Watch for a new featured product each month Teacher, Role Model, Facilitator Youth coaches should de-emphasize winning and losing, make sure everyone has fun. By Manny Sanchez Being a youth soccer coach comes with many serious responsibilities.
People find themselves in the role of a coach for numerous reasons.
Some have played the game when they were young and want to give something back to the sport. But a more common path to the coaching ranks in most communities is being volunteered or drafted to coach because one's children are involved and there is a shortage of coaches. As we also know, many of these parentcoaches who never have played the game fall in love with the sport as a result of their involvement. The fact that they have not played makes it more difficult, but not impossible, to teach an unfamiliar sport. In order for the coaching experience to be positive, coaches should develop their own philosophy of coaching and thoroughly understand the roles and responsibilities of a coach.