"I believe peer pressure can be just as positive as it is negative. The pressure of performing well for the sake of your teammates has always driven me, even more than winning sometimes."
- Chris Taborn
Playing soccer at a high level for the majority of my youth career and college career, there's nothing that drove me more than competition, however, it may not be the type of competition you're thinking of. Most people get their competitive drive to win because they simply just don't want to lose, but my mindset was a bit different.
In college I read a book by Patrick Lecioni, "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" and the theme behind the book were Lecioni's 5 dysfunctions that can hurt the success of a team: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results. It is a business book but I translated every word into my own world as a player who was part of a team, and that is when I gathered the idea of peer pressure being a positive function within a team setting.
The thing that drove me to win more than anything was playing for my teammates, and the (peer) pressure I would feel was everything to me and it's where my competitive edge came from. I loved winning a match or trophy just as much as the next person, but knowing that my teammates had to trust me in goal to succeed took my game to another level. Some players looked for approval from coaches as a sign of trust, I looked to my players in front of me on the pitch because the feeling of letting them down was the worst!
Of the five dysfunctions from the book I didn't fear conflict because individuals within any team are going to disagree every once in a while. I was always committed, always held myself accountable (as in I was my harshest critic), and results mattered to me because I still was driven to win. However, the absence of trust was something I never wanted my teammates to have in me, so no matter if it was training, regular season match, or a final...I always wanted to show my players that they could trust in me.
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Monday, December 23, 2019
Friday, July 19, 2019
USWNT, 2019 World & U.S. Champs!
There has been a lot of controversy of the United States Women's National Soccer Team before, during, and after this past 2019 World Cup in France. A few players, mainly Megan Rapinoe, have been put under heavy criticism during and after the World Cup about their comments and actions on the White House, equal pay, post-World Cup celebrations, etc... You name it, and they've been criticized on it, and now I want to give my opinion about this 2019 U.S. Women's National Soccer Team. I'm going to break this down into three sections of 1) Equal Pay, 2) White House comments, and 3) post-World Cup celebrations.
1) Equal Pay
First off, I am not going to sit here and type this issue like I know every detail of it, because I don't. I just want to give my opinion of the situation from research that I've been doing. According to the research, "Equal Pay" is not possible, not yet! It is not because the men bring in more money (because they haven't), but because as the economics show, there just is not enough investment in the women's game at this moment in time. I think Megan Rapinoe and the rest of the Women's National Team know this, which is why crying out for equal pay after a World Cup win is brilliant.
From a marketing point of view, the women know that every four years they get the biggest stage soccer has to offer, and during those 2-3 months they are doing everything they can to be heard. They know that equal pay will not come instantly, but they also know that being on the World's stage gives them a platform to try and connect and market to more investors and fans. I think it's a brilliant marketing strategy, and it seems to be working. Whether good or bad, women's soccer has been discussed at the highest-level on a consistent basis over the past few months. I'm not sure if it will fade but this team is doing something special for the Women's game.
2) White House Comments
WHO CARES! There's plenty of athletes, NBA teams, and NFL teams who refused to go to the White House and they were praised for using their freedom of speech. The USWNT's response shouldn't be treated any different, because whether you agree with them or not, its literally their right to do whatever they want. I don't think the President will lose any sleep if Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan don't come to the White House, same as he didn't lose sleep when the Golden State Warriors refused to go.
3) Post World Cup Celebrations
Nobody should have a problem with their post World Cup celebrations because all athletes dance, chant, drink, and cheer after they win a championship. And the USWNT should be able to celebrate more because they didn't just win a domestic league, they won the highest level of international soccer you can play. Megan Rapinoe dancing on stage during a celebration of her team shouldn't be looked down on any more than J.R. Smith walking around with his shirt off and drinking a bottle of Hennessy during the Cleveland Cavaliers post NBA Championship celebration-parade, which everyone thought was hilarious and it was! Realistically these women only get a few months every 4 years to be the main focus of soccer, especially in the U.S., so they are just trying to have fun while it lasts.
Did I think the USWNT were the best and most consistent team at the 2019 Women's World Cup? Nope. Did I think they played the best soccer technically? I really didn't. Do I care about either one of those points? No, because it doesn't matter... They won the World Cup, and this being the most competitive the Women's World Cup has ever been, I think they have reason to celebrate. Some might say they got lucky in the knockout stages getting two penalty kicks to help them advance, but as Ernest Hemingway said, "You make your own luck." Lucky to get those two PKs? Maybe. But it was more important to be in those positions to make themselves lucky.
