effective youth soccer
coaching
"Kids' football (soccer) is all about the
individual loving the game: dribbling and shooting, playing games and
scoring goals, experimenting and copying. It is very simple and lots of
fun.
Adult football is all about the team and
results. It is physical, tactical, complicated and very serious."
Tom Statham of Manchester
United Academy
Perhaps the most
important 'key' to successful youth soccer coaching is this:
always aim to make
the training sessions fun for everyone - including you!
But...you can only
do this with the aid of careful planning. Always think about what you want
your team to achieve in the long term as well as today. Have
a plan.
 It is important
that your training
sessions take
the ages and capabilities of your children into account (click
here for
advice on how to plan sessions for young children) but most soccer
coaching
sessions follow this pattern:
a
warm up
to raise the heart
rate of your
children, stretch their muscles and get them focused on the session;
a quick and
simple
demonstration of the
skill/technique
that you want
them to learn**
**Don't forget to
ASK them what
they think is the best way to pass or shoot or keep the ball etc. rather than
TELL them why you think they should do it that way.
-
some
fun games that will allow them to practice
what you've just shown them. Play lots of
SSGs - small sided games are better than 6 or 7 a side;
-
a small sided
game (scrimmage) with no intervention from you to finish the session.
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Don't be tempted to
adopt a 'P.E' style of coaching
- while it's important to plan your sessions be careful not to make them too rigid. Be prepared to adapt according to what you see and hear on the practice field. Above all, don't be afraid to let your children play! Read
this article for more on soccer coaching style.
Don't
try to pack too much in - remember to allow time for discussion, setting up, drinks, arguments etc!
Don't
persevere with a plan that obviously isn't working. Have a couple of tried and tested alternatives up your sleeve and work out what went wrong
afterwards.
Don't
use drills that involve children standing in lines for more than a few seconds - they'll soon get bored and bored children are trouble!
Don't
train children on your own. Always have at least one assistant, even if all they do is tie laces and fetch balls. There is also an important health and safety consideration here: who will look after your children if you have
to take one of them to hospital?
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Do treat your players with respect.
They like you to listen and take notice of their feelings and opinions. Find out what they want from you
and agree some clear ground rules. If you still have have trouble
with discipline issues, read
this.
Also, you must consider
child protection issues,
especially if you're training a mixed group of boys and girls. I always have a female assistant if I'm training girls.
If you are looking for
something specific, try the site map.
Alternatively, check out these soccer
coaching books and manuals
If you
still can't find what you're looking for,
send me the details and
I'll try to help.
The official Football Association guide to basic team coaching
How
to Coach a Soccer Team: Professional Advice on Training Plans, Skill
Drills, and Tactical Analysis
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