I often hear the comment "Oh well it’s just a game!"

I wonder?

Playing on a soccer team can be an important experience in your child’s life. Participation can help your child physically and personally. However, placing your child on a soccer team does not guarantee a beneficial experience.

As a parent you can help your child have a positive experience in playing soccer.

The type of support you give your child can make soccer fun and rewarding or the cause of anxiety and stress. You can motivate your child and help to develop a healthy, positive self-image.

Here are some suggestions:

They also play to learn and improve their skills, to enjoy exciting times, to be with friends, and to stay in shape. In order to maintain or improve your child’s motivation for playing soccer, find out why they like to participate and support their reasons for playing.

Young children equate winning with success and losing with failure. If children win a game, they feel good or worthy. If they lose they feel incompetent or unworthy. This attitude toward winning can be discouraging to children, unless they are always winning. One of your most important roles, therefore, is to help your child keep winning in proper perspective. Try to redefine success in terms of the actual performance or how well your child and the team played. Focussing on the performance rather than the outcome helps keep the game in perspective.

Your child may also need guidance in how to deal with success. I n winning, two things can happen. Long run success may come to easily that the competitive game loses its challenge. Your child may become complacent and/or arrogant. Conversely the pressure to win may result in a lack of motivation if your child dreads playing in fear of failure. Your child may not be able to perform well and may want to quit. Give encouragement and positive support if this is the case. It is important that you assist your child in understanding their contribution to the team’s overall performance

Your child needs to know that striving to win is important. Being successful in soccer also means making improvements and striving to do one’s best. You can help develop this winning attitude in your child by encouraging maximum effort during practices and games, rewarding their improvements in mastering skills, and supporting your child to try their best. The will to win is important but the will to prepare to win is of greater value.

Your child must learn to accept themselves after a loss, this is an important part of participation in the game. Instead of finding excuses it is important for your child to understand the reasons why the team lost. Such reasons may include superior competition, too many mistakes, poor preparation to compete at this level, or maybe the players have a poor attitude. Whatever the reasons your child needs to regroup. Focus on better preparation physically and mentally for training and the next game so he/she can do better next time. This is a valuable lesson.

Compare current performances with past performances to determine whether your child has been successful. Your child must experience success at a level that demands his/her best effort. When your child’s skill level improves they realize that effort equals success, and will feel a sense of accomplishment.

Remember to praise effort—not just good performance—this will motivate your child to try hard. The best way to encourage is by praising or with physical response: a pat on the back, thumbs up, or smile. Try to avoid giving money or other material rewards, which may turn play into work and have a negative effect.

Your child will make plenty of them. When your child makes a mistake, they know. They do not need reminding by you. That’s when they need your encouragement: "Great try!" "Good run!" "You’ll get it next time!" "Super game!". You cannot play the game for your child. Let them make decisions and learn through trial and error. Be patient and assist. If your child displays continual frustration, you can help by giving ideas, or practicing with your child on his/her skills to correct mistakes.

If you do your child may fear failure. In turn this could lead to stress and worry about not performing well and to dread the possible disapproval of parents, coaches, and teammates. Never be negative to someone else’s child. It hurts the child and parents. It also creates unwanted tension. Negative criticism hinders rather than improves performance for the individual and the team.

As the number and variety of soccer teams flourish, it becomes increasingly necessary for you to investigate the suitability of the different programs for your child. You have the right and responsibility to ask questions before allowing your child to participate on a soccer team. Seek to find a compatible match between the philosophy of the program and the reason why your child wants to participate in soccer.

Words of caution

You want your child to be successful. Be careful not to live out your own dreams through your child. Seeing a child’s performance in sports as a reflection of one’s self-worth and success can result in parents setting unrealistically high goals for their child. This can place pressure to perform beyond their capability, a major cause for stress in soccer for children.

Be mindful of your behaviour at games. You expect your son or daughter to show good sportsmanship and self-control. As the parent you need to exhibit appropriate behaviour yourself, no matter how frustrating it may be to see a poor call or bad play.

