Coaching Youth Soccer

As I have mentioned in the past, I coach my son's soccer and basketball teams. I like to think I know what I am doing and I mix in the right amount of seriousness/discipline with fun. I don't like losing, but certainly don't have a win-at-all cost attitude.

This is my first year as head coach of my son's select soccer team. Select basically means that you have to try out and earn a spot on the team. FYI, my son would make it because I am the coach, but he most certainly would earn a spot in the select league because he is easily good enough to play. Last year, the team won just one game and got a couple of ties in the 19 we played in the Fall and Spring seasons. We were hurt by having four of our best players shifted up to travel teams (3 in the Fall and 1 in the Spring). So we were talent deprived. I also felt that we were a little soft in practice - although I will say that all of the boys improved their basic skills during the year.

This season, we finished as the runner-up of the 8-team pre-season select tournament. We earned a spot in the finals by winning two games and getting a clinching tie. We ended up losing to a better organized team 2-0 in the finals. We have now played 3 games in the regular season and are 1-1-1. The cool thing about what is happening, is that our boys are really learning to play good team soccer and there is a growing confidence and mindset that we can win every game. I want to get to the point where my boys feel like they will win every game.

I do not want to teach over-confidence or arrogance, but we have skilled players who can beat anyone in our select league if we play up to our standards. With our current record, we are in 4th, but we have two of the three teams in front of us left to play during our remaining 5 games of the Fall season - including the team we lost to in the pre-season tournament. It will be fun to watch what happens.