Consequence Free Soccer Play
There are times during soccer practice where you just have to let your players hit the field and play soccer without you standing over their shoulder. They are going to make mistakes, but they are also going to try new moves explore their abilities as players.
Most of the time players are so scared that the coaches might yell at them, that they never try new moves on the field. With Consequence Free Play we encourage our players to just go out there and have fun. You will be amazed by what some of your players will do.
What are your thoughts on this? Are you giving your players enough time to “play”? Please comment below and let me know what you think!
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105 Comments
I am glad some adults have managed to keep perspective. So many adults who are in coaching positions, get so caught up living out their glory days from their youth, that they become over bearing coaches and hinder the children’s right to just go out and have fun. Unfortunately, some adult coaches become consumed with indulging their egos rather than fulfilling their real purpose as youth sports coaches. We see this more and more, not just from coaches, but also parents in the stands who get so consumed with living vicariously through their children that they set a bad example of sportsmanship. Some have even been caught on video brawling with other parents. It has gotten out of control and I am glad this coach provides some good advice on this web site.
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I agree with Cleo that the overbearing coaches that are living through these kids has gotten way out of hand when you have coaches and parents and referee’s having physical fights in the middle of games. I appreciate the fact that you see coaching for what it is and the game for what it is. I think you are absolutely right when you said that if you let the kids go out there and just play it will help them come up with new ways to play the game and new moves, it might also help the coach with a few new moves as well. Sports should be fun, especially when you are talking about junior sports. So many times I have seen kids quit a sport they are really good at because of the coach and the way he treats the kids on the team. I think you have a very good idea here and I hope the idea spreads so more kids have fun playing sports.
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What a novel concept. Adult coaches using coaching techniques that benefit the kids rather than resemble the sort of stringent, win at all costs, approaches which are more appropriately suited for maximizing the skills of professional athletes. It is true, the lines tend to get blurred with some youth sports coaches as seen on TV or viral video to be exact. This is a great coaching philosophy that will bring joy to playing soccer for children as well as teenagers.
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Congratulations coach you finally figured out what so many other coaches need to figure out. Soccer is a game and it was meant to be enjoyed when played, especially by children. Now if you want to be competitive in the sport when you are an adult and you go pro then great do that, but until then let the kids have their fun they aren’t trying to take anything away from you as their coach and they are not trying to make you look bad if they lose, they are just there to be with their friends and play a game. More coaches need to be like you sir and just relax. Thank you for putting this out there it shows that you really care about these kids and what they are out there for.
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This solution has been a long time coming, my hat is off to the coach that discovered this approach to the game. Maybe if the kids can enjoy it more often now the parent s will start to encourage their kids to play more often. I think in the past few years not as many parents were encouraging their kids to play because the heard all the reports of how the coaches were acting and the other parents. Most people don’t want to expose their children to that kind of behavior when you are trying to teach them sportsmanship. Thank you for caring enough to really take the time to figure this out.
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I have been a coach for over 6 years and I use this technique at almost every training session. At the end of each session I set up a quick game for the kids and leave them to it while I speak to the parents. This stops the parents trying to coach the kids during the small game and allows the kids the chance to play with flair and passion.
Too many coaches try to stop kids trying new things like turns and step overs, providing them with the oppertunity to prectice these tricks helps them to develop their overall game.
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Anyways I want to thank you for sharing this. I could use this as pointers for the local soccer team I’m managing right now.
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Andy, good for you I am glad to hear that more coaches are using this technique. I understand that getting parents to stop arm chair coaching is a major task but I have to say using a small game at the end of practice while the parents are distracted is a great idea. I am going to implement this into our practices and see what comes of it.
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I commend the coach and / or author of this web site for setting a fine example, not only for the kids he coaches, but also the parents of young players who may be visiting this web site. This coach has the proper perspective that a youth sports coach should exemplify. Unlike the over zealous parents who get carried away with winning and become so consumed by it that they forget the important lesson is sportsmanship in competition and most of all, making sure the children all have fun and keep fit.
