National Alliance for Youth Sports

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-25-2022

Coaching soccer should be safe and fun for you and your players, so start by getting familiar with the layout of the soccer field. As a soccer coach your players will look to you for guidance so use some helpful tips to teach and motivate them. Create a pregame routine to check the field and prepare your soccer players for the game and deliver a strong pregame speech to inspire your team.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

A child's experience in organized soccer can be a defining moment in her young life. Years from now, she isn't going to remember her team's record or how many goals she scored during the season, but she'll easily recall whether the time the team spent with you was a positive or negative experience. This article provides some methods you can use to ensure that your players have a memorable season that brings a smile to their faces for years to come and has them begging to play for you again next season. Challenge the coach day What do youngsters like most about playing soccer? Well, besides scoring goals and wearing the cool shin guards, they love opportunities to play — and beat — you, the coach, in any type of skill challenge. Reflect for a moment on your own sports experiences growing up and the first time you beat your mom, dad, or coach in a game. The feeling becomes entrenched in your memory forever. Kids genuinely love this type of challenge, so set aside one practice day at some point during the season in which each player on the team gets the chance to challenge you in some aspect of soccer. With younger kids, give them plenty of options to choose among, because they probably haven't had this chance before with other coaches. Here are some fun options: Let them race against you the length of the field, dribbling a soccer ball. Dribble through a series of cones to see who can do it the fastest. See who can control the ball longest in a designated area, with the other person serving as the defender. Play a game of 1-on-1 in a scaled-down area with a cone serving as the goal that you must hit with the ball. If you have players who are struggling to learn skills, letting them beat you may be the confidence boost they need. With some of the other kids, beating them by a goal or a couple of seconds can provide that extra motivation for them to work even harder in practice so they can win next time. New drills Nothing sabotages fun and learning quicker than subjecting youngsters to the same boring practices week after week. Taking the time to introduce a new drill during every practice infuses your sessions with excitement and ensures that the kids never get in a mind-numbing rut. To give them something to look forward to at each practice, introduce the new drill at the same point in your sessions. You may find that unveiling the new drill at the start of practice, when youngsters are often the most focused and attentive, works best. Or you may discover that building the anticipation and saving the new drill for the last few minutes of the practice is a great way to conclude the session. After you establish a routine, you'll find that the kids eagerly anticipate the chance to participate in a fun new drill every time they step on the field. Contest day One of the most effective ways to promote team camaraderie is to devote a practice session to a series of special contests. But instead of having the players compete among themselves, which only gives your better-skilled youngsters the chance to further showcase their talents while alienating the less-skilled kids, pair up the players ahead of time. By putting a talented child with a youngster who isn't quite as skilled, you force the kids to work together, which not only improves their skills, but also allows them the chance to get to know each other better. As you know, the more familiar kids are with each other, the more they care about each other, and that translates into more inspired play on the field. The familiarity also leads to more supportive teammates who pull for one another to succeed and who step forward to offer encouraging words when things don't work out as planned. You can plant the seeds for long-term friendships, which are among the special benefits that come from participating in organized soccer. If you played soccer, or any sport, growing up, you probably can easily recall some of the friendships you forged with teammates. Some samples of mini-contests you can do include Timing the pairs while they pass the ball back and forth a set number of times and run the length of the field Attempting headers where the players toss the ball to their partners, who must head it back to them (forcing the players to work together because the better the toss, the easier it is to head the ball) Encourage the kids to support their partners, and you can even let them know before the contests begin that you award bonus points to those twosomes who demonstrate the most support for each other. Bringing in new faces You're doing a great job of coaching, but every once in a while kids may enjoy a break from you, particularly if they're with you for several months. Bringing in a new face to talk to the kids about some aspect of soccer provides a new perspective that can be refreshing and reenergizing for them. You have plenty of possibilities within your community. A local high school soccer coach, a well-known high school soccer player, coaches or players from a nearby college soccer team, or sports nutritionists (for older kids) are all excellent resources. Just giving the players on your team the chance to hear from someone who offers different tips on performing a specific skill, or some words of encouragement on what it takes to reach the next level, can be enormously beneficial in your youngsters' growth and development. Holiday themes With young children, a practice centered on a holiday can be a fun way to mix up the routine. If your soccer season runs during the fall, Halloween is a natural for encouraging kids to come to practice in their costumes. Adjust the exercises accordingly so you don't have youngsters running all over the field risking injury or damaging their costumes in a scrimmage.