High School Soccer Coach Transforms Program with Video Analysis

"We made it to the playoffs for the first time in five years. We beat teams that we hadn't beaten in over 20 years," says Kevin Gorham, varsity coach and program director at Milton High School.

Gorham achieved these breakthrough results in just his first full year leading the girls' soccer program. The transformation challenges the assumption that high school sports programs need years to build competitive success.

This demonstrates how the right approach and tools can accelerate program development at the youth level.

Milton High School's program transformation challenge

Kevin Gorham has been coaching soccer for years, but taking on Milton High School's girls' program presented a completely different challenge. His experience came from the club world, where he worked with dedicated players in focused training environments.

Milton High School serves a diverse community where soccer competes with academics and multiple other commitments. The program hadn't seen consistent success in years, making Gorham's first season crucial for establishing credibility.

This situation reflects the broader challenge facing high school soccer programs: how to develop players while managing the unique demands of student-athlete development.

The problem with traditional high school coaching methods

Before implementing video analysis, Gorham struggled with the limitations of traditional coaching approaches in the high school environment. "High school soccer for me was a baptism of fire. It's like dealing with a professional athlete in a high school environment," he explains.

The daily practice schedule meant limited time for detailed tactical instruction. "You could play two to three games a week. So it's very, very different than the club world," Gorham notes. Players would nod along during field instruction, but real understanding remained elusive.

Without better teaching methods, the program's 60 girls across all levels weren't developing at the pace needed for competitive success. The freshman team and varsity players alike needed more effective ways to grasp tactical concepts.

How video analysis solved the development problem

Gorham decided to bring professional-level tools to the high school setting through video analysis technology. "I wanted to essentially bring our program to a different level. I felt to take it to that level and build a program that was conducive to player development, we needed to do more," he recalls.

The implementation gave every player access to video review capabilities. "Every girl has access to video analysis. Every girl has an account. Every girl can go in, can break out plays, can look at themselves, can review stuff," Gorham explains.

The classroom sessions transformed player understanding immediately. "You can do everything on the field, but when you go into a classroom and you look at a screen, and you can break it down and put an arrow going from one point to the other, everybody stands back and looks at it and says, 'Oh, now I get it. Now I see what you mean,'" he notes.

The results came quickly: a winning season for the first time in 10 years, playoff qualification for the first time in five years, and victories over teams they hadn't beaten in over two decades. "Our freshman team, which is our third team, lost one game all season long. They had access to videotape the same way as our varsity girls did," Gorham adds.

Ready to transform your high school program?

Gorham's experience shows how video analysis can accelerate high school sports development. Want to discover what these tools can do for your program? Veo experts are standing by to help you get started.