Coaching Youth Soccer – The Golden Rules

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009 at 1:49 am

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. Especially if you’re coaching young kids, making them sit through long lectures is a great way to bore them out of their minds and disinterested in soccer really fast. 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- it’s critical that you understand that it’s not your task to run and catch the balls. Make your players go run and get the balls that they shoot out of the field. You can even make it a rule that if they score they don’t have to catch it anymore for that day.

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. If they ask to be part of the practice session, make them know that they can’t do both.

5. Never, ever criticize the player. One of your players missed a goal? or a decisive pass? 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. Next it’s time to show it. i’m sure you’ll do well and you’re players will understand perfectly everything you teach. 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. Always remember that your player’s parents can be your best ally.

When Coaching Youth Soccer, these are important aspects that every coach should consider. If you want to dramatically improve the skills of the kids and keep their interest and focus during practice sessions, you can learn that and much more 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.