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by Lynette Costantini

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Have You Got What It Takes To Coach Soccer And Make It To The Top!

A lot of people that end up coaching soccer usually start by coaching on a Saturday morning, because their young son or daughter has just started playing soccer. The reason for this is, 'Hey we need someone to coach the kids'. You get cornered and give in because you love the sport so much and played since you were virtually the same age as your child that is starting. As you start teaching the kids the facets of soccer and also the key element of having fun, you realize 'hey, I think maybe, I'd like to get involved in coaching at a Representative Level'. Even though you want to be involved in coaching your child's team, the old saga comes into it, 'you give your child too much time on the field', 'you favor your child too much', so maybe it's time to look at trying to coach a higher division. Sit down with your child and explain your dreams, as they have dreams as well. I think you will find that they will be happy that you want to try and achieve something as well. So, what is the next step? Well, to get yourself on the way to coaching Representative Soccer, you will need to start doing some courses. As you will find out, you cannot coach a side even as young as a under six's team without gaining the first level required. Start off by coaching an older team in the local district association. This you could say could be an apprenticeship. As you do your levels, and do a few years in the local area, get some good results, and be on the lookout for advertisements for coaches in the Representative level when they start to advertise in newspapers and also soccer websites before their trials start. Usually once you apply, you will be called for an interview, so it usually pays to have a resume made up (just like you would with your normal profession that you do on a day to day basis) take this with you, to show what you have achieved. I think it would be best if you started at one of the lower levels in Representative Soccer, to see how you adapt to everything, as this is allot different to coaching a young local side. When it comes to coaching the side, always work out what drills you will do for training. Make diagrams, to show what you want to achieve, and keep these as a record for future. So being prepared before you step onto the park with the team is important and it shows that you are professional and you will earn a lot of respect from the start. You are always going to have some trouble from parents, because some kids will be on the park more than others, so this is testing for you as well. So if you can overcome this, I think you will be well on your way to be successful. Also being able to read the game and to out smart your opponent and change the layout of your game to achieve results. Just remember, you do not have to be the best player in the world to be able to coach. Also make sure, even though you are coaching at a higher level, to still teach the kids that they are there to enjoy themselves as well. Because, don't you think when kids are enjoying what they are learning and then putting it into a game, the best comes out of them. So I think if you can relate to anything above, you are well onto your way of coaching Representative Soccer. So just remember, sometimes the best players in the world don't always make the best coaches! So with hard work and determination you can go all the way to the top!

Learn more about this author, Lynette Costantini.

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