Each spring and fall, hundreds of thousands of kids across North America join local recreation department soccer teams—and thousands of unprepared adults are drafted as coaches. Similarly, every summer, camp counselors are expected to play soccer with children from age five to fifteen. Knack Coaching Youth Soccer applies the unique quick-reference, visually organized Knack format to present a season’s worth of plans, exercises, strategies, and tips to help coaches avoid embarrassment, have fun, and leave kids with the happiest experience possible. It addresses the different levels of coaching, both by age and by league. And it expertly covers soccer mechanics, strategy, and coaching philosophy, and provides extensive examples of drills and games for practices. Its 450 full-color photos plus charts and diagrams are complemented by easy-to-follow instructions and plenty of ideas for creating a winning team. • 450 full-color photos • Charts and diagrams • Kindergarten to middle school • Covers soccer both for boys and for girls

After years of watching, reporting on, and photographing pro baseball, Kevin T. Czerwinski and Beth Balbierz began coaching Little League in their respective home towns. In Knack Coaching Youth Baseball, this expert team combine real-life know-how about how to deal with kids with the best lessons they’ve learned from the pros, creating a reliable, usable, and winning instruction book for youth baseball coaches -- and for parents who want some ideas for giving their kids a few pointers in the backyard.

Bridge is a famously challenging card game, one that’s next to impossible to learn without a whole host of visual aids. But books on the subject all too often seem to ignore this. Enter Knack Bridge for Everyone, which takes a step-by-step, visual approach to explaining the game clearly to beginners and intermediates. With 400 full-color photos, as well as numerous charts and diagrams, it begins with the rules and the fundamentals of bidding, play, defense, and scoring. It then takes the bidding up a notch by introducing more bidding techniques and strategies for winning.

"Soccer is not just a game, it's a language spoken across the globe." "Understanding Soccer: A Guide to Playing, Watching, and Enjoying the Beautiful Game" is your comprehensive guide to fully embracing the world's most popular sport, soccer. Whether you're a novice player, an eager fan, or a curious newcomer, this book serves as your invaluable companion to everything soccer. This guide takes you through the basics of the game, introducing you to the essential equipment, field setup, and fundamental rules that govern the beautiful game. It provides a window into the history of soccer, explaining how it has captivated audiences worldwide and woven itself into various cultures. As a player, this book will hone your skills, with in-depth analysis and tips for playing effectively in every position - be it outfield roles or the singularly crucial position of the goalkeeper. From ball control and passing techniques to shooting and scoring strategies, it covers every facet of soccer gameplay. Crucial to any game is strategy, and this guide provides comprehensive information about soccer formations, tactics, and team strategies that dictate the flow of the match. Furthermore, it offers effective drills and exercises for skill development and physical conditioning, ensuring that you're game-ready at all times. For soccer fans, there is a wealth of knowledge on watching soccer on TV and live events, understanding soccer fan culture, and exploring the most notable controversies that have shaped the sport. Beyond being a sport, soccer has a profound societal impact. This book explores how soccer influences communities, how to build soccer clubs and teams, and the ways soccer can be promoted among youth. It provides guidance on opportunities for soccer volunteerism and leadership, ensuring that your love for soccer transcends beyond just watching or playing. "Understanding Soccer" concludes with a recap of key takeaways and encouragement to engage with soccer fully, in all its excitement and complexity. Whether you're seeking to improve your gameplay, understand the rules, or simply appreciate the sport's beauty, this book is your perfect teammate on this journey.Table of contents: Introduction What is soccer? Brief history of soccer Overview of the sport Understanding the Basics of Soccer Soccer equipment and field Soccer rules and gameplay Scoring and terminology Playing Soccer: Basics Soccer positions and roles Ball control and passing techniques Shooting and scoring strategies Playing Soccer: Defense Defensive positions and roles Tackling and blocking techniques Strategies for stopping opponents Playing Soccer: Goalkeeping Goalkeeping techniques and responsibilities Types of saves and catches Strategies for protecting the goal Soccer Formations and Tactics Common soccer formations Offense and defense tactics Counterattacking and possession strategies Understanding Soccer Strategy Offensive strategies Defensive strategies Team strategy Soccer Skills Development Drills and exercises for ball control and passing Drills and exercises for shooting and scoring Fitness and conditioning for soccer Refereeing and Officiating in Soccer Soccer referee rules and requirements Types of soccer referees Refereeing and officiating duties Coaching and Training in Soccer Coaching techniques and methods Player development and progress Building successful soccer teams Watching Soccer: TV and Live Events How to watch soccer on TV Attending live soccer events Soccer fan culture and traditions Soccer and Culture The role of soccer in different cultures Famous soccer players and teams Soccer controversies and scandals Soccer and Community The impact of soccer on local communities Building soccer clubs and teams Promoting soccer among youth Getting Involved in Soccer Joining a local soccer team or club Participating in soccer leagues and events Opportunities for soccer volunteerism and leadership Conclusion Recap of key takeaways Encouragement to play, watch, and enjoy soccer ISBN: 9781776848164

