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Coaching Tips

AVID Soccer has compiled quick start guides for new coaches along with the tips below for designing your practice sessions.  Also see adaptations for cold weather.

Coaches guide:

Warm-ups
  • Warm-ups should always consist of a combination of light work and stretching
  • The warm-up drills/work out should relate to the practice topic and be restricted to a small area
  • Stretching can be a combination of dynamic and static, based on the needs of the players
  • Stretching can either be after the warm-up or integrated
  • Stretching should follow a consistent pattern to ensure all muscles are covered - either start from the head and work down or from the feet and work up

Drills
  • Avoid the three "L's" - Lines, Laps, Lectures
  • Don't talk for long; demonstration is far more effective than oration
  • Drills should be progressively starting unopposed
  • Add light competition and objectives; progress to game simulation
  • Games are often more efficient than repetitive drills; game-like drills can be an economic alternative

Games
  • Games should reinforce the skill or tactics demonstrated earlier
  • The Practice should be progressive with increasing difficulty and evolve into a game situation
  • Always try to finish with a fun cool-down, but require proper execution; if you can do it correctly at the end of practice, you will be able to execute at the end of a game

(Recreational League Coaches)

Coaches at the recreational level have several significant disadvantages. 

  1. They tend to have little background or training in the sport
  2. They are given a very limited time with the players to prepare a team and execute a game plan 
  3. They do not get to pick the players, so personality conflicts and varying skill levels make team management take up a significant portion of the time
  4. The coach often has limited resources and little to no training equipment
  5. Families may not take practice/games seriously, so attendance and punctuality suffer

To help new coaches, we have put together a list of the basic equipment and some suggested reading.

Equipment list:

  • Must haves:
    • Disc cones (At least 12 of one color) - NOTE: Dome cones can used as an alternative
    • Pylon cones (4 to use as goals)
    • Practice Vests (enough of one color for half the team)
    • Enough balls for the  drills (expect 50%-75% to have balls at any given practice with that number shrinking as the season progresses)
    • Game Ball (a higher quality ball for use only in the games)
  • Nice to haves:
    • Disc cones (at least 12 of a different color, the more the better)
    • Pylon cones (Bigger cones are better for goal, but can get in the way in other drills)
    • Practice shirts (having the whole team in the same color makes many things easier - I usually ask all of the players to wear white if the team does not want to buy matching shirts)
    • Practice Vests (enough for the whole team in one color and an alternative color for at least half the team)
    • A practice ball for every player plus three game balls (One to play and a spare for each net)
    • Agility trainer (either flags, a ladder or speed rings)

Suggested Reading:

  • Baffled Parent's Guide to Coaching Youth Soccer (Bobby Clark)
  • The Rules of Soccer: Simplified (Bill Mason and Larry Maisner)
  • www.avidsoccer.com

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(Select/Travel Team Coach)

Select team coaches at the recreational level have some advantages over their regular season counterparts.

Advantages

  1. The players generally have several years of experience
  2. They may get to pick the players and the players may have played together before
  3. Parents my be more committed
  4. Some players may have outside training with other teams, schools or clubs

Disadvantages

  1. They are given a very limited time with the players to prepare a team and execute a game plan
  2. The coach often has limited resources and little to no training equipment
  3. Families may not take practice/games seriously, so attendance and punctuality suffer

To help new coaches, we have put together a list of the basic equipment and some suggested reading.

Equipment list:

  • Must haves:
    • Disc cones (At least 24 each of two color) - NOTE: Dome cones can used as an alternative
    • Pylon cones (4 to use as goals)
    • Practice Vests (enough of two different colors for the team or reversible vests)
    • Enough balls for the  drills (expect 50%-75% of the players to have a ball at any given practice with that number shrinking as the season progresses)
    • Match Level Ball (a higher quality ball for use only in the games)
  • Nice to haves:
    • Practice flags or Dutch Gates
    • Corner flags
    • Practice shirts (having the whole team in the same color makes many things easier - I usually ask all of the players to wear white if the team does not want to buy matching shirts)
    • A practice ball for every player plus three game balls (One to play and a spare for each net)
    • Agility trainer (a ladder or speed rings)

Suggested Reading:

  • Success in Soccer - the book (German Soccer Association)
  • Skills and Strategies for Coaching Soccer (Alan Hargreaves)
  • www.avidsoccer.com

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(Club Team)

Club team coaches have several advantages over their recreational level counterparts.  In the Coast League, coaches are required to have at least an "E" regional license.  Coaches managing players over U-15 are encouraged to have at least a "D" regional license.  The "D" state or national licenses use the same curriculum, but the requirements for passing are more difficult.  For more information on coaching curriculum, see the Cal South coaching education program.

Advantages

  1. The players generally have several years of experience. 
  2. The coach picks the players and may drop players if there is a conflict.
  3. Coaches generally have more experience and training.
  4. Parents are more committed because the cost can be significantly higher.
  5. Some players may have outside training with other teams, schools or clubs.
  6. The club may have a dedicated trainer or Director of Coaching that can assist.
  7. The club may allocate funds for training equipment

Disadvantages

  1. They are given a very limited time with the players to prepare a team and execute a game plan. 
  2. Families expect a higher level of performance and they expect the team to win.
  3. Parent coaches may have a hard time dealing with parents if they are family friends.
  4. Keeping quality players may be a problem if the team does not advance in prestige.

To help new coaches, we have put together a list of the basic equipment and some suggested reading.

Equipment list:

  • Must haves:
    • Disc cones (At least 24 each of two color) - NOTE: Dome cones can used as an alternative
    • Pylon cones (4 to use as goals)
    • Practice shirts with the team logo (Generally white for one day and the home colors for the second day)
    • Practice Vests (enough of two different colors for the team or reversible vests)
    • Enough quality balls for the  drills (expect 50%-75% of the players to have a ball at any given practice with that number shrinking over time)
    • Match Level Ball (a higher quality ball for use only in the games)
    • Access to quality fields with full sized goals and nets
  • Nice to haves:
    • Practice flags or Dutch Gates
    • Corner flags
    • A practice ball for every player plus three game balls (One to play and a spare for each net)
    • Agility trainer (a ladder or speed rings)

Suggested Reading:

  • The Practices and Training Sessions of the Worlds Top Teams and Coaches (Mike Saif)
  • Defending and Goalkeeping Drills of the World's Top Teams and Coaches (Mike Saif)
  • Soccer Fundamentals for Players and Coaches (Wiel Coerver)
  • Skills and Strategies for Coaching Soccer (Alan Hargreaves)
  • www.avidsoccer.com

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Last updated: 07/15/2011.