Mark Blakley

Dad of an incredible soccer player who sometimes still plays Fortnite

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@Formula hey, was this you playing creative matchmaking earlier today? My 7 year old was excited to play against you.

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@BallzSoccer @IHateSoccerPod Depends on age group and how they are winning...is it because they have a team of full grown men playing against boys, and are just bigger/faster/stronger? Or are they actually learning and applying the principles of the game and working together as a team? It catches up...

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@IHateSoccerPod Yes, it will be the same coaches, but the good coaches should be able to win consistently and get promoted, which increases demand for them. The coaches who can't actually develop anyone won't be able to win consistently, and their demand will go down as they get exposed.

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@_ToddBeane They would, but they are spending all their time dealing with parents who are upset with their kid's playing time...

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@PaulSpacey @LaceUpSoccer Level too low also means compensating for the wrong challenges...looking up and thinking "I can't pass the ball to that guy, he gives it away every time" doesn't result in learning how to really work as a team

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@Coach_Osku I agree with you 100%. Some people don't agree, and that's ok.

There's no 1 formula that works in all cases, otherwise we would see youth teams full of amazing players with no weaknesses.

All coaching is an experiment, with the coach's philosophy as the theory for improvement

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@IHateSoccerPod Why do DOCs spend more time talking to parents than coaches? Isn't their job description to "direct the coaches"?

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@PaulSpacey Timing and pattern recognition that you only get from repetition

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@IHateSoccerPod Not giving a player any feedback because they are "the best on the team" means that player isn't getting what they need to get even better

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@PaulSpacey The moves are nice, but the intensity and change of speed/direction is what really makes it work

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@JacobBrownDOC I agree, I think it's just impossible to know if any combo of drills is actually effective, especially over the course of 4+ years, because you don't know what their "max" potential is. Everything is a guess!

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@JacobBrownDOC Yep, did it after practicing on turf, and then playing multiple sessions of futsal. The unfortunate reality of winter in the northeast.

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@JacobBrownDOC Just curious, what are you asking them to collaborate on?

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@jc_playmakerWNY The saddest part is that I don't see them trying - do they not know this is what should be happening and how much it would help the club? Too much politics and red tape? Or "they don't pay me enough to do all that"? Both at town and premier level.

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@jc_playmakerWNY Clubs aren't providing enough guidance to coaches to help them work toward developing players that can make the club money. No frameworks, no club identity - DoC isn't involved in developing the coaches, so there's no consistency. It's all up to individual coaches.

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@jc_playmakerWNY Have been wanting to do something like this in Rochester...told my son's club prez about it and he looked at me like I was crazy. I was going to do it at a local park for free.

I'm super glad to see this working for you - kids don't just get together and play anymore.

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@TexasCoachMike After reading your reply a few times, I think what I'm asking is more related to individual players not picking up lessons in training and not developing an understanding of the "intent".

Sounds like you have a strong belief in your training sessions and the impact on players 👍

[Mark Blakley @JustASoccerDad]

@JacobBrownDOC Everything requires a subscription, or won't let you download games (especially the raw footage).

Reeplayer is the closest I've found, but it's $99/month. I'm trying a home built solution, but this is a hobby for me, not a job.

You could try Xbotgo for an auto gimbal.