| You are a young or inexperienced youth soccer | | | | 4. Love the game |
| coach, and you have a bunch of excited and excitable | | | | 5. Respect the other team and the referees |
| parents who are yelling at their kids or who are | | | | We are winners when we do that. I will keep asking |
| simoply eager to help. What do you say to them to | | | | them to express what these mean to them in their |
| get them on your side? How can we enlist them to be | | | | own words. |
| part of a great organization? If we don't manage their | | | | 3. It's very important for you to be the parents of your |
| expectations and focus their energy we are missing a | | | | girls, and let me be their coach. They thrive on knowing |
| great opportunity or worse, running th risk of drama. | | | | they have your unconditional love, admiration and |
| Drama is not good for the team! | | | | enthusiasm, and letting me challenge them on the |
| Don't worry! All will be well! Here is a technique I have | | | | technical aspects of the game. The Big 5 would be an |
| used with great success: a Coach's Letter To | | | | excellent set of discussion points with your girls to |
| Parents" which establishes firmly the expectations of | | | | reinforce what's really important for them at this age. |
| parents, players and coaches for the season. You can | | | | 4. My goals are to provide a supportive environment |
| easily adapt this to suit your own needs. It has worked | | | | for the girls to grow strong character through healthy |
| like a charm for me. It's gratifying to see the parents | | | | competition and to develop their individual and team |
| using the right language of support and | | | | skills in soccer. I want them to contribute to and value |
| encouragement for their girls and it lets me focus on | | | | the strength of their team. We know that strong, |
| the job of coaching. | | | | positive, social groups are an important source of |
| Here's the letter: | | | | moral strength for our girls in the teen years. |
| Memo for: Parents of ___________Girls soccer | | | | 5. My focus on the girls as players is to give them |
| team for _________ Subject: My coaching goals, | | | | equal time to play, and to help each girl grow her skills |
| perspectives and intent | | | | each practice, game and week. We measure success |
| 1. I will coach the U10Gs as a volunteer. I have a lifelong | | | | by our effort, our attitude and how far we have come. |
| love of soccer, played on a really good club team for | | | | 6. My relationship with parents has been very good |
| a couple years in college and am competent in building | | | | and I appreciate your help in reinforcing the lessons |
| skills and managing practices/games. I've coached | | | | above through positive language and good |
| many of the girls on the team already through 2 | | | | sportsmanship. |
| outdoor and 1 futsal (indoor) season, with excellent | | | | 7. I strongly encourage you to be active with your |
| results as measured by our Big 5 (see below). | | | | daughter in between practices. Soccer is great fun |
| 2. My focus for the girls are the Big 5, and it's how we | | | | and kicking the ball around is a great way to burn |
| as a team will keep our focus and evaluate ourselves | | | | some calories and enjoy playing together. If you'd like |
| during and after every game: | | | | to help at practice, we can make that work too. |
| 1. Play hard | | | | Sincerely, |
| 2. Have fun | | | | _______. |
| 3. Support your team | | | | |