A quick question, what is the most popular game in the world?

Can anyone guess?

That’s right, it’s soccer, not Mario brothers.

The benefits and beauty of Kids Soccer are enormous and should not be substituted for any computer game or virtual reality. Grass stains and bruises should not be replaced with joysticks and gaming consoles. Dreams, hope and the fairytale should burn in every young child not the achievement of level 3 in Mario Brothers or the latest DVD set.

An active happy kid is a healthy kid. What better way to keep your kids active and happy by introducing them to soccer? Apart from the obvious fitness benefits, soccer also develops the social skills of all children participating which will serve them for years to come. You never know, they might even find a new best friend.

Soccer is a team sport that allows kids to learn how to share, listen and co-operate and how to leverage their efforts in a team environment. What could be healthier for your child than a group of like-minded friends that share the same passion?

The game will also introduce them to the world of competition and will allow them to develop new skills and techniques that will serve them throughout their life.

What most parents fail to understand is that soccer is not just a sport but rather a lifestyle. A routine such as soccer creates a healthy habit, which will inevitably lead to a healthy lifestyle. What more could you possibly ask for?

Throw in a few smiles, laughter and a handful of friends and the importance of soccer clearly becomes evident. The beauty of kids soccer should never be jeopardised at the expense of Sony or Nintendo.

The beautiful world game has unearthed superstars, great athletes, leaders and some bigger than life characters. What has Nintendo discovered? Mind numbing entertainment that serves no benefit at all would be one.

“May the winds of destiny blow you to the stars.”

Has anyone seen the movie with Mel Gibson where he works for a big marketing firm and has the ability to listen to people’s thoughts? Not sure of the name, let me Google it. The movie is called “What Women Want”.

Imagine having this ability and knowing what your coach, parents and even supporters think of you. What about your girlfriend, wife or boss? Good times.

Players, myself included are self-centered. Just ask my girlfriend (smiles). But there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s not a negative, its just reality (that’s right!).

Players, especially young ones, stumble around in a daze. They play soccer in a trance. Their bundle of experiences, beliefs, thoughts, fears, motivation and any other word you can throw in here, creates their world, their soccer world. Not you or your pointed finger.

Each of us, in short, have experienced this state. A state of confusion, dislike and fear. After all, it’s our illusion. We’ll never admit it, but we’re definitely in it. Yes, I no longer play the game but the dreaded 9 to 5 sure makes up for it. The illusion of work and the fear of the boss, what more can I say. What about all the ass lickers running behind your boss? Pull your tongue out! Sorry for drifting.

As you probably already know, (you better) I write about it every second day, there are two ways to get kids to play soccer.

Do you know what they are?

Most coaches and even parents will sell you the idea of pain, a smack across the bottom or a kick in the ass.

“Do this or else”, should send shivers down most spines.

Why?

Why create fear or even misery. Don’t threaten or force your players or child to play. Let them play I say, let’s make a difference and focus on pleasure. Let’s make these young players happy. Let’s give them an incredible self worth.

Put yourself in your child’s shoes for one second.

Have you done it?

Now, can you imagine how wonderful soccer would be for all of us if we focused on our wants, our desires, our pleasures, our goals and not our fears or pain.

Remember this, you either go towards what you want or away from what you don’t want. It’s the classic case of the stick and the dangling carrot.

Sounds simple doesn’t it?

Then answer the following,

Which direction do you want your child to travel? Which direction do you want your players to travel? Which direction do you want to travel?

“May the winds of destiny blow you to the stars.”

Coaching youth soccer has a fine line which over the years has slowly faded and nearly disappeared. Does anyone know what this line is?

The line if drawn on the field would separate the coaching aspect of training and the other side would represent the education of the player. If you only take one lesson from this post it’s this,

Coaching plans specifically designed for young players should not only focus on coaching the player, but also educating the person as well. Notice how I didn’t say player on the second part? Think about it.

Next time you take your kids to training ask yourself these questions,

• Is the coach developing my child?
• Is the coach educating my child?
• Is the coach passionate about soccer and the development of my child?
• Are the training sessions stimulating and fun?

If you cannot answer yes to all of the above, let me give you some advice. For starters save your money and keep your hard earned cash in your back pocket. Believe it or not, money in your back pocket will be of greater benefit to your kids. While you save your wasted money start looking for a coach that has the above traits. Don’t get me wrong, it might take a while but in the long run you will thank me.

Time and time again its proven that the educational aspect of soccer is neglected. How many youngsters get thrown into the big leagues and are potential superstars only to fall victim to certain vices and addictions. How many players get charged for assault and battery because they cannot withstand the pressures of the spotlight? Remember this, for a young player to finally become an elite full time professional, he must first develop and grow as an individual. He must grow as a human being with integrity, honesty, pride and all the other great words you can find in the dictionary.

Most parents will take this for granted and you might be one of them. Your kids development is in your hands and in reference to soccer in the hands of the coach. Next time you’re watching your kids run around, make sure the coach is suitable and try to evaluate if the coach in fact has this fine line that I speak about. Chances are he doesn’t.

I have preached this from day 1 and will continue to emphasise it. Just because someone has been given the title “soccer coach” doesn’t necessarily mean he is one. The main motivation that generally encourages someone to coach youth soccer is the desire to stay within the game. Many former players make this choice without even thinking about what the job itself actually entails. Most youth coaches also see it as a stepping stone to coach senior soccer and rely heavily on results while simultaneously neglecting the development and the educating aspect of the child.

