| Do your kids smile and have fun when they are | | | | next game |
| cleaning their room? Probably not. How about when | | | | It works out very well if you award points for things |
| they are riding carnival rides? Probably so. It is quite | | | | like kicking the ball with their "strings", doing pull-backs, |
| possible that having fun could be a missing ingredient | | | | shielding the ball from an opponent, or demonstrating |
| on your team. | | | | any other concept you are teaching in practice. At the |
| Maybe coaching youth soccer players that are having | | | | end of practice, the players with the most points can |
| fun isn't natural for you. Maybe you have no idea how | | | | redeem their points for a prize of your choosing. |
| to connect soccer and fun. It is best to always have a | | | | All these things can go a long way toward having |
| defined agenda for each soccer practice. The practice | | | | more fun. Coaching youth soccer players must include |
| agenda should involve activities that may serve no | | | | the integration of fun into the games to ensure the |
| other purpose than having fun. The best activities are | | | | long-term success of your team and instill the desire to |
| those that involve fun for the soccer players, with a | | | | continue in soccer for your team. Another great use of |
| drill or game that also teaches the desired skills. | | | | this strategy is to "play a game on the sidelines". |
| Most youth soccer players aren't of the age yet to | | | | Players are awarded points for being the first player |
| have a competitive spirit, or a strong drive to win. But, | | | | to point out when a player on the field executes a |
| they are motivated by activities that are fun. While | | | | certain move or strategy learned in practice. Whatever |
| coaching youth soccer players, a coach must always | | | | techniques your team is learning in practice should be |
| remember to inject fun into practice time. A proven | | | | observed in the games. By having your players on the |
| way to do this is rewarding players (during practice) by | | | | bench earning points for noticing these techniques, it |
| playing a game that involves earning "points" or | | | | has the very valuable side effect of keeping the |
| "credits" or whatever you choose to call them, that | | | | players on the bench paying attention to the game. |
| can be redeemed for "prizes" such as: | | | | The points go toward their total in the next practice. |
| 1. Snacks, toys, etc. | | | | When you have been coaching youth soccer players |
| 2. Being excused from one boring drill or endurance | | | | for a while, it becomes clear that planning fun into a |
| training activity | | | | soccer activity is one of the magic ingredients for |
| 3. Inclusion in the starting line-up for the next game | | | | successful teams. Fun can improve your team's |
| 4. Being assistant coach for a day | | | | attitude about the game, increase camaraderie, help |
| 5. Being captain at the next game | | | | your players look forward to the valuable time on the |
| 6. Picking the position they play the first shift of the | | | | soccer field and win more games! |