[Help] Coaching football for the first time...help!

[pure_white]

You wont be coaching just the players but the parents too, obviously not literally coaching but ignore them at your peril is my advice, as it'll come back and bite you later if not straight away.

 

[Popeye]

Just an update for ya'll:

Boys team finished 9-0-1(Last game was supposed to go to penalties but we just decided to call it a draw as a lighting storm was coming). We are the number one seed and play in the semi-finals tomorrow, with the championship being Friday. If we win, will be the first championship the school has won in this sport for 15 years! We got this

As for the girls, struggled a bit down the stretch but still finished 6-4 and very proud of them. Will play the number one team(10-0) tomorrow. They beat us earlier this season 5-2 but we have improved a lot since then. We shall see, but know we will give them a big fight.

This season has been tremendous and sad to see it coming to an end, but have enjoyed every single moment.

 

[Popeye]

Hello all!

Been meaning to update this with the fantastic news!

The boys ended up winning the championship with a 1-0 nail biter. So so proud of them and must admit even had a tear in my eye as we celebrated. Some talent there, and I hope they stick at it and continue to play this wonderful sport. The girls lost in the semi-finals 2-1 but proud of them also and they really were a great bunch of kids all season.

Thanks for the tips and advice once again, and we will go at it again next season!

 

[Echo the Seagull]

Hello all!

Been meaning to update this with the fantastic news!

The boys ended up winning the championship with a 1-0 nail biter. So so proud of them and must admit even had a tear in my eye as we celebrated. Some talent there, and I hope they stick at it and continue to play this wonderful sport. The girls lost in the semi-finals 2-1 but proud of them also and they really were a great bunch of kids all season.

Thanks for the tips and advice once again, and we will go at it again next season!

Congratulations to you and the teams!

 

[theboybilly]

I’m a coach and love it, hopefully you will too.

There is some good advice above but it’s difficult to give too much specific advice on type of training and drills as you will find you have to tailor it to the ability of the players and their enthusiasm for playing.

If they are younger or not the most proficient, just keep it simple and fun. I see some coaches who think they are the next Guardiola putting on ridiculously complicated drills for young kids and they just look bewildered.

With regard to kit and training, I would say the most important thing ahead of any other fancy kit you can get is to make sure you have enough balls so they all have one each (and the correct size for their age).

Get them on the ball individually all the time in training, I can’t emphasise this enough. Drills that involve dribbling, skills, turns, touches all the time with both feet. Also lots of one on ones. If they are younger, spend most of the training sessions just doing this, you will find they develop a lot quicker.

The kids will all want to play matches at the end of training, this is a good thing to do but keep them small games. For example, if you’ve got 12 players, play 3 v 3 or 4 v 4 games rather than 6 v 6. This way they should all get involved and get touches.

Totally agree with the comment above about parents too, try and keep them away as much as possible. They are the worst part of coaching kids! If it’s in a school, I assume you won’t have to worry too much about that.

Good luck!

'The next Guardiola' - how true. I walk the dogs up Buckingham Park on a Sunday morning and there they are in their '**** **** Soccer Academy' Ford Transit, schooling kids of 8 /9 years and upwards to do little passing moves and triangles around a swathe of cones. Come to the match and I see 20 players all up in one corner of the pitch chasing the same ball. I often wonder whether these 'coaches' get their ideas straight off YouTube

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Just tell the defenders to hoof the ball to the big bloke up top. Oh, and drill into them not to dick around at the back

 

[dejavuatbtn]

'The next Guardiola' - how true. I walk the dogs up Buckingham Park on a Sunday morning and there they are in their '**** **** Soccer Academy' Ford Transit, schooling kids of 8 /9 years and upwards to do little passing moves and triangles around a swathe of cones. Come to the match and I see 20 players all up in one corner of the pitch chasing the same ball. I often wonder whether these 'coaches' get their ideas straight off YouTube

Yes, you give them each a ball during training but they’re only allowed one on match day. No surprise they all think it’s theirs! At that age they just need to enjoy themselves and gradually get to grips with all the info they have thrown at them.

 

[Sirnormangall]

Just tell the defenders to hoof the ball to the big bloke up top. Oh, and drill into them not to dick around at the back

Yep - if in doubt, boot it out.

 

[Lenny Rider]

First and foremost as has been said before, have fun, let the kids smile whilst playing.

Coaching wise do the USA FA have a coaching badge structure?

I found sessions much more fun and structured once I'd passed my Level One badge.

Re training sessions, coaching wise you must take into account that the average attention span for any child is their age (in minutes) plus an addtional15 minutes, thats the learning part, the rest should be as been said previously fun.

Good luck and enjoy it

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

Just read this thread, great stuff! Well done to our American friend

 

[TugWilson]

Popeye you rogue , you had it covered all along great job mate enjoy the glory