Coach Pieced

Coach Pieced

5 Tips for Soccer Coaches on how to run a Successful Soccer Team

There are so may different ways to be an effective soccer coach. As the old saying goes there is more than one way to skin a cat.

There is certainly a few basics tips every soccer coach needs to know to have a successful soccer team. Coaching soccer can be very rewarding, a ton of fun but also very challenging.

Let me share 5 simple tips that will help to improve your team's success quite a bit, making your life much easier.

1. Create a soccer season plan

Sit down with a piece of paper and outline the soccer team goals for the upcoming season. Write a mission statement, expectations, timelines, rules, goals, etc. You are writing a business plan for your soccer team. If the team is going to be successful you have to have a road map.

Once you have completed a soccer season plan it needs to share with the director of coaching, the players on your team and their parents. Its important to set the correct expectations with everyone involved in your team. Doing this will allow everyone to be on the same page, making it easier to be successful (and you to be a happy soccer coach).

2. Work Hard but Soccer is Fun:

It is important that you are strict with your team to gain their respect and keep them in order. Be sure to let them know that there is a time to play and a time to work. Run you're training session in a way that includes different style of exercises, fun activities that allow each soccer player to stay focused.

 

Important not to use soccer drills that form long lines because the kids get bored quickly, standing around.

 

3. Plan the soccer training session a head of time

 

Take the extra 20 minutes to sit down a head of time to think about the upcoming soccer session. Pick a topic of the day such as dribbling, passing, receiving, or defense. This is important so your session will stay focused and not become dull. You want to be able to jump right into the next exercise to keep the energy up. Then develop games that are 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, small sided then full sided game.

Design the training session so it is progressive and you can never lose. Rule of thumb, try to avoid lines. Get as many touches on the ball as you can, that way you have a successful training session every time.

4. Be a friend but never to close

It is very important that you get to know each of your players on a personal level. Each soccer player is so very different and need very different things. In order for your team to grow, as a soccer coach you need to connect with them on a personal level. Talk with them about school, find out what is going on at home, whats their favorite video game, or even where did you go for vacation (or even ‘Who is their favorite soccer coach?').

Just make sure that you don't get to close because if you do you will lose respect very quickly. Once it is gone, it is very hard to get it back. As my soccer coach taught me, "Get personal but stay professional".

5. Keep track and share the reports

To keep it competitive and to provide awards when needed, keep track of stat's during the game. Shots, shots on goal, fouls, I even keep track on face-traps because it is fun stat to look back at. The stats are fun to look back on at the end of the game and it is a very useful tool to get the soccer players motivated.

Bonus tip – I have found it very useful to ask the players at half time to rate their soccer game from 1-10. 1 = the worst game ever and 10 = a perfect game. You will notice that the team will agree within a few points how the game is going. They you can simply ask, what do we need to do to go up a few points. You will be amazed that you don't need to say much because they already know. All you need to do is share a few words of encouragement and pump them up for the next half.

I hope that you find this tips useful in making your soccer coaching career successful by having a winning soccer team.

If you would like to learn more Soccer Coaching that will take your soccer team and athletes to the next level, contact us about our coaching guide.

There are so may different ways to be an effective soccer coach. As the old saying goes there is more than one way to skin a cat.

There is certainly a few basics tips every soccer coach needs to know to have a successful soccer team. Coaching soccer can be very rewarding, a ton of fun but also very challenging.

Let me share 5 simple tips that will help to improve your team's success quite a bit, making your life much easier.

1. Create a soccer season plan

Sit down with a piece of paper and outline the soccer team goals for the upcoming season. Write a mission statement, expectations, timelines, rules, goals, etc. You are writing a business plan for your soccer team. If the team is going to be successful you have to have a road map.

Once you have completed a soccer season plan it needs to share with the director of coaching, the players on your team and their parents. Its important to set the correct expectations with everyone involved in your team. Doing this will allow everyone to be on the same page, making it easier to be successful (and you to be a happy soccer coach).

2. Work Hard but Soccer is Fun:

It is important that you are strict with your team to gain their respect and keep them in order. Be sure to let them know that there is a time to play and a time to work. Run you're training session in a way that includes different style of exercises, fun activities that allow each soccer player to stay focused.

Important not to use soccer drills that form long lines because the kids get bored quickly, standing around.

3. Plan the soccer training session a head of time

Take the extra 20 minutes to sit down a head of time to think about the upcoming soccer session. Pick a topic of the day such as dribbling, passing, receiving, or defense. This is important so your session will stay focused and not become dull. You want to be able to jump right into the next exercise to keep the energy up. Then develop games that are 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, small sided then full sided game.

Design the training session so it is progressive and you can never lose. Rule of thumb, try to avoid lines. Get as many touches on the ball as you can, that way you have a successful training session every time.

4. Be a friend but never to close

It is very important that you get to know each of your players on a personal level. Each soccer player is so very different and need very different things. In order for your team to grow, as a soccer coach you need to connect with them on a personal level. Talk with them about school, find out what is going on at home, whats their favorite video game, or even where did you go for vacation (or even ‘Who is their favorite soccer coach?').

Just make sure that you don't get to close because if you do you will lose respect very quickly. Once it is gone, it is very hard to get it back. As my soccer coach taught me, "Get personal but stay professional".

5. Keep track and share the reports

To keep it competitive and to provide awards when needed, keep track of stat's during the game. Shots, shots on goal, fouls, I even keep track on face-traps because it is fun stat to look back at. The stats are fun to look back on at the end of the game and it is a very useful tool to get the soccer players motivated.

Bonus tip – I have found it very useful to ask the players at half time to rate their soccer game from 1-10. 1 = the worst game ever and 10 = a perfect game. You will notice that the team will agree within a few points how the game is going. They you can simply ask, what do we need to do to go up a few points. You will be amazed that you don't need to say much because they already know. All you need to do is share a few words of encouragement and pump them up for the next half.

I hope that you find this tips useful in making your soccer coaching career successful by having a winning soccer team.

If you would like to learn more Soccer Coaching that will take your soccer team and athletes to the next level, contact us about our coaching guide.

About the Author

Derek is the mastermind behind the Soccer Coach Guide and a genius at teaching soccer coaches how to run successfully soccer team on and off the field. He has taught thousands of soccer coaches how to be amazing soccer coaches and to get the kids to love them in the process. Learn from the more great coaching tips from <a href="http://www.supersoccerguide.com" title="">Super Soccer Guide</a>

Derek is the mastermind behind the Soccer Coach Guide and a genius at teaching soccer coaches how to run successfully soccer team on and off the field. He has taught thousands of soccer coaches how to be amazing soccer coaches and to get the kids to love them in the process. Learn from the more great coaching tips from <a href="http://www.supersoccerguide.com" title="">Super Soccer Guide</a>

One piece of Rugby Advice you would give your National Rugby Coach for 2010?

My advice for Ted is to stay coaching the Forwards, the Coaching structure seems to be working, time to watch for the younger guys to make their mark in SP14 next year in a push for higher honours.
i am interested in reading what OZ fans want from Deans and Welsh fans from Gats and England whether Johnson needs to totally have an overhaul in coaches and players.

My advice to Ted (assuming they'd keep the coaching structure as is), would be to pick on form and capability, not reputation and desperation. Examples are Reputation - no Joe if he isn't on fire and no Donald when you have Delaney and Cruden in the wings. Desperation - don't rush a guy back from England and throw him into games with no recent local experience when you have guys like Tuitavake (Centre) and Delaney (No. 10) in NZ. I like McAllister, but boy did he get thrown a hospital pass of a call up.

Coach To Cure MD 2010