Best Practices

“Every child deserves a champion: an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists they become the best they can possibly be”

- Rita Pierson

Why?

Children need to feel comfortable in their environment in order for enjoyment and development to occur

How?

• Enjoyment- Understand the needs of your players. Incorporate Free Play and Small-Sided Games into training to help facilitate the ability for children to express themselves
• Inspire- Be encouraging, supportive and energetic to ensure that your children fall in love with the game of soccer. Allow players the autonomy to make their own decisions
• Consistency- Hold children accountable based on expectations/values set. Treat all players the same
• Empower- Create an atmosphere where everyone (Parents and Players) feels a part of the group. Keep clear lines of communication with the children and parents. Take the time to listen to your players and provide autonomy in the decision-making process
• Vulnerability- Be vulnerable in a way that allows the children to get to know who you are, so they are more likely to become comfortable expressing themselves. Model desired behavior in everything that you do and help children understand that it is ok to be wrong. An impasse can be an opportunity to build relationships.
• Safety- All children should have a safe learning environment that is free from physical harm, intimidation, harassment, and bullying. Click here for a list of items to assist with checking safety properly. 

               "Over-Coaching is the worst thing you can do to a player"        

-Dean Smith, former basketball coach, University of North Carolina

Brian McBride: Advice to Youth Sports Coaches

Why?

It is important that the children build confidence and a positive self-esteem to allow them to grow as soccer players and people

How?

• Celebrate when children do something good on the field or exemplify one of the values set at the beginning of the year
• Allow children to make mistakes as this is how we learn
• Positive Reinforcement- Stay away from “Negative” coaching
• Instill Belief- Send a personal email to the parent letting them know you see them (the player) working hard and provide some encouragement moving forward
• Observe and assess the children while they Play

“Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we are all in this together.” 

– Brené Brown

Why?

We never know what a child is going to remember or what they may be going through at this point in their life 

How?

• Greet each child as they arrive, ask them how their day is going
• Take the time to speak to a player before and after training to discuss whatever it is, they would like to discuss (do this on the field in view of the parents)
• Ask them to finish the sentence, “One thing I wish my coach knew about me that would help them coach me better is…” on a notecard (some may be silly, but others will provide insight to the child’s personal life and struggles they may be experiencing)
• Allow the children to get to know you, BE VULNERABLE

“The secret to success is good leadership, and good leadership is all about making the lives of your team members or workers better”

-Tony Dungy

Why?

• Parents want to be a part of their child’s development
• Parents care for their child and want to know what is going on

How?

• Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
• Speak to Parents when you see them at training and the games
• Pre-season Meetings- 
  • Communicate your philosophy
  • Get to know the Parents
  • Allow Parents to set expectations for you and themselves as a parent group
  • Have them set goals for their Child at beginning of the season
  • Review the Parents Tips and Tricks
  • Educate Parents on Why Children Play Sports – From a Child's Perspective
• Send weekly emails 
  • Communicate the upcoming schedule
  • Share with parents what you worked on in training, so they know what to look for in that weekend’s game
  • Discuss how you feel the previous game went with a brief (few sentences) recap
• Be approachable
• Allow them to help with duties that may arise 
  • Halftime and Postgame snacks and beverages,
  • Organizing and planning
  • Tracking their child’s development during a game (ex. How many moves did your child attempt?)
• Educate Parents on the Laws of the Game based on the age I am coaching

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”

– Maya Angelou

Why?

Every coach’s main goal is to create a positive environment where kids develop a love for sports and want to continue playing after the season has ended

How?

• Create a safe space for children both emotionally and physically
• Children should be at the forefront of all decisions made whether it be political, administrative or coaching related
• Always be respectful and encouraging in your communication
• All-Inclusive- Accept everyone for who they are, make every child feel like the MVP. All Children should enjoy themselves
• Know what players want from you as the Coach- From A Child’s Perspective
• Ensure that every individual exit training having learned something, soccer or life related
• Put them in situations where they must work together to solve problems- Let them figure it out
• Model desired behavior in everything that you do
• Adopt a holistic approach 

The Quality Coaching Framework

• Competence- refining the technical, tactical and sport-specific performance elements
• Confidence- developing an athlete’s self-belief and self-worth, as well as their resilience and mental toughness
• Connection- building social bonds between teammates, coaches and parents
• Character- developing the moral character of athletes, such as empathy, respect and integrity so that the person is also a positive role model for their peers

" To find yourself, think for yourself"

- Socrates

Why?

When expectations are set everyone is aware of what is expected of one another and can now hold each other as well as the coach accountable 

How?

• Hold a team meeting at the beginning of the season to discuss expectations
• Have the team come up with “What makes a great teammate…” (these will be your expectations/ core values)
• Allow the children to set expectations for you
• By allowing the children to set their own expectations and the expectations for the coach you are including them in the process 

“Fearlessness is not only possible, it is the ultimate joy. When you touch non fear, you are free”

– Thich Nhat Hanh

Why?

We learn by doing; evaluating, analyzing, and reflection on our experiences helps develop competencies and improve behavior.

How?

• When planning a training session, do everything we can to include as much play as possible
• Use the Age Appropriate Methodology
• My main Coach’s Tool Kit options are:
  • Observation- This practiced coaching skill, allows the players to play the game while the coach observes and takes note of how the players are preforming. As you are watching a training session or game take note of player actions related to the topic you are or have been working on. 
  • Positive Reinforcement- When a player or the team performs a positive action, let them know that you noticed. This Coaching Tool should be used to assist in inspiring and motivating the players
  • Guided Discovery- Ask questions to challenge players to think about their actions. Check for understanding by having the players give you the information. Reflect on what was discussed before moving on. 
• Let the children own the games by allowing them to make their own decisions without fear of criticism
• Allow children to make mistakes and see how they respond the next time in a similar situation
• Ensure that all children ENJOY their experience