The Administrator

Are you Creating a Culture of Creativity?

The United States is often criticized for not generating creative soccer players in our ranks. When we look far and wide, we find no Zidanes, no Rivaldos or Ronaldos and no certainly no Messis. For America to make it to the next level on the world stage, we will need to develop players that have both the technical skills and the tactical awareness to exploit holes in defenses. And, this has to start at the youth levels. But, can creativity be taught? Can a player like Messi be developed or is he a gift from heaven?

Is Your Soccer Club Doing More With Less?

Soccer has evolved over the past 10-20 years. Has your club?

Thousands of town soccer clubs keep reinventing themselves by using new technology, new equipment, new  playing formats for different ages and implementing new training systems, to name a few.  The end result for many of these clubs is the ability to run a club with fewer volunteers than ever before.

 

Are you still using the old style goals? 

Those goals are so heavy you need a half a dozen people to move them.  Pricing for these products has come down considerably over the years. 

Today: There are light weight goals with wheels that can be moved by one person or pop-up goals that can be assembled in minutes.

2011 Admin of the Year Winner Announced

It’s finally here... Soccer Administrator’s Day!

Today is the day we get to recognize, celebrate, and reward the people who work hard behind the scenes to make their clubs run smoothly and keep their kids out on the fields playing a sport we all love.

We had so many worthy nominees this year and as always, our staff has a tough time deciding on just one. So after narrowing it down to the 20 Finalists, we have determined a winner.

The Family Guide is Bigger, Better, and Available in More Ways!

We’ve got some exciting news! But first, the authors of The Family Guide for the College Soccer and Scholarship Journey want to thank The Administrator for supporting our college soccer guidebook and seminars over the years. You guys are tops! 

Our exciting news is that we have completed an extensive revision to our book. The 33 articles are even easier to read and are now available in three different ways at three different price points. The guidebook is available as a hard copy, as a PDF download, and on Amazon for Kindle devices (most economical). 

All 3 versions can be ordered on our site, www.mycollegesoccerjourney.com. The Kindle eBook version can also be ordered, as expected, through Amazon’s site then clicking on the Kindle Store. Simply type our book title into the search box and you’ll find us! For $9 you Kindle carriers are getting a great deal! 

Voting is Open for Soccer Admin of the Year!

It’s that time of the year again! As we approach the 5th Annual Soccer Administrator’s Day, May 20th, we here at Blue Sombrero like to take the time to recognize, celebrate, and reward the people who work behind the scenes to keep their clubs running smoothly and the kids out on the fields playing.

They are the club admins working past midnight every night making sure each player has been placed on the correct team. They are the treasurers working hard behind the scenes finalizing budgets and pulling reports up for the next day’s board meeting. They are the registrars printing player passes and answering phone calls long past closing time. 

They are the unsung heroes of the soccer community.

The Power of Unstructured Play

There’s a proverb that says, “Chaos is bad, but order is much worse.”  Although the author is unknown, I have a feeling that he or she must have watched a few minutes of pickup soccer. 

Characterized by a free flowing playing system, unconventional goal posts and, at times, an unequal number of players, pickup soccer is the most common display of the beautiful game anywhere in the world.  Forget the ticket stalls, the FIFA referees and the matching uniforms.  It is on those cement courts, plots of sand and grassy patch areas that young players around the globe develop their technical prowess and mental fortitude, while their seasoned counterparts showcase their vision and the occasional ball trickery. These unstructured competitions train participants to quickly adapt to possession changes, develop ball control skills and draw upon creativity and poise in tight spaces.

Girls Inner City Soccer Club Seeks to Inspire Others

If you're looking for an inspiring story about a youth soccer team beating the odds and coming together as a community, look no further!

Fifty weeks a year, you can find the 100 girls who make up the Anderson Monarchs soccer club and their volunteer coaches practicing or playing a game at their run-down, dirt field at Smith Playground at 24th and Jackson Streets in Point Breeze, a crime and poverty stricken section of South Philadelphia.

And they're ready to tell their story. On film.

Find Your Job in Soccer with MySoccerJob.com

We all know how tough finding a job in the soccer industry can be, especially given how few quality online resources there are that speak directly to soccer people. That’s why David Knapp, et al., created MySoccerJob.com – to connect soccer employers with individuals who have a passion for the game and a desire to make it a career.

MySoccerJob.com is quickly becoming the nation’s top resource for soccer coaching jobs and soccer employment.  Having only started in January 2011, we made our major marketing launch at the NSCAA Convention where we had an overwhelming response.  The number of people who are in need of a job platform in this unique industry became glaringly obvious.  We instantly knew that we started a service that will help soccer people and the soccer industry.

High School Soccer Coaches Win Double-Goal Coach® Award

Two high school soccer coaches – Tom Bower (Latin School of Chicago) and Rocio Ramirez (Balboa High School, San Francisco) are among the 20 national winners of Positive Coaching Alliance’s Double-Goal Coach^® Award Presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance for their positive impact on youth athletes.

The Double-Goal^® Coach Award – named for coaches whose first goal is winning, and whose second, more important goal is teaching life lessons through sports – carries a $250 prize, a trophy and mention within the websites and newsletters of Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) and the Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports program.

The Bill of Rights for Young Athletes

Have you ever been to a sports game where all you hear is negativity and screaming from the parents sitting in the stands? Do you notice some parents yelling at their child(ren) after games, telling them they needed to play better? We all get excited when watching sports, and parents have a keen interest in making sure their children do well – no one likes riding home with a disappointed child.

The parent-child relationship plays a vital role in the development of a young athlete, and there is a fine line between being a supportive parent and pushing your child too far.  The support of the parent, or lack thereof, can often dictate the child’s perception of athletics.  The National Association for Sport and Physical Education’s task force has developed a Bill of Rights for Young Athletes.