Posts that only show on the MYSL Blog page.
Heel pain known as ‘Sever’s disease’ frequently affects young athletes
By Dr. Amol Saxena, DPM
Heel pain is one of the most common complaints in young athletes. This generally occurs during the early portion of the growth phase around 8-10 …
Keys to picking the right club for your child
By Beau Dure
When you’re traveling, do you go to a local motel or a name-brand place? Do you like the restaurant with the famous chef, or do you try to …
Treating the common ‘growing pain’ known as Osgood-Schlatter syndrome
By Dev Mishra, M.D.
Over the summer a lot of kids came through the office to get “tuned up” for summer activities. Typically we’re dealing with a number of nagging overuse …
The fall season’s underway. Is your first-aid kit in order?
By Dev K. Mishra, M.D.
With the fall season underway, you’ve made sure your team’s first-aid kit is in order, right?
Every youth coach should have a very basic sideline …
11 Tips for Coaching the Little Ones
(With the fall season upon us, we reprint this article from 2014. Updated are the resource links at the end of the piece, including the online U.S. Soccer National F License course, for …
‘You can’t communicate too much with parents’ (Kim Calkins Q&A)
Interview by Olivia Ruiz
Kim Calkins was appointed Washington Youth Soccer’s State Technical Director in July. Calkins, who played collegiate ball at the University of Portland and professionally for the …
Is skipping high school soccer worth it?
Aspirations to play college soccer and hopes of a scholarship are apt to influence many decisions young players and their parents make. We’ve relayed some of the common questions we’ve heard from parents …
Julie Johnston: Top U.S. defender played all positions as a child
By Mike Woitalla
Perhaps the most impressive player so far during the USA’s run at the 2015 Women’s World Cup has been 24-year-old Julie Johnston.
The central defender …
The dumbest way to insult a referee
By Mike Woitalla
The ref calls a foul. The halfwit coach of the kid who committed it yells, “It’s OK, Timmy! You didn’t do anything wrong!” — believing he’s cleverly circumventing the dissent …
Effective Goalkeeper Communication — Coaches Must Teach It
By Paul Grafer
How goalkeepers communicate with their teammates is a big part of their development.
Personally, I struggled with communication as a young goalkeeper, especially as it related to helping organize …