Allow me to put a simple question to you. To coach youth soccer, what 3 things can a coach do? Before you jump into answering this question, realize that youth soccer means that kids should enjoy the game. The attention should always be making the exercises exciting so that the players have fun all the time.
So, to teach youth soccer, keep in mind the following three tips. These will give you the leverage to turn the young kids into expert players.
Allow the players to enjoy themselves: As mentioned earlier, youth soccer means to enjoy the game thoroughly. 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.
As an addition, motivate the players to think out of the box. Encourage them to try new things and even of they are doing something wrongly, do not interrupt 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, it is important since the kids will spend a considerable time with their parents off 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.
Condition yourself to the age level: Teaching soccer to the young players is generally between the age of 7 and 14. At this age, it is a challenge to define the drills that actually catch their attention. Hence, spend a lot of time thinking about exercises that they would play and enjoy. And, ensure that you keep the age level of the players in mind while communicating with them and remain very casual in your conversation.
It is a good idea to make two or more teams and giving them names. This inculcates a sense of team spirit. It is recommended not to conduct a lot of experimentation also. A good session is one that has a mix of new and old time-tested techniques.
Write the exercises: It always pays to write the exercises on paper along with the results that you are expecting from them. It makes the efforts of the team worthwhile. A written document is always useful in determining the objectives of the team. If you need to modify anything, it can be easily done in a written document.
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 can be assumed that youth soccer coaching is a fun filled and challenging job. However, with proper planning and these essential tips handy, you will succeed at it without a doubt.
Examine these tips immediately. 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.