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Category: development

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Culture

Making Soccer Accessible for All

Imagine you’re a soccer parent: your child shows remarkable talent, scoring goals and making friends on the field. Their coach suggests they join a competitive league to take their skills to the next level. You’re thrilled—until you see the costs. Soccer cleats, uniforms, tournament fees, and travel expenses quickly pile up, leaving you wondering how […]

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Development

Understanding U.S. Soccer’s New Player Registration Policies

U.S. Soccer has announced a significant update regarding player registration, providing clarity for parents, coaches, and league administrators. These changes, set to take effect over the next few years, aim to empower local organizations while ensuring a smooth transition. Here’s a summary of what you need to know. What’s Changing? Starting in the Fall 2026-2027 […]

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Development

Superstar Bias: A New Perspective on Soccer Performance Evaluations

Imagine watching a highlight reel of the greatest goals from last season’s Premier League. Kevin De Bruyne nets a long-range stunner, and Mohamed Salah weaves through defenders for an unbelievable solo effort. Now, consider this: if you didn’t know their identities, would you still rate their performances as highly? Superstar Bias: What the Research Says […]

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Culture

Soccer Coaching Preferences and the Path to Gender Equality

You’re a soccer club manager searching for the perfect coach to elevate your team. Credentials? Check. Experience? Top-notch. But one factor seems to overshadow all others—gender. Does it really matter whether your new coach is male or female? For many in the soccer world, it still does. A recent study of Division 1 professional soccer […]

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Development

Mastering the Goalkeeper Position: Insights from Two Seasons of Research

Goalkeepers are often the unsung heroes, yet their unique demands and contributions to the game are frequently overlooked. Recent research analyzing two seasons of data from youth goalkeepers in Spain’s top-tier soccer league sheds light on the physical and technical challenges they face. Goalkeepers: A Unique Role in Soccer Unlike outfield players, goalkeepers (GKs) operate […]

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Development

How Small-Sided Games Can Transform Your Team’s Tactics

Soccer is often called “the beautiful game” for its elegance, fluidity, and moments of sheer brilliance. But what if the secret to unlocking these magical moments lies not in flashy footwork but in small-sided games? New research shows how these scaled-down games—commonly used in youth soccer—can foster creativity that disrupts defenses and opens opportunities for […]

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Development

Understanding Maltreatment in Soccer

Maltreatment in sports is an uncomfortable but necessary topic of conversation. For soccer players, coaches, and club managers alike, understanding maltreatment and its implications isn’t just theoretical—it’s about changing lives and improving the game itself. A recent study, Towards an Understanding of Maltreatment in Football (will download a .pdf) uncovers the hidden realities within professional […]

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Development

How Data Revolutionizes Soccer Coaching

Imagine you’re a soccer coach preparing for a crucial match. You’ve analyzed your team’s strengths, but predicting the opponent’s tactics feels like guesswork. What if technology could provide precise predictions to refine your game plan? Machine learning is transforming soccer by analyzing complex datasets, offering insights that were once the domain of intuition. A recent […]

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Development

US Soccer Delays School Year Adoption

In a leaked memo, US Soccer delayed the adoption of the controversial switch from birth to the school year. Such a decision will not come until the 2026-2027 season and will be up to the local federations and clubs to determine whether to make the switch. Check out the not-yet-released document below. Elevate your understanding […]

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Development

Tactical and Emotional Development

Imagine your soccer team down by one goal in the last five minutes of the match. Players scramble to keep their composure, make split-second decisions, and push their physical limits to equalize. Soccer isn’t just about running fast or kicking hard—it’s a symphony of physical fitness, tactical brilliance, and emotional resilience. A recent study dives […]

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