TAPF Articles

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.

Baseball is a static game. Unless the ball is hit to a fielder, the fielders are in static positions. Soccer is a dynamic game. All of the players on the field are moving and putting themselves in position to get the ball. In soccer, everyone on the field gets touches on the ball. There is no right fielder that is never going to get the ball hit to him. Kids get to run and kick things, what better game is there for a kid to keep their interest?

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.

U-6 players need to be taught the basics and nothing but the basics. Their learning curve allows them to be able to kick a ball with their foot, somewhat control the ball when it comes to them and kick the ball and run after it when they get it. U-6 players have as a general rule the mental thought of “it’s my ball and I’m going to play with it”. Asking a U-6 player to pass the ball is like asking a penguin to fly. U-6 matches are as a general rule, organized chaos. Most of the players on the field will be in a group, chasing after the ball. The term bunch ball comes to mind when watching a U-6 match.

Players at the U-8 level are functionally advanced U-6’s. Many players at this level are entry level players and have never been exposed to soccer before. The fundamentals of striking the ball, trapping or controlling it and moving with the ball should be stressed. At this age, the player should be encouraged to use both feet to play the ball. It is far easier to define and hone the skill of using both feet at a young age than it is at a later age. The mental concept of “my ball” still exists at this age level and while many of the players will not be ball chasing some bumblebee games will exist.

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.