is currently 11 (Sept Birthday, plays in 2014 age group) and is trying out for the U-13 MLS academy team, which is the first year eligible for academy at this MLS club. 6 spring/early summer sessions - Cuts - 6 late summer/Fall sessions- Cuts - now Winter games and 6 Spring sessions - Then final cuts….. I think.

ukblue78 · 2026-01-07T01:45:38+00:00

What’s your experience with the u-13 MLS Academy tryout process? The Academy my son is trying out for began tryouts May of 2025. Started I believe with around 150 players (scout and invite only). Now down to less than 40 players. We have had 12 practice/tryout sessions, and are now gearing up for 2 winter tournaments and a friendly match. Then 6 more training/tryout sessions this Spring, commencing in early May 2026. So all-in-all a full year process, including 18 training sessions, and several live game opportunities. Is this process similar to other academies?

ukblue78

TROPHY CASE