how do you coach kids soccer?

What age are they?

I have experience coaching youths from the age of 3 up to adults. Though some drills can be used across almost all age groups, the methods I use change a lot. So knowing the age group you are working with is very important as you need to vary the methods you use.

Some things common to all youth groups:

Dynamic stretching:

Younger players are still very flexible. Get them moving and incorporate stretches into moment/running.

Small sided games and drills:

Check some of the great websites out there for free examples and games. You don't need a lot of space and it promotes dynamic activity while training them to keep the ball at their feet as well as promotes field awareness. Some pretty good free info can be found here: http://www.soccerhelp.com/

Have a game plan;

Come to practices prepared. It may seem like a pain, but it makes a huge difference. Make a list of what the sessions training objectives will be and then write down some of the games and drills you will use to teach those skills.

Change drills often:

Even with my older teams, I still like to change up drills often. With very young groups this is even more important. They have short attention spans so keep them going by changing games every 10-15 minutes.

Water breaks:

Between drills take a 30-60 second time out to send them for water. Take this time to collect your thoughts, review your coaching plan, get a drink and keep them hydrated. Too much downtime and they will wander off on you, so whistle them back onto the field in short order.

Avoid line drills:

With older youths line drills can and do fill a function. Such as when working corner kicks, set plays or improving shooting skills. But even with older youths I try to keep them to a minimum. Nothing will cause youths, especially very young ones, from losing interest faster than having to stand in lines during a practice.

Hope that at least gives you a start. Feel free to drop me a line if I can help you out any further.

This is a good question. Kids have small attention spans, if they see something else that catches their eye, they are immediately go to that. Keeping them occupied and having fun will prevent this from happening. Making soccer a fun activity is easy and a great way to improve your own soccer skill as well. Start with the basics. Ball control and teamwork. Teach them that it takes a team to play soccer not just one player. Some fun drills are setting up cones in the soccer field and have the kids zigzag between them. Setting up goals and giving rewards can also keep them interested and make them strive to do better. Interact with them and always put the importance of the team first.

Best of luck to you my friend!!

Joga Bonito.

Find local community centers in your area and look up soccer clubs in your area online. There's usually a contact/coaches/volunteers section that should give information regarding whether or not they need coaches, how to contact them, etc. You'll need to get a criminal record check for working with young children to give to the league. Most houseleague recreational soccer clubs enjoy havng experienced coaches, but they're often desperate for volunteers. Most clubs will have a coaches' clinic that will instruct the coaches on some general basics and tactics, but I really wouldn't advise doing this unless you played soccer for a long time (because then you'll understand the kids frustrations, be able to push them beyond limits, and team them beyond the basics).

Most important thing in little kids soccer:

-don't kick the ball to the middle on defense

-kick the ball to the middle on offense.

Lance's answer is excellent. Make sure they have fun and learn. You also want to teach other skills such as teamwork, sportsmanship, effort, etc.

Coaching anything takes a long time to master so be patient with yourself. You may love it and want to get good at it.

1. make them run 1 or 2 laps

2. make them stretch

3. make them do some soccer drills(look them up in youtube)

4. make them play a little scrimmage game

http://www.insidesoccer.com/page/7bcc00a6-e491-473...