So, let the women celebrate because they earned it. And if you're all about "Equal Pay" and getting the ladies paid more, then make sure you're supporting the NWSL, buying USWNT and NWSL merchandise, posting about the women's league, and help them get their sales to go up so that investors recognize them. That is the best way these women will get paid, not fairly (because according to the economics they are already getting paid fairly), but making sure they are getting paid better.
1) Equal Pay
First off, I am not going to sit here and type this issue like I know every detail of it, because I don't. I just want to give my opinion of the situation from research that I've been doing. According to the research, "Equal Pay" is not possible, not yet! It is not because the men bring in more money (because they haven't), but because as the economics show, there just is not enough investment in the women's game at this moment in time. I think Megan Rapinoe and the rest of the Women's National Team know this, which is why crying out for equal pay after a World Cup win is brilliant.
From a marketing point of view, the women know that every four years they get the biggest stage soccer has to offer, and during those 2-3 months they are doing everything they can to be heard. They know that equal pay will not come instantly, but they also know that being on the World's stage gives them a platform to try and connect and market to more investors and fans. I think it's a brilliant marketing strategy, and it seems to be working. Whether good or bad, women's soccer has been discussed at the highest-level on a consistent basis over the past few months. I'm not sure if it will fade but this team is doing something special for the Women's game.
2) White House Comments
WHO CARES! There's plenty of athletes, NBA teams, and NFL teams who refused to go to the White House and they were praised for using their freedom of speech. The USWNT's response shouldn't be treated any different, because whether you agree with them or not, its literally their right to do whatever they want. I don't think the President will lose any sleep if Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan don't come to the White House, same as he didn't lose sleep when the Golden State Warriors refused to go.
3) Post World Cup Celebrations
Nobody should have a problem with their post World Cup celebrations because all athletes dance, chant, drink, and cheer after they win a championship. And the USWNT should be able to celebrate more because they didn't just win a domestic league, they won the highest level of international soccer you can play. Megan Rapinoe dancing on stage during a celebration of her team shouldn't be looked down on any more than J.R. Smith walking around with his shirt off and drinking a bottle of Hennessy during the Cleveland Cavaliers post NBA Championship celebration-parade, which everyone thought was hilarious and it was! Realistically these women only get a few months every 4 years to be the main focus of soccer, especially in the U.S., so they are just trying to have fun while it lasts.
Did I think the USWNT were the best and most consistent team at the 2019 Women's World Cup? Nope. Did I think they played the best soccer technically? I really didn't. Do I care about either one of those points? No, because it doesn't matter... They won the World Cup, and this being the most competitive the Women's World Cup has ever been, I think they have reason to celebrate. Some might say they got lucky in the knockout stages getting two penalty kicks to help them advance, but as Ernest Hemingway said, "You make your own luck." Lucky to get those two PKs? Maybe. But it was more important to be in those positions to make themselves lucky.
So, let the women celebrate because they earned it. And if you're all about "Equal Pay" and getting the ladies paid more, then make sure you're supporting the NWSL, buying USWNT and NWSL merchandise, posting about the women's league, and help them get their sales to go up so that investors recognize them. That is the best way these women will get paid, not fairly (because according to the economics they are already getting paid fairly), but making sure they are getting paid better.
Friday, May 24, 2019
College Soccer (Part 1)
Now that I am officially done with college! I want to share my college soccer experiences and helpful tips for those goalkeepers that are currently playing in college or are going into college soccer. I wanted to split this into two parts so I can share both experiences and tips without having you guys read too much at once. This first part will be dedicated to my top 5 most favorite and most exciting moments/experiences as a college player.
1) 2016 Conference Final
This game is at the top of my list because it was a total team effort in such an important game. Down 1-0 for most of the 2016 Conference Tournament Final to Cardinal Stritch (WI), and with 30 seconds left in the game our center-mid throws a long ball into the box that gets cleared out by the defense. Then out of nowhere our forward hits the best half volley you've ever seen to beat the All-Conference goalkeeper top corner. Being at home you can just imagine how the crowd reacted, and we went on to win the game 2-1 in overtime on the golden goal rule. It was the best team performance and the most exciting comeback game I had ever been apart of.
2) Freshman year game vs Roosevelt
This game is number 2 for me because of its importance to the school program and my performance individually. Never had winning a season conference title before, the only team that really stood in our way my freshman year was Roosevelt (CHI). It was one of those games where you knew goals would be flying in left and right, but as a goalkeeper you need to come up big when it matters most. If there was ever a game I couldn't count on both hands how many saves I had it was this game. Winning the game 4-3 in overtime, which ultimately helped us win the first season conference title in school history, I received praise from my coaches, players, the other team's players and coaches on how big of an impact I had on the final result. This was truly one of the best games of my career.