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I agree with the comments that William made about what is truly important in the game Is for the kids to stay fit, have fun and learn what sportsmanship is all about. I can not believe it took this long for a coach to finally see what was happening here and do something about it. I commend you coaches that play this way and I thank you for making our children important parts of the game again.
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I cannot say enough to commend the publisher of this web site and the coach who teaches this style of youth soccer coaching. This coaching philosophy can be applied to other youth sports as well. And youth coaches in any sport should heed the teachings in this blog so that the children can play competitively and enjoy the fun of sports. It is important to find a balance between the two. Others who should visit this blog for advice are those over zealous parents who think it’s alright to compete vicariously through their child to the extreme point that they get involved in heated arguments with referees or other parents whose child is on the opposing team. So if you know anyone who fits this description, email them the link to this web site.
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I think this is absolutely terrific, I have watched my son do the hole baseball thing and soccer and football and he didn’t stick with any of them because of the coaches and they way they would act towards the game, he always told me that the coaches took the fun out of the game. So I think you have nailed it with your idea and the way you practice. The kids don’t get enough time to play the game especially if they are not one of the better players so giving them the time at the end of practice makes it fun again. Great job!
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This is great information. I hope the publishers of this blog continue providing more tips and make this web site a complete training series that they can then offer to youth team coaches on a regular basis. A series of training videos would be even better than that. I certainly will continue to visit here provided they keep adding new tips. My friend was recently asked to fill in as coach for his young niece’s soccer team after their regular coach called in sick. I really liked the experience and I think he would make a good youth soccer coach, which he did express interest in doing again. I think I will direct him to this blog.
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I hope that consequence free soccer style of coaching becomes a movement that sweeps the nation in youth sports. Even thought this blog offers specific drills and techniques that encourage fun and sportsmanship, I hope that it evolves into coaching techniques that extend onto other popular youth sports such as baseball, basketball and youth football as well. I am tired of seeing over zealous parents teaching their kids how to win at all costs and forgetting that the point of playing sports is to teach kids lessons in life about overcoming challenges and dealing with failure. Just the other day, I saw yet another incident on video of two parents in a fight in the stands while at their child’s sporting match.
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Really nice looking eBook. I look forward to implementing this with my children’s AYSO teams next season. I’ve been the coach for the past few years with some success but I feel like the players don’t always develop and progress the way they should, hopefully this will help.
I owe it to the other parents to field an AYSO team that doesn’t bore them half to sleep.
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I was just about to comment on how the Brazilian youth soccer coaches train their players from very young ages, when I heard the coach and trainer of this blog mention the very same thing. So clearly, he is on the cutting edge track in implementing techniques that are similar or identical to those of Brazilian coaches. I will disagree on one thing with the coach. I believe in strength and conditioning regimens, not only for sports like football, but for basketball and soccer as well. I do agree that the fun factor needs to dominate the training, but strength and conditioning is important not just for improving performance, but for preventing injury. After all, as an NFL coach once said, a player is only as good as his or her availability.
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I have heard of this before and I think it is absolutely great, kids need to know what fun is and they are missing out on that in most sports anymore because the parents and coaches alike are getting way to competitive. I mean you have to be some what competitive if you plat sports but when it cause fights in the stands and on the sidelines amongst the parents and coaches it isn’t fun for the kids anymore. One time after a fight between me and another parent at a game my son asked me every time there was another game if I would please not fight with the other parents because it embarrassed him. That is when my eyes were opened to the whole thing and how badly we were acting and how it took the fun out of the game. Thank you for posting this I hope it will open the eyes of some other parents that are like I was.
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The coach makes a good point in the video when he talks about changing the soccer culture in the United States by instilling principles in training similar to those which exist in rich soccer cultures like Brazil and other South American countries. Even though I believe in implementing weight training and Yoga to improve strength in seldom used parts of the body, stamina and flexibility, it does make sense that the sport of Soccer requires more actual game play in order to develop creativity and experience. Too much time is spent on drills. I can understand it within the professional ranks, but especially for youth soccer, the kids should be allowed to have more fun.
