How to Coach Youth Soccer

Опубликовал Admin
26-08-2021, 11:50
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Whether you have a kid playing soccer, or just want to get involved in your community, coaching youth soccer can be a rewarding way to introduce kids to the sport while getting a little exercise yourself and building lasting relationships. Many youth soccer coaches start out with little to no training or experience in coaching, and learn as they go along. If you want to coach youth soccer, the most important things you need are a passion for the sport and a commitment to being a positive influence in the lives of kids.

Finding a Team

  1. Decide what age group you want to coach. If your interest in coaching youth soccer is related to your own child, you probably plan to coach players the same age as your own child. However, if you want to coach youth soccer for other reasons, you'll want to choose the age group that best suits you and your own skill set.
    • With the youngest kids, you'll be focusing on the most basic aspects of playing soccer, including ball handling.
    • But with 5- or 6-year-olds, your main concern will simply be getting the kids to understand what they're supposed to be doing on the field.
    • If you want to teach kids fundamentals of soccer, you would want to coach the oldest kids in youth soccer, who are typically 11- and 12-year olds.
  2. Contact schools or community organizations. Local public or private schools, as well as community organizations, may have the need for youth soccer coaches. Some of these positions will be paid, but the majority will be volunteer positions.
    • In the U.S., for example, each state has its own association connected with U.S. Youth Soccer, which is affiliated with the national soccer team.
    • Many schools, including elementary and middle schools, also have school soccer teams. If you want to coach for a school, the requirements may be vastly different than if you want to coach for a community team.
    • There also may be private clubs that have soccer leagues in your area. Typically you have to be a member of the club to coach for one of these teams.
  3. Assess the requirements for coaches. Different local organizations will have different requirements for youth coaches. Typically you must provide personal information about yourself and submit to a background check.
    • Visit the website of the league where you want to coach, or contact a local administrative official in the league to find out the requirements.
    • Typically you will be able to find a basic application to complete, so you have an understanding of what the requirements are for coaches.
    • At a minimum, you must pass a criminal background check and a state abuse registry check if you want to work with children.
    • Organizations typically have a minimum age for coaches. In most cases you must be over the age of 18, although some organizations allow teenagers to coach youth teams as long as an adult is working with them.
  4. Complete any required training. Some youth soccer organizations require anyone who wants to coach a youth soccer team to complete basic training courses. This training typically doesn't cover particular coaching techniques.
    • Since you'll be coaching young children, any required training typically focuses on safety and basic first aid.
    • You'll also learn the basics of watching and controlling the kids on your team, and what to do in any number of emergency situations.
    • Some states require you to get a license before you can coach a youth soccer team. If a license is required, you may have to take additional courses to ensure you understand the rules of the game.
  5. Fill out and submit your application. Provided you meet the requirements, typically you must next fill out and submit a paper application providing the youth soccer organization with information about yourself and the reasons you want to coach youth soccer.
    • You'll have to submit proof that you've completed any training courses necessary, or that you have the required license to work as a youth soccer coach.
    • In some states, you may have to pay a small fee, typically less than $10, for the processing of your application.
    • Provided you pass the background check and all other information is in order, your application will be approved and you can start coaching youth soccer.

