West Elgin Soccer is a community based youth soccer club.  Our number one priority is to provide fun, safe physical activity for our children through the sport of soccer.

As a club, it is our responsibility to ensure that you have everything that you need throughout the season.  Please don’t hesitate to ask for anything; equipment, advice, strategies, or a helping hand.  If you are going to donate your time to help the club, we will do our best to help you in return.

As an executive, we are always open to feedback and suggestions, and we promise to take them into consideration.

As a coach, we ask that you approach the season with enthusiasm and respect the fact that these athletes all have different skills, attitudes, and privilege.

YOUR ROLE AS COACH

People become coaches for many reasons:  because they have a child in sport, because they were an athlete themselves, or because they want an opportunity to help in their community.  Some coaches step forward; some are asked to help.  No matter what the reasons, all coaches have the same roles.  You will be a teacher, a leader, an organizer, and sometimes will even act as a counselor.

Coach has a nice ring to it.  It sounds important.  It is important.  Think back to some of the lessons your coaches taught you.  Perhaps you remember the importance of trying your best all the time.  Perhaps you remember how important team goals and sportsmanship were.  Perhaps you were taught how to solve problems, or you were excited about learning new things. A coach made a difference in your life.  You too can make the sport experience meaningful, fun, and memorable for kids.  That’s why you’re here.  When your reasons for coaching match the needs and development level of your athletes, everyone can win..

• In your role as a teacher, you will be asked to share your knowledge of the sport and prepare athletes to play by improving fitness and developing skills specific to your sport.

• In your role as leader, you will make many decisions, to motivate your athletes and help them set and attain goals.

• In your role as an organizer, you will manage practice and game schedules for the team, plan and evaluate practices and evaluate athletes. 

• In your role as a counselor, you will listen to and provide guidance and support for your athletes.

It is important to understand that athletes, like coaches, participate for different reasons. Some enjoy the sensation of speed, power, or grace.  Some athletes just want to be with their friends or be part of a team (social reasons). Some athletes want to win, to improve themselves or advance to high levels in their sport (achievement reasons).

Try to match your reasons for coaching with the reasons that athletes participate.  A coach who is driven to win, coaching a team of 7-year-olds who are there for fun and social reasons, can result in an unhappy coach and unhappy athletes.

MAKE SPORT A FUN PLACE TO BE

In sport, we need to foster the willingness to try new things, to take risks, to test potential.  This is best accomplished in a supportive, encouraging atmosphere that is characterized by praise not criticism, full of rewards not punishment.  Rather than saying “That’s the wrong way to do…!”  - it means saying “You’ve done this part well, now let’s see if we can add….”  Try to catch your athletes doing something right, not something wrong.

Sport should be fun.  Fun doesn’t mean that athletes need to be laughing and giggling all the time.  Part of the fun is a challenge that is realistic and encouraging.  Part of fun is playing – playing the game or playing at parts of the game.  Fun is not standing in line waiting for your brief turn at an activity.  Fun is being actively involved.  Fun is being respected for yourself and your particular talents.  Fun means freedom from negative criticism and harassment.  Fun means that we all count as part of the team.  Fun means that we play the game fairly, not to bend the rules or break them to gain an advantage.  Fun means having a sense of satisfaction that what you are involved in is gratifying and worthwhile.  Fun is what your athletes should expect from you.  Fun is what you should expect now that you are involved in coaching.

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

While it may be stating the obvious, it helps to remember that children are not miniature adults.  Kids develop in stages and have differing physical and mental capabilities at each stage.

The sport system divides athletes by age groups, but age is not the only measure of their maturity or readiness for a specific sport activity.  Not all 10-year-olds are alike.  Some are more mature physically, mentally, and socially while others are less mature.  You may have on your team two or three groups of athletes who are quite different emotionally or physically even though they are the same chronological age.  You may have to create activities appropriate for the different groups on your team.

As the athlete grows, develops, and matures, their approach to sport will change.  In general, the following is true about the young athletes you coach:

• Children under 7-8 are motivated by fun and often dislike competition.

• Co-operative games are very useful

• Children 8-10 begin to understand the importance of rules.  They identify with personal prestige and skill levels more than winning or losing.  They may become more self-centered.

• Children over 12 become more competitive.  Winning and losing become more important.

• Physical abilities change dramatically with maturity level.

• The ability to translate commands into action changes dramatically with maturity.

