Shall I ask you a straightforward question? To coach youth soccer, what 3 things can a coach do? Before you answer this question, it is important to know that youth soccer is all about letting the kids have fun. The attention should always be making the exercises exciting so that the players have fun all the time.
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, you must plan each session well in advance. 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.
Also, allow the kids to be creative in their approach. Stimulate the kids to challenge themselves and if they fail, do not be harsh to them. 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 vital because the players are more at home than on the field. Ask the parents to inspire the kids, keep a track of their diet, and be regular in their training sessions.
Adapt to the age level: Teaching soccer to the youth is generally for kids between 7-14 years of age. At this level, it is very painstaking to find drills that actually make the kids happy. 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 a good idea to make two or more teams and giving them names. This pumps in a sense of belongingness. It is advised not to conduct a lot of trials too. The idea of a well-balanced session is to have both tried as well as new activities in it.
Pen down the drills: It makes sense to pen down the exercises and also the objectives related to them. It achieves a road-map for the efforts of the team. Recorded data is highly beneficial in depicting the performance of the players. When you have to revisit your plan, it is easy to do so when it is in a written form.
And then, it is super-easy to measure your goals. It is quite normal for some things to go awry and then, you can always check them.
It is safe to say that youth soccer is a dynamic, fun-filled, and yet a responsible job. With this information at your disposal, you will without doubt be able to do full justice to your job.
Examine these tips immediately. These tricks on coach youth soccer will bring you immense 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.