Skip to content

The Soccer Mentor library

See the game.
Understand your next move.

Practical guides for players and parents, from reading the pressure to reviewing the moments that matter.

Find a guide for your player ↓

A useful place to begin

Start with your player’s question.

For soccer parents · 4 min read

Why Does My Child Play Better in Practice Than Games?

Compare the demands of the situation before concluding that your player lacks confidence.

Using match footage · 4 min read

How to Review Soccer Game Film With Your Child

A parent-led review routine that keeps the child’s understanding at the center of the conversation.

Choosing mentoring · 4 min read

Is Online Soccer Coaching Worth It for Your Child?

Match the service to the problem you want to solve before choosing a package.

Find your next guide

Browse the library

Search by topic or question

Topic

Showing 100 of 100 articles

Film analysis

Understand what individual analysis can reveal about your own matches.

Film analysis · 4 min read

Soccer Video Analysis for Players: What the Camera Can Tell You

How to draw useful conclusions from footage without pretending the camera shows everything.

Film analysis · 4 min read

Individual Soccer Match Analysis: Review the Whole Performance

A method for examining one player across a complete game without reviewing every touch in equal detail.

Film analysis · 4 min read

Youth Soccer Video Analysis: Make Feedback Match the Player

How to adjust the depth of video discussion to the player’s understanding and readiness.

Film analysis · 4 min read

Choosing a Soccer Film Review Service: Questions Before You Buy

A buyer’s guide to evaluating what a film review actually provides.

Film analysis · 4 min read

Personal Soccer Video Analysis: Build a Baseline That Fits You

A player-centered method for establishing a useful baseline before choosing what to change.

Film analysis · 4 min read

Online Soccer Game Analysis: Organize Footage for a Useful Review

A simple workflow for moving from a match recording to an organized online review.

Film analysis · 4 min read

Soccer Match Analysis Coaching: Connect the Clip to Practice

How to carry a useful video observation into training without losing the game context.

Film analysis · 4 min read

Midfielder Video Analysis: Look Before, During and After the Touch

A position-specific review that captures a midfielder’s influence beyond completed passes.

Film analysis · 4 min read

One-on-One Soccer Film Sessions: Ask Better Questions

A conversation guide for keeping the player active during an individual film review.

Film analysis · 4 min read

Soccer Video Feedback for Youth Players: Make Each Point Usable

A practical feedback format that helps players understand what to keep and what to try next.

Decision making

Explore realistic choices when space and time are limited.

Decision making · 4 min read

How to Improve Decision-Making in Soccer

Find out why a choice became difficult before deciding how to train it.

Decision making · 4 min read

Soccer Decision-Making Under Pressure: Find the Usable Exit

Break a crowded moment into pressure, support, and a realistic next action.

Decision making · 4 min read

How to Play Faster in Soccer Without Rushing

Reduce avoidable delays while keeping decisions suited to the game.

Decision making · 4 min read

When to Pass or Dribble in Soccer: Read What the Action Creates

Choose the action that helps the situation rather than defending a preference for passing or dribbling.

Decision making · 4 min read

How to Choose the Right Pass in Soccer

Evaluate a pass from the receiver’s perspective as well as the passer’s.

Decision making · 4 min read

How to Stop Holding the Ball Too Long in Soccer

Identify the moment a useful option appears and the reason it is missed.

Decision making · 4 min read

How to Make Decisions Before Receiving the Ball in Soccer

Arrive with an informed plan while leaving room for the situation to change.

Decision making · 4 min read

Soccer Decision-Making Exercises with Real Choices

Use simple activities where the correct action changes with the situation.

Decision making · 4 min read

One-Touch vs Two-Touch Soccer: Choose What the Situation Needs

Use touch count as a consequence of the decision, not a substitute for it.

Decision making · 4 min read

How to Improve Speed of Play in Soccer as a Connected Unit

Find the delays between players that individual touch drills can miss.

Soccer IQ

Make awareness and reading the game easier to understand.

Soccer IQ · 4 min read

What Is Soccer IQ? A Practical Explanation for Parents

Replace a vague label with game behaviors you can actually discuss and develop.

