Resources

The massive importance of free play

The best athletes PLAY sports. They don’t work them, they play them. Soccerwire.com featured columnist John O'Sullivan looks at the role of play in the training and advancement of aspiring young athletes.

What does an ACL really cost? The financial and intangible costs to players and families

How much does tearing your ACL cost? Soccerwire.com's Dr. Wendy Lebolt talks with two families on the financial cost, but also the other intangible costs, including the emotional toll it takes on players and their families.

Overlap season spreads kids thin: The 6+ program to prevent over-training injuries

Early spring means the arrival of "overlap season" for many young players, with heavy physical loads due to preseason, tryouts and activity in multiple sports and teams. Dr. Wendy Lebolt explains why this is a recipe for injuries -- and what coaches and parents can do to improve the situation.

Hall of Famer Len Oliver speaks up for D.C. United stadium: “We will all benefit”

Len Oliver is an icon of American soccer, a lifelong servant of the game via his many distinguished contributions as a player, coach, administrator, referee, thinker and writer. This week he is speaking out in support of D.C. city mayor Vincent Gray's plan to build a $150 million soccer-specific stadium at Buzzard Point in Southwest D.C. in partnership with MLS club D.C. United. Oliver wrote a letter to members of the D.C. city council and has kindly made his message available to the wider public.

Bitter political history lingers in Romania’s Eternal Derby between Steaua, Dinamo

It certainly won't get much love in American soccer media, but Steaua Bucharest and Dinamo Bucharest's meeting on Saturday is huge. As with most games around the globe, and certainly ones in Eastern Europe, the history and politics behind the clash cannot be separated from what happens on the field.

The XX Factor: Be the boss of your body

The Fourth Path: Rethinking early player development in the United States

When it comes to the development of young soccer players in the United States, many parents and coaches come to that proverbial fork in the road, and are unsure what path to take. Best selling author and SoccerWire.com columnist John O'Sullivan says we need to blaze our own trail at that fork, we need a "Fourth Path" to how players are developed in the USA.

Euro 2016 qualifying draw set for Sunday; France involved despite automatic bid

The UEFA European Championship competes with the FIFA World Cup to be the best national team tournament around these days. An expanded, 24-team field will compete for the Henri Delaunay Trophy in the namesake’s home nation of France in two summers. The journey to the final tournament begins on Sunday, as UEFA draws the nine qualification groups.