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Do you want to improve your child's football skills? This blog will explain how gifting them picture books about football can make them better at football. Generally, from a very young age, football coaches work hard with players on their physical fitness and techniques. However, none of them encourage them to read picture books about football as a part of their training regime. People, including coaches, tend to believe that a player cannot be bookies and sporty simultaneously. However, it is an entirely wrong message for potential athletes. Reading can aid athletic performance even when the player is experiencing intense pressure; if you are wondering how this blog is for you. This blog will explain how reading football books can enhance players' thinking and problem-solving abilities. Here are five reasons you should buy picture books about football for your child. Let us check them out one by one. Can improve mental fitness In football, the main focus is usually on the heart and lungs. Usually, coaches and players overlook mental fitness. However, the human brain is a complex organ, and reading can increase its power. If your child is a young football player who wants to play at the national/international level when they grow up, you must pay 100% attention to all their body parts, incorporating their mind. And reading can become a fitness session for them. As the famous saying by Johann Cruyff – "You play football with your head; your legs are just there to help you." 2. Enhances thinking ability Playing football in an eleven-player team is an intense experience for a young child. Problem-solving while outfield players are shouting around is also challenging. However, reading football-related books can train players' brains to think harder, faster, and smarter. It can help players spot patterns where other people see chaos. In short, encouraging players to read can let them take control of each moment. It can help young players transform a football match into an adventure story. 3. Helps improve concentration In a football match, concentration is the key. Players need to work hard to develop the capability to block everything else out and focus on the football in front of them. Taking sessions from a sports psychologist is not possible and affordable every time. Here is where reading football books can help your child. It is the most affordable and feasible way to practice improving focus while switching off screens and reading a book. 4. Books help in enhancing empathy ability. Generally, football coaches choose their team based on their teammate's personality and ability. They prefer to choose players who bring harmony and humour to their team. Books can help players develop the ability to climb into other player's skin and walk around it. Developing empathy can make a person a better teammate. In that, reading football-related books plays a vital role. It lets players see the world with the help of different people's eyes in books. 5. It increases self-belief Usually, people don't give importance to the self-belief in the football game. It is one of the most undersold traits. However, a player needs a solid backbone and impressive confidence level to walk in front of thousands of people and perform to their best abilities. Reading can help improve confidence. How? Whenever a person reads, it can live the lives of many people. Whenever any hero character in the book rises or falls, a player rises and falls with him. Reading picture books about football can teach players how to cope with different situations. So, you must encourage your child to read. Concluding Remarks In a nutshell, reading is a solitary activity, and football playing is a team game. However, reading can improve their emphasizing ability with others by seeing the world with the help of different people's eyes in books. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your child's favorite copy today. Are you searching for good picture books that hook your child from the first chapter and take them on a journey of excitement, discovery, and insights? Check our latest collection of picture books about football here and buy the one that resonates with your child's likings.

