Brenda Stratton MSc.

The best representatives of TOVO Method are the @FCBfemeni and @FCBarcelona men. Cruyff-inspired vision of attacking football. ▪️Does that make it the best, no. ▪️Do you have to choose it, no. ▪️Are there other options, yes. Can you coach it in your community? Yes! #TOVO

Solid crew. ❤️

Free Play “Play is the foundation of learning, creativity, and problem-solving.” (Stuart Brown) In football terms, this translates to players who are more unpredictable, expressive, and capable of responding to the fluid demands of the game. #TOVO #intelligentfootball

🗣️ “When people feel psychologically safe — when they know mistakes won't be weaponized against them — they take smarter risks, recover faster from errors, and perform better under pressure.” @stevemagness ▪️ Coaches - we set that culture of learning and security. #TOVO

“You’re prepared for this moment, and you always rise to the occasion.” A message that Macklin Celebrini will never forget. 🥹 As Canada prepares to face-off against the U.S. for gold, the Celebrinis leave their son and brother a voicemail that radiates encouragement and pride. @HockeyCanada | @SanJoseSharks | @NHL

Most players think they’re behind at fourteen. They look sideways at teammates. Parents compare timelines. Coaches start labeling. And suddenly development feels like a race instead of a process. At that age, growth is uneven by design. One player matures early and dominates physically. Another is still waiting for their body to catch up. One gets attention. The other starts questioning everything. That’s where anxiety enters. When you believe you’re behind, you train differently. You rush decisions. You chase shortcuts. You measure yourself against timelines that were never yours. And that’s how development gets distorted. Fourteen isn’t the finish line. It’s the foundation. Bodies change at different speeds. Confidence fluctuates. Game understanding matures later than most people expect. Early dominance rarely predicts long careers. The players who last don’t necessarily peak early. They build steadily. They develop skills that survive growth. They refine decisions that improve with time. They build habits that compound. Being early is different from being ready. I’ve seen players overlooked at fourteen become world-class professionals. I’ve seen early standouts disappear by eighteen. Time doesn’t reward urgency. It rewards patience layered with consistent work. If you feel behind, you’re probably just early. And early isn’t a problem. It’s potential. That’s the arc. #beastmodesoccer

1st We expanded our view of ‘skill.’ 2nd Thus, we shifted to a ‘Cognitive Technical’ paradigm. 3rd And as a result, we choose contextual & competitive exercises. #TOVO

Words of Wisdom 🗣️ #TOVO

@Carrozzaf @JoshWaltersSr Toel!!! Best ever!!! Soul nourishment right there!!!

The last Supper, TOVO style! LVC, JMU & VCU Women’s Soccer Staff’s with a different kind of recruiting tonight!

Subbing a player out for a mistake in a youth match is counterproductive on so many levels. It happens. It shouldn’t. Let’s do better next season. #TOVO

Simplify instruction We use the TOVO APP idea. ▪️Architecture Create traingles and diamonds off the ball carrier to provide options. ▪️Position Create passing lanes or “green highways” to support. ▪️Profile Head up and hips open to maximize vision. #TOVO

Vision Decision Precision 🗣️ “I perceive the game in a different way. It’s a question of having a wide field of vision.” Andrea Pirlo #TOVO

1/3 Crazy🧵 FIFA has embraced the tenets of the #TOVO Method. Their Talent Coach Program resembles the aporoach we introduced 10 years ago. “You’re crazy til you’re a genius.” Johan Cruyff I’m no genius but we did build a methodology based upon the way children learn. 👇

"The Skill Acquisition Specialist is responsible for assessing and supporting the design of practice environments where learning, skill evolution, and performance are maximized. By understanding and applying contemporary skill acquisition theory (i.e., an ecological dynamics approach) to coaching and training practices, SAS will partner with various organizational departments to promote a transdisciplinary athletic development approach." How can Skill Acquisition Specialists change the game across high-performance sport? Get into our 2024 article 'The Role of Skill Acquisition Specialists Within Sports—Why Every High-performance Sports Organization Needs These Experts!' right here: journalofexpertise.org/articles/volum…

A Record Performance 👏👏👏👏 Four #TOVO players selected in the MLS draft. ▪️ William Cleary @CharlotteFC ▪️Jack Jasinski @SJEarthquakes ▪️ Joe Dale @SoundersFC ▪️Kyle McGowan @NERevolution @MLS #TOVO Family ❤️

Might not be “realistic” enough for US Soccer but this is how we train in Spain and at #TOVO Academy. So much packed into Position Play Exercises to cover here. Enjoy.

GOLAZO 🇨🇦 DEREK CORNELIUS NAH BRO WHAT. A. FREE. KICK. 🤯 #CanMNT up 1-0 on Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

If you are the coach subbing kids out for making a mistake, stop. This is counterproductive on so many levels. #TOVO

LEGENDS ▪️Pele (5’8”) ▪️Maradona (5’5”) ▪️Cruyff (5’10”) ▪️Di Stefano (5’10”) ▪️Messi (5’7”) ✔️Please let that sink in, and then STOP prejudicing players for their size. #TOVO

If you coach girls (or boys for that matter), have your players watch @FCBfemeni These women are the epitomy of Cruyffian/TOVO football. ▪️ Intelligence ▪️ Skill ▪️ Character They are so good in all three. 👍 #TOVO