Coaching Youth Soccer – Secrets Revealed!
Coaching Youth Soccer can be exciting and fun but there are important aspects every coach needs to take into consideration. You may say that some of these are just simple common sense, but they are not for sure common practice:
1. Don’t make speeches. This may not seem important but kids really get bored and distracted when coaches have the habit of making incredible long speeches and instructions. No matter how old your players are, be short and sweet in whatever you have to say to them.
2. Don’t complicate things. Strip every drill to its basics and test it with your players making sure they are ready to move forward and perform it well. Show your players a complicated diagram with arrows and circles and a five-page instruction manual and they’ll lose interest in a blink of an eye.
3. Don’t be a ball boy- this is essential. If you want to keep your players’ respect, don’t run after balls. Doing that can dangerously unbalance the player-coach equation. If a player shoots a ball out of bounds, make them go get it.
4. Do you have kids helping with getting the balls? If that’s the case, don’t let them join the training session. This simply signals a laxity in discipline- ball boys are just there to get the ball. If they want to join in the practice, they have to join the team like everyone else.
5. Never, ever criticize the player. If a player misses a shot or fumbles, don’t blame them. Point out the flaws in their technique or skill and do that calmly. Screaming at a player for being ’stupid’ is a great way to make them want to leave your team.
6. While Coaching Youth Soccer, explain it clearly and as briefly as possible. Then demonstrate it- your players will pick it up quickly if they see how it’s done. Conversely, don’t try and demonstrate something that you can’t do.
7. Health and safety should always be foremost in a coach’s mind. This means making sure that the ground and the equipment are in good shape before your soccer training session starts. Remember that if a kid sprains his ankle because the ground was slippery, then it’s technically your fault.
8. Don’t leave the parents out in the dark. Meet with parents regularly and always keep them up-to-date when it comes to the team’s problems and challenges. Remember that parents can be a powerful and useful ally for any youth soccer coach.
When Coaching Youth Soccer, these are important aspects that every coach should consider. Learn how to literally explode your players’ skills and make trining more fun in less than 29 days at SoccerDrillsTips . com.
About The Author:
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching. If you want to learn how to explode your players’ skills and make practice more fun and interesting, get your free Soccer Coaching guide at http://www.soccerdrillstips.com – Coaching Youth Soccer Drills.