During games and practices, leave the coaching to the coach. It confuses players when they receive instructions from more than one source. Your child has the ball, their mind is racing, here comes a defender or two, a split second decision is necessary. Then suddenly from the sidelines: "Shoot!", "Pass!", "Cross!", "Kick it!"

"Hustle!". Confused your child hesitates and is stripped of the ball. Then we hear from the sidelines: "Why didn’t you shoot?". Children go out on the field to do their best, and they expect their parents to do the same.

Many of the adult leaders are unpaid volunteers. As a parent, you should be realistic in your expectations. However, the adult leaders that your child is associated with should possess some basic characteristics, which are favourable to the development of young people. Adults you would like to see your child imitate.

Avoid punishing your child when their team loses. If you do, losses are viewed as personal failures, a blow to their self worth. Teach your child how to cope with failure. Help your child to understand that no one does everything well. Show your child that failure presents a challenge and provides an opportunity to learn. Allow your child "space" to do things alone. This may require more patience on your part, but it will pay off in the long run. Respect your child’s feelings and thoughts.

You must be sensitive to your growing child as they develop physically, mentally and socially. You must realize that your child is not a miniature adult, and they have a right to play in an environment that is developmentally appropriate to their age and ability.

It’s Just A Game!

There is no guarantee that soccer can instil self-discipline or build character. There are plenty of good lessons mixed with soccer instruction and participation. Experiencing "the game" is of greater value than cheap trophies. Success comes from self-discipline, perseverance, paying the price, and playing within the rules. Adversity builds resilience. Teamwork brings rewards. Unique individual talents and achievements are also highly valued. As a parent I hope you are teaching your child more than just the ability to run faster or kick the ball harder or winning the game at all costs.

Playing the game of soccer is fun, but there are times when we must ask, at what cost? Do you want to win so badly that your family turns out to be the losers? If recreational soccer adds to the stress it should relieve because you focus on the score, the game has become more important than the children who play it.

For example, when the youth coach defeated their arch rivals at the local league game, it cost them one red card and five yellows. Moreover, one player was "taken-out" (injured for the season), and three players will miss the next game through injury. All this in addition to the referee’s report of unsporting behaviour and verbal abuse by players and adults who constantly berated the opposition and officials during the game.

After the game one of the parents congratulated the coach on his victory, and the coach replied, "Another such victory, and we are ruined."

Nutritional advice for football (soccer) players, parents and coaches

Sport nutrition, diet or food and drink, for football players is becoming increasingly scientific and recognised for its importance in the game of football. Almost every professional club will have a nutritionist or similar expert advisor for their team. This article covers the most important principles of sport nutrition for amateur players and coaches.

Why is sport nutrition or diet important in football?

What to eat and when to eat it

The timing of the meals you consume is important. On the day of a match the intake of fat and protein should be restricted, as these nutrients require a relatively long time to be digested. Plan to have your pre-competition meal 3-4 hours before the match. Your pre-competition meal should be: high in carbohydrate (this is the fuel that your body needs to perform at the highest level), low in fat, low in protein, low in fibre, not too bulky, and easy to digest. You should consume foods such as: breakfast cereal with low fat milk, toast or bread with jam/honey, sandwiches with banana/honey/jam, pasta/rice with low fat sauce, muffins, baked potato, fruit, energy bars, and orange juice.

A snack high in carbohydrate may be eaten about 2 hours before the match, however the time reference is only a guideline as there are great individual differences in the ability to digest food. It is a good idea for you to experiment with a variation of foods at different times before training sessions. Foods such as toast, bread or crumpets with jam/honey, sweetened cereal and low fat milk, muffins, orange juice and jelly sweets could be consumed.

