Category Archives: Soccer

Podcast 14 – Goal-Setting and Tracking – Realizing Potential and Developing Life Skills

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https://anchor.fm/rfh8/embed

 

Episode 14 introduced goal setting as a way to build life skills while trying to reach potential as an athlete.

Episode Highlights:

What is your “Why”?  – establishing an understanding of why an athlete is playing the sport in the first place will provide an indication of what the player is looking to achieve.

Setting goals that are attainable and measurable.

Setting aspirational goals that are seemingly impossible.

Establishing both personal and team goals.

Breaking the season up and creating goals that correspond.

Journaling and keeping a log of what is going on.

Checkpoints and course correction.

 

These are just a few of the topics that are discussed in the Episode, nothing is ever scripted, rehearsed, or edited so it is a raw take on the topic.

Feel free to provide feedback and subscribe to the Podcast and follow the blog.

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Episode 13 – What Separates Players at the Next Level

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Check out my episode “Episode 13- Speed of Play and Decision Making” from Coach Rich Rants on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/rfh8/episodes/Episode-13–Speed-of-Play-and-Decision-Making-e2k34f

Speed of Play and Decision Making. Learn what you can do as a player, parent or coach to develop pace it play and Decision Making.

Identifying and Reaching Potential – An Athletes’s Guide

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Check out my episode “Episode 12 – Reaching Potential – Practical Actions you can take to assess and reach your potential.” from Coach Rich Rants on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/rfh8/episodes/Episode-12—Reaching-Potential—Practical-Actions-you-can-take-to-assess-and-reach-your-potential-e2itb0

Do You Believe in Your Own Potential?

 

While we all have dreams and aspirations, few of us are fully aware of our own potential. It can be hard to see the truly good and admirable traits in ourselves, just like it is our faults. However, believing in your own potential is a crucial part of developing your self-confidence.

 

In order to achieve all, you’re capable of, you have to believe in the potential you have. It can help you to try new things, challenge yourself, and take risks that could all lead to success. We’ve come up with a few ways you can determine if you believe in your potential.

 

Spend Time in Self-Reflection

 

The first way to determine if you believe in your own potential is to spend time in self-reflection. Ask yourself what you are capable of; what are your strengths and admirable qualities. This time spent determining your potential is valuable to who you are as a person and achieving your full potential. During this time, try to focus on the following:

 

  • What is your potential?
  • What do you want to achieve?
  • Do you truly believe you can achieve it?
  • What can you do with this potential?

 

Focusing on these things and answering these questions will help you to identify your potential and believe in it more strongly.

 

Write Down What You See As Your Full Potential

Now that you’ve had time to reflect on what your potential is, you can list the qualities and skills that entails. This will help you affirm what your potential is and your belief in it. Study this list and keep it with you, being sure to look at it whenever you feel yourself doubting your potential. This will help you keep your potential in the forefront of your mind and help you to truly believe in your potential.

 

Prove Your Potential to Yourself

For some to truly believe in something, they need to see it. This even extends to what they believe about themselves. A great way to truly believe in your potential is to prove to yourself you have it. Act on it; challenge yourself by pushing the limits of your potential.

 

This challenge can be career-, hobby-, or relationship-oriented, so long as it challenges you and forces you to showcase your full potential. Once you’ve achieved the goal you set for yourself and fully showcased your potential, you’ll not only have a well-earned sense of accomplishment and confidence, but you’ll also fully believe in your potential without doubts.

 

Surround Yourself with People that Believe in Your Potential

We all like to think we don’t let others affect us, but the reality is that the people around us, especially those close to you, do have an effect on us and our emotions. If those close to you doubt your potential, you’re likely to do the same. You don’t need that negative influence in your life. Instead, surround yourself with people that believe in your potential and encourage you to achieve all you can. Their positive influence will provide you with encouragement and help you to see and believe in your potential.

 

We all have a river of potential inside us, but few people truly recognize and believe in that potential. Believing in your own potential is an essential part of your confidence and success. If you believe you are capable of accomplishing something, you’re far more likely to actually accomplish it.

 

However, believing in your own potential may not come as easily for you as it does for others. It’s often something we have to work on and prove to ourselves before we believe it.

Podcast 11 is out!

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Transitioning from Fall Outdoor and/or School Soccer to Indoor!

Check out my episode “Podcast #11 – Seasonal Transition Priorities In Youth Soccer.” from Coach Rich Rants on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/rfh8/episodes/Podcast-11—Seasonal-Transition-Priorities-In-Youth-Soccer-e2hhuk

Episode Highlights:

0-6 Years old – 60 minutes of free play

6-9 Years Old – Gross Motor Skills – running, balancing, moving. Emphasize Balance, coordination, and agility.   Make the training fun and rewarding with the emphasis on the “FUN” damentals.  Teach good habits around SLEEP, nutrition, and Hydration.

