12 Soccer Training Tips Want to become a great soccer coach? Check out SoccerHelp Premium and Coach Doug's Site for U4, U5 and U6 Coaches. There is a "no questions asked" money back guarantee. Over 15,000 soccer coaches have become Members. Subscriptions are as low as $11.95 for Coach Doug and $17.99 for Premium.
How to Improve Soccer Practice See photos of our 29 kinds of iron on Motivational Soccer Patches
(If you're a Premium Member, you should only have to log in once as long as you leave a link open.) See David's new Soccer Journal article at www.soccerhelp.com/Soccer-Journal-Articles.shtml Motivational Coaching Quote "Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. Sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can." Vince Lombardi If you coach young soccer players, your practices should involve 4 things:
- Fun. Ask yourself these questions: Do your players play harder if they are having fun? Are they more excited and eager to come to soccer practice if they know it's going to be fun? The answers are obvious. If soccer isn't fun, kids will stop playing.
- A High "Ball-Ratio" and Lots of touches on the soccer ball. Two things are key: (1). A ball for every player and (2). Soccer Drills that have a high "ball-ratio". Scrimmaging isn't good because it has a low ball-ratio. Dribble Across a Square and Hit the Coach, for example, have a 100% ball-ratio. Dribble Around Cone & Pass Relay Race and Win the 50/50 Ball or Be the First Defender 1v1 Attacking and Defending have 50% ball-ratios.
- Keep score as much as possible because keeping score creates competition, pressure and "Game-Speed" - the result is that your soccer practices become "Game-Realistic". Keeping score also allows you to monitor each player's progress.
- Teach your players by giving them "tips" AFTER each Practice Game (before they play the next game) that will help them improve their scores in the next soccer Practice Games. That is a better and more fun way than "hard" coaching. If you use this "soft" coaching approach, it changes your role from a nagging coach to a teacher who is giving his players tips so the can improve. The reason it works is that when they are playing SoccerHelp Soccer Drills they will see IMMEDIATE results... so they are getting immediate positive feedback and seeing that your "tips" really work. Your players will see that the players who follow the coaches' tips win more games than those who don't... those who listen will win, and those who don't listen will lose.
9 Tips For Good Soccer Practices:
- Kids love playing games & keeping score. In practice, try to use games & not drills.
- Everyone should stay active & participate. Avoid lines.
- Maximize "touches" on the ball. At least 500 touches per practice for each player.
- Teach proper technique and emphasize games that practice technique or simulate play or playing situations.
- Run games by keeping time (e.g., so they last 1, 3, or 5 minutes) or by keeping score (e.g., first to 3, 12, etc.).
- Praise hustle, effort & improvement and give "tips" at the end of the game.
- A good game must be easy & quick to set up and should be simple to explain and manage. If you are spending too much time on set up or instruction, simplify it.
- If it's not fun, it's not a good game.
- Adopt this philosophy: "Keep it simple, keep them active, keep it fun & at least 500 touches per player per practice".
Copyright SoccerHelp.com, All Rights Reserved