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In the article which covers five tips for game day coaching, I like the very first tip about what things to consider when picking the starting team for that day’s game. I totally concur with not falling into a routine and making decisions solely based on the previous game’s performance. I see an example of this game to game when watching the Miami Heat coaching staff and how they decide how many minutes to play the rotation. Their philosophy is each game has its own circumstances.
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I think this is great, you have put the fun back in play. I hated it when my son wanted to quit sports because of the coaches trying to win at all costs. I never did get him back into it, which is unfortunate because he was naturally good at anything he played. I am really glad to hear that someone is finally try to put a stop to that way of coaching.
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I noticed that some of the article topics on this blog include various types of drills. Based on the philosophy of consequence free soccer, coaches should drill less and let the kids experience more game play or scrimmage practices. Based on the principles advocated on this blog, I would have to assume that coaches should use the suggested drills in moderation or sparingly. For the sake of the kids, I hope coaches adhere to moderation and don’t get carried away trying to drill a team to perfection.
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This is such good news to hear someone actually doing something to make sports fun again. Just yesterday my nephew was being scolded because he wasn’t playing a sport right and he wasn’t taking it seriously. I had to tell my sister-in-law about this blog and I think it might have made her stop and really think about what she was saying to him. Thanks again for your post.
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This is absolutely great, I love the idea of letting them play just to play with no consequences so to speak. I am going to give a copy of this post to my sons coach and see if he would be willing to try something like this. I would bet that this kind of thing will get kids interested again. I can’t believe someone finally put something like this together great idea.
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You have done an excellent job putting this post together and getting the word out about what you are doing. I hope that more coaches will take this approach especially with the little guys just starting out. Great job coach, keep up the good work.
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This is absolutely the kind of thing that needs to be in schools and every sporting team from little league to grade school, let the kids have fun at what they are doing, because if they find one they are having fun at and they continue to like it as they get older they will take it more seriously and get better at it. But let them decide that not the coach or parent.
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This was very well put together and it looks very professional. You have done an excellent job putting this post together and getting the word out about what you are doing. I hope that more coaches will take this approach especially with the little guys just starting out. My nephew is in this boat and I want him to continue to play, I’ll make sure his coach gets a copy.
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It amazes me that this is just now coming out, there are so many kids today that quit sports either because of their parents or because of their coaches. I wish my sons coach would have been the way you are, maybe he would still be playing football and baseball. Thank you for posting this article I will make sure to give this to my sister-in-law.
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As a coach I can tell you that I will be using this approach this season. This makes a lot of sense when you think about it. I can set back and watch them play from the sidelines and it could give me new play moves to try out in a more organized practice. I wish I would have thought about that earlier on in my career. This is like playing scout for pro teams.
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I think this is something they should try in all sports for kids. This would be a real fast way for coaches to figure out who to put it what position. And not to mention what if a player tries a play that is original and the coach sees that it will work, they can then incorporate it into the play book. I think this is great.
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This not only makes the sport fun for the kids again but it teaches them things, like you said they are going to get out there and try new moves and they are going to learn how other players will react to those moves. Not to mention you as the coach are going to learn quite a bit about the players and their potential letting them do this. Awesome idea coach I wish you luck.
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This coaching philosophy and the concept that kids need to get more actual scrimmage or game experience instead of getting drilled to the point where it becomes counter productive reminds me of somebody else who happens to be very relevant in the pro sports scene, who is not necessarily a good practice play, but who somehow seems to play well in many big games, including yesterday’s highly rated AFC wild card game. Clearly I’m referencing the Denver Broncos quarterback, Tim Teebow.
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As a parent I can tell you that this is going to make the kids so much happier, they may actually look forward to practice before they get there instead of moaning about it. Any more it seems they like to play the games but they hate to practice, I truly believe this would turn that around. I look forward to approaching my sons coach about this.
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Maybe some of the pro football teams should take a look at this and possibly start playing this way. I think in both area there is a lot of potential that goes unnoticed because of the restrictions placed on them. Turn them loose and see what they can do, then harness it and focus it. Great idea coach I hope it spreads like wildfire.
