Athlete Performance Academy-APA

Coaches are you educating?!

Our main job is to develop players. It’s not to win games or trophies. Youth coaches need to ask themselves one question…

Did I make the players I coached better?

Pep Guardiola once said that his biggest success at Barcelona his first year was not winning the treble, but helping Pedro and Busquets get to the national team.

Team, organizations, schools, families……………..everything we do is based on connections and relationships.  In any group the commitment to the whole must be greater than the desire to advance self.  We’ve all have known the “weakest link” in a chain . . . we have experienced team failures due to selfish individuals.
 
Today, take the time to commit to the team.  Invest effort to be a better teammate – to build connections, spread positive energy to those that need a lift, and find courage to challenge a fellow teammate to get better.  Today . . . step outside your comfort zone of self and invest in making the team stronger.

Haha I must say I am impressed that every kid is paying attention lol

Coach Greg worked with many of the players this weekend to kick off the spring season! How did he manage to get EVERY boy to focus during this halftime speech? 🤔

Coach Greg worked with many of the players this weekend to kick off the spring season! How did he manage to get EVERY boy to focus during this halftime speech? 🤔

Are you looking to impress your coaches?

While having skill in your sport is a big factor, being able to get on a coaches good side is just as important!

Maybe you are more skilled than another teammate but they are playing over you. We have seen countless players with more skill who are on the bench.

The list above is something every player should do and do consistently. Regardless of skill, these will separate you from the pack and are sure to impress your coach!

What kind of habits do you have?

The one thing we know for certain is that time is undefeated. As athletes, we need to make time our ally and not our enemy.

Congratulations to APA owner and Director Greg on his appointment as Director of Coaching for Mariner Youth Soccer!

"We're very excited to have Greg join the Mariner family," said Mariner Youth Soccer’s president Ryan Feeney. "Greg's commitment, experience and passion to the game of soccer will elevate our organization. We are looking forward to having him on the field working with our players and coaches.”

Are you doing these 3 things to help kids develop?

Youth sports coaches can get so wrapped up in wins and losses that they forget what their job is. To develop players!

As coaches we need to develop a players ability as well as grow their love for the sport.

Teaching kids how to win is important BUT not if it stunts their development.

Keep training and games fun!! Make sure your players know you want them to fail/make mistakes and let them play!!

If you do these 3 things not only will the players love playing for you but they will grow and love the sport!

Message!! Trophies are fun, and they are motivating. But they are plastic and don't mean much a week later.

Be as focused on growth and development as you are winning, but most important, be focused on the type of PERSON you are becoming in the process.

100% FACTS!

"If you want to increase the speed of your game, you have to develop faster minds rather than faster feet"

- Ralf Rangnick

Ability, motivation AND attitude are all needed to be a successful athlete.

Do you want to know how to stand out to a college coach?

When coaches are attending tournaments it’s a numbers game for them. They’re attending that particular tournament because they can see dozens of players in one place. In most cases, coaches are not even watching your full games because of the number of players they have to evaluate.

If you are emailing a coach and asking them to watch you play at a tournament, below are five things that will make you stand out in the crowd.

1. Have as high a GPA as possible. - Believe it or not coaches want to know what your grade point average is. The higher your GPA, the more a coach is interested.

2. Have as high an ACT or SAT as possible. - just like your GPA, having a high ACT and SAT score will make you stand out from the rest.

3. Be the hardest working player on the field. - technical skills obviously matter, but so does work ethic. You never know when you’re being watched.

4. Have a great attitude. - Believe it or not this is super important to a coach. Coaches want to know if they’re getting a great player AND an exceptional teammate. Carry yourself as though you are auditioning for a part in a play or going to a job interview.

5. Play at the highest level possible. - Coaches want to see how you compete against the best players in your age group. Knowing that you play at an elite level allows the coach to see how you fair against the best.

These five tips will help separate you from other players at college showcase events. Here at APA, we provide tips like this as well as many other college recruitment advice that will ensure you find the right school and the right program. For more information about our college recruitment services click the link in our bio.