Asking kids to do things that are beyond their developmental capacities frustrates both athletes and coaches.  Contact your sport organization or the Sport Alliance of Ontario to access resources which will help you develop appropriate programs for your athletes.  http://sirc.ca/resources/sport-alliance-ontario

CREATE A STRONG SELF-IMAGE

How athletes feel about themselves (self-image) is important.  If they don’t feel good about themselves in a particular setting, they avoid that environment – they quit sport, or do not perform to their potential.  You play a large role in the development of an athlete’s self-image.  It’s quite easy, really:  do the things that others do to you to make you feel good.

• Know their names and use them (first names) when addressing them

• Establish eye contact – kneel, don’t bend

• Smile – often and readily

• Give approving nods, winks, thumbs up

• Develop a list of 100 ways to say, “Way to go!”

• Applaud effort not just results

• Be enthusiastic, energetic

• Involve them in decisions

• Let athletes assume leadership in an appropriate situation

• Spend time with everyone

• Give them responsibilities

• Be their biggest fan/cheerleader – remind them of their achievements

• Treat them like you’d like to be treated when you are learning or being evaluated on some new task or skill

ORGANIZE A GREAT PRACTICE

World-class coaches have both annual and daily plans for their practices.  They start with a script of what will be done, how it will be done, and why it will be done.  Like them, you should have seasonal goals for what you want the team, the individual athlete, and yourself to accomplish. You need a plan for your daily practices, too!

It is extremely important to have a plan when you coach beginning athletes.  They don’t have a lot of experience or skill to draw on and if this is your first time coaching, neither do you.  If you know what you want to do, when you want to do it, how you want it done, and why you want it done, you will be much more confident and assured – and so will your athletes.

PLAN THE PRACTICE

To begin, break your practice down into five to ten minute segments, following this order:

1. Introduction

   • Explain briefly what will happen today, what they will learn

2. Warm up

   • Get athletes moving, get them ready for activity

   • Raise body temperature through vigorous activity

   • Start slowly – then increase pace

   • Flexibility exercises: from general stretching to sport specific and slow static stretching

   • Activities that employ basic skills (i.e., dribbling) – but keep them moving

3. Review previously learned skills

   • Utilize drills that give them an opportunity to practice fundamental skills or skills that they learned recently

4. Learn new skills

   • Describe the new skill

   • Pick 2-3 teaching points to emphasize

   • Provide drills that utilize the new skill

   • Make sure everyone gets to participate (learn) – avoid long lines of standing around

   • Provide feedback – and encouragement

   • Change or modify skills as athletes improve

5. Game-like Activities and/or Conditioning

   • Simplified game situation – reduce area of play, number of players, rules

   • Incorporate fitness activities if appropriate

6. Cool down

   • Decrease level (intensity) of activity gradually

   • Stretching exercise (for muscle most used in practice)

7. Wrap up

   • Review practice and plan with athletes

   • Prepare them for next practice

   • Do your own personal evaluation – what could be better next time? 

An effective practice session has the following characteristics:

High Activity Level:

• Every athlete participates frequently.  There is little standing in line, no waiting for equipment, minimal time listening to instruction.

• Drills and activities change frequently, athletes do something new every 5-10 minutes.

• Drills have progression – easy to hard, simple to complex

High Variety Level:

• Skills are practiced in different ways

• Fun activities are provided

• Novelty is introduced – play new position, change rules, use different equipment

• Work with different people, individually, pairs, small groups

High Organization Level:

• Written practice plan

• Environment is organized – enough equipment in the right place before practice starts

• Start, stay, and finish on time

This may seem like a lot of work, but once you’ve tried it once or twice, it is quite simple and both you and your athletes will benefit.

PLAN FOR GAME DAY

• You should also have a plan for game days or competitions:

Warm up

• Prepare them for game activity as you would for practice

Establish what we want to do today

• Play fair

• Good sportsmanship

• Do our best

• Tactics and skill reminders:  good passing, good defense, etc.

Post-competition wrap up

• Highlight the positive things that happened

• Praise effort – be positive

• Ready them for the next practice

• Evaluate the game

• Make note of performance and accomplishments

• Make note of things to be addressed at next practice

HELP YOUR ATHLETES GET FIT

Even people who are new to coaching recognize the need for athletes to be fit in order to play the game.  In fact, it may be one of the first things you try to do.  However, getting athletes fit isn’t just a matter of making them work until they drop from fatigue.  Fitness development needs to be age (developmentally) appropriate, progressive and should not predispose the athlete to injury.

