Nate Baker's Newsletter #137 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers The “Inner-Player” That Lives Within Every Coach September 5, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 5 minutes 15 years ago, I played my final match as a pro. It was at Kickers Stadium in Richmond, Virginia. I showered, jumped in my future wife’s car, and drove straight to Adams Morgan in Washington, DC. I was...
11 days ago • 7 min read
Nate Baker's Newsletter #136 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers Preseason Isn’t Just For the Players August 29, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 4 minutes We lost 5-0. Twenty minutes later, I hadn’t left–I just sat in my car, staring into the parking lot. I had coached three matches in less than 24 hours. The performances provided evidence of the many areas we need...
18 days ago • 4 min read
Nate Baker's Newsletter #135 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers I Run to Coaching August 22, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 5 minutes I feel most at peace on a training pitch with my players. Period. It’s the place where I feel most useful. Where I am in flow most often. The place where I can help my players get just a tiny fraction better on the day. It’s the...
25 days ago • 6 min read
Nate Baker's Newsletter #134 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers Learning as You Lead: 10 Ways Top Coaches Improve In-Season August 15, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 4-5 minutes The game never stands still, which means coaches can’t afford to either. For many of us, our seasons are about to start. There is excitement, hope, ideas, and intentions rising to the...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Nate Baker's Newsletter #133 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers I Never Became the Special One August 8, 2025 | Newsletter Archive| Read time: 5 minutes As a young coach, my goal was to revolutionize the sport. I wanted to be this guy ⬇️ That didn’t happen. I never became a college head coach. I never coached at a World Cup. I never coached in Europe. And I never had my...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
Nate Baker's Newsletter #132 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers Stop Setting Goals. Do This Instead. August 1, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 4 minutes The foul count was 29 to 4 in a preseason tune-up. And I wasn’t ready for it emotionally. Their coach talked the entire time. The referee allowed it to persist. I wasn’t mentally prepared for what I was walking...
about 2 months ago • 6 min read
Nate Baker's Newsletter #131 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers The 10 Hidden Costs of Coaching Without Authenticity July 25, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 5 minutes 99% of the American soccer culture is noise. If you meditated on your current experiences as a coach and really broke them down, you’d see the absurdity in it all. Your intuitions and things worth...
about 2 months ago • 6 min read
Nate Baker's Newsletter #130 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers It Took 26 Years to Figure Out Why I Coach July 18, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 4-5 minutes I remember the exact moment I stopped loving the game as a player. I was in a fall sports assembly. I thought it was nothing more than a celebration of our season. A season in life that was new, exciting, and...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
Nate Baker's Newsletter #129 "The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential." The Culture Rep Essential Reading for All Developers The Email Every Club Should Send to Parents Before Next Season July 11, 2025 | Read on my website | Read time: 4 minutes Dear (insert club name) Family, I hope this finds all our families well and enjoying the summer. With the fall season fast approaching, I wanted to send a quick note to help everyone...
2 months ago • 3 min read