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I think any young coach just starting out should take this approach to the sport. I would bet that by doing this he will be able to learn about his players and how much they know about the game not to mention he will be able to come up with plays that know ones knows already. I think this could revolutionize the way sports are played again.
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Do you suppose that this is what the professionals do during their practices? Surely they don’t just follow the coach at that level, you have to try new things to come up with new plays, or pretty soon the entire league will know all of your plays. After that it would be very difficult to win a game. I think this is excellent and you have done a great job with your blog.
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How did you come up with this idea in the first place? I think it is great and you are absolutely right, by letting them “play not only do they learn new stuff and their potential but so do you. I can’t believe that this hasn’t been tried before but I have to give you kudos for doing it now. Awesome job.
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I think both Soccer and Basketball are similar in the sense that you can learn and improve so much more through game play than drills. I have played both sports and if I had to compare the effectiveness of drills between the two sports, I would say that drills are more effective in Basketball because you need to be able to control your dribble in order to even move on the court with the ball during a game.
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You are such a creative coach, if every coach would take this approach and interest in the kids they are coaching and the game itself it would make the game a lot more fun for those kids. And not to mention a lot could be learned from just watching them do their thing. Thank you for posting this idea I hope that others will catch on.
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I realize the benefits of game play experience, but there’s this one drill that is just like a game. In fact it is a game. You set up the Bank Game with two teams of 4 or 5 players. Each in a 40 X 40 grid (adjustable). You send a soccer ball into O’s teams grid. The opposing team sends 1 players to play as a defender. The O’s try to connect 4 passes in a row without the defender stealing or kicking ball out of bounds. As a coach, you must have heard of this drill. What do you think about it?
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This is an excellent way to truly teach these kids at a young age what true sportsmanship is. Do you think they are learning that from coaches that try to win no matter the cost or parents who are out there fighting with the coaches or referees? I would much rather my kids learn from a coach like you then a coach like that.
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You have a great idea here coach I wish it would work for a swim team but I don’t think it will. I do think this should be given to all the schools in your area so that it can be given to the coaches and maybe they could start having fun again in the sport as well.
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I know this is about soccer but don’t you think it would work for any sport? I am pretty sure it will and I plan on trying it as soon as volleyball season starts. You are an inspiration coach and I appreciate the fact that you posted this little gold mine.
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I coach a girls basketball team and we have been struggling lately to come up with new plays and the girls are getting bored so I think this is just what they need. I can’t wait to tell them to just go out there and play, no coaching, no yelling for penalties just play fare, safe and have fun. They’re going to flip out. Hopefully I will get some play ideas from watching them.
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Has anyone seen the viral sports video of the pro soccer goaly who relaxed and started hot dogging by spinning the ball then fiddling with his uniform while he lost focus on the ball and an opposing player stole the ball and scored an easy and embarrassing (for the goaly) goal. I mention this because it can be used to teach kids that even pros make silly errors and that it’s ok to mess up. So long as you use it as a teaching moment about not getting complacent. Lots of game play can also give kids experiences like this.
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The training techniques available on this web site are not only beneficial for youth soccer leagues. There is a growing trend in popularity of female soccer leagues for adult women. I have seen one example of this because one of my friends from New Jersey plays in a soccer league with one of her friends. Many people like her are opting to play soccer instead of the typical softball leagues. Maybe the U.S. womens’ national soccer team is responsible for its growing popularity among women.
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What more is there to say, you have done a great job showing that you understand these kids, you even understand that they are afraid of being yelled at by the coaches and yet you figured out a way to convenience them to just go out there and play to have fun. This is amazing.
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This sounds like a lot of fun for the kids and that is what it is all about right? Coaches sometimes forget that these are kids not pros and you should let them be kids along as they can. Thank you coach for taking this approach with your coaching technique and I can only that the idea catches on.
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I was wondering how long have you been coaching? And are you a grandpa or anything like that, because this is the kind of thing a grandpa would come up with he watches his grandkids play. That in no way is an insult so please doesn’t take it wrong. I think what you are doing is great and I wish all coaches would adopt this way of thinking.
