Let me present a real simple way to keep in mind some of the important soccer coaching factors that are needed in building the team philosophy and getting along with it. We can apply this philosophy to our youth team very easily as it is easier than we can imagine.
The elements which are essential for an effective youth coaching philosophy are 6; parents, coaches, excitement, selection, time, and success windows.
Regular communication with Parents: When it comes to soccer training, parental influence is the key influence in the mental and physical well being of your players, especially on the day of the match. The pamphlet of “parental responsibilities” provided at the beginning of the term is not adequate. Arrange for regular meetings with them so that the key points can be repeated and concerns shared.
New soccer coaches: An important part of the philosophy is that you should not only concentrate on development of the players, but also the coaches. Assess and see if you can turn one of your kid’s parents into a soccer coach? They would be most suitable and a great option for the future.
Selection: The greatest reason for players with great soccer skills to lose interest is non-selection. Studies show that players would rather get selected for a bad team out of the fear of getting rejected for a good team. Hence, a fair selection system should be used so that all the players are given equal game time.
Time: Start the session on time and tell the parents to be on time as well. Clearly established start times and finish times allow you to plan and deliver the session effectively.
Excitement: Is it absolutely necessary that all the soccer coaching sessions are entertaining? Try to make every session an enjoyable one but also remember that you cannot do it all the time. As such, adopt excitement as an alternate.
When you train the kids, it is perfectly natural that coaches have problems coming up with different ideas on how to make sessions fun. As such, the biggest hurdle that the coaches face is with regard to the creativity aspect of coming up with fun drills every now and then.
In soccer drills, it makes sense to keep escalating the difficulty aspect so that kids get skilled. A method of doing this is to start a game, introduce a problem, and then find a solution of it in a drill.
Success windows: Try and include a success window for the season as a vital part of your training sessions. This needs you to determine a lower limit and an upper limit of time with a view to measure the level of success that needs to be achieved.
To take an example, time frame of minimum four and maximum eight weeks. This can be achieved for both the team members and the individual members.
Favor yourself and have a soccer coaching philosophy like this become a part of the development phase of your kid’s training once the basics have been covered. In order to be more resourceful, full of knowledge, and gain tips and techniques, 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.
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