#394 Ted Kroeten, Founder of Joy of the People, on the Massive Importance of Free Play in Athletic Development

Way of Champions Podcast

In this replay from 2019, John talks with Ted Kroeten (@Joyofthepeople), founder of Joy of the People, a free play soccer program in Minnesota. Kroeten leads the way in rethinking and delivering player development always championing kids and possibilities based on his experienced, dedicated, and innovative soccer career. Joy of the People’s mission statement provides a clear idea of what they’re attempting to provide: To support the idea of play as an important part of a child’s development, to build small soccer spaces for kids to play, to serve disadvantaged youth, and to build community spirit. Here are some highlights from the Podcast:

• What happened when free play was introduced into practice?
• How does the now defunct idea of “10,000 hours” play into free play and increasing performance?
• An amazing story of a soccer club famed for youth player development, with numerous expensive player transfers, yet they sign their players after the age of 16
• The younger teams get beat in competition, but how does it work out when they get older?
• There is a time for structure, when is that time?
• What is going on with the athlete that did not grow up in the academy setting but blows away those who grew up in the deliberate practice environment?
• How can you add free play into your performance development practice plan?
• What are “kid micro-clubs”?

Connect with Ted Kroeten

• Website: www.joyofthepeople.org
• Email: [e-mail]
• Twitter: @JOYofthePEOPLE
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-kroeten-3114a27/

Resources Mentioned Article on Dynamo Zagreb Academy Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, by David Epstein [book] The debate between Epstein and Gladwell [video] Explorations in Language Acquisition and Use, by Stephen Krashen [book] How to Become a Transformational Coach with Jean Cote, World-Renowned Expert in Youth Sports and Coach Development [podcast]

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Jerry and John are so excited about their new book together The Champion Sports Parent: Practical Wisdom for Raising Confident, Competitive, Mentally Tough Athletes. Release date is October 1, but we are taking preorders now and hopefully getting you the book before it is available for the public. This book is a great compliment to The Champion Teammate, as your parents are a huge part of your culture. Click here to order now or email [e-mail] to inquire about bulk book pricing!

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This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a new software platform for youth sports clubs. There are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams.

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