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I have been coaching for many years and I have never heard of someone doing this. Don’t get me wrong though I think this is a great idea and I will try using this method with my kids. Thank you for sticking your neck out there and being the first to try it. You did a great job with your blog by the way.
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This is taking coaching to a whole new level. Not only do the kids experiment when they are out there playing but you can watch the experiments and possibly refine them into some new plays. I am just glad that you spoke up about it because this will give other coaches the same advantage. Who ever published your blog did a great job and the video was done very well.
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You have put a lot into your coaching you can tell that you love these kids and you want them to play to their potential. How did you get the parents to agree to this, weren’t they afraid the kids would get hurt without rules of play? You have gone above and beyond for the sport thank you coach. You have done a great job with your blog and I hope to see more.
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You can tell that you have been coaching for quite awhile when you come up with an idea like this. Obviously you have been watching and noticed that the kids are really holding back because of the fall out they will get if they do something different. There are a lot of kids out there with great ideas that just need the opportunity to try it to see if it will work.
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Thank you for being the first one to try this approach, I had heard about it before but I wasn’t willing to take the fall out from the parents if it didn’t work or if the kids got hurt. Now that I know it works I will approach the parents about it this season. Thank you for being a pioneer in the sport.
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You really understand the kids you are coaching, this is a great idea and I hope it spreads like wildfire. Have you found that the kids that want to play for you has increased? I can’t imagine that it wouldn’t, as soon as the parents find out you are making it fun again.
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This is a great blog and it need to be seen by as many people as possible so that the word gets out to all the coaches we can get it to. Have you ever thought about posting it on Facebook or Twitter, there is no faster way to get the word out by the thousands in a very short amount of time.
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I have coached for many years and I have never seen or heard anything like this. It makes perfect since though because if the players will go out there and play the game with out the coaching then the coach could learn a few things as well. I wish I had thought of this when my son was little, it might have kept him interested in the sports he was really good at.
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I think you are absolutely right I think that often times the players are scared of the coaches because the coaches have proven in the past that they will yell at them for the smallest things. If a coach had the reputation of yelling at the team when they do something wrong but he wanted to take this approach and change what would be your advice for getting the kids to trust him?
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One of the reasons why the United States is so good at the sport of Basketball is because the best players have grown up, in the inner city and suburbs, playing pick up basketball. They spend years and countless hours in creative game play. The youth of America learns how to dribble and shoot, not by practicing drills, but through competitive, creative play. And the way highschools practice now days, as opposed to the 1950′s is by scrimmaging. More Soccer coaches should realize this.
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I love coaching soccer but I am tired of the fighting parents and coaches and referees. I think the kids are too and this kind of play at practice might keep them interested enough to over look that other stuff and keep playing the sport. I am hoping that is what it will do for me, heck maybe I’ll get out there and play right along with them. Thanks for this great idea.
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I am going to give this to the parents of the kids on my soccer team and see if they would be willing to try this. Have you, in the many years that you have obviously been coaching, ever had a kid get hurt out there playing this way? A lot of the rules that they play under are there to protect them so I had to ask, I know that will concern the parents.
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Have any kids ever been hurt doing this? What is the reaction of the kids? What were the reactions of the parents when you approached them about doing this? Did you ask them first or did you just kind of do it. If it wouldn’t be to much trouble I’d be really interested in seeing some of the kids comments and such. This is a great idea, I just have to work out some kinks.
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I think this is just what the kids and parents need so they can see the game can still be fun and you don’t always have to win in order to learn anything, I think this is not only going to teach the kids but it will teach the parents as well. You asked for comments at the end of your blog I hope you will get many. You have great insight into these kids.
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How long have you been doing this type of play practice? This sounds like lots of fun and I think the kids would absolutely love it, my concern will be the parents , what they are going to say because, I think I’m going to have to approach them first in case something happens and someone ends up hurt. You did an excellent job with your blog I hope you get the responses you want.