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Youth soccer leagues around the country are as different as the millions of kids who strap on shin guards to play in them. You can find outdoor and indoor leagues. Numbers go from 4-on-4 to 11-on-11 leagues. Ages fluctuate from 5-and-under leagues to 17-and-under leagues. You even have the option of same-sex leagues or coed leagues. Along with this diversity comes the smorgasbord of rules that are a part of each league. Some adhere strictly to the official rules of the sport and allow no modifications. The majority of programs, however, alter the rules to fit the age and experience level of the kids. Brushing up on the rules Reading a soccer rulebook isn't as exciting as reading a Stephen King novel, but it should be bedside reading for you. To be successful at coaching, you have to know the rules of soccer, as well as the particular rules your league is enforcing this season, and be able to teach them to your players. Even if you have an extensive knowledge of soccer and perhaps even played at the high school or college level, take a look at the league's rulebook. Consider it a refresher before you take the field. Chances are good that the league is using some rules that were never applied in the same way when you played as a youngster. If you don't know and understand the rules, you can't expect your team to, either. And if the youngsters don't know the rules, playing soccer can be a pretty frustrating experience. Don't plunge in and attempt to memorize all the rules in a single sitting. Review a few pages every night prior to the season's start until you're pretty comfortable with them. Don't assume that older kids have a firm grasp on all the rules simply because they've played the sport for years. If no one took the time to explain certain rules that may be somewhat confusing, the kids may not have ever learned them. And as kids progress from league to league, they encounter new rules that may not have been enforced the previous season. It's up to you to know which rules are in place and to share that information with the team before the season gets under way. Focusing on fun or first place The two distinct classifications that exist for soccer programs are recreational and competitive. Each type requires a vastly different approach to coaching. Do you know what type of league you're coaching in this season? Before agreeing to volunteer, check with the recreation director to learn more about the league and make sure it's the right fit for you. Recreational leagues If you're coaching soccer for the first time, chances are good that you're involved in a recreational league. This type of program focuses on teaching kids the basic skills of the game. Generally, the program has rules in place regarding equal playing time. Often, with kids ages 8 and under, the league scales teams down to 4-on-4 and has them play games on much smaller fields to allow each child plenty of touches with the ball. Usually, these teams have no goaltender. Because the players are so young and are just learning the skills, having a child positioned as the goaltender would result in an enormous amount of standing around and very little action for the youngster. Typically, pylons (orange cones) are set up at each end of the field to serve as the goals. Recreational leagues also feature rules that have been altered to meet the needs of the age and experience level of the kids. In the younger divisions, you don't see corner kicks, indirect kicks, or penalty kicks. Referees don't call offsides; there won't be throw-ins; and a child touching the ball with his hands often isn't whistled for an infraction but is gently reminded that the action is a no-no. Another trademark of a recreational program is that coaches are allowed on the field during games with the youngest kids. Usually, the league allows a coach from each team to stand on each half of the field, giving coaches a chance to talk to their players during the course of play and to provide positive feedback and encouragement. As kids become older and stay involved in the sport longer, they naturally become more competitive. Winning takes on a more prominent role with a lot of kids around the age of 10 or 12. If these kids still play in a recreational program, some of the emphasis will shift to winning, but not at the expense of league policies regarding equal playing time. Competitive leagues Children whose thirst for competition can't be quenched in their local recreational program can turn to the avalanche of competitive leagues that exist. These leagues are typically referred to as select or travel teams. This type of program is for youngsters who have demonstrated higher skill levels than many other kids their age. These elite programs give kids the chance to compete against others of similar ability in their state or region. Usually, kids involved in these programs have their eyes on long-term advancement in the sport, such as playing at the collegiate level (or, as is often the case, their parents are thinking college scholarships and have pushed the children into this highly competitive environment). Coaches of select or travel teams have an array of issues to