I have coached youth soccer for 24 years, from 7 to 14 years old, and I have seen almost every imaginable scenario a coach can go through when coaching youth soccer. I was also a certified high school official for about 7 years or so. I have also seen many changes over the years, not only through the eyes of a coach, but also through the eyes of parents.
I’ve been on both sides of the ball. As a coach I had the opportunity to train as a head and assistant coach. As a father, I have 2 sons who played junior and high school football. They were both average players. Knowing my place as a parent AND as a coach helped me get through some difficult parenting times.
If you are looking to get involved or coach youth soccer, this article will give you an overview so that your team can receive the necessary instruction to be competitive. If you read this article as a parent, I will let you know what is expected of you in exchange for the coaches volunteering their time not only to coach your child, but also to help develop him / her into responsible young adults.
My philosophy about football is this. Master the clock and you will have a better chance of success. By that I mean you must take charge offensively. Move the ball across the field 10 yards at a time. eat the clock. Enter the red zone and dial! CLOSE THEM Defensively !! It is not new and it is not rocket science. Coaches lose sight of this at the high school and youth soccer level. That is why repetition is necessary. Generate success.
The first is the first. As a head coach, you need to have your entire practice, program, and philosophy outlined. Typically, a youth soccer practice lasts 2 hours. No matter how many nights or days you practice, you can use the same principles that are described in this article.
BEFORE starting ANY practice, as a head coach, you must have a parent / coach meeting WITH the children attending the meeting. During the meeting, be sure to cover the following:
- Summary of your program
- Your coaching philosophy
- Introduction of coaches and their responsibilities.
- Eligibility requirements
- Team rules
- Expectations of the player’s behavior both on and off the field (including school)
- Expectations of parental behavior on and off the field
- Importance of following staff instructions
- Goals and objectives of the season
- Training and practice routines
- Player selection (for teams and starting positions)
- Bad weather contingency plans for outdoor sports
- Staying hydrated during hot weather
- Team
- Meals before the game and before practice. What and when to eat.
I also ask my parents to sign a form saying that they understand everything that was discussed at the meeting and that they understand that their participation is supportive of their child AND the team. I’ll give you what I use in a future article.
I also have the children sign an agreement. It also contains many good things. It teaches them responsibility and commitment. I’ll also give you what I use in a future article.
We have now laid the groundwork for their practices and what is expected of everyone involved.
This is the schedule that I run for my practices. Enforces repeat execution. It works. The schedule is as follows:
- 6:30 – 6:50 – warm-up / calisthenics and 2 laps
- 6:50 – 7:35 – the breakdown into stations (blocking, entry, race, etc.) generally 3 stations is good. Each station lasts 15 minutes. Don’t make groups too large to give players replays at each station.
- 7:35 – 8:00 – Offensive or defensive drills. Divide into groups and run your drills. I say Offensive or Defensive because one night I run Offensive Drills, one night Defensive Drills, and one night Special Teams.
- 8:00 – 8:20 – Scrimmage. One night you play your Attack, one night Defense and one night Special Teams + Attack & Defense.
- 8:20 – 8:30 – Warm coats
The schedule can be modified to suit your situation. One thing you have to understand when coaching youth soccer. Repetition and practice result in great play.
During your practice sessions, you, as the head coach, should go to the different stations, drills or whatever to get to know your players and their abilities. You have the last word in the decisions that are made so that you better know your players AND their skills.
Make sure ALL of your players receive proper training. You have no idea how many times I’ve seen other coaches give up on a player because they don’t think they “have what it takes.” Having what it takes is not the problem here. COACHING is the problem. As long as you and your coaches are doing just that, training, then you should see an improvement in ALL of your players and that is one of your goals.
I would like to add one more thing before closing. For more than 24 years coaching youth soccer, I have been fortunate to have run successful programs. Maybe I’ve had 3 or 4 losing seasons. I hate losing and I tell my players and my parents. If / when we lose, we lose as a team. I NEVER show bad sportsmanship. My teams WIN and LOSE as a team. Coaches included. I am a very loud and fiery coach. If the player does something well, I am the first to praise him. The same is true when they are wrong. First one there to tell them that it is unacceptable. I do this for all his demeanor and commitment on and off the field.
I’ve always said “Before you win as a team and be successful, you have to learn to lose gently as a team.”
Stay tuned for my next articles. I’ll cover topics that will give you an idea of what it takes to run a successful program and coach youth soccer while creating a positive, winning atmosphere.