Soccer Kid Tips for Big People in 2019

What can we learn from a bunch of kids running aimlessly on a soccer field? Plenty. Here are 7 proven tips for your new year and beyond. No laps required. I wear an ill-fitting bright red polyester jersey on a weekly basis. So I must know what I’m talking about.

Prelude

First, the truth. I don't coach my daughters' soccer teams to be a volunteer hero. I do it because it is hilarious fun. It’s also a largely selfish act.

Where else can an overweight, middle-aged man put on a colorful jersey of armor, pretend that he's still athletic, and be looked up to by little people (some...maybe... I think?). All while channeling the auras of Vince Lombardi, Marv Levy and coaching gurus gone by?

I played youth soccer from 1977 through 1987. It was during its historical resurgence in America as a “new” sport for kids. For context, the first North American Soccer League (NASL) formed in 1968. Soccer participation (all ages) grew in the US from 100,000 players to 4 million by 1984. Very few parents had yet even played soccer. So it was not uncommon to see What is Soccer? paperbacks tucked in volunteer coaches' back pockets.

My own playing skills peaked well before my junior varsity finish. Thanks to parenthood, I got a second chance. Over the past five years and counting (more than 15 seasons) I’ve had the honor of being "Coach John" for my daughters and their teammates. House soccer, not premier or travel. Kids between ages 7 and 14.

My coaching style? It has evolved. When the verified by scientists and soccer experts approaches didn't catch on with girls doing cartwheels, I simplified it.

Practice With Your Other Foot

We each lean to what we do best. If you're right-footed, you mostly kick with your right foot. Doesn't that waste 50% of the opportunities? Rather than relying on what is comfortable, practice what isn't. In the soccer case, I occasionally make the kids crazy by running the "opposite" drill. The girls pair up and have to practice passing ONLY with their weaker foot. It's clumsy. They laugh. The balls fly all over the place. But mid-game, faced with a millisecond choice to score or not score, I've seen at least one of them try it, and succeed.

Don't Just Kick It (DJKI)

If the ball is headed your way, the impulse of a kid (and most adults) is typically one thing. We want to kick that ball as hard and as far as we can. It feels good. But where does it end up? Usually nowhere good. Either at an opponent's feet, over the crossbar, or in someone's face (yep). If you get the ball, by design or pure luck, be smart about what you’ll do with it. Don't stay still too long. But for goodness sake, do not waste an opportunity. Don’t just kick it (DJKI). You are in control. Be strategic. Make a play, make a move, pass or run.

Look Up, Sideways and Around 

Now that you have the ball, avoid the temptation to run blindly forward, staring down at the ball and the turf. At times, yes, we need to keep our noses to the grindstone and plan. This isn't one of those times. Obstacles and opponents are all around you. They want to take the ball away from you. So use two of the most basic and critically useful soccer assets we have: your eyes. Look up and around to see where the opportunities are. Assess changes as they occur and adapt. Pass the ball to a teammate who is ready and trained to take it the next step. Or see where you have a clear path for your next move.

Communicate More

Elementary and middle school girls are known to be chatty and silly. Sometimes loud. Put them on a playing field, though, and magic happens: They lose the ability to speak or to listen. Unlike tennis, golf, baseball (mostly) and synchronized swimming (huh?), talking on the youth soccer field is essential. So call your teammates by name, tell them when you're open and in the clear, and get their attention before you send them the ball. Why? Because they’re not using their eyes much either! In turn, be an active listener. Be ready to respond, think and give feedback. You will move toward your goals much easier and faster. Together, you are also statistically bound to put more shots in the net.

Get Going! (Accelerate When Needed)

If you decide to bust a move around an opponent, cool. But after doing so, your job isn’t done. Speed up after dribbling by someone, or he or she will catch up to you. That same he or she will take the ball away from you. Don’t hesitate too long, or celebrate too soon. Otherwise, all your prep work will have been a wasted effort.

Don't Be Fancy Just Because You Can

In soccer, a bicycle kick is when you kick a ball backward over your own head. Retired soccer ref Jim Gordon defined it well as "flipping your feet up in the air, swinging your kicking leg up and away from the other leg, and striking the ball so that it goes behind the kicker and opponent." It is a glorious thing of beauty when done well. But I've seen several kids on teams try it for its own sake, kicking it out of bounds, when a teammate was actually wide open in passing distance. Practicing new skills is important. But just because you can be fancy, doesn't mean you should be each time. Use your judgement, be smart and selective.

Kick It NOW!

I know. I said don't just kick it. This, though, is the exception. Unlike tip #1, there comes a time when it is the exactly RIGHT time to kick the ball. If you have a shot, take it! And please don't wimp out with a half-hearted attempt. Focus. Aim. Give it your all, and be as accurate as possible. If you miss, or the goalkeeper makes a diving dramatic save, you have nothing to feel bad about. Unless you don't learn something from it to help you the next time.

Related Soccer Links for Extra Credit Reading....

Soccer's Long History as America's Sport of the Future

A brief history of soccer in the US, and why it might finally have found its place in the American psyche

What's Killing Youth Soccer in America Is Also Hurting Most Every Other Sport

And if you live in Amherst, NY and want your youngster to play... check us out. I can't guarantee they'll get Coach John. But with this guide, you are ready to coach, too! Volunteers are needed in every community across these sometimes United States. ;>)