You may differ with me on this but lend me your ears. Soccer is just like any other game that requires you to set pre-defined goals for your Soccer practice sessions. Also, these goals must be updated from time to time. It is recommended that you frame these goals well in advance.
What follows are goals that apply to everyone whether the players are young or old.
Make it a point that everyone has fun with the game including the coach. This fun element is lost in soccer if you are too serious or rigid in your approach. Always keep this at the back of your mind that fun is the only reason why anyone would play soccer.
Plus, there are some exact goals.
- Helping the players in sharpening their skills so that they improve their performances.
- Making certain that the players are in top shape.
- Educating the players to develop a healthy attitude.
There is a little something about winning that you should instruct the kids about. Help them believe in themselves and that if they play soccer on the soccer practice field sincerely, they will be considered winners.
What this will do is make them feel like winners every time they come to practice. It is not important for them to taste real victories of the big games till the time they grow up a little. At a young age, it is important to help them enjoy the experience rather than get into the dynamics of winning and losing.
The biggest mistake coaches make is to deliver a lot of verbal instructions in soccer training. That doesn’t help with kids. It’s suitable for their brain to relate to what it sees rather than what it hears. So when you choose to train them on a skill, just illustrate it and they’ll try to impersonate you in that. That’s what you would like them to do.
Now when you decide to demonstrate things yourself, this might require you to do some practice before the session. If for any reason, you cannot perform it yourself, it’s advisable to take the help of an assistant coach or an older player.
Plan the drills in a way that players find certain targets to achieve. This has the effect of making the drills firm, and adds more meaning to a kid’s contribution. Also, ask the players turn by turn to demonstrate to the entire group. This will give them a chance to present their leadership skills in addition to the soccer abilities.
Lastly, make sure that you don’t put forward a lot of things in one go. What works best for the players is to learn and adjust to the first point with full confidence before moving on to the next. Such as making the kids learn to get the body in line with the ball as you coach them to manage the approaching ball. Once the kids become comfortable in doing this, go on to the next step.
Use this in your soccer practice sessions without any delay. There are several such knowledgeable articles and videos in our youth soccer coaching community. Register today to get in touch with a lot of like-minded people belonging to the soccer community.
Andre Botelho is the author of “The Expert Youth Soccer Coaching Guide” and he’s a recognized expert in the subject of youth soccer coaching. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make coaching sessions fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: Soccer Coaching.
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