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Arrive early for games and practices. Focus on building teamwork. Choose drills that are engaging and fun. Avoid coaching like a drill sergeant. Put participation first. Encourage consistent effort and improvement.

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A big part of youth sports is establishing a sense of responsibility and discipline in your team members. Set an example by arriving early for games and practices, and encourage your players to arrive early as well. Typically you want to arrive at least a half hour early for practices, so you have time to set equipment up and inspect the field to make sure it's appropriate for the kids to play. Coaches and teams should plan to arrive at least 45 minutes early for games. This allows you to warm up together as a team and give the kids a pep talk before they go out on the field. Particularly with older kids, youth soccer is an opportunity to teach team identity and awareness. Kids between the ages of seven and ten years old can understand the concept of putting the good of their team over their own personal needs. Describe the roles and responsibilities of each of the positions, and encourage kids to explore different positions that might be a better match for their skill sets. The older the kids are that you're coaching, the more you'll be focused on winning games particularly in more competitive leagues. However, you still should prioritize good sportsmanship and following the rules of the game. Teach your players how to be gracious both in victory and defeat, and model appropriate behavior yourself. Set an example by being appropriately deferential to referees. To teach your players soccer skills, start with ball holding skills to teach your players to control the ball. Then you can move on to offensive and defensive drills. Particularly with younger kids, being active and having fun is more important than winning the game or becoming the next great soccer player. Your league, or your state youth soccer association, typically will have a list of drills you can use in practice to teach your players basic skills while still having fun and getting good physical exercise. Try to balance the focus of activities during practice so that all the players on your team have an opportunity to do something that plays to their strengths. You may have memories (perhaps not so fond ones) of the militaristic coach who forced kids who were late to run laps and made you run drills until you puked. These coaching styles are not favored with kids today. Stricter coaching methods can be okay if you're working with older kids in a more competitive league. These kids already have enough experience and are focused on improving their skills and becoming strong players. However, with younger kids in particular, strict militaristic coaching can not only potentially cause injuries, it can land you in trouble with the league or with the parents of your players. Don't use physical activity such as running laps as punishment for violating rules or doing something inappropriate in practice. Similarly, you shouldn't withhold water or other essential nourishment from your players as punishment for poor performance. Instead, compliment a players' performance when they are making an effort or have improved on their personal best. Focus on what the player is doing right not what they're doing wrong. For example, you might say "That was a great instinct to pass the ball. Next time, call out to your teammates to make sure someone will be there to receive it." This is more positive than simply reprimanding the player for passing the ball without looking or communicating. Particularly if you come from a competitive sports background, it may be hard for you to wrap your head around the concept that winning isn't everything. However, in youth soccer the most important thing is that the kids are active and involved. This means having to overcome your natural competitive instinct to win on a regular basis, but doing this ensures that the kids on your team will have a better time and get a well-rounded soccer experience. For example, you may be disinclined to rotate players so that a small, relatively weak player moves to a leading offensive position if your team is only behind by one goal. In that situation, if you're playing competitively and playing to win, you want the strongest players in a position to score. However, particularly with younger kids in a community or recreation league, it's more important that everyone has an opportunity. When kids are just learning a sport, too much emphasis on perfection and winning can turn off even the most promising players. Instead, reward kids who constantly try their hardest and gradually get better. For example, if you're doing speed drills during practice and a kid is able to do 15 ball taps in 30 seconds, you should encourage that kid to do 20 ball taps next time around. Measure your players' performance in connection with their personal bests, not what another kid is capable of doing. When you have players who are struggling, focus on what they're doing right and how they're contributing to the team. For example, you might say "I really appreciated how hard you hustled out there today" or "it was good to see you communicating with your teammates." Keep in mind that your players are still developing, and some of them may have more physical strength and coordination than others. It isn't fair to pit them against each other. The smallest, youngest player on the team will not benefit by having her experience compared to a larger, older player who is stronger and more physically developed.