winning vs. Winning in youth soccer
winning vs. Winning in youth soccer
So you won the league championship, you got the trophy the praise and all the hoopla that goes with it. But what did you really win? Could your team compete and win against the best European and South American sides your age? Would a top youth coach classify your competition as top notch? If so you are definitely going in the right direction and have done a great service to your young players. If not you may want to rethink your game strategy. Is winning every game more important then concentrating on developing individual and team skills that will last a life time? I tend to think that up until u14 or u 15 developing individual and team skills should be the most important aspect of youth soccer, not winning. Of course everyone wants to be a champion, it is ingrained in the American Psyche. So what do you do? You play to win but emphasize that skills come first and that you are more interested in proper execution and team play than wins or losses. Believe me if you can develop top individual skills and good team play the goals will come.
You can make a decision at the start of the season to raise your team's entire skill level as your goal for the season. The level of each individual player can be noted at the beginning and end of each season. Be sure to give praise immediately when any improvements are noticed. This is a critical part of successful youth coaching. It is best to ignore any mistakes rather then criticize. If possible give proper skill demonstrations so players know what is expected of them.
In the end your players will remember you and be grateful to you for what you did for them as individuals in improving them as players and as a coach you will feel the satisfaction of knowing you have helped young players toward reaching their potential. This is Winning.
By Richard Moore – Inventor of
The Kick Coach
www.thekickcoach.com
So you won the league championship, you got the trophy the praise and all the hoopla that goes with it. But what did you really win? Could your team compete and win against the best European and South American sides your age? Would a top youth coach classify your competition as top notch? If so you are definitely going in the right direction and have done a great service to your young players. If not you may want to rethink your game strategy. Is winning every game more important then concentrating on developing individual and team skills that will last a life time? I tend to think that up until u14 or u 15 developing individual and team skills should be the most important aspect of youth soccer, not winning. Of course everyone wants to be a champion, it is ingrained in the American Psyche. So what do you do? You play to win but emphasize that skills come first and that you are more interested in proper execution and team play than wins or losses. Believe me if you can develop top individual skills and good team play the goals will come.
You can make a decision at the start of the season to raise your team's entire skill level as your goal for the season. The level of each individual player can be noted at the beginning and end of each season. Be sure to give praise immediately when any improvements are noticed. This is a critical part of successful youth coaching. It is best to ignore any mistakes rather then criticize. If possible give proper skill demonstrations so players know what is expected of them.
- You can find this at thekickcoach.com.
In the end your players will remember you and be grateful to you for what you did for them as individuals in improving them as players and as a coach you will feel the satisfaction of knowing you have helped young players toward reaching their potential. This is Winning.
By Richard Moore – Inventor of
The Kick Coach
www.thekickcoach.com
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