I have been coaching youth soccer now for 24 years from age levels 7 to 14 years old and have seen just about every conceivable 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 a lot of changes over the years, not only through the eyes of the coaches but also through the eyes of the 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 soccer both in their youth and in high school. They were both average players. Knowing my place as a parent AND as a coach got me through some tough parenting times.
If you’re looking to get involved or are currently a youth soccer coach, this article will provide an outline for your team to get the instruction they need to be competitive. If you are reading this article as a parent, I will let you know what is expected of you in return for coaches volunteering their time to not only coach your child, but help them become a responsible young adult.
My philosophy about football is this. Master the clock and you will have a better chance of success. By that I mean you need to take charge of the offense. Move the ball down the field 10 yards at a time. eat the clock Enter the red zone and score! DEFENSIVELY SHUT THEM UP!! It’s not new and it’s 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 the head coach, he must have his 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 outlined in this article.
BEFORE starting ANY practice, as head coach, you must have a parent/coach meeting WITH the children attending the meeting. During the meeting, be sure to cover the following:
- Overview of your program
- Your training philosophy
- Introduction of coaches and their responsibilities
- eligibility requirements
- team rules
- Behavior expectations for players both on and off the field (including at school)
- Behavior expectations of parents on and off the field
- Importance of following staff instructions
- Season goals and objectives
- Training routines and practice.
- Player selection (by team and starting positions)
- Bad Weather Contingency Plans for Outdoor Sports
- Stay hydrated during hot weather
- Equipment
- Pre-game and pre-practice meals. What and when to eat.
I also have my parents sign a form saying they understand everything that was discussed at the meeting and that they understand their participation is to support their child AND the team. I’ll give you what I use in a future article.
I also have the children sign an agreement. Lots of good stuff in it too. It teaches them responsibility and commitment. I’ll give you what I use in a future article as well.
We have now laid the groundwork for your practices and what is expected of everyone involved.
This is the schedule I run for my practices. Force execution by repetition. Works. The schedule is as follows:
- 6:30 – 6:50 – warm up/calisthenics and 2 laps
- 6:50 – 7:35 – station breakdown (block, tackle, run, etc.) usually 3 stations is good. Each station lasts 15 minutes. Don’t make groups too large to give players repetitions at each station.
- 7:35 – 8:00 – Offensive or defensive drills. Divide into groups and do your exercises. 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 – Party. One night you play your Offense, one night Defense and one night Special Teams + Offense AND Defense.
- 8:20 – 8:30 – Warm-up
The schedule can be modified to suit your situation. One thing you need to understand when coaching youth soccer. Repetition and practice result in great execution.
During your practice sessions, you as the head coach must go through 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 you can get to know your players AND their abilities better.
Make sure ALL of your players receive proper training. You have no idea how many times I’ve seen other coaches give up a player because they don’t think he “has what it takes.” Having what is needed is not the problem here. COACHING is the problem. As long as you and your coaches are doing exactly that, coaching, then you should see improvement in ALL of your players and that should be one of your goals.
I would like to add one more thing before closing. Over 24 years as a youth soccer coach, I have been fortunate to have led successful programs. I’ve had maybe 3 or 4 losing seasons. I hate losing and I say that to my players and parents. If/when we lose, we lose as a team. I NEVER show poor sportsmanship. My teams WIN and LOSE as a team. Trainers included. I am a very loud and proud coach. If the player does something right, I’m the first to congratulate him. The same thing happens when they are wrong. The first there to tell you that it is unacceptable. I do this for all his behavior and commitment on and off the field.
I’ve always said, “Before you can win as a team and be successful, you must learn to lose gracefully as a team.”
Stay tuned for my next articles. I will cover topics that will give you an insight into what it takes to run a successful program and coach youth soccer while creating a positive and winning atmosphere.
