A good article about Coaches and Parents here in America

I think that there might/should be a middle ground here.

When the kids are young, they don't know what to do. They need some direction from the sideline. Perhaps not the coach yelling their every move, but some direction on how/what they should be doing. I see kids that either don't track back or push forward unless the coach tells them to do it, they are sometimes just standing there or not really getting into the game.

Too much of this is a bad thing, and the coach needs to reign this in as the player gets older. The player should have learned what they need to be doing without the coach yelling at them. The coach can correct the problems they see at the half or by subbing a player out for a few minutes.

The other sideline, where the parents sit, is a different story. You have eleven players out there and each of their parents is trying to yell directions to them, it's a mess. At most I tell my kids that they need to hustle out there, but these parents are telling them everything they are doing.

The best are the calls for them to "shoot it" from 20 or 30 yards out or to just "boot it" up. I hear this all of the time from my youngest on a '06 team to my oldest on a '01 and high school team.
 
Couldn't agree more with the article, its the plague of youth soccer (well next to clubs and coaches lying). I've spoken to parents that have said they only think their coach is OK because they don't say much during the game, I say that's "awesome" and chuckle. My personal opinion is that coaches should only give instruction when the ball is not moving. Coaches have plenty of time to coach during the week, let the kids play on the weekend.

Here is another good article on overcoaching that talks about the difference between "setup" sports like football and baseball as compared to soccer which is a player decision making sport. https://bsbproduction.s3.amazonaws.com/portals/6082/docs/coachpacket/over coaching.pdf
 
The new licensing courses are putting an emphasis on this, at least for the D and higher. Have heard it now from 2 people who just went through it. Coaches shouldn't be yelling at players instructions during the game...instead pulling them off to sub or during the half.

The problem of course is that since there's no continuing education requirement this will only gradually trickle into the system. The other problem is because of a variety of reasons, the system is very short sighted...it cares about the wins this season and not what the player will be like in high school. The coach, team, and players are all judged by their performance on a season, and not by what they'll look like 5-10 years down the line.
 
The other problem is the turnover of players. It is not often that a team will have a core set of players that last for more than 2 or 3 seasons. So you always introducing new players that may play a different style of soccer and it's always a challenge for everyone to be on the same page- so to speak. I think a good coach is one who gives direction during a game and most importantly, corrects the mistakes he sees during practice.
 
Coaches who joystick players either don't understand the game (often due to a lack of playing experience) or they simply don't understand how to coach and influence young athletes (mention the words 'athlete centered' and they'll reply, "athlete what?!")

If the coach doesn't understand the game AND doesn't understand how to coach young athletes (we all come across coaches in this bracket), then their players aren't going to get much in the way of 'development', on or off the field.

Most of us probably want more practice time with our players but regardless of how much time you have for practice, that is when you should do your talking. During the game, while the ball is moving, is not the time. Why? Because you're forcing movements and decisions upon players and this doesn't help them to learn. The odd comment like, "come on, track back and help us defend" is an ok reminder IMO but actively trying to make decisions for players (especially while in possession) is a big no-no. You can talk at half-time or while a player is out as a sub if you have something important to say that they will learn from. Basically though, if you cannot get your message across during practice, you might want to review your approach and the way you coach.

The confusion with other American sports (which are heavily coach-led and influenced) definitely contributes towards many soccer coaches doing things in a way which doesn't best serve the players.

I watched a bunch of High School and Middle School games in the past few months and have to say that generally speaking, parents are even worse than for club soccer in the way they act and the things they come out with. I was amazed at how many dentists and real estate agents were suddenly expert referees, commentators, players AND coaches all-in-one! :D
 
The new licensing courses are putting an emphasis on this, at least for the D and higher. Have heard it now from 2 people who just went through it. Coaches shouldn't be yelling at players instructions during the game...instead pulling them off to sub or during the half.

The problem of course is that since there's no continuing education requirement this will only gradually trickle into the system. The other problem is because of a variety of reasons, the system is very short sighted...it cares about the wins this season and not what the player will be like in high school. The coach, team, and players are all judged by their performance on a season, and not by what they'll look like 5-10 years down the line.

The license may put an emphasis on it, but clubs are still employing coaches that are nightmares.
 
My kid was out for a year, injury. When he returned I wanted to find a coach who didn't yell all game and make the kids nervous and afraid to make a mistake. The coach he ended up with, is what I hope will be, the new generation of coaches. The guy is only about 24, played in college, still plays in an adult league but more importantly starts every practice with about a 20 minute review of what was covered in the previous practice or game.

