Coaching Youth Soccer can be exciting and fun but there are important aspects every coach needs to take into consideration. Most of these are based in common sense and as a result, are pretty easy to remember:
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. This as nothing to do with your players age group. When it comes to making speeches and giving instructions, make it short and sweet.
2. Don’t complicate things. When coaching a soccer exercise you should try to keep it as simple as possible. People have problems in implementing complecated things. I can bet your players will lose their interest in the practice sessions if you try to give them over complicated exercises with lots of instructions.
3. Don’t be a ball boy- during a soccer practice ball will be travelling all over the field. Leave them alone! This can affect your authority and control over the players and severely damage the respect they have for you. They need to go get it.
4. In case you have some kids to help in getting the balls, make sure they do not participate in the drills. This simply signals a laxity in discipline- ball boys are just there to get the ball. You can also make some of these kids join your team, but that same day they will not get balls anymore.
5. Never, ever criticize the player. Never blame a player for missing a goal or a shot. 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. After that it’s time to show the kids how it’s done. They will understand it if you do it properly. 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. Make sure you hold meetings from time to time with parents and keep them informed about future events and the team’s concerns. 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. If you’re a youth soccer coach and you’d like to learn how to dramatically improve your players’ skills and make training more fun in record time visit us right now 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.