deal with that the recreational volunteer coach doesn't face. You have to orchestrate tryouts; make cuts; and, at the oldest levels, make game tapes to send to prospective college coaches. Your schedule is crammed with practices and is typically tournament heavy, with lots of travel and weekends away from home. The environment is entirely different because victories in tournaments push the team into the national spotlight and garner lots of attention for the players involved. Coaches are given the reins of a select or travel team only if they have a strong coaching background and have proved through their experience to be well versed in all areas of the game. If you're in a highly competitive league that you don't believe you're adequately prepared for, notify the league director immediately. Let him know that in the best interests of the kids, you would prefer to coach a less experienced team in a less competitive league. Do what you're better suited for at this time in your coaching career.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Being a parent is a difficult job, but here's a surprise: Coaching your son or daughter's soccer team is equally tricky. After you step inside the white lines, and your child straps on the shin guards, you're likely to encounter an assortment of issues. Most of them should be minor, but some may be problems that you never even dreamed of dealing with before. Don't panic! Although coaching your child can be complex and confusing, it can also be, if handled properly, an extremely rewarding experience for both of you. Sure, you'll probably experience occasional bumps along the way, but if the two of you work together, you'll enjoy some very special memories to savor for a lifetime. And take comfort in the fact that you're not alone. Approximately 85 percent of all volunteer soccer coaches have their own sons or daughters on the team, so you're venturing into common parenting territory. Kicking around the decision with your kid Before you decide to grab the whistle and clipboard and assume the role of soccer coach, sit down with your child and gauge how she feels about you overseeing the team this season. If you don't ask her how she feels, you'll never know. Many youngsters are thrilled to have their dad or mom as coach, and if you see that sparkle in your child's eyes when you bring the subject up, that makes all the time and effort you put into the season well worth it. On the other hand, some children — for whatever reason — aren't going to feel comfortable with the idea and would prefer that their parents don't coach the teams. Take your child's wishes into account before making the decision to step forward. Here are a few tips to help you reach the right decision on whether you and your child are ready for you to pick up the coaching whistle: With your child's help, put together a list of all the positives and negatives about being the coach. On the positive side, you may list that the two of you will be spending more time together than before and that, as the coach, you'll ensure that your child and the rest of the team have fun as they learn new skills. Resolve the negatives by working with your child to develop solutions. For instance, your child may expect to play a certain position simply because you're his parent. Explain that you must be fair to everyone and can't show favoritism and that your child and his teammates will have an equal chance to play different positions. Examine your motivations. Don't take on the task of coaching your son or daughter if your goal is to make your child a star. You must be willing to do whatever is best for your child's overall development, and harboring thoughts of college scholarships and athletic stardom is simply a blueprint for trouble. Explain to your child that being the coach is a great honor. The fact that he's "sharing" you with the other kids during games and practice sessions doesn't mean you love him any less. Explain to him that your responsibility is to help all the players on the team. Taking the time to explain your role to your child helps promote better understanding and reduces the chance of problems arising after the season gets under way. After the two of you talk things through, take your child's thoughts seriously. If he still isn't comfortable with the idea, push your coaching aspirations to the side for the time being. You can revisit the subject with him the following season to measure his feelings. Just because he isn't ready this season doesn't mean he won't want you guiding his team next season or at some point in the future. The last thing you want to do is turn your child off to the sport and make him uncomfortable. Focusing on family-friendly field rules If you and your child agree that having you grab the coaching reins is a good move, keep these tips in mind as you navigate through the season: Remember that you're still the parent. Whether the team wins or loses, you have to step out of coaching mode and remember that first and foremost, you're a parent — and that means asking your child whether she had fun and praising her for doing her best and displaying good sportsmanship. Take your child out for that post-game ice cream or pizza whether she scored a goal or tripped over the ball on a breakaway. Keep talking. To effectively monitor how the season is going, you want your child to understand that she can come to you with a concern or problem at any time. Just because you're the coach doesn't mean that certain topics are now off limits. Don't push practice at home. If your child has a bad practice, you may be tempted to work with her on specific skills as soon as you get home. Never push your child in this direction. In casual conversation, ask her