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How to coach soccer

It seems like every time you turn your head, everyone is busy looking for effective and time-tested tips on how to coach soccer? In any case, youth soccer coaching is not an easy job and it takes a lot of effort to keep the players motivated under all types of situations.

Let me share with you 5 simple yet great tips to help you take your team’s performance to the next level.

1.   Your plans should be comprehensive: Make complete and methodical plans if you wish to get the desired results in coaching. Plan meetings with the players before you finalize the team goals and objectives, and take their viewpoints also into consideration. If the desired results are not achieved within the stipulated timelines, your team’s growth is hampered.

After finalizing the plan, do not deviate from it except for making a few changes, if needed. Even the best plans need modifications due to unanticipated situations.

Soccer Coaching

2. Make your practice sessions fun-filled and exciting: Even the best designed soccer training drills fail to produce any results when they are rigid, monotonous, and devoid of any fun and games. It is possible to incorporate this in many ways. For example: make it a ritual to allow some time after practice to let the kids indulge in games and activities so that they can relax and enjoy playing casually.

3. Both freedom and discipline should complement one another: A coach should always give priority to discipline in the team. Still, the easiest way to encourage kids to obey rules and be disciplined is that they should be freed from unnecessary control. You must always understand the importance of freedom and relaxation while teaching soccer.

Between the drills, leave some time for the players to relax, share time with each other or simply unwind. When it comes to how to coach soccer, it may also be a good idea to take them out on a picnic.

4. Maintain tolerance and support: Motivate your team to do new things and when these new things do not work out as expected, be cool about it. Keep scrutinizing their activities. At times, if the mistake is grave, take action to correct it but without making the kids pay for it.

Remember that punishment inculcates in players, a feeling of rejection while being compassionate and encouraging generates great ideas and performances.

5. Maintain balance:  A practice session is where the kids get to know their talent and soccer skills. It is well known that when we talk of a team, there are bound to be players of different calibers; the good, bad, and worst. As a coach, it is your duty to use your best players to inspire and motivate the others.

Buddy your best players with the weak ones so that they play together and share tips even after the drills. It is essential that the players do not feel being compared with each other.

Your objective now is to make sure that you use these tips to improve your approach about how to coach soccer.

You can also join our youth soccer coaching community to learn more and dramatically improve your coaching skills.

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching and has already helped thousands of youth coaches to dramatically improve their coaching skills. Learn  how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun by downloading your free ebook at: Youth Soccer Training.