The Soapbox: Soccer Coaching Blog & Podcast
Heads and Volleys is a grassroots Soccer game that reflects the youth soccer environment.
The game was played as everyone VS the GK and you could only score with a header or a volley. Simple, right? Wrong. It was complex and fraught with arguments that resulted in 'taking my ball home' or some kind of one-off shot to determine if it was a goal or not. Much like those arguments, this podcast will embrace discussions, trends, and ideas to grow the game, and will not let anyone take their ball home early.
Heads and Volleys Podcast.
Welcome to my soapbox. This is where I think out loud about coaching.
You'll find long-form writing on coaching methodology, session design, game models and player development — plus every episode of the Heads and Volleys podcast. It's written for youth and club soccer coaches, directors of coaching, and anyone building a curriculum they want their whole staff to speak.
Most of what's here comes back to a few ideas: that soccer is 1v1s with help, that a Common Language across your club beats a clever drill, that the rule you add is the game you get, and that you can't coach what you haven't defined.
New posts most weeks. Start anywhere below, or grab the monthly newsletter.Popular Reads
The Common Language
- The Power of a Common Language
- The Common Language Methodology: The Game is Already in Your Practice
The 1v1 Series
Session & Practice Design
- Can You Recreate the Game in Practice?
- The Rule You Add Is the Game You Get
- From 1,000 Touches to 1,000 Decisions
- Optimize Your Training Environment
- The First Pancake Is Always Awful
Game Day
Player Development
Before You Book That Tournament, Ask Yourself Why
"You can't lose the first two games and say 'well, we're here for fun anyway.' And you can't go for fun, win the first two, and suddenly decide you're going to win the whole thing. Pick one. Build around it."
Every Training Session You Find Online Is Out of Context
"I've got session plans on my own website. And I'll tell you right now — they're completely out of context for your players. Here's how to fix that."
If You Yell at Referees, You're Making It Worse for the Rest of Us
"He couldn't even let me speak. Not because I was aggressive — but because somebody else was. Coaches who argue with referees are why I can't have a calm conversation with one."
Are You Getting 20 Years of Experience, or One Year Repeated 20 Times?
"I ask coaches how long they've been coaching and they say 20 years. But are they 20 unique years? Or are they doing the same thing over and over and calling it experience?"
The Minibus That Won Us a Game
"We didn't plan it. We didn't coach it. Eighteen players crammed into one minibus for fifteen minutes of chaos — and it turned our whole tournament around."
Do You Know Why Your Players Are Playing?
"He was swinging a baseball bat in the middle of my soccer practice. My first instinct was — don't disrespect my sport like that. Then I actually thought about it."
The First Ten Minutes Might Be Your Most Important Coaching
"I want at least one coaching point and one personal connection with every player, every session. 'How's your dog?' is coaching. Knowing a kid is a chess champion is coaching."
Do You Know Why Your Players Are Playing?
"He was swinging a baseball bat in the middle of my soccer practice. My first instinct was — don't disrespect my sport like that. Then I actually thought about it."
What Did You Do With Your Summer?
"I spent this summer doing something I said I didn't believe in. And I'm glad I did. Here's what challenging your own assumptions as a coach actually looks like."
Stop Saying "Bring It In"
You spent time building the context. The game is live. Players are in it. Then you say 'bring it in' — and in thirty seconds you've undone all of it. There's a better way.
Buy Your Players a Boot Brush
"I grew up cleaning the boots of older players at Northampton Town. It wasn't glamorous. But it taught me something about being ready — and I've never forgotten it."
Stop Arguing About Who's Best. Start Coaching From It.
"Messi vs Mbappe vs Ronaldo — I genuinely don't care. But the World Cup just handed you the best coaching resource you'll get all year, and most coaches are wasting it."
The Scrimmage Isn't a Reward. It's the Best Coaching Tool You Have.
Look around at the end of any practice night and you'll see the same thing. Coaches talking to each other, sitting down, watching from a distance. The players are scrimmaging and the coach has checked out. That's the problem.
Your Coaching Toolbox: Five Tools, and When to Actually Use Them
You probably know the freeze method. You probably use it too much. There are four other tools in the box that are more effective in more situations — and one of them is a notepad you use to write down what you actually think of the referee.
Don't Ask a Club What They Have. Tell Them What You've Got.
Every week, directors of coaching get emails from coaches asking if there are any teams available. I used to be one of those directors. Here's what I can tell you honestly: that email goes nowhere. Here's what does.
I Deleted 2GB of Session Plans. Here's What I Learned.
Over the holidays I went through my Google Drive and deleted over two gigabytes of session plans, curriculums, and downloaded content from courses I've taken over the years. I expected to feel like I'd lost something. I felt the opposite.
Four Ways to Connect With Every Player in Every Session
Film one of your training sessions. Then count how many times you say each player's name. I guarantee you're not saying all sixteen. The players you miss most aren't the ones who are late or the ones who are struggling — they're the ones in the middle.
Make More Money.
The typical answer to 'I want to make more money as a coach' is coach more teams or do more private training. Both hit a ceiling fast. Here's a smarter way to think about it.