I have been coaching youth soccer now for 24 years from age levels 7 to 14 years old and have seen just about every imaginable scenario a coach can go through when coaching youth soccer. I was also a certified high school civil servant for about 7 years or so. I have also seen many 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 both youth and high school soccer. Both were average players. Knowing my place as a parent AND as a coach got me through some tough parenting times.
If you are looking to get involved or are currently a youth soccer coach, this article will provide an outline for your team to get the training 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 exchange for the coaches volunteering their time to not only train your son, but also help him become a responsible young adult.
My philosophy on 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 a 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 you start ANY practice, as the head coach, you should have a parent/coach meeting WITH the kids attending the meeting. During the meeting, be sure to cover the following:
- Overview of your program
- His training philosophy
- Introduction of coaches and their responsibilities
- Eligibility Requirements
- team rules
- Player conduct expectations both on and off the field (including school)
- Parental Behavior Expectations On and Off the Field
- Importance of following staff instructions
- Goals and objectives of the season
- Training routines and practice.
- Selection of players (by team and starting positions)
- Bad weather contingency plans for outdoor sports
- Staying hydrated during hot weather
- Team
- Meals before the game and before practice. 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 foundation for your practices and what is expected of everyone involved.
This is the schedule I run for my practices. It forces the execution by repetition. Works. The hours are as follows:
- 6:30 – 6:50 – warm-up/calisthenics and 2 laps
- 6:50 – 7:35 – breakdown into stations (blocking, tackling, running, etc.) usually 3 stations is good. Each station lasts 15 minutes. Do not make groups too large to give players replays at each station.
- 7:35 – 8:00 – Offensive or defensive drills. Divide into groups and do your exercises. I say Offensive or Defensive because I run Offensive Drills one night, Defensive Drills one night, and Special Teams one night.
- 8:00 – 8:20 – Match. 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 have to go through the different stations, drills or whatever to get to know your players and their skills. You have the final say in the decisions that are made so you get to know your players AND their abilities better.
Make sure ALL your players get the proper training. You have no idea how many times I’ve seen other coaches give up a player because they don’t believe he “has what it takes.” Having what it takes is not the problem here. COACHING is the problem. As long as you and your coaches are doing exactly that, training, then you should see improvement in ALL 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 tell my players and parents that. If/when we lose, we lose as a team. I NEVER display bad 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 happens when they are wrong. The first one there to tell them that it is unacceptable. I do this for all of 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 idea of what it takes to run a successful program and coach youth soccer while creating a positive, winning atmosphere.