Soccer IQ · 4 min read

How to Improve Soccer IQ Through a Repeatable Learning Cycle

Build a learning routine that connects understanding on video with choices on the field.

Soccer IQ · 4 min read

Soccer IQ for Kids: Teach Game Ideas in Language They Can Use

Help a young player understand one useful game relationship at a time.

Soccer IQ · 4 min read

Soccer IQ for Midfielders: Connect the Team’s Next Actions

Look beyond the next pass to the relationships a midfielder helps organize.

Soccer IQ · 4 min read

How to Improve Soccer Game Awareness

Learn to update the parts of the picture that matter for your next responsibility.

Soccer IQ · 4 min read

Soccer Tactical Awareness for Youth Players: Understand Your Job

Understand how your individual decision fits the team’s shared task.

Soccer IQ · 4 min read

How to Read the Game in Soccer: Follow the Clues

Understand what the current action suggests about the next phase of play.

Soccer IQ · 4 min read

How to Anticipate Play in Soccer Without Guessing Too Early

Use early information to prepare while keeping room to respond when the game changes.

Soccer IQ · 4 min read

Does Watching Soccer Improve Soccer IQ? Make Viewing Active

Turn a short stretch of a match into a useful question for your own playing.

Soccer IQ · 4 min read

Soccer Film Study for Youth Players: Build a Useful Notebook

Make your film notes short enough to use and specific enough to revisit.

Scanning & receiving

Prepare for the ball and use the information around you.

Scanning & receiving · 4 min read

What Is Scanning in Soccer? Seeing More Than the Ball

Learn what a useful scan tells a player and how that information changes a decision.

Scanning & receiving · 4 min read

How to Scan Before Receiving the Ball

Build a receiving routine around useful information rather than a fixed number of looks.

Scanning & receiving · 4 min read

Soccer Scanning Drills for Youth Players: Three Practical Activities

Use changing soccer information so each look has a purpose.

Scanning & receiving · 4 min read

How to Check Your Shoulder in Soccer

Make the physical action comfortable, brief, and connected to a useful observation.

Scanning & receiving · 4 min read

How Often Should You Scan in Soccer? Use the Situation

Replace a rigid scan count with a practical way to judge when information needs updating.

Scanning & receiving · 4 min read

How to Improve Awareness Before Receiving a Pass

Connect where a player stands, what they notice, and what they expect next.

Scanning & receiving · 4 min read

How to Receive on the Half Turn in Soccer

Use an open receiving position when the information, pass, and space support it.

Scanning & receiving · 4 min read

Body Position When Receiving the Ball in Soccer

Choose a receiving shape for the problem in front of the player.

Scanning & receiving · 4 min read

First Touch Away From Pressure: A Soccer Guide

Make the first touch protect a useful next option instead of simply pushing the ball away.

Scanning & receiving · 4 min read

Why Soccer Players Should Scan Before Receiving

Understand the decisions that earlier information can make possible.

Midfield play

Understand midfield roles, positioning, and connections.

Midfield play · 4 min read

Central Midfielder Positioning: Read the Ball and the Next Pass

Understand positioning through relationships to the ball, teammates, opponents, and space.

Midfield play · 4 min read

How to Play Central Midfield in Soccer: A Practical Match Guide

Organize the role around a few repeatable decisions a player can review and practice.

Midfield play · 4 min read

Defensive Midfielder Positioning: Protect Space and Offer Support

Balance being available for the ball with staying connected to the space the team needs protected.

Midfield play · 4 min read

Attacking Midfielder Positioning: Find Space That Can Be Used

Turn promising space into a real connection with the passer and the next action.

Midfield play · 4 min read

The Number 6 Role in Soccer: A Guide for Players and Parents

Separate a position label from the actual responsibilities a holding midfielder must understand.

Midfield play · 4 min read

The Number 8 Role in Soccer: Connect, Support, and Choose Your Runs

Understand the role through the timing and purpose of each contribution.

Midfield play · 4 min read

The Number 10 Role in Soccer: Create Useful Attacking Choices

Give an attacking midfielder a clearer decision framework than simply asking for creativity.

Midfield play · 4 min read

How to Find Space as a Midfielder

Distinguish empty grass from a position where a pass and next action are actually possible.

