Soccer Coaching Tips – Soccer Parents – Your Best Friend Or Worst Nightmare

Here are a couple of soccer coaching tips that will really help your communication with the parents. I’ve been on both sides of the aisle…parent and coach. As a parent, you want to see your child do well, improve and have fun. Many parents also have a win at all costs attitude. This can be a real problem when it comes to your team.

If you don’t set some good ground rules ahead of time, you will very quickly find yourself with a pile of coaches on the sidelines all giving your players very different instructions.

It is very important that you open a clear line of communications with the parents before the season begins.

Take some time to explain your philosophy to the parents. Your goals and what you need the parents to do to help out.

Some of the things that you will want to cover here are:

==> Don’t yell at the players
==> Don’t give praise for bad habits
==> Don’t yell at the refs or other players
==> Don’t focus on just winning/losing

I recommend putting together a small handout that hits on the key points you want the parents to know. Things like:

==> Equipment requirements for each child
==> Practice times and locations
==> Game times and how early the kids need to be there
==> Snack schedule
==> Your phone number & email address
==> A quick run down of your coaching philosophy and goals

The number one thing that parents want is to know what is going on. I had one horrible season as a parent with my son Donovan. His coach was consistently late to practice or didn’t show up at all. He frequently missed games or failed to let us know when games had been cancelled.

This is not a way to give your parents a good experience, and believe me there is a trickle down effect to the kids. Be sure to let your parents know as soon as possible about any changes in the schedule.

If you are going to be late for practice, be sure to text and email your parents. A little courtesy will go a long way towards developing good will with your parents.

If you can find a parent to help be a communications coordinator, this can save you a bunch of time. Find a responsible parent that can be a part of the phone chain. This way you can call her (usually a stay-at-home mom is your best bet here) and have her pass the word to the other parents.

Remember, your parents are the #1 asset you have to make your job easier, more fun & more stress free!

Tips for the Parents

Before you do anything else, make sure that you have the phone number and email address of your coach. It took me half a season to get this for one of my boy’s coaches and this made every practice and game an adventure.

As a parent, you are responsibility to re-emphasize your coach’s philosophy with your kids. Remember that at this age the most important thing is for your kids to increase in skill and the enjoyment of the game.

Anything that you can do to make things easier on the coach will be greatly appreciated. Helping pass the word about schedule changes, coordinate the refreshments for games and support the goals of the team are all-important parts of being a good soccer mom or dad.

Make sure that you do your best to get your kids to practice and games on time. If you have something in your schedule that will prevent this, please let the coach know as well.

Most coaches at this level coach because they love the game and they love to teach kids soccer. They are not always compensated by the league/club financially, or are paid poorly at best. A small gift at the end of the season is very appropriate and makes a coach feel appreciated for his or her efforts.

Here are are couple of other key things to remember:

==> Kids want to play because soccer is fun!
==> Buy a good lawn chair. You’ll be spending a lot of time hanging around the soccer field
==> Be consistent with your encouragement of the players
==> Let the coach do the coaching
==> Let the ref referee the game

One of the best soccer coaching tips I can give both parents and coaches is to communicate!

Italian Soccer Loving The Play Of Calcio

Italy is known to be one of the European countries which have a longstanding history for the love of football. In fact, Italy is ranked as the top nation which has the most number of wins in the prestigious Champion’s League organized by the EUFA. The country also carries the world’s most prestigious football clubs known to the whole world. Such clubs include the Juventus, Roma, Fiorentina, Torino, Milan and Internationale. Italians and other nationalities alike wait for regular football competitions played by the Italians and one such gathering of winners is the Coppa Italia.

The Coppa Italia is a yearly cup competition among Italy’s best football clubs. The cup competition last year was held in Rome in may 2008 and with the win achieved by Roma. Juventus and Roma lead this prestigious quest among great Italian clubs with having nine winnings each. Winning the Italian Cup gives the winning club a spot in the world recognized EUFA Cup competitions. Those who have won the cup for ten times are to receive a silver star, however, no team has yet achieved this feat. With nine wins each, Roma and Juventus are the next in line to get the most coveted silver star.

