If you're wondering where SoccerDad has been the past few weeks and why it's been so quiet here at On The Pitch, here's an update on what his travel team has been doing. Click to continue reading...

If you're wondering where SoccerDad has been the past few weeks and why it's been so quiet here at On The Pitch, here's an update on what his travel team has been doing. Click to continue reading...

Chelsea Football Club has launched a program in partnership with Adidas to built blue soccer pitches in urban areas to promote participation in youth sports by area children. Click to continue reading...

Chelsea Football Club has launched a program in partnership with Adidas to built blue soccer pitches in urban areas to promote participation in youth sports by area children. Click to continue reading...

Sorry for the light posting, but we had a jam packed October schedule and have been busy this month preparing for a few tournaments. The off season will see a lot more posting, so use this as an open thread to discuss your own seasons! Click to continue reading...

Sorry for the light posting, but we had a jam packed October schedule and have been busy this month preparing for a few tournaments. The off season will see a lot more posting, so use this as an open thread to discuss your own seasons! Click to continue reading...

We played our last fall season match against a tough division opponent that was undefeated, hoping to reverse a recent slide and come away with a win. Well, didn't work out that way by any stretch, but there were a couple funny moments I figured I'd share. One of our defenders has a rocket of a [...] Click to continue reading...

We played our last fall season match against a tough division opponent that was undefeated, hoping to reverse a recent slide and come away with a win. Well, didn't work out that way by any stretch, but there were a couple funny moments I figured I'd share. One of our defenders has a rocket of a [...] Click to continue reading...

It's not even November yet here in North Carolina, where the average high temparature this time of year is 68F. Looking out my window (on a day my team practices), it's 45F and big ice pellets are falling out of the sky. Yesterday my team played a match in sunny weather with temps in the [...] Click to continue reading...

It's not even November yet here in North Carolina, where the average high temparature this time of year is 68F. Looking out my window (on a day my team practices), it's 45F and big ice pellets are falling out of the sky. Yesterday my team played a match in sunny weather with temps in the [...] Click to continue reading...

Major League Baseball is telling little league teams they can't even use names like Tigers or Rays on their uniforms without paying for official licensed MLB uniforms. Apparently the $3.3 Billion of revenue on MLB licensed merchandise isn't enough. Click to continue reading...

Major League Baseball is telling little league teams they can't even use names like Tigers or Rays on their uniforms without paying for official licensed MLB uniforms. Apparently the $3.3 Billion of revenue on MLB licensed merchandise isn't enough. Click to continue reading...

A local soccer league recently started up a TopSoccer program for special needs children that has been very successful and was recently featured in a TV News story. If you've ever thought about starting a program like this, here's a peek at what one is like and the impact it has. Click to continue reading...

A local soccer league recently started up a TopSoccer program for special needs children that has been very successful and was recently featured in a TV News story. If you've ever thought about starting a program like this, here's a peek at what one is like and the impact it has. Click to continue reading...

Copper thefts have been going on for some time as the cost of copper has skyrocketed. Thieves are unfortunately turning their attention to athletic fields, with a number of soccer associations left in the dark after thieves ripped the wiring out of their field lights. Click to continue reading...

Copper thefts have been going on for some time as the cost of copper has skyrocketed. Thieves are unfortunately turning their attention to athletic fields, with a number of soccer associations left in the dark after thieves ripped the wiring out of their field lights. Click to continue reading...

Over the years there have been a number of in depth articles published here, but being a blog, they can often be hard to find unless you're using Google. So I've pulled together a collection of the more informative articles published here and created a Youth Soccer Reference Guide. There are sections for Coaches, Team Managers, and Parents. Click to continue reading...

Over the years there have been a number of in depth articles published here, but being a blog, they can often be hard to find unless you're using Google. So I've pulled together a collection of the more informative articles published here and created a Youth Soccer Reference Guide. There are sections for Coaches, Team Managers, and Parents. Click to continue reading...

Over the years there have been a number of in depth articles published here, but being a blog, they can often be hard to find unless you're using Google. So I've pulled together a collection of the more informative articles published here and created a Youth Soccer Reference Guide. There are sections for Coaches, Team Managers, and Parents. Click to continue reading...

If you've ever wondered how you could motivate your players to try harder or use soccer moves in a match, consider awarding soccer patches. In our third year of awarding patches, we've come up with a wide variety of criteria, encouraging players to work on many aspects of their game. Click to continue reading...

If you've ever wondered how you could motivate your players to try harder or use soccer moves in a match, consider awarding soccer patches. In our third year of awarding patches, we've come up with a wide variety of criteria, encouraging players to work on many aspects of their game. Click to continue reading...

If you've ever wondered how you could motivate your players to try harder or use soccer moves in a match, consider awarding soccer patches. In our third year of awarding patches, we've come up with a wide variety of criteria, encouraging players to work on many aspects of their game. Click to continue reading...

If you need to raise funds for your soccer team, consider a car wash. Here is one team's experience and what they learned for next time. Click to continue reading...

If you need to raise funds for your soccer team, consider a car wash. Here is one team's experience and what they learned for next time. Click to continue reading...

If you need to raise funds for your soccer team, consider a car wash. Here is one team's experience and what they learned for next time. Click to continue reading...

When teams move from 6v6 to 8v8, they often move from a 'two line' formation to a 'three line' formation. What works best for a team often depends on the specific players available to us a given formation. Here are some thoughts on 8v8 and using 2 defenders instead of three. Is it worth it? Click to continue reading...

When teams move from 6v6 to 8v8, they often move from a 'two line' formation to a 'three line' formation. What works best for a team often depends on the specific players available to us a given formation. Here are some thoughts on 8v8 and using 2 defenders instead of three. Is it worth it? Click to continue reading...

When teams move from 6v6 to 8v8, they often move from a 'two line' formation to a 'three line' formation. What works best for a team often depends on the specific players available to us a given formation. Here are some thoughts on 8v8 and using 2 defenders instead of three. Is it worth it? Click to continue reading...

A soccer mom who wore a firearm openly at her daughter's U6 soccer match is fighting to keep her concealed weapon permit. Have you ever contemplated that parents at your child's soccer match might be carrying a loaded weapon? Click to continue reading...

A soccer mom who wore a firearm openly at her daughter's U6 soccer match is fighting to keep her concealed weapon permit. Have you ever contemplated that parents at your child's soccer match might be carrying a loaded weapon? Click to continue reading...

A soccer mom who wore a firearm openly at her daughter's U6 soccer match is fighting to keep her concealed weapon permit. Have you ever contemplated that parents at your child's soccer match might be carrying a loaded weapon? Click to continue reading...

Sometimes the excitement at a youth soccer match happens afterward! Click to continue reading...

Sometimes the excitement at a youth soccer match happens afterward! Click to continue reading...

Sometimes the excitement at a youth soccer match happens afterward! Click to continue reading...

Seven tips from the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association on choosing a post match snack for your team. Click to continue reading...