Even though soccer coaching young girls is done all over the world, with this rapidly evolving game, it is still felt that they are not given the consideration they deserve. It is all very well to focus on the techniques, the conditioning, the skills, and so on, but when it comes to serious coaching, a lot more goes into it than meets the eye.
When it comes to coaching girls, there are some coaches that do not allow scrimmages and think twice before they let them try risky techniques.
Some Important Psychological Points For All Soccer Coaches To Remember And Be Alert To:
- Young girls who take up the game can be more methodical when compared to boys. They would rather know the reason why before just accepting something for what it is - which means that they will understand precisely why a particular technique works while another won’t.
- Girls tend to focus more on the unity of the team.
- Coaches have realized that girls are strict about playing the game in a fair manner rather than get around a rule to achieve a goal.
- While winning is good, they also lay equal emphasis on every one getting their share of play.
- Girls will agree that it was probably their own lack of performance that led them to lose a game instead of passing the buck to the coach or anyone else.
It Follows From The Above That Coaches Must Practice The Following:
- Encourage girls to be creative while practicing soccer. If she tries dribbling too often there are ways to divert her without making her feel bad about being adventurous. Chastising her will only suppress her natural creativity and probably make the game lose out on a wonderful player.
- Do not pull them up just because they tried something different. If what she is doing is not working out the way it should, there are plenty of options that can be explained to her with proper reasoning. Criticism can only depress a young girl trying to be good at the game.
- Give her the confidence to keep on taking chances while developing her ball skills.
The greatest soccer players got there by not being afraid to take a risk with a particular technique. If they had been discouraged, just imagine what a loss it would have been! Soccer coaching young girls should not be any different than with boys.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of soccer coaching young girls. His web site, Coaching Youth Soccer Training Drills: www.SoccerDrillsTips.com, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles, resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.