Want to debunk your child's soccer myths? Read on to learn how books about soccer players can help you bust the myths. It is difficult to break the habits, especially when your child has been doing it for several years. However, what about gifting your child books that can tell them to do something differently? Yes! Here is where books about soccer players come into the picture. If your child is an enthusiastic soccer player but has some myths or is playing a game in the wrong way, you have come to the right place. This blog will explain how books about soccer players can help clear misconceptions and make your child a pro footballer. Let's check out a few myths and facts about the soccer world that soccer books are enlightening. Myth 1 – Don't Lift Weight! It Will Make You Slow. Generally, people have the misconception that if they have more muscle, it can make them slow. However, it is a complete myth. If your child also has the same myth and that's why they avoid gym training, gift them soccer player books. It will help them differentiate between power training and bodybuilding. Usually, soccer coaches give players different resistance training that will improve their power and speed qualities. Myth 2 – Are You a Slow Player? You Must Be Out Of Shape! Do you also think if someone is a slow player, they are out of shape? Well, it is a myth! The coach should opt for a structured method and strategy to improve strength, max velocity, and acceleration simultaneously. It is, in fact, the most viable and beneficial training way. Many soccer books are revolved around this concept. So, buy such books for your child and fix their misconception. Myth 3 – Doing Full Squat Will Harm Your Knees If your young footballer tends to believe that doing full squats will harm his knees, it is time to bust this myth. Generally, in soccer and other sports, limiting an athlete from using their full range of motion in any joint is not preferred and advisable. In soccer, a player must have unlimited freedom. If a coach or player limits his movement, it can seriously affect an athlete. Myth 4 – Developing Strength in One Leg is Enough While playing soccer, a player usually finds himself on one leg. However, it does not mean he should develop strength in just one leg. To play soccer efficiently, you must train your legs equally and develop strength. Developing strength only in one leg will limit the player's multi-joint bilateral movement. So, the player's ability to generate and manage the different movements essential to play soccer will also be limited. It is vital to prioritize skill and athlete-specific training to optimize player performance. Myth 5 – Fast Players Are Born Like That Previously, there was a misbelief that you could not teach any player to improve their speed. However, this is not true. Of course, a player must have some genetic qualities to run fast. However, remember that speed is a complex motor skill that combines force production and motor control capabilities. It can be taught and improved with good speed drills. Myth 6 - Coach Should Provide Frequent and Quick Feedback A coach's feedback is essential for the player's overall development in any sport. Feedback helps the precise development of practical learning and influences soccer players to practice consistently and eventually master the skill. However, that does not mean a coach should provide too much feedback. Otherwise, the player's mind will get overloaded with information. Players will be unable to develop problem-solving processes and figure out the issue by themselves. Various books about soccer players portray such scenarios. So, buy it for your children. Final Thoughts Hopefully, from the above guide, you understood how reading plays a vital role in enhancing your child's football skills. Some books about soccer players help bust the myths about the game through exciting stories, inspiring characters, fascinating pictures, and much more. If you are also searching for such soccer books, visit our website today! These books will help your child learn the tips, secrets, and tricks to master the game with fantastic stories. Check them out and tell us in the comment section below which book you plan to buy for your child.

Spending around $1,400 to $ 5,000 for one child to play sports is shocking. However, it is the harsh reality of the pay-to-play soccer system in United States soccer. The most significant disadvantage of this system is that it is becoming a barrier for not-so-financially-secure families to enter this sport. Although their children are talented due to a lack of money, they remain left out. On the flip side, other countries continue to develop young talents. It is improving, but pay-to-play soccer has been a lopsided reality in the United States. This blog will explain this system, its advantages and disadvantages, and present solutions. So, without further ado, let’s get started. First, let us understand what pay-to-play soccer is. What is Pay to Play Soccer? It is fees that you need to pay if you want to play this sport or fees that you need to play to join the team or league. In other words, you can even consider this fee as access to soccer facilities. Soccer clubs or organizations in the US usually charge fees from aspirants to participate in youth soccer programs. Generally, the fees that soccer clubs charge from a player are for training, leagues, field maintenance, and a few soccer-related expenses. In the next section, we will check out the pros and cons of this system. Pros Of Pay To Play System: This system can make this pay-to-play model popular for young aspirants who want to play soccer in the US. Through this model, clubs and organizations can fund soccer facilities and programs. It helps the development of the sport. Providing young players with proper training, equipment, and facilities is impossible without funding. This model can help to create a competitive environment. Players serious about sports will join the team because joining requires a financial commitment. Parents and players will likely be more responsible and committed to developing players and team success when they invest in a team. In short, the fee model can create a sense of responsibility and ownership among parents and players. Cons Of Pay To Play System This system can become a financial burden for some families. If multiple children in families are interested in playing soccer, arranging funds can be tricky. Therefore, a few talented children cannot join the team. When parents pay high fees to play soccer, it can create entitlement among players and be the reason for a lack of appreciation and dedication that is a must to succeed in soccer. Generally, parents feel that the club owes them to provide personal treatment to their kids. Last, pay to play soccer can divide players between those who can afford the fees and those who cannot. It can make young, talented players feel left out, leading to negative behavior like jealousy. Solutions To Solve Pay-To-Play Model Let’s check out a few ideas to solve this US system. We are unsure whether this system will change, but as long as parents continue to pay, it is hard to change it. However, we can at least brainstorm ways to change this system. Here are a few ways that can solve this system. The government can increase the funding for soccer programs. This funding can come from private donations, government grants, and corporate sponsorships. Expand financial support and scholarships. It can include partnering with universities or colleges. Develop an alternative model which does not rely on the pay-to-play system for soccer. Winding Up Pay to play soccer has been a debatable topic in the United States. However, there is no sign of slowing it down. Of course, this system has offered the opportunity to elite players to represent our country at the topmost level; the same system has also become a barrier for many young players who cannot afford this high participation cost. We think the debate is here to stay for years to come. Both sides have valid arguments. However, it is crystal clear that the authority people of the country should try to do more to ensure that all young players get equal opportunities for sports participation, regardless of their financial condition. Hopefully, it will help the young talent who cannot afford the high fees of the soccer academy.