As seen in the many Italian football competition and trophies such as the Coppa Italia, Italy has a long and rich history when it comes to the sport. In fact, the game of kicking has started in the sixteenth century. The game, called calcio in Italian, literally means kick but the old version allows kicking, elbowing, and even head butting. The Italian calcio was originally played solely by aristocrats but eventually became a national game among all classes and ages. The Piaza Santa Croce in Florence has been the original venue for ancient calcio and even the present-day games.

Originally, football or Italian calcio was played only by four teams identified by team colors. The colors for the four teams were red, blue, white and green. In the present times, another calcio competition known as the Italian Fantasy League or Fantacalcio. For the Fantacalcio, Italy’s biggest and best teams participate. It is one of the leagues which is highly awaited by the whole world. One easy way to get updated with the Fantacalcio, the Coppa Italia or any other football competition is to use Internet streaming so you can watch matches anytime, anywhere.

Football is one sport loved and highly regarded by the Italians. It is deeply rooted into their culture and it has also been known to shape their current events. As of today, many great football players known in the world have come from Italy. The Coppa Italia has done a great deal in making these players known worldwide but also in uplifting the prestige in the sport. Winning the famous national cup gives the winning team a sure slot in the much awaited EUFA Cup. The strength of the competition proves that Italians are not only lovers of the sport but also determined to make a lasting name in the history of football

The Mania Of Nike Soccer Shoes

Amongst all the games, soccer is considered to be the favorite of most of the athletes. If you are one of the aspirants who want to play this sport, then you must refer to this article to check out the requisites for the game of soccer. Soccer is a game all about passes and goals which means the feet need to be given the right care. Nike soccer shoes are the important elements that are necessary for you when you are gearing up for the upcoming tournament. Wholesale soccer cleats must be preferred when you want to buy football shoes in a large number.

The prime focus of this article will be importance of buying wholesale soccer cleats. Nike soccer shoes are known for offering excellent grip along with the proper traction that is needed while you are playing this game. You will notice that the comfort and padding of these nike soccer cleats are amazing. Moreover they enhance your performance.

When you are on the field, the feel of the ball is necessary, so you must buy a good pair of shoes. You must go through the features of wholesale soccer cleats and then choose the pair that suits as well as fits you the best. Nike soccer shoes are made up of the protective. All the materials used to manufacture them ensure that players are playing the game without any trouble. The leather used for these nike soccer cleats is often refined to let its qualities offer more benefits to the athletes. The best part about these wholesale soccer cleats is that they are available according to your size and are durable in nature. However, when you walk in to the showrooms, you come across high priced branded shoes and you may not be able to afford more than two pairs of nike soccer cleats at a time. Thus, in such a situation, you must act wisely by buying wholesale nike soccer shoes and stay in the budget. You can find lots of wholesale dealers around you who will offer you the latest types of soccer shoes ranging from nike mercurial victory fg soccer shoes, nike mercurial vapor superfly soccer shoes, nike mercurial men’s soccer cleats to many more such wholesale soccer cleats.

It cannot be denied that the competition in the market has been soaring so the lining up of numerous brands is obvious. However, you need to choose the best wholesale nike soccer shoes so that you can run without injuring your feet in a continuous rhythm. You need not forget that your shoes play a crucial role as your feet have to constantly be in motion. This will imply that you give your feet the extra care with nike soccer shoes.

Get Utmost Protection With Soccer Shin Guards

Soccer shin guards are protective equipments used by soccer players in the game to protect the shin. The shin is that part of the body below the knee and above the ankle. They protect against very vast serious leg injuries of which the commonest is kicks in the shin. After the invention of shin guards, it has been modernized to carry out protective measures as well as aesthetic purposes in soccer.

