@Kevin Middleton Math, science, and soccer are all taught best with fewer ideas, not more, when those ideas are layered, revisited, and deepened over time. Math and science are not built on endless lesson plans. They rely on a small set of core concepts that remain constant from early childhood through graduation. What changes is the level of complexity, speed, abstraction, and application. The same ideas, number, space, force, systems, cause and effect—are taught again and again through different problems. Teachers don’t invent new content; they interpret a structured curriculum, using varied examples to test understanding. Assessment focuses on whether students can recognize patterns, apply principles in new situations, and explain their thinking, not whether they completed a specific activity. Soccer should, and can, work the same way. Soccer is governed by a limited number of universal concepts: space, time, numbers, angles, decision-making, and transition. These ideas apply at every age and level. A 6-year-old learning 1v1 and a professional manipulating a defensive line are solving the same problems, just at different speeds and with more information. Like math and science, soccer development should follow a spiral curriculum, revisiting the same principles each year while increasing complexity, pressure, and tactical depth. Games such as 1v1, 2v1, 3v2, and small-sided formats are not drills; they are soccer’s version of word problems. The surface changes, but the principle stays the same. Players shouldn’t be taught isolated moves or patterns; they should be taught why solutions work and when to apply them. The move becomes the answer, not the lesson. Assessment in soccer, like in academics, should be concept-based. The question is not effort or attendance, but understanding: Can the player recognize advantage? Can they adapt when the problem changes? Can they make the right decision under pressure? In this model, the curriculum does the heavy lifting. Coaches don’t need to invent sessions; they adjust constraints, examples, and language within a shared structure. Development compounds instead of resetting every season.

Thanks Kevin

@Kevin Middleton love that, what's the title of your book I also wrote a book https://www.amazon.com/Bend-Bickham-Want-Make-Difference/dp/B0G2XSLSL2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=15KS8UOGZFP3W&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mII-rym_7nlC5RG6xfcg6A.l562QjlQf1hH1d_yIRdJmDYm02VVqjbA3gVCxvJAw5M&dib_tag=se&keywords=bend+it+with+bickham&qid=1767391882&s=books&sprefix=bend+it+wi%2Caps%2C198&sr=1-1#immersive-view_1767546754382

Hey everyone, glad to be here. I’m Mark, coaching soccer in Washington State and working mainly with youth players across multiple age groups. I played professionally for over a decade and have spent 35+years coaching, which has given me a long view of how the game actually develops over time. Right now, the challenge I’m trying to crack is how to consistently teach understanding, not just execution, helping players recognize situations, make better decisions, and feel confident instead of rushed or anxious. I’m always interested in conversations about clarity, structure, and how we can do a better job developing players, not just running sessions. Looking forward to learning from everyone here and contributing where I can. Bick