Live The Pitch

Let’s tackle the issues you will have with the parents as a coach.  Parents at the youth level are very competitive because soccer is not a very well known sport to the average person.  Most parents will think they know more than you, can do a better job than you and will criticize your every move.  You cannot let this happen.

Coaches need to keep parents involved as much as possible so they see how much you are putting into the team.  Whether it is a weekly e-mail or a short meeting after matches,  parents need to hear from you.  This will give parents the feeling that they are involved in some way.

Let the parents ask you questions, give you advice and make sure they are comfortable approaching you to speak their mind.  Happy parents will translate into happy players.

The biggest issue Parents will complain about will be playing time for their child.  Playing time can be tough to manage depending on the size of the roster you are working with.  At the youth level all players should have equal playing time.

There will be instances where a few players will play more than others, but this issue needs to be spread around the season so when the season is complete everyone has had the same opportunities on the pitch.  A good way to keep track of this is the weekly e-mail or meeting.

As the recreational fall soccer season approaches, coaches both new and experienced will face tough challenges ahead.  Here we are going to give you advice on how to overcome situations that may arise as you go through the season.  There are ways to treat players to get the respect you deserve for your time that you give to develop our youth. Both on and off the pitch.

For new coaches coaching youth soccer can be a terrifying experience.  Usually players under the age of 10 play in local recreational leagues across the country.  Most coaches in these age groups are voluntary positions usually held by a parent of a child on the team.

At first it may seem like an easy task to handle.  Most parents take this responsibly with absolutely no idea of what’s ahead.  The main thing to coaching at this level is that you treat all players and parents equally.

The issue that coaches at this level fall into is that they will rely heavily on one or two “star” players to lead the team to glory.  Parent coaches will get too worried about results and not the development of players and teamwork.  All players should receive the same amount of playing time and the same amount of attention as all other players.  If you stray from this motto, big problems are right around the corner.

Even at a young age if you treat your best player like they are better than everyone else it could stick with them for the rest of their lives.  I have personally witnessed this with numerous players who would dominate at the younger age groups, but never actually learned the team aspect of the game.  The team aspect is the most important thing to teach at this age.  A good theory to live by is, “we win as a team, we lose as a team.”

With the poor showing recently at the U-17 World Cup, should the residency program be blamed?  The U.S. U-17′s went 2-2 in the tournament, getting ousted in the round of 16 by Italy 2-1.  Overall the performance of the squad has been up and down.  In the USA’s defense, they were facing players who are training day-to-day with some of the top clubs in Europe.

The residency program has been around since 1999 and has a roster of 40 players in the program throughout each year.  The team studies, trains, eats and does everyday activities with each other throughout the year at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.  They usually split into two teams with each playing in a good amount of matches throughout the year.

This U-17 World Cup was supposed to be a breakout event for the youth program, with the U.S. coasting through qualifying.  After a dismal opening match where they fell 2-1 to a Spain, who played a man down most of the match.  The U.S. had an extra man on the field but you would have never noticed, as Spain was better in every facet of the game.

In the second match of the tournament the U.S. rebounded with a 1-0 win over Malawi.  It was great to get a victory but was very hard fought and honestly could have gone either way.

In our final match of group play we defeated UAE 1-0.  Again, this match was not very well played by the U.S.  For U.S. fans to get excited about this sport we need to send a statement in games like this.  Don’t get me wrong, a win is a win, but with the size of the the United States we should be able to field a team that can EASILY take care of these teams.

The match against Italy in the round of 16 could have been a signature win for the residency program.  Italy would win the match 2-1, but this was by far the best we played in the tournament.  The U.S. missed chance after chance allowing Italy to win and move on to the next round.

So with the U.S. being eliminated once again early in an international competition to a country who is established on the international stage the question is,”How do we compete with the best?”  Yes, in theory the residency program is a great idea.  Are these young men happy in the residency program?  Are they getting the right training?  Are they really becoming better players?

With this early exit, It really doesn’t seem to be benefiting the best players the U.S. has to offer.  With the USSF Academy program in its third year, it would be just as beneficial for these boys to stay in their comfort zone at home, and play for their local Academy program.  Yes, our best players should be in Europe training, but ONLY the best.  Watching this team I can see a few that really look like they have very bright futures in the game.

With the fall soccer season rapidly approaching many coaches are getting ready for the time of their lives!  About ninety percent of youth soccer coaches in the U.S. are volunteer coaches.  Many of these coaches agree to take the job and have no idea what they are getting into.  Soccer, in my opinion is a tough sport to teach because there are numerous ways to succeed at the game and all parents think they know what it is!

First, when you go out for the first training session of the season, it is vital as a coach get to know the players names.  A great first drill is the name game, where you get your team in a circle and have each player pass to another while yelling the receiving players name.  Even at the lowest level, communication is a huge part to becoming successful.

Next, have your practice session planned out in advance.  Many coaches will go to a training session and chase the kids around the field for an hour.  Before practice take the time to set out a schedule for the session.  With the younger ages try to change drills about every ten minutes so the players stay interested in the training.

Also, make sure you come prepared.  All coaches should have training vests, cones, balls, and a first aid kit.  Many youth soccer clubs will provide this, but some do not.  The first aid kit is extremely important due to the injuries your players will get throughout the year.

Here are some tips to having a successful season:

1. Stay Positive-  In all circumstances stay positive!  Even if your team is getting beaten always stay postive with the players.  The more negative you as a coach are the worst your team will play.  Don’t ever in any circumstance put down a player!

2. Have a game plan-  Whether it’s practice or a game always have a plan where all the players know what is expected of them.  This could be the formation you play or the tactics you would like to use.

3. Have fun-  The reason everyone is at the park on Saturday mornings is to have a good time.  Please don’t treat every match like it’s the World Cup Final!  Have fun and try tto teach the kids the beautiful game of soccer!

Here at Livethepitch.com we will be providing youth soccer drills to make your job easier!