#266 Coaching Conversation with Travis Yoakum

Coaching Soccer Weekly: Methods, Trends, Techniques and Tactics from WORLD CLASS COACHING

With no games last weekend I had time to complete the individual player and parent meetings for my high school girls team. They’re all freshman and sophomores getting ready to start high school tryouts. We discussed their feelings about the year, expectations for high school, interest in college soccer and plans for next year. It’s such a great group and I’ve really enjoyed working with them.

Fortunately, I have two or three more years with them since we stay with the same team through their high school years. As a club we feel this consistency is important to put them in the best possible position to play in college if they’d like to.

In addition to my player meetings I also had two Zoom interviews. One that I will share with you today. For the other I was a guest on another coach’s podcast. It was fun to be on the other side of the conversation for a change. I’ll tell you more about that and share the interview with you once he’s posted it on his feed.

We started outdoor training for the spring this week. There was an 80 degree difference between this Tuesday and a week ago on Tuesday. It went from -20 windchill to 60+. Then on Wednesday and Thursday it was back in the 40’s again.

I’m really spoiled with my practice field for the 2010’s and 2009’s. We ended up with an entire half of a full sized field that includes the markings for 9v9 as well as 7 x 21 goals. It’s the perfect training environment. We usually only have half of a 9v9 field for U11 and U12 players. This gives me the chance to do full field work that I’ve never been able to do in the past. I’m looking forward to a great spring season!

In this Episode

Today I have another coaching conversation to share. As soon as I read the email from this coach I knew I had to get him on the show as soon as possible. He’s the Director of Coaching for two clubs which is unusual and they are located in a very unique part of the country that creates some interesting challenges for him to overcome.

Future Episodes

I’d like to record more of these coaching conversations. Please let me know if you’d be interested in coming on the show to talk about a specific topic or something unique to your experience as a coach. We all have something to share with the coaching community and I’d love to help you tell your story or share your perspective

There have been a few requests for me to interview my daughter on the podcast. Some coaches have been interested to hear how it is to have your father as a coach. I put the idea out to our Patreon Members this week and they were overwhelmingly positive about the idea. The one challenge for me is trying to figure out what questions to ask her that would be interesting for you to hear her talk about. I have some obviously but I thought I’d open it up to you as well.

I’ve created a Google Form that you can complete to submit questions that you’d like to hear us discuss. Go to www.coachingsoccerweekly.com/go/alex. These are questions that can be directed at me or my daughter to be answered as we discuss how dads and daughters (or parents and children in general) can navigate the potentially difficult relationship of coach and player. They can be about anything surrounding this relationship.