soccer quotes for kids

Inspiring kids soccer quotes

You can use these soccer quotes for kids to teach soccer lessons and life lessons. Kids are very impressionable and you can use quotes to empower them. Here's a long list of quotes that are good for youth soccer. Feel free to use them to inspire kids through the game of soccer.

They're from a variety of sources, shared many times, so the origin of many them is unknown. Apologies to all of the unknown authors for not being able to give credit to them.


encouraging quotes for children

1."We didn't lose the game, we just ran out of time."- Vince Lombardi. This is a great message to give your child after losing a soccer game. It gives the kids a way to feel better after an outcome didn't go their way.

Vince Lombardi quote on losing the gameEncouraging message for kids after losing a soccer game

I know there's a mentality out there in the world of professional sports that you should hate losing. You've often heard in interviews with pro athletes that have said they made it to the highest level in their sport because of how much they hated losing. 

I'm sure that's true, but giving the kids the idea that a loss is not the end of the story is healthy for their psyche. Over 99% of the kids who play youth soccer will never play soccer at the highest level. Let's keep the experience of playing soccer a positive experience full of fun. 



Soccer quote easy play work hard

2."Soccer is easy to play if you work hard."  This soccer quote for kids goes along with the saying that the harder you work, then the luckier you get. Hard work in youth sports doesn't mean take out all the fun. Teach your kids that they can put forth a lot of effort and have fun doing it at the same time.

I used to tell my son's team we can't control how good the opponent that we're matched up against, but that the reward we get is in the amount of effort we put forth trying.



As an Amazon associate, soccer-for-kids receives a small commission for qualifying purchases. There is no cost to you. Zero!



The next quote is a cute saying but also a good reminder for new players how important it is to pass the ball to their teammates.

soccer ball quoteQuote To Inspire Kids To Pass The Ball

3. "A soccer ball is round, so make sure you pass it around."John Wright (England). Especially when you have a talented player who does very well at dribbling, it's a good idea to use this quote to give the team this message to pass the ball.




The following quote by Albert Einstein supports the idea that playing the game is by far the best way to improve. The way you use this to inspire your kids is to convey the idea that playing with lots of energy will help them improve the most.

Albert Einstein play quoteQuote about the value of playing by Albert Einstein

4. "Play is the highest form of research." Albert Einstein. Einstein was no doubt a genius and known for many brilliant thoughts on physics, but some of his quotes about life are just as perceptive. The idea that the game itself is the best teacher of all is certainly true with coaching youth soccer.




The following soccer quote for kids says that kids and soccer go together naturally, like peanut butter and chocolate, or as Forest Gump would say, like peas and carrots. 

Kids soccer quote on playChildren + Play = Soccer

5. "The number one game for children is soccer." Soccer-for-kids.com. This isn't a quote for you to use to inspire kids necessarily, but I wanted to include it on this list to promote soccer as a great sport for kids. The first sentence in the graphic above is the most important saying of all. Childhood should be full of play, whether it's on a soccer field, in the backyard, or in the classroom.

Soccer is certainly not a game that every child is going to want to play. It involves a lot of running and some kids simply don't enjoy running. Soccer is one of the easiest sports to play at a very young age, because walking and running are one of the first major motor skills that young people learn.




6. "You're never a loser until you quit trying." Mike Ditka, NFL Hall of Fame. Simple and sweet, this is one of my favorites.




Fred Rogers was the ultimate promoter of nurturing a healthy learning environment for kids. He also recognized the value of play in the learning process. Here's his quote regarding play and learning.

Fred Rogers play learning quoteQuote on Play and Learning by Fred Rogers

7. "Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning." Fred Rogers.  Coaches should briefly explain, then show a concept to a young child. They will learn the most by playing within an activity or within a game of any kind. As a side note, it's also been proven that adults learn efficiently within a game environment too!




The next quotation is a good one for all of us to pay attention to.

Message for kids playing soccer

8. “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” Vince Lombardi, former player, coach and execute in the NFL. Another one of those iconic quotes that's good for kids in soccer, as well as people of all ages in all endeavors of life-yes even creating a quality website.  ;-)




9. “Courage doesn’t mean that you're not afraid. It means you keep trying even if you are afraid." Soccer-for-kids.com. This is a great message to pass onto your young soccer players. It builds confidence, which is one of those life skills that will benefit them forever.

People often think that courage is having no fear going into a new situation. That's really more of a situation where you;re not afraid. True courage is taking action despite being afraid. That's a big difference.



last on the list of the soccer quotes for kids

This quotation is a good one for all sports.

Best on soccer field quote

10. "You don't have to be the best player on the field, Just try to do your best when you're on the field."  Soccer-for-kids.com. This is a great message to teach children to give it their best effort no matter what their level of skill is. This translates to "be the best you can be." This is another one of those soccer quotes for kids that can be applied to any area of life.

Use these soccer quotes to teach, inspire, and motive your young soccer players. We all have an opportunity to shape the lives of young people with the power of the words we use. Take advantage of the wisdom in these inspiring quotes for young athletes. Share them.

Keep it fun. Keep it positive.

Coach Bruce Signature

Soccer 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 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.  Find out more about youth soccer coach Bruce Lovelace  and what inspires this website.

Soccer For Kids On Google-My-Business

Soccer-For-Kids On Facebook

Soccer For Kids On Pinterest

You might like these




Soccer-for-kids.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com