Maybe it's his youth but his enthusiasm for the game is contagious and the boys can see it. We need more coaches like this.
 
"Micromanagement is often cited as the worst trait a manager can have when working with their employees. This is no different with coaching youth sports."

My kids initially learned to love the game by playing, even when they were very young no really coaching or training happen until U9 and that might be even too young for some IMO.

They played with friends, neighbors, pickup futsal, or YMCA foam ball leagues until they were asking to play on the grass pitches.

They both learned a bunch by watching, attending events, and being around the game and still do today I hope.

The other article on this site is relevant to this: Futsal: Is This Simple Game the Missing Link in American Youth Soccer?
https://www.stack.com/a/futsal-the-missing-link-in-american-youth-soccer

"Johan Cruyff, the Dutch forward widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players in history, once said, "I trained about 3-4 hours a week at Ajax when I was little. But I played 3-4 hours every day on the street. So where do you think I learned to play football?"

The answer is quite obvious. Unstructured play is arguably one of the best activities children can participate in. Give them space and let them create their own reality, or soccer field, or whatever. Michael Beale, former Chelsea youth coach, once said, "Give kids a ball, (and) they'll figure the rest out." In an era of organized playdates and parental fear of children skinning their knees, how do we get kids to simply play?

Street soccer is simply picking up a ball, finding some space, and playing. There is no coaching and no parents, just kids creating a love affair with the soccer ball. There are no overzealous coaches screaming what to do at every turn and essentially joysticking their players for 60 minutes. Young players need to learn to play with freedom, flair and creativity, which is what Brazil, Spain, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany have successfully done. They've created players of such unquestionable skill and IQ that they have largely dominated at producing the best players in the world. All these federations revamped their programs to get better after hitting various low points internationally. Yet ironically, the U.S. men's national team doesn't even qualify for a World Cup in a region where they should be a shoo-in, and yet little has changed.

It seems that American children won't be spending 3-4 hours a day playing soccer in the streets anytime soon. But how can we start making up the gap? I believe the introduction of futsal could be exactly what American youth soccer needs"

One of things they continue to do is futsal (even if that means playing with adults) unstructured play and training at the beach for example and they want coaches that support this by making this fun even if its just a few pointers or some light organization to get the events going.

Never really enjoyed the joy-stickers, or set pattern type of coaching for youth, prefer the kids be taught creativity and have freedom within the team to manage things among themselves when possible.
 
The best are the calls for them to "shoot it" from 20 or 30 yards out or to just "boot it" up. I hear this all of the time from my youngest on a '06 team to my oldest on a '01 and high school team.

I did the math. Sound at sea level takes over 1/10th of a second to travel 50 yards. One tenth of a second is a long time when a player is making a decision to shoot and by the time mom or dad's scream of "shoot" reaches their ears, the moment is past.

Parents need to just shut up (wow, I said that more nicely than normal) and coaches should only instruct the players that don't have the ball.
 
For whatever reason my son can't always convince his classmates to choose soccer for their recess activity, but when he does and he is playing soccer everyday at recess at school, it has definitely translated to his performance with his soccer team. To the point that his coaches comment on it. His confidence, his balls skills, his wiling to try new things. Crazy how much it influences his development.

That is clearly a major difference between the US and other countries. If you look at any of the major soccer players they all grew up playing soccer all the time in a unorganized setting. That and the fact that internationally soccer is primarily a sport played by the working, not upper middle class, are key differences in the US.
 
Coaches who joystick players either don't understand the game (often due to a lack of playing experience) or they simply don't understand how to coach and influence young athletes (mention the words 'athlete centered' and they'll reply, "athlete what?!")

If the coach doesn't understand the game AND doesn't understand how to coach young athletes (we all come across coaches in this bracket), then their players aren't going to get much in the way of 'development', on or off the field.

Most of us probably want more practice time with our players but regardless of how much time you have for practice, that is when you should do your talking. During the game, while the ball is moving, is not the time. Why? Because you're forcing movements and decisions upon players and this doesn't help them to learn. The odd comment like, "come on, track back and help us defend" is an ok reminder IMO but actively trying to make decisions for players (especially while in possession) is a big no-no. You can talk at half-time or while a player is out as a sub if you have something important to say that they will learn from. Basically though, if you cannot get your message across during practice, you might want to review your approach and the way you coach.