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I like this style of coaching. The entire philosophy makes a lot of sense. It is very much appropriate for youth sports because if focuses on having fun and after all, that is what youth sports is all about. I think Soccer has actually eclipsed softball in popularity especially for young girls. Maybe this is because of all the coverage and popularity of the U.S. womens national team. So coaching in ways that make it fun will only increase its popularity.
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I noticed that you have gotten lots of comments like you asked for is it what you expected? You have a very interesting view point here and I think it is great, the kids need to remember that this is a game and they need to just go play sometimes. Did the kids like this or what did they think?
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You have done a great job with your blog coach and with the no consequence play idea. I as a parent see the wisdom in this and I think I will approach the other parents about talking to the coach about this type of play as well. You have really got your finger on the pulse of this game and you can tell by the work you put into it that you love it.
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I think that you have a great idea here and I think that ever coach reading this should take this approach as well. Us coaches could really learn something from these kids while they are out there playing you are watching them try new things like you said and that gives you ideas for ne plays, this is awesome and I hope that you keep coming up with ideas like this.
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I think Rebecca is right some of the best players out there are only there because they grew up playing the sport the way they wanted to. When they went out to play there were no coaches or parent s standing over them they were just out having a good time. When did we as coaches think we should take it upon ourselves to change the game?
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I noticed one of the other readers asked If you had ever had any of the kids get hurt doing this kind of play but I didn’t see your response, I would be very curious myself as to the answer to that question. I think you really have something here and if done right you could really learn from it and so could they. I hope that parents didn’t mind this kind of play
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I found the article on how to defend an opposing team when your team lacks speed. The strategy behind making such adjustments is important because you want to put your team of youths in a position to succeed and compete, should they have limitations with speed. There are always methods to compensate just like there are ways that aging professional teams deploy in order to be competitive with younger, faster opponents. This is just one of many informative articles on this site.
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I’ve been coaching a long time as I bet you have, and I’ve never heard of anyone trying this. I think mostly because of the liability of someone getting hurt. But I think this is a great idea and I think I’m going to give it a try this year myself. I’ll make sure to have the parents sign a release form allowing their kids to “play so that we don’t have any issues later.
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I don’t know if you have ever heard of a certain practice game called “The World Cup. A friend’s daughter told me about this game that her coaches have her team play. She said it is a lot of fun because it simulates game play, only without the use of the entire field (which may not necessarily be a good thing for the coach of this blog and his philosophy). I wonder if the coaches here approve of this practice game?
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My son was on a team that the coach tried doing this with and he loved it, he was actually excited about going to practice and I think he actually liked it better than the actual games. My daughter will be playing next year for that same coach and I hope he hasn’t changed his philosophy on doing this kind of play. Do you find it works for the girls as well?
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I was wondering, by doing this have you learned a lot about how each kid plays and has it helped you to place them on the team in a position that will suit them? Have they been able to help you come up with new plays for your play book? I’m having a lot of difficulty placing my little guys in a position because they are small enough that they are still playing group ball.
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I was wondering if there are girls on your team or if you have teams that are just girls? If so how do they feel about this kind of play, do they like it as much as the boys? I coach a girls soccer team and I was looking for something that would bring them out of their shells and I thought maybe this would do it. But I don’t want to scare them.
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As someone who once played on a flag football team and provided many of the amenities and equipment for the team, I would recommend you consider using a new kind of water bottles which have recently hit the market. Obviously, keeping the kids hydrated is an important part of running a soccer team, or any other athletic group. And these new bottles open at both ends, making them easy to clean because you can wash and air out the bottles from both ends.
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What have you learned from using this kind of play? I am very curious to try it with my teams but I was just wondering what the benefits are besides showing the kids it can still be fun? A lot of my kids have lost the desire to play because their parents expect so much out of them if they are going to pay to have them play, maybe this will help.
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I have started doing this with our team and to tell you the truth it has been a lot of fun for us coaches as well. Those kids are very entertaining when you just let them do what they want to do. We have been very shocked at some of the moves they are willing to try when the coaches aren’t going to yell at them and they actually work, they are actual plays now.
