Desmond V. Morris, renowned as one of the most influential Vincentian-born soccer coaches, known for combining technical training, life lessons and long-term player development, has authored “150 + Soccer Skills Playbook.”
Morris — a Connecticut-based former St. Vincent and the Grenadines national footballer (soccer star) and a highly respected soccer coach, known especially for his Touchmasters Soccer Training System (TSTS) and his decades of work developing young talent on an international level — told Caribbean Life on Friday, June 5, that “150 + Soccer Skills Playbook” offers players, parents and coaches a “comprehensive, modern training resource designed to elevate technical ability, confidence and on field performance.”
Built around proven development methods and real-world coaching insights, Morris, whose impact spans both Caribbean football (soccer) and US youth soccer, said the playbook arrives at a time when “demand for structured, high quality soccer training continues to surge nationwide.
“The 150+ Soccer Skills Playbook provides a curated collection of skill development frameworks that support players from beginner to advanced levels,” said Morris, a former physical education teacher and athlete, now a coach, creator, and founder of the Volley King, LLC.
“With more than 150 drills covering ball mastery, dribbling, passing, receiving, finishing, agility and game intelligence development, the Playbook is designed to help athletes train with purpose and coaches run efficient, high impact sessions,” added Morris, who, during his time as an educator, helped to formulate a physical education program at Stanwich School in Greenwich, CT.
“This approach aligns with broader trends in the sports training industry, where families increasingly invest in structured athlete development and skill specific training programs,” continued Morris, who has used his unique and successful coaching style, international experience, knowledge of soccer and teaching skills to create the Volley King, a product line aimed at improving an individual’s kicking technique, as well as enhance their goal scoring.
He said the Playbook stands out for its skill focused curriculum — “organized by category and difficulty to support progressive development; player-centered development — emphasis on repetition, creativity, and decision-making; and versatility – suitable for individuals, small groups, teams and training centers.”
When asked how he feels about publishing “150 + Soccer Skills Playbook”, Morris said he felt “completed and accomplished.”
“It has been a lifelong mission, a mission accomplished; A mission to help kids in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and globally,” he said. “This is a book that would take over from my 50+ years of playing and coaching.”
Morris said the idea to write the book originated from “the realization that a playbook would have helped me both as a player and as a coach.
Morris said his major goal for the playbook is that it will take over and help kids improve quickly without spending too much on mentoring and coaching.
“It would decrease field work and the energy that I expand on the field, and the time that I spend in continuous travel to and from the US and St. Vincent and the Grenadines on my mission,” he said. The book is also timely as “it comes out before the World’s biggest soccer tournament.
“As we look at the imbalance of soccer played in poor countries and rich countries, I ponder on how and when small countries, like St. Vincent and the Grenadines, will close the gap,” he said. “I plan to coach kids using the book and plan to spend less time on the field, as I focus on other things in and at this stage of my life.”
Morris said his family has been “the wind beneath” his sails, giving thanks to God for the family that he is blessed with.
“I am thankful and blessed for my parents Stanley and Constance Morris who showed me the benefit of hard work and commitment,” he said. “My dad, a headmaster, taught me the wonder of the spoken and written word. This book is for you, dad.”
He also lauded his sisters, Sylvia, Stacia, Sonia and Sherry-Ann, with special thanks to Stacia for her “diligence and constant push to finish the book, even when I prevaricated. In addition, Morris praised his brothers, Stanley (Luxy) and Alexander (Pete), who he followed to the Layou Government School’s playground in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where he started to play soccer at 4.
“During the time I played soccer with my brothers, it was an honor to be on the field with them, as we became known as ‘The Morris Brothers,’” he said, also thanking the Layou community, where he spent his early childhood.
“The Playbook is an exclamation point on my journey, my soccer journey,” he continued. “The journey continues.”
Morris holds a Bachelor of Science with a major in physical education and Spanish from Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia.
He has also obtained the National “A” License in coaching from the United States Soccer Federation.
Morris, who is multilingual, with native fluency in Spanish and English, as well as conversational skills in French, said most of his career has been spent coaching both in the United States and in the Caribbean.
He said his coaching success stems from a notable athletic career. As youth captain of Team St. Vincent and the Grenadines, he said he obtained three championships, made the Lanzera All Star Team and competed in the Caribbean-American Cup tournament in Brooklyn.
Morris is one of three brothers who played for the National Vincentian Team of 1979. The brothers have coached, led camps and trained thousands of young men and women in soccer over the last 30 years.
Morris said he has led numerous teams to championships and received numerous regional recognition and commendations.
Touchmasters Soccer Training System (TSTS) is Morris’s signature coaching methodology, which, he said, is built around mastery of touch, technical precision, and player development.
Morris said he has mentored over 180 players to earn NCAA Division I scholarships and has guided several players into Major League Soccer. Additionally, Morris is a scout for an MLS team.
The “150+ Soccer Skills Playbook” is available now in print and digital formats.
It can be purchased directly from the author or from Amazon.
You can reach Morris at Thetouchmasters@gmail.com; by phone at 203) 496-9904; or you can visit the website: www.volleyking.com.