Once the game is over, fluids should be replaced and carbohydrate should be consumed as soon as possible to promote recovery of glycogen stores. During the cool down you should consume fluids and small snacks, such as jelly sweets, jaffa cakes and jammy dodgers. As soon as possible you should aim to consume a meal which is high in carbohydrates. Foods such as pasta, spaghetti, rice, noodles, low fat pasta sauce, bread, potatoes, and baked beans should be consumed during this period.

Carbohydrate rich foods must be the main source of your diet. Table 1 lists foods, which contain a lot of carbohydrate. You should aim to consume the main bulk of your diet from complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates should not be consumed in large quantities and are more useful as snacks between workouts, or to top up your energy intake. The carbohydrate you consume should be balanced with a healthy intake of protein, low fat and plenty of fruit and vegetables.

If you do not consume enough carbs (kcals/energy), then you will not have enough energy to complete the match (or training) and subsequently your performance will suffer, and more importantly you will be more susceptible to injury.

Fluids

We’ve done good food and we’ve looked at what snacks can boost the body during and after a match or training session. Now lets look at what you should drink.

The water lost from the body during sweating needs to be replaced to stop you getting tired quickly, and also speed up the recovery process – that means feeling fitter and sharper afterwards a lot sooner.

These checks will help players:

* Weight – 1kg of weight lost during a training session is equal to 1 litre of fluid lost.
* The ‘pee test’ – If your urine is dark coloured, it means you need to have a drink. Lots of trips to the toilet, producing lots of clear coloured urine, shows you’ve taken on enough fluid.
* Thirst – Being thirsty is an unreliable indicator of when you need to have a drink. If you’re thirsty, you’re actually already partly dehydrated so if you finish a training session and you’re gasping it’s a giveaway you haven’t taken enough fluid on board.

What's best to drink?

For footballers, the best fluid to drink is a diluted carbohydrate/electrolyte solution. In plain English, that’s the kind of stuff you’ll find in stuff like Isostar, Lucozade Sport and Gatorade.

When should I drink?

Ideally, it’s best to drink before, during and after a training session, as well as drinking frequently during a match.

How much should I drink?

Only a little – but often. If you drink too much too quickly, you run the risk of getting a stomach upset.

Sprains and strains are among the most common injuries in all sports, including soccer.

Here are some facts about sprains and strains from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

What is a sprain?

A sprain is a stretch and/or tear of a ligament, the fibrous band of connective tissue that joins the end of one bone with another. Ligaments stabilize and support the body's joints. For example, ligaments in the knee connect the upper leg with the lower leg, enabling people to walk and run.

What is a strain?

A strain is a twist, pull and/or tear of a muscle and/or tendon. Tendons are fibrous cords of tissue that attach muscles to bone.

What causes sprains and strains?

A sprain is caused by direct or indirect trauma (a fall, a blow to the body, etc.) that knocks a joint out of position, and overstretches, and, in severe cases, ruptures the supporting ligaments. Typically, this injury occurs when an individual lands on an outstretched arm; slides into a base; jumps up and lands on the side of the foot; or runs on an uneven surface.

Chronic strains are the result of overuse - prolonged, repetitive movement - of muscles and tendons. Inadequate rest breaks during intensive training precipitates a strain. Acute strains are caused by a direct blow to the body, overstretching, or excessive muscle contraction.

Who gets sprains and strains?

Professional and amateur athletes and the general public, as well, can sustain this injury. People at risk for the injury have a history of sprains and strains, are overweight, and are in poor physical condition.

What activities make athletes most susceptible to sprains and strains?

All sports and exercises, even walking, carry a risk of sprains. The anatomic areas most at risk for a sprain depend on the specific activities involved. For example, basketball, volleyball, soccer, and other jumping sports share a risk for foot, leg, and ankle sprains. Soccer, football, hockey, boxing, wrestling, and other contact sports put athletes at risk for strains. So do sports that feature quick starts (hurdling, long jump, running races, etc.). Gymnastics, tennis, rowing, golf-sports that require extensive gripping-have a high incidence of hand strains. Elbow strains frequently occur in racquet, throwing, and contact sports.

