Wednesday, April 29, 2020

My Youtube Channel

I've been developing YouTube content lately.  It is an unsurprisingly eclectic station.   I'm working on some philosophical and theological content, but for now there are two main types of videos:

1. Soccer (Football) Tactics Videos

I realized a few years back that I go through multi-year obsession cycles.  At any given time, there is one skill that I invest huge hours in.  This decade it has been preaching, writing novels and short fiction, and for the last couple years...coaching.[1]

I send out a technique or tactics video every week on the training theme.  While there is a ton of great technique content[2]...tactical content has two main problems.

First: It is too advanced.  Most tactical videos were developed for sophisticated Premier League fans.  Not for 7-14 year olds who do not watch sports regularly.

Second: It always uses footage from the men's game.  But I mostly coach girls.  So I'd like to use content from the women's game.   So I've been developing some of these tactical videos with USWNT and NWSL footage:



2. Sediment Modeling Videos

I don't talk much about my vocation in this space, but I'm on a team that develops popular, hydraulic, modeling software.  Our user manual is excellent, and well over 1,000 pages.  The problem is, no one reads user manuals any more.  If I need help with a new program, I go to YouTube like a civilized person.  And sediment transport modeling - like many highly parameterized earth science simulations - is more of a wisdom-based craft than a hard skill.  So I'm trying to develop a series of videos that transmits the skill and wisdom components of the craft.


____________

[1] I may do a coaching manifesto at some point.  But the top tenant of a document like that would be the same as any of my other obsessions: "Embrace your incompetence."  Realizing that simply being a parent (and I think dad's are particularly prone to undue confidence here) who played the sport gets you about 20-30% to where I want to be.  Coaching is a skill, like other skills, that needs to be taught, learned, and practiced.  But it is the strange skill of transmitting skills...as well as character and tactics.  Of the three, the third is the easiest.

[2] I've developed a playlist of the videos I use most seasons: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL26VoPqZfrgBnXZP_4Z7erNrIxyZMX-kj

No comments: