Utah Royals are on a seven-match unbeaten streak. Are they the NWSL’s new protagonists? nytimes.com/athletic/7269728…

For Coaches: A couple of key observations from Job Fransen in this article on Skill Acquisition & the false allure of the shiny tech toy: "Organisations mistake near transfers for far transfers. Training with all of these technologies and tools make you better at exactly the task your training. If you train to react to lights while dribbling a ball, you will get better at reacting to lights when dribbling a ball. This is often mistaken for improved performance or learning in the core task of playing basketball, which is of course not the case." "The best visual-perceptual training is often integrated directly into the specific sport context. If you want your basketball player to read an opponent, having them react to an opponent’s actual body language in a small-sided game will always be far superior to having them tap a random blinking light." "The technology should serve the principle of training specificity, not dictate it." "What will give you the greatest return on your resource investment? Paying 50,000 USD per year on cognitive training technology or investing in your coaches and players?" **** To build off this last point a bit, it's not just the money. It's the time and focus. The best way to increase your players' visual perception is to have coaches constantly attend to it during training. But that requires ongoing, sustained focus by coaches... a sort of psychological investment that requires discipline and prioritization. Which is hard. And explains why many teams would rather spend the money on a short-cut to improved player perception... and why many tech companies will have a ready market. skillacq.com/post/it-s-time-…

The trainer kicks his legs high and rotates his hips flexibly…he’s a shining beacon for his players’ activation protocol… He provides a model for his players to mirror…and look in this video how they perfectly match his enthusiasm, his commitment to mobility, the detail in his movement… Dripping with excitement, you can see player commitment to excellence. No shortcuts. They know the importance of this process…warming up safely, injury prevention, building and maintaining a base of physicality that seeps into their ability to execute technically and tactically. And because they recognise its importance they set about their tasks with glee. Day after day they do this and yet despite the repetition their enthusiasm never wanes. No sir. And look closely at how they use this activation activity as a mental warm-up too. Look how they’re directing their attention onto the intricacies of movement. Look how, as they activate their bodies they’re activating their minds - a mental intensity - a deep engagement…prepping alertness and boosting mental readiness. Prepping alertness and boosting mental readiness… And look…just look at how they’re dedicated to executing their actions with energy-forward. A conviction and a commitment. Purposeful. Proactive. The kind of approach behaviour you’d want them to take onto the game day pitch. And finally…those social connections. Those bonds. Those inter-personal ties that bind…an activation exercise with psycho-social skills galore! ***************************** I am, of course, being facetious. Engaging players…engaging people…is hard. It’s difficult. Leaders have to be able to influence and organisations have to create systems that capture attention and captivate attention. The brain gets bored by the regular, and for alertness and readiness to be tapped, novelty is so often required and interest in the form of enjoyment is so often needed. And so it’s incumbent on leaders to engage players. And in high performance team sports, it’s necessary to create an environment where player leaders are working to engage their teammates. An all-in approach to engagement. Engagement in sporting and corporate environments is critical. It’s the gateway to learning and performance. It can never be taken for granted nor dismissed as the responsibility of the individual. How are you engaging your people? And how are you helping them engage as individuals and as teammates in your environment?

Excited about this new role we have opened, helping to lead our 2nd team and academy! Check out this Head of Academy Physical Performance opportunity recruiting2.ultipro.com/LAR1…

“It’s world-class, and then some!” 🔥 Djimi Traore scored one of the most memorable goals in club history when we last faced Tigres at home in the Champions Cup!

This Pep Lijnders interview ahead of the game was brilliant, by the way. He went into so many details.

Football just used to be so much better

Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa reportedly told one of his players that playing in MLS "makes players lazy" & that they must play elsewhere to make his squads. His Uruguay side is currently down 4-1 at halftime to the United States & all four goals were scored by MLS players

Atlanta isn't just on the map... We are the epicenter of soccer in North America 📍

🚨✍️ NEW ARTICLE FALSE LINES Why Football's Tactical Truths Are Stranger Than Fiction Dominant tactical approaches are based on the optimisation of processes to ever higher levels of efficiency. But what happens when we reach the human limits of this optimisation? Link below 👇

🚀 Great news for all Tactical Periodisation enthusiasts! 📚 Learn from Pep Lijnders, a renowned professional coach, and take your knowledge to the next level. 👉VII Professional Master on Tactical Periodisation! Applications are open! tacticalperiodisation.com

6 years in the making. The Sport Science Handbook launches August 2025 — a practical blueprint for coaches, sport scientists, and practitioners who want to make better decisions in sport. This project wouldn’t exist without the many brilliant people who generously contributed their insights and time. 👇 A huge thank you to: • Matt Jordan (@JordanStrength) • Sam Contorno (@sam_contorno) • Emma Beanland (@EmmaBeanland1) • Harjiv Singh (@singh_harjiv) • Dave Tenney (@DaveTenney) • Anna Cruse (@AnnaCruse) • Johann Windt (@JohannWindt) • Dominic Samangy (@DSamangy) • Daniel Yu (@daniel_yuuu) • Jenny Strickler • Patrick Ward (@OSPpatrick) • John Wagle • Ernie Rimer (@ErnieRimer) • Dave Taylor (@Bballphysio) • Josh Nelson (@DrCoachNelly) • Jo Clubb (@JoClubbSportSci) • Matt Rhea (@MattRheaPhD) • Joe Eisenmann (@Joe_Eisenmann) • Jeremy Sibold (@JeremySibold) This isn’t a textbook. It’s a practical guide for navigating the messy, complex realities of applied sport science — built to help you: • Think more clearly about what really matters • Make better decisions in any environment • Improve athlete performance & health at all levels Follow @sportscinetwork to stay tuned. What is the Sport Science Network?
More coming soon… - Adam & Marc

We are a week away from our first 2025 Expert Workshop Series with Dr. Darren Burgess! 👉 Access this workshop by joining or renewing your PSPA 2025 membership today: lnkd.in/g7fPnAXu

When you fall, you rebuild. Rise again. But this was not built overnight. Rooted in the Stripes: Daybreak » atlu.td/ltxH50V3eBg 🎞️

Looking to hire one more important staff member for our Atlanta United 1st team High Performance department. Looking for an up and coming strength and conditioning coach who is looking to work in MLS. This person will be responsible for overseeing gym-related activities, and working in close collaboration with myself, our 1st team fitness coach, and head of sports science and performance analytics. teamworkonline.com/multiple-…

👀 @ATLUTD offszn so far ⬇️ ✍️ Guzan, Thiaré & Hernández return 🤝 Chris Henderson - Chief Soccer Officer & Sporting Director (4x @opencup, 2x @MLS Cup, 2x Supporters' Shield winner) 🧪 David Tenney - Director of High Performance (20 yrs experience across both @NBA & @MLS)

United in Excellence. Chris Henderson is #ATLUTD's new Chief Soccer Officer & Sporting Director 👏

🚨 We're Hiring: Head of Sports Science & Performance Analytics at Atlanta United FC! 🚨 #ATLUTD is looking for an experienced Head of Sports Science & Performance Analytics to lead the integration of performance data analytics and sports science across all teams—from the First Team to MLS Next Pro and Academy. This role will be at the forefront of optimizing player performance, reducing injury risk, and supporting long-term athlete development using data-driven insights and cutting-edge technology. The person will be responsible for maintaining the performance data of all Atlanta United teams in an integrated data structure. Check the link for more info... ambgroup.wd1.myworkdayjobs.c…

Thanks to all attendees, vendors, and speakers who helped make the @PSPA_perform Conference the success it was! Looking forward to next year and continuing to build on what this group has accomplished in such a short time.