In the last 2 weeks, I've had the opportunity to use VEO camera for the first time, recording matches and training sessions, and I figured it would be a great opportunity to compare it to another system that I've used this season called Trace. Both have their positives and negatives, and I think comparing each and what they offer might be helpful for coaches and programs who are considering utilizing an automatic video recording system. Having access to the video has been absolutely invaluable this season. Full disclosure and disclaimer: I have NOT been paid by either company, and I do not ha ..read more

Hey everyone, Hope you are all enjoying your Labor Day Weekend. Usually when I release a big new update, I like to write a short blog detailing what that update includes. This blog is going to be a little unique in the sense that I'm going to also talk about some things going on behind the scenes that a usual company blog wouldn't usually talk about, but I feel it's important to give context to the situation we and many other business find ourselves in. First off, let's talk about the impact COVID has had on the app. Back in March when everything shut down, I decided to take advantage of the ..read more

Hello everyone! Long time, no see. I hope everyone is staying safe and getting ready for (hopefully) their fall seasons. At SoccerPulse, we're trying to facilitate a safe return to sport for clubs and colleges with the implementation of a symptom questionnaire on the SoccerPulse wellness report, which will alert coaches if a player indicates they have a symptom. This, along with proper return to play protocol should help teams be proactive instead of reactive. It can be tough to prepare for a season when you're not sure if it will happen or not, so I've tried to take the approach of being fl ..read more

Hello there! We hope everyone is staying safe and keeping busy during these unprecedented times. We are very excited to announce that Player Development, our widely popular feature on iOS devices, is now available on Android! New to SoccerPulse? Player Development allows coaches to add extremely detailed evaluations for outfield players and goalkeepers and track their progress over the course of the entire season. With most teams on break and players working individually to improve, there's no better time to give them your insights to what specifically they need to work on. Player Developmen ..read more

Two years ago, I wrote a very popular blog about how it was time to do away with Max-Out Aerobic tests in team sports. You can read that blog by clicking here, but my reasons were that most coaches (not all) just use the test as a scare tactic to keep players moving during the offseason, and they rarely used the data to adjust training load (if they did, they actually made the unfit players do MORE fitness, which is backwards, but an argument for another day). The other issue I had with max-out tests is they are very difficult to repeat in season, especially in a short season where every trai ..read more

Let me preface this blog by disclosing that I am a HUGE Man United fan. I started supporting them way back when I was 7... my dad bought me a jersey while visiting Manchester on a business trip and I've loved them ever since. These past 6 years post Sir Alex Ferguson have been tough, but when Ole took over from Jose Mourinho, it looked as if the club was back on the right track. Now, I’m not so sure. Jose Mourinho is a man of many accomplishments. League titles in Italy, Spain, England, and Portugal; Champions League success and domestic cup success in multiple countries, but one of his great ..read more

All great leaders will tell you that one of the keys to success within an organization is communication. It cannot be understated how important it is for every person to know exactly what their role is, what is expected of them, and what they need to do to individually to increase the chance of success for the team as a collective. While everyone may agree with the statement above in theory, it can be very difficult to implement in reality. Most coaches don’t have enough time to meet with each and every player after training sessions or games to tell them exactly what they did well and what t ..read more

Click here to read Part I 5.) Do Not Let Your Children (Players) Do Anything That Makes You Dislike Them “It is an act of responsibility to discipline a child. It is not anger at misbehavior. It is not revenge for a misdeed. It is instead a careful combination of mercy and long-term judgment. Proper discipline requires effort- indeed, is virtually synonymous with effort” We all have different coaching styles. Some of us have very strict team rules, while others are more lenient with player conduct. Regardless of style, how do we react when our players misbehave or disrespect a staff member? F ..read more

A few days ago, I finished reading a great book that a friend of mine bought for me called 12 Rules For Life by Jordan Peterson. As I was going through the chapters and thinking of ways to apply the rules to my life, it occurred to me that it might be cool to apply them specifically to soccer coaches. Since we are approaching preseason, it seems like the perfect opportunity to write my own, 12 Rules For Preseason. Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life are: Stand Up Straight With Your Shoulders BackTreat Yourself Like Someone You Are Responsible For HelpingMake Friends With People Who Want the B ..read more

I wanted to wait a few months before writing my first blog about how we’ve been using SoccerPulse with the Charlotte Independence, because when you are working with data and a new team, it’s important to make sure you understand the context for the data, as well as the players who are submitting the reports. Now seemed like an appropriate time to give everyone a glimpse into how we’ve been using the app day to day, and the positive impact it has had on the team thus far. As of this writing, we currently sit 5th in the table with 17 points from 10 games. We are 3 points out of 2nd with 2 games ..read more