| As a Youth Soccer Coach, even at the younger U8 or | | | | more judgmental section for your Coaching comments |
| U10 age groups, you can use a written evaluation tool | | | | on such things as game preparedness, attitude, etc... |
| and share with your youth players to help them in their | | | | You can give your players and their parents some |
| progress. These evaluation tools can be as simple or | | | | very helpful feedback that they will appreciate. |
| involved as you want to make them. As a rule I'd say | | | | When evaluating the players and again when taking |
| the younger your soccer players the more basic you | | | | some time to cover the evaluation with your youth |
| want to make the evaluation tool. | | | | soccer players, you need to approach in a very |
| Coaching the youth soccer player can be a challenging | | | | positive and open manner. If your players think you will |
| adventure as you get further into the season. You will | | | | use the evaluation as a tool for discipline it will not work |
| see the play and skill of your players start to plateau | | | | as intended and probably backfire as a useful tool. |
| as you move along. Putting your players through an | | | | Approach this as another useful skill building session |
| evaluation system, can help them realize where they | | | | just as you would a drill, be sure you explain it and get |
| are and where they need to continue to learn. Ideally | | | | feedback from your players and give them a copy of |
| you want to do this at the beginning and then again at | | | | the evaluation. |
| the end of the season. But you can still reap a lot of | | | | When going over the evaluation let your youth soccer |
| the benefit by just completing an evaluation toward the | | | | players know you will again cover the evaluation with |
| end of the season. | | | | them after the season ends to see if they were able |
| You will want to make a special practice to evaluate | | | | to make progress on the skills that needed work. |
| your player's skills. Basically you will want to start by | | | | Again you will want to keep this process as simple, |
| setting up a few stations that measure speed, passing | | | | positive and rewarding as you can. Keeping in mind this |
| and foot skills and giving your youth soccer players a | | | | is a tool by which you want to improve the players on |
| number grade, say 1 -5 based on skill. Then adding a | | | | your team, skill and attitude wise. |