Kevin Olali’s Post

Growing up in a challenging environment, Coach Mo found reassurance and direction in soccer, which offered him a structured and supportive community. This shaping experience profoundly influenced his perspective on life and decision-making, emphasizing the sport's role not just as a game but as a life-saving tool that provided him with better alternatives to the hostile conditions around him. Drawing from this personal journey, he passionately applies these lessons to his coaching philosophy. He creates a nurturing and positive environment for the young athletes under his guidance, emphasizing the importance of consistency, teamwork, and personal growth. He strives to instill values such as loyalty, resilience, and mutual respect among his players, viewing soccer as a medium to teach life skills and build character. By fostering a supportive team culture, he ensures that the sport serves as a positive force in his players' lives, just as it did in his, potentially guiding them towards brighter futures and helping them navigate their challenges more effectively. Find out more about him in the #EvoToca Youtube podcast. The #EvoToca initiative aims at enhancing not only individual coaching acumen but also elevating the overall quality of youth soccer in the United States. Imagine a scenario where each game and training session becomes a testament to cutting-edge coaching techniques that are shared openly among the best minds in youth soccer. Participants will have the privilege to contribute to a grander vision—a vision that sees the U.S. nurturing world-class soccer talents consistently. The benefits extend beyond professional development. It's about building lasting relationships with like-minded professionals who are equally passionate about the game. These connections could lead to collaborations that last a lifetime, fostering a network of support and encouragement among the nation's top youth soccer coaches. The focus here is not on individual glory but on collective growth and the shared joy of elevating the sport. Every coach who joins this movement is stepping into a larger role, one that goes beyond the soccer field to impact the lives and futures of young athletes across the country. By participating, each coach not only enhances their own skills and knowledge but also contributes to a nationwide uplift in coaching quality and player excellence. EvoToca #soccercoach #soccertraining #youthsoccer #soccerislife #ussoccer #footballcoaching #footballcoach

In the world of youth football, the impact of coaching extends far beyond tactical strategies and skill development—it reaches into the emotional well-being of young players. A recent story exemplifies the profound influence compassionate coaching can have on a player's journey. Meet a remarkable 12-year-old goalkeeper, highly motivated and dedicated to his craft. After facing the disappointment of being callously dropped from a team via a text message to parents, reason being a perceived slump in confidence during his latter games of the Winter season. What followed was a period of exploration, as the young goalkeeper sought a new team and a fresh start. Landing in a different squad playing an age group up, he discovered coaching staff who prioritized communication, player well-being, and teamwork. The results have been nothing short of extraordinary. Today, this goalkeeper is not only thriving but is in the form of his life. Playing with newfound confidence, competence, and focus, he has become a beacon of positive feedback from teammates, parents, opposition teams, and match officials alike. The question arises: What made the difference? It's a story that underscores a crucial point: sports coaches should recognise the value of compassionate communication in unlocking the full potential of young players. In this case, the shift from a callous dismissal to an environment that prioritises understanding, support, and teamwork has had a transformative effect. Just as we emphasize compassionate leadership in various aspects of life, the world of sports should not be an exception. Coaches play a pivotal role in shaping not just the athletic skills of their players but also their mental resilience and overall well-being. Let this tale be a reminder to all sports coaches: taking the time to understand, communicate, and support young athletes can make a world of difference. By fostering an environment of compassion, we not only create better players but also empower these young individuals to navigate challenges, build resilience, and embrace success both on and off the field. #CompassionateCoaching #YouthSports #PlayerWellBeing #Teamwork #InspiringSuccess #goalkeeper #goalkeepertraining

Youth sports coaches and organizers – what’s your biggest challenge in keeping players engaged and returning season after season? 🤔 We’ve found that the right coaching strategies can make all the difference in youth sports participation. Check out our latest article from Karlee Deaver on how coaching impacts player retention and helps build long-term commitment to the game. Let’s hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments! 👇 Read the full article here: https://tmsnp.co/3zqwcrg #YouthSports #CoachingTips #TeamSnap #Coaching

