How to Follow the ABCs of Youth Soccer Coaching (I-L)

To do a good job with children, see yourself first as a child educator and second as a soccer coach. The ABCs of coaching, created by Ashley's Soccer Camp in Montclair, New Jersey, and adopted by coaches nationwide, can help you do that.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Soccer Apparel
• Soccer Cleats
• Soccer Goalkeeper's Shirts
• Soccer Shin Guards
• Soccer Uniforms
• Soccer Videos
• soccer balls

1. Keep your eyes on the group. Constantly walk the perimeter of where your team is practicing and scan the group. This helps in identifying potential problems. Speaking of eyes, when talking to a group, keep your eyes toward the sun, not the children's.
2. Join in. Every activity should be structured to achieve maximum participation. Everyone wants to be involved, and organized chaos can be useful, as it simulates game conditions.
3. Keep records and maintain high standards. This ensures that you can better evaluate what works and what does not. As you maintain high standards for yourself, do so for the children as well.
4. Learn names. Everyone appreciates being called by their first name. Children love to be known by their coaches. Make a point of learning names as quickly as possible.

Tips & Warnings

• Run it by your child. It's a good idea to talk about coaching with your child first, to see how he or she feels.
• Learn the language. Understand the sport you are coaching, including its vocabulary.
• Hit the books. Consider taking a soccer coaching license course. It will help you learn about soccer. In addition, many leagues require that coaches have licenses.
• Learn the "Laws of the Game." These are the official rules of soccer, often slightly adapted by youth leagues.
• Start out slowly. Volunteer to be an assistant coach at first in order to learn the ropes.
• Become a student of the game. Watch teams and players of similar age to your child. Also, watch older teams so you know what to expect as you move along.
• Get support if you're a woman. Female coaches are less common than male coaches - and greatly appreciated. But chances are they'll need extra support and encouragement.