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Tips & Guides

Practical guides for youth soccer coaches, tournament directors, and league organizers.

Apr 13, 2026tournamentsregistration

New School-Year Age Cut-Off: What Organizers Need to Change

The new school-year age cut-off changes tournament seeding, roster checks, and guest-player rules. Here is what organizers need to update now.

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Apr 13, 2026coachingsoccer

U.S. Soccer Licensing Updates: What Coaches Should Know

U.S. Soccer's coaching pathway is easier to enter but still structured. Here is what youth coaches should know about grassroots courses and license progression.

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Apr 2, 2026youth-soccercoaching

Small-Sided Games Work. Are Coaches Overdoing It?

Small-sided games are the most effective format in youth soccer development, but defaulting to them for everything creates blind spots in positional awareness, transition play, and full-field decision-making.

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Apr 2, 2026youth-soccercoaching

The Two-Season Script: Stop Parent Playing-Time Fights

A repeatable conversation framework coaches can use to set playing time expectations with parents before the season starts and de-escalate complaints when they happen.

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Mar 28, 2026playing-timecoaching

13 Kids on 7v7: The Bench Time Problem

You have 13 kids, 7 spots on the field, and parents doing math from lawn chairs. Here is how to solve the 7v7 bench time problem fairly and communicate it before it becomes a fight.

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Mar 25, 2026coachingyouth-sports

Soccer Practice Plans for Beginner Coaches

Simple, ready-to-use soccer practice plans for new volunteer coaches at the U6 to U10 level with drills and time breakdowns.

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