Midfield play · 4 min read

How to Receive the Ball in Midfield Under Pressure

Choose between turning, setting, protecting, and carrying based on the pressure that arrives.

Midfield play · 4 min read

Central Midfielder Decision Making: Choose the Useful Next Action

Build a decision review that explains choices without judging only by the result.

Off-ball movement

Become useful to the play before and after touching the ball.

Off-ball movement · 4 min read

Off-the-Ball Movement in Soccer: Give Every Run a Purpose

Evaluate what a movement changes for the team, including when the player never receives.

Off-ball movement · 4 min read

How to Create Passing Options in Soccer

Help the ball carrier by offering a route they can see, reach, and use.

Off-ball movement · 4 min read

How to Support the Player With the Ball in Soccer

Offer the kind of help the ball carrier needs at that moment.

Off-ball movement · 4 min read

How to Find Space Between the Lines in Soccer

Find a usable pocket between opponent units and connect it to a realistic next action.

Off-ball movement · 4 min read

How to Avoid Hiding Behind Defenders in Soccer

Solve the passing-lane problem before assuming the player does not want the ball.

Off-ball movement · 4 min read

How to Create Passing Angles in Soccer

A useful passing angle starts with what the player on the ball can see and play.

Off-ball movement · 4 min read

When to Move After Passing in Soccer

The pass ends one action and creates a new question: where are you useful now?

Off-ball movement · 4 min read

How to Recognize an Overload in Soccer

An extra player helps only when the team can bring that advantage into the play.

Off-ball movement · 4 min read

How to Switch Play in Soccer

Move the ball toward useful space without treating every long diagonal as the right answer.

Off-ball movement · 4 min read

How to Position Yourself After Losing the Ball

The first useful reaction depends on the ball, the opponent, and the teammates around you.

Online mentoring

Explore individual online mentoring and how to make it useful for your player.

Online mentoring · 4 min read

Online Soccer Mentoring: Turning Match Lessons Into Better Habits

A practical guide to using mentoring as a repeatable learning cycle throughout a soccer season.

Online mentoring · 4 min read

One-on-One Online Soccer Coaching: Making the Session Personal

How to tell whether an individual session is truly adapting to your player.

Online mentoring · 4 min read

Online Soccer Coaching for Kids: Keep the Learning Simple

A parent guide to making a screen-based soccer conversation understandable for younger players.

Online mentoring · 4 min read

Online Soccer Coaching for Teenagers: Build Player Ownership

A practical way for teenage players to take responsibility for their own match learning.

Online mentoring · 4 min read

Soccer Mentoring for Youth Players: Choosing a Useful Relationship

What a family should look for beyond credentials when choosing ongoing soccer guidance.

Online mentoring · 4 min read

Soccer IQ Coaching: Teach the Decision, Not Just the Answer

A simple way to discuss game understanding without turning soccer into a list of fixed rules.

Online mentoring · 4 min read

Soccer Tactical Coaching Online: Solve One Team Situation

A practical method for discussing tactics while respecting the player’s team responsibilities.

Online mentoring · 4 min read

Online Coaching for Soccer Midfielders: Choose the Right Focus

How midfielders can turn a crowded match picture into one manageable learning question.

Online mentoring · 4 min read

A Personalized Soccer Development Plan You Can Actually Use

A practical planning framework for turning a broad ambition into a specific experiment.

Online mentoring · 5 min read

Virtual Soccer Coaching Sessions: Make the Screen Work for You

How to keep a live online film conversation clear, interactive and focused when technology gets in the way.

Using match footage

Record, choose, and review footage with a clear learning purpose.

Using match footage · 4 min read

How to Analyze Your Soccer Game Film Without Getting Overwhelmed

A step-by-step self-review routine for players who want a clear lesson from their own footage.

Using match footage · 4 min read

How to Review Soccer Game Film With Your Child

A parent-led review routine that keeps the child’s understanding at the center of the conversation.

Using match footage · 4 min read

What to Look for in Soccer Game Film: Five Useful Lenses

A practical viewing guide for turning an unfamiliar recording into useful observations.

