The underlying philosophy of PlayMaker Training is that "you can't have advanced tactics without having players with advanced technique."  Additionally, if you have watched soccer for a long period of time you have probably been able to pick up on the different tactics applied by certain managers and coaches around the world.  Flat Back 4?  3 up top?  The role of the #10?  High pressure?  Low block? Counter attacking?  All of these change over time, what has NEVER changed, is the ability on the ball, at the highest levels.  While tactics are fleeting and seemingly changing every year, the technical capabilities of players, have ALWAYS remained the same.  Dominate the ball and you're able to adapt to any coaches system.

When speaking to my players about vision, I focus on peripheral vision.  I don't agree with yelling at players to "get their heads up."  I think it's one of the most overused phrases in youth soccer coaches because at the top level, it's not true.  Go and look at any goal scored and see when the last time the goal scorer looked at the goal or the goalkeeper.  You'll find more often than not that the last time they looked up was 2 or 3 touches prior to the shot or up to 1 second before the shot.  The primary example of this is Messi when he scores a goal or Ronaldo when he is dribbling.  Focus on being able to see the ball, AND the surrounding players, not one or the other.

When I was a junior in high school I basically HATED training.  As a goalkeeper, I hated training because after hitting the ground dive after dive it takes its toll on your body.  So during my junior year, I basically "mailed it in" during practices.  That resulted in me being the backup goalkeeper at the start of the year.  After a preseason tournament, I was told by the varsity coach that he didn't trust me as a goalkeeper.  I remember being furious and wanting to quit.  Luckily, I ended up not quitting.  I ended up developing a bit of a chip on my shoulder against that coach that I carried with me when the starting goalkeeper went down with an injury.  When he went down with the injury, I seized the opportunity and never gave the spot back to the original starter.  We ended up tying teams that we had previously lost 5-0 to (we weren't very good my junior year due to only returning 3 players from the previous year and the previous head coach gutted the program).  At the end of season banquet, the same coach that told me he didn't trust me, called me a GAMER.

I tell this story for a multitude of reasons.  The first being that sometimes I feel that players these days lack the "I'll prove them wrong" mentality.  I think players these days tend to move teams, move schools, quit sports, or have mom or dad write a scathing email to the athletic director trying to get the head coach fired.  I think developing the "I'll prove them wrong" mentality is one of the best things that comes from sports.

The second reason I tell this story is truly why I'm obsessed with coaching.  I was never really pushed to become a "practice player" and to work harder in training.  My thing with soccer was always studying the game rather than working to become the best I could be on the field throughout hard work.  I'd rather study a professional goalkeeper than go out and run 5 miles.  I'd rather go into my backyard and hit the ball against a brick fireplace and work on reaction saves, then go to an hour and a half training session where all we would do is scrimmage.  I don't want that to happen to the players I work with.  I want to help get the most out of the players I work with.  I want to help them realize that they have more potential than what they are currently getting out of themselves.

The third and final reason is that, when I first started coaching, I enjoyed games WAY MORE than training teams.  All of my enjoyment game during the competitiveness of game day.  I used to actually mock "trainers" that didn't get to coach the game.  Funny how my philosophy changed.  I now realize that the most important part of a players development is what they do during the week leading up to the game.  I was a firm believer in "the game is the best teacher."  While it still is, the best teachers are the ones that help players realize the importance of training and make them WANT TO train even more.  The players that enjoy training have a HUGE advantage compared to the players that despise training.

One of my old soccer players in Michigan, after I had her team and moved onto another team, would occasionally do some additional training with me on the side.  Nearly every time, when her mom would ask her how the session went she always answered "humbling."

I absolutely love it when I work with a player for the first time and they walk away knowing that they have a lot of work to do.  

​I also believe that with the methods I use in my training, that players can easily point out the faults in a certain technique after countless repetitions.  Which is like a golfer that mishits a golf shot and immediately knows that they lifted their head.  BELIEVE IT OR NOT, knowing exactly what you did wrong, ADDS CONFIDENCE.

One of the most overrated coaching points I hear from sidelines is "get your head up" when a player is dribbling with the ball.  While of course, we need to be aware of our surroundings while on the ball, a players eyes are never off the ball except for maybe a split second.  I see so many drills where a player is doing toe taps with their heads straight up and making eye contact with the ball.  I think this is an improper way of teaching vision.  Coaches need to train peripheral vision instead of "getting their heads up."  A prime example of this, is when you see a player score without ever looking at the goalkeeper.. Messi is especially special at this.  If he scores with 3 touches, the odds are high that he looks in-between the first and second touch, or before he even got the ball.

Whenever a player says sorry in training I immediately tell that player to stop saying sorry.  When a player in a 1v1 accidentally steps on a player, it shouldn't immediately be apologized for.  Its soccer, people get stepped on, people get kicked, it's part of the game! "Act like you've played soccer before."

Another instance is if they mishit a pass or a shot, they shouldn't also RUN to say "my bad," mistakes happen, I always respond with "don't be sorry just do it right next time."  

The best players on the ball almost glide with the ball.  They are so subtle with their touches that there is sometimes debates on how many touches they took.  Messi scored a goal in the last World Cup this way.  He brought the ball down over his shoulder and took a second touch and then finished with his third touch.  A debate amongst the foot fairy community ensued on whether it was 2 touch or 3 touch.

Some touches are rigid and firm while the best of the best on the ball are silky and smooth. I'm reminded of a World Cup 94' game when current Sporting KC head coach Peter Vermes was comparing the United States goalkeeper Tony Meola's hands to those of Columbias Oscar Cordoba.  He talked about how Tony had the sponge hands and Oscar had the brick hands.  It's the same with touches on the ball. Brick touches vs. sponge touches.

If you have to play a player up 2+ years to appease the family to lure them to stay at the club.  Your club situation probably isn't in the best interest of that player.

Additionally, if you plan on playing a player up, they need to be in the top 5 of the older age group.

Back in my Michigan club days I would do additional money outside of club practices for additional income.  I would invite EVERY SINGLE PLAYER on my rosters for the opportunity.  I'm hearing of club coaches doing invite only additional training of players that are on their teams.  I have a big issue with this.  This is creating a toxic environment of the haves and have nots.  If the players that were invited get more playing time than the players that weren't invited, how do you think that looks?

Also, I've known clubs that prevent coaches from doing outside training all together.  This is also a problem.  Put your staff above the ego of the club.

July 11, 2019 | Had a long conversation with a parent tonight about his player and their experience with club soccer and I had some thoughts on soccer as a whole in the Untied States.

• Coaches would cut out most of the problems that THEY cause, if they only told their families the truth.
• This particular coach, in an evaluation, told the player that they are doing everything right, nothing to improve, only to be moved down to B team three months later after tryouts.
• At this particular tryouts, there was no communication between the coaches and players families.  No text or call for 3 days?*  
• If you're coaching at a big time team at a big time club and are expecting some new players to come and join, be as transparent as possible with your current rostered players.  It would be a great opportunity to challenge your current players to really step up their game.  That could send shock waves throughout your team from player 1-18.  Warn them that every new player is coming to take their spot.
• If your player has ben on the "A team" for a number of years, and is then replaced by some new players.  I'd directly question the club of "aren't you in charge of their development?"

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*Regarding the tryout issue, when I was at Vardar, we wouldn't allow players to leave without their packets to commit.  We needed first payment the next day.  We wouldn't allow players to leave without committing.