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Nate Baker's Newsletter

Every Friday, I send out a free coaching education newsletter that uses development to unlock the better coach within you. An essential read for all coaches looking to build special organizations and people.

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NBN114: How to Coach Youth Soccer Without Losing Your Mind (or Joy)

Nate Baker's Newsletter #114 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers How to Coach Youth Soccer Without Losing Your Mind (or Joy) March 28, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 5-6 minutes I hadn’t even left the bench yet… My group had finished the season in style with a dominant win over a local rival. The vision was on full display. But that doesn’t mean everyone sees it. Or...

Nate Baker's Newsletter #112 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers The Match Is NEVER a Proving Ground for the Coach March 14, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 6 minutes | Newsletter Archive Validation is a drug that can turn any match from the next step on the path into a proving ground for the coach. This is true of all coaches, including the Developer. Long-term...

Nate Baker's Newsletter #111 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers How Development Makes Impossible Possible (The Power of Process) March 7, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 4-5 minutes I have a big match this weekend. My group is competing for the right to make playoffs for the first time in the club’s history. Winning would put us in a great position. Losing puts a...

Nate Baker's Newsletter #110 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers 7 Ways Collaboration Can Fuel Your Team’s Growth February 28, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 5 minutes Development thrives on collaboration, yet our soccer culture remains stuck in silos. It’s everyone for themselves. The coach prioritizes career advancement. Players prioritize self-interest. Directors...

Nate Baker's Newsletter #109 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers Session Planning 101: 7 Ways to Create the “Perfect Practice” February 21, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 5 minutes A yellow legal pad, a pen, and an idea. That’s all he would use to create that day’s session. This was the process for one of the most successful coaches in college soccer history. He’d...

Nate Baker's Newsletter #108 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers What My 13-Year-Old German Shepherd Taught Me About Life February 14, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 4 minutes I have a dog named Forrest, and tomorrow will be his last day. Four months ago, we found out he had, at best, a month or two left. Bone cancer, a fractured leg, and a timeline… As fair warning...

Nate Baker's Newsletter #107 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers A Developer Walks Alone Before They Find Their People February 7, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 4 minutes All coaches begin as novices with nothing more than intuitions, a machete, and a choice to make… Do I follow the path of least resistance, where everyone drifts despite knowing deep down it's a...

Nate Baker's Newsletter #106 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers Culture Divides Coaches Into 3 Groups January 31, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 4 minutes I write a lot of articles about culture and its creation. And they don’t usually do well… On an intellectual level, this makes no sense to me. There is something about the topic that divides us despite its...

Nate Baker's Newsletter #105 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers Great Coaches Back Themselves (Coaching Education Should Too) January 24, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 6 minutes “You can’t do that.” “I can’t do what?” Eleven years ago, I received my “A” Coaching license. During my practice test, I was told to construct a session around switching the point of...

Nate Baker's Newsletter #104 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers You Want This Next Season to Be Challenging (4 Reasons Why) January 17, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 3 minutes The challenge in front of you is not something to fear. Challenge is the flashlight that reveals the next steps on our team’s developmental journey. It may not feel that way in the moment,...