A Coach Dave Story for Athletes and Parents At the beginning of this year, one of the athletes I work with was on the verge of a breakthrough. Their training numbers were skyrocketing. Conditioning was sharp. Confidence was high. Every session felt like another step closer to the kind of season athletes dream about. You could feel momentum building, like everything was finally clicking into place. And then, in one moment, everything shifted. During a routine workout, they felt a strange little “off” sensation in their ankle. Not a sharp pain. Not something that screams stop now. Just a whisper, the kind athletes usually brush off because they’re so used to pushing through discomfort. That tiny whisper turned out to be a stress fracture… a serious one. Within hours, this athlete went from preparing for their best season yet to sitting in a doctor’s office hearing words no athlete wants to hear: “You’re in a cast. No weight bearing. No running. Six weeks minimum.” The physical injury was real, but the mental impact was something far deeper. The Mental Battle Most Athletes Don’t See Coming When an athlete gets sidelined, it’s not just the body that takes the hit.It’s the identity.The routine.The sense of progress.The feeling of belonging. For this athlete, every emotion hit hard and fast: - Frustration - Sadness - Jealousy watching teammates train - Fear of falling behind - Worry about losing everything they had built And parents, you see it too.You see the shift in their mood, their motivation, their confidence. Injuries can rattle even the strongest kids. One of the hardest moments for this athlete was scrolling through teammates’ workouts… seeing the runs, drills, practices they wanted to be part of. They were happy for their friends, but they were hurting on the inside. And that’s normal.Every athlete goes through a version of this when the sport is suddenly taken away. But injuries also reveal something important: When the routine cracks, you see what your foundation is really made of.

My 09/2027 daughter went to an ID camp in Cincinnati last weekend run by CCSC(College Coaches Showcase Camp) primarily as a way to get in front of a school she really likes. We got an email from them last night and I'm hoping someone on here has experience with this organization and can tell us that the email is legit OR all 200 kids at the camp got this same email and they're hoping we pony up the $699... Here's the body of the email, any guidance would be greatly apprecitated. My gut feeling is it was a cut/paste sent to every camper, definitely feels salesy with the urgency factor, but if it's genuine it might be a good opportunity for her: Congratulations! I am following up to notify you that you have been selected to attend the Women's College Soccer Prospects National Showcase in DeLand, Florida (right outside of Orlando) on the campus of Stetson University this winter (MLK weekend) from January 16th - January 18th. You are being invited to attend due to your evaluation throughout the College Coaches Showcase Camp held in Cincinnati, OH last weekend. Only selected players recommended by coaches who attended the showcase this past weekend are invited to this national showcase. You are being invited to participate in this national event as a midfielder. The midfielder position will be one of the first to fill for this national event. With only 6 from the SOUTH region accepted, if it's something you are interested in then you may want to talk it over with your family. If you prefer to participate in a different position, please let us know. The website for this event is https://www.collegesoccerprospectsnational.com/. Your CCSC National experience will have you taking the field at Stetson University alongside some of the best players from our regional showcases from across the country. You will have a training session with our staff of college coaches and play in 3 games as you represent the SOUTH region team.

Morning Motivation - Thursday, Nov 27th! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! 🦃☀️⚽ Thanksgiving is a time for family, food, and—hopefully—some soccer on TV. Best of luck to all our members who are organizing and preparing for big showcase events this weekend. Let’s make it count! ⚽ Before You Attend Before heading to your showcase, ask yourself these critical questions: - Do the coaches already know who your kid is? - Have they seen your athlete’s highlight videos? - Is there a better than 50% chance this showcase will move your recruiting process forward? If you haven’t reached out to coaches beforehand, you might be invisible. Take the time to email them, introduce your athlete, and share their story. Preparation is key! ⚽ Words of Wisdom From @d1scholarship on X:"Nearly all of our committed alumni families this year stated that they wouldn’t have received an offer without parental involvement in the process. Valedictorians, all-state athletes, heavy volunteer work—it doesn’t matter how talented the kid is; they need help." ⚽ Remember: "It’s not how good you are, but who knows you’re good!" 📧 Email those college coaches, share your athlete’s story, and make it happen! Good luck, Steve