Getting Started

We encourage all coaches to recruit a parent or friend to serve as your assistant or co-coach. Also recruit parents to help with phone calls, etc. They will be very helpful to you, and will strengthen the league by broadening participation. Most important: Do not wait for volunteers. Ask the parents for help when you first contact the children over the phone or at your first practice. This year's assistants may be next year's coaches.

Practice time and locations are up to the coaches. The playing fields may be used on a first come/first served basis when games are not scheduled. “You must share the field with other teams.” Squeeze in as many practices as possible before games start. Thereafter, please observe our 2 per week limit, but be sure to hold at least 1 per week.

We do not allow players or coaches to dissent from referees' decisions. If you have a question or disagreement, discuss it quietly with the official between quarters. Please keep sideline coaching positive, instructional, low in volume, and in good taste. Relax and have fun with the children. Coaching from the goal lines is not allowed. Profanity will be red-carded whether it is from a coach, parent, or player. Coaches may go onto the field only at the quarter or half. Stay off the field during the game unless called on by the referee.

1. As soon as you get your roster and equipment, choose a date, time and location for your first practice, which all of your players and their parents should be able to make. Try to choose a location in your players' neighborhood. Try to hold as many practices as possible before your first game. After the season starts, you may not have more than two practices per week.

2. Call a parent of each player, introduce yourself and tell them the date, time, and place of the first practice. Ask that one or both parents accompany their child because you want to talk to them.

3. First practice:

a. Plan the practice thoroughly. In addition to drills and scrimmage, allow some time for talking with the players as a group.

b. Try to arrive early so that you can meet each player as they arrive and check off their names on the roster. After the players kick the balls around for a few minutes, call them together and go through your first drill.

c. Do 2 or 3 drills, keeping a close watch on the time. When there are about thirty minutes left, call the players into a group for a talk. Cover the following:

1) Their season-long commitment for practice and game attendance.

2) Define a goal: the team scoring the most goals wins.

3) Diagram a soccer field.

4) Define ball in and out of play. Demonstrate how it is brought back in.

5) Define and demonstrate the 9 major fouls: 4 with the hands, 3 with the feet, and 2 with the body. Also, mention dangerous play and ungentlemanly conduct.

6) Emphasize that they are to accept referees' rulings and to bring any complaints to you, so you can talk to the referee about them.

7) Tell them to play by the whistle, i.e. to never stop playing unless the referee blows the whistle.

8) Discuss briefly the areas of responsibility for forwards, halfbacks, fullbacks, and goalkeepers.

9) After they have scrimmaged, tell them when you will practice again. Give them some team rules, e.g. no cursing, no griping about other players, no put-downs, no kicking, shoving, hitting, or fighting.

d. Finally, pick two evenly balanced teams, assign positions, and let them scrimmage for 15 to 20 minutes. Then get them back together to talk over team rules.

e. Now get the parents together. They have seen you are in charge, that you know what you are doing, and that the children are having fun. Now is the perfect time to get some volunteer help; there are enough jobs for everyone. Emphasize that you are carrying the primary burden of running the team, but that you must have an assistant coach to help out. Adjust your practice schedule to help get assistants. After getting your assistants, request:

1) Two persons to help you with telephoning.

2) Parents to bring water to games.

3) A person to be linesman at each game.

4) A person to issue pancake breakfast tickets and to collect the money from sales. Do not be bashful about recruiting help. Coaching is a big enough job without worrying about all the other jobs that must be done. Not only will your job be made easier by getting parents to help, but the whole program will be strengthened.

5) Person to assist referee with goal nets.

4. Second practice:

a. Answer any questions about the rules of the game. reemphasize the team rules and the importance of regular attendance.

b. Discuss positional play. The basic defensive function is to keep the ball away from in front of your goal. The team should move up and down the field as a unit.

c. Drill the players on proper kicking form, trapping techniques, etc.

d. Finish up with a 20 or 30 minute scrimmage.

5. In all practices:

a. Loosen up by doing a few stretching exercises.

b. Use 2 or 3 skill drills. Read and use the information in the Soccer Handbook. Practice the drills yourself so you are familiar with them.

c. Have a 20 to 30 minute scrimmage.

d. Limit the practice to a maximum of 60 to 90 minutes.

6. Always emphasize the positive. Praise the good moves rather than criticize mistakes. Never criticize a player in front of teammates. Take the player aside and privately suggest a better way.

7. In scrimmage, have your assistant coach referee while you spend 10 minutes moving with your halfbacks, or forwards, etc. Work with different groups each time. In this way, they can learn where they should move as the ball is moved up and down the field.

8. Always show your concern for your players' well being. Stop play when a player is hurt. Comfort them. Let the player stand on the sidelines until they feel ready to play again. Always remember some of these children are very young, and it is acceptable for them to cry when they are hurt. Teach them to lie down on the field when they are hurt so that play will be stopped, and to stay down until the referee blows the whistle.

a. Determine how many players you expect to be present. Remember, every player must play at least 2 quarters.

b. Divide 28 by the number of players, e.g. 28/11 = 2, remainder = 6. This tells you that 6 players will play 3 quarters and the other 5 players will play 2 quarters.

c. Choose the players who will play 3 quarters. It is a good idea to play the 3 quarters players in goal for one of the quarters. Write down a complete line-up for each quarter.

d. Choose your forwards and backfielders and midfielders. Be careful not to put all your weakest players on the field in one quarter; you could get smashed in that quarter. Strive for balance.

2. Definitely let each player play all field positions during the season. Rotate your captains for each game. Tell your captains what to do when they win or lose the coin toss.

3. If a player is injured (not hurt, but actually injured) get them to their parents as quickly as possible. If the parents are not at the game or practice, leave the team in the hands of a parent and care for the player. Check to be sure it is safe to move the player. If in doubt, don't move the player. Comfort the injured player and personally see that they are taken to the hospital emergency room. Notify the parents. As coaches, our first concern must always be for the physical and emotional health of our players.