Shall I ask you a straightforward question? To coach youth soccer, what are the 3 things that a coach can do? Before you answer this question, it is important to know that youth soccer is all about letting the kids have fun. The focus should be on making drills and sessions so exciting that they are always full of enthusiasm.
So, to teach youth soccer, remember the following rules. These will instill the ability in the kids to become mature players.
Let the kids have fun: As I said, youth soccer is all about having fun with the game. As a coach, prepare each of the sessions beforehand. As an example, ask them to do warm up drills before moving to the regular drills. After that, get to the advanced exercises such as dribbling, passing, trapping etc.
As an addition, motivate the players to think out of the box. Stimulate the kids to challenge themselves and if they fail, do not be harsh to them. Discuss with them after the practice session is over. The support of the parents is also extremely crucial in achieving the fun objective.
To coach youth soccer, it is vital because the players are more at home than on the field. Seek the parent’s help in keeping a check on kid’s diet, inspiring the kids, and achieving regularity.
Get familiar with the age of the kids: Teaching soccer to kids is between the age of 7 to 14. At this stage, it is difficult to come up with drills that engage their attention. Therefore, you must spend a considerable time researching on various drills that are appropriate for this age group. In addition, it is important to keep the age of the kids in mind while conversing with them as they may not find it easy to understand your instructions if they are too complex.
It is a good idea to divide the group into teams and name them. This pumps in a sense of belongingness. Also, do not experiment a lot. A good session is one that has a mix of new and old time-tested techniques.
Pen down the drills: It makes sense to pen down the exercises and also the objectives related to them. It makes the efforts of the team worthwhile. A documented plan goes a long way in measuring the progress of the players. When you have to revisit your plan, it is easy to do so when it is in a written form.
Also, with everything documented, it is easy to track your goals. It is perfectly usual for a few things to go wrong and in that case, you can always get back to the original plan.
It is safe to say that youth soccer is a dynamic, fun-filled, and yet a responsible job. With these handy tips and techniques, you can easily tackle the job.
Test them right way. These powerful techniques on coach youth soccer will make you successful and rope in great results. For a treasure of resources, tips, and techniques on soccer, enroll for 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.