Here is a list of some basic dos and don'ts for getting your athlete fit.

Do:

• Progress gradually over the season.  Start with lower intensity, lower duration activities and work up over time.

• Build endurance first before introducing higher intensity activities (run continuously before sprinting).

• Put the fitness part of practice near the end after they have tried to learn new skills.  It’s more difficult to learn skills when fatigued.

• Always include a warm-up (see above).

• Monitor athletes and reduce or stop activity as they become fatigued.

• Provide plenty of cool water – particularly if the activity is intense or if it is hot and humid.

• Scale back intensity in hot, humid weather.

• Always have a ‘cool-down’ period at the end of practice (see the earlier section).

Don’t:

• Ask athletes to perform extreme stretches, hyperextensions or rotations, e.g., neck bridges, hurdle stretches.

• Ask developing athletes to do strengthening activities that require them to lift or support more than their body weight.

• Ask developing athletes to perform high intensity activities such as repeated wind sprints.

• Don’t deny your athletes water and rest breaks.

• If you see your athletes only once or twice a week, don’t sacrifice skill development for fitness training.  You may be better off teaching technique and fundamentals of the game.

GOOD COACHING NEEDS GOOD COMMUNICATION

Communication is not merely giving instructions and having athletes carry them out.  Effective communication is a two-way street.  You are both the sender and receiver of information.  That means that not only do you need to be understood when you communicate, but you also need to listen to the people you communicate with.  Listening skills are as important as speaking skills.  Here are some helpful hints.

When speaking:

• Use words the athlete understands (remember growth and development needs)

• Don’t speak too quickly

• Make sure that they are paying attention to you

• Get down to their eye level

• Make sure everyone can hear (speak loudly enough, face them when speaking)

• Make sure they understand (ask them to state what you’ve asked them to do)

• Repeat yourself if necessary

When listening:

• Establish eye contact

• Give signs that you are paying attention (uh huh, yes, I see)

• Have the rest of the group quiet

• Restate or rephrase what you’ve heard (you want to know what to when…)

• Be positive

• Thank them for asking the question or making a point

When you give feedback:

• Be prompt – give feedback while the athlete still remembers what they did

• Be positive – start by mentioning what they’re doing well

• Be specific – explain exactly how to make the improvement

• Be sensible – don’t ask for changes the athlete is not capable of

• Make sure the athlete understands – ask them to repeat or demonstrate

HOW TO MAKE SPORT SAFER

Every coach wants to minimize the risk of injury to athletes.  We can’t totally eliminate the risk of injury, but we can reduce it drastically.  Many risks are under your control – and you have a responsibility to take the necessary steps to protect your athletes.  Once again, it helps to have a plan.

• If your athletes use equipment (sticks, bats, etc.) be sure to teach them how to handle the equipment safely.

• Always survey your practice/game facility.  Hazards are often simply overlooked until an accident happens.

• Make sure they have proper, well-fitting athletic wear (shoes, shin pads, etc.)

• Remove obstacles or hazards.  Move benches and lawn chairs back a safe distance from the playing area.

• Pad objects that athletes may run into (end walls of gym, basketball standards, volleyball support wires).

• Provide plenty of water (particularly in warm weather)

• Have a first aid kit on hand

• Have a medical information form for each of your athletes’ past injuries, allergies, conditions, that may affect their ability to participate.

• Know your athletes’ fitness, illnesses, etc.

• Be cautious returning athletes to activity when they have been injured or ill.

FOR YOU

It is beyond the scope of this project to teach you how to deal with injuries if they should occur.  However, there are lots of places to go for help that will prepare you to deal with most of the sports injuries you will encounter.  Red Cross, St. John’s Ambulance, SIPAC (Sports Injury Prevention and Care), and the 3M NCCP Level 1 Theory manual are good sources of information and training.

WHAT TO DO WHEN THINGS GO WRONG

When things go wrong and there is a major injury, you must have an EAP (Emergency Action Plan).  Take time to create one before your next practice.  The plan includes the following:

• Location of the nearest phone

• Phone numbers of ambulance, hospital, etc.

• Clear directions for emergency care people to get to where you are.

• Having a “call” person (the person who makes a call) to get help

• Having a “charge” person (the person in charge) to stay with the athlete and be in charge at the scene.

Tips for Recreational Coaches

• Remember that players should be playing for their fun.

