There are a wide variety of internet resources available to coaches. This list, finalized as of February 20, 1998, provides just a few, annotated links to get you started. All of the links given here are correct and active as of today. This list is also available as a download from the Soccer Coach Mailing List Archives (see below) which should allow you to simply click on the web sites (the things that start with http://etc.) instead of typing everything in.
Perhaps your best and most comprehensive resource on the net is the "SOCCER-COACH-L" mailing list and the best part is you only need e-mail as opposed to full web-browsing access. The list is currently comprised of some 1,150 coaches from the youth, high school, college and professional ranks from over 20 countries. Questions ranging from "How do I deal with Osgood-Schlatters?" to "What kind of activities will help my U-14 boys work the ball out of the back third effectively?" to "How do I keep my U-8 Dark Avengers from swarming around the ball?" appear on a daily basis. All questions are answered, usually from multiple viewpoints, and advice on whatever YOUR particular problem is is cheerily dispensed by other list members. Be aware that the list is relatively high volume (30-40 messages a day) and that the current "collective thinking" of the group is along the lines that "the game is the greatest teacher".
To subscribe, send an email with no subject; body reading "SUBSCRIBE SOCCER-COACH-L" (without the quotations, with the hyphens) followed by a blank space and then your own name (e.g. subscribe Soccer-Coach-L ron tremper) to listserv@morgan.ucs.mun.ca
After you're subscribed, you should probably send the listserv the "set SOCCER-COACH-L digest" (no quotations) command which will gather up a day's worth of mail at a time and give it to you in a single, scrollable message once a day.
This is the main web page for the outstanding "SOCCER-COACH-L" mailing list moderated by David Graham. The page contains a links to the mailing list archives and the Soccer Coach LOTG project (see below) as well as links to other excellent soccer web sites and mailing lists. If you'd rather go direct to the archives, which are searchable, use http://www.mun.ca/lists/soccer-coach-l By searchable, I mean that you can type in "shooting drills" or "instep drive" or whatever and get every post dealing with that subject for the last year or so at your fingertips.
A pretty simple, straightforward explanation of all aspects of the laws with hundreds of Questions and Answers on many of the situations you'll run into during the course of the season. Each section contains a thumbnail description of the law itself, an understandable "interpretation with coaching points", and a Q&A section. Written by a group of experienced coaches/referees from the Soccer-Coach-L mailing list. The overall content of this site will soon be available as a single downloadable document suitable for distribution to all coaches in your club.
The official web site of U.S. Soccer. Team news, highlights, links, etc
The junior version! Official site of U.S. Youth soccer contains listings of state associations, training calendars, and links to other web sites.
Every USA supporter needs to visit the Sam's Army home page. Contains just about everything you want to know about US Soccer, tons of links, etc.
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America provides educational clinics, academies, and seminars. It also publishes Soccer Journal, a bi-monthly national soccer education journal, and offers diploma courses in all 50 states.
Just like it sounds. World rankings, access to downloads of the latest laws and transmittals, what's happening in general. Also, try the "Coach's Corner" section, http://www.fifa.com/member/index.member.html, which contains detailed looks at sequences leading up to goals in internationals, specific looks at the coaching philosophies and approaches of the various teams, etc. Interesting but not going to help out with much with your U-8's!
No specific coaching information but a kind of "front door" to a wide range of world soccer materials such as player bios and pictures (Ronaldo, Schearer, etc.), team records, scores, world cup preparation, chat room for soccer fans, etc.
The title says it all.
This one is based in Italy and kind of slow but it has just about all you want to know about the international scene like the scores and standings of the Cup Winners Cup from 1961 through the present to current results in all of the major European competitions. Check out the "shame and fame" section which contains lots of QuickTime and AVI clips of super goals and super screw-ups by your favorite players! Better have a fast modem for the download, however, as these clips average around 2,000K or about 40 min at 28.8!
The Women's Soccer Foundation (WSF) is a non-profit foundation dedicated to strengthening the voice of girls and women in soccer throughout the world. The organization publishes NETWORK, which contains articles on topics such as the value of sports, health and psychology for women, strategies for making changes, etc. Many links to other pages and lots of articles from back-issues of NETWORK on-line.
An excellent page from a Chicago-area club. Provides the "home base for Bruce Brownlee's materials (see below) in addition to containing some good coaching articles on its own.
An excellent series of articles on technical training, defensive and offensive concepts, motivation, and much more. Coach Brownlee is a USSF "C" license coach from the Top Hat Soccer club in Georgia; is a frequent contributor to the Soccer-Coach-L mailing list; and is a tremendous source of detailed training plans for both new and experienced coaches.