The reality is that volunteer coaches are essential throughout youth sports, and there are many willing to step into that important role. But how can we set them up for success? #2 Prepare I love this quote from Benjamin Franklin, one of our nation’s Founding Fathers and an immensely and broadly talented man. “By failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail.” Over the years, I have discovered this to be one of the greatest barriers for a volunteer to say yes to becoming a first-time coach: They feel overwhelmed by what to do during the course of an hour-long or 90-minute practice. Time is fleeting… except when you’re responsible for it. If you’re watching a great movie, two hours can fly by. But if you’ve ever been interviewed on TV or radio, or you’ve given a speech in front of a lot of people, time can sometimes feel like it’s at a standstill. Planning and preparing is a must because “winging it” will likely breed chaos and confusion. That’s one of the odd paradoxes of youth sports. The most experienced coaches, especially those with licenses, are required to not only develop but strategize and dissect practice plans. Meanwhile, inexperienced coaches hardly know what a practice plan is, and they are usually called upon to steward what is often a young athlete’s first foray into a particular sport. I don’t recall many resources to help address this problem when I started over a decade ago. It felt overwhelming to do a lot of my own research to figure out how best to use practice time. But there are increasingly more resources available now, including the TeamSnap+ Coaches Pack. This provides access to a library of drills and week-by-week curriculums for soccer, baseball, and softball. TeamSnap has partnered with the likes of MLS and Major League Baseball, and more sports and partnerships are coming. I’m a visual learner, so I love the video clips and illustrations the Coaches Pack features. But the preparation isn’t the only part. It’s incumbent on you, as the coach, to arrive early enough to set up, so the athletes can jump right in. This also reinforces a level of care to the players and parents. Keep in mind, though, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every single practice. The longer I coach, the simpler my practice plans seem to become! Read the rest of Sean Jensen's keys to coaching at the #TeamSnap blog: https://tmsnp.co/3wHyQri #youthsports #coach #coaching #blog

Who’s coaching who? The developmental benefits of coaching a sports team. On the No Limitations podcast Craig Tiley, CEO of Tennis Australia, references the developmental benefits of coaching a sports team. This season I find myself in the ‘dugout’ (well, on the side of a cold windy pitch… if I’m lucky, with a plastic chair!) as coach of the Hampton East Brighton FC U18As. I have a sneaking suspicion the players might be teaching me more than I teach them over the next six months. How to connect with, develop, support and inspire an eclectic mix of 15- to 18-year-old boys all with different motivations and other moving parts in their lives as they approach Grade 12… that doesn’t even take in to account the 19 sets of parents …should be fun! To add to the challenge, they are all, without exception, better players than I ever have or, ever will be. Goodbye comfort zone, hello coaching! Reflections so far…how to: ·       effectively build connection as a foundation ·       get my message across in digestible chunks ·       set a common team standard / accountability when motivations are so diverse ·       move at the right pace without info overload If anyone has any advice then feel free to share and speed up my journey… after losing 4-0 in the last match, some might argue I need all the help I can get! #connection, #team, #coaching, #communitysport

In July 2023, after six years of dedicated effort, we launched our COGNIGOALS Football Coach Level 1 online course. It was a leap into the unknown. Our Deep Learning motor-cognitive training method challenges conventional coaching, and we were unsure how it would be received by the coaching community. Fast forward to six months later, and the response has been nothing short of overwhelming. We have coaches from across the globe, including Germany, the USA, Austria, the UK, Canada, Belgium, and many more, participating in our course. Their daily feedback, incredible stories, training videos, and questions have made this journey incredibly rewarding. The enthusiasm of these coaches validates our belief in the need for innovative training methodologies in modern soccer. We're thrilled to see coaches, open-minded and eager for innovation, implementing our methods. Recognizing that our approach is still new to many, we're now offering a special opportunity to experience some of our foundational exercises for free. Just visit https://lnkd.in/e5E26MvM to get started. This is a chance for coaches everywhere to explore the future of soccer coaching. Additionally, we're excited to announce that we're finalizing our first course dedicated to players and their families, set to be released in the first half of 2024. This is a step towards broadening our impact and helping develop the next generation of soccer talent. This experience has been a remarkable journey in understanding the power of storytelling and sharing knowledge. It's a reminder of how sharing innovative ideas can lead to global connections and collective growth. We’re grateful to every coach who has embarked on this journey with us, embracing new approaches and contributing to the evolution of soccer coaching. As we prepare for the release of our player-focused course, we are keen to continue this dialogue with the broader coaching community. How have innovative training methods impacted your coaching? What have been your experiences with integrating new techniques into your practice? Your insights are invaluable as we all work towards advancing the sport. Let’s keep this conversation going. Share your stories and experiences with innovative soccer training, and let’s explore together how we can further revolutionize the beautiful game for coaches, players, and fans alike. #SoccerCoachingRevolution #PlayerDevelopment #CoachingCommunity