Creating Your Organization

  1. Set your practice schedule. Typically you'll receive a calendar outlining the games your team will play over the course of the soccer season. You can build your practice schedule around these games.
    • Older kids may be able to handle practice more than one day a week, but five- and six-year-olds shouldn't practice more than once a week.
    • You don't want to have practice too close to games, either before or immediately after. Give space of a few days to a week between games and practice.
    • For example, if you're coaching the youngest kids, you may schedule practices every Monday afternoon, with games on Saturday.
    • However, on weeks after games, practice is on Wednesday afternoon instead of Monday afternoon to give the kids ample time to recover after the game.
  2. Establish attendance policies. Participation is important, and your team may not be able to play if you don't have a certain minimum number of players show up to games. For this reason, an attendance policy is an important part of your team's planning.
    • Little kids aren't going to be driving themselves to games and practices, so your attendance policy is really with their parents, not with the kids.
    • Set notice requirements if the kid isn't going to be able to attend a game. Typically you'll want to know by at least one game before. This way you have a practice or two to plan for the game without that player.
    • Avoid penalizing kids for missing games or practice, particularly younger kids. Whether they show up to practice, or show up on time, typically is not within their control.
  3. Study child development. Understanding early childhood development can help you structure your practice sessions so they are age-appropriate. It also will help you create realistic goals and expectations for your players.
    • You can research child development online, or look for courses offered in your community. For example, most community colleges typically offer classes on early childhood development.
    • These classes are usually not expensive, but if you don't have the time or resources to invest in a class, read articles online to get a sense of what the kids you'll be coaching can handle at their age.
    • You also can find resources on the website of your state or national youth soccer association. Typically there are coaching manuals, lists of drills that are appropriate for different age groups, and other informational articles.
  4. Create documents with rules and requirements for participation. Your youth soccer league or association may already have specific rules and requirements that players must meet if they want to continue to compete on a team.
    • However, these rules typically are the bare minimum for players to qualify for the league. As a coach, you may want to set your own rules that will encourage discipline, teamwork, and participation.
    • The rules may vary depending on the age of the kids you're coaching. Generally, you want to focus on good sportsmanship, teamwork, and appropriate conduct on the pitch or while on the bench waiting to play.
    • Make sure every child on your team has a copy of the rules and is given the opportunity to go over them with their parents before the season starts.
  5. Have a meeting with parents. Before the season starts, a meeting with your team's parents is crucial to establish your goals and expectations for the team and answer any questions the parents may have.
    • When you meet with the parents, let them know your expectations as far as when the players should arrive at the games and practices, and what parents should do if their child will have to miss a game or practice.
    • Get contact information for all the parents of the players, and circulate this contact information, including contact information for yourself and any other coaches or team organizers, after the meeting. At a minimum, you need a phone number and email address for each parent.
    • Address playing time and how positions will be determined. Typically you should do your best to meet the desires of the players and their parents. However, if you're coaching older kids in a more competitive league this may not be possible.
    • You also want to cover the requirements for playing on the team, including the purchase of uniforms or travel to games, and any fundraisers or other commitments the players and parents will have.
  6. Focus on the overall goals of the program. When you meet with parents, and throughout the season, keep the goals of participation and overall development of all players in mind. Realize this may lead to confrontation with some more competitive parents.
    • For example, a parent may be angry that their child, who is a strong player, was pulled out of a close game and replaced with a weaker player.
    • Acknowledge the parent's anger and the validity of their concerns. Tell them that at this point in the kids' development, giving everyone an opportunity is more important than winning games.
    • For example, you might say "I appreciate your concern, and you're right – your daughter is one of the strongest players on our team. I have no doubt we could have won the game if I had kept her in, but it's more valuable to give everyone a chance to play than to win the game."
    • Remind them that part of playing sports is learning how to be gracious in defeat as well as in victory. Let them know that when the kids get older, they will have opportunities to play in more competitive leagues in which playing time is determined by skill.

