In this part I will give you 9 important tips on how to coach young players. My advice to you is to print out this article and keep it at the door of your refrigerator or some other visible place.

Now, let’s check out the tips…

1) You should teach the youngsters how to maintain their balance and stability while kicking the ball. By doing this you will help your players to become better prepared for the upcoming games.

2) One good method for increasing your player’s confidence is to award them when they perform well. However, you should make your players aware of that they need to play well in the upcoming games too if they want to keep their place in the starting line.

3) As a soccer player it is crucial to have good speed. It is therefore important to involve some form of speed training during your training sessions. However, you should not focus on the speed part too much. Keep in mind that the most important thing is to improve your player’s skills with the ball.

4) Always demonstrate the drills by yourself or in combination with other players to show the others how to perform the drills right. This is pretty important as you can’t expect your players to perform a drill right, if you don’t demonstrate it correct by yourself first.

However, if your player’s already have performed same drills before then you will probably just need to remind them what the drills are about.

5) Tell your players that they need to wear shin guards during your training sessions. My experience is that many players try to avoid shin guards, especially during the practice.

Perform a control every third session or so to ensure yourself that all players are wearing shin guards. Your players should also know that wearing shin guards is a must when participating in real soccer games.

6) If you want your team to perform well during the games you will need to put big emphasize on having good discipline among your players.

Good discipline may include a lot of things but generally you should teach your players that they should never use offensive language or abuses. Make your players realize that the player who does so will be sent to the changing room without any further discussion.

7) Never scream at your players if they perform poorly. If you do so, your players will soon lose their motivation and may even quit with playing soccer.

8) You will also need to train your player’s ability to be frank with other players. Co – operate with other players is a must if you want your players to perform well during the games.

9) A player must learn to play the ball on the first touch. You may also allow your players to dribble but they need to learn that soccer is a team game. This means that passing the ball should always be their first option no matter what.

Summary

I recommend you to print out these tips and to read them before every practice or game. You could also keep this document in your coaching binder and read it during your practices or games.

Make sure you don’t miss our guide on various soccer tactics as well!