Coaching kids soccer is a different animal than coaching an adult soccer team. There are a variety of different concerns to look out for. With kids soccer, the intent isn't just to build a winning team, but to also build a great team spirit, make sure your players are having fun as well as bonding with other team members. Key skills of a good coach include team building skills, progressive training drills and positive reinforcement.
Help Kids Build Social Skills
Kids can be an unruly and uncoordinated when left alone. Your job as a coach is to build up the spirit of a team. That these kids really are in it together; and that they should look out for one another.
Friendship and teamwork are a huge part of a successful team. Individual kids with soccer skills won't play nearly as well as a group of kids who are playing with their friends, all working towards a common goal.
Give the Kids a Sense of Accomplishment
One great way to teach kids soccer is to use progressive drills. Instead of choosing very difficult drills to start, you can start with easy drills to instill a sense of accomplishment and capability within your players.
Once you start building their self-esteem and they start to believe they are capable soccer players, you can gradually amp up the heat on the soccer training drills.
This allows you to start off by building a solid base of self-esteem and sense of value to the team. From there, you can add on harder drills and your players will be more inspired to try harder.
Make Sure Your Kids Know You Appreciate Them
It's very important that your players know that you value them. It's important that your players feel like they are a valuable addition to the team.
Some coaching prefer a harsher, louder training style. Those training styles can work very well,
provided that the kids know their coach is coming from a caring and loving place.
For example, if a coach shouted at a player, saying "Cody! You're too slow, concentrate! You call that a run?!"
If the player knows he's a valued member, the coach's words will be taken as forceful encouragement to play harder. If the player doesn't feel valued, the coach's words will feel like an attack on his worth in the team.
How to Build a Winning Team
If you as a coach can master these three skills, you'll be far ahead of most other kids soccer coaches. Once you master the art of cultivating social skills, master progressive drills to instill a sense of value and accomplishment and finally learn to show appreciation for your kids, you'll find that your kids soccer team will quickly skyrocket in performance.
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