Essential Tips for a
NEW Soccer Coach

Are you thinking, “Being a soccer coach for my child’s team is nuts!! WHAT HAVE I DONE?”

While I cannot personally comment on your mental state per se , I can say that you are in good company.

Many, if not most, parents learn soccer through the “trial by fire” method of being a youth soccer coach.

I am thrilled to tell you that now there is a better way!

You can now learn how to be a great soccer coach in the best possible way - from an expert!

I have personally used these resources myself and wish that I had found them when I was a beginning soccer coach. This information will get you up to speed FAST while giving you a solid foundation upon which to build in future years. Check it out!

Your's truly has developed some of his own material for you as a beginning soccer coach. One of the first things you will need to know is:

HOW DO I ORGANIZE A PRACTICE?

But wait! Don’t click there yet! Before the first practice can start you need to take care of a little often-overlooked bit of business – a Parents Meeting.

I do not claim to be an expert on this subject but I CAN relate to you my own experiences and what has worked well for me personally. Put yourself in their shoes. What do you want to know as a parent from the soccer coach? Much of this material and more is also covered in the book, FUNdamental Soccer for Clueless Parents.

There are two general categories of information to give the parents that I will loosely call Hard Facts and Soft Facts.

    Hard Facts:
          Practice Schedule
          Game Schedule
          Equipment for Soccer (ball & shinguards)
          Cancellation Policy
          Contact Information
          Team Roster
          Uniform Color/Sponsor

     Soft Facts:
          Coaching Philosophy
          Volunteer Help
          Refreshments
          Disciplinary Guidelines

Coaching Philosophy – Discuss the goal of the soccer program, your goal(s) as the soccer coach, and the upcoming season. Speak to the soccer parents in general terms about the team size, how substitutions will be done, and how players will be rotated through the various positions. For the younger teams there may be only one or two positions( on the field or goalkeeper) or you may have three. Use terms like offense, defense, and goalie. You will lose them with anything more technical like midfielder or striker. This website has outstanding references on this subject.

Volunteer Help – Don’t be bashful about asking for help! Most parents are glad to help the soccer coach if you will specifically tell them what to do. Nine times out of 10 their reluctance to help is related to a feeling of inadequacy or ignorance. Educate them! Let them borrow your soccer coaching resources or recommend material the parents can purchase. Here’s a thought – send them to this website! Get their email addresses and send them information/updates the easy way. Some areas in which parents can help: bench management, refreshment schedule, help at practice, party planning, and making phone calls.

Refreshments – Depending on your league rules, you may want to discuss a refreshment schedule with the parents and bringing vs. buying.

Disciplinary Guidelines – The best season I had as a soccer coach just from a pure enjoyment perspective was the first year I discussed discipline with the parents AND kids before the first practice. No one likes the subject but it is vital that everyone understands the rules and the consequences. This makes the game more enjoyable for everyone. Enough said!

Have the parents climbed on board? Good!

Before charging ahead to the practice, you should review the following two areas:

Soccer Rules

Equipment for Soccer

Here’s the beef.

HOW DO I ORGANIZE A PRACTICE?

Quick Resources for the Soccer Coach

You want a quick resource? How about some downloadable help? It doesn't get much quicker than this!

I have personally used these resources myself and wish that I had found them when I started coaching soccer. This information will get you up to speed FAST while giving you a solid foundation upon which to build. Check it out!

Also, you should go to my soccer book page and read the soccer book reviews before buying a book.

The following resources are also excellent.

How to Coach Very Young Soccer Players- The ideal soccer video for any first time parent/coach of very young soccer players. On-the-field practice sessions clearly explain and demonstrate how the parent/coach can teach basic soccer skills in a "learn and have fun" system.

Soccer Games - Making Learning Fun - The games on these soccer videos show how to set up each game and how each is used to improve important soccer techniques.

These two titles are brought to you byThe Soccer Vault.

While these two videos from The Soccer Vault are at the top of my list, there are also other very good soccer videos to consider.

I personally like to have a hard copy of information. (No, don't bug me about being a tree killer.) While the videos from the Soccer Vault are great, I recommend at least one book on drills or on coaching youth soccer as a supplement and to take to the field. A good place to start is to browse through my soccer book recommendations.

Another well known resource is Amazon.com. They have a surprisingly vast amount of resources on soccer. Below is an example of a search done on soccer coach.

Another great resource is a soccer dry erase clipboard The absolutely CHEAPEST and BEST one I could find is the one below.

Champion Sports Soccer Dry Erase Clipboard Work out your plays with Champion(r) Sports Soccer Dry Erase Clipboard. With a full field view on one side and a half field on the other, you are equipped to demonstrate the winning play. Each board includes a dry erase marker and easy wipe-off surface. Ideal for coaching soccer!

Another great idea is theKwik Goal Soccer Coach's Kit This kit comes with a whistle, clipboard, rulebook, and scorebook. A great gift idea!

Don't forget that I am cheap - I mean frugal. Yea, frugal. That's it.

No matter what you're looking for, I recommend starting with my

There are many, many more excellent resources for a soccer coach. I have researched and compiled a list of them on the Soccer Video page and the Soccer Book page.

And last, but not least, never forget to

HAVE FUN AS A SOCCER COACH!