Though it is the last day of the “World’s Largest Gathering of Soccer Coaches,” the Saturday of Convention is chock-full of sessions and activities in which to partake.

There are two meal functions to add to your weekend schedule, including the NSCAA Women’s Soccer Breakfast at 8 a.m. and the NSCAA All-America Luncheon, featuring some of the top student-athletes around the country, starting at noon.

As for Saturday’s sessions, youth coaches may be interested in:

• The 9:30 a.m. lecture session entitled “Leagues-State to National” presented by Paul Luchowski, Commissioner-US Youth Soccer and Austin Daniels, Technical Director Arizona Youth Soccer.
• The 11 a.m. lecture session by Dave Newbery, NSCAA Club Standards Project Coordinator, on “Best Practices--How to take your Youth Soccer Club to the Next Level.”
• The 2:15 field session, “Fitness for Soccer” by Greg Maas, Utah Youth Soccer’s Technical Director.
• And Newbery’s 3:45 session on the "20 Common Characteristics of Successful Youth Soccer Clubs.”

High school coaches will benefit from:

• The 11 a.m. field session named “Team Building-Creating a Defensive Pattern” taught by Miguel Cardoso, UEFA Pro Coach.
• The 2:15 lecture session by founder and CEO of iSoccer.org Scott Leber, “Using Simple Gaming Mechanics and Motivational Psychology to Ignite Skill Development.”
• The 3:45 lecture by UEFA-Pro-License Instructor Ralf Peter on “Winning the Ball-Analysis and Comparison.”

For the college coach attendees, these are some of the sessions that should end up on the Saturday schedule:

• The 11 a.m. lecture session "The Role of Performance Analysis in Developing the College Game and Athlete,” presented by Prozone and featuring Mike Jacobs (Evansville), Alan Kirkup (Florida), Anson Dorrance (North Carolina), Marlon LeBlanc (West Virginia), and moderated by Robin Russell, UEFA.
• The 12:45 session "Methodology of a Training Session for Professionals - Holding the Attention of Professional Soccer Players" by Jay Miller, primary assistant coach for the New England Revolution.
   

For new or aspiring coaches, Saturday is also an opportunity to take part in the Next Generation Coach seminar. This program is specially designed for the up-and-coming soccer coach. Attendees will receive advice from some of the game’s most noted coaches.

Convention registrants will also have a chance to take in lecture or field sessions throughout the day, and one which budding coaches may find helpful is the NSCAA Roundtable Discussion "Building a Recruiting Network" by Mike Jacobs, head men’s coach at University of Evansville.

Additional information about the Next Generation Coach program will be posted on Monday, Oct. 29.

The day wraps up with the Walt Chyzowych 4-a-side Tournament, which is a chance to show off your own on-field soccer skills, followed by the adidas 4-a-side Tournament after party. Registration for the tournaments will be available prior to the week of the event through Elite Tournaments.

When you register for Convention, be sure to book your room through Sunday, as you can also participate in three more field sessions by NSCAA Assistant DOC Doug Williamson, NSCAA Goalkeeping Academy Director Tony DiCicco and NSCAA Academy Staff member David Bokhart. All three sessions are a part of the NSCAA Level 2 and Goalkeeper Level 1 Diploma offerings.

Related articles:

[+] Glimpse at your Convention week: Wednesday
[+] Glimpse at your Convention week: Thursday
[+] Glimpse at your Convention week: Friday

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