Tips for new rec coaches (for players 7 years old and under)

Back from a long hiatus, here's some more thoughts about Cincinnati youth soccer. This batch is directed directly towards any new coaches out there, drawn from around 14 seasons of coaching 4 - 7 year olds (boys and girls) for a local SAY soccer program. I know being a new parent coach can be daunting, but it can be a lot of fun too. If you're coaching kids older than 7, this probably won't be as useful - once you get past 7 the challenge shifts from primarily keeping them interested with some soccer thrown in to actually teaching them soccer full time. I'm much better at the former than the latter.

1. Remember you're coaching rec soccer, not World Cup. If losing a game doesn't bother you, it won't bother your players. They take their lead from you.

2. Whoever brings the snacks is the captain for that game. Makes it much easier to keep track of who has been a captain and who has not.

3. Snacks are frequently more important than the score, so make sure you get a snack list published, and it doesn't hurt to remind parents before the game that it's their turn. I always bring the first snacks/drinks, to give parents an idea of what types of stuff make good snacks.

4. More on snacks - it never hurts to ask about allergies. Usually a parent will tell you, but you want to be sure you have snacks that everyone can eat.

5. Kids need to play every position. That being said, it's perfectly OK to only take volunteers for goalie.

6. It's not about winning. If you have your best player on the field for 4 quarters a game, and no one else gets to touch the ball, you are a crappy coach. You fail, because at these ages, in a recreational program, it's not about winning or trophies - it's about the kids having fun, and EVERYONE touching the ball.

7. The referees are your friends - BE NICE! I have had referees thank me for not getting upset after one of my teams got creamed. Those refs had had a coach come on the field after them during one game, and had seen several coaches yelling at their teams following a loss. That's just not right.

Tangent alert!! After one of my team's more memorable drubbings, the players and parents were very upbeat after the game - the girls had completed a number of passes, were communicating well, and played a great game. The fact that we lost 11 - 0 was really secondary to the fact that the girls had fun and were playing better. The team that beat us had 2 players who were exceptional - and those two players beat us by playing most the game, while the rest of their team watched. Meanwhile, our girls made plays, touched the ball, and we had a crowd of smiling kids and parents on the sidelines after the game. It was great. We finished the season with 1 goal, and no wins or ties. But the girls were all coming back the next season, the parents were all thrilled with the way the season went, and it was all because the coach (me) and the parents set the correct tone. The score really didn't matter - it was about playing the game to the best of their abilities. And I cheered myself hoarse at every game, because I actually believe it. And every game they played their best was a great game.

8. When posting coaching tips, don't go on long-winded tangents.

9. Most drills suck. If you can't turn it into a game, don't do it with the little kids - they just get bored and distracted.

10. Loud and happy is good. Think drill sergeant on happy pills. Just a smidge of crazy doesn't hurt, if channeled properly. If you are loud and upbeat, you will keep the kids attention for the entire season. The trick is to mix happy with control - you can't just be a cheerleader. Example. I had a team that couldn't communicate. The tried, but they were so quiet, they couldn't hear themselves, much less be heard by another player on the team. So I put them on the endline, went to midfield, and at the top of my lungs told them "I KNOW YOU CAN YELL LOUD ENOUGH FOR ME TO HEAR YOU OVER HERE!" Then I threatened them with a lap if I couldn't hear them. And we went down the line, with each girl yelling "I'm OPEN" at the top of their lungs, like their insane coach. And for the rest of the season my team was the one you could hear from the other end of the soccer field with the girls yelling "I'm OPEN" when they wanted the ball. Kids love it when you give them a chance to be loud and obnoxious.

11. If your league offers you coaching lessons, or coaching tools, use them - they're generally really helpful!

12. Make sure you have correct change for your refs.

13. Did I mention snacks?

14. Don't park your defense on the "6 box" and force them to stand there and watch the game. While you may not want the other team to score goals, that's not how the game is played. My personal rule is you can play defense as far forward as you want, as long as you are between the ball and your own goal. And you have to be willing to run all the way back if the ball gets behind you. Teams score against my teams, but my players will understand how the game is really played when my season is over. In "real" soccer, the defense doesn't camp back by the goal. They don't trip over the midline if the ball is on the other end of the field. And your players shouldn't either.

15. If you have a great player, encourage them to move to Select soccer. Keeping great players in rec soccer really handicaps them when they finally make the jump to Select.

16. Pinneys are your friend, but make sure you have at least 2 colors, and at least enough for 2 teams. That way you don't have any arguments over who gets to wear the pinneys. Not washing the pinneys can have a similar effect, but then whoever has to wear them gets penalized by the smell.

17. You can never have too many cones.

18. Or whistles. I always lose mine, so I keep spares in the car.

19. Before the game it never hurts to ask the referees nicely to blow their whistles loudly on fouls. Many younger refs are timid on their whistles, and play can continue for minutes because the kids don't hear the whistles.

20. Make sure you have your game ball.

21. Make sure you have ice, bandages, and a simple first aid kit. Kids get hurt.

22. Throwing an extra pair of shin guards in your bag is never a bad idea, just in case. Kids and parents forget.

23. You cannot wear football or baseball cleats to play soccer. You can tell the difference because soccer cleats don't have a cleat at the toe of the boot.

24. Soccer cleats are supposed to be worn tight. If there is space at the toe, they are too big, and the kid could break a toe playing in them.

25. There are 12 billion coaching drills/games sites on the 'Net - that's why I'm not posting any here.

26. You can buy soccer medals online for about $2.50 a piece. I generally collected $5 per kid at the beginning of the season for names on shirts, and put the change towards medals. The kids liked them as much as trophies, because they were coming from the coach, in recognition of their hard work. And the end of season party is much more fun when it's also an awards ceremony. It gives you chance to say something nice about every player.

27. Be prepared for challenges. I have coached autistic kids, kids with brain damage, kids who cried when they came near the field, kids who wouldn't play because their shirt was too big, kids who caught bugs on the field instead of playing, and my personal favorite, a 4 year old who would only play on the white lines - he just kept going back and forth every quarter he was on the field. Feel free to be frustated in your car after the game (as long as there are no kids present) but stay happy when you're coaching.

28. Sometimes you have to be direct with your players. If someone is misbehaving constantly in practice, correct the behavior in private. If it continues, correct it in front of the team. If it still continues, get the parents involved. You don't need to yell, but you need to let them know they are wrong, and that there are consequences. Make them practice dribbling between two cones while the team plays a game. One of the best players I had was a problem child, but once we set some guidelines, he not only stopped acting out, he enjoyed playing the game more, and showed the greatest improvement by the end of the season. He was also the team high scorer - he could kick the ball a mile.

29. Practicing in the rain when you're playing Select is called getting your money's worth. Practicing in the rain when you're playing rec is called pissing off your parents. They REALLY don't want to be out there in the rain. It's rec soccer - feel free to give the kids a night off when it's raining.

30. If it's raining during a game, and you're hiding under an umbrella while your players are on the field getting soaked, they'll play like they're miserable. If you're crazy enough to leave your umbrella in the car and revel in the rain, your kids will realize that there is no better soccer playing weather than a rainy, muddy day. Plus, randomly shouting "I LOVE PLAYING SOCCER IN THE RAIN" during the game will drive your opposing coaches nuts. The kids will take their lead from you - love the rain, and they will love the rain too. And generally outplay the other team, who thinks they're supposed to be miserable.

Hope that's of some help - if you have any other good suggestions, post them - if I knew everything I'd be coaching the Crew, not spouting off on a blog.