Tag coaches

As coaches, players, and generally as people, we should always be looking to improve in one way or another. Continual growth and lifelong learning are impactful characteristics that shape a prosperous future. By improving ourselves, we can positively impact our surroundings on a greater scale. 

At Nebraska Soccer Talk, we have many objectives. We are here to promote players and coaches that participate in the game we love. As the season gets underway, NEST is also going to be covering as many games as humanly possible with a three person operation. However, we have a more overarching goal of forming an uplifting and supportive soccer community. We plan to do that in many different ways with the assistance of our readers. 

In the world we live in, there are countless resources at our disposal. Some are worth the time and effort, others simply are not. Sorting through those resources can be confusing, as well as time consuming. This article series is meant to make your growth process simple, enjoyable, and organized. Many of these resources are valuable, regardless of your level or role. Youth, high school, club, college, and pro coaches can benefit from these resources. Players, especially team leaders, can learn many valuable lessons. Finally, these items would be great for any parent looking to be more prepared for their child’s development.  

As a young coach and director, I spent countless hours searching and researching the internet for material. Throughout that process, I came across wonderful books, articles, and videos that have impacted me. These resources cover a myriad of topics, including game tactics, data analysis, roster construction, team bonding, program pillars, leadership, and so much more. Through Nebraska Soccer Talk, I wanted to share the resources that have helped me grow as a person and coach.

Das Reboot: How German Soccer Reinvented Itself and Conquered the World

By Raphael Honigstein

NEST Review – Das Reboot focuses on the restructuring of the German style of development and play leading up to the nation’s 2014 World Cup win. It is a story of how ultimate failure can be the springboard for a prosperous future, if handled correctly. For me, the lessons learned by German football as a whole were easily applicable to individual youth programs. For high school and youth coaches this would be an excellent resource as you develop the pathway of your players. This book does an excellent job of introducing initiative development philosophies that simply make sense once pointed out. For every high school program, the youth setup is critical for success. The youth players of today are your varsity contributors of tomorrow. Das Reboot gives the tools for focusing on long-term development instead of the ‘win now’ mindset for younger ages. How did Germany create a seemingly endless pipeline of world class talent? It wasn’t by fate or luck. Learn about it with this read.  

For those not interested in youth development, Das Reboot also gives a behind the scenes look at the 2014 World Cup experience. 

Table of Contents

1. Angst 2014
2. A Man of Small Goals
3. Go West
4. Second-game Itch
5. Germany, a Summer’s Tale
6. Not the End
7. We Against Us
8. The Beginning of the Beginning
9. Ice Barrel Challenge
10. More Is More
11. Grill Shack
12. An Island of Modern Football
13. Vorsprung durch Technik
14. Mineraco
15. The Gallic Village
16. Diving with the Maldives
17. Getting Closer with Arne Friedrich
18. The Longest Goal

NEST Rating – ★★★★★

Amazon Rating – ★★★★★

Goodreads Rating – ★★★★☆

Buy this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Ebay or at your local bookstore.

Thank you for reading and being a part of our new community. A like, share, comment or recommendation of content would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to leave book/resource recommendations in the comment section below.

In order to financially support our efforts, sponsorship/partnership opportunities have become available. Sponsors will receive vast exposure to the Nebraska soccer community through different media avenues. The sponsorship process is easy and reasonable.

Contact us on our website or email @ nebraskasoccertalk@gmail.com.

Connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, or listen to our podcast.

Chace Hutchison

As coaches, players, and generally as people, we should always be looking to improve in one way or another. Continual growth and lifelong learning are impactful characteristics that shape a prosperous future. By improving ourselves, we can positively impact our surroundings on a greater scale. 

At Nebraska Soccer Talk, we have many objectives. We are here to promote players and coaches that participate in the game we love. As the season gets underway, NEST is also going to be covering as many games as humanly possible with a three person operation. However, we have a more overarching goal of forming an uplifting and supportive soccer community. We plan to do that in many different ways with the assistance of our readers. 

In the world we live in, there are countless resources at our disposal. Some are worth the time and effort, others simply are not. Sorting through those resources can be confusing, as well as time consuming. This article series is meant to make your growth process simple, enjoyable, and organized. Many of these resources are valuable, regardless of your level or role. Youth, high school, club, college, and pro coaches can benefit from these resources. Players, especially team leaders, can learn many valuable lessons. Finally, these items would be great for any parent looking to be more prepared for their child’s development.  

As a young coach and director, I spent countless hours searching and researching the internet for material. Throughout that process, I came across wonderful books, articles, and videos that have impacted me. These resources cover a myriad of topics, including game tactics, data analysis, roster construction, team bonding, program pillars, leadership, and so much more. Through Nebraska Soccer Talk, I wanted to share the resources that have helped me grow as a person and coach.