9-12 Years Old – Body Movement – Jumping, bounding, start-stop, change of direction, skipping, shuffling, object manipulation. Build a strong “Core”.  At this stage, 80% of activity should be skill acquisition and 20% on Competition. “How to Train”

12-14 Years Old – Teach the athletes the right way to train, add body weight plyometrics, monitor resistance and Load on Joints – back off training during peak growth periods. “How to Maximize Training”

15+ First several weeks coming off the school soccer season should be “Active Recovery” Allow their bodies the time to rest, recover and repair. Functional Training based on overall body movement. Avoid load on spine and joints in group training and encourage “private or semi-private” weight/resistance training.   “Training to Compete”.

Training should be age appropriate and periodized based on what they are coming out of or going into.  Enjoy.

 

Podcast Episode 10 – Life Lessons from Sports

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Check out my episode “Episode 10 – Life lessons..”being the most prepared athlete on the field.”” from Coach Rich Rants on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/rfh8/episodes/Episode-10—Life-lessons–being-the-most-prepared-athlete-on-the-field-e2g3v4

Listen to the latest update about tips for taking lessons from your coaches. Advise for Coaches, Parents and Players. A simple lesson about preparation regardless of the skills or talent of your opposition, and how that has translated to sports, business, and every area of life.

Podcast 9 – Pay to Play Model

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Check out my episode “Episode 9 – What you may not know about the Pay to Play Model” from Coach Rich Rants on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/rfh8/episodes/Episode-9—What-you-may-not-know-about-the-Pay-to-Play-Model-e2etmb

My lasted problem with “The Problem with Youth Soccer” deals with the Pay to Play Model and how the system perpetuates the Problem. It is not always about the money for the clubs. Unfortunately the cost of doing business continues to increase and the more clubs that pop up, the more the problem persists. I don’t have the answer only details of some of the challenges that lead to the high prices that get passed to the parents.

Coach Rich Rant Podcast- Multi-Sport vs Sports Specialization

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Check out my episode “Episode 8 – Multi-Sport vs Sports Specialization ” from Coach Rich Rants on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/rfh8/episodes/Episode-8—Multi-Sport-vs-Sports-Specialization-e2dalr

A perspective of a former multi-sport athlete who is the parent of specialists. A coach and club administrator. Not necessarily a recommendation as much as it is a Compare and Contrast of each side of the discussion. Since these are always unscripted and on the fly, typically while driving somewhere, you may have to excuse the randomness of some of it. Feel free to share and/or provide feedback.

Sports Parents- it is over before you know it- Senior Night

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Check out my episode “Episode 7 – How quickly it ends- HS Senior Night ” from Coach Rich Rants on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/rfh8/episodes/Episode-7—How-quickly-it-ends–HS-Senior-Night-e2cgjf

Brief unplanned and unscripted Podcast Episode about Senior Night and the Realization with how quickly it all goes. Parent note: take time 3 -4 times each year to reflect on where you are, your worries, your kids concerns and then ask yourself if they are legit. Use that same time to reflect on the experience and the success and the enjoyment. Take that time at each season transition. Otherwise it may all be a blur and you will wonder where the time went.

Podcast Episode 6 – Soccer Tournaments

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Check out my episode “Episode 6 – Soccer Tournaments” from Coach Rich Rants on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/rfh8/episodes/Episode-6—Soccer-Tournaments-e2bcpe

Soccer Tournaments have always been a big part of the club soccer experience and something that most players, parents and coaches look forward to. Within the last 5 or so years, the entire tournament process from selection, to travel to team placement and prestige have completely changed. It has become more of a necessity to stay relevant as a club and while the intentions are always good and for the right reasons, the reality of the challenges posed in these events on both the parents and the coaches have become a bit of a double edged sword. Have a listen if you want to hear my take on some of the challenges posed both to the families and to the clubs and their administrators.

Thanks for reading and/or listening.

Podcast Episode 5 – My Take on 10 Signs your Child’s Coach May Be a Bully.

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Check out my episode “Episode 5 – Review of 10 Signs your kids Coach is a bully” from Coach Rich Rants on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/rfh8/episodes/Episode-5—Review-of-10-Signs-your-kids-Coach-is-a-bully-e2arnc

This podcast reviews my take on an article that I saw this weekend on social media. The article was written by the author of a book that recounts a situation that shouldn’t happen in youth sports. The author is an educator who took up to support 14 students who were not being treated fairly by the coaches to the point of abuse. This blog article What is her own recount of the book and signs that she warns are evidence of abuse or bullying. Based on some of the feedback I saw on the social media post, I felt as if multiple perspectives should be evaluated before jumping to or drawing some conclusions based on some of what she outlines as signs. While some of these very well could be signs, I sense that a lot of people see them as blanket statements against coaches and teachers which I’m sure is not her intent. I am not at all intended to brush things under the rug, or support coaches blindly, I agree with a lot of what she says and I also think that some of what she highlighted should be up for discussion. I will warn you that this is a bit long and somewhat of a ramble because I am not interested right now in production value as much as I am in sharing my perspective. This is a low-budget affair driven by my love for the sport and passion for youth athletics.

Enjoy