The environment in practice has to be fun as well as a learning environment. That's why I liked the advice Koach Karl gave you throughout this blog. You seem to understand the material and the program pretty well. It just seems to me that you just need to lighten up a little and realize the kids are only kids. By relaxing a bit, it should help the practices go a little smoother.
Koach Karl - And one more post from coach John Anagnost to coach Rice…
Coach Rice,
I see a lot of other coaches going through your travails. Their heart is in the right place. They want their players to learn it right, to pay attention, etc. The problem is simply that most kids are there to have fun primarily. Part of having fun no doubt is improving your skill. No one has fun doing anything if they aren't at least a little good at it. Kids get so excited when they see themselves doing something today they couldn't do yesterday. This doesn't even have to be a goal. It might be a good tackle in the game, or a move in the game, or even a good one touch. Acknowledging these improvements to the child so the child knows you are watching them is really important for them to like playing for you. But improving skills is just one aspect of having fun.
The environment in practice has to be fun as well as a learning environment. That's why I liked the advice Koach Karl gave you throughout this blog. You seem to understand the material and the program pretty well. It just seems to me that you just need to lighten up a little and realize the kids are only kids. By relaxing a bit, it should help the practices go a little smoother.
You are really making good progress. You just need to relax, understand that to learn the figure 8's, step overs, instep drives, etc. takes years and not weeks.
My #1 rated player this year stumbled through the figure 8's despite this being her 5th year of soccer and she has a non-existent instep drive. Since many experienced players lack FUNdamental skills, you just have to understand that it's harder than it looks and takes a long time to master.
Can not emphasize enough that you absolutely need to do 1v1 every practice. That part has to be part of practice no matter how long it takes. If I had only one thing to do in practice, that's what I would do.
I just hope that the rest of my advice was good and helped you become a better youth coach. Thank you for volunteering your time to the children in your community. You may not see your results this year or even in the near future. But believe me you will receive your reward someday when a High School/College player comes up to you and says 'Thanks Coach' for giving me the proper foundation
