SoccerXpert Latest Soccer Tips

Tips for the New Soccer Coach

Chris Johnson — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:30:56 GMT

Some coaches are skeptical when they are asked to coach their child’s soccer team. The fear lies in the unknown. There are some important tips that will make your first time as a soccer coach a pleasant one for players, parents, and most of all you.

Have FUN! Have a good time and make it FUN for the players. A coach’s interaction with the players should always be positive and the more the coach engages with the kids, the more they will respond.
Be FAIR. Being fair is very important too. It’s a coach’s job to make sure each player has equal playing time, make sure players play each position, and be sure to include everyone.
Be POSITIVE. Being positive includes every interaction with players, parents, officials, and other coaches. It’s always good to set this standard at the beginning of the year so that your parents and players are all on the same wave length.
Ask for Parent Involvement. At the beginning of the year, ask for parent assistance during practice. This will help get parents involved with their child’s play and will help you reduce the player/coach ratio. This is especially helpful in younger players. For young players, try to keep the ratio about 4 kids to each coach. As the kids get older, the ratio can grow as much as 8 kids for each coach. This ratio will depend greatly on your kid’s age and skill.
Focus on TEAMWORK. As a coach, you often will have one or two star players on your team. It is important to grow these players and make them even stronger players; however, it is important to focus on teamwork to get the work done.
Set GROUND RULES. Before the season starts, meet with the team and parents and establish the ground rules. You will want to cover things such as:
- sideline behavior – make sure they know they are welcome to cheer, but it is up to the coach and the assistant to do the coaching;
- have players arrive to practice and games on time;
- notify the coach if absent or late to game or practice;
- players are to sit with the team while not in the game and not in mommy’s lap;
Know what to practice. As a new coach, it is hard to come up with games that are appropriate for that level of player. Make sure you check out the soccer drills section of this site to get fun ideas for your level of player. Make sure you are playing small-sided games with younger kids which will focus on game-like situations. Make sure you prepare properly and have everything you need to coach soccer. Also check out my the SoccerXpert tip on Making a soccer Lesson Plan.
Take Coaching Courses. Many associations will offer coaching education. I encourage you to spend the extra time to become educated and seek help from experienced coaches.

In closing, I simply encourage you to accept the coaching position if you are given the opportunity. It might seem scary at first, but there are many resources in which you can learn to become an effective coach. It does take some practice, so don’t expect to be perfect your first go-round. Every season will be a learning experience and make sure you learn from your mistakes.

How youth soccer players learn the game

Chris Johnson — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 16:14:15 GMT

How do youth soccer players learn the game? The answer is simple! They learn the game by watching, imitating, practicing and being tested during game play.

Observation - When young soccer players watch elite players such as players in the English Premier League, Champions League or Major League Soccer (MLS), this gives them a role model to mimic their play and helps young players set goals. These players who watch older elite soccer players play in practice and in games often develop a much higher level of understanding of the tactics behind the game.
Imitation – Often times the above mentioned “observation” turns into young soccer players trying to mimic or re-enact the techniques learned from the older elite soccer player.
Practice – This stage is the area where the player works on and improves their technique. This can be juggling by one’s self, playing soccer with a friend at the local school, or practicing in a group or team setting.
The Game (Testing) – This is the area where the player attempts to perform the practiced techniques during a game. This can be 1v1 with a friend, 2v2, 4v4, 8v8 or a full sided 11v11.

Making a Soccer Lesson Plan

Chris Johnson — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 19:08:59 GMT

Design, Diagram and Make Sense

When making a lesson plan remember the following points:

Design your session for no the number of players on the team.
Make sure your drills and activities are age specific.
Design activities to flow from simple to complex – add elements of the game as you progress.
Design session to include:
1. Warm-up.
2. Small-sided activity (e.g. 4v2 keep away).
3. Expanded small-sided activity, with discretion.
4. 6v6 (5v5 plus keepers) to two large goals.
Use progression for teaching techniques or tactics as a guide for planning session.
Use the appropriate space on the lesson plan to diagram your activity, describe the organization and list the key coaching points.
Include the objectives of the game or exercise and the method of scoring.
If using restrictions, make sure they are applicable to your objective and topic.
Include the general dimensions for the playing area – you should be prepared to adjust the size during your session if needed.
Use the area of the field that is most applicable to your topic if possible to provide a clearer reference for your players.
Make sure your activities are realistic to the game.

When diagramming, remember the following points:

Keep diagrams simple.
Use a straight line for a pass – a dotted line for a run – a scribbled line for a dribble.
Indicate size of the area on lesson plan next to diagram.
Indicate neutral players with an N.

Make sure your practice makes sense:

Does it look like soccer?
Will your players understand where the practice fits in the game?
Are the objectives you set for the players to achieve realistic?
Are your instructions clear and to the point?
Does the activity or practice bring out the actual elements of the game?

What to Eat During Soccer Tournaments

Chris Johnson — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 17:37:38 GMT

As a soccer coach, I don’t have to tell you that coaching a youth soccer team while traveling in tournaments is a difficult task. One of the hardest responsibilities as a soccer coach while on the road is monitoring your players’ food intake. As their soccer coach, it is important for you as their coach to give the players a list of foods that will help their bodies recover quickly and give them the most energy for the following games.

First of all, some of the tournaments I have coached in often play games with only a brief time between games. This is often not enough time to leave the complex to eat. In this situation, instruct your players to bring energy snacks that are easy and are an excellent energy source. These snacks are easy to carry and won’t spoil.

SOCCER SNACK FOODS

Apples
Bananas
Dried Banana Chips
Apricots
Raisins
Fig Newton’s
Graham Crackers
Bagels
English Muffins
Blueberry Muffins
Oatmeal-raisin cookies
Granola bars
Hard Pretzels
Bread Sticks
Popcorn
Cold Cereal
Corn Flakes
Juice in a box
Raw Vegetables
Fruit snack
Fruit Sauce

Here is a list of foods that are high in carbohydrates:

FRUITS:

Apples
Bananas
Peaches
Apricots
Raisins
Oranges
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Pineapple
Plums
Dates

BREADS/CEREALS

Bagels
English Muffins
Granola Bars
Rice
Blueberry Muffins
Toast
French toast
Dry Cereal
Pancakes
Waffles
Oatmeal
Pasta

VEGETABLES

Corn
Broccoli
Potatoes
Carrots
Peas
Beans
Cabbage
Yams
Cauliflower
Turnips
Green Peppers

DAIRY FOODS

Milk
Yogurt

Soccer coaches, make sure your team has this list next time they travel on an out of town tournament.

Soccer's Small-Sided Game

Chris Johnson — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 14:24:28 GMT

In soccer, the game is the best teacher. The game challenges players by the problems it presents for the players who must solve problems to be successful. Games create realistic situations that players will come up against in the game. Through friendly competition, players will be motivated and challenged to learn the game.

It is not always possible to play a full sided game every practice; therefore, the use of small sided games becomes an important development tool. Through small sided games, players are forced to respond to game like situations and are forced to learn to problem solve. Small sided games incorporate all of the major elements of the game.

Small sided games are great learning tools to focus on areas such as transitional play, quality of touches, quality and speed of decision making, and positional. Not to mention the fact that small sided games are fun and players enjoy the competition.

Make sure your next training session incorporates small sided games such as: 4v4, To Lines or Small Goals