A question like How to coach soccer needs an answer as simple as the questions itself but we must make efforts to find a precise one. In any case, youth soccer coaching is not an easy job and it takes a lot of effort to keep the players motivated under all types of situations.
Let me share with you 5 simple yet great tips to help you take your team’s performance to the next level.
1. Your plans should be comprehensive: Make complete and methodical plans if you wish to get the desired results in coaching. When deciding the team goals and the timelines to achieve them, involve the players and take their opinions into consideration too. If the desired results are not achieved within the stipulated timelines, your team’s growth is hampered.
Once the plan is finalized, remain loyal to it but do keep some space for minor changes as and when required. There are unanticipated situations that require changes in even well made plans.
2. Practice sessions should be a whole lot of fun: Boring and repetitive training drills are bound to bring down the enthusiasm of young players when performed regularly. You can introduce these in a variety of ways. For example: encourage players to participate in games and activities for some time after practice so as to develop a feeling of team spirit in them.
3. Freedom and Discipline should be exercised together: For a coach, discipline in the team should always be a priority. Nonetheless, the fact that it is freedom form unnecessary control that motivates the kids to religiously follow the rules. You must always understand the importance of freedom and relaxation while teaching soccer.
Between the drills, leave some time for the players to relax, share time with each other or simply unwind. The concept of how to coach soccer also encapsulates a good idea to take them out on an excursion once in a while.
4. Maintain tolerance and support: Motivate your team to do new things and when these new things do not work out as expected, be cool about it. Keep scrutinizing their activities. If a situation is serious enough to require your action, jump in and correct it but without punishing the kids.
Bear in mind that when you retort, the kids feel intimidated and when you show compassion and encouragement, they feel motivated to do even better.
5. Maintain balance: A practice session is where the kids get to know their talent and soccer skills. It is well known that when we talk of a team, there are bound to be players of different calibers; the good, bad, and worst. It is a part of your job to make sure that the best players take it upon themselves to improve the performance of the poor ones.
Befriend the good and bad players together so that stay with each other maximum and share the techniques during and after the sessions. It is also vital that they players do not feel that a comparison is being drawn between them.
It must now be your ambition to make the best use of these tips in progressing on how to coach soccer.
You can also join our youth soccer coaching community to learn more and dramatically improve your coaching skills.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching and has already helped thousands of youth coaches to dramatically improve their coaching skills. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun by downloading your free ebook at: How to coach soccer
