Allow me to put a simple question to you. To coach youth soccer, what are the 3 things for the coach to do? Before you jump into answering this question, realize that youth soccer means that kids should enjoy the game. The concentration should be on turning the drills into enjoyable exercises so that the players get motivated.
So, to teach youth soccer, remember the following rules. These will instill the ability in the kids to become mature 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. As an example, ask them to do warm up drills before moving to the regular 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. 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 also essential that parents are totally involved so that they can help in making the game enjoyable for the kids.
To coach youth soccer, this is crucial since the kids spend more time with their parents than on the field. Ask the parents to inspire the kids, keep a track of their diet, and be regular in their training sessions.
Get familiar with the age of the kids: Teaching soccer to kids is between the age of 7 to 14. At this time, it is highly testing to create drills that stimulate the kids. So, you must think proactively to consider drills that are fun for the kids. 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 always a great trick to divide them into teams and also give them individual names. This instills brotherhood. It is advised not to conduct a lot of trials too. The sign of a productive session is that there are both new and old drills.
Write the exercises: It always pays to write the exercises on paper along with the results that you are expecting from them. It helps in developing a strategy for the team. Recorded data is highly beneficial in depicting the performance of the players. If something needs a change, written plan will assist you in assessing it.
And then, it is super-easy to measure 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.
Examine these tips immediately. These tips on coach youth soccer are sure to bring positive results for your team. For more such tips on youth soccer, join our youth soccer coaching community where you will find many resources and like-minded individuals from the soccer 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.