As youth soccer coaches we come across kids of all kinds. Almost every kid requires their own form of attention. You will have kids that are just independent, you give them a task and they set their focus to complete the task. You have kids whom receive the same task to complete and you just have to give them instructions by the numbers AFTER they have asked a plethora of questions. You kids with so much confidence that you sometimes wish you could bottle it up and sell some of it. This brings me to my article, the kid with no confidence whatsoever. We all know the kid, his/her parents “made” them do soccer, a sport they know nothing about but mom or dad are aficionados of the game – they want their child to “learn” to love the game just as much as them and hopefully they will become a “famous” player someday. In the midst of their well-intentioned actions, they are doing more harm than good to their child. Now, how do we as coaches deal with this? How do we handle what the child sees as the worst nightmare they must endure on a daily basis.
The Three Secrets To Coaching Soccer Player Confidence
1. Be Their Friend, First!
Sometimes you just have to be their friend, first and foremost. Understand that they are being thrown into an environment that they do not want to be in – they only know that they are being forced to play the game we love. As their friend, you will find out more about them that will help you win them over and maybe even get them to like the game or at least the season. Learn what it is that they like – you may find out that you will have something in common. Talk about anything, when a kid sees that you are showing an interest in what they have to say they will become an open book. Most often than not they will talk about what most excites them. Make it a very big deal in their eyes, you never know it may just be something you both have in common.
2. Make the Game Fun.
They will be with you all season, you might as well make it fun for them rather than a chore. If you grab their attention in that manner they will enjoy coming to practice even if they don’t love the game. Like every good youth soccer coach, we always want to end practice on a positive note. Create a deck of cards with names of fun games such as “Doctor, Doctor”. Give the child a title such as “The Game Master” and let them choose from the deck… by doing so, you are making them feel wanted and welcomed into our team culture (side note: Doctor, Doctor is a game in which kids will have a blast).
Kids in these situations will feel all alone in the world – their world. Sometimes it is up to us to step in and be their voice of reason. No matter how much we make them feel welcomed there will be times where the child simply does not want to be involved in the sport. We need to be able to step up to the plate for them and speak with the parents, their child does not want to be a soccer player even if it means that we are going into a proverbial Lion’s Den. In my experience I gained the respect of both the parents and the child by doing this and as a result – they recommended other families to our club.
It is the details in the small things that mean the most to families. If you take that extra step to show your families that you care you will experience not only a personal growth within yourself but also one within the child. Don’t forget why you first started to coach in the first place. You chose to make a difference in every child that crossed your path. Now get after it!
What is the biggest struggle you face right now as a soccer coach?
Articles By:
-Marcos Palacios,
Pro Staff Coach
Texans Soccer Club – Houston
