Shall I ask you a straightforward question? To coach youth soccer, what 3 things can a coach do? Before you reply to this question, it is vital to understand that youth soccer means that kids should enjoy themselves. The concentration should be on turning the drills into enjoyable exercises so that the players get motivated.
Therefore, to teach youth soccer, take care of the following instructions. 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, make sure to regulate your sessions early enough. For instance, make the kids do some warm-up exercises to prepare them for the main drills. Then move to advanced drills such as passing, dribbling, trapping the ball etc and so on.
Also, allow the kids to be creative in their approach. Motivate the kids to attempt new things and when they make mistakes, which is natural, do not disrupt them. Talk to them about it after the session. Parents need to be actively involved if the game has to be made enjoyable for the children.
To coach youth soccer, it is vital because the players are more at home than on the field. Ask for cooperation from the parents since it is crucial in keeping a check on their daily diet, regularity in sessions, and encouragement.
Adapt to the age level: Teaching soccer to the youth is generally for kids between 7-14 years of age. At this time, it is highly testing to create drills that stimulate the kids. Hence, spend a lot of time thinking about exercises that they would play and enjoy. And then, make sure that you communicate in a very casual manner and instruct them in simple terms.
It makes sense to split the group into two and name them differently. This pumps in a sense of belongingness. Do not test a lot as well. The sign of a productive session is that there are both new and old drills.
Document the Drills: You must always write down the sessions, drills, and the goals associated with them. It helps in developing a strategy for the team. The documentation also helps you in evaluating the progress of the players. If something needs a change, written plan will assist you in assessing it.
You can determine your goals easily too. 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 can be assumed that youth soccer coaching is a fun filled and challenging job. With this information at your disposal, you will without doubt be able to do full justice to your job.
Put this to test right away! These tricks on coach youth soccer will bring you immense results. Subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community where there is a wealth of resources on youth soccer.
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.