Richard Benge

Assistant Soccer Coach at Stephens College | YSU and Kent State Alum | West Coast Goalkeeping Partner @westcoastgk

[Ray Zingler @rayzingler]

Imagine kids received 10-20 hours per week of Strength & Conditoning..

And then I sat there trying to hustle you and sell you on more S&C..

You’d think I was out of mind.
(Or at least you should.)

But when it comes to overly excessive sport volume…

“Where do we pay?”

🤔

[Camp Shutout GK Training @CampShutout]

Goalkeeping defined:
Praise is limited
Criticism is rampant
Selection is murky

[Gerry DeFilippo @Challenger_ST]

👀 Jayson Tatum just admitted it out loud:

‘I don’t love the weight room.’

But he still shows up.

The best athletes understand — you don’t have to love the work

But ROUTINE 💯

Weak athletes — stop scrolling RIGHT NOW & save this for a reminder

[David Copeland Smith @BeastModeSoccer]

Rachel Daly said something to me recently that I haven't stopped thinking about.

We were talking about development. The differences between the US, England, where the gaps actually come from. She mentioned growing up in Yorkshire, how after school there was always a game somewhere. A wall. A park. A cage. Pickup that nobody organised and nobody coached. Just kids with a ball for two, three hours every evening.

She wasn't describing training. She was describing touches.

Here's the number that matters. Most youth players in the US get six to eight hours of structured training a week. That sounds like a lot. In England, when Rachel was growing up, kids were getting ten or more additional hours of unstructured ball work on top of whatever their clubs gave them.

That is not a talent gap. That is a touches gap.

And here is what nobody wants to say out loud. You cannot buy your way out of it. A new club does not fix it. A $200 private session is one hour. One hour. What are you doing the other 23?

The players who close the gap are not the ones with the best coaches or the most expensive programmes. They are the ones who find a wall and use it. Every day. Not when they feel like it. Every day.

Thirty minutes against a wall will give you more quality touches than most players get in a full week. It trains both feet. It trains first touch under repetition. It builds the muscle memory that shows up when the game speeds up and you do not have time to think.

Rachel Daly did not get to where she is because she had better resources than everyone else. She got there because she put in the work that most players skip because nobody made them do it.

The wall is free. The ball you already have. The thirty minutes is a choice.

The question is whether you are making it.

[Richard Benge @GKCoachBenge]

I'm so glad more and more college coaches are speaking out about this. Football is a game and it should bring joy to those that play. It's okay to want to win, and it's okay to coach players hard and hold them to a standard, but you can still do that with respect and not abuse.

[Marsha Lycan @mlycan12]

I’ve been sitting on this one a bit, but packing for the Phoenix showcase. I have to get something off my chest. I’ll start by saying that I coached a ton of club soccer for many years and I understand the time and energy it requires as well as the ever increasing pressure to win games, especially at the highest level. I know I am not alone as a college coach given the eye rolling and wincing that I see coming from colleagues as we witness the screaming and belittling and berating of 16-year-old girls from some club coaches. It’s no wonder why some of them come to us having had their confidence completely destroyed and unable to ever make a decision.

Keep in mind I am Gen Xer that knows coaching should be more than warm and fuzzy all the time. However, the most effective coaches seem to be animated, passionate and motivating while still maintaining a respectful and positive tone (ie Emma Hayes).

Fortunately, it’s not the majority—and I love shouting out those that lead with enjoyment not anger. Would love to hear thoughts on this and how we’ve gotten to a point where we’ve normalized this behavior that can sometimes be classified as downright abusive.

#EarPlugsForTheSideline #LetThemPlay #RecruitingProblems

[Richard Benge @GKCoachBenge]

Harry Kane’s penalty and retake are why I think the Laws around penalties need to be rewritten because the taker has so much advantage right now. Kane all but stops, but the GK’s weight carries him off the line because of the timing and it’s a retake.

[Todd Beane @_ToddBeane]

So much more…

Football is nothing if not about relationships.

Hansi recognizing a vulnerable moment in Gavi’s life, steps in to offer what great mentors can.

#TOVO

[Columbus Blue Jackets @BlueJacketsNHL]

Started the game with the World's Strongest BOOM! 💥

@TheMarkHenry, the World's Strongest Man, fired the cannon to kick-off tonight's action!

CBJ x @WWE

[Richard Benge @GKCoachBenge]

@CoachGusMota @ImCollegeSoccer @ImYouthSoccer You're 100% right coach. People are reading about the D1 🏈 player who sued and won to not have JUCO years count towards his eligibility and think that has become a rule. So far, no legislation has been passed to make it a rule for everyone.

[Richard Benge @GKCoachBenge]

@_ToddBeane @coach_kevin_m I know the thread is focused more on the youth game, but this still applies to the older age groups & the college game as well. Training and the game should always try to have an element of fun! If players aren't enjoying the game even when they are working hard, they walk away.

[Dakota Rock @CoachRockGC]

Don’t complain much on here but I’m so sick and tired of going to youth tournaments and watching coaches of U10/U11 teams absolute BERATE and just tear down their players for 60 minutes straight. These kids are 9 years old, do better

[David Copeland Smith @BeastModeSoccer]

Social media is knocking more players off track than bad coaching ever has. I’ve trained World Cup winners and fourteen-year-olds losing confidence, and the pattern is the same. They’re not struggling because they’re untalented. They’re struggling because their focus is hijacked.

You scroll and see someone your age signing a contract… someone else posting a highlight reel… another “grind” video. And suddenly the session you just smashed feels pointless. Your progress feels slow. You walk into training already defeated because you’re comparing your real life to someone else’s edited version.

That comparison doesn’t motivate you. It drains you. It steals your joy, then it steals your courage.

The players who grow don’t watch rivals to feel better. They track their reps. Their targets. Their small wins. They compete against who they were yesterday, not a social media feed.

If scrolling is messing with your head, you need structure. You need clarity. You need a plan that keeps your focus where it belongs: on your development.

Grab my free Beast Mode Soccer IDP and I’ll give you the exact blueprint. Comment IDP and I’ll send it over.

Get off the feed. Get on the field. This can be your turning point. #beastmodesoccer

[Richard Benge @GKCoachBenge]

Wrexham University has a Master's in Football Coaching program that gets you your UEFA B License, and I don't think I've ever considered going back to school more than I am now.

[Richard Benge @GKCoachBenge]

Only one Premier League game on Boxing Day 😭

[Richard Benge @GKCoachBenge]

Can’t believe I’m about to watch John Cena’s last match.

[Richard Benge @GKCoachBenge]

VAR check with 13 seconds left… I love this sport. #WCollegeCup

[Richard Benge @GKCoachBenge]

Trying to find the funds to pursue U.S. Soccer coaching licenses is frustrating. Course fees plus travel and lodging for in person days add up quick.

[Jonny Kim @JonnyKimUSA]

Beautiful American city lights stretching across the horizon and our Great Lakes with an aurora. Nikon Z9 | 15mm | ISO 25600 f1.8 1/4s, Sep 2, 2025.