Ask most people what wins games and they'll say talent. Skill. The player who can take three defenders on and still finish top corner. While that is an exciting moment, that's not what I've seen when it comes to the best teams. Those highlights look great for the player. Those stats and points are great on paper. But, has this really given the team the best chance of success though? Or does this put the team in a lower situation because of the individual goals they have set

Every tryout season, it's the same question from parents. "What's the best club around here?" Which is the wrong focus. There is no best club. There's a best environment for your kid, right now, at this stage of their development. And more often than not, that environment has nothing to do with the crest on the jersey. The Badge Sells a Feeling A badge is marketing. It's a name recognized in the parking lot, a jersey that gets a nod from other coaches, a club history that sou

Every player wants to talk about the goal. The skill. The wonder strike from thirty yards. Almost none of them can tell you why the outside back stepped up ten seconds before that goal happened. Or why the midfielder scanned twice before he even got the ball. That's the problem. We've raised a generation of players who watch soccer the same way they watch everything else. Fast. Clipped. Fifteen seconds and scroll. Highlight reels, skill compilations, goal montages set to musi