Terry Foley is one of the most winning youth coaches in U.S Youth Soccer. He has won over 30 State Championships in Virginia and, most importantly, has consistently, over 25 years, developed players to go on and compete at the next level – whether that be for college or country. Terry is the president and owner of FC Virginia, a youth club based in Northern Virginia.
In this interview I ask:
- What does a team look like when they are playing to win versus playing to develop players?
- What should parents look for when they are seeking a developmentally appropriate soccer environment for their child?
- When is it okay to try to win?
Terry discusses important points for parents to consider such as:
- The style of play of a team and coach focusing on developing players.
- How important it is for parents for find a coach they trust.
- The fact that playing time leads to development.
- When a parent makes the wrong choice for the child.
SoccerParenting.com believes that the game will improve when parents are educated and empowered.
Interesting video and I’ve heard many times over that you shouldn’t care about a vs b team but I have seen a serious difference between the 2 in many clubs. Specially in talking about commitment from both the coaches and the players. The less experienced coaches get assigned which means training quality is not as high. Players on the 2nd team in some clubs just don’t show the same level of commitment to the team. As a parent if the b team is just there to make money than that is not the right place for your child either.
This is totally true and I have seen it in many clubs. Can the club show stats of how many kids came up from the b team over the last few years? Shows true development ? Rather than just going out and buying new talent year after year. Most can not from my experiencez