What are the signs of a sprain?

While the intensity varies, pain, bruising, and inflammation are common to all three categories of sprains-mild, moderate, severe. The individual will usually feel a tear or pop in the joint. A severe sprain produces excruciating pain at the moment of injury, as ligaments tear completely, or separate from the bone. This loosening makes the joint nonfunctional. A moderate sprain partially tears the ligament, producing joint instability, and some swelling. A ligament is stretched in a mild sprain, but there is no joint loosening.

What are the signs of a strain?

Typical indications include pain, muscle spasm, muscle weakness, swelling, inflammation, and cramping. In severe strains, the muscle and/or tendon is partially or completely ruptured, often incapacitating the individual. Some muscle function will be lost with a moderate strain, where the muscle/tendon is overstretched and slightly torn. With a mild strain, the muscle/tendon is stretched or pulled, slightly. Some common strains are:

How are sprains and strains treated?

Rest, ice, compression and elevation usually will help minimize the damage. It is important in all but mild cases for a medical doctor to evaluate the injury and establish a treatment and rehabilitation plan. A severe sprain or strain may require surgery or immobilization followed by months of therapy. Mild sprains and strains may require rehabilitation exercises and activity modification during recovery.

Prevention tips

No one is immune to sprains and strains, but here are some tips developed by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons to help reduce your injury risk:

Many would argue that the ultimate acid test of a player is “What impact did you have on the game?” Surely the ultimate acid test of a coach is “What impact did you have on your players?”

It would be disingenuous to assert that a player’s sole means of improvement is through good coaching. Coaches take too much credit for producing good players and too much criticism for producing poor ones. Playing with and against better players ultimately is what improves a player. Players also improve from modelling – watching and imitating good players.

Player improvement also occurs, undeniably, from participating in focused, dynamic and well-structured practice sessions.

THE COACH AS A "CRAFTSMAN”
The craft of coaching players comes down to four basic tasks. The end results are carefully designed and focused practice sessions in an environment which closely resembles the competitive pressure of a game, and in which players improve. The four basic tasks are 1) observation, 2) organisation, 3) instruction and 4) motivation.

Observation - Match Analysis
To discover what the players need to practice, the coach must observe them play in a game. The game tells us what the players need. The observations the coach makes during a game will give the practice session a focus. Consequently, the soccer coaching model on game day is quite different from football, basketball or lacrosse, which encourages a high degree of interaction between players and coaches. Possibly baseball or ice hockey are better models for soccer, wherein the coach quietly observes the game, writes notes and occasionally exhorts players to perform.

Match observation and analysis
This is a very difficult skill. Some useful tips to develop this skill include:
• Watching a lot of soccer games.
• Sitting quietly with a pad and pen to note observations. Some coaches have an assistant do the writing while they observe.
• Developing the ability to look away from the ball. This is difficult, because the ball is a magnet for attention. Here are three classic scenarios where looking away from the ball might be important:

Compartmentalizing observation into categories:

Individual

Small group

Team

Does team exhibit ability to apply principles of game?

Organisation – developing practice sessions
Soccer players learn to play better soccer by practicing soccer-like exercises. Contrived drills, excessive standing in lines, small sided games with no focus and running laps have very little benefit to players.

Facilitating Learning
“The game is the teacher” is a phrase which we constantly hear. In practical terms, this maxim means that the soccer coach organizes conditioned games to improve players. The kind of conditions the coach puts on the games will help teach the players. This process is called facilitating learning. Part of the skill of an advanced coach is to design exercises that specifically address problem areas. The conditions the coach puts on games basically fall into the following categories:

• Numbers of players (e.g. 4 v. 2, 8 v. 8, 6 v. 6 + 1, etc.)

• Size and shape of field (narrow and long for vertical passes, short and wide for shooting or crossing.)