Ever wondered what sets apart the champions in sports? Join Matt Young as he dives into the dynamic world of sports development and dives into the 5C's of development. These development characteristics, designed by sport scientists, go beyond the physical and technical aspects of competence, focusing on the essential soft skills that elevate athletes to the next level. 🚀 In this video, Matt breaks down the 5C's: 1️⃣ Culture: Understand and contribute to the ethos of your team, organization, and sport. It's about fostering an environment that breeds success. 2️⃣ Character: Traits like honesty, respect, work ethic, humility, and a sense of responsibility that lay the foundation for greatness. 3️⃣ Connection: Build a sense of belonging by connecting with teammates, coaches, and the sport itself. Team spirit at its finest! 4️⃣ Confidence: Develop self-esteem and self-worth to believe in oneself and trust the coach's abilities for peak performance. 5️⃣ Competence: Tactical, technical, and physical development recommendations, from fundamental movement skills through sport-specific tennis training based on age and level. Evaluating these skills has traditionally been tricky due to their subjective nature. Matt shares valuable insights on how to assess and track these game-changing attributes including: 1. Athlete/Player Self-Reports: Encourage players to reflect on their own development, fostering awareness and accountability. 2. Evaluation Rubric: Matt introduces a three-tiered system – Initial/Red for beginners, Emerging/Yellow for progress, and Competent/Green for mastery. Remember, what gets measured becomes what matters! Whether you're a coach, athlete, or sports enthusiast, this video is a game-changer in understanding and unlocking the full potential of sports development. Contact for further support on implementing these in your sports organization: www.fsqsport.com You can share this video on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gEDgHpkv #sports #sportsDevelopment #5Cs #AthleteJourney #CoachingExcellence #FSQSport #UnlockYourPotential

Last night, my work life and personal life melded together for a few hours and it was AWESOME. Through our work on the Million Coaches Challenge, I’ve gotten to know and work alongside Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) but last night was a new experience as I had the privilege of attending a PCA training as a coach with our baseball league. Getting to experience the power of positive in real life DOES NOT COMPARE to document reviews and interviews (shocker, I know). And now I get to say that I am one of the million coaches the MCC committed to training - how cool is that?! Leigh Podlesny shared her personal and professional wisdom with the group, giving our coaches research-based and actionable strategies to take back to our teams immediately. A few reflections that I think apply not only in coaching but as humans living and making meaning together in the world: **As coaches, we have so much power and potential to influence not only how players perform but also how they experience sports and whether they feel that sense of connection and belonging to the team, the league, and sport in general. It starts with us! **We all have “emotional tanks” that need to be kept full or intentionally filled if and when they get depleted. As coaches, we need to monitor and maintain everyone's emotional tanks as a regular part of our practice. **Connecting and naming our "why" is important and sharing that information with players can foster deeper relationship-building and connection. **We should all walk around and give each other high-fives WAY more often than we do. #millioncoacheschallenge #youthsports #coaching

With football training starting up in just two weeks, I’m eagerly looking forward to the new season and the opportunities it holds for my two youngest boys. Ted is moving up to the Year One team, and it’s been amazing to see how much he’s grown to love the game. His enthusiasm and dedication are truly inspiring. And he is pretty darn good too. I'm excited to watch him tackle new challenges and continue to refine his skills on the field. Stan, on the other hand, is stepping onto the pitch for the first time this season. While he’s a bit less keen on football than his older brothers, I see this as a different but equally rewarding challenge, both as a coach and a parent. Every child’s journey in sports is unique, and I’m committed to helping Stan find his own connection to the game, in whatever way feels right for him. Reflecting on my experience as a father, I realise I was too hard on my eldest Archie when he was playing footy. He was an incredibly strong athlete, and I pushed him to embrace the competitive fire that I felt he needed but never naturally had. It’s taken time, but I’ve learned the importance of allowing each child to grow at their own pace and in their own way. Now, I’m making a conscious effort to be more relaxed with my youngest two, focusing on their individual needs and letting their love for the game develop naturally. This experience has also shaped my approach to leadership and management in the business world. Just like on the football field, each team member has unique strengths, motivations, and potential. It's essential to recognise these differences, provide the right support, and create an environment where everyone can thrive in their own way. By balancing the needs of the individual with the goals of the team, we can drive both personal and collective growth. Balancing the different needs and motivations of each player, whether on the field or in the office, is what makes coaching and leadership so fulfilling. Here’s to a season full of growth, learning, and plenty of fun for everyone! #FootballCoaching #YouthDevelopment #FamilyAndFootball #CoachingChallenges #PassionForTheGame #ParentingJourney #GrowthMindset #Leadership #TeamDevelopment

Have you coached youth sports? OR...have you not coached youth sports because you were worried you would not be able to? Last season I coached t-ball...what an adventure. In this article I created a custom prompt, as well as a Notion template to help youth coaches. If you have any questions, comments, etc. please feel free to reach out! Read more from the article below!