| A lot of soccer coaches get involved with coaching | | | | of them have played in literally hundreds of games. If |
| soccer because they have a child who wants to, or | | | | we want to grow the game in the United States, we |
| is, participating in the sport. Unless they coach, there | | | | need to be aware of burnout. Young soccer players |
| is often no one else to coach the team. It is at that | | | | need to be challenged with the soccer ball at their |
| point where the realization hits that there is more to | | | | feet, they need to be encouraged to be creative. I |
| coaching soccer than just having the children run | | | | remember playing as a youngster and we did the |
| through cones. | | | | same drills over and over, there was very little |
| Player Development | | | | emphasis on doing tricks or being creative (in the |
| The primary goal of any youth soccer coach should | | | | right areas). A young soccer player who's been |
| be player development. The fundamental technical | | | | coached for several years with Coerver Coaching is |
| skills of soccer are what should be coached | | | | capable of stepping onto a soccer field and being able |
| throughout a youngster's soccer career. It is easy to | | | | to perform change of direction moves and moves to |
| win soccer games if you have good athletes, but | | | | beat an opponent. Why is that? Because they have |
| when the younger players become older, thing start | | | | been given time with the soccer ball and have |
| to even out athletically. If those players who've relied | | | | learned moves so they become second nature. |
| solely on speed or strength haven't been taught and | | | | Sportsmanship |
| practiced the basic technical skills, they're going to | | | | America loves a winner, we all do. But one thing that |
| struggle. | | | | has to be guarded against is a win at all costs |
| The professional teams in Europe use the Coerver | | | | mentality. A young soccer player should be able to |
| Coaching method as one of the keys to rearing | | | | go out and play without any pressure on them - not |
| young soccer players in their academies. They teach | | | | feeling worried if they make a mistake, because it's |
| them the skills to succeed technically so they can go | | | | part of the learning process. With Coerver Coaching |
| out onto the soccer field and fulfill their potential. | | | | there is an element of competitiveness, but not at |
| Having Fun | | | | the detriment of losing touch of what soccer |
| The drop out rate for young soccer players is | | | | coaching is all about, developing soccer players of the |
| alarming. By the time the kids get to thirteen some | | | | future. |