So I'm going to coach a co-ed 6th-8th grade soccer team. Their coach had to bail because of time conflicts with a new job, so I'm taking over. So add to the fact the I've never coached before, this is a league where everyone plays. I always hated those leagues when I was young, so I'm pretty much going to be a fish out of water for a while. They're going to give me a book that has alot of drills we can run, but I figure worst case scenario I make them run.
Anyone else here coach kids? Got any advice?
__________________
"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."
- Christopher Reeve
No advice.....sorry, I've never coached. But, for what it's worth, GOOD LUCK!
__________________ "I'm growing older but not up. My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck. So let the winds of change blow over my head. I'd rather die while I'm living then live while I'm dead."
My best guess is to see who actually can play and who can't. Since it's a co-ed team, there's probably not too much talent on the field, but I would still spend the first couple of practices in game situations trying to figure out who's bad and who isn't so you can make squads that are about the same in talent level.
__________________
Quoth David Banner: "Like a pimp"
It's not a beer belly. It's a gas tank for a sex machine.
So I'm going to coach a co-ed 6th-8th grade soccer team. Their coach had to bail because of time conflicts with a new job, so I'm taking over. So add to the fact the I've never coached before, this is a league where everyone plays. I always hated those leagues when I was young, so I'm pretty much going to be a fish out of water for a while. They're going to give me a book that has alot of drills we can run, but I figure worst case scenario I make them run.
Anyone else here coach kids? Got any advice?
Charger,
Contact my colleague Rick Karboviak at rkarboviak@hotmail.com. Tell him I sent you. He has tons of experience with coaching kids. Give him some time to reply as he is busy with camps.
I have coached lacrosse, hockey, boxing and some basketball. The biggest thing to remember is that they have to have some fun and keep them busy. So break them up into different squads and have each squad do a different drill, then after about 5-10 minutes have them switch. This way they are always doing something different. Also you can do a drill then have them use that drill in a game situation. You can also rely on a couple of the older kids that know what they use to do and they can help direct the kids. So basically, if you do a warm up, then break them into drills, then a small scrimmage, the practice is done.
While you'll stress skills...don't forget to teach systems...most won't understand right away but in the long run it will pay off...what the caoch of my 7 year old did this year was set out an all girl and all boy sides...and made the deal with the opposing coach to have the girls play the girls...it made a huge difference in the aggressive factor in the girls, they were way more competitive and challenging than the mixed sides.
good luck and have fun
__________________
Take care of your lawn
and
the grass will be greener on your side of the fence
I agree with laxcdn that making it fun at this age is so important. Also, Brian Grasso's section of the forum is full of great information on training young athletes. Take a look through his information and sign up for his newsletter. I learn something good from every one of his newsletters.
I coached kids soccer from 4th grade on up. Hopefully they have all played before otherwise you will spend most of your time trying to get them to hold their positions. Kids all want to run to the ball all of the time and kick goals. try to mix up basic skills training with a little friendly competition to keep them interested and don't drill them to death or they end up tuning you out. Have fun with them and try not to kill any of the parents even though it would most likely be justified.
I am assistant coaching my 7 year-old daughter's soccer team (mixed boys and girls). You can find tons of drills online. Just Google for soccer drills and the age range. I think one of the North Alabama leagues had a good site.
Most parents are fine but some do get pretty bizarre. The coach of our team also coaches his younger son's team (3 and 4 year-olds). Last year, he had a Dad who was teaching his three year old twin sons how to trip other players!
I have coached my sons baseball team for the last three years and am currently in my first year of football. I don't know much about soccer but I have a 61-1 record as a baseball coach and I can tell you what has worked for me.
First safety. Make sure that they can all pay good enough attention and play well enough to be safe. Effort is the key thing to look for here. These people are trusting you with their kids after all.
Second basic fundamentals. Break them up into groups and start every practice with the basic fundamentals. These are the building blocks to the great plays that these kids are dying to make. Don't drill them with it until they get it right just do it every day and stress that they do it right and they will catch on.
Last never mention winning at practice that is for game day. Stress effort and learning. Try to keep every player, whether good or bad, on a constant state of improvement. Encourage them and don't skimp on the skills that they are bad at. Letting them know that you believe in them goes a long way to getting great effort. On game day stress playing to win. I hate to hear people say that they are just kids and it is just for fun. If you loose you loose but always play to win.
If you do this and teach the kids how when and why to do the right things you will have a great season. good luck!
__________________
There are no born winners. There are no born losers. Everyone is born a chooser. Choose your path wisely.
The stress on winning must be a US thing. Play for fun and if you win you win. Sports are about fun. If they are high level atheletes then you push towards winning, because if they aren't you are going to push them out of playing and they will lose the passion for the game. All they need to know is to do their best and try their hardest and if it isn't good enough to win then that is fine.
The stress on winning must be a US thing. Play for fun and if you win you win. Sports are about fun. If they are high level athletes then you push to wards winning, because if they aren't you are going to push them out of playing and they will lose the passion for the game. All they need to know is to do their best and try their hardest and if it isn't good enough to win then that is fine.
I thought when I read my post that I may be misunderstood a bit. What I meant by play to win is do what you have practiced to the best of your ability in a game. I don't mean win at all cost I just mean work as a team doing the things you have learned to achieve a victory. If they can't get it done then they just can't. I believe that there is nothing wrong with teaching kids of any age that the goal of any game is to win it.
__________________
There are no born winners. There are no born losers. Everyone is born a chooser. Choose your path wisely.
First you should do your best to find out who can play.
Here are some ideas for practice:
-Make sure you put them through a warm up prior to pracice (stretching/jogging etc..)
-You can have a scrimmage to get a base level idea of their ability levels.
-Have everyone on the team practice taking corners so that you can find out who will be taking all your corner kicks.
-Do the same with throw-ins, penalty shot and goal kicks.
-have them practice shooting on the net from various positions on the pitch.
-Have them get into some static passing drills. Split them up in 2's in straight lines on the pitch and have them pass the ball a short distance (5 feet) to one another, 1 min with the left foot and 1 min with the right. Spread them out a further 5 feet (so that they're 10 ft apart) after they've used both feet. Keep doing this drill until the kids are 25 feet apart.
-Have them practice running with the ball around the pitch.
-Set up some cones a quarter length of the pitch so that they can practice weaving in and out of them. To make it interesting you could tell them to dribble backwards on the second leg.
Always bag the kids at the end of the practice. My coaches used to put us through tons of running and suicides (interval running, all out sprinting etc..)
As for positions I'd put the kids that are fast on forward, the kids with endurance in the midfield, and the not so fast kids on D (Though have the faster of the slow kids at centre-left back and centre-right back or centre and sweeper)
I'm sorry if this doesn't make sense....I'm falling asleep as I write this..
Any coaches here?
"I'm growing older but not up. My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck. So let the winds of change blow over my head. I'd rather die while I'm living then live while I'm dead."
Linear Mode
