Players 1st

Complete Soccer Coach’s Guide to Developing Extraordinary Players, Ages 7-14.


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Players 1st—a guide to football player development for coaches of young athletes ages 7 to 14—is as unconventional as it is comprehensive. It takes the longer-term view that if you teach the skills, the kids will play for a lifetime. This book emphasizes developing the player, meaning the focus is individual improvement rather than the team result. It encourages a “Go-for-It” mentality and welcomes the failures that happen as young athletes learn to train.

Above all, Players 1st recognizes that the primary purpose of all this is not so much about a sport but, in the words of Positive Coaching Alliance founder Jim Thompson, “stronger, more responsible, and confident individuals who will be successful in life.” Drawing heavily on the author’s evolution from a completely clueless newbie to an experienced coach, Players 1st is filled with ideas designed to benefit those who are looking to develop as well as refresh and expand their coaching skills. Take your terrific kids and turn them into extraordinary players with this complete coach’s guide