Posts Tagged ‘soccer coaching’

Coaching Youth Soccer - Mistakes You Must Avoid!

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

Youth Soccer Coaching

If you are Coaching Youth Soccer, there are some things every youth soccer coach needs to consider and be aware. You may say that some of these are just simple common sense, but they are not for sure common practice:

1. Don’t make speeches. Especially if you’re coaching young kids, making them sit through long lectures is a great way to bore them out of their minds and disinterested in soccer really fast. This as nothing to do with your players age group. When it comes to making speeches and giving instructions, make it short and sweet.

2. Don’t complicate things. When coaching a soccer exercise you should try to keep it as simple as possible. People have problems in implementing complecated things. It’s really easy for the kids to lose interest and attention when a coach tries to implement and demonstrate drills with lots of diagrams and instructions.

3. Don’t be a ball boy- it’s critical that you understand that it’s not your task to run and catch the balls. Doing that can dangerously unbalance the player-coach equation. If a player shoots a ball out of bounds, make them go get it.

4. In case you have some kids to help in getting the balls, make sure they do not participate in the drills. This simply signals a laxity in discipline- ball boys are just there to get the ball. If they ask to be part of the practice session, make them know that they can’t do both.

5. Never, ever criticize the player. If one of the kids makes something wrong, don’t blame him. Point out the flaws in their technique or skill and do that calmly. Screaming at a player for being ’stupid’ is a great way to make them want to leave your team.

6. While Coaching Youth Soccer, explain it clearly and as briefly as possible. After that it’s time to show the kids how it’s done. They will understand it if you do it properly. Conversely, don’t try and demonstrate something that you can’t do.

7. Health and safety should always be foremost in a coach’s mind. This means making sure that the ground and the equipment are in good shape before your soccer training session starts. Remember that if a kid sprains his ankle because the ground was slippery, then it’s technically your fault.

8. Don’t leave the parents out in the dark. Hold regular meetings with them to address concerns and to let them know about the upcoming games or events. Keep in your mind that parents can always help you improve your coaching activities.

When Coaching Youth Soccer, these are important aspects that every coach should consider. If you want to dramatically improve the skills of the kids and keep their interest and focus during practice sessions, you can learn that and much more at SoccerDrillsTips . com.

About The Author:

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching. If you want to learn how to explode your players’ skills and make practice more fun and interesting, get your free Soccer Coaching guide at http://www.soccerdrillstips.com - Coaching Youth Soccer Drills.

Top 5 Soccer Coaching Tips

Saturday, November 7th, 2009

Youth Soccer Coaching Tips

If you are keen on improving the performance of your players, try these soccer coaching tips. The fact that the players are not taking their sessions keenly or your designs and procedures are failing is driving you crazy.

Here are 5 unbeatable tips that can never go wrong and are guaranteed to enhance your team’s performance.

1. Plan Comprehensively: It is easier said than done but careful and meticulous planning is essential to achieving success. Every player in the team has something constructive to offer and so it makes every sense in the world to take what they have got and use it to draft a really powerful strategy. Results not achieved within the designated timelines can derail your progress. Once finalized, stick to it but leave some flexibility for minor alterations as needed. Even the best plans stand the test of possible failure due to unforeseen circumstances. Flexible plans are the best plans.

2. Make Training Sessions Fun-filled: Remember that even the best designed soccer training drills fail to produce results when they are rigid, dull, and devoid of any fun and games. Use your imagination and you will realize that keeping the kids happy is the easiest thing in the world. For example, once the regular drill is done with, you can divide them into smaller groups and introduce fun games that not only relax their mind but also promote team spirit among them.

3. Discipline and Freedom go hand-in-hand: It cannot be emphasized enough that as a coach, maintaining discipline should be your top priority. It will do you world of good to follow these soccer coaching tips in entirety.
Ensure that the players have sufficient time to interact with each other and exchange meaningful dialog. This also gives them opportunity to explore themselves. Encourage them to organize outings.

