How to Teach Kids Soccer

Okay, get ready to be the best soccer player. With these tips you can become a great soccer player and win lots of games!

Part 1
Part 1 of 4:

Understanding

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    Teach them the basic rules. At this age it is unlikely they will need to learn the offside rule or the back pass rule. Check the rules and regulations for their age group and league.
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    Make sure they understand the aim of the game. They should know that they need to try to score goals in the opposition goal while avoiding conceding themselves.
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    Develop good attitudes. Be encouraging and don't ridicule players, any criticism should be constructive. Teach them that the best way to deal with making a mistake is not to feel bad and let your confidence drop but to learn from that mistake to further your game and move on.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 4:

Choosing Positions

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    To be a goalkeeper you will need good hand-eye coordination, confidence, strength and good reactions. You cannot be afraid to throw yourself around and you should have a good attitude. It will take some more specialist training to be a goalkeeper and you need to be able to keep your head up even when a game's not going well.
    • Consider bringing in a specialist coach or recommend they attend a goalkeeper training session if you have any aspiring goalkeepers.
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    Being a good defender requires strength, quick thinking and good judgement. You will also need a good eye for spotting potential danger and any dangerous runs the opposition make.
    • If the goalkeeper gets caught off their line or comes away from the goal for a one v one, one defender should make a recovery run to get back and cover the goal to keep the ball out.
    • When in possession of the ball, react appropriately. If you are deep in defence surrounded by opposition player, clear it up the field and don't worry too much about who it goes to, when you've got time and options try to pass it to a teammate and/or launch a counter attack.
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    Use strength, fitness, speed and a good eye for opportunity to become a great midfielder. Midfielders will need to be well-rounded players who can both defend and attack.
    • They often work closely with the strikers and sometimes score goals themselves.
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    Strikers should be speedy, agile players with a good shooting ability and stamina to make attacking runs. They also need to be able to make split-second decisions and work well under pressure.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 4:

Teaching Them To Communicate

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    Shout "Man on" if an opposition player is approaching your teammate in an attempt to get the ball. Let your teammate know that they are under pressure and need to act fast.
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    Call "Time" to let your teammate know they don't need to rush when they have the ball. This tells them they can relax and take more time to decide what to do with the ball next.
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    Let your teammates know to leave the ball for you to collect by shouting "[insert name]'s". This helps avoid collisions and confusion when two of you are running for the ball.
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    Tell your teammates to "mark up" at set plays. This lets them know that they should choose an individual player to cover.
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    Communicate what you want to happen to your teammates. Whether you want to be passed the ball or you think a player should shoot, simply shout a short command like "pass!" or "shoot!" to get the message across quickly and clearly.
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Part 4
Part 4 of 4:

Learning The Basics

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    Pass with accuracy. Essential to keep possession and avoid mistakes which could ultimately lead to losses.
    • Encourage players to pass to each other using the inside of their foot for greater accuracy.
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    Dribble the ball. This is an incredibly important skill to learn, use it to keep possession and get past opposition players.
    • Change direction quickly, it will confuse opposition players and create space.
    • Skills such as stepovers and chipping the ball over a defender can be added once the basics have been mastered.
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    Practise shooting. Begin by focusing on accuracy, once they can hit the target consistently you can start to encourage them to add some power to their shots.
    • It is important from a young age that you kick the ball using the laces of your boots and don't hit the ball with your toes.
    • Don't shoot at the goalkeeper, aim for the corners whenever possible.
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Warnings

  • Someone might come up behind your teammate. If they do, yell "RED" as fast as you can. But make sure your team knows what it means!
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽


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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 27,035 times.
58 votes - 80%
Co-authors: 8
Updated: May 24, 2018
Views: 27,035
Categories: Soccer
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