3) Junior year vs Davenport
The total opposite to my number 2 moment, this game my junior year vs Davenport (IA), was one to remember because it was one of those games where you make every save possible but still come up short. As a player I was never one to rate my success per game, but this game I would've given myself a 10/10. It ended in a 1-0 lost, but after the game I received praise from my coaches, players, and more importantly the respect of the other team's goalkeeper who had just won a National title only a year or two before. During this game I would say I even came up with the best goalkeeper save of my entire soccer career. Even though this game was awesome for me individually, it is as number 3 because it is still a team lost and soccer is a team sport.
4) Freshman year preseason
My freshman year I didn't know what to expect going into college soccer. All I knew was that I had about 2-3 teammates I personally knew, and that everyone else was probably going to be better and more experienced to me. The reason I loved this preseason so much was because it was probably the hardest preseason I had in that as a freshman I felt that I had to prove myself. Also, the teammates I met and the relationships I built during that preseason set me up for a successful 4 years with the program. Everyone was welcoming and assured that I knew what my role was to help the team be successful. Even though I felt I worked my hardest that preseason and didn't get the starting spot (which I eventually would after so many games), I put myself into a position where if I got the chance I would be the coach's next best pick and I was.
5) My goalkeeping teammates junior year
I have to include my other goalkeepers in this top 5 list because as a unit we pushed each other harder than I had ever been pushed before my teammates. We would have competitions against each other during finishing sessions to see who let in the least amount of goals, or we would see who can punt the furthest. There was always something within that group my junior year that made us competitive with each other, and the best part about it was it made us better as individual players which helped me translate the competitiveness onto the field. My favorite moment that year was our fitness test during preseason because I remember we all tried so hard to beat each other, and by the end we were dead. And I remember I finished first, and as we leaning over, breathing hard, trying to catch our breath I look over to my other goalkeeper Colin and say, "I really tried to whoop your asses out there." Most would take that as an insult, but I believe that group was so tight and loved competition that that was the reason why Colin just started bursting out laughing. Needless to say that was the year we had won our second season conference and tournament title, and it also happen to be my best year statistically on paper.
I'm sure I have many other great moments over my four years as a college goalkeeper for Olivet Nazarene University, but these are the first 5 that came to me. Part 2 of my college soccer experience I will be listing my top 5 tips on how to be successful when participating in college soccer.
1) 2016 Conference Final
This game is at the top of my list because it was a total team effort in such an important game. Down 1-0 for most of the 2016 Conference Tournament Final to Cardinal Stritch (WI), and with 30 seconds left in the game our center-mid throws a long ball into the box that gets cleared out by the defense. Then out of nowhere our forward hits the best half volley you've ever seen to beat the All-Conference goalkeeper top corner. Being at home you can just imagine how the crowd reacted, and we went on to win the game 2-1 in overtime on the golden goal rule. It was the best team performance and the most exciting comeback game I had ever been apart of.
2) Freshman year game vs Roosevelt
This game is number 2 for me because of its importance to the school program and my performance individually. Never had winning a season conference title before, the only team that really stood in our way my freshman year was Roosevelt (CHI). It was one of those games where you knew goals would be flying in left and right, but as a goalkeeper you need to come up big when it matters most. If there was ever a game I couldn't count on both hands how many saves I had it was this game. Winning the game 4-3 in overtime, which ultimately helped us win the first season conference title in school history, I received praise from my coaches, players, the other team's players and coaches on how big of an impact I had on the final result. This was truly one of the best games of my career.
3) Junior year vs Davenport
The total opposite to my number 2 moment, this game my junior year vs Davenport (IA), was one to remember because it was one of those games where you make every save possible but still come up short. As a player I was never one to rate my success per game, but this game I would've given myself a 10/10. It ended in a 1-0 lost, but after the game I received praise from my coaches, players, and more importantly the respect of the other team's goalkeeper who had just won a National title only a year or two before. During this game I would say I even came up with the best goalkeeper save of my entire soccer career. Even though this game was awesome for me individually, it is as number 3 because it is still a team lost and soccer is a team sport.
4) Freshman year preseason
My freshman year I didn't know what to expect going into college soccer. All I knew was that I had about 2-3 teammates I personally knew, and that everyone else was probably going to be better and more experienced to me. The reason I loved this preseason so much was because it was probably the hardest preseason I had in that as a freshman I felt that I had to prove myself. Also, the teammates I met and the relationships I built during that preseason set me up for a successful 4 years with the program. Everyone was welcoming and assured that I knew what my role was to help the team be successful. Even though I felt I worked my hardest that preseason and didn't get the starting spot (which I eventually would after so many games), I put myself into a position where if I got the chance I would be the coach's next best pick and I was.