• Goals or methods of scoring (shooting into a full goal, dribbling across a line, 6 passes equals a goal, etc.) • Numbers of touches (1 touch to encourage passing and support play, 2 touches to encourage receiving) • Zonal games (field marked off by cones with restrictions as to who can go into certain zones)

The methods a coach uses to improve players depend on such factors as age, ability and ultimate purpose of a practice. The methods of a coach of seven-year-olds uses are completely different than those of a college coach. A coach preparing to play an opponent may be more concerned about the future game than the one which is past.

Basic guidelines of teaching

Practice components
Practices consist of four main components:

Some coaches will do fitness between final game and warm-down. The coach may meet with players prior to session to explain what they will be doing in practice. Some coaches will show video clippings of the previous games to highlight their observations. This is also helpful in changing the players frame of mind and preparing them, psychologically, for practice.

Instruction – “The Teachable Moment”
Possibly the biggest difference between skilled coaches and novice coaches is in the quality and quantity of their instruction. There are certain “teachable moments” which occur in a practice session when the skilled coach speaks and addresses a player or group of players. The number of instructional stoppages and their timing very much will be a matter of choice for the coach. It will also depend on the age group; 14-year-olds will need more instruction than professionals. The “teachable moments” happen at fairly predictable times:

Instructional points can be made to an individual, group or a team. They can be made while play continues or play can be stopped. Most importantly, they must focus on the actual teaching theme or goal.

Different Instructional Examples to Improve Players
Tony DiCicco, 1998 U.S. Women’s National Team
Conducting a practice session for the Women’s National Team, DiCicco’s stoppages almost universally came at the moment a player did something right. He brought the players’ attention to what it looked like when done correctly, praised them and moved on. He never made any corrections to address mistakes the players made.

Bob Gansler, 2002 Kansas City Wizards
He conducted a practice session which contained three dynamic exercises each lasting 20 minutes. He never stopped any of the sessions once. He made all of his coaching points during water breaks and between changeovers in exercises. A true proponent of “the game is the best teacher.”

Helmut Schoen, 1974 German National Team Manager
Paul Breitner relates how Schoen walked over to the 2 v. 2 exercise where he and Franz Beckenbauer played. Schoen never said a word, but Breitner related how Schoen’s presence burned a hole in the back of his neck. He redoubled his efforts in the exercise. Sometimes silence can be the coach’s greatest ally. Clearly there are no absolutes as to how the coach gets improvement out of players. Coaches must understand what is best for their environment and fits their personality

Avoid:

Motivation — light a spark in a player
One of the great rewards of coaching is helping to energize a player and stimulate a player so that he or she wants to improve. Players will improve only if they want to improve, but the coach can offer extrinsic motivation which lights a spark in a player. The coach does this in a number of ways.

Methods of motivation

Enjoy your coaching!

My thanks to T&C Optimist Soccer Association for allowing reproduction of this article

Handling discipline problems presents a distinct challenge for youth soccer coaches. Many coaches are inexperienced in dealing with discipline or even identifying real problems versus child's play. Many coaches mistake immature behaviour, which would be appropriate for youngsters, for behavioural problems.

A few factors influence the typical inexperienced parent /coach:

a. FALSE EXPECTATIONS: inexperienced youth soccer coaches begin with personal expectations of what goes on during games or practices. These expectations are, sometimes, inaccurate; these parent / coaches lack perspective. They forget that soccer is a child's game. It is "play". These coaches encounter reality in their first session with youngsters. They find out very quickly that working with youngsters does not meet their expectations of "coaching". This, in turn, causes feelings of fear and anxiety. These inexperienced coaches may, at times, react abruptly and may not successfully handle these situations.

b. PERSONAL CONCERNS: New and inexperienced youth soccer coaches become concerned with "controlling" situations. They also are over – occupied with being well-liked. Many coaches see these two interests working in opposite directions: "If youngsters like me...I can't control them," or "l can control them, but they won't like me." Coaches either become over- ambitious to please players, or harsh.

