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Junior Member
 
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Last Login: 25/08/2009 04:24:57
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| Here in Canada there is very little development of coaching unless you want to pay a small fortune to learn a style of soccer that has failed on the world stage time and again. (Except womens soccer where we're respected) I decided to teach my kids U8 Co-ed how to play properly much against the advice of our league convenor. Each week they are the better team but losing terribly to teams that play "MOB BALL" It has been difficult because thay have had 4 years of playing that style but each and every week is an improvement. Parents are starting to get on my case because little Billy or Suzie were superstars last year and haven't scored their normal 50 goals by week six. But after handing them recordings of games of pro matches they've backed off. Other coaches have come up to us and said on how well we played and that we've "Played real soccer "or muttering aloud " Oh S**T these kids actually can play the game!" But my kids are starting to get down on themselves because they aren't winning. My self and my assistants praise them immensely but that is starting to wear thin. I'm planning on staying the course but I need some suggestions as to how to keep them up! They are playing some beautiful soccer and am so very proud of them.
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Junior Member
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| Ignore this over the last three games we've won two lost one with a goal difference of +3. They've caught on and their parents gaves them applause when they came off the field the last game.. The one team we lost to beat us in the first game 8-0 beat us 3-1 so now they know the improvement!
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Wins are nice, but it's all about development right now.
This is why I tell all of my parents in the beginning, middle and end of the season to remember where their daughter was when the season started and assess where she is now. That will define a successful season. Also remember, the rule of thumb is that you will not see what you have taught this season until next season.
Also, I hardly remember game scores or outcomes. What I do remember vividly, are the times that I saw each girl do something for the first time in a game that she has never done before. I remember when one of my girls did a pullback in a game, when one girl finally passed, etc. 
Use this line if the girls get down about losing a game: "We didn't lose. We just ran out of time!"
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Forum Newbie
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| You're not alone in the issue of motivation of youngsters in situation where you want get out all the most beautiful aspects of soccer and teach it to your players. In the beginning of my season I experienced similar challenge especially from the parents stand point of view, but I kept the course and after few games I saw results and had parents and referees coming up to me to say positive comments about the soccer style we played. I had the parents and officials comment in positive manner at front of the kids, even we lost the game. That resulted in build up of confidence in kids and further good results. I got other problem, with few kids on the team and it really hurts the team because these are the key players. When they sense that opposite team is better, they tend to show discouragement and that's influential to the whole team very negatively. Second issue is with a kid that has no desire to play when teammate plays a ball not to his feet or when loses a ball after dribbling. He just throws hand around and that's when he stops playing for the team. I tried to encourage him in many ways, such as: ambitious level, psychological level, and finally I get him on bench. No result! Any idea on how to handle those issues? Sincerely,
Tomasz Wilczak Coach U13 (Warsaw, Poland) Tiki Taka Futbol Academy
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Tiki_taka (18/06/2009)
You're not alone in the issue of motivation of youngsters in situation where you want get out all the most beautiful aspects of soccer and teach it to your players.
In the beginning of my season I experienced similar challenge especially from the parents stand point of view, but I kept the course and after few games I saw results and had parents and referees coming up to me to say positive comments about the soccer style we played.
I had the parents and officials comment in positive manner at front of the kids, even we lost the game. That resulted in build up of confidence in kids and further good results.
I got other problem, with few kids on the team and it really hurts the team because these are thekey players. When they sense that opposite team is better, they tend to show discouragement and that's influential to the whole team very negatively.
Second issue is with a kid that has no desire to play when teammate plays a ball not to his feet or when loses a ball after dribbling. He just throws hand around and that's when he stops playing for the team. I tried to encourage him in many ways, such as: ambitious level, psychological level, and finally I get him on bench. No result!
Any idea on how to handle those issues?
Sincerely,
I don't quite understand the last part of the issues you are having, but I think I can help answer the ones I think I understand.
If you have key players that get intimidated when they play opposition that they think are better than they are, what I try to do is to prepare my team by psyching them up like it is the World Cup all during the previous weeks in practice. I also let them know that I only require two thing from them when they enter the pitch: 1. That they HUSTLE and 2. They have fun. Building a love for the game should be priority #1 and will go a long way with building team moral. I also set up scrimmages with older teams that are WAY bigger, faster and stronger than my team, so they know going into it that it will be very hard. When they get back into a real game against their own age opponents, it will seem much easier.
For the kids that have no desire to play, there is NOTHING you can do about that. It is just their time to move on. It seems like you are improving the teams skills as you go along the season and as long as the rest of the kids are having fun, then just focus on that.
