A Parent’s Primer To Coaching Kids Soccer

Soccer is one of the fastest growing youth sports in the United States. The growth in the number of soccer players expands exponentially every year. This rapid growth of players far outstrips the number of coaches. Each year, clubs and organizations persuade parents who have never played to coach a youth team. Where does the parent start to learn how to coach a soccer team? Here is a parent’s primer to coaching kids soccer.

Kids as a rule love to play soccer. Everyone on the field is involved in playing the game. When kids play a baseball game, chances are that the player in right field never gets a ball hit to him. In soccer, there is no right field everyone on the field is involved in the match. Soccer is a game that involves running, is fast and provides opportunities for every level of player.

The parent coach has been in existence for many years in youth soccer. The necessity of utilizing parents who may never have played soccer as coaches has led to the publishing of a plethora of coaching manuals. Some are excellent some are mediocre. The United States Soccer Federation has published one of the best manuals for the parent coach. The fundamentals of the game are explained. Drills and exercises for any age group are provided. Players are usually divided into two year age groups. Youth leagues are generally arranged in Under 6,8,10 and 12 year old age groups. Most leagues play girls and boys in the same league when they are younger.

Under 6 players should be taught the basics of soccer. How to kick the ball, how to control it when it comes to them and how to run with the ball (dribble) are all that the players are truly able to learn. The mental concept of play is “It’s my ball and I’m going to play with it” is what drives a U-6 player. U-6 matches are often the ball rolling around the field with most if not all of the players on the field chasing it in a group.

Under 8 players are really advanced U-6’s many players in U-8 leagues are just starting out playing and have not been introduced to the fundamentals of the game. Once again the basics are stressed. Kicking and trapping the ball using both feet, dribbling the ball with both feet should be stressed. It is easier to teach the player at a young age to use both feet than it is at an older age. U-8 games can sometimes resemble the “bumblebee” games of the U-6 age group but the players as they get older will gain more of an idea of playing a position.

U-10 players (8 and 9 year olds) are more mentally mature and physically coordinated. This is a natural aspect of growth. The U-10’s are ready for more challenging practices and more advanced ball control techniques. When the matches are played the maturity of the U-10 player surfaces. Players actually develop the concept of playing in a position and balls are passed, sometimes successfully to a teammate. The more mature psychology and physiology allow matches to actually resemble a “real” soccer match.

At the U-12 level, tactics of play can be introduced to the players. The players are now old enough to comprehend the actual tactics and utilize them during the match. More complex ball skills should continue to be introduced in practice and these skills will be developed adequately enough to be utilized during a match. Players at this age enjoy being provided with set plays for use during the match. These set plays are generally utilized during restarts in the match. The tactical play of these athletes expands and provides an enjoyable experience for both the players and the parents in the stand.

Soccer is often described as both a beautiful game and a simple game. The pure enjoyment of running on the field provides aerobic exercise for the youth player. Practices are generally looked forward to and matches provide the necessary competition for the youth. The parent coach should provide practices that are active, challenging and enjoyable for the player. The parent coaches educating themselves as to what drills and exercises will provide these goals for the player can only accomplish this.