Using match footage · 4 min read

Soccer Video Analysis Checklist: From Setup to Next Step

A repeatable checklist for a focused player or parent film review.

Using match footage · 4 min read

How to Choose Soccer Clips for a Coach or Film Review

A practical selection guide for sending useful development footage rather than only highlights.

Using match footage · 4 min read

How to Record Youth Soccer Games for Useful Analysis

Capture the context around a decision without needing an elaborate camera setup.

Using match footage · 4 min read

Full Match Video vs Highlights: Which Helps Soccer Development?

Choose footage based on the question you want to answer, not how impressive the clip looks.

Using match footage · 4 min read

How Often Should Youth Soccer Players Watch Game Film?

Use film often enough to support learning, with enough space between reviews to try something on the field.

Using match footage · 4 min read

Turn Soccer Video Feedback into Training Goals That Make Sense

Translate a comment about a past moment into an action the player can recognize and practice.

Using match footage · 4 min read

How to Review a Midfielder’s Game Film

Follow the midfielder through a phase of play instead of judging only their touches.

For soccer parents

Support your player with specific questions and constructive conversations.

For soccer parents · 4 min read

Why Does My Child Play Better in Practice Than Games?

Compare the demands of the situation before concluding that your player lacks confidence.

For soccer parents · 4 min read

My Child Rushes Passes in Soccer: What Should I Look For?

A fast pass can be a good decision. Review why the player felt the need to release it.

For soccer parents · 4 min read

My Child Keeps Losing the Ball in Soccer: A Practical Review

Different turnovers need different solutions. Start by identifying the pattern.

For soccer parents · 4 min read

How to Help a Hesitant Soccer Player

Make the next decision clearer without turning every touch into a test.

For soccer parents · 4 min read

How to Help Your Child Stay Calm on the Ball

Build a clearer picture of the play so “stay calm” becomes a usable soccer action.

For soccer parents · 4 min read

Why Does My Child Hide From the Ball in Soccer?

Start with positioning and the player’s explanation before attaching a confidence label.

For soccer parents · 4 min read

How to Help Your Child Make Better Soccer Decisions

Help your player explain a choice before offering the answer you saw from the sideline.

For soccer parents · 4 min read

How to Talk to Your Child After a Soccer Game

Make the first conversation about the player’s experience, then choose whether analysis belongs in it.

For soccer parents · 4 min read

How to Support a Young Soccer Midfielder

Recognize the connecting work that often disappears from a highlight reel.

For soccer parents · 4 min read

How to Review Soccer Mistakes Without Discouraging Your Child

Use the mistake as a question about the situation, not a verdict on the player.

Choosing mentoring

Compare options and prepare for individual film mentoring.

Choosing mentoring · 4 min read

Is Online Soccer Coaching Worth It for Your Child?

Match the service to the problem you want to solve before choosing a package.

Choosing mentoring · 4 min read

How Much Does Soccer Video Analysis Cost?

Compare what the player receives, not just the number beside a session.

Choosing mentoring · 4 min read

What Happens in a Soccer Film Review Session?

Understand the purpose of the conversation before your player joins the call.

Choosing mentoring · 4 min read

Does My Child Need Full Match Footage for Soccer Analysis?

Choose the footage that can answer your question, then be clear about what it leaves out.

Choosing mentoring · 4 min read

Soccer Video Analysis vs. Private Soccer Training

Choose the form of support that fits the difficulty you can actually observe.

Choosing mentoring · 4 min read

How to Choose an Online Soccer Coach for Your Child

Look for a clear connection between the player’s question and the service being offered.

Choosing mentoring · 4 min read

What Age Should Soccer Players Start Video Analysis?

Readiness depends on the player and the review format, not just the birthday.

Choosing mentoring · 4 min read

Can Soccer Video Analysis Help Midfielders?

Midfield film review is most useful when it follows the play around the touch.

Choosing mentoring · 4 min read

How to Measure Progress in Soccer Decision Making

Use a small, consistent review that explains change instead of inventing a soccer IQ score.

Choosing mentoring · 4 min read

How to Prepare for an Online Soccer Mentoring Session

Arrive with a clear question and accessible footage so the conversation can focus on the player.