Kids who dislike reading usually try to reach for the tablet or TV remote. Yes! It's a fact! However, if your child likes Soccer, you are in luck! We have listed a few best books about Soccer . So, if your child cannot get enough of Soccer, these books will be a great joy for them to read! Soccer is the second most popular sport kids play in the United States (Shhh!! Don't say football, it's Soccer!). So, if your child is Soccer crazy, these books will surely entertain them. 1) Soccer Tales By Lew Freimark Featuring first on the list is Soccer Tales. This book is filled with an enchanting Soccer story spurned by Lew Freimark. He has tried to bring his profound love, knowledge, and skills to every book page. This book is quite different from other Soccer books. By reading this book, your child will experience the Soccer world coming alive through mesmerizing stories and exhilarating adventures. Besides this book, the author has also written books about Soccer, such as Soccer and Witches, Soccer Tales Colouring Book , The Hedgehog Wars, etc. 2) Good Night Soccer By Michael Dahl The next on the list is Good Night Soccer. It is one of the best books about Soccer for young Soccer fans. The book's main character is a young girl who is a diehard fan of Soccer. From the opening kick to the final goal, she says goodnight to her most loved sport, Soccer. This book is captivating, with pleasant, rhyming text and spirited art. This book's author and illustrator have gracefully captured this sport's thrill and excitement. 3) The Academy By T.Z Layton Coming up next on the list is The Academy. It is an inspiring series, especially for young readers and sports fans of all ages. The entire book revolves around the book's main character – Leo K. Dolye. He has a dream of becoming a star Soccer player. One day, a professional scout visits his game and tells him to try out for the London Dragons; that entire tale is covered proficiently in the book. This book will take your child on the young boy's dream journey to be a Soccer player. 4) Messi – A Boy Who Became A Star Up next on the list is Messi. This book is about the inspiring story of a child, Lionel Messi, who became a Soccer star. The author has efficiently covered the entire journey of Messi and how he became one of the best soccer players in the world despite facing many obstacles in life. It is the best book about Soccer that you can gift your child if they are a Soccer fan. The book teaches children about hard work and dedication that one must do to make their dreams come true. You can buy this book from Amazon. 5) Play Like A Girl: Life Lessons From the Soccer Field By Kate T Parker Last but not least on the list is Play Like A Girl. If your child loves reading photography-led Soccer, this book is perfect. The book has ten chapters, each focusing on the football life lessons. Whether your child is 3 or 13 or you want to read this book, this book is for all ages. The book teaches what it means to be confident, fearless, proud, persistent, and resilient. This book features big names from the US women's football team, like Jessica McDonald and Megan Rapione. So, if you want to gift your teen a powerful read on Soccer, buy this book from Amazon. Epilogue There you are! Top 5 best books about Soccer for kids. All these books listed here are from some bestselling authors. So remember to check it out! Which book are you planning to buy for your kid? If you already have these books, which one your child loved the most? Did I miss any? Please share your views with us in the comment section below.

The duels at Forts Stinky and Shish-ka-Bob between the Hedgies and the Scruffies mean no harm to anyone and just seek to gain control of the Forest.

