Founder & Product Developer · 2026–present

NextTouch

A soccer development platform that connects team practice with at-home player development. 3 teams today, 20+ targeted by Fall 2027.

My company · founder

Visit nexttouchsports.com Technical case study

NextTouch website homepage — nexttouchsports.com

NextTouch App Store image: structured training weeks — Structured training weeks

NextTouch App Store image: interactive drill path — Interactive drills

NextTouch App Store image: build your dream team — Gamified team building

Overview

A mobile platform where coaches assign structured training weeks, players train at home and submit short videos, and coaches review and give feedback. Three teams use it today, and the goal is 20+ teams by Fall 2027.

For coaches

Structured training weeks built from a drill library
AI-assisted plan generation: drafts are checked server-side before a coach sees them
Automated reminders and weekly communication
Review of player training videos with quick feedback or written notes
Participation tracking and export

For players

Weekly lessons laid out as a progression path
Short video submissions for coach review
Points, team leaderboard and gamified training elements
Direct coach feedback on each clip

Built for a mostly-minor user base

Most users are minors, so safety shaped the build from day one: age verification, parental consent flows, message filtering, block/report tooling, authorized short-lived video playback, and automatic deletion of old clips.

How the product evolved

1
Problem
Players get structured coaching at team practice and very little structure on their own. Coaches have no simple way to assign, see, or respond to at-home work.
2
Original product
A mobile app with team training plans, video submissions, coach review and a leaderboard, with a website for signup and onboarding.
3
What real users taught us
Early testing showed the main constraint wasn't whether players liked the product. Usage depended heavily on coach consistency. When coaches released plans and sent reminders reliably, players trained; when they didn't, usage dropped.
4
NextTouch 2.0
A redesigned, lighter interface; AI-assisted planning so building a training week takes less coach effort; automated reminders and weekly emails so communication doesn't depend on the coach remembering; and a more interactive player experience.
5
Current validation
Three youth teams are using NextTouch now, with weekly participation tracked per team, and expansion to 10+ teams is underway.
6
Where it goes next
Get approved on the Google Play Store so Android families can join, grow to 10+ teams in the near term, and reach 20+ teams using the app by Fall 2027.

How the product evolved

Problem

Players get structured coaching at team practice and very little structure on their own. Coaches have no simple way to assign, see, or respond to at-home work.

Original product

A mobile app with team training plans, video submissions, coach review and a leaderboard, with a website for signup and onboarding.

What real users taught us

Early testing showed the main constraint wasn't whether players liked the product. Usage depended heavily on coach consistency. When coaches released plans and sent reminders reliably, players trained; when they didn't, usage dropped.

NextTouch 2.0

A redesigned, lighter interface; AI-assisted planning so building a training week takes less coach effort; automated reminders and weekly emails so communication doesn't depend on the coach remembering; and a more interactive player experience.

Current validation

Three youth teams are using NextTouch now, with weekly participation tracked per team, and expansion to 10+ teams is underway.

Where it goes next

Get approved on the Google Play Store so Android families can join, grow to 10+ teams in the near term, and reach 20+ teams using the app by Fall 2027.