| Youth soccer continues to grow by leaps and bounds | | | | room to dribble. |
| in the United States. Unfortunately, with that rapid | | | | Work on teaching your players to make passes to a |
| growth many communities find them selves in a | | | | specific person. Many young players will make passes |
| situation where they have more youth soccer teams | | | | that basically amount to blindly kicking the ball to |
| than they have youth soccer coaches. These local | | | | another part of the field in hopes that one of their |
| clubs have to rely on parents that are willing to take | | | | teammates can outrace the opponent to the ball. |
| the time to learn to coach soccer. | | | | Too often this results in the other team getting the |
| The good news is, at the younger levels it doesn't | | | | ball and starting an attack of their own. |
| require a great deal of time to learn to coach soccer. | | | | When you are teaching your players to pass, you |
| The skills that players need at the younger levels are | | | | should stress that the pass be made to a specific |
| not that difficult. While these players may spend | | | | teammate, and it should have enough speed so the |
| years trying to master these skills, it all starts with | | | | defender cannot beat the receiving player to the ball. |
| some very basic skills that you can learn, and in turn | | | | Every practice should have drills designed to teach |
| teach your players. | | | | players the art of passing the ball. |
| Dribbling | | | | Defense |
| One of the first skills that youth soccer players will | | | | When many newer coaches first learn to coach |
| need to learn is dribbling. When you first learn to | | | | soccer they concentrate on offense. Their practices |
| coach soccer, pay close attention to how to teaching | | | | are focused on pushing the ball down field, and taking |
| dribbling skills. A good ball handler can make things | | | | a shot on goal. While offense is critical to a team's |
| happen during a game, and can give their team a lot | | | | success, this coaching philosophy ignores another |
| of scoring opportunities. | | | | basic skill - defense. |
| You should work on teaching your players how to | | | | In it's simplest terms, the team that wins is the team |
| dribble with both feet without losing control of the | | | | that scores more than the opposition. That means, is |
| ball. Players also need to learn how to dribble without | | | | the other team does not score, they cannot win the |
| watching their feet. If they are always looking down | | | | game. The vast majority of successful soccer |
| they will not see defenders coming to steal the ball, | | | | programs are built on a base of solid defense. |
| and they will also not see opportunities to pass the | | | | The majority of a team's scoring opportunities come |
| ball to a teammate. | | | | because that team made a defensive stop, and |
| Passing | | | | turned the attack around. You should learn to teach |
| Passing is a skill that is a necessary part of any | | | | your team how to push the ball away from the goal |
| successful program, but teaching young players when | | | | and to minimize the attacking teams chances to take |
| to pass is not an easy thing to do. Some players will | | | | a clear shot at your goal. |
| move into the high school level and still not have a | | | | If you are willing to spend a little time, you can learn |
| good concept of passing. You will see them miss a | | | | to coach soccer. Once you have gained a little |
| passing opportunity when they are under pressure | | | | experience at the younger levels you may find that |
| only to get the ball stolen, or they will pass to a | | | | you have a desire to learn to coach soccer at the |
| teammate that is defended even though they have | | | | higher levels. |