Soccer Parents - 7 Ways to Support Your Child’s Soccer Team
You child has decided that he or she want to play soccer. Being the supportive parent that you are, you want to get involved in the life of the team. If you are new to the world of youth soccer, you may be at a loss as to where you could help out. We’ve come up with 7 ways for parents to get involved with a soccer team.
While coach and team manager are roles within a youth soccer program that are oftentimes filled by parents, let’s assume that these responsibilities are already taken. Don’t worry! There are plenty of other ways for you to get involved.
1. Give the Kids a Lift
As a parent, you have probably exercised your role as a “taxi” driver on numerous occasions. Since you have so much experience, why not volunteer to transport team members to practices, games (both in town and away) and tournaments. This is a pretty easy way to fulfill a big need that all soccer teams have.
2. Talk It Up
Phone contact is important for informing parents and players of upcoming events and eventual changes to team plans. It could be that they need to be informed of a last minute change in the time or location of practice or made aware that it will be cancelled. It may be that players need to be reminded of a special event such as a photo session or social activity. There are many different reasons this role is important. Depending on the number of players, the person who assumes this role could either assume responsibility for making all the calls or could create a phone tree.
3. Pick Pocket (with permission, please!)
Grant it, this role is not for everyone but fund raising is extremely important in organized youth sports. The amount of money raised determines the type and quality of equipment the kids have and the number of tournaments the team can participate in. Fund raising can be as simple as asking parents to donate money or as creative as…. Well, the fund raiser will determine the limits. There are many resources available today for those involved in raising funds for youth sports teams.
4. Gear Up
The basic responsibilities of the equipment officer are the distribution, maintenance and collection of the team’s equipment. While many individual pieces of equipment are relatively inexpensive, the collection of gear needed to properly train a soccer team can cost quite a bit. Equipment that is well-cared for will provide the team with needed training resources for a long time.
5. Look Out
This role requires someone who can arrive at the practice field from 30 minutes to an hour early. The objective is to have an adult present when the kids begin to arrive for practice. Depending on the age of the players and the time and location of practices, it is possible that some players could arrive quite early. You could just let them play freely on the soccer field (if no other team is using it) or organizing some exercises to warm them up before the coach arrives.
6. Help the Hurting
While soccer players do not engage in as much contact as American football, collisions do occur which can result in bumps and bruises or, infrequently, more serious injuries. It is important to have someone at practice that is trained to administer initial first aid. If you don’t have this training, you can probably find a class to take in your city. Many cities offer a first aid course through a community education system. You might also contact our local fire department. Whoever assumes this role needs to make the sure the team has a first aid kit and it is taken to all practices and games.
7. Party Planner
Participating on a soccer team should be an enjoyable experience. A large part of the fun is the friendships that develop. To cultivate these relationships, it is good to organize a few social events throughout the season. It could be a BBQ, pool party, campout or any other activity that provides opportunity for the players to get together and have fun outside the soccer training context. If you are a pretty good party planner, this role just might be for you.
There are other roles and responsibilities that provide support to the coach and the team. The seven listed above are just possibilities. Want more options? Talk to the coach. Ask more experienced soccer parents. Pick up a copy of FUNdamental Soccer for Clueless Parents. Keep searching and you’re sure to find a way to support your child’s soccer team.
Soccer Training Tips for Young Players
It can be a very exciting day for parents – the day that you child takes an interest in an organized sport. Maybe you have always dreamed of being a “soccer mom”, or of being the father of the star player on the team. But, wait! Before you go off dreaming of your child carrying around the World Cup, remember that you are only at the beginning. Here are some training tips to get you and your budding soccer player into the game.
Remember, all good soccer players must start with the basics. Therefore, some of the important things that your child needs to know are the basic skills and concepts of the game.
Dribbling is an essential skill to learn. Of course, while there may be a natural or two out there, almost everyone is going to need to practice. Keep practice fun, so that your child enjoys doing them. You can dribble a ball down the field and back – racing against a teammate or against a previous record. Or get a game of “keep away” going between several players. Not only will that improve their dribbling skills, they will be working on shielding the ball as well.
Next, your child needs to learn not to be afraid of the ball. Soccer is very physical, and they have to be willing to go in for it and play aggressively. This does not mean punching another player in the face, however. For aggressive play, your child needs to be willing to go for loose balls that either team has a chance of winning and not be afraid to try to steal the ball from opposing players. If your child has dreams of being a goalie, then he or she definitely cannot be afraid of contact with the ball, but instead must be willing to dive for it at all costs. Naturally timid children may be hesitant at this, since they are used to calmer play with less risk of getting hurt. Practicing in a safe environment should help them get over these fears.
Passing and receiving balls is another essential skill. Nearly all passes and receptions of soccer are on the inside of the foot, yet many players use an incorrect technique. If this incorrect technique continues, it will become even more difficult to correct as time goes on. Show proper techniques at a young age, and practice frequently.
Another skill that budding soccer players need is the ability to communicate with each other. This includes a basic understanding of common soccer terms. These may include: far/back post – the part of the goal farthest from the ball; near/first post – the part of the goal closest to the ball; center – or the area roughly between the two goals where the game is started; midfield – which should not be confused with center, but instead is the 1/3 of the field containing the halfway line and center circle; cross/center the ball – which refers to passing the ball to the area in front of the goal; mark – guarding one-on one; and win the ball – gain possession of a loose ball that has an equal chance of being picked up by the opposing team. If the coach has slang or code words for different things, then it is important for the player to learn these as well.
Soccer Agility Training with Ladder Drills
Agility is defined as “the power of moving quickly and easily; nimbleness.” Competitive soccer requires players to play with an advanced level of agility. One way to develop this is through a variety of ladder drills. The following video demonstrates 16 differeent drills that can be done with a ladder. They include:
one foot in each rung
both feet in each rung
both feet in each rung laterally
2 hops forward, 1 hop back
jumps in and out left and right
in and out split jumps
diagonal steps - hovering legs
ali shuffle
1 step side hip twist
1 in out out switch
2 inside 2 outside steps
2 inside 2 outside - forward and back
hopscotch
2 horward 1 back - side
hop in hop out - left to right
sequence jumps - 1 forward/1back, 2 forward/1 back, 3 forward/1 back
As will be mentioned at both the beginning and ending of the video, proper technique takes precedence over speed. It is quite common for younger players to want to turn the drill into a competition of who can get through the quickest. Coaches need to emphasize the importance of correct technique. Once the technique is dominated by the players, they can progressively do the drills more quickly. When all players on the team dominate a particular technique, a race may be in order.
The Veloce Speed Ladder is a versatile training ladder that is great for soccer drills and improving on field soccer agility and speed. With its unique design the Veloce Speed Ladder has four colored sections which makes it easy for players to run different drills on the same ladder.