Both of these approaches have grim consequences.

Coaches may feel betrayed if they are overly friendly and feel taken advantage of, while being too harsh causes youngsters to feel resentful or bitter. In the end, problems are unresolved and both the coach and youngster are angry or disappointed.

c. LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY: Many times, inexperienced coaches have difficulty coming to grips with their inability to "manage" these situations. These coaches tend to blame players, solely, for problems.

Some, on the other hand, allow serious problems to occur, repeatedly, but lack the insight which would allow them to prevent such situations from happening time and again.

After several experiences in attempting to "discipline" youngsters, coaches become increasingly frustrated. This results in the coach perceiving themselves poorly. For this reason, some youth coaches leave our ranks early. It is through coaching education programs that we should address their needs for appropriate player management.

These coaches must be empowered to help themselves overcome these "problems" and feel effective.

Real discipline problems are best described as conflicts of interest between the youngster and the coach. Are some of these interests predicated on the differences between the needs of young players and the role adults perceive youth sport to take? The answer is yes!

One of the real predicaments is to deal with behaviour in a non- judgmental manner. Many times adults reprimand youngsters and embarrass them. The challenge for coaches is to address what is happening and modify their behaviour without being threatening. An adult's actions should imply that they are dealing with the behaviour and not making the behaviour into a personal issue. This might be caused if children are compared against one another.

Undoubtedly, dealing with behaviour can be frustrating for rigid adults. It's best to recognize that you, as the coach, are frustrated. There is a decided difference between anger and frustration. Adults need to differentiate between the two.

Again, differentiate between the behaviour that is disturbing and the individual child: the behaviour is what's disturbing you.

You must also acknowledge that young players have feelings.

In fact, while we would like to see them develop and improve they must learn to enjoy the game. They have a genuine need for attention and inappropriate behaviour is their way of soliciting attention. If, in fact, you as an adult have difficulty acknowledging your own anger or frustration, how can you recognize and acknowledge these feelings in others? Most adults use methods that deal with behaviour and discipline that are reactive versus proactive. This causes coaches to sometimes overlook how a youngster feels about their comments on the youngster's behaviour.

In identifying behavioural problems, parcelling out "punishment" is risky. Consequences must be meaningful to young players, but cannot be confused with punishment. The difference is the factor of respect for young players versus making them feel demeaned.

The real gift exhibited by competent youth coaches is to manage people / players effectively. There are several factors associated with effective management of players relating to behaviour:

1. Management of Time

2. Management of Environment

3. Effective Communication

The availability of time is limited when working with young players. Practices are usually scheduled twice weekly, anywhere from 50 minutes to an hour and a half in duration.

This places a high priority on effective teaching / coaching.

The time youngsters spend with the youth coach is minuscule in comparison with the time they spend away from soccer, with family, in school or in other activities.

The environment for youth players is a key ingredient.

Creating the appropriate games, activities and conditions directly influence management of players and acceptable behaviour. Typically, youth coaches attempt to arrange and manage players by over-organizing them. They place them in lines, with unrealistic absolutes, that do not allow them to move and play. It's great for adults since it resembles the adult perspective of discipline and order. Soccer is a dynamic game; one that exhibits and includes movement of the ball and players. The organization of "play" has direct bearing on boredom versus stimulation as well as interest and learning.

It's simple: there are no lines in "the game", let there be no lines at practice. The advertisement for the Sega computerized game product which emulates NFL football says it best: if it's in "the game" (The NFL), then it's in "the game" (Sega). In one sense, those coaches who insist on over-organizing the environment are contributing to their own woes!

Effective communication has everything to do with all avenues to offer information. This includes body language, facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, eye contact and quality of content. Very simply, is the information useable in improving the player's enjoyment, development or performance? Emotional outbursts, yelling and screaming either at parents, referees opposing coaches or PLAYERS is really unacceptable. It's a tremendous sign of intolerance and a great indication of a lack of the necessary qualities to be an effective coach. The game, at all levels, must be the teacher and meet the needs of players. Youngsters learn more from their experiences in the game than from the coach. That's why the role of the coach is to create the appropriate conditions and let youngsters play!