whether she wants to spend a few extra minutes practicing a certain skill that may be giving her a bit of trouble. If she does, that's great, but if not, let it go. Pushing your child to perform extra repetitions can drain her interest in the sport. Never compare siblings. Let your child develop at her own rate. She should never feel burdened by your expectations to control or kick a soccer ball as well as her brother did at his age. This type of comparison can crush her self-esteem and smother her confidence. Praise, praise, praise! Be sure to praise your child's willingness, understanding, and cooperation in this special venture. Coaching your child can be one of the most rewarding experiences you ever have, but it isn't always easy. Be careful with car conversations. A lot of adults have the natural tendency to replay the game on the drive home, and that's perfectly okay if the youngster is an enthusiastic participant in the discussion. But if the game didn't go as well as you planned, refrain from dissecting every mistake, and don't spend the ride probing the youngster for reasons why the team lost or why she didn't perform up to the best of her ability. Refrain from pushing too hard. All parents naturally want their kids to excel, no matter what the activity. In a sport like soccer, sometimes parents go overboard and take their newfound coaching position to the extreme by viewing the position as a chance to control their child's destiny. When this happens, the youngster's experience is unfairly compromised because the parent typically pushes her harder than the other kids, demands more from her, and piles on criticism when she's unable to fulfill the unfair expectations. When parents lose sight of the big picture of what youth soccer is all about, problems materialize that impact the child's emotional well-being, as well as her interest in learning and playing soccer. Coaching your kid can be a great experience for both of you, but the job can feel a bit like walking a tightrope at times as you try to avoid two common traps that many coaches (especially coaches who are unfamiliar with their roles) tend to fall into. Ideally, your behavior should fit somewhere between these two extremes: Providing preferential treatment: Parents naturally lean toward showing preferential treatment to their own children, whether they realize it or not. Typically, they give their children extra playing time; shower them with more attention during practices and games; and assign them special duties, such as team captain. Showing favoritism throws your child into a difficult spot with her teammates and weakens team camaraderie. Overcompensating to avoid the preferential-treatment label: Coaches can also go too far out of their way to ensure that no one thinks they're giving preferential treatment to their children. Quite often, the coach will reduce his child's playing time or give his child less one-on-one instruction during practices. Taking away playing time from your child to steer clear of the favoritism issue does, in effect, create a negative atmosphere for your child. She will question why you're punishing her unfairly.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Creating a coaching philosophy is fairly simple. Living up to it all season long is the tricky part. What's a coaching philosophy? Basically, it reflects the standards you set for yourself and your team, and it's 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. Sure, you 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 thoughtful coaching philosophy keeps you on the right track as you negotiate your way through the season. Even with a carefully planned philosophy firmly in place, adhering to it at all times can be difficult. Challenges show themselves when Billy's mom confronts you halfway through the season about why the team isn't winning more games or when Jennifer's dad questions why the lesser-skilled kids are receiving as much playing time as the team's best players. (Explaining your coaching philosophy to the parents before the season gets under way helps you steer clear of many of these potential headaches.) Your coaching philosophy speaks volumes about you — not only as a coach, but also as a person. Take the time to put some real thought into it; you'll be glad you did. Lead your players in the direction you know is right. Strive to instill in them the values that you want your own kids to exhibit throughout their lives. Accomplish this goal, and regardless of how many games you win this season, you and your team will be winners in the truest sense. Tailoring your philosophy to your age group Although each child has his own unique strengths and weaknesses, all youngsters possess general characteristics that are dictated by age. Children are continually changing, and part of your responsibility as a coach is to know what to expect both physically and emotionally from youngsters at various age levels. Being fully aware of the general age-related differences we cover in the following pages enhances your coaching skills and your ability to relate to your team. It also ensures that you don't favor the players on your squad who are more mature and skilled at the expense of players 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, and whether they're 6 or 16, you give a gift that will last for years to come. Ages 6 and under Children in the 6-and-under age bracket have probably never played soccer before, and this season may be their first experience in an organized team setting. Your job is to introduce them to some of soccer's most basic elements and whet their appetite for future participation. Children at this age generally aren't concerned about how their soccer skills compare with those