Soccer is not an easy sport. There's so much that goes into becoming a good player, let alone a great player. Contained in these 20 minutes is the most powerful piece of advice I can give you if you want to take things to the next level and become the best possible soccer player.

Almost all clubs, coaches and parents ruin their players before they even get started. They do this by focusing on the wrong things early in your soccer development. This means YOU need to take control and do what you need to do away from your team.

Players, the ONE thing that will set you apart from other soccer players, is your ability to control the ball in any situation. It is the KEY to elite level performance!When you've mastered the ability to control the ball under pressure, everything about the game becomes much easier.

If you can beat defenders in 1 v 1 situations, you will break down defenses, wreak havoc on your opponents and be an important part of any soccer team. Let's talk about how to make this happen!

If there's one thing I can guarantee you about your soccer journey it's this. You will face obstacles. You will face difficult times. You will face adversity. I can also guarantee you it will be the best thing that happens to your soccer development... IF you understand THIS!

Let's talk about one of the biggest problems in youth soccer development in America. We focus on the wrong things for players in their most important years and this limits how could they can become as they get older. We must fix this if we ever want to excel as a soccer nation. YOU as player need to understand this so you can tailor your own training to the right things and give yourself that foundation you won't get from your club.

The worst thing ever has happened. After tryouts, you've been notified you made the team... the "B" team. Not the "A" team. You weren't good enough. Far too many players let this define who they are as players. But it's not the end of the world. In fact, it could be the very best thing to ever happen to you in your soccer career. Have a listen and discover how to turn making the "B" team into your greatest success!

There's one huge thing I see missing from the game nowadays. If you can add this to your training, everything about the game will be easier and you'll be miles ahead of your competition. Let's talk about it!

Building confidence is hugely important to every player’s development.  Without a focus on building confidence to go with physical skill development you’ll never become the player you want or deserve to be.

But there are some key obstacles most players face during their development that can destroy confidence and keep you from becoming the best soccer player you can be. Let's talk about it!

Pressure has become a bad word lately. Parents shouldn't pressure their athletes to train on their own. Coaches shouldn't pressure their players to perform to the best of their ability and push their limits, helping them get out of their comfort zone. Is this really the best way to go to help you become the best possible player you can be? Let's talk about it!

So many players avoid taking risks on the soccer pitch. Let's talk about the reasons why this happens and how to fix them so you can perform better on game day without the stress.

Happy New Year! Thanks for joining the first episode of 2025 and the official unofficial re-launch of The Soccer Specialist Podcast. Let's go!