Jeff Pill is the U-14 Region 1 Director of Coaching for USSF; former Director of Coaching for the New Hampshire Soccer Association; has his national "A" license; is a National Staff Coach with US Soccer; and is a FIFA Technical Assistant. This page is chock full of excellent drills for all age groups U-6-U-18 in areas such as offence, defense, goalkeeping, etc. All drills are downloadable and come with verbal description and illustrations. This is a GREAT site to visit but beware because you'll likely end up becoming a resident.
Has an excellent keeper information section (keeper drills, laws and the keeper, etc.) plus nice pieces on conditioning, nutrition, sideline behavior, etc. Very well done and informative.
A nice site with a small selection of interesting drills and activities operated by a college coach.
Drills, drills and more drills. Grouped by type (goalie, attacking, etc.). Many pulled from the Soccer-Coach-L mailing list. All clickable so that you can easily print out any that you find to be of interest.
Not as forbidding as it sounds. Clear, illustrated drills, teaching progressions, etc.
Check out the "Catalyst" section of this for "clickable" articles from coaches such as Don Howe, John Cartwright and Jan Olde Rickering, all of which include diagrams and step-by-step instructions. Primarily aimed at youth teams.
An outstanding supplier of tapes, videos, books, CD-ROMs, etc. on all aspects of soccer.
The Internet's free online community connecting soccer players, coaches, managers, agents, referees, staff members, soccer professionals, and fans, locally and from around the world. Features job searches, 10 soccer chat rooms, entry into a "soccer jobs" database, soccer links, pictures, tips, news, etc.
These abstracts interpret research articles for practicing coaches and others interested in applied sport science. Strength training, goal setting, the female athlete, etc. Out of San Diego State University
A site dedicated to soccer in Colorado covering all aspects of youth and adult play, coaching, and refereeing. Contains drills and general soccer Q&A applicable no matter what state or country you're in and is very well done.
An award-winning site by Ric Miller with an emphasis on Brazilian soccer including a series of articles on the author's adventures in the Brazilian licensing program.
A bit slow-loading and currently contains little in the drills section but a nice home page and a good example of the uses of the net.
An excellent overall State Manual with plenty of sections of general interest for coaches of youth teams.
From the folks at the Soccer Coach web site, a ton of interesting links both foreign and domestic. Contains the good, the bad and the ugly, all unsorted, but there for the exploring.
Fast, smooth, with a lot of links, this seems to be the "front end" for a business that sells replica shirts and equipment.
Every imaginable link for those of you that ever wanted to know anything about refereeing.
Provides professional advice to players and coaches at all levels. Topics include Skill of the week, Drill of the Month, Nutrition, Team Tactics, Fitness, Game Day Planner, links to all areas of soccer and a free Soccer Coaches Club. This site also markets a CD-ROM for coaches.
Not a web site but a fairly high-volume mailing list for soccer referees. You get maybe 50-70 questions, comments and observations daily on a wide variety of topics by everyone from begnners to FIFA referees. Especially active during the MLS season as everyone tears into the performance of the CRs after every game! To subscribe, simply send an email with no subject; body reading "Subscribe Socref-L" (without the quotations, with the hyphen, and that's a small "L" at the end) to "listserv@uriacc.uri.edu"
After you're subscribed, you should probably send the listserv the "set Socref-L digest" (no quotations) command which will simply gather up a day's worth of mail at a time and give it to you in a single, scrollable message every morning.
Another mailing list like socref-L but this one is strictly for women's soccer issues and uses a different sign-up process. Send an e-mail to womens-soccer-request@indiana.edu with no subject containing only the word "subscribe" (no quotes) in the body.
From treating shin splints to preventing ankle sprains, it's all here! Composed of articles from the Cramer company's excellent periodical. Downside is that the page is pretty slow
A simple one-page comprehensive body stretching routine from the editors of GoGirl Magazine. A good first-practice handout!
Truthfully more than you'd ever want to know about stretching but an excellent resource. The entire document can be downloaded as a text file for reference.
Gator Aid Science Institute coaches corner with a good number of excellent articles that aren't soccer-specific but are applicable none-the-less. Goal setting, teamwork, motivation, sports nutrition, etc.
An all-sports news server with up to the minute articles on soccer worldwide from who-bought-who in Europe to the world cup to MLS.
News from the world of soccer in general from MLS to world cup to Europe.
Another "current event" site backed by SI.
Covers college, pro, national team and international news. Special features include the monthly Youth Soccer Letter, the Avis Soccer Tournaments Calendar, and annual directories for soccer camps, soccer equipment and college soccer scholarships.
The basic listings for ESPN 2 which shows a reasonable selection of MLS, UEFA, Premier League, etc. games
If this listing isn't enough for you, use your web browser to go to http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search/options Then type in the word "soccer", and start the search. As of 2/3/98, this returned 1,757 separate soccer sites divided into 135 major categories. If you find a great one, let me know!
Updated 20 February 1998