Tommy Retzlaff

The NYC DOT doing better than FIFA and frankly USSF at using the World Cup for "growing the game". Actual programming that isn't designed to monetize everything at every turn.

For Coaches: A couple of key observations from Job Fransen in this article on Skill Acquisition & the false allure of the shiny tech toy: "Organisations mistake near transfers for far transfers. Training with all of these technologies and tools make you better at exactly the task your training. If you train to react to lights while dribbling a ball, you will get better at reacting to lights when dribbling a ball. This is often mistaken for improved performance or learning in the core task of playing basketball, which is of course not the case." "The best visual-perceptual training is often integrated directly into the specific sport context. If you want your basketball player to read an opponent, having them react to an opponent’s actual body language in a small-sided game will always be far superior to having them tap a random blinking light." "The technology should serve the principle of training specificity, not dictate it." "What will give you the greatest return on your resource investment? Paying 50,000 USD per year on cognitive training technology or investing in your coaches and players?" **** To build off this last point a bit, it's not just the money. It's the time and focus. The best way to increase your players' visual perception is to have coaches constantly attend to it during training. But that requires ongoing, sustained focus by coaches... a sort of psychological investment that requires discipline and prioritization. Which is hard. And explains why many teams would rather spend the money on a short-cut to improved player perception... and why many tech companies will have a ready market. skillacq.com/post/it-s-time…

Free Play Sunday loading ⚽️⚽️⚽️ @JOYofthePEOPLE

@NCFC_Youth 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽⚽️🔥

This past weekend, our Recreation U19 Girls played in a 7v7 Game Day at Thomas Brooks Park, a 4-team round robin with a target score round added for a fun twist!🤩 We’re continuing to explore fun, engaging formats that keep players involved, leading to more touches, more goals, and a better experience for everyone.⚽️

@FCC_Foundation @MLSWORKS 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

We are proud to open our 12th mini pitch in Milford alongside Kenji Mboma Dem and Ayoub Jabbari bringing the game of soccer to kids of all levels and making it more accessible for everyone. ⚽️ Details: fccincy.com/3RaHnwo

Why performance arises in relationships, not in statistics: Adam Průša (Head of analysis/individual player dev/1st team analyst Czech national team), shares insights on implementing ideas+concepts that Matias Manna, Keith Davids and I recently shared. footblogball.wordpress.com/2026/04/24/foo…

Bruce Lee said, "Turn your sparring into play, but always play seriously." #TOVO #inteliigentfootball

Johan told me he learned to play football on the streets of Amsterdam. He was younger & smaller so he needed to avoid contact, to outsmart the bigger boys & to use elements like a curb to his advantage. Integrated Skills = TOtaal VOetbal #TOVO #intelligentfootball

A Numbers Game 🗣️ Drills are not as impressive as smiles. Enjoy this youth coaching process and have fun with your kids. They want this from you more than anything. #TOVO

Scanning (what it's not)-peception and why you may not be coaching it. footblogball.wordpress.com/2026/03/30/we-…

Given that the best footballers played on patios or the streets, it seems reasonable to enjoy small sided games during practice sessions. This is certainly a fun and purposeful way to hone one’s skills. At #TOVO we play varied contextual and competitive games all session.

@IgorBero1 @transformbball The children learning ABC can already speak words - if we had to wait for ABC before making words…difficult to make progress. Typical Children playing basketball will be able to walk, run, throw, catch at some level. Let’s get started in context whilst we build “fun”damentals

@transformbball Hmmm...in elementary school we first learnt letter A then B, then C and so on. Yes, you can still write without knowing a few letter, but what would your sentence sound like?

1/7 Here are the three BIGGEST MYTHS holding basketball coaching back. A thread🧵 Myth 1: Fundamentals come first. Myth 2: More reps = more learning. Myth 3: Set plays win games

If the education system was based on children’s needs, RECESS would be the highest priority class. #TOVO #intelligentfootball

Spring weather is back and the youngers are loving it ⚽️🔥@JOYofthePEOPLE

Why the US Women Win World Cups and the Men Can't Qualify open.substack.com/pub/joyofthepe…

@martict99 @JOYofthePEOPLE Love this 👏🏽

Ted Kroeten (@JOYofthePEOPLE) comes to Fosbury Flop to share everything he has learned by letting kids play and observing them. Impressed to discover lessons that are as necessary as counter-cultural nowadays... and so grateful Ted shared them with me. bit.ly/47a2Fzx

It’s become far too common: youth coaching routinely trades extraordinary potential for mistake-free play. Ego’s appetite for control and short-term wins keeps growing and with it fades the essence that once made the difference, the gift of innovating & shining inside chaos….

"Developing skills is not the process of repeating a solution, but repeating the process of finding a solution." - Richard Shuttleworth