In soccer, the technique of striking a ball with the instep of the foot has always seemed to be more of an art form than an exact science. Players who have mastered this technique (a few modern examples include David Beckham, Andrea Pirlo, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic) have no doubt spent thousands of hours practicing it, [...]
Hi everyone, Welcome to the next edition of the Soccer Fitness Gols Video Blog! In this Blog, we will be providing weekly video content relating to all things soccer and fitness. In this edition, we discuss skilled performance and motor learning, and how this topic can best be incorporated into the teaching of soccer and [...]
Below is a link to an excellent article written by David Conn and posted on www.theguardian.com a few years ago. I came across this article recently through a link on Facebook and, after having recently been a participant in the 2016 National Soccer Coaching Conference at the University of Toronto this past weekend, I found [...]
Hi everyone, Welcome to the next edition of the Soccer Fitness Gols Video Blog (and the first edition for 2016)! In this Blog, we will be providing weekly video content relating to all things soccer and fitness. In this edition, we discuss the squat exercise, how to choose the right variation for soccer, and how [...]
In the last 10 years, the structure of youth soccer competitions in Ontario and Canada has undergone some significant changes. The advent of Soccer Academy Alliance Canada (SAAC) in 2006, the Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) in 2013, as well as changes to the competition structures of various leagues from Under-8 to Under-18 across Ontario, [...]
Last weekend, January 8th, 9th, and 10th, 2016, I hosted the inaugural Soccer Fitness Trainer’s Course, the first-ever coach education course in Canada focusing on soccer-specific fitness training for individuals and teams. For me, the best part of the course was not the lectures or on-field presentations themselves, but rather the group discussions that occurred [...]
Below is a link to an excellent article written by Sean Ingle, and posted to www.theguardian.com back in October of 2014. The article discusses Billy Beane, the revolutionary baseball coach and manager, famous for his role in transforming the Oakland Athletics baseball club into perennial contenders in Major League Baseball, despite having the league's 3rd [...]
Hi everyone, Welcome to the next edition of the Soccer Fitness Gols Video Blog. In this Blog, I will be providing weekly video content relating to all things soccer and fitness. In this edition, I discuss the upcoming December / Holiday break, how it should be treated as a break from soccer but not a break [...]
Hi everyone, Welcome to the next edition of the Soccer Fitness Gols Video Blog. In this Blog, I will be providing weekly video content relating to all things soccer and fitness. In this edition, I discuss how, at the Soccer Fitness Training Centre, we use our high speed running treadmills in combination with Dartfish camera-based software [...]
Coach education has always been a passion of mine. Throughout my career, I have continually pushed and challenged myself in all areas of my education, both in fitness/sports science, as well as in soccer coaching. In recent years, I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to become an educator, lecturing at universities/colleges, national/international [...]