North Carolina Youth Soccer
Presents
A Parents Guide to
Recreational Soccer
“The Game for All Kids!”
This presentation is designed to introduce the
game of soccer to parents of recreational
players and increase the benefits of the sport
without limiting the child
What Can I Expect?
“Play is the Key to Open Many Doors”
Dr. Marianne Torbet
Why Do Players Play?
1. To Have Fun
2. To Be With Their Friends
3. To Make New Friends
4. To Improve and Learn
5. To Feel Good
6. To Wear the Stuff
(US Youth Soccer)
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From an early age, every child
loves to play with a ball. Soccer
is just playing with the ball,
except with others and a few
simple rules. Soccer is having
FUN! (US Youth Soccer)
Soccer is “the game for all kids” and that means there will be all types of kids
playing together
Children will differ greatly due to age, gender and maturity
Soccer will help develop FUN, SELF-ESTEEM, TEAMWORK, FRIENDSHIPS
In soccer they will be able to run, kick, jump, roll, skip, fall down and shout –
which is essential for mental and physical development
Soccer?
The Purpose: To put the ball in the
opponents goal
How: Two teams face each other and
try to put the ball in the opponent’s
goal. Players cannot use their hands.
Where: The game is played on a
rectangular field, with goals at each
end
The Team: Apart from the goalkeeper,
the only player allowed to use their
hands, there is no fixed spaces or
positions in soccer. Players must
move and interchange positions
according to the flow of the game.
Equipment: Soccer is a simple sport
with little equipment needed:
1.Ball 2. Cleats 3.Shin Guards
Age Group
# of Players
Field Size
Ball Size
Under 6
3v3
30yd x 25yd
Size 3
Under 8
4v4
35yd x 30yd
Size 3
Under 10
6v6
60yd x 45yd
Size 4
Under 12
8v8
80yd x 55yd
Size 4
11 v 11
120yd x 75
Size 5
Under 13 +
Did You Know…..
Soccer is the most participated youth
sport in the U.S. In 1999, there were
17,582,000 total soccer participants in
the U.S with 7,881,000 under the age
of twelve (SGMA, 2000)
What Matters to Your Child?
Psychologists attribute three motivational factors in children's involvement in sport:
1.
For Approval – take up sport for the approval of adults/parents/grand-parents
2.
For Success – they enjoy competing in contests with other children
3.
For Mastery – to improve and master at least some aspects of the sport
“Most children play to have fun with
their friends. They do not play to
entertain the adults, boost the adults
ego, or improve the family social status
within the Community.
(Adams, U of Missouri)
Did You Know…..
The major two reasons children give up sport:
1. It’s no longer fun
2. It’s too competitive
Guidelines for the Sidelines
“When asked what embarrasses them most, the overwhelming response from
children is parents yelling.” (www.MomsTeam.com – Survey)
Think of the soccer field as a playground!
- Emphasize enjoyment
- Encourage your child regardless of success
- Cheer for all Children
- Applaud a good effort no matter who makes it
- It’s okay to talk to other teams parents
- Be a parent – not a coach
- Resist the urge to critique
6 Guidelines for the Sidelines:
1. Cheer
2. Relax and Let Them Play
3. Yelling Directions = Distraction
4. Remember, they are just kids
having fun
5. Have reasonable expectations
“If you’ve ever driven a car
with three kids screaming
and fighting in the backseat,
think about this: Does it tend
to pull your attention away
from the task at hand? Do
you ever feel overloaded?
If you add more pressure to
that car ride, such as an icy
road, can you handle all that
at once? That’s exactly what
coaches/parents do when
they yell at kids to do
something: They distract
them. They create “cognitive
overload.”
(pg. 161, Just Let the Kids Play)
The Ride Home
Good Questions on the Way Home:
• Did you have fun today?
• What do you think you did well
today?
• Did you learn anything today?
Topics to Avoid on the Way Home:
•Don’t Evaluate your child's
performance, he or she is playing to
have fun, not to earn a grade!
•Be Supportive! Fun = Success
“For some reason, adults - some who can't even kick a ball - think it is perfectly
okay to scream at children while they're playing soccer. How normal would it
seem if a mother gave a six-year-old some crayons and a coloring book
and started screaming? "Use the red crayon! Stay in the lines! Don't use yellow!“
You think that child would develop a passion for drawing? Most important parents
must realize that playing sports is a way for children to express themselves."
Claudio Reyna, Former Men's U.S. National Team Captain
What to Expect from the Coach…
At Practice
• Will create a safe, fun environment!
• Players should be engaged, active
and having fun through games!
• Games should be the teacher
you should not see lines, laps, or lectures
Did You Know…
90% of volunteer coaches in the U.S
have had no coaching education!
At Games
• Players should be allowed the
freedom to play without constant
Instruction
• Players should not be restricted to
fixed spaces or positions in soccer.
Players must move and interchange
positions according to the flow of the
game.
Keeping it in Perspective….
73% of all kids who play organized
Youth sports end up quitting by the
time they reach the age of 13!
(Time Magazine, 7/12/99)
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Major Two Reasons Kids Give Up Sport
1. It’s No Longer Fun
2. It’s Too Competitive
Congratulations on supporting your child's choice to play soccer in their leisure
time
It is going to be a great opportunity for them to have fun, express themselves
and make new friends!
Please enhance your child’s experience by being a ‘positive parent’ and allowing
them to play and enjoy the benefits of soccer and sport
Remember………
The spirit of a child knows no bounds until limited by adults….
Where Can I Learn More?
Websites
NC Youth Soccer Education Center
-Videos, skills, links etc
US Youth Soccer Parent Resource Center
-Videos, Quizzes, Age appropriate info etc
Laws of the Game
-U6, U8, U10, U12, U13+
US Youth Soccer Parent Resource Library
-Brochures, articles, coaching info etc
Resources
Parents Guide (Free)
Youth Soccer Parent/Coach Primer
Coaching Youth Soccer by Bobby Clark
Positive Parenting DVD
Coaching Education Brochure
Plus many more…….
Please contact: [email protected]
Recreation Registration (PDF)
or
Recreation Registration Link