4. Be encouraging and caring: A good coach not only motivates the kids to be adventurous but is also caring to the extent that when things do not work out, he is there to sympathize. Being harsh towards mistakes can prevent a kid from trying new things. This is not at all desirable and therefore you must find a way out to correct the issues without reprimanding the players. When the players know that you are always in favor of figuring out new strategies, they will not shy away from trying them. That will make your team and players grow.

5. Help your players reach their potential: You will know the true potential of your players only from their performances on the track. A general composition of any team is always a mix of good, average, and bad players. Make the most of your excellent players in the team to stimulate the other not so good ones. Every player has something to give to the team. However, you can always uplift the performances of some of the players in the team by helping them learn from their peers. Grouping the players is a great idea so that they can learn from each other.

Coaching youngsters is not easy and demands a lot of innovation and good thinking. It is difficult to make players deliver under excessive strain. However, these soccer coaching tips will help you get the best out of your players and the team. Your coaching potential will reach its pinnacle with these tips. But you must ensure that this learning continues and the best way to do that is by joining our youth soccer community where you will meet people who are passionate about the game and live by its principles.

About The Author

Andre Botelho is a recognized expert in youth soccer coaching. He’s the creator of the “Ultimate Soccer Drills System” and influences well over 35,000 youth coaches each year with his unique coaching style. To download your free soccer coaching guide visit: http://www.soccerdrillstips.com - Youth Soccer Coaching Drills.

Don’t Make These 8 Mistakes when Coaching Youth Soccer

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

Coaching Youth Soccer Drills

Coaching Youth Soccer can be exciting and fun but there are important aspects every coach needs to take into consideration. You’re probably thinking to yourself that some of these may be common sense, but are you following it?

1. Don’t make speeches. This may not seem important but kids really get bored and distracted when coaches have the habit of making incredible long speeches and instructions. This as nothing to do with your players age group. When it comes to making speeches and giving instructions, make it short and sweet.

2. Don’t complicate things. When coaching a soccer exercise you should try to keep it as simple as possible. People have problems in implementing complecated things. It’s really easy for the kids to lose interest and attention when a coach tries to implement and demonstrate drills with lots of diagrams and instructions.

3. Don’t be a ball boy- during a soccer practice ball will be travelling all over the field. Leave them alone! Doing that can dangerously unbalance the player-coach equation. If a player shoots a ball out of bounds, make them go get it.

4. In case you have some kids to help in getting the balls, make sure they do not participate in the drills. This simply signals a laxity in discipline- ball boys are just there to get the ball. If they want to join in the practice, they have to join the team like everyone else.

5. Never, ever criticize the player. If one of the kids makes something wrong, don’t blame him. Point out the flaws in their technique or skill and do that calmly. Screaming at a player for being ’stupid’ is a great way to make them want to leave your team.

6. While Coaching Youth Soccer, explain it clearly and as briefly as possible. Now make a demonstration for your players so they can implement it and perform it properly. Conversely, don’t try and demonstrate something that you can’t do.

7. Health and safety should always be foremost in a coach’s mind. This means making sure that the ground and the equipment are in good shape before your soccer training session starts. Remember that if a kid sprains his ankle because the ground was slippery, then it’s technically your fault.

8. Don’t leave the parents out in the dark. Meet with parents regularly and always keep them up-to-date when it comes to the team’s problems and challenges. Always remember that your player’s parents can be your best ally.

When Coaching Youth Soccer, these are important aspects that every coach should consider. If you want to dramatically improve the skills of the kids and keep their interest and focus during practice sessions, you can learn that and much more at SoccerDrillsTips . com.

About The Author:

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching. If you want to learn how to explode your players’ skills and make practice more fun and interesting, get your free Soccer Coaching guide at http://www.soccerdrillstips.com - Coaching Youth Soccer Drills.