Before you get on with coaching soccer drills to kids, let me share with you some teaching ideas that are sure to help you, whether you agree or not. Work out a common objective for the team as well as yourself as a coach, for instance; during soccer practice the players must enjoy the game while they are a part of it.
At this point, it’s important to stay alert or else you’ll get distracted by other things. Consequently, identify such objectives that are particularly important for you as a coach and also equally important for the team. Some examples are; focus on player’s individual soccer skills, promote the importance of their physical fitness, and help them grow into mature, professional, and sporting soccer players.
When it comes to sportsmanship, the onus lies on you to set a high standard for the players. Encourage attitudes like fair play, team spirit, and sportsmanship. There are several objectives important in teaching soccer that can be incorporated in your list along with these.
One more concept that needs to be highlighted in youth soccer coaching is the notion of winning the match. Infuse an open concept of winning in your player’s minds when you are coaching them. Make it clear to the players that it is the level of their performance that makes them a winner no matter what the final decision is.
This will take away the pressure off the kids and they’ll focus more on playing their best game rather than just winning it.
Coaching soccer drills requires you to give clear and precise instructions to your team so that they get the desired results. There are some clear dos and don’ts in soccer on which the players must be taught before you go ahead with your coaching sessions. The dissimilarity between coaching and teaching lies in the fact that coaching is concerned with a group of players who are already familiar with the game to a certain extent.
In coaching drills, it’s best to give the players 5 or 6 fine demonstrations of some specific skill and then let them perform it themselves. It is because kids have a tendency to learn quickly by watching than by listening. If you decide to give them plain instructions, they will not appreciate it very much. Rather they are pretty good at imitation.
So, as a general rule, demonstrate the skills yourself whenever possible.
Last but by no means the least; keep your players active with several purposeful activities. This holds even bigger importance when the weather is not conducive to a regular session. It is well known that the kids love playing in the rain. Hence, instead of simply cancelling the session, it makes more sense to have them play soccer games or something like that.
Ensure that in situations like these, the kids are wearing proper soccer gear as well as additional protection.
Go ahead and make these tips a part of your plan. You’ll be amazed to see the results.
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Andre Botelho is a recognized expert in youth soccer coaching. He influences well over 35,000 youth coaches each year with his unique coaching philosophy, and makes it really easy to explode your players’ skills and make training more fun in record time. To download your free youth soccer coaching guide visit: Coaching soccer drills.
Tags: coaching drills, coaching soccer drills, Soccer practice, teaching soccer