5) My goalkeeping teammates junior year
I have to include my other goalkeepers in this top 5 list because as a unit we pushed each other harder than I had ever been pushed before my teammates. We would have competitions against each other during finishing sessions to see who let in the least amount of goals, or we would see who can punt the furthest. There was always something within that group my junior year that made us competitive with each other, and the best part about it was it made us better as individual players which helped me translate the competitiveness onto the field. My favorite moment that year was our fitness test during preseason because I remember we all tried so hard to beat each other, and by the end we were dead. And I remember I finished first, and as we leaning over, breathing hard, trying to catch our breath I look over to my other goalkeeper Colin and say, "I really tried to whoop your asses out there." Most would take that as an insult, but I believe that group was so tight and loved competition that that was the reason why Colin just started bursting out laughing. Needless to say that was the year we had won our second season conference and tournament title, and it also happen to be my best year statistically on paper.
I'm sure I have many other great moments over my four years as a college goalkeeper for Olivet Nazarene University, but these are the first 5 that came to me. Part 2 of my college soccer experience I will be listing my top 5 tips on how to be successful when participating in college soccer.
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Weekend Goalkeeper Coaching Course Review
While most people spent this past Easter weekend at home with family and friends, I spent Easter day driving home from Kansas City while coming back from a goalkeeper coaching course. Although I am not complaining because most of the Level 2 goalkeeper coaching classes are two days and usually nine hours, I found this one for my Tiger Goalkeeping Academy coaches and it was one day and only five hours. Through this post I just want to give my experience and opinion of the course, as it was my first ever goalkeeper coaching course that I physically attended.
At Tiger Goalkeeping Academy one of my biggest things as the director is to make sure all my coaches are licensed and knowledgeable about the latest goalkeeper position fundamentals and trends. Some programs don't care that their coaches are licensed and I respect that, because if you played the position for so long and after taking this course on Friday I thought me and my other coaches should all be Nationally licensed already. Level 1 was about fundamentals, but Level 2 just seemed to be about fundamentals but more in depth. So, in my opinion I was not really able to take away much of what the course taught as it was basic review. However, I did like the opportunity I had to talk with other coaches while sharing ideas, methodology, and new drill concepts/ideas.
I was never a classroom student as I was always more hands on, so sitting on a field for 5 hours just watching the instructor teach was not my most favorite thing in the world, but I did come back to Chicago with new drill ideas, new training concepts, and from talking with other coaches, some more activities that I believe will help my players become better. I do not think I will be getting my Level 3 until the end of the year or early next year, so I will the takeaways I received from this course and implement them into our Tiger Goalkeeping Academy training program this upcoming summer in Chicago.
At Tiger Goalkeeping Academy one of my biggest things as the director is to make sure all my coaches are licensed and knowledgeable about the latest goalkeeper position fundamentals and trends. Some programs don't care that their coaches are licensed and I respect that, because if you played the position for so long and after taking this course on Friday I thought me and my other coaches should all be Nationally licensed already. Level 1 was about fundamentals, but Level 2 just seemed to be about fundamentals but more in depth. So, in my opinion I was not really able to take away much of what the course taught as it was basic review. However, I did like the opportunity I had to talk with other coaches while sharing ideas, methodology, and new drill concepts/ideas.
I was never a classroom student as I was always more hands on, so sitting on a field for 5 hours just watching the instructor teach was not my most favorite thing in the world, but I did come back to Chicago with new drill ideas, new training concepts, and from talking with other coaches, some more activities that I believe will help my players become better. I do not think I will be getting my Level 3 until the end of the year or early next year, so I will the takeaways I received from this course and implement them into our Tiger Goalkeeping Academy training program this upcoming summer in Chicago.
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Welcome to Life Between the Posts
Welcome!
My name is Chris, and I am a young Chicago native who has
just graduated from college and am ready to to get out in the real world and
start making my own adventures! I am a young business owner of a soccer
training company, Tiger Goalkeeping Academy, which is dedicated to helping
young (mainly high school) goalkeepers train, develop their skills, and get the
college-level ready. I am also an aspiring coach, who wants to eventually coach
soccer at the highest level possible for myself, but I also plan on traveling
and enjoying myself along this journey. I have named this blog Life Between The Posts because of my
background as a goalkeeper and the message I wish to convey. My objective with this blog is to hopefully
help young soccer players and coaches by sharing my experiences and showing
everyone that it is possible to reach your goals while having fun! This will be
an interesting journey, but I’m happy to share it with all of you!
Always feel free to leave comments and other feedback about
any content I’ve posted, with suggestions of what you would like to read next.
I’m an open book with a lot of chapters. Please enjoy Life Between The Posts.
-Chris
Tiger Goalkeeping Academy
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