Andrew Cimbalista

Hello everyone! On this account I will be sharing my experiences as someone trying to break into this field as well as express my opinion on various soccer topics. In the future I hope to what has and hasn't worked from a coaching perspective.

Many athletes get upset by their lack of playing time, but do nothing prove they deserve the opportunity. Every single drill and training session is an opportunity to grow and improve. If you aren’t willing to put in the workin training, you don’t deserve the opportunity in game

A great way for athletes to improve with little playing time is to watch their teammates play. Analyze each play and ask yourself what you would have done. You never know when your name will be called, but it’s important you are ready and make the most of the opportunity.

As a new coach, I see male and female athletes every year less prepared to play high school soccer. As club prices increase every year, there is no excuse for athletes to come to high school without the knowledge of concepts such as jockey defending, half spaces, overloads, etc.

One of the greatest injustices we have done in youth soccer today is create a system based on paying to play rather than paying to develop. What are our youth clubs actually teaching the athletes? Where is the accountability?

Josh’s reaction to his MVP video is everything. 🥹 #NFLHonors | #BillsMafia

Fear is the result of the lack of preparation. If you gave your 100% in training, pushed yourself and others, there is no reason to fear the team in front of you. Don’t doubt your skills after working to get better for an entire season. A little bit of belief can go a long way!

The best way to get better at juggling is by juggling more The best way to get better at passing is by passing more The best way to get better at shooting is by shooting more ... You see where I'm going with this? Repetition...

Pyramid of technique development for youth soccer players. This is applicable for players who are in their basic technique development phase, before moving onto higher-level intermediate & advanced skills. This also helps the coach stay focused on reinforcing the fundamentals during games and a good diagram to explain this to parents. Most of a soccer game (90%?) is a sequence of events of Dribbling, Passing, and First Touch. Then shooting when you get within scoring range.

Dear Parents... Berating and barking at young athletes from the sidelines does not make them tough or prepare them for life. It creates the next generation of poor parents who will berate and bark at others. #TOVO

3. The more you work around teams and camps, the more confident you get. I feel much more confident speaking around high school aged players. If you can get 5 year olds to understand what you are trying to say, you can get juniors and seniors in high school to understand you.

As I look back on coaching soccer summer camps over the past 2 summers I have learned a couple things. 1. Patience is infinitely important when working with younger children (especially 5-7 year olds). 2. I’ve learned how to more effectively communicate what I am trying to say.

Dear Coaches... The more I study football the more I realize it is a game of spatial relationships and far too many training drills do not nurture a player’s capacity to see nor manage those relationships. #TOVO

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING... Matters in football if you don't have the fitness required. What good is it for a coach if you can play for only 10 minutes?

After hearing this, I often question how can coaches create a great lasting team culture? While I don't think there is one correct way to create a team culture I do think it includes the following: 2 way relationships, accountability, working hard, and a mutual level of trust.

Every successful coach HS I have had a conversation with has said the same thing... To create a successful team you need to create a successful program. It's about creating a culture for those younger athletes to grow into as they reach the varsity level.

The unique thing about high school soccer is that you are only working with your players for a very short period of time (A little over 2 months). This means you have very small amount of time to a culture for your entire team. Coaching truly rely on upperclassmen leadership.