The confusion with other American sports (which are heavily coach-led and influenced) definitely contributes towards many soccer coaches doing things in a way which doesn't best serve the players.

I watched a bunch of High School and Middle School games in the past few months and have to say that generally speaking, parents are even worse than for club soccer in the way they act and the things they come out with. I was amazed at how many dentists and real estate agents were suddenly expert referees, commentators, players AND coaches all-in-one! :D
What are the parents like in UK for youth soccer? I can't imagine they're somehow more civilized than we are given how passionate they're with soccer.

In case you guys haven't seen it, Netflix has a great documentary "Sunderland 'Til I Die" that documented the club's painful season that ended in relegation. It was eye-opening for me to see many women openly cursed at the players.
 
What are the parents like in UK for youth soccer? I can't imagine they're somehow more civilized than we are given how passionate they're with soccer.

In case you guys haven't seen it, Netflix has a great documentary "Sunderland 'Til I Die" that documented the club's painful season that ended in relegation. It was eye-opening for me to see many women openly cursed at the players.

Good point. They have the same issues.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/jul/10/shouting-parents-football-sweden-football-code

The difference though is in the UK, most football is rec. They aren't trying to get the kids into high school or college ball. And at the academy level, there's a build-in barrier...academies are reserved for players looking at a pro career and are difficult to break into...if a parent misbehaves enough by undermining a coach or having the ref come down at them, the kid might very well lose his spot and not have a road back onto a new club unless they are the best of the best to overcome being blackballed for being a problem.

Loved the documentary. Sunderland though got relegated again after the series....they might make it back to Championship this season, though.
 
For whatever reason my son can't always convince his classmates to choose soccer for their recess activity, but when he does and he is playing soccer everyday at recess at school, it has definitely translated to his performance with his soccer team. To the point that his coaches comment on it. His confidence, his balls skills, his wiling to try new things. Crazy how much it influences his development.

That is clearly a major difference between the US and other countries. If you look at any of the major soccer players they all grew up playing soccer all the time in a unorganized setting. That and the fact that internationally soccer is primarily a sport played by the working, not upper middle class, are key differences in the US.
This depends upon where you live, even in Southern California, let alone the entire US. One of my kids plays futsal every day at school during lunch and used to play soccer every day during recess (when he had recess), while the other used to play every morning before school on the blacktop during elementary and MS.
 
Coaches who joystick players either don't understand the game (often due to a lack of playing experience) or they simply don't understand how to coach and influence young athletes (mention the words 'athlete centered' and they'll reply, "athlete what?!")

I also think it has to a lot to do with arrogance. Some coaches think because they were the Al Bundy of high school soccer that they have all this great wisdom to impart as kids are dribbling the ball down the sideline. "How are they going to learn without me?"
 
I also think it has to a lot to do with arrogance. Some coaches think because they were the Al Bundy of high school soccer that they have all this great wisdom to impart as kids are dribbling the ball down the sideline. "How are they going to learn without me?"
Absolutely no doubt that's true a lot; we hear it most weekends. Playing experience is helpful IMO but is not a direct reflection of whether you are/will be a good coach or not. It helps with understanding the game though so you don't run through the top 10 American football 'plays' as your approach to coaching your elite championship winning national platinum team.

Running a 'play' from kick off is something I see often and it always leaves me bemused; the kids run through it like robots, regardless of opponents' positioning and reactions. It's a perfect example of being coached to follow a play rather than observing, interacting and making decisions based on what is developing in front of you (something young players cannot do if some idiot is screaming from the sideline every time they touch the ball).
 
In case you guys haven't seen it, Netflix has a great documentary "Sunderland 'Til I Die" that documented the club's painful season that ended in relegation. It was eye-opening for me to see many women openly cursed at the players.

That was a great show. It was heartbreaking to watch them struggle and try to avoid relegation and what it meant to the club.

There are a few behind the scenes shows on Netflix. For the opposite view, watch the Juventus one for a team at the top of the table. Also, the Man City one on Amazon is quite good.
 
Running a 'play' from kick off is something I see often and it always leaves me bemused; the kids run through it like robots, regardless of opponents' positioning and reactions. It's a perfect example of being coached to follow a play rather than observing, interacting and making decisions based on what is developing in front of you (something young players cannot do if some idiot is screaming from the sideline every time they touch the ball).

I see kids doing this kind of thing. Running a play, or doing something with the ball that is "pre-programmed" and they do it regardless of the situation that they are in.

They're not adapting or learning to make decisions based on what's going on around them.
 
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