Curriculum recreation coaches clinics

1. Volunteer coaching:
1. Enthusiasm, positive, patience, creativity = success!
2. Win-loss not important

2. Characteristics of children u-8
1. Explain psychological & physical development

3. Expectations of players from the coach.
1. Facilitator, positive role model, understanding, teach
2. Games are the teacher!

4. Philosophy of coaching
1. Personality traits, establish goals, expectations of parents, Player-development, fun, activities that promote maximum touches, thinking and movement

5. Team management
1. Equipment, ethics, insurance needs, supervision, evaluation, parent-coach meeting

6. Laws of the game
1. Recommendations, referees, positive role model

7. First Aid injuries, safety
1. Know laws of the game (equipment, jewelry, field), first aid kit (incl. information sheet), water breaks, extreme heat or cold, RICE, blisters, serious injury

8. Methods of coaching (technical, tactical, psychological, fitness)
1. Emphasize technique (dribble!) but include other components also in practice
2. Time and space (size of grids)

9. Practice session (recommend 45 min.):
1. Warm up 5 min.
2. Individual skill: “trick” 3 min
3. Dribbling (technique) easy to difficult 10-15 min
4. Small sided game (no more that 4 v 4!) 10-15 min
5. Scrimmage (rules of the game) 15-20 min

10. Questions & Answers

Parents Instructions

1. Let the coaches’ coach. If you are telling your son or daughter – or any other player for that matter- to do something different from what their coach is telling them, you create distraction and confusion.
2. It is very unnerving for many young players to try and perform difficult tasks on the field on the spur of the moment when parents are yelling at them from the sidelines. Let the kids play. If they have been well coached, they should know what to do on the field. If they make a mistake, chances are they will learn from it.
3. Do not discuss the play of specific young players in front of other parents. How many time do you hear comments such as, “I don’t know how that boy made the team…” or “she’s just not fast enough.” Too many parents act as though their child is a “star”, and the problem is someone else’s kid. Negative comments and attitudes are hurtful and totally unnecessary and kill parent harmony, which is often essential to youth team success.
4. Discourage such toxic behavior by listening patiently to any negative comments that might be made, then address issues in a positive way. Speak to the positive qualities of a player, family or coach.
5. Do your level best not to complain about your son or daughter’s coaches to other parents. Once that starts, it is like a disease that spreads. Before you know it, parents are talking consistently in a negative way behind a coach’s back. (As an aside, if you have what you feel is a legitimate beef with your child’s coach – either regarding strategy or playing time, arrange an appointment to meet privately, away from a soccer field.)
6. Make positive comments from the sidelines. Be encouraging. Young athletes do not need to be reminded constantly about their perceived errors or mistakes. Their coach will instruct them either during the game or at halftime, and during practices. You can often see a young player make that extra effort when they hear encouraging words from the sideline about their hustle.
7. Avoid making any negative comments about players on the other team, this should be simple: we are talking about youngsters, not adults who are being paid to play professionally. I recall being at a rec. baseball game some years ago, when a parent on one team loudly made comments about errors made by a particular young player on the other team. People on the other side of the diamond were stunned- and angry. Besides being tasteless and classless, these kinds of comments can be hurtful to the young person involved and to their family as well.