This holiday weekend I am overwhelmed with gratitude for my family and the time I have this weekend to spend with them. They are the reason I am building this space. I would love to know what all of you are doing and what you are most grateful for right now?

A castle built on a bad foundation is destined to collapse under pressure…agree or disagree? When I work with young players they always want to skip the fundamentals and get into more exciting things like shooting or skill moves. What is difficult to explain to them is that there basic movements are wrong for a soccer player so correcting their shot is impossible, unless we start with the basics. This is where the BEST athletes in the world started their journey. They committed, at home, all by themselves, to being elite at the fundamentals. I can honestly say, even my own progress in the sport is curved by my mastery of fundamentals. If my running technique was more refined I would have conserved more energy and been more fit. If my left foot dribbling was equal to my right I would have given away possession less on my left side. If my knowledge of the game tactically at the time was better I would have improved my performance across the board. At the time though, nobody was holding me accountable for that level of mastery and most importantly, I wasn’t holding myself accountable for it either. The book extreme ownership by Jocko Willink changed how I think fundamentally when it comes to growth and progress. If only I had read it my sophomore year of college…who knows how I would have progressed. I’m proud of what I did and now on a mission to help others reach heights they weren’t sure they could get to. Mainly by helping them realize that hours at home becoming a master when nobody is looking is really the highlight tape that players should be focusing on more than the goals from their Sunday league games. Would love to hear what all of you think about this story and what your “at home mastery” looks like right now for you or for your child.

Start with connection!! Instead of giving what you think is your best ADVICE for pregame jitters try connecting with your kid and reminding them that how much you love them and support them has absolutely nothing to do with their actual performance or the results of the game. Right now my toddlers are 3 and 4 and just getting started with the idea of learning new skills in sports. My favorite line to use with them right now before we try something new or challenging is simply: “I LOVE TO WATCH YOU PLAY AND TRY NEW THINGS” Imagine you were in the car right now with your kid and they had a huge game to play. What would you say to replace ADVICE with CONNECTION?