Blog for Parents of Young Athletes

IF YOU LOVE TENNIS AND ARE SERIOUS ABOUT IMPROVING YOUR GAME, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT! Our ultimate tennis equipment list will help you to assess whether your current gear is suitable and what essential items you need to add to your kit bag. You can also use this list to give you an idea what…

In our previous interviews, we have gained some great insight into youth coaching from the perspective of coaches at many different levels and ex-players who have gone into coaching later in their careers. But what is it like for a young player today taking their first steps on the road to becoming a professional footballer? How are they treated by the top youth soccer…

TO BECOME A BETTER TENNIS PLAYER, YOU NEED TO GET THE BASICS RIGHT, AND THAT’S WHERE A TENNIS BALL MACHINE COULD COME TO YOUR AID. If you are an aspiring young tennis player, you need to learn how to strike the ball well on a consistent basis. And if you want to compete at a high level, it is also vital that…

Football fans from England are used to the fairly simple relegation and play-off system that exists across the top four tiers of the football league. But when it comes to understanding the Spanish football league system, things can get a bit more complicated. This is because the third and fourth tiers of Spanish football feature over 440 teams and are divided into many regional…

For advanced/elite soccer players (boys only) from 16 to 21 years old who want to spend one to six weeks of the school year training alongside full-time academy students at the oldest private soccer academy in the UK. Table of contents Overview 1 Program options 2 Training 3 Coaches 4 Language classes 5 Camp schedule 6 Accommodation 7 Safety 8…

For advanced/elite soccer players (boys and girls) from 6 to 21 years old who want to spend one to six weeks of the school year training alongside full-time academy students at one of the best soccer academies in Europe. Intensive Winter Soccer Programs also serve as try-outs for the academy’s full-time programs. Table of contents Overview 1 Program options 2…

The FIFA World Cup is watched by over 3 billion people and provides the biggest stage of all for the world’s best footballers. However, for a variety of reasons, some of the elite players never get a chance to take part in the greatest soccer show on earth. Here are 13 of the best: Alberto Spencer The Ecuadorian striker known as “magic head” was…

Superstitions are commonplace in football. Plenty of players, coaches and fans strive to achieve some kind of spiritual sanctuary before a game by performing various bizarre rituals. Here is a rundown of the 20 funniest soccer superstitions. Real Madrid When Real Madrid re-located to their new stadium in 1912, they did not win a trophy for 5 years. To break the “curse,” they took…

As part of our ongoing project to garner the opinions of football coaches from all over the world, we spoke to one of the rising stars of youth soccer coaching in Scotland, Kirsty McFarlane. In recent years, there has been a significant rise in the number of female coaches working within the game. In 2014, Helena Costa became the first female coach to take charge of a men’s professional team when she…

Self-esteem, or the perception of oneself and one’s self-worth, is important for children, teenagers, and adults alike. Children with high self-esteem are more likely to experience academic achievement, success, satisfaction in relationships, and overall happiness. Although self-esteem can change throughout our lives, much of our self-esteem is developed during our early childhood. That’s why it’s important to consider studying the…