Guide for parents and coaches - Soccer For Kids

Inspire kids with soccerYouth soccer.
It's more than just a game!

Welcome soccer parents and coaches!  

You've reluctantly volunteered to help, but where should you start. Whether you're a newbie soccer coach or taking on the job of a soccer team parent, you need some guidance. 

The Soccer-For-Kids website gives you the tips and advice you need as a new soccer parent or coach.

Let's face it. Kids are only a small part of our population, but they are 100% of our future. We want to do things the right way for our children.

soccer coaching quoteCoaches Inspire Children

The title "Soccer For Kids" and the mission statement says it all.

We want to not only help your child learn to play the world's number one game, but also impact him or her with all of the other benefits that come along with participating in a soccer program.

The number of kids who participate in youth soccer is staggering (about 4,000,000) and for many reasons.

It's critical to get the kids involved in the right kind of soccer program, one that teaches more than just the skills of dribbling, passing, and shooting. The life skills that are learned in soccer impact your child in so many other positive ways. Here's more on inspiration that prompted the evolution of this website.

where to start as a new soccer coach/parent

Knowing where to begin is often the toughest part when you're staring a new activity and coaching or parenting young soccer players is no different. Here are 3 ways to get the help you want

  1. CATEGORIES. You can scroll down the page and start with some of the topics below.
  2. MENU. Find an area of youth soccer you want to explore by using use the menu at the top of the page.
  3. SEARCH. You can use the search box below.

 

categories of youth soccer posts

1. kids soccer equipment

2. YOUTH SOCCER BALLS

3. youth soccer quotes

4. soccer parenting tips

5. YOUTH SOCCER SAFETY

The Soccer shots franchise I owned before publishing this website

Many of the beliefs I have about being a soccer parent and soccer coach came from coaching my own 3 kids throughout their youth soccer experiences combined with the philosophies adopted by the Soccer Shots franchise


WATCH THE INTRO VIDEO

  1. The developmentally appropriate curriculum places an emphasis on character development and skill building.
  2. The program was created under the guidance of childhood education specialists, professional soccer players and experienced and licensed soccer coaches.
  3. A commitment was made constantly re-evaluate and update ther curriculum to stay current with childhood education standards.





Children playing Soccer ShotsChildren cheering about playing soccer

It was Frederick Douglas who said:  “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

Having fun is number one

Graphic from ESPN Magazine posted on www.checkswing.comGraphic from ESPN Magazine
posted on www.checkswing.com


I believe soccer for children should be an enjoyable experience. It must be fun

Having fun games for children that use soccer as the teaching tool will foster an affection to the World's number one sport. Here's a graphic on the top reasons why kids quit playing sports.

You can see in this graphic that the number one reason for a child quitting a sport is because he or she wasn't having fun. The date gathered for this illustration was from older kids.

I'd guess, since the kids who participate in Soccer Shots are not worried about grades and don't get injured, that the numbers would be significantly higher if you polled kids who are between 2 and 8 years old.

Parents have a huge part to play in whether a child likes participating in a sport.

Positive encouragement for their child's efforts, not criticism for less than stellar results, is the best thing a parent can do for their child. 


John Wooden Coach QuoteParents and coaches have the power to inspire a child for life.


soccer parenting tips

We use the terms soccer for kids, soccer for children, and fun games for children when we write about our soccer program because that's what we are all about.  Being a kid is all about having fun.  According to Wikipedia a "game is a structured activity, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool." Sometimes parents and coaches forget that.  

  • Soccer for children, especially very young children, should not include the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. It should involve lots of little kicks of the soccer ball.
  • Soccer curriculum should include imaginative, fun activities for children that emphasize participation by all kids in the program.  
  • You should have every child score at least one goal at every soccer practice.  This "fun games for children" philosophy can be instilled in all coaches and it should be a priority in each soccer experience for every child. The key components of every soccer program should be centered around fun games for children. 

I hope the articles here for new soccer parents and coaches are valuable. Keep it fun!

Coach Bruce Signature

Coach Bruce Lovelace started playing soccer in 1974 when, as a young boy, he constructed his own makeshift soccer goal. He played in high school, then intramurally in college and beyond. He started to coach his own children in the 1990s and then ran a Soccer Shots franchise for 12 years. Now, Coach Bruce publishes the soccer-for-kids.com website. You can also get lots of great ideas on Soccer-For-Kids Pinterest.  Find out about what Inspired this website.

how to SEARCH the soccer For Kids website for more articles:


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