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Does this help teach the kids about sportsmanship as well as having fun? I have noticed that these teams that the coaches and parents have to win at all cost aren’t teaching the kids sportsmanship at all because the kids start acting just like they see the coaches act and they are fighting with the kids on the other teams etc. this is not what I want to teach the kids on my team.
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The school doesn’t approve of the coaches trying this with out parental consent; did you run into this issue? I don’t think it will be a big deal after we present it to the parents the way your blog presented it and we show them what we can learn from the kids and what the kids can learn. Thank you for posting this it was a great idea, I’ll let you know what happens.
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I have been working out and learning about fitness and nutrition for over twenty years. I have always managed to stay ahead of the curve in terms of strength and conditioning training. That is why I was intrigued by the banner ad about soccer fitness. I watched that video presentation and I have to totally agree that traditional soccer conditioning is out dated because it focuses too much on endurance training and neglects strength training and plyometrics. Score another goal for this blog for providing cutting edge training instruction.
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The instructional series, Ultimate Soccer Coaching, seems like it is a worthwhile training series for a youth soccer coach, even for someone who coaches on the high school or college or even professional levels. Although a coach who is in charge of a professional or national team might not want to reveal that he or she subscribes to an instructional web series of soccer coaching techniques. My point, however, is that for under five dollars, that is a reasonable deal.
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I really enjoyed this post and I looked at some of the other coaching tips that you had and they are great as well, I have bookmarked this site so that I can return easily when I need some new ideas for our team. I am planning to run some of the soccer drills that you have listed. Do you update your site often? I hope so, I need all the help I can get.
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You have received a lot of good comments about this type of play I hope it has turned out to be what you wanted. You have been an inspiration to all of us coaches especially in soccer but some of the coaches in football are doing the same thing. This was a great idea and I am glad that you decided to share it with all of us. I look forward to more information.
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I absolutely loved the consequence free play that your blog was about so I decided to check out the soccer coaching tips and found an article about practice play and game play, that article really struck home because that is what my son would do, he hated practice but he played his heart out at the games. I wish I would have had this article win he was playing.
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I enjoyed your blog about consequence free play for your soccer team and I think it is great I was checking out some of the other soccer coaching tips though and you have some really interesting articles that I think would help a lot of coaches understand these kids a little better and help them get motivated. I especially liked the “How to run a fun and effective soccer practice, great job.
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Are you going to do a blog on any of your other coaching articles? You have a lot of helpful information in those articles that I don’t think people are seeing because the only thing they see is the blog that pops up first. Can you possibly rotate your articles? I was checking it out is the only reason I ran across them and I really think you should share them just like this one.
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I was reading your article about what important phase of training do most new coaches miss and I think that article ties in with your no consequence play very well. Another thing I think that they miss as young coaches is figuring out what the kid is naturally good at before placing them where they think they want to be and that can be learned by watching them in the no consequence play.
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I started lifting weights many years ago and over the years, as I got more experienced and knowledgable about fitness, I evolved and diversified my strength and conditioning training. Thus, I am a firm believer that strength training is key to improving performance and preventing injury. That’s why I agree with the coach of this blog and his admonition to soccer coaches to update their outdated training methods and implement strength and flexibility exercises for soccer players.
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I loved the article about “Soccer Parents……Your Best Friend or Worst Nightmare? I have seen so many parents fight with the coaches because they don’t think their kid is being treated fairly or for any number of reasons, so I thought this article was very fitting and somewhat funny when you think about it and the things parents do when it is just a game.
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You are a great coach and you have a lot of great information. I would bet that most kids and parents alike don’t know the “Structure of Soccer in America like that article on your page and I think that is something they should all read before their kids start playing. This is a great blog and I look forward to more blogs from you in the future.
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This was a great article but you have a lot of great articles on your site that I think need to be posted as blogs as well because a lot of people aren’t going to take the time to read these others once they have read this one. Other than that little piece of advice I think this is a great idea and you can really teach these kids something through this type of play.