So what makes a good youth coach? Whether his good or great, we are going to refer to him as competent. The main objective of a competent youth coach should be to help his players grow and develop. No ifs, no buts, that is the main focus. The coach must also teach his players to live soccer as a positive experience and teach them how to love the game, not to hate it. They should also be motivated and ecstatic when he finds his players improving and can openly express their feelings through the game.

For all dead beat and wanna be coaches out there remember this,

“It’s not important whether the young player has great potential and the skills of a champion, what is important is that he eventually reaches his own potential. If you deny your players this then you should be shot, simple as that.”

Next time you hand your kid/s over to the coach ask yourself this,

What are his real motivations for coaching youth soccer? Could it be money? Is he using your child as a stepping stone? Young children tend to develop a strong bond and a strong spirit of emulation towards their coach. For Gods sake make sure he is the right man for the job.

Let’s admire Christiano Ronaldo for a while.

The Manchester striker has supersonic speed and the safest ball control going around. He scores goals with the greatest of ease. But it’s his ability to run with the ball that is his priceless asset.

Let us emphasize again that in the modern game we should aim at minimizing long runs with the ball which slow the game down unless they open up passages for the quick counter attack. When you run with the ball, usually you prod it in front of you with one of three parts of the foot; inside of the foot, full instep and outside of the instep. A player looking for a career in soccer must be able to use all three variations even if the full instep technique is rarely needed.

Inside of the Foot

We push the ball with the same inside part of the foot that we use for passing. The ankle is loose and relaxed and the foot is turned slightly outwards. The ideal sequence is to use the same foot for every prod or touch of the ball with every second step. When a great player runs with the ball, he gives the illusion of the ball being tied to his foot, with the ball being under his body which gives his opponent no chance of intercepting the ball. The likes of Zidane and Figo were the best at this technique and it seemed like they never lost the ball.

Full Instep

This is the most difficult of the three techniques. We keep pushing and prodding the ball with the full instep about where the bootlaces are. The foot is turned down towards the ground and it hits the ball near the top. The real advantage of this method is that the running style is more continuous.

Outside of the Instep

The foot is turned inwards and we keep pushing the ball with the outside of the foot which all but embraces the ball. When the opponent is running alongside or parallel with us, we keep the ball on the foot away from him on his blind side, preferably with the inside of the foot or outside of the instep.

When the opponent is approaching directly ahead, we lead the ball with the inside, giving us a better chance to dribble past him. With beginners or kids begin coaching with the inside of the foot variety. First let them walk with the ball, taking care of their balance, the distance between the foot and the ball and the direction. Later, when the kids get the hang of it we can speed this up, first through jogging and then running with the ball.

Let’s teach youngsters to be able to use both feet. The ultimate is the player who can run with the ball, pushing it ahead of him with both feet, changing direction whenever necessary, slowing down and speeding up to get rid of an opponent. South Americans are the master of this technique, shielding the ball perfectly and changing directions with the slightest movement of the hips. The English on the other hand prefer the direct, energetic sprints which may appear more spectacular but where the ball may be lost from the foot.

When training youngsters always remember to encourage, be patient and train them with the biggest smile you can produce.

Do you have a coaching philosophy? Have you put pen to paper and actually developed your coaching philosophy? If you have, fantastic, great start. Are you upholding your coaching philosophy throughout the season?

For those of you that asked, “what’s a coaching philosophy?’ I’m glad you asked. A coaching philosophy reflects the standards you set for yourself and your team and it gives birth to your coaching values and belief. Before you decide to call yourself a soccer coach, make sure you’ve established your coaching philosophy.

Calling yourself a coach without a coaching philosophy is like driving a car without a license or embarking on a road trip without your trusty melways. The importance of a coaching philosophy is that it keeps you on track when things go wrong and helps keep the angry parents at a safe distance during the season.

But just a word of warning, even with a coaching philosophy penciled in and firmly placed, this does not guarantee you anything as a coach. The difficulty begins when you need to enforce it or adhere to it. Let’s use some examples to illustrate these difficulties shall we….

A few disgruntled parents approach you and question why the team is not winning more games. You quickly refer to your philosophy that states that winning is not as important as player development while you simultaneously wipe the sweat off your forehead.

John’s dad questions why the lesser skilled kids are receiving as much playing time as the team’s best players. You refer back to your philosophy that states that all players will receive the same amount of playing time irrespective of their abilities.

The presence of your coaching philosophy eliminates any surprises throughout the season. Explaining your soccer philosophy to the parents before the season commences eliminates any unnecessary headaches and provides answers to most questions that might arise during the season.

Your coaching philosophy is extremely important. Don’t just put pen to paper, really concentrate and put the necessary time in. In the long run, your coaching philosophy will reflect not only who you are as a coach, but also as a person. Lead your players in the right direction and instill values and beliefs that you want your own children to have. If you can accomplish this, your team will be champions irrespective of their win-loss ratio. Put things in perspective, coaching soccer at junior level is not the bigger picture is it?

If I was coaching, my philosophy would read,

The coaching staff of Soccer Mastermind FC understand that your children play soccer because it’s fun.

Here at Soccer Mastermind FC, we never forget that the game of soccer is just that, a game. It’s not about the win-loss ratio and its definitely not about the trophies. It’s all about enjoying the game while simultaneously learning and developing soccer and life skills.

It’s about sharing and playing in different positions so that all the players learn the necessary skills. It’s about receiving equal playing time irrespective of playing ability.

It’s about learning the game through a variety of fun games, where players have as much contact with the ball as possible and develop and learn at their own pace without pressure.

Parents are involved and encouraged to applaud, praise and show their appreciation while fetching the balls.

If parents are given this at the start of the season and agree to it, everyone involved will have a great season irrespective of the league ladder.