| As newer coaches begin learning how to coach | | | | team to make 3 successful passes before they |
| soccer, most of their efforts go toward running | | | | are allowed to take a shot on goal. Or you could |
| drills to try to teach their players specific skills. | | | | change the scoring to say that for every 3 |
| That is to be expected. Often times you are | | | | successful passes a team makes, they get 1 |
| given a team with very little understanding of | | | | point. This makes the team think more about |
| how to play, so the coach has to start from | | | | passing than in shooting. |
| scratch with teaching skills. The problem is, | | | | There are many different variations you could put |
| spending too much time concentrating on specific | | | | together that make your team focus on one |
| skills will not necessarily prepare your players for | | | | particular part of the game. If you want your |
| game situations. | | | | team to get used to defensive pressure, you |
| As you learn more about how to coach soccer, | | | | could set up a situation where you have 2 players |
| you should work on coming up with ways to | | | | on the field that always play defense. That way |
| work the skills you are trying to teach your team | | | | the attacking team is always outnumbered. You |
| into game situations. A great way to do this is to | | | | could require players to only shoot with their |
| use small sided games as a part of your regular | | | | non-dominate foot. There are countless different |
| practices. | | | | situations you could set up for your players. |
| A lot of soccer coaches will use scrimmages, but | | | | Teaching your players to play soccer is just that; |
| small sided soccer games are a little different. | | | | you are teaching them to play. While skills are |
| Small sided games are small, controlled games | | | | important, if they can't perform those skills during |
| that allow players to concentrate on certain | | | | a game then knowing the skill is of very limited |
| aspects of the game. Rather than just blowing | | | | value. Knowing how to coach soccer means |
| the whistle and letting your kids start playing a | | | | knowing how to get your players ready to use |
| game, small sided games typically will set different | | | | what you have taught them during a game. If |
| goals or put different rules on the game. For | | | | they can do that, you have done your job as a |
| instance, if you want your team to work on | | | | youth soccer coach. |
| passing skills, you might set a rule that requires a | | | | |