Shall I ask you a straightforward question? In order to coach youth soccer, what 3 things should a coach do? Before you jump into answering this question, realize that youth soccer means that kids should enjoy the game. The focus should be on making drills and sessions so exciting that they are always full of enthusiasm.
Therefore, to teach youth soccer, take care of the following instructions. These will give you the leverage to turn the young kids into expert players.
Let the players have fun: As discussed, youth soccer translates into fun sessions for the players. As a coach, design each of the sessions ahead of time. As an example, ask them to do warm up drills before moving to the regular drills. Once completed, make the kids move to more advanced drills, for example, passing dribbling, and controlling the ball.
To add to that, encourage the players to think creatively. Motivate the kids to attempt new things and when they make mistakes, which is natural, do not disrupt them. Have a word with them after the session. It is essential to take the parents into confidence if you wish to make the game enjoyable for the players.
To coach youth soccer, this is crucial since the kids spend more time with their parents than on the field. Ask the parents to inspire the kids, keep a track of their diet, and be regular in their training sessions.
Get used to the age: Teaching soccer to young is usually between the age of 7 to 14. At this time, it is highly testing to create drills that stimulate the kids. Therefore, you must spend a considerable time researching on various drills that are appropriate for this age group. Also, communicate carefully with them as they may not understand your intent behind the exercises if you are too formal in your approach.
It is a good idea to make two or more teams and giving them names. This breeds the feeling of mutual respect. It is advised not to conduct a lot of trials too. A well designed session consists of both new as well as old tricks.
Write the exercises: It always pays to write the exercises on paper along with the results that you are expecting from them. It achieves a road-map for the efforts of the team. A written document is always useful in determining the objectives of the team. If anything requires to be changed, you can easily do so in a written documentation.
Also, with everything documented, it is easy to track your goals. It is quite normal for some things to go awry and then, you can always check them.
It is correct to say that youth soccer coaching is a great job full of excitement and accountability. With this information at your disposal, you will without doubt be able to do full justice to your job.
Examine these tips immediately. These tricks on coach youth soccer will bring you immense results. If you would like access to a mass of resources on youth soccer, join our youth soccer coaching community.
Andre Botelho is the author of “The Expert Youth Soccer Coaching Guide” and he’s a recognized expert in the subject of youth soccer coaching. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make coaching sessions fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: Soccer Coaching Drills.