This time of year is always interesting to say the least. Coaches start to tip toe around the questions about “next year.” Parents start to gossip, rumors of what is going to happen at x club, or on y team begin to circulate along with wild speculation about the demise of a team, clubs, players moving etc. It’s silly season to say the least. This year though maybe you can choose a different path, one that is less stressful, one that focuses on the process and not on the chatter....

Today, one of the most common topics that youth coaches talk about with their players is the idea of “scanning” or “checking your shoulder.” I often tell my own kids to take pictures, something I heard another youth coach say that stuck with me and seems to work for my boys. The reality is that the best players in the world check their shoulders, scan the field, and have a picture of what is going on, and where the opportunities are better than everyone else. The great Arsene Wenger once...

You never know where you will find motivation. Sometime it hits you on a walk, or in the middle of the night, often times the answers and motivation come when we stop trying so hard to find them. Today’s post however comes from an unexpected place, the popular soccer comedy Ted Lasso staring Jason Sudeikis as an American soccer coach in England. I have to admit the show was incredibly surprising to me. After watching the first episode, I quickly I binged watched the whole series. It is full of...

WHY STOPPING WITH THE EXCUSES AND TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR DEVELOPMENT IS CRITICAL - FOR PARENTS, PLAYERS, AND PROS Perspective is an incredible thing. How we look at something, or how others perceive something, and understanding that are powerful, and valuable. 2020 for most of the world has been an incredibly challenging year. Globally we’ve seen a pandemic wreak havoc on business, jobs, the overall economy, and people's physical and mental health among other things. We’ve seen political fighting, social injustice and been forced to reconcile with years of avoidance...

Life can be overwhelming at times. Meetings, training, family, friends, etc. Obligations begin to pile up and your schedule just gets hectic. It can be tough trying to deal with everything by yourself. Anxiety and stress begin to kick in and start to affect every aspect of your life. How do we cope with this? Learning to train your brain, not only for performance but for life in general, can have a massive affect on the trajectory of your success. We all struggle with something. Those that take the steps...

Over the past few years I’ve been fortunate to have been introduced to and worked with several professional coaches, players, owners, general managers, etc. in the world of football (soccer). I’ve worked as a consultant to Professional soccer organizations in the US, and Europe, I’ve helped build professional clubs and worked in various roles within the sport. I’ve learned some incredible lessons from those conversations, and recently had the chance to pass on some of that wisdom to a high level player, looking for an opportunity to play in 2021....

A Post Written by Brandon Miller: Current Professional Goalkeeper for the Charlotte Independence, and owner of Prime Focus - A goalkeeper focused company offering training, gloves, and more. Brandon is also a partner in First XI Advisors, a sports advisory and consulting company focused on building better communities through sports along with Coach Casey. Enjoy! ———— 3 TIPS FOR PROS Making the jump to the next level can be nerve racking. I remember the anxiety I felt in the days and weeks leading up to my first preseason. I had...

Today’s Post is from a Blog post I wrote for First XI Advisors, a consulting group focused on working with businesses especially those operated by current and former athletes. I hope you enjoy it. I’ve been a huge proponent of taking a walk. As an athlete or perhaps more precisely, as a former athlete (Thanks again Brandon for reminding me I’m a “middle aged white man”), the idea of going for a walk at first seemed like a silly idea. I had to do sprints, go for a longer run,...

I wrote a few weeks ago about “How a Simple Walk Changed Everything.” The impact that walking both alone, with friends, with family, and colleagues has had on me in 2020 has been incredible. I believe that there is great power in this concept. I’ll be writing more about my walks, what I learn, whom I meet, and why it’s all important. An early walk led me to a powerful friendship, and a bond with two guys (Jonathan Brabson and Brandon Miller) that are helping me explore the power of...

2020 By all accounts has been a year that after a couple of minutes on social media seems like most of the world would like to forget, or at the very least move past and get to 2021 as quickly as we can. I’ve certainly had those thoughts, but as I look at back at the entirety of 2020 I’ve realized that I’m incredibly Thankful for everything that has happened to me this year. At first glance like most people 2020 has been devastating. The world has dealt with a...