Tips for coaching 4/5/6 year old soccer?

[North East Goon]

I am helping out coaching my kids soccer club this year, and never played the game in an organized environment as a kid. Any tricks of the trades to keep the kids focused especially during game play?

[Montana Moe]

Well, I'm certainly no expert, but I've coached two seasons of 4-6 year old soccer.

During game play, positioning kids to be involved in the run of play is the most important thing. My biggest issue is a couple of girls that like to hang out in the defensive side of the field. While that can't be totally avoided, you can make sure that they're chosen for corner/goal kicks, throw-ins, etc., which gets them touches. Keeping the kids on the bench focused is a whole other kettle of fish...

Concerning practices, I've been told by coaches with much more experience than I that the most important ingredient to keeping focus and building interest is the amount of touches a player gets. My practices are almost exclusively drills that involve everyone with a ball, or a group of kids passing to each other. If we scrimmage at all, it's the final 10 minutes. I tried drills where they form two lines with one ball and pass to one another before putting a shot on goal, etc. In that instance, you get the focus of two kids at a time while the others are doing what 4-6 year old kids do. I'm sure there are others who have been doing it longer than I have, and have many more tricks.

All I can tell you is good luck, and godspeed...

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

I am helping out coaching my kids soccer club this year, and never played the game in an organized environment as a kid. Any tricks of the trades to keep the kids focused especially during game play?

[undercoverbrother]

child abuse

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Scrimmages shouldn't be the focus of practice, for any age group. Unfortunately that is far too ignored.

I think Montana Moe is right. Give all the kids a ball. Dribble around pylons, with both feet! Pass in pairs. As many touches as possible. And with that age group stress the "fun" aspect. Try and get all the kids engaged as much as possible.

[CaptainCrunch]

Make sure that you pick the weakest kid on the team and yell at him a lot, also do that to the fattest kid but exchange the words Whimp, girl, and quiter with the words Jelly Belly, Lard Ass and the phrase Oh Sure Ogilvee go eat another pie. This will establish a reign of terror that will bring your other players in line.

Also when a player screws up, make sure that you berate him in front of his team mate, this establishes a belief system that screwing up is unacceptible. If their parent gets into your face about yelling at their darling child, point finger at them and accuse them of coddling the child and for christ sakes cut the apron strings.

Before every practice and game group excercises are important, make sure that you line the students up military style and make them do choreographed excercises. Teach them a catch phrase that will make the experience more enjoyable. Some examples are "There is no mercy in this dojo", "Kill Kill Kill", or just win baby.

Make sure that you have one of each on your team. If your coaching a girls team, recruit a male player in drag, or a boys team, recruit a athletic tomboyish girl who has serious questions about her sexuality and dating. You also need a rebel that rides on a motorcycle, smokes and doesn't take any crap from anyone. This rebel will inevitably become a team leader and do most of your work for you as he bullies the team into a winner and hits the net once out of every 10 times.

Trick Plays - be creative do soccer trick plays like pointing at a random mother in the stands and yelling oh my god she's in labor and then using the distraction to score. Other trick plays could involve the releasing of fire ants in the visitors locker room before the game.

Take up drinking, show up for practice after a few stiff belts, don't concern yourself with personal grooming either, then halfway through the season go through a miraculous lifestyle change that will inspire the kids.

Pick one random kid in the neighbourhood and inspire your team to beat him up everyday at lunch time, this will have two benefits. It will bring your team together, and it will make the bullied kid make a misguided and hilarious attempt to join the team.

Oh and finally

Play the waterboy, you know the quiet kid who does the water but doesn't talk much, and likes science more then sports, he may just be your leading scorer.

Don't be afraid to roll your eyes, mutter why me god why , or yell out a profanity laced tirade about woman's breasts, your car, or the stupidity of your team when you lose, they'll learn dicipline, and focus from that.