Soccer iQ - Vol. 2: More of What Smart Players Do

I have the paperback, which including a chapter from one of his other books is 116 pages. The book consists of 49 very short chapters each of which address a specific aspect of playing and coaching soccer. Each chapter is drafted from the standpoint of a coach explaining to the players why they should take a given action in a given circumstance. Each chapter ends with a note to coaches. The chapters express his approach clearly and in easy to understand language. The author recognizes that not all coaches will agree with some of his thoughts on how to approach specific parts of the game. In these cases he suggests that they “agree to disagree” and moves on from the topic..His topics range from the types of kicks to take and those to avoid to when the players should expend extreme energy and when they should not. The range of topics is very broad. My one quibble with the book reflects that the game is very dynamic and the pictures in the book are two dimensional, which to me didn’t always give me a complete idea of the author’s point. That’s more on me than it is on him. I think that if you are a soccer coach with some experience you’ll understand his points. If you’re interested in playing, coaching or just watching soccer, I recommend the book.

I have a teen girl who is very book smart (4.0, excels at cerebral puzzles/challenges, math and science are her favs) and naturally athletic. She plays with a competitive team that travels within the star. (she plays up a year) She said the first book was really good then wanted the second book, too. She said things (game situations, strategies, objectives) made so much more sense and there were great explanations and cool ideas she wanted to go try. So we bought the second and she said it was great, too. I suggested she share them with her brothers, HS soccer players both a bit older, and she was offended. Like I tried to give away her bunny! I reminded her who bought them and they boys would give the books back. Oops, She got mad. Haha. She came back a few mins later and paid me off. She said that if the boys wanted the books I could use that money for them if I wanted and THEY could share the books. Gosh, usually she share books no probs. Well not her FAVs, like Harry Potter, Anne of Green Gables. And Soccer IQ evidently.

Another amazing book by Dan Blank for aspiring players, their parents, and coaches. Insightful and actionable concepts in enjoyable, bite size chapters.

Great book on soccer. I also like Vol. 1 better, this one goes more into tactics whereas the first volume had more general facts. Both were interesting and informative. This one was probably beyond the scope our U12 rec girl in many chapters but we both read the entire book and enjoyed it. Dan Black is my favorite author of the dozen or so soccer related books I've read lately.

If you’ve read Soccer IQ Vol1 and enjoyed it—or even picked up a thing or two from it—you should definitely give this book a try. Personally, I think it’s very well thought-out. Dan put a lot more effort into this one, and he goes much deeper with his ideas. However, I would recommend this book for players who are at least 13 years old. For younger players, most of the concepts won’t really make sense in their day-to-day training or games, especially if they play recreational soccer. But as a soccer parent, almost everything in this book will make sense to you. Just be careful not to apply these ideas to your kids too early—let them focus on having fun and developing their skills at a young age.

If you are a soccer fan, then buy this book because it’s worth twenty times the cost. You think volume one was everything but this fills all the empty spots that you could implement into your games immediately.

I read 2 or 3 of these self help soccer training manuals each season. Most are laden with drills and anecdotal information about how to play the game. I picked up Dan's book on a whim and was really surprised. The format is different then most with concise and to the point issues. Its a quick and entertaining read and provides straight to the field advice and solutions. Seems best for the older teams but still valuable for the younger kids coach to catch issues early on so you can address before they become real problems. Be sure and get Vol 1.

Rest assured this is not more of the same. Volume 2 contains new unique truths about the game of soccer that will improve you as a player (or as a coach). There are many great tips in both of Dan Blank's Soccer iQ volumes, I have no doubt I'll be reading them over and over again. After reading this book I happened to go to the local high school soccer game where I live (Mililani, Hawaii) and saw at least 5 failed impossible plays and 2 goal scoring opportunities lost, I wondered what if those players had read Dan's Soccer iQ?