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You can tell that you love the job of coaching, anyone who is coaching just because their kids are playing wouldn’t have taken the time to figure out something like this. I can’t believe that someone didn’t think of this before now to be real honest. I think coaches in the pros can use this advise as well because a lot of the plays they are held to don’t work anymore.
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I have found that one of the hardest things to teach kids, especially kids with no siblings, is true sportsmanship and I think letting them play like this and learn how to get along with each other at the same time is helping them learn sportsmanship. This is a great idea and a great blog you have done an excellent job putting all the information together.
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I understand that this blog is about consequence free soccer play, and I really think that idea is great. But I was reading some of your soccer drills and you have got some really great ideas. I am going to try these drills when the season starts and see how big of a difference it will make on the way this seasons games turn out.
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Your site as a whole is really great if you are a soccer coach, you have a lot of helpful tips on there and articles. Your drills are awesome and I hope you don’t mind if I use some of your ideas. This consequence free play is another great idea and I will be implementing that this season as well. I think we should be able to learn something from these kids this way.
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I found this web site on Google while I was searching for sports articles and training programs. I guess because you coach youth soccer, it is more important for this coach to implement the sort of training that is fun for kids. Because after all, they are not professionals nor is it a high level of the sport. Therefore the focus should be on fun, but the coach does a good job of still focusing on improvement via game play.
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I think Soccer is a great sport for youths because many of today’s kids get too much into video games and as a result, become sedentary. This is part of the reason many Americans become obese. The fact is humans need one hour of exercise every day in order to remain healthy. That is why the NFL developed the “Play 60 youth program. 60 meaning sixty minutes of game play for exercise. And what better way to coach soccer than with the game play philosophy.
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My uncle is a retired professional Soccer player who used to play for teams in Ecuador and even coached the national team of Ecuador at one time. He would train his squads mostly through scrimmage play. And in South America, I don’t think there is any argument that the various countries in that region are very plugged into the sport of Soccer. They know how to develop talent. So this coach makes a lot of sense and seems savvy.
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I was watching one of the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary films, the two Escobars and in that film they covered how in Brazil, they groom young soccer players by having them participate in numerous leagues throughout the country. So for years, the youths of that country are gaining valuable experience playing games almost throughout the entire year. This may be why that country produces some of the best national and professional soccer players year after year.
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I have been thinking about getting into affiliate marketing and I noticed that this web blog has such a program. A 60 percent commission is a generous pay out. I also like the fact that you can make recurring commissions (or did I misunderstand). I wonder if the tracking cookie is meant so that you can continue to make money from repeat subscribers. I guess I am not clear on whether I need to send people who actually subscribe or simply unique visitors.
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I think soccer would explode in popularity in the United States if the sport would make one simple change in the rules. If the governing bodies of this sport would just eliminate the offsides rule, this sport would explode in excitement and popularity, not just in the U.S., but throughout the world as well. It might take soccer traditionalists some time to accept it, but once scoring goes up, so will attendance, especially in America, where we love scoring.
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I wonder what the coach would think of this game for improving communication skills among your players. The players attacking the two small goals have to work together to score in an unguarded goal. The team attacking the large goal has two goals to defend with just four players. Talking to each other is required! Set up by placing two small goals at one end of a 30 yards by 40 yards area and a full-size goal at the other end. Divide your squad into teams of four and five.
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I read the article titled, Practice Players vs Game Players and couldn’t help but make the natural comparison to a pro football player who made headlines during this 2011 – 2012 NFL season. I am talking of course about Tim Tebow. He is a classic example of a player who is a much better game player than a practice player. I know I am comparing two different sports and two entirely different levels of athletics, but even so, the correlation fits.
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Your soccer coaching philosophy is Great! I personally believe that this should start with young kids in any sport! Obviously correct skills need to be taught, but I have seen coaches like you described in your blog that somehow think by yelling at 6 or 7 year olds they are going to turn them into professionals overnight. Thank you for recognizing that kids need a chance to experiment with the game, and that goes hand in hand with learning! There’s plenty of time for them to get “chewed out” later.
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