Coaching Youth Soccer: Things Coaches Miss
Coaching Youth Soccer can be exciting and fun but there are important aspects every coach needs to take into consideration. You’re probably thinking to yourself that some of these may be common sense, but are you following it?
1. Don’t make speeches. This is particulary important if you coach young players and have the habit of making long lectures during your training sessions. The age of your players is nor important. What is important is that you keep your speeches short, sweet and right to the point.
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. You can test this by showing the kids a complicated soccer diagram of a drill with fancy arrows and dozens of instructions, you’ll lose their interest.
3. Don’t be a ball boy- it’s not the coach’s job to run after runaway balls during soccer practice. 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. It’s important that you don’t allow the ball-kids to join practice if they are there just to get the balls. 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. 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. It’s important that you interact with your player’s parents in a way that they feel integrated and well informed of what it’s happening. Keep in your mind that parents can always help you improve your coaching activities.
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.