Witches are made for kids, especially on Halloween. Witches can be good or evil, just like in the Wizard of Oz, where there are the evil witches of the West and East and the good witch of the North, Glenda. Whatever society you look at throughout the Ages, there are witches a-plenty. However, Baba Yaga is one of the most ‘bootlegiest’ witches because she is super mean to kids. My kids, in whatever country they live in, definitely do not like her because she is threatening to ruin all soccer matches this Fall and the Men’s World Cup in 2026. As soccer developed as a sport, the witches got more intense. The Mongols had their Witches and beliefs. Their witches were the shamins that could divine the future and revered the sun, moon and stars. The Mongols rode throughout the deserts and steppes as if fire came from the hooves of their steeds as they brought the sport of soccer to all corners of their empire. First Tamujin, (Kublai Khan) and then his grandson, Genghis Khan spread the sport far and wide. “The Aztecs and Mayans had their beliefs in witches and the underworld and those witches were a part of the religion which surrounded the game as it was played. Game losers would be losers of their lives if it was decreed by the Underworld. “The Olmecs started it, the Maya tweaked it, and the Aztecs nailed it!!” The Meso-American ballgame, played with a solid rubber ball – weighing at around ten pounds... Mayans, who added their own special twist. Humans and the lords of the underworld battled it out playing the game, according to the creation story the known as the Popol Vuh. In this way, the ball court was a portal to Xibalba — Mayan underworld. On the European continent witches existed in the countries and were transitioning out of paganism. Early Christian authorities that wrote in Greek and Latin, decided to call these beings demons. Demons were fallen angels and inherently evil. Demons assaulted humanity under the command of their prince, Satan, and their beliefs in spirits of nature. The Amazonian Forest of Brazil knew only of the shoelace monster, like me and the other relics of their beliefs and monsterdom. Their Shamin was a divine who was felt to be able to look into the future and cure illness. The most powerful spirit was that of the Jaguar spirit. Shoelace Monster’s dad, Poppa-Ooh-Mow-Mow always said that he had the spirit of the Jaguar inside him. For he could see the future. He could see the future of soccer in America as being one of the greatest countries of the sport of soccer. Halloween should be fun for the good witches of history and all soccer kids in America. After all the Fall season is still upon us so it is prime time for all the goblins, giblins, tricksters to come out and delight in the festivities. Your soccer kids are in Shooie’s future. Follow the evolution of the game of soccer as well as the exploits of these monsters. In The Soccer Tales Trilogy which consists of Soccer Tales - Legend of the Shoelace Monster, Soccer Tales II - Born to Play the Game, and Soccer Tales III - Baba Yaga’s Revenge you will definitely learn the game. Read The Soccer Tales Trilogy and enjoy your trickin’ and treatin’ but let mom’s and pop’s check out the treats before you eat ‘em. Hey, Shooie finessed you with that rap??

The question is can Messi Mania revitalize American soccer? We thought that Pele, Beckenbauer, Chinaglia would get it done for the Cosmos in the '70's but the North American Soccer League folded financially. I do remember Giant Stadium filled to capacity with different ethnic fans from around the world in attendance. People say that nothing really came of it but I do beg to differ.

Vlatko Andonovski has stepped down from his position as head coach of the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) , the US Soccer Federation announced Thursday. The federation said in a press release that US Soccer and Andonovski mutually agreed to part ways. United States women's national team General Manager Kate Markgraf and U.S. Soccer have parted ways. Markgraf will not continue in her role but will stay on to provide support through the end of the month to assist in the transition U.S. Soccer announced on Friday. The former USWNT 1999 World Cup Champion and three-time Olympic medalist was appointed to the role in August 2019.