The Politics of Coaching

by Carl J. Pierson

NEST Review – Coaching can be a wonderful experience, regardless of the sport. For many of us, that sense of impact-fulness is the reason why we chose to get involved. However, longevity in the coaching career path does not happen by chance or luck. Those that prosper are expert communicators, personal managers, organizers, and life coaches. Fulfilling all of those roles can be overwhelming for many. If handled improperly, burn-out or a pink slip is a real possibility. Carl Pierson provides you with a full-scale guide to the coaching lifestyle. Even the smallest of details matter when you’re the program leader; this book helps you with those topics.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Campaign

• Throwing Your Hat In The Ring
• It’s Who You Know, Not What You Know
• It Never Hurts To Apply
• The Interview
• The Underdog
• Know Your Strengths
• Never Use Negative Campaigning Publicly
• Running Against An Incumbent

Chapter 2: Director of Communications

• The State Of The Program Speech
• Individual Player Meetings
• Open Door vs. Call and Click Policy
• The Magic of E-Mail
• The Danger of E-Mail
• The Power of Old Fashioned Mail
• Controlling the Message
• The New Enemy: Online Fan Forums
• New Forms of Communication
• The Coach’s Lifeline
• Crazy Parents: Label Them Before They Label You
• Political Correctness: The Power of Words

Chapter 3: Public Relations

•  Media Relations
• The Best Public Relations Move You Will Ever Make
• The Other Best Public Relations Move You Will Ever Make
• Know Your Constituents
• The Expectations Game: Control Them Before They Control You
• Dealing With Public Confrontations

Chapter 4: Special Interest Groups

• The Powerful Parent
• When the Powerful Parent is Your Boss
• Fundraising and Donations
• Parent Donations
• Accepting Help From Parents
• Booster Clubs
• Control of Activity Accounts
• The Allies Every Coach Must Have

Chapter 5: Confronting A “Cancer” in Your Program

• Diagnosing Cancer
• Player Cancer
• Parent Cancer
• Assistant Coach Cancer

Chapter 6: The Politics of Youth Sports

• Coaching Your Own Kid
• Youth Tryouts
• Every Parent Has An Agenda
• Convincing Youth Coaches to Integrate Your System
• Sell Your System, Don’t Mandate It
• When Selling Doesn’t Work
• Beware The Parent That Won The 6th Grade Championship
• The Residual Effect of Youth Sports Boards

Chapter 7: Learning From and Dealing With Coaches

• Trophies as Critic Repellent
• The Softer Side
• Old Fashioned Political Acumen
• Dealing With Coaches in Other Sports
• Dealing With Club or Personal Coaches
• Dealing With College Coaches

Chapter 8: The Politics of Winning and Losing

• How to Handle Winning
• Using “We” After a Loss
• Beware of Blaming Bad Luck
• Shouldering the Blame
• Players Win Games

Chapter 9: Surviving Race and Gender Issues

• Males Coaching Males
• Females Coaching Males
• Females Coaching Females
• Males Coaching Females
• The Politics of Race

Chapter 10: All Politics Is Local

• Picking Teams
• Seniors: Cut ‘Em or Keep ‘Em?
• General Thoughts About Cutting Players
• The Politics of Playing Time
• Playing Time During a Blowout
• Recruiting Players
• Selecting Team Captains
• My Proudest Moment In Coaching
• The Classroom’s Impact on Coaching
• The Coaching Crossroads: Recognizing When to Move On, Resign, or Stand and Fight
• The Single Smartest Political Move Any Coach Can Make

NEST Rating – ★★★★★

Amazon Rating – ★★★★☆

Goodreads Rating – ★★★★☆

Buy this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Ebay or at your local bookstore.

Thank you for reading and being a part of our new community. A like, share, comment or recommendation of content would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to leave book/resource recommendations in the comment section below.

In order to financially support our efforts, sponsorship/partnership opportunities have become available. Sponsors will receive vast exposure to the Nebraska soccer community through different media avenues. The sponsorship process is easy and reasonable.

Contact us on our website or email @ nebraskasoccertalk@gmail.com.

Connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, or listen to our podcast on Spotify.

Chace Hutchison

Although it is rarely covered by the traditional media giants of the state, Nebraska is filled with exciting and competitive collegiate soccer programs. In fact, Nebraska contains a grand total of THIRTY programs for men and women. Those thirty programs compete across a wide variety of collegiate levels including Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and junior college.

Nebraska Soccer Talk is here to examine, cover, and promote all of these teams. This task has been made a bit more challenging by the circumstances created by COVID-19. Depending on the playing level, conference, and school, the season outlook changes drastically. Roster information can also be in flux, depending on the school. Despite these challenges, our staff attempted to put together the best program summaries possible. To our knowledge, we are the only outlet providing such coverage to our state’s college programs.

Just like Nebraska Soccer Talk, this column will grow and become more in depth as the years pass. In the future, we hope to provide sideline coverage of games, facility features, coach and player interviews. We look forward to the journey ahead. Thank you for being a part of our community. The sport of soccer is growing in Nebraska, and we intend to see it thrive.

Disclaimer – In the making of this article, team websites and other research sources were utilized. Although we attempt to avoid them whenever possible, errors can occur. Please contact us directly with corrections.