What youth coaches must ascertain is the distinction between a discipline problem, or poor behaviour as a result of unsuitable management. The nature of youngsters is to run, jump, be inattentive (from an adult's perspective!), change their focus at a moments notice or gaze expertly off into the sky at a far away plane. If they are uninterested in the activities, it may be a problem of management. They come to soccer to be challenged and invigorated as well as to play, make mistakes and learn. A phenomenal aspect of "play" is that the problems, challenges disappointments or rewards resemble and parallel life experiences. Learning for youngsters between the ages of 5 and 12 is a leisure activity that is accomplished through play. Remember...PLAY is a key part of PLAYER DEVELOPMENT!

When you accept the role of coach, you accept a major responsibility for the care and safety of your players. Although your children must share in the responsibility for their protection and safety, their ability to understand what they can do, how they can do it, and whether they are doing it correctly, may be limited. It is your job to help them practice and play as safely as possible.

Your job as a volunteer coach is to recognise an injury when it happens, to stabilise the injury as best you can, and to summon medical assistance if necessary. You must understand the limitations of your training and knowledge. If you are not a trained medical professional:

Play it safe. Call the emergency services if you are not sure what to do.

Have a plan

It is important to have a well thought out plan for dealing with injuries and a written response plan for emergencies. Keep this in your coaching bag where you can pull it out and refer to it if necessary. Some points to consider in your plan are:

• Is a first aid kit available?
• Do I have all of my players’ medical consent forms and emergency contacts with me at all times?
• Where is the nearest phone
• How do I get first aid and/or paramedics/ambulance?
• Do any of my assistant coaches or parent volunteers know first aid?
• Who will go for help if I need to attend to an injured player?
• Who will supervise other players if I need to summon help?
• Do my assistant coaches and players know the emergency plan?

• Emphasise proper skill development,
• Inspect practice and game fields (e.g. look for holes, sprinkler heads, etc.).

What are you trying to do?

with thanks to US Soccer

Getting Organised

Coaching a squad of young football players involves more than showing up with a whistle, a team sheet, and a car boot full of footballs.

Being a coach kids admire and look forward to seeing all season requires a lot of preparation on your part prior to the first training session.

First, think about why you got involved this season, what you hope to accomplish and what your approach is going to be to help your team get there. Have you assumed the coaching role because you genuinely want to help kids pick up and develop skills in a fun and safe environment, or because you want to make a bid for the league title? What’s your take on playing time, motivating players, and creating a positive atmosphere?

This chapter considers those aspects, and many others, which form the basis of your coaching philosophy. Having a philosophy in place and sticking to it as best you can sets the tone for a good season. A portion of your philosophy should also be dictated by the league you are coaching in. That’s why it’s always important to find out as much information as you can about the league’s policies before you step on the pitch. Being involved in a league that promotes the values that you are aiming to impart to your team is critical for
everyone’s enjoyment.

Developing a Coaching Philosophy

Creating a coaching philosophy is fairly simple. Living up to it all season long is the tricky part. What is a coaching philosophy? Basically, it reflects the standards you have set for yourself and your team, and is the foundation of your coaching values and beliefs.

Entering the season without a coaching philosophy is like driving across the country without a road map. Yes, you’d eventually arrive at your destination, but not without wasting a lot of time and energy with wrong turns and dealing with unnecessary problems and aggravation along the way. A well-thought-out coaching philosophy should reflect a number of considerations, such as:

Even with a carefully planned philosophy firmly in place, you will find it pretty challenging adhering to it at all times. This can be particularly true when Billy’s mum confronts you halfway through the season about why the team isn’t winning more games; or Jennifer’s dad questions why the kids with less ability are receiving as much playing time as the team’s best players.

