MLS Houston Dynamo Academy Director inspired by Soccer Starts at Home and Futsal

Futsal Focus founder Stephen McGettigan had the pleasure to talk with MLS Houston Dynamo Academy Director Paul Holocher, Soccer Starts At Home (SSAH) creator Tom Byer, and Technical Director of U.S Youth Futsal and Commissioner of the Professional Futsal League (PFL) Keith Tozer. The meeting was organized to discuss the innovative approach they have come together to drive forward, firstly in Houston, Texas then across the United States.

Before, we discuss this project, for those reading about these individuals for the first time, here is a summary of each one. Paul Holocher is a former professional midfielder who played in Austria and in Major League Soccer. He also earned one cap with the U.S. national team in 1996. Tom Byer is a former professional soccer player originally from New York but is now based in Tokyo, Japan. He is one of the most decorated and admired grassroots soccer coaches in the Asian region. Keith Tozer is a retired indoor soccer player who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League and American Indoor Soccer Association. He previously coached the Milwaukee Wave of Major Indoor Soccer League and the U.S National Futsal team.

Changing a culture:

Phrase 1 – Soccer Starts at Home

Paul Holocher:

“I had heard of Tom before and I knew a bit about his terrific work in Japan with the youth.  I asked Tom if he would come and present to myself and a host of local coaches and he graciously obliged.  When watching the presentation, I had flash back memories of my two sons and how I would play with them and encourage them to try skills.  Those were magical moments with a lot of bonding and fun.  After his presentation, many lightbulbs were going on in my head, and some more clarity on what was actually happening during those moments.   Tom’s message resonated with me in a powerful way and I thought that this is a message that makes a lot of sense and is so positive that we should share with our community.”

“In most sports the entry level is perhaps the most misunderstood phase of development. Soccer Starts at Home addresses it perfectly and, as we are finding out, the benefits go well beyond just becoming good at soccer.”

Related: HBO Feature – Tom Byer – How a Soccer Sensei changed soccer culture in Japan

So, what is SSAH? I am sure you are asking yourself. At its core, the SSAH mindset emphasizes two things: the importance of getting children comfortable with having the ball at their feet as soon as possible, and the vital role that parents play in early childhood development.  Soccer Starts at Home shares a simple, unique, forward thinking message that soccer skills can and should begin at home.  This isn’t so much a soccer program as much as a developmental message backed by research and science.

Tom Byer:

“Soccer Starts at Home is a culmination of 30 plus years working as a Technical coach knowing the importance of developing the technical component early on with young players. I scattered small balls around my own home for my infant first son and discouraged kicking and encouraged manipulating the ball from day one. I documented the development of not only my first son but my second as well. No one had done this amount of observation over so many years. I was lucky that while writing the Book, Soccer Starts at Home®, I caught the attention of Dr. John Ratey, MD, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ratey is a world renowned Neuropsychiatrist who has published a dozen books. After a long phone call with Dr. Ratey this resulted in Dr. Ratey reading the Manuscript for our Book and then writing the foreword and afterword. This gave us a ton of new information based on Neuroscience which showed us much more than just Kids developing Soccer Skills but the Cognitive, Emotional, Social skills as well. We are literally teaching kids from a very young age, how to pay attention. A skill that is so valuable for learning anything, let along only Soccer.

Ball Mastery should be at the center of a child’s development. Parents need to make a commitment to putting time aside, around 15-20 minutes per day to play with their child in and around the home. The secret is parents understanding a child’s need for attention, approval, and praise. At home, inside a safe protected environment, children just play freely with no fear of making mistakes, mix that with the parent’s attention and the right technical knowhow, this in turn creates an emotionally charged environment where deep learning and long-term memory takes place… A child’s brain is 95% developed by the age of 5 or 6yrs old. The feet, the furthest distance away from the brain rarely has an opportunity to develop neural pathways linked to the cerebellum. These exercises help to lay down neural pathways and by repeating the movements this hardwires the brain into memory where these technical skills can be used later in an automated, unconscious way. Repetition is key to hard wiring so the amount of play time you spend with your child early on is important. It is also important for the bonding between the child and the parent.”

Phrase 2 – Research, and the introduction of SSAH to schools

Tom Byer:

“SSAH is not just about trying to develop football players from a young age, there is much more to the program than this. Paul and I are working with the University of Houston, who are doing research with us (Intervention group and controlled group) to show how engaging in Ball Mastery exercises early on helps to develop cognitive, emotional, social, and physical skills as well. It takes a certain degree of focus, concentration, discipline, and paying attention when doing these exercises. Paying attention is perhaps one of the most important skills a parent can help develop in their child. Paying attention ensures that learning is taking place because the child is firing and wiring the same nerve cells during these exercises which is strengthening the connection.”