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Alf Gracombe

I'm a lover of the beautiful game and focused on coach/mentorship education and improving access to the sport. As a youth soccer coach for 14 years, I've been involved in running grassroots soccer programs in Boston. I served as president of Jamaica Plain Youth Soccer for four years and continue to serve on the board and coach, contributing to youth development through sports.

The Long Now of Youth Sports

Dec 12, 2025

The Long Now of Youth Sports

What a Musician Can Teach Coaches About Player Development

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Strategies for Better Player Feedback with Temisan Williams and Mike Smith

Dec 9, 2025

Strategies for Better Player Feedback with Temisan Williams and Mike Smith

How coaches can make feedback more meaningful for young players

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Caroline Foscato on Building Grassroots Soccer Unity in Boston

Nov 21, 2025

Caroline Foscato on Building Grassroots Soccer Unity in Boston

From 30 neighborhood kids to serving 1,400+ players across the city

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Two Podcast Episodes and a Player Feedback App

Oct 29, 2025

Two Podcast Episodes and a Player Feedback App

CoachCraft is in expansion mode with the addition of a new initiative around supporting coaches in delivering more impactful feedback for their players. And two new episodes from the podcast.

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Neil Harris - Person Before Player

Sep 15, 2025

Neil Harris - Person Before Player

Lessons from 21 Years at the Manchester United Academy

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Beyond "Good Job!"

Jul 22, 2025

Beyond "Good Job!"

The Simple Language Shifts That Build Resilient, Growth-Minded Players

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Joe Cummings on Dean Conway

Jul 12, 2025

Joe Cummings on Dean Conway

Joe reflects on 40 years of friendship with the master teacher who helped build youth soccer in Massachusetts

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Edu Rubio

Jun 6, 2025

Edu Rubio

Inside the Premier League: Lessons in Leadership from the Top of the Game

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Meotis Erikson

May 26, 2025

Meotis Erikson

Creating Better Journeys for Young Female Athletes

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Michael Paule-Carres

May 20, 2025

Michael Paule-Carres

Methodologist at La Liga Club RCD Espanyol

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Biso Nkosi

Apr 3, 2025

Biso Nkosi

A coaching journey from South Africa to Japan

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Relationship First: The Mentorship Approach to Youth Coaching

Mar 27, 2025

Relationship First: The Mentorship Approach to Youth Coaching

How focusing on connections before skills can transform your coaching impact

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David Shapiro

Mar 19, 2025

David Shapiro

Bridging sports, mentorship, and community to shape young lives

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Yui Hasegawa: Technical Mastery Meets High Football IQ

Mar 1, 2025

Yui Hasegawa: Technical Mastery Meets High Football IQ

The Japanese International is the model for developing technical skills and in-game intelligence in youth players

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The Power of Coach-to-Coach Connections

Feb 13, 2025

The Power of Coach-to-Coach Connections

Cultivating a network of peers and mentors to improve your coaching

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Temisan Williams

Feb 9, 2025

Temisan Williams

From the grassroots to academy football, insights on player development, communication, and building coaching communities

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Coaches Need Feedback Too (Part 2)

Jan 21, 2025

Coaches Need Feedback Too (Part 2)

How to gather and process feedback effectively to improve your coaching

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Rick Fenoglio

Jan 14, 2025

Rick Fenoglio

Applying sports science and common sense to youth sports development

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Mike Smith of Coerver Coaching

Dec 19, 2024

Mike Smith of Coerver Coaching

Experiences across continents and levels of the game, the power of football to bring people together, and how to put players first in youth coaching

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Coaches Need Feedback Too (Part 1)

Dec 16, 2024

Coaches Need Feedback Too (Part 1)

Why seeking input from players (and parents) is critical to your growth as a coach

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Winning Isn't Everything. But It's Something.

Dec 10, 2024

Winning Isn't Everything. But It's Something.

Seeing beyond the scoreline through a developmental lens

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Introducing the CoachCraft Podcast: Jon Rudzinski

Dec 4, 2024

Introducing the CoachCraft Podcast: Jon Rudzinski

For the first episode of the CoachCraft podcast, I'm joined by Coach Jon Rudzinski

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Receive First: Rethinking Football's Fundamental Skill

Dec 2, 2024

Receive First: Rethinking Football's Fundamental Skill

Training players to scan and improve their first touch

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Sharing Thoughts and Reflections

Nov 25, 2024

Sharing Thoughts and Reflections

Pausing to share thoughts and resources from my first few months of CoachCraft

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Connected Learning: How Skills From One Sport Enhance Another

Nov 18, 2024

Connected Learning: How Skills From One Sport Enhance Another

How futsal and other off-season sports help develop better soccer players

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