1. All of us here in NE Ohio are really excited for Martin Rennie, who was named as the head coach of Vancouver Whitecaps FC last week. Rennie had great success with the Cleveland City Stars and the Oregon-based Cascade Surge. This selection came as no surprise to those who hold a great respect for Rennie, including former Cleveland City Stars GM Mark Geissbauer.
“He knows what it takes to win and he doesn’t give up until he does so,” Geissbauer declared. “His hard work has paid off. He has won championships and Coach of the Year awards. All of them are very, very much deserved. I am really excited for Martin, for his future, for his family to take that next step in his career.”
Good luck Martin from all of us here in the Cleveland area; we are rooting for you!
2. We talk to coaches all the time from youth to the professional level. One thing stands out as an area of need for American players. It is actually a simple step that isn’t in any book or coaching program. Make American players students of the game.
I am really shocked by the amount of youth, high school, even college players that don’t follow the game; they just play it. That is just another thing that separates us from the best in the world. Our players need to start following the game on a regular basis. You can learn a lot just from watching EPL, Bundesliga, La Liga, or even MLS matches. Players need to be students of the game period.
I can’t imagine a Little League baseball player not knowing who A-Rod or Albert Pujols are or a Pop Warner football star not watching the Super Bowl or idolizing Peyton Manning. Coaches can no longer accept a lack of knowledge of the world’s game. American players need to see the beautiful game at its highest level so they can strive and push toward that. Otherwise they will not know what they are striving for.
We need more kids that know Rooney, Kaka, Ronaldo, Messi, even Pelé and Maradona. We need players that understand FC Barcelona’s playing style and know why Man U is the team to beat in England. These are basic things that can be achieved very easily; teams can watch games together with the coach pointing out various items of interest during the match. Think of it as a teachable moment or a way to connect with players.
3. I want to go on the record with an obvious suggestion. Jurgen Klinsmann needs to have Akron’s Caleb Porter somewhere on his staff. Perhaps as the head coach at the U-17 or U-20 level or even as an assistant with the senior team.
Porter has experienced unprecedented success at Akron, revolutionizing the college game using an aggressive, attacking style of play. He is truly a student of the world’s game, having studied the methods of FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool, to name just a few. His former players speak about his professionalism, passion, and enthusiasm for the game. Keep in mind many of his former players are now professionals and most found success very early in their pro careers thanks to Porter’s preparation. Simply put he is a winner that pushes players to their best effort and is able to unlock potential better than any other coach in North America.