of the others on their team; they're primarily interested in being with friends and having fun learning and playing the sport. Competition is usually the furthest thing from their mind, which is why most beginner soccer leagues don't keep game scores or standings for this age group. Ages 7 to 9 Youngsters in the 7-to-9 age bracket start focusing on mastering some of the basics of the sport. They crave feedback from coaches and parents on how they're performing certain skills and how they're progressing with new ones. They begin noticing their teammates' abilities and skill levels. When coaches verbally recognize one of their peers for properly executing a skill, the kids want to earn that same feedback. The desire to compete carries much more prominence for some youngsters in this age range than others. Children who have older siblings may be particularly competitive because they've watched their brothers and sisters compete in soccer or other sports, and now it's finally their turn to display their skills. Ages 10 to 12 More than likely, children ages 10 to 12 have had some experience playing soccer in the past and are continuing with it because the sport has piqued their interest. Keep the positive momentum going by adding to their foundation of skills. Fuel their desire to continue playing by conducting practices 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. As children hit this age range, many become more competitive, and winning and losing take on more importance in their lives. They begin embracing the challenge of putting their skills to the test and trying to outperform other kids their age. When they help the team prevail, they feel immense satisfaction accompanied by a unique feeling of accomplishment that can be attained only through the wonderful world of playing youth soccer. Ages 13 and 14 Welcome to the challenging world of the teenager! Kids ages 13 and 14 have already developed many of the basic skills needed to play the sport, and now they want to improve on them. Children at this age are typically searching for their own personal identities as well, so try getting to know them on a personal level by learning who their favorite soccer players or their favorite soccer teams are. Of course, this tip is great for building special coach-player bonds with kids of all ages. Ages 15 and above Gaining the respect of your players is always important to your coaching success, and that's particularly true for kids ages 15 and older. These teens have developed a real passion for the sport. They attend soccer camps, perhaps play in leagues year-round, and, in some cases, may actually be more knowledgeable in some areas of the sport than you are. If you volunteer or get recruited to coach this age group, don't be scared! You don't need to panic. Instead, welcome the chance to enhance your coaching abilities, and embrace the opportunity to coach kids who have a deep-rooted love for the game. Be sure to let them know that you value their opinions, suggestions, and input regarding the team. A youngster's passion for soccer is wonderful, and it actually helps make your job easier.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Get your day of coaching soccer off to a good start by establishing a pregame routine. Go through the following tips so your players have a safe and fun-filled time on and off the soccer field. Inspect the field for loose rocks, broken glass, raised sprinkler heads, or anything else that could injure a child. Verify that all the kids brought the proper equipment. Have the kids warm up. Keep the drills light, cover all the muscle groups that will be used in the game, and involve a large number of soccer skills to properly prepare kids for the game. Give the kids a water break before the game begins. Provide encouraging words and a pat on the back to boost kids’ confidence and enhance self-esteem.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Although the size of a soccer field can vary, sometimes even from community to community, the markings remain pretty much the same. Get to know these playing field features:

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

As a soccer coach, your players count on you during the season for guidance and support. The following are some ways to help your kids through the soccer season: Be specific with your praise Stop practices to point out when a player does something well rather than when they make a mistake While providing feedback, use the “sandwich” method by placing a critical remark between two encouraging comments Pile on the praise for kids giving their best and displaying good sportsmanship Provide constant positive reinforcement — it’s the key to improvement Focus on fun and safety instead of wins and losses Be passionate and enthusiastic and it carries over to your players Have reasonable expectations and set attainable goals for the kids Remember that kids making mistakes is all part of the learning process

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

What you say and how you say it when delivering the pre-game speech is a big motivator for your soccer players. Try these coaching tips when talking to the kids before the soccer game to prepare them for competition: Speak in a calm and relaxed manner. Be brief. Conduct the talk away from any distractions. Stress the importance of having fun and displaying good sportsmanship at all times during the game. Stay away from overused clichés; speak from the heart to get your point across. Avoid pressure phrases like “Let’s score five goals today.” Kids can give you their best effort, but they can’t control the outcome of games. Be enthusiastic with your tone of voice and body language. The kids will be more responsive.