1) Soccer should be FUN! Keep it that way!

2) Kids first, winning second! (Really!!)

3) Provide positive encouragement; as a general rule, keep your words at least 90% positive.

4) Control your emotions – you’re supposed to be the adult!

5) Show respect for your players, opponents, other coaches, referees (difficult though that may seem) and parents. You are a role model for your kids!

6) Accept completely that your players will make lots of mistakes. The pros make mistakes. The opposing team is always trying to help you make mistakes. Soccer is a much more difficult game than it seems.

7) Encourage every player to use both feet to kick the ball. The young ones will learn easily; it will be harder as they get older.

8) Encourage proper contact with the foot when kicking. The two best kicking surfaces are:

          a) the inside of the foot, near the ankle, where the concave shape of the foot matches the ball’s shape;

              this is best for short passes.

          b) the top of the foot (the laces) with the toe locked down; this is best for long passes and hard shots.

9) Discourage kicking with the front or inside of the toe, as these surfaces provide the least accuracy and transfer of power.

10) Teach the kids to receive the ball by withdrawing the body surface (foot, thigh, chest, or head) just as the ball hits it, so it stays near them.

11) As the kids get older, teach them to play defense against everyone on the opposing team, not just the player with the ball. As the passing skills get better, the player in front of the goal without the ball becomes more dangerous than a player far from the goal with the ball.