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Head Coach – Brandon Bonilla

2020 will be Bonilla’s third year with NWU after compiling a 15-16-4 record in his first two seasons as head coach. This is Bonilla’s first opportunity to run a program after gaining assistant experience across the Division I level at Texas A&M, Houston, and Nebraska-Lincoln.

Assistant Coaches – Scott Sheffield, Steve Pointon

Mascot – Prairie Wolves

Nebraska Homegrown Players On Roster – 14/20 = 70%

NEST Analysis – The Prairie Wolves program will attempt to turn its on-field direction around this season. This is a Nebraska heavy roster that we hope finds success in the near future. Their overall record has been declining gradually, much of that being due to conference play. The primary goal of any program is to compete for conference titles, and that should be NWU’s first focus. One point of optimism is the overall age of the roster is very young. With time to learn and grow, the Wolves could see a quick turnaround. 

Thank you for reading and being a part of our new community. A like, share, comment or recommendation of content would be greatly appreciated. In order to financially support our efforts, sponsorship/partnership opportunities have become available. Sponsors will receive vast exposure to the Nebraska soccer community through multiple different media avenues. The sponsorship process is easy and reasonable.

Contact us on our website or email @ nebraskasoccertalk@gmail.com.

Connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, or listen to our podcast on Spotify.

Chace Hutchison

Previewing an upcoming season is never an easy task. To do so properly takes countless hours of emails, observations, statistical research, conversation, and reflection. Adding onto that difficulty are challenges, such as a cancelled 2020 season and lingering COVID restrictions, making our preview preparation feel almost impossible. 

Despite these obstacles, the approaching 2021 season and its participants – whether that be players, coaches, fans, or families – deserve some semblance of normalcy. Soccer in Nebraska and all those who participate deserve to be promoted. Over the course of four articles, NEST will recognize many outstanding athletes that everyone should look forward to seeing on the pitch. 

This list was put together using several resources such as coach recommendations, past all-state lists, statistical analysis from previous seasons, and observational research. The inclusions vary greatly in terms of location, age, and future plans. The listed athletes live in every corner of the state from Omaha to Scottsbluff. Many have signed or are committed to play soccer at the Division I level, while others are pursuing other interests in the future.

 Even so, there are two traits that all inclusions of the inaugural NEST Players to Watch preview have in common. 

1. Show stopping and jaw dropping ability on the field. 
2. An admirable love for the sport of soccer. With their ability, passion, and outreach, this game will grow; that is the ultimate goal of Nebraska Soccer Talk. 

Without any further delay, part one of this series spotlights Class A Boys. 

A special congratulations to all of the athletes. Your hard work, skill, and dedication deserve to be recognized. Nebraska Soccer Talk will be observing closely as your season and career progress.

Class A Boys

Players are not ranked, instead listed alphabetically by first name.

1. Brayden McPhail
   • High School: Lincoln East
   • Class of 2022
2. Cole Hoppe
   • High School: Bellevue West
   • Class of 2021
3. Cole Lammel
   • High School: Millard South
   • Class of 2021
4. Ian Becerra
   • High School: Lincoln High
   • Class of 2021
5. Ismail Hassan
   • High School: Omaha South
   • Class of 2021
6. Jack Redd
   • High School: Papillion-La Vista South
   • Class of 2021
   • Future Plans: Creighton University soccer signee
7. Javier Baide
   • High School: Grand Island
   • Class of 2022
8. Luis Garci
   • High School: Omaha South
   • Class of 2021
9. Nolan Fuelberth
   • High School: Lincoln Southwest
   • Class of 2021
10. Ryan Brakke
    • High School: Creighton Prep
    • Class of 2021
    • Future Plans: Creighton University soccer signee
11. Schyler Smeby
    • High School: Bellevue East
    • Class of 2022
12. Sebastian Fierro
    • High School: Omaha South
    • Class of 2022
13. Wawa Palga
    • High School: Omaha South
    • Class of 2021

Once again, congratulations to the above athletes for all of their accomplishments. Your future in the game of soccer is incredibly bright. 

Additionally, it must be mentioned that this is not intended to be an all encompassing or complete list. There are a great number of talented soccer players in Nebraska that we have simply not discovered yet. As the 2021 season gets underway, those athletes will be seen and recognized. That is truly the whole point of Nebraska Soccer Talk. 

If you are a soccer player or know of a soccer player that should be on our radar, feel free to contact us. NEST is always looking to cover more soccer and add to our lists.

Thank you for reading and being a part of our new community. A like, share, or recommendation of content would be greatly appreciated.

In order to financially support our efforts, sponsorship/partnership opportunities have become available. Sponsors will receive vast exposure to the Nebraska soccer community through multiple different media avenues. The sponsorship process is easy and reasonable.

Contact us on our website or email @ nebraskasoccertalk@gmail.com.

Connect with us on Twitter or listen to our podcast on Spotify.

Chace Hutchison