Our Coach, Our Leader, Our Champion, Our Friend I love my job! I don’t even have to close my eyes to see Tony DiCicco walking onto the field with his arms stretched wide and his infectious smile growing wider with every step sharing his joy and appreciation for the opportunity to coach. Day after day, those were the first words we all heard from Tony DiCicco as he walked onto the field…any field, at any level from youth to the professional ranks. He wasn’t just successful, he was significant! Programs were better if Tony was involved. Teams were better if Tony coached. And, people were better versions of themselves if Tony was part of your life. I reminded him often, as did every player, coach or staff member who was privileged enough to be caught in Tony’s light; he just made us all better. ...better coaches, better staff members, better players and better people. He saw our highest potential and our greatest possibilities in ways that we didn't YET see in ourselves. Lisa Cole, Tony’s longtime Assistant Coach and staff member at Soccer Plus and the NSCAA Goalkeeping Academy commented that, “Whether it was a U10 player new to the game, a High School player hoping to make their first varsity team, a professional athlete or an Olympic and World Cup champion, to Tony DiCicco they were each treated with respect, enthusiasm and investment.” To paraphrase Goethe, “Character is how you treat those who can do nothing for you.” Tony’s true passion was people first and then the great game of soccer. He devoted his professional life to teaching, to positively impacting lives, to growing and developing the game and to ins pairing others to greatness (as teammates, as players and as people). As Aux Contraire: Stay classy, Donald Trump. These are comments and tweets, or whatever they’re called now that the platform is known as X, about the U.S. women’s national soccer team, which on Sunday, August 6, got knocked out of the Women’s World Cup by Sweden. It was the earliest exit ever for the U.S., which was trying to become the first team, men’s or women’s, to win three World Cups in a row. What a bunch of losers. Not the team. The people trashing the team, which has been the gold standard (literally, including four Olympic gold medals) for years. To someone who grew up cheering for U.S. teams in international sports — any U.S. team — this seems unthinkable, akin to pulling for Russia in a war or something. Oh. Right. “I’m glad they lost.” “I would root for Al Qaeda before I’d root for this American Women’s Soccer Team.” “Let’s go Sweden!” And, of course, the inimitable words of a former president: “WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA.” JAPANESE WOMEN ADVANCE TO QUARTER FINALS IN 2023 WORLD CUP Tom Byer is the Mr. Rogers of Japanese soccer. There’s nothing in America like him, and as both the Japanese women prepare for the next round of the World Cup, it’s worth thinking about what the U.S. program could learn from Byer’s Japanese success. Executives from the Shogakukan publishing company offered him a two-page panel in KoroKoro Komikku , Japan’s biggest children’s comic book. The United States has no equal to the cultural giant that is KoroKoro. The monthly comic book has an enormous circulation—Byer puts it at about 1.2 million (for comparison, in 1977, during its heyday, Mad magazine circulated 2,132,655 copies in the entire year, in a country that’s more than double the population of Japan) and a readership in the neighborhood of 3 million Japanese preteens. The magazine is hundreds of pages long and shares storylines with Japanese video games. It played a big role in transforming Kirby and Pokémon in to global media juggernauts. Today, Japanese pros in men’s and women’s soccer credit Oha Suta and KoroKoro as key parts of their soccer education. Keisuke Honda watched the show, and Byer worked with Tadanari Lee as a boy. Byer’s most famous disciple is Shinji Kagawa, a midfielder at Manchester United renowned for his technical ability. Last year, a profile of Kagawa in one of the team’s match-day programs name-checked Byer and referenced his show and the comic. Byer argues that his program is exportable to the United States. In some ways, in the U.S. it’d be easier to implement than in Japan: Soccer is already the No. 1 sport among American youth. The problem, according to Byer, is that the USSF and MLS “look at grass-roots football as an obligation, not an opportunity.” Why not put a small technique spot on the Disney Channel or Nick Jr.? Kids would surely pay attention. Created by Wiel Coerver, a Dutch coach, the method is a quasi-academic system based on specific skill acquisition. Rather than putting kids on a field and having them chase the ball around—which is how most young kids practice across the United States— it teaches close ball control and situational, one-on-one moves: stopovers, feints, various ways to manipulate the ball with the sole of the foot. Tactics and passing come later, once the kids master ball control. In his book, “Soccer Starts at Home”, Beyer raised his own children with small soccer balls around the house and they were kicking and dribbling and constantly getting comfortable around the ball. American soccer needs to find new coaches like Tony DiCicco and Tom Beyer and rejuvenate American soccer. With the players from Barcelona coming to MLS it is a start!