As a coach it is very important that we understand that all players are individuals and will react, develop and learn in different ways and at different speeds.

There are many factors that can influence the players, such as their age, peer pressure, family, parents, friends, school and how much they enjoy playing and training.

To be able to effectively coach young players, coaches need to understand the different characteristics that players display, why they act the way they do, how players develop, physically and mentally and how we need to adjust our own attitudes to these developing young players.

It is important that as coaches, we organise our groups when coaching to take into account the ability and size differences amongst players of similar age. For some technical, less physical practices you might consider grouping by ability, for example, dribbling and ball control skills and techniques. For other more physical training activities such as running and physical fitness games, defending and 1 v 1 and 2 v 2 the groups should be determined by the size and physical fitness of the players.

Why children play soccer

When coaching young children it is important to consider the reasons for their participation. It is equally important to look at our own motivating factors in choosing to coach and to consider if they are appropriate for the age group we are working with.

The vast majority of young children will participate and play soccer for the following reasons:

To Have Fun

There can be little doubt that at this age the main aim for the child is to have fun. If they are having fun they will be motivated to listen and to learn. If they are not having fun they will not want to be there and this will be evident in their reaction, behaviour and performance. Understanding this has clear implications for the way we coach and the type of coaching session that we deliver. A main responsibility for a coach is to keep the children interested and enthusiastic for as many years as possible and to impart a love of the beautiful game. We do this through exciting, fun, varied and stimulating practices and realistic expectations.

To Be With Friends

The social benefits of playing and being part of a club and team cannot be overestimated. In the right environment the children make new friends and can develop their relationship with established friends through a common interest. Often the presence of friends and the opportunity to interact is more important than the game itself. This is sometimes difficult for adults to understand

The Excitement of Competition

Children love to play games, to compete against each other. The playing of fun games and drills will motivate the children to participate enthusiastically. However, the coach will play a very important role in shaping the children's' attitude towards competition. An important lesson for children to learn is how to cope with winning and losing. Therefore, the way the coach reacts to the winners and losers of different activities will be noticed and absorbed by the children.

To Learn and Improve Skills

This might not be the initial factor that motivates the children to play. However, within a short period of time some of the players may even take enough interest to start practicing various skills at home. They will take pleasure in mastering skills that they have been taught so that they can show their family, coach and friends a level of competence. The positive reinforcement that follows improvement further encourages this development.

It is crucial that the coach considers these factors when working with a team. If the children are improving, having fun and keep coming back to play and train then the coach must be succeeding.

Parental influence

Almost certainly the biggest influence on a child's life will be their parents, particularly in the early years. If a parent has a real love for a specific hobby, that love is very likely to be shared by the child. Many parents love soccer and as a result, that love and enthusiasm is transferred to their children. It is great that parents and children can share a mutual passion that can improve relationships. Other benefits of playing soccer include:

Provides a healthy lifestyle and positive activities
Encourages fitness and exercise
Builds confidence
Enables the player to socialise and develop social skills
Encourages and develops self-discipline
Encourages a sense of self-respect and respect for others, team mates, the opposition, officials and coaches
Develops and improves teamwork and mutual co-operation
Develops the ability to handle success and failure
Helps to develop communication skills, both verbal and non verbal
Provides new, exciting and ongoing challenges
Makes new friends
Why do children stop playing soccer?

So why do some children drop out of soccer? The answers to this question must be that the soccer program they are currently participating in is no longer satisfying their motivational needs. At this point they are:

Not having fun
Not being with their friends
Not experiencing the excitement that healthy competition provides
Failing to and improve new skills
Peer and parental pressure
Other influences.....The following information highlights some of the activities that children enjoy doing at different ages. It is interesting to note that as a child gets older their interest in playing soccer decreases and other activities such as hanging around with friends, the internet and music, that tend to be less physical demanding and beneficial take precedence.

As coaches we have a responsibility to ensure that this does not happen!