Developing Skills

  1. Arrive early for games and practices. A big part of youth sports is establishing a sense of responsibility and discipline in your team members. Set an example by arriving early for games and practices, and encourage your players to arrive early as well.
    • Typically you want to arrive at least a half hour early for practices, so you have time to set equipment up and inspect the field to make sure it's appropriate for the kids to play.
    • Coaches and teams should plan to arrive at least 45 minutes early for games. This allows you to warm up together as a team and give the kids a pep talk before they go out on the field.
  2. Focus on building teamwork. Particularly with older kids, youth soccer is an opportunity to teach team identity and awareness. Kids between the ages of seven and ten years old can understand the concept of putting the good of their team over their own personal needs.
    • Describe the roles and responsibilities of each of the positions, and encourage kids to explore different positions that might be a better match for their skill sets.
    • The older the kids are that you're coaching, the more you'll be focused on winning games – particularly in more competitive leagues. However, you still should prioritize good sportsmanship and following the rules of the game.
    • Teach your players how to be gracious both in victory and defeat, and model appropriate behavior yourself. Set an example by being appropriately deferential to referees.
  3. Choose drills that are engaging and fun. To teach your players soccer skills, start with ball holding skills to teach your players to control the ball. Then you can move on to offensive and defensive drills.
    • Particularly with younger kids, being active and having fun is more important than winning the game or becoming the next great soccer player.
    • Your league, or your state youth soccer association, typically will have a list of drills you can use in practice to teach your players basic skills while still having fun and getting good physical exercise.
    • Try to balance the focus of activities during practice so that all the players on your team have an opportunity to do something that plays to their strengths.
  4. Avoid coaching like a drill sergeant. You may have memories (perhaps not so fond ones) of the militaristic coach who forced kids who were late to run laps and made you run drills until you puked. These coaching styles are not favored with kids today.
    • Stricter coaching methods can be okay if you're working with older kids in a more competitive league. These kids already have enough experience and are focused on improving their skills and becoming strong players.
    • However, with younger kids in particular, strict militaristic coaching can not only potentially cause injuries, it can land you in trouble with the league or with the parents of your players.
    • Don't use physical activity such as running laps as punishment for violating rules or doing something inappropriate in practice.
    • Similarly, you shouldn't withhold water or other essential nourishment from your players as punishment for poor performance.
    • Instead, compliment a players' performance when they are making an effort or have improved on their personal best. Focus on what the player is doing right – not what they're doing wrong.
    • For example, you might say "That was a great instinct to pass the ball. Next time, call out to your teammates to make sure someone will be there to receive it." This is more positive than simply reprimanding the player for passing the ball without looking or communicating.
  5. Put participation first. Particularly if you come from a competitive sports background, it may be hard for you to wrap your head around the concept that winning isn't everything. However, in youth soccer the most important thing is that the kids are active and involved.
    • This means having to overcome your natural competitive instinct to win on a regular basis, but doing this ensures that the kids on your team will have a better time and get a well-rounded soccer experience.
    • For example, you may be disinclined to rotate players so that a small, relatively weak player moves to a leading offensive position if your team is only behind by one goal.
    • In that situation, if you're playing competitively and playing to win, you want the strongest players in a position to score.
    • However, particularly with younger kids in a community or recreation league, it's more important that everyone has an opportunity.
  6. Encourage consistent effort and improvement. When kids are just learning a sport, too much emphasis on perfection and winning can turn off even the most promising players. Instead, reward kids who constantly try their hardest and gradually get better.
    • For example, if you're doing speed drills during practice and a kid is able to do 15 ball taps in 30 seconds, you should encourage that kid to do 20 ball taps next time around.
    • Measure your players' performance in connection with their personal bests, not what another kid is capable of doing.
    • When you have players who are struggling, focus on what they're doing right and how they're contributing to the team.
    • For example, you might say "I really appreciated how hard you hustled out there today" or "it was good to see you communicating with your teammates."
    • Keep in mind that your players are still developing, and some of them may have more physical strength and coordination than others. It isn't fair to pit them against each other.
    • The smallest, youngest player on the team will not benefit by having her experience compared to a larger, older player who is stronger and more physically developed.

Tips

  • A trophy does not always have to be a traditional trophy, but could be a framed, autographed team photo or a certificate.
  • Fun is the most important factor in youth sports. Don't to relive your glory days through your players.
  • Stay positive.
  • After the game ends, the players are usually tired and not paying attention.Save this time for praise and updates on the next game or practice.Use practice time to correct mistakes.
  • Use words of encouragement as positive reinforcement, not material things.If you set the standard of giving your players things for good practices you are motivating them for the wrong reasons.

Warnings

  • Make sure your intentions are pure.The goal of youth soccer is for the players to learn the game and have fun, not for you to live vicariously through your players.
  • Each team is different, and each player is different.What works for one player or team may not work for another.
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