Allow me to put a simple question to you. To coach youth soccer, what are the 3 things that a coach can do? Now, before you respond to this query, it is critical to understand that the meaning of youth soccer is that the kids entertain themselves. The spotlight should be on making the exercises exciting and enjoyable so that the kids always look forward to them.
So, to teach youth soccer, remember the following rules. They will help you guide the young kids to becoming professional 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. To illustrate, engage the kids in warm-up exercises before making a move to the daily drills. Once done, instruct them to go ahead with the advanced drills such as passing the ball, dribbling with it and trapping etc.
To add to that, encourage the players to think creatively. It is important to inspire them to try new things and if they commit mistakes, do not interrupt blatantly. 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 important since the kids will spend a considerable time with their parents off the field. Seek the parent’s help in keeping a check on kid’s diet, inspiring the kids, and achieving regularity.
Condition yourself to the age level: Teaching soccer to the young players is generally between the age of 7 and 14. At this stage, it is difficult to come up with drills that engage their attention. So, research a lot over what games you would like them to play. 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 divide the group into teams and name them. This breeds the feeling of mutual respect. Do not test a lot as well. A well designed session consists of both new as well as old tricks.
Document the Drills: You must always write down the sessions, drills, and the goals associated with them. It achieves a road-map for the efforts of the team. The documentation also helps you in evaluating the progress of the players. 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 obvious that some things will not work out as you expected and you can always get back.
It can be safely said that youth soccer is an enjoyable and ever changing 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 powerful techniques on coach youth soccer will make you successful and rope in great 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.