Blog
Notes from the performance room.
Methodology, operations, and product thinking for clubs, academies, and federations.
Paul Barry breaks player decision-making into four stages: Identify, Decide, Execute and Action. What each stage asks of a young player, with two clips from the webinar.
Oct 20, 2026
Modern Trends, Edge-of-the-Box Exploitation, and Effective Coaching Strategies
Sep 19, 2026
Why modern coaching demands a trauma-informed lens.
Aug 25, 2026
How clubs actually run recruitment now: squad structure, post-Brexit rules, and what a scout does all week.
Jul 20, 2026
Lessons from a Career in Elite Performance
Jun 18, 2026
Practical Lessons on Mentorship, Practice Design, and Fostering Belonging
May 26, 2026
Soccer is the most-played youth sport in America and the kids in it report real benefits. The Aspen Institute's 2025 Youth Athlete Survey also shows where the sport is losing them, and what clubs can change.
May 23, 2026
The Aspen Institute's 2025 Youth Athlete Survey shows most parent involvement is supportive. The exceptions are predictable, preventable, and clubs have more control over them than they think.
May 11, 2026
A new national study of nearly 4,000 youth athletes points to coaching, not cost or time, as the biggest threat to retention.
May 5, 2026