(For explaining your coaching philosophy to the parents before the season gets under way, see Chapter 4, which can help you steer clear of many of these potential headaches.)

Your philosophy is going to speak volumes about you as not just a coach, but as a person. So take the time to put real thought into it. You’ll be glad you did. Lead your players in the direction you know is right. Strive to instil in them the values that you want your own kids to exhibit throughout their life.

Tailoring your coaching to your age group

Children are continually changing, and one of your responsibilities as a coach is to know what to expect both physically and emotionally from youngsters at various age levels. Being fully aware of these differences enhances your coaching skills and your ability to relate to your team. It also ensures that you don’t favour those players on your squad who are more mature and skilled at the expense of those who are less skilled and developed.

No matter what the age or skill level of your players, always be supportive and enthusiastic. Pile on the praise and never stop encouraging them. This approach builds their confidence and self-esteem, regardless of age, and it’s a gift that will last for years to come.

While each child has his or her own unique strengths and weaknesses, all youngsters possess general characteristics that are dictated by their age.

Good coaches are aware of these traits. The following are general characteristics that are applicable for certain age ranges.

Age 6 and under: Children in this age bracket may never have played football, and this season may very well be their first experience in an organised team setting. Your job is simply to introduce them to football’s most basic elements and whet their appetite for future participation. (See Chapter 5, which covers the fundamentals that you can focus on with this age group.) Children at this age generally aren’t concerned about how well they are performing football skills compared to the others on their team. They are primarily interested in being with friends and having fun discovering and playing the sport. Competition is usually the furthest thing from their minds, which is why scorelines and league rankings are often not that important at this level.

Age 7–9: Youngsters at this age tend to start focusing on mastering the basics of the sport. They also crave feedback from coaches and parents on how they are performing certain skills and how they are progressing in a new skill. They begin noticing how their teammates are faring while practising these skills. As coaches praise their peers for properly executing a skill, the child will want to earn that same feedback as well. The desire to compete carries much more prominence for some youngsters in this age range than others, particularly if they have older siblings who they have watched compete in football or other sports and now feel it’s finally their turn to display their skills.

Age 10–12: More than likely, these children have had experience playing football in the past and are continuing with it because it has piqued their interest. Keep the positive momentum going by adding to their foundation of skills and fuel their desire to continue playing by conducting training sessions that are both challenging and fun. Quite often, sports take on added importance at this juncture in their life and they really want to do well. (For more on skills and drills with this age group, see Chapters 10 to 12.) As children reach this age range, many become more competitive and seek to perform better than others of their age. When their ability matches up with their peers, or surpasses it, they feel a real sense of achievement.

Emphasising teamwork

While football is a sport that allows individuals plenty of opportunities to be creative and to run with the ball on their own, you and your team are much better off if you can get everyone to work together as a cohesive unit. Of course, this is easier said then done.

Imagine having 10 kids in front of you. You have one really good toy that they are all eyeing. You give the toy to one child and ask that they share it with everyone. Tough to achieve, eh? The same goes for football. There’s one ball that they are all going to have to share in order for the team to be successful.

So how do you get the team to that point?

Sure-fire routes to fostering the essence of teamwork among your players don’t exist, but the following are some pointers to assist you in your efforts and get the players to begin to see the enormous benefits that accompany working as a team rather than a bunch of individuals.

Motivating players

Regardless of the age or experience level of your players, they arrive at the pitch with vastly different motivations for playing the game. While some will be strongly motivated individuals who will be real gems to work with, others may benefit from your inspiring words.

Some players should respond positively to the challenges you issue, such as seeing whether they can deliver 10 accurate passes in a row. With others, that approach may actually detract from their motivation to participate. Each youngster you come into contact with is different. Discover for yourself what works for each child to help get the best out of them.

Here are a few general tips that you can employ to help spur your players on to become the best they can be.