I have one girl that acts as you describe. She will get the ball, dribble, then lose it and refuse to transition to defense to win it back. She expects the team to continue to feed it to her since she is a striker and our leading goal scorer. The way I cured that was to play her soley at defense where the objective it to play safe and make her feed OTHER players. She got the hint really fast and when moved back to striker, started aggressively winning the ball back.
Hope I was able to help.
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I had that kind of situation with one of my kids last game. In my case this child is more or less a pylon but all I expect of my weaker kids is an honest effort and good team play during games. I subbed him quickly and had a talk with him about. At the beginning of the season he wanted to play net. I gave him that chance. After two games he said he was bored and wanted to play forward. I gave him that chance after two games he complained about not scoring goals where I said to him that it takes an honest effort to score goals and I would put him on defense until he showed an effort. Last game I told him he was defense where upon an 8 year came up and said to me "I'll tell you where I'm playing!" I responded no you're playing defense. But when on the field he sat down and pulled grass. I got parental permission and he will sit this week.
Sometimes you have to remind the kids that its a team game. I think that all too often we focus on the Rinaldos and Torres's and forget that without the likes of Rio Ferdinands and Ryan Giggs of the world Rinaldo would have been only a good player on a mediorce team.Remember there is no I in TEAM! Hope that helps
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| Coach the biggest part of your problem is coming from a lack of clearly defining to the players and parents what to expect during the course of the season and as such will eliminate the negative feed back first off know that coach football is one of the most unappreciative jobs ever. Example of team meeting1 Preseason meeting as coach my focus will be to develop the kids overall basic ball skills in light of this we are less likely to win all our games this season but in another season or two when the kids have gotten down the fundamentals and can now confidently handle to ball we will now lean more towards playing to win. Example2 We will play each game to win but bear in mind that doiing this will sacrifice working on developing the kids and i feel that this will bring about short term gain long term loss. just some samples the mora of the story is inform them early as to what to expect good or bad they will know what to expect and it helps to relieve some of the tension.
not so fast my friend
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| I have done all that on two occasions stating that. Quoting from my handout and speech at practice 1 and game 1 three weeks later. 1: I'm not aiming to create Superstars. I'm hoping to teach the kids the basics of the game. With an Emphasis on Ball control and Teamwork 2: I will expect nothing of your child except an honest effort and attentiveness. 3: I will give your child the chance to fufill his/her desires within reason as long as it does not disrupt the framework of the team accomplishing these goals. After practice tonight I hauled him off to the side and asked him what was going on last game. Whereupon he confided in me that there was trouble at home. Which I wondered about but without a voicing of it open speculation was inappropriate. I've decided not to bench him but now what the heck do I do? Both parents stated that they just wanted him out of the house to get some exercise and haven't attended since week 4 leaving me with the driving him to and from games and practices. Any ideas now? I've got 11 other kids to worry about as well!
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davey18 (24/06/2009)
I have done all that on two occasions stating that. Quoting from my handout and speech at practice 1 and game 1 three weeks later.
1: I'm not aiming to create Superstars. I'm hoping to teach the kids the basics of the game. With an Emphasis on Ball control and Teamwork
2: I will expect nothing of your child except an honest effort and attentiveness.
3: I will give your child the chance to fufill his/her desires within reason as long as it does not disrupt the framework of the team accomplishing these goals.
After practice tonight I hauled him off to the side and asked him what was going on last game. Whereupon he confided in me that there was trouble at home. Which Iwondered aboutbut without a voicing of it open speculation was inappropriate. I've decided not to bench him but now what the heck do I do? Both parents stated that they just wanted him out of the house to get some exercise and haven't attended since week 4 leaving me with the driving him to and from games and practices. Any ideas now? I've got 11 other kids to worry about as well!
There is one of your mistakes right there, Davey. A coach is NOT a taxi service. Trust me when I say this: Parents WILL take advantage of you taking their kids to and from practice as soon as you set the precedent of even taking one. I have had to learn this experience the hard way. It is the parent's responsibility to get them to practice, not yours.
As far as the kid having problems at home is concerned, that is a common theme and you should not get involved. The only way you can really help in those situations is to have your team manager/mom call the parents and see if she can do something to help, such as helping arange a car pool.
Do not treat this kid any differently than your others who come to practice.
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| playing matches is already one of the biggest motivation for kids, regardless of winning or losing. especially u8, there is no lasting effect on win or lose ( unless adult make a big deal of it ). the person who spoilt the game and what you so call motivation, 90 percent is come from adult, parents and coach. as a team chief coach, you must be qualifies to create an optimal training and game envirnoment in order to support and motivate your players better. ( most of the teenagers give out soccer because of poor coaching, but adult always put the blain on players )  i'm really sick and tired of seeing poor coaches spoilt kids game. go improve yourself as a soccer teacher.
Phuabh
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