Dr. Ted Flogaites

You will remember the coaches that really cared about you, demanded your best, refused to let you be average: you won’t remember the coach that let you do anything, held you to zero standards & let you abdicate responsibility. A coach that makes you earn it prepares you for life. – at Mississippi, USA

Sometimes we don’t understand how the work we do pays off until later on: in sports there’s no instant gratification. Every win is a year or months in the making. If you are technically sound it’s taken years to get that point, etc. Respect the process and never quit.

Endlessly entertaining clip. Can watch this over and over.

Whether you like the Balogun (now able to play decision) or not, at the very least you have a ton of sports programs that really never touch soccer covering soccer. That in and of itself is progress & more ears & eyes on the sport. As the old adage goes, there’s no bad press…

The Cape Verde team might have just been eliminated but their coach gets my vote for Best Coaching Job through the Round of 32. His team played with heart, determination, ran until they couldn’t run anymore and gave everything. His team was well prepared and in every match.

If you told me that Germany & The Netherlands would be out in the Round of 32, I would have said no chance. But Paraguay, resilient, determined, defended like lions. Morocco complete team effort, non stop attacking, great ball retention: Both teams earned their wins. WORLD CUP.

A completed pass to maintain possession is one thing. A completed pass that moves the opposition to create space elsewhere is another. Every pass should have a purpose.

A true non team player holds up the development of the team through their actions, words or decisions and then doubles down by not caring how it affects the team. Imagine playing a team sport and not caring about the rest of the team? Selfish in a destructive way.

Passing is an art form. Consider that missing passes routinely in training by 3-5 yards doesn’t translate favourably in a match. Stop seeing a pass as just a “pass” rather see it as the key to unlock the opposition. No coincidence that the best passers seem to care about passing.