The Inside Scoop with Anytime Soccer Training - Discussing Youth Soccer from Around the World

 A coach's viral reel says if your club won't release your player card, they don't care about your child's development. I disagree — not because clubs are always right, but because we need to stop moralizing every disagreement in youth soccer. In this episode, I break down why clubs can have sincere reasons for their policies, why it shouldn't matter if you're paying or it&...

Kids are jumping from rec to club way too early — and showing up without the basics. In this episode, Coach Jesse and I get real about what's broken in grassroots soccer: 👉 Why kids are leaving rec before they're ready👉 The frustration of coaching older players who never learned fundamentals👉 Funding gaps and field shortages killing quality programs👉 Why "club" doesn't au...

I’m Neil Crawford, and in this episode I’m breaking down the real problem with scrimmages in youth soccer. Coaches love them, parents expect them, and players think they’re ‘the fun part’—but they’re quietly holding kids back. I’m pulling back the curtain on why endless scrimmaging stalls development, what actually builds skill, and how we can rethink training to help every player grow.” If you wa...

In this episode of The Inside Scoop, I sit down with Coach Jesse Novatski — a grassroots and college coach who's become a trusted voice in our soccer parent community. Jesse has a remarkable story. Born near São Paulo, Brazil, he spent his early years in an orphanage before being adopted and moving to the United States at age five. "The United States became my fifth birthday present,&quot...

Hey guys, Neil Crawford here. In this episode, I show you how to find specific drills in Anytime Soccer Training when a coach gives your player targeted feedback. A parent asked about aerial control drills, so I walk through creating a custom training session and pinning the right videos from our 5,000+ video library. Remember: technology plus human is better than either alone. You can modify any...

In this Inside Scoop session, I answer a parent's question about helping their 14-year-old improve 1v1 skills with just 30 minutes a day, 3-5 times a week. I walk through our "Get Started" section for experienced players and show how our 30-day training plans focus on essential dribbling and ball mastery that translate directly to game performance. I demonstrate how the dashboard&#39...

I almost made a mistake that would've killed my son's love for soccer. The advice? "Iron sharpens iron — get him on a team with the best players." It sounded perfect. But three weeks in, everything changed. In this episode, I reveal why the most popular club selection advice is dangerously wrong — and what actually sharpens iron. If you're choosing a club right now, you need...

How do young players actually go from youth soccer to a professional contract? In this episode, former FIFA-licensed agent Miro Gladovic answers real questions from parents in our community. No fluff—just honest insight into how the process really works. Coming up in this episode: 🔹 1:40 – What Miro has observed separates players who make it🔹 7:08 – Why waiting to be "discovered" is a...

In this episode, I respond to a parent’s email about a nine-year-old losing confidence — not with solutions, but with honesty. I don’t have all the answers, but I wanted to acknowledge the struggle and start a real conversation about confidence, environment, and what our kids actually need from us in youth soccer. Sometimes the most important thing isn’t a fix — it’s realizing we’re not navigating...

If you’ve ever wondered how young players go from youth soccer → academy → professional contracts, this interview is for you. In this special episode, former FIFA-licensed agent Miro Gladovic joins me to answer real questions submitted by parents from our community.40% Off Soccer Family Agent. Use discount code: AST40https://soccerfamilyagent.teachable.com/p/home We dig into what scouts actually l...

When Frederick emailed me asking how to train his two sons—ages 8 and 10—it took me right back to those early days when I was trying to figure everything out myself. I remember the uncertainty, the frustration, and the feeling that everyone else somehow knew what they were doing… except me. In this episode, I share what I’ve learned along the way: why structured training matters, how simple routin...

In this episode, I go on a short rant that probably won’t make me more popular—but I think it needs to be said. I talk openly about why I don’t believe “bad soccer parents” are the biggest problem in youth development, why coaches focus so much on things they can’t control, and why the real work still happens Monday through Friday on the training ground. If you’re a coach or parent who’s tired of...

In this episode, I walk you through the newest improvements now available inside Anytime Soccer Training — designed to make home and team training even easier and more effective. You’ll get a quick video tour of new enhancements across the platform, including: Weekly Training Plans Quick Sessions for Busy Days Custom Training Plans for Any Player or Team Key Skill Area Organization for Faster Navi...

Everyone wants their kid to train more at home… but nobody warns you about  this part . In this short, real-talk episode, I share a conversation with a friend whose son loves soccer — but doesn’t always love the work. If you’ve ever tried to get your child to do solo reps, wall passing, juggling, or even follow-along videos… you already know. This isn’t about motivation hacks, gimmicks, magic apps...

Everyone wants their child to have “better soccer IQ”… but what if we’ve been approaching it the wrong way? In this short episode, I break down the real foundation—something I stumbled across while scrolling a coaching group—that might completely shift how you think about developing smarter players. Listen now… the answer may not be what you expect.

In this episode, we sit down with neuroscientist Dr. Val Rytova to break down what’s actually happening in a child’s brain as they learn soccer skills. We explore how kids develop movement patterns, why they sometimes perform skills in games they’ve never formally practiced, and whether parents need to be skilled players to help their children grow. We also discuss the ongoing debate of unopposed...

It’s the holidays — and every year I get the same questions about new gadgets, apps, and “fun” soccer programs. In this episode, I reveal why most kids lose interest fast… and why real development is more nuanced. Enjoy!

In this short preview, Dr. Val Rytova reveals one of the biggest myths about practice — and what neuroscience says actually builds skill. Learn more here https://www.drvalrytova.com/

What’s really happening inside your brain when you practice a skill over and over again? In this episode, we sit down with  Dr. Val Rytova , neuroscientist and creator of  Neuroplasticity and  Epigenetics 101 , to explore how consistent practice literally rewires your brain. Dr. Rytova breaks down the science of  neuroplasticity  — how repetition and focus reshape your brain’s structure — and expl...

In this episode, I challenge the myth that playing more games leads to better players. Games don’t build skill — they reveal it. I explain how true development happens outside the spotlight, through repetition and deliberate practice, not in the flow state of competition.

In this episode of The Inside Scoop , I unpack what I call the universal answer — a framework I use to respond to nearly every question parents ask about their child’s soccer development. This time, the question was: “How can I help my child be more aggressive on the field?” Instead of offering a quick fix, I explain why words like “aggressive” are often too vague to be useful — and how to transfo...

Every soccer parent has asked it. Most coaches can't answer it. In this episode, I reveal the one framework that cuts through the noise and gives you a real answer — every single time. A parent came to me frustrated. Their kid wasn't "aggressive enough." Sound familiar? But here's the thing — that word is killing your child's development. I break down exactly why vague fe...

In this episode, I answer a parent’s question about how to help their child who’s technically solid but finding it hard to stand out on a stronger team. I share how I’d approach this situation using the  principles of play  and my experience as both a coach and parent. We talk about balancing  technical work ,  physical training , and  tactical awareness , and why development often happens in phas...

In this follow-up episode of The Inside Scoop , host Neil Crawford sits down again with Joao Plantier, General Manager of FuteBALLER and former scout for Sporting CP and other top European clubs. This time, the spotlight is on how FuteBALLER actively creates opportunities for young players to be seen and evaluated by European scouts. Joao explains the systems and strategies FuteBALLER uses to conn...

In this quick recap episode of  The Inside Scoop , I revisit my approach to starting every team training session with unopposed technical work. I wanted to make this short and clear—just breaking down why I do it, what the benefits are, and some of the drawbacks too. I also share a great conversation we had in the Anytime Soccer Training Facebook group about how unopposed drills fit into modern co...