Develop Children To Be More Than Players
Over the last decade there has been a significant increase in registered youth soccer players between the ages of 4 and 9 years old. There are more English Premier League, Champions League and World Cup Games broadcast live on TV, and increased excitement around US Men’s and Women’s national teams during qualifiers and international tournaments than ever before. Parents of young players also have more experience with the game, both playing themselves as well as being committed to a professional club that they follow and make part of their family. The soccer bug has spread throughout the USA and fan bases for local MLS clubs and major European clubs are now found all over the country.
All of these factors have created a new generation of excited young soccer players that are ready to go out and learn to play the beautiful game.
Together with the growing excitement a large industry of coaching professionals, many training organizations and private clubs have emerged. Most organizations offer teams, technical training classes, training camps and so on, trying to teach young players technical skills and a basic understanding of how to play the game.
Too often though, coaches and parents forget that coaching players in the 4-9 age range should not solely be focused on a technical and tactical foundation, but developing integral social skills and responsibility that they can take with them beyond the field. A soccer team setting can be incredibly valuable for a child’s development to make lifelong friendships, learn self-reflection, respect for teammates, opponents, and coaches, and take ownership of being part of a team.
Greeting coaches and teammates, learning how to give and receive compliments, being positive to teammates after making mistakes, and showing you care about a teammate when they get hurt are crucial for the character development of children. Young children can also learn to be responsible for their own equipment, recognize whether they have executed a task, or not, and self-reflect on their commitment to practice at home.
In the DTS STEP Academy we implement a milestone system in which players can earn patches for major technical, social, and responsibility milestones as they progress throughout the program. Each milestone builds upon the previous milestone, and kids see their progression throughout the seasons. They learn to understand that being a good teammate, being respectful to coaches, and taking responsibility for their actions are just as important as knowing all of the soccer moves we teach. Through positive reinforcement and with clear objectives, every child in the program can develop at their own pace and learn to love the game.
All of these character traits can be coached just as much as the technical soccer skills. Social goals and responsibility goals are emphasized in every training session and a curriculum with clear objectives is in place just like a technical training plan. Ultimately, great coaches develop more than soccer players, they help develop young children of high character. Playing and loving soccer can help kids build confidence, make new friends and learn valuable life lessons. Let’s make every training session and opportunity to develop more than just players.