I recently watched five soccer games at different fields with children from
U-10 to U-12 boys and girls teams. What I heard and saw from the coaches
disturbed me very much!
I have been coaching youth soccer for over 20 years and at all different ages
and levels of competition and it never ceases to amaze me that coaches think
that winning is the most important things when it comes to sports at any age.
I feel that kids up to the age of 12 or 13 should be having FUN and not
concern themselves with who won the game. Most of the time they couldn't
care less except for the coaches and parents that put so much pressure on
them and place the emphasis on winning above all, to nourish their egos.
In one particular game I watched, the coach yell at the players every time he
felt that the made a mistake for didn't do what he expected of them. The
team won the game
2-0 but, the players hung their head at the end of the match, as if they had
lost because all they could hear was the coach yelling at them for the
mistakes they made and not the 'good things' that they accomplished on the
field of play. Can you imagine the feeling the players had after winning the
game and feeling lousy about it?
Wonder how they feel after a loss? This is a tragedy!
If we don't keep the game of soccer fun for youthful players they may just
quit playing soccer or go to another sport and that would not be a good thing
to happen.
We, as coaches, need to remember that kids need to have time to be kids and
enjoy their youth while they can, and stop putting the emphasis on winning,
to a point that when players win a game they don't feel good about it. I
think we are not helping our children grow in the proper manner.
Please coaches, think about how short your childhood was and let them play
"their game" without interference, because if they have not been taught in
practice they will not respond in the game by yelling negative remarks to
them.
John D. Archimede
Youth Soccer Coach