You volunteered to coach the football team, but are you ready? How will you teach the fundamental skills, run effective practices, and harness the energy of your young team? Fear not: Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Football has the answers. Longtime coach Jim Dougherty teams up with Brandon Castel to share experience and advice you can rely on from the first practice to the final game. It’s all here in the drills and the plays: evaluating players’ skills, establishing realistic goals, offering in-game coaching tips, and making the practices fun! Develop your team’s offensive and defensive skills for all positions with the Survival Guide’s collection of the game’s best youth drills. For plays that young players can actually run, flip to the Survival Guide’s offensive playbook and defensive alignments. And to get the most out of every practice, follow the ready-to-use practice plans. Turn to the series that has already guided thousands of first-time coaches in basketball, soccer, and softball to rewarding and productive seasons. With Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Football, you’re already well on your way.

Congratulations on your commitment to coach youth football. If you have played but haven’t coached before, you’ll need some help to make your first season a success. If you have coached previously, every season is an opportunity to do better. Coaching Youth Football, with its field-tested information and advice, will help you run your team with confidence. You’ll find methods and tips for communicating with players, minimizing risk and preventing injuries, providing basic first aid, planning and conducting practices, teaching the fundamental techniques and tactics, coaching on game day, and keeping it all fun. Written by Joe Galat, a former college and NFL coach and the president and founder of American Youth Football (AYF), this book covers fundamentals of offense, defense, and special teams. It features separate chapters on offensive and defensive techniques and tactics, as well as the best practices for blocking and tackling to minimize the risk of injury. More than 70 drills and 126 photos and illustrations are included in the chapters. Designed for coaches of players ages 14 and under, this book is also a valuable component of the Coaching Youth Football: The AYF Way online course, the official course of AYF, offered through Human Kinetics Coach Education. With this book, you can create an athlete-centered environment that promotes player development, enjoyment, motivation, and safety so that players will come out for the team year after year.

Each spring and fall, hundreds of thousands of kids across North America join local recreation department soccer teams—and thousands of unprepared adults are drafted as coaches. Similarly, every summer, camp counselors are expected to play soccer with children from age five to fifteen. Knack Coaching Youth Soccer applies the unique quick-reference, visually organized Knack format to present a season’s worth of plans, exercises, strategies, and tips to help coaches avoid embarrassment, have fun, and leave kids with the happiest experience possible. It addresses the different levels of coaching, both by age and by league. And it expertly covers soccer mechanics, strategy, and coaching philosophy, and provides extensive examples of drills and games for practices. Its 450 full-color photos plus charts and diagrams are complemented by easy-to-follow instructions and plenty of ideas for creating a winning team. • 450 full-color photos • Charts and diagrams • Kindergarten to middle school • Covers soccer both for boys and for girls

An acclaimed sportswriter offers an inside look at the Black quarterbacks whose skill and grit transformed the NFL In Rocket Men, John Eisenberg offers the definitive history of Black quarterbacks in the NFL—men who shaped not only the history of football but the cause of civil rights in America. From early pioneers like Fritz Pollard to groundbreaking modern standouts like Marlin Briscoe and James “Shack” Harris, Black quarterbacks had to be twice as good as their white counterparts to get playing time—and even then, many never got that chance. That didn’t begin to change in earnest until the 1990s and the 2000s, when racist notions about what Black quarterbacks supposedly couldn’t do began to fade, paving the way for today’s stars like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. Drawing on deep historical research and exclusive interviews with Black quarterbacks and players, coaches, and talent evaluators who have worked alongside them, Rocket Men is a celebration of the athletes and activists who transformed the game.

Soccer Strategies for Sustained Coaching Success is a unique book about coaching soccer. In it, Ashu Saxena shares successful secrets for long-term player development, which is a current hot topic in the soccer world. This is a special resource that combines credibility, experiences of a coach who has coached U9-U19 age groups, and comprehensive coverage of coaching soccer.