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[Paddy Power @paddypower]

Like clockwork…

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@RhodeIslandFC The Clam Shack Classic

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@KF_LF19GK @MCameron008 @GregsTakeOn Do you need a special social media account for that? I just share that kind of stuff on my personal account. I’d say it’s akin to parents sending emails to college coaches pretending to be their kid. It’s painfully obvious and a red flag for college coaches.

[Win Puffer @wpuffer]

@quwsoccercoach Congratulations Dave!

[Win Puffer @wpuffer]

@gregberge “Success isn’t a matter of chance, it’s a matter of choice”

“The difference between excellence and mediocrity is commitment.”

[Maryland United FC @Maryland_United]

In our latest Coach Spotlight we meet Coach Ian Abrey, originally hailing from England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿. Ian’s now settled in at the club working with the youngest and oldest players on our Boys side while also serving as the club’s Tournament Director. Enjoy getting to know Ian!

[Win Puffer @wpuffer]

👇🏻this👇🏻

[College Soccer Truth ™ @ImCollegeSoccer]

Recruits, if you want an educated guess on where you think you can or can not play, pull out your calendar & go watch college soccer games in person.

You can’t really tell on TV 📺 like you can when you watch it live in person.

Attend College ⚽️games in every division.#CSTruth

[Win Puffer @wpuffer]

@Coach_Stu_Horne @UNHWSOC 😍

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@Don_K_Williams Agreed, I’ve coached at D3, D1 and top 20 D1, many times a final evaluation or opportunity to see a kid we didn’t have a chance to see with their club team at an event.

We also told kids post camp if they were on the radar or not.

[Win Puffer @wpuffer]

@Don_K_Williams Except he did recruit kids that never went to camp…

[Andrew Brownhill @AndrewBrownhil]

The art of coaching by Steve Kerr👇
🗣️”The urge is, you’re the coach and you want to control it. But, coaching isn’t controlling it, it’s guiding it… It’s not going to happen by you saying ‘you have to do this or you have to do that.’ I try and communicate a vision and gently nudge guys along.”

[Win Puffer @wpuffer]

What a great lesson for whatever you do.

"So ultimately, you have to love doing it. You have to get to a place where doing the work is the win and everything else is extra.”

[Billy Oppenheimer @bpoppenheimer]

On the 27th straight day of filming “Forrest Gump,” Tom Hanks was tired & worried.

During a scene on the famous park bench, Hanks stopped & said to director Bob Zemeckis,

“Hey, Bob…is anybody going to care about this movie? I don’t think anybody’s going to care.”

Bob replied,

“It’s a minefield, Tom. You never know what’s good…It’s a minefield! It’s a goddam minefield! We may be sowing the seeds of our own destruction.”

Tom Hanks told this story after he was asked, “When I ask for a memory from your career, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?”

He said that what Zemeckis said was true of every movie he’s worked on:

“There’s never any guarantee...You do not know if it is going to work out.”

Takeaway 1:

Hanks is the 5th-most highest-grossing actor of all time.

And yet, the stickiest memory of his career is the feeling of uncertainty.

Rarer than talent or work ethic, the poet John Keats wrote, is the ability to step into and push through doubts and uncertainties.

In 1817, Keats wrote a letter to his brothers to share this exciting realization.

“At once it struck me,” Keats wrote, “what quality went to form a Man of Achievement … Negative Capability.”

Keats explains that “Negative Capability” is “when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.”

Takeaway 2:

Those who possess Negative Capability, who can sit with uncertainty, who can spend months or years in the minefield that is working on something while knowing that there is a real possibility no one will care about it—they often possess another quality.

They do what they do, not as a means to some end (money, fame, awards, etc.), but for the sake of doing it.

When asked about one of his movies that commercially failed, Hanks said,

"I loved making that movie. I loved writing it, I loved being with it. I love all the people in it."

As Ryan Holiday once told me, "The work has to be the win."

You control the effort, he says, not the results.

"So ultimately, you have to love doing it. You have to get to a place where doing the work is the win and everything else is extra.”

- - -

“Life is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get.” — Forrest Gump

Follow @bpoppenheimer for more content like this!

[Don Williams @Don_K_Williams]

Being a Head Coach is Hard.
Unless you have done it, you do not understand.
Here are 8 Realities that All Head Coaches Face:

1: It will consume you.
Coaching is more than just a job - it's a way of life. You'll spend countless hours planning practices, analyzing game film, and strategizing for the next game. It can consume you. But when you see your team succeed, it makes it all worth it.

2: There will always be critics.
No matter your success, people will always criticize your decisions and strategies. Even w/State Championship Teams.
Know and Accept this. Always remember that you know your team better than anyone, and your goal is to do what's best for them.

3: You are not in it for the money.
Coaching does not usually pay well, but it's not about the money. Don't calculate your hourly wage.
It is a calling.
A lifestyle.
It's about the love of the game and helping young athletes grow and develop into their full potential.

4: There is no overnight success.
Building a successful team takes time, patience, & dedication.
There will be ups and downs, but if you stay the course, you'll see the results.
Always remember that your #1 job is to Build Culture.
Play the long game with Culture.

5: You need a supportive spouse.
This should be #1 on the list for many!
Coaching can put a strain on your family
Having a spouse who understands and supports your passion is CRITICAL.
Make sure to take the time to show your appreciation and give back whenever possible.

6: You will not make everyone happy.
As a coach, you will make tough decisions that not everyone will agree with.
This happens A LOT.
But remember, you're in it for the benefit of the TEAM, not just one individual.
You will NEVER make everyone happy.

7: You can't want it more than the kids.
As a coach, you can inspire & motivate your players, but ultimately, they have to want it.
This can be hard for a younger coach.
Encourage them to work hard & set goals.
Let them take ownership of their own success.

8: It is still WORTH it!
Despite the challenges, being a coach is incredibly rewarding!
Watching your players grow & develop into strong, confident young adults is one of the best feelings in the world.
Watching a team grow is very rewarding.
Always remember WHY you coach.

-Sam Cannon

[Win Puffer @wpuffer]

@TimBDOCI I see one of my college teammates in that photo!

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@FourFourTwo This legend, Big Niall!

[Win Puffer @wpuffer]

Proud of who this young woman has become, important messages that she’s sharing.

[espnW @espnW]

.@100Purcent spoke on the reaction from players following the investigation of systemic sexual and emotional abuse perpetrated by some of the former NWSL managers:

[Win Puffer @wpuffer]

Very interesting insight into one of the most entertaining goal scorers today. Career path has been well thought out for success.

[Philip O'Callaghan 🎾 @Mr_Tennis_Coach]

Erling Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm.

But contrary to popular belief he's not a robot that was created in a lab

A case study done on his youth team gives some interesting insights into his development

Here's 5 insights for coaches (of any sport)
👇🧵👇

[ESPN FC @ESPNFC]

"Is it still too tight?!"

This story of Thierry Henry training with @NewYorkRedBulls is a must watch/listen 😅

[B/R Football @brfootball]

The assist is a 10 but the finish is an 11 😍

(via @CBSSportsGolazo)