• Teach players that honest effort is as important as winning.

• Provide plenty of encouragement, it is the best way to help them learn.

• Teach players that officials are important to the game and that their decisions are to be respected.

• Encourage all players to be good sports.

• Remember that players learn from our example.  Fair play starts with the coach.

• Provide an equal opportunity for all to participate.

• Recognize and respect the individual differences in your players.

• Act with integrity, send any parents with concerns to the program coordinator or manager.

• Treat your fellow coaches with courtesy, good faith and respect.

PRINCIPLES OF COACHING

Those who believe that the most important aspect of Soccer is the system of play (and many people do) would be well advised to take heed of the well-known phrase “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing!”

It is quite extraordinary how many people have become obsessed with systems of play.  However, it is obvious that no system of play can overcome inaccurate passing or shooting; none that will improve ball control; nor will it help if players will not run in support of each other.

So, why are so many people obsessed by systems of play?  The main reason is that few people understand why a team is successful or a failure, and, as a result, are influenced by what they hear or read.  It is important, therefore, that coaches/parents and those in a position of influence should state the facts as they are, and not cloud the issue with jargon.

PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING

It is the task of the coach to create an effective learning situation.  If that situation has not been organized or created, then the players will not benefit from the coaching session.  There is a misguided belief or notion that practice makes perfect.  It does not – practice makes permanent!  Therefore, it is very important that practice sessions should be technically correct.

• Young players want to succeed and prove themselves.  In order to motivate them successfully, the coach must take into consideration the following:

• The player must be interested and have an open mind.  A player who has a closed mind will not benefit from your coaching efforts.

• The player must be enthusiastic.  Enthusiasm creates a desire to do more, not less.

• The player must be subjected to standards of excellence, not only in terms of performance, but also in behavior, particularly by persons of influence, i.e., Coaches, parents, teachers, etc.

INTEGRATING PLAYER DEVELOPMENT NEEDS AND COACHING

For children aged 6-10, the first priority with regards to their soccer involvement should simply be that they enjoy themselves.  The finest technical expertise is simply not suited for the playful minds and limited attention spans of young children.  Forcing them to participate in rigid, methodical training sessions is the quickest way to have them develop an aversion for the game.  At this age, they are interested in one thing and that is “having fun” and the most realistic way to ensure that they enjoy themselves is to let them play.  It is this philosophy that “the game is the teacher” which our parent-coaches must adopt for young children if they hope their children are going to have a desire for the game.

This philosophy of letting the game be the teacher is also realistic given the characteristics of the average coach of a 6-10-year-old team.  Generally, parents with little or no soccer background coach these teams.  If we ask these parent-coaches to run drill driven practices using methodological progressions, we must also ask “how effective are they going to be at running such sessions?”  The answer to this question is likely not very effective given the inexperience of the parent-coach with regards to both soccer and coaching in general.  How can they possibly teach and correct technical skills if they themselves cannot demonstrate or even recognize fundamental errors?  If we insist they run drill driven practices geared toward technical improvement, they are simply not going to be very good at what they are being asked to do.  Even an excellent coach may have difficulty making practices fun for a group of 6-10-year-olds, and to ask an inexperienced coach to do likewise is being unrealistic.

If they are not capable of running methodological practices as advocated in many soccer textbooks, what then are they capable of doing and how should they do it?  The answer to this question is that these parent-coaches are capable of organizing their players and placing them into fun small-sided games where skill development can be enhanced by trial and error.  This accomplishes three things:

• It does not ask the parent-coach to do anything that he/she is not capable of doing.

• It allows the children to play in an uninhibited fashion where they have the opportunity for many touches on the ball and are being placed in physical and mental situations which are realistic to the game of soccer.

• It gives the children an opportunity to have fun and this is ultimately the most important function of all.

We must recognize that our players need to develop technical skills and enhance neuromuscular coordination at a young age.  However, we must recognize that the people teaching them the game of soccer at a young age often do not have the expertise to instruct children about the fundamentals of the game.  We must never stop trying to educate our coaches in these areas, but we must also be realistic and recognize that what appears sound in theory is not always sound in practice.

