How to Coach Youth Soccer Under Age Seven

Remember these three things always when coaching youth soccer. No Lines, Laps, or Lectures. Youth attention span is at a minimum. Always keep your youth team engaged. This way they will always be learning and practicing the essentials of the game. Idle kids and soccer just does not mix.

Get the youth warmed up by doing some creative drills. Avoid doing laps as it a waste of time and it does not involve any learning elements. When warming up try to do some simple soccer drills like dribbling or working with the soccer ball. A good suggestion is dribbling around in a large circle to get loosened up.

Always avoid soccer drills that have kids in lines. The youth will lose their attention quickly. The best way to avoid lines is to do group drills. There are great group soccer drill games that involve dribbling, stealing a ball, goal scoring, and passing. Another suggestion is to get assistant coaches and parents to help by getting the team into smaller groups. Know your youth team and determine which drills are appropriate.

Always have a practice plan. Youth soccer is about learning the fundamentals of soccer and not about winning. Work on a lot of different types of drills and keep them to 5 to 10 minutes in length. Anything more and the youth will lose interest quickly. The shorter length sessions will allow the coach to focus on a variety of soccer fundamentals.

Remember to have fun while teaching soccer. The kids will be more engaged for it. There are a lot of fun games to help teach soccer fundamentals. Role play with the kids. Incorporate things that interests kids such as monsters, animals, or popular culture. This will keep the kids engaged and learning at the same time.