Player Development Project Assistant Editor, Jon Hoggard asks when is creativity deemed disrespectful? Do coaches have double standards or show bias depending on who is brave enough to take the risks that lead to some of the great moments in football. Twitter went mad. Opinions flew all over social media. Newspaper columns were written, some praising, some condemning. Readers commented back and forth, for and against. What caused the furore? Barcelona scored a penalty in a run-of-the-mill 6–1 win against Celta Vigo. It was the…
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Todd Beane has been a contributor to The Player Development Project since our inception. A Co-Founder of Cruyff Football and the Cruyff Institute, Todd has a passion for positive player development. We caught up with him to ask about his latest venture, TOVO International and what his philosophy involves. Todd, you’ve got an obvious passion for player development. What has inspired you to create the TOVO training program? My ambition reaches far beyond the development of talented athletes. I want to nurture capable leaders who…
An inspirational chance meeting with a legend and a blog post that reiterates the value of mentors. Former US Men’s National Team Player & Player Development Project Contributor, Erik Imler talks about the impact Johan Cruyff had on him as a young player. Not many would argue that nearly my entire identity is this game we all love. While I played a little basketball, some baseball, tennis on occasion and even tried wrestling in my high school years (that did not last long), soccer is the…
Founder of TOVO Institute & regular Player Development Project Contributor, Todd Beane discusses whether the Coerver Coaching model is in fact flawed. In this challenging post, Todd questions the value of skill acquisition in isolation versus the benefits of game-based learning in the dynamic environment of football by asking ‘did Wiel Coerver get it right?’ This blog may upset a lot of people in soccer. Having said that, this article may also resonate with some of you soccer coaches out there that somewhere deep in…
In this guest blog, TOVO Institute’s Todd Beane examines US Soccer player retention rates and how coaches can help keep young players in the game. Here’s what the Positive Coach Alliance out of California mentions as to major reasons why up to 75% of our children drop out of sports by the age of 12. 1. It’s not fun anymore 2. Pressure to perform 3. Lack of competence in the sport 4. Time demands As I see this disturbing information gleaned from research professionals, I…
Regular PDP Contributor and Founder of TOVO Institute, Todd Beane explains the importance of a ‘less is more’ approach to communicating with players on the pitch and asks: Are you at peace on the sidelines? Johan Cruyff changed the way FC Barcelona played football back in the early 1990s. He did so in the same Camp Nou stadium that people travel from around the world to visit and in which some of the best football on the planet has been played since that time….
Creativity involves putting ideas together in new and useful ways. Lara Mossman, Positive Psychology Researcher, football player, and mother of three, offers a refreshing and practical view on creativity. What is it, and how can we prime our young players to become more creative? Dutch legend Johan Cruyff, inventor of the ‘Cruyff Turn’ and the man behind the ‘phantom goal’, epitomised the creative footballer in the 1970s, as does today’s global superstar Lionel Messi. Cruyff was a king of improvisation, throwing out the rulebook on positioning and producing…
TOVO Institute Founder, Todd Beane, discusses the need for a holistic view of player development. One indicator of a footballer’s chance for success beyond sport competition is the way in which they’re trained as a youth player. Experts in the field of child development point out the importance of holistic development. That is, children are multi-dimensional by nature and need to be nurtured physically, mentally and emotionally. It is critical to offer the youngster a safe environment in which to explore and learn. Applying this knowledge to…
Learning is a highly individual process. It is a natural process that when respected can lead to amazing results. TOVO Institute Founder, Todd Beane, discusses the importance of eliminating ‘one-size-fits-all’ coaching. When Coaches Get it Right What happens if we actually revolutionised coaching at youth academies? What happens if we rid ourselves of the “this is the way it has always been done” attitude? What happens if we actually coached players to their full potential – one skill at a time? Too often, we…
As well as being an ex- professional player, and player development expert, Todd Beane is the proud father of two young footballers in the making: Jordan and Shae. Beyond the analysis and coaching of football, Beane reminds us of a fundamental truth; order finds its way in an environment of chaos. Chaos on the pitch. Training is about to begin and a few kids have already bombarded the grounds, managed to muster up a ball and have begun doing what they do best – play. My…
TOVO Institute Founder, Todd Beane looks at the way we view weaknesses on the football pitch. How can we create an environment that encourages players to develop their weaknesses rather than play to hide them? It might sound a bit crazy to encourage weakness. However, as coaches we must encourage weakness by applauding players when they fail for the right reasons. Keep in mind that coaches are trained to correct errors that they see. These are called “coaching moments” and it works like this: a training session is being…