During the ages of 11-14, it becomes more important that players are given more specific technical coaching and that the feedback they receive from their coaches aids them in acquiring skill in a more efficient manner.  The emphasis should still be on small-sided games related to skill development.  We are not trying to reinvent the wheel with this coaching philosophy.  In other more established soccer playing countries, this philosophy is predominant and in those countries the number of coaches with a strong background in the game far exceeds those in Canada.  Coaching does not have to be curtailed to drills, especially when it involves children.  Small-sided games related to skill development, along with some technique practice, is the recipe for success at the 11-14 age group.  The players will enjoy it as long as they have a healthy appetite for the game.  Practices will not only be more enjoyable for them but also more enjoyable and easier to manage for the coach.     

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF PLAYERS 

AGED 6-10

Physical

• To refine motor patterns and neuromuscular coordination

• To be challenged with the specific requirements of playing soccer

• To gain sufficient muscular strength and endurance needed to play soccer

• To be placed in games

Psychological

• To enhance self-esteem

• To develop an understanding of the basic skills and rules of soccer

• To gain an understanding of the dynamics of team sports

Social

• To enjoy themselves

• To learn the value of cooperation and working with others towards a common goal

• To build friendships

• To develop sportsmanship

Recommended Games Structure

• Mini soccer field: Width of 35-45 meters Length of 50-60 meters

• Mini soccer goals

• No more than 6 players a side

• Size 3 ball (6-9 years)

• Unlimited substitution

• No more than 60 minutes in length for 6-9 years; no more than 70 minutes in length for 7-10 years

• No offside rule

• No advantage rule

Recommended Game Philosophy

• Fun over competition

• Participation for all

• Avoid labeling player’s position

Recommended Practice Structure

• Continuous fun activities related to skill development

• Variety of fun games related to skill development

• Avoid use of line drills and inactivity

• Avoid detailed technical coaching

• Avoid tactical explanations

• Aim for as many touches on the ball per player as possible

• No more than 60 minutes in length

• Variety of fun games related to neuromuscular coordination

Technical Needs

• Kicking:  shooting and passing

• Dribbling

• Receiving the ball

• Introduction to heading (after age 8)

• Introduction to goalkeeping

Individual Tactical Needs

• Recognition of when to pass and who to pass to

• Recognition of when to dribble

• Recognition of when to shoot

• Getting goal side once possession is lost

• Understanding of basic support play

• Understanding when to challenge for the ball and when to support

• Significance of specific areas of the field (e.g. defending 1/3)

Team Play

• Support

• Passing

• Space

• Supporting defender play

• Compactness

HOW TO PLAN A QUALITY PRACTICE SESSION

Considerations:

When planning a practice session you should take in to consideration the following factors:

• Number of players attending practice

• Player’s skill and ability

• Length of practice

• Age group of players

• Location of practice, i.e. Indoor/outdoor

• Equipment available

• Be prepared:

  • Know what you want to coach during each session

  • Devise a coaching plan and stick to it as much as possible

  • Be flexible – use your imagination and improvise within the plan

  • Have a set timeframe

  • Observe

• Make sure the players have fun

YOUR ROLE WITH PARENTS

As a coach, you’ll often have to work with the parents of your athletes.  The chances are that you are a parent yourself.  If that is the case, ask yourself what kinds of things would you expect of a coach when they are dealing with your son or daughter?  What would you like to know about the interaction between your child and the coach?  You probably had those kinds of questions as a parent, however, now that you are the coach, other parents are looking to you for answers.  It helps to remember that “informed people are cooperative people.”

How do people become informed?  In the most simple and direct way.  You talk to them, one on one or as a parent group.  Tell them how you are going to conduct yourself, what expectations you have of the athletes, and how you will treat them.  Tell them what your expectations are of them as parents.

Another way to inform parents is to write them a letter, addressing the concerns that any parent would have.  Tell them a little about your philosophy, your expectations, and create an avenue of communication.  Good coach-parent relationships create a positive environment for the athlete, and everyone benefits.

Practices Ideas:  

There are some age specific drills on the websites listed below

www.soccerxpert.com

www.coachingsoccer101.com

www.active.com/soccer/articles/guide-to-coaching-youth-soccer

www.soccer-training-guide.com

In Closing

Thank you once again for taking the time to review Coaching Basics.  As you can see from the materials and references we have provided you with, there is a lot to learn.  However, now that you have started, the most important thing is to use what you have learned to enjoy your athletes, your sport, the competition, and to have fun.

The real rewards for your efforts are not in the awarding of trophies or medals but in the words of an athlete who, at the end of the season, extends to you a heartfelt “Thanks Coach!”

Enjoy your season, your athletes, and everything coaching has to offer!