We concluded our State Cup tournament in Kansas this week. Each state holds it’s own competition for U13 to U19 teams. The winner of each age group advances to one of four different regional championships where the winners earn the right to attend the US Youth Soccer National Championship.

This is one of my favorite times of the soccer year because it showcases everything that the teams have learned. The competition between the best teams in each age group brings out the best in everyone.

Win or lose it’s a great way to finish a great year with your team.

This week’s question is from Joel

He asks about planning sessions for a larger group of young players

Joel says

“I am currently planning practices for a squad of 24 U9 boys. I am finding it difficult to organize practice activities that prevent long lines and having periods where the kids are inactive. Any suggestions on how to organize and plan a practice with multiple squad teams at such a young age?”

Thanks for the question Joel

I give Joel my suggestions for the best ways to format his sessions to maximize the fun and development of the players and make it easy to manage a larger group of players.

In this Episode

I’m discussing the most common soccer injury issues with Dr. David Geier. These are issues that every coach and parent should be aware of. Keeping our players safe and healthy insures that they’ll be able to maximize their development and enjoyment of the game for a lifetime.

Dr. Geier is the author of ‘That’s Gotta Hurt – The Injuries that Changed Sports Forever’

You can also follow his blog posts and podcast by visiting www.DrDavidGeier.com

Here’s a link to the PEP Conditioning program that Dr. Geier recommends.

Next Week

I’ll discuss the importance of training your players at game speed and when you should slow it down.