These accessories are produced with different synthetic materials varying in strength of the material. The commonest are the fiberglass, which offer protection and at the same time are light in weight. The players wearing shin guards from fiber glass have an added advantage over the person with polyurethane made shin guards. These ones are heavy and most often weigh down on the bearer.

However, the polyurethane made shin-guarding items offer complete protection from leg injuries. In addition, there are items made from plastic materials. These ones offer the least protection in comparison with others. To their credit, they are lightweight and can make the owner feel like he or she is wearing nothing. Finally in the materials of shin guards are the foam rubber soccer shin guards.

They are lightweight and offer protection. Their level of protection is however not as high as the fiber glass. Shin-guarding items cover the whole leg with an exception to one or two inches. Irrespective of the material it is made from these accessories are for protecting and not hinder the performance of the athletes. Soccer players therefore go for the best option of protection and effective performance shin guards.

For goal keepers and strikers, they usually use the lightest weight shin guards because of their need to move fast in the course of the game. Midfielders are however the ones that need the heaviest of soccer shin guards this is because of their constant tackling. Defenders get shin guards as they can manage and are comfortable with. Shin guards are necessary because the tibia one of the bone of the legs, lie directly under the skin and is not surrounded by cushioning muscles and flesh.

Therefore, a hit in the bone can result to a closed fracture. Shin-guarding products have been made compulsory for most clubs in order to manage the players well by the reduction of injuries. As an added advantage to soccer shin guards provision for ankle, protection has been made and attached to them. This comes as a source of aid to the players; especially since modern day, boots are cut below the ankle.

It has been recorded that some players have used the shin guard and ankle pads to avert an early end to their careers. One of such is goal keeper Joe Anvon. He claims that the shin guard and the ankle support saved his leg after a very forceful collision that resulted to a broken leg. He believes that without the soccer shin guards that the chances of saving that leg without amputation were not feasible.

Youth Soccer Coaching – Using the 3-3-1 Formation For U11 Players

There are many different opinions about what the best formation is for teams that play in a youth under 11 league. Typically these leagues will feature seven field players and the goalie, and the question is what formation will allow us to achieve our goals?

A coach would be well served to sort out his or her goals for the season when selecting the formation to use. You should consider the skill level of your players and their familiarity with each other along with their overall skill level. No matter what though, choosing a formation can go a long way towards helping you realize your season’s goals.

My recommendation is to use a 3-3-1 formation throughout the season in order to begin learning the roles of each of the four different positions on the field. A 3-3-1 formation features three defensive backs, three midfielders and a single striker or forward. In this formation, you can emphasize the importance of team defense and positional play while identifying your attacking forward as a target player to receive outlet passes from the defensive zone. Although a single striker can limit your immediate offense of opportunities, you can still use your excellent defense and midfield density to bring the ball out of your defensive zone and slowly build your attack with team play.

This formation will feature a defender and a midfielder on the left side of the field, a defender and midfielder in the center, and a defender and a midfielder on the right side of the field. These sets of two players get to experience a partnership on their side of the field with the responsibility for covering for each other if they create a hole when they pursue the ball. The possibilities for overlapping runs require these partners to play with an eye on each other the entire game.

In addition, the three defenders must learn to play as a unit by staying on the line and covering for each other if one is out of position in pursuit of the ball. Three midfielders must play in a similar fashion: online in covering each other in case one gets out of position.

In the attack, the outside midfielders must run forward to support the lone striker by getting into the box. This puts their fitness levels under stress and you can expect to have to rotate these two outside midfield players most often when using this formation.

As another coaching point, you want to make sure that your outside defenders fill in the open space behind the midfield players when they make a run for. In this way they get in the habit of joining the attacking play and taking over a midfield role.

This formation is stable and sound on defense, solid in the middle, and features a target player in the striker who can receive the outlet pass and set up 18 attacking play. It is a conservative yet ideal way to begin teaching the roles and missions of each of your field playing positions.