Quiet Please - Soccer Game in Progress

                

 

Icy temperatures far below normal. Gale force winds. Stinging sheets of horizontal rain. Cascading rivers of mud.

This abnormal change in our weather patterns can only mean one thing. Somebody somewhere has scheduled a children?s soccer game.

My daughter had two games this weekend. Like every game before them -- it rained. Temperatures never got above 46 degrees unless you were lucky enough to spill coffee in your lap. I saw two four-year old girls selling shots of sambucca out of the back of their parent?s Suburban.

In spite of the inclement weather parents were there in force. This was an end of the season tournament and there were eleven fields, all of them filled with hard charging boys and girls and all of them lined with parents, siblings, spectators, coaches, assistant coaches, and the occasional European trainer, whose ubiquitous cries of ?Unlucky!? or ?Well done!? in English and Irish accents provided a little extra ambience in a ?Tom Brown?s School Days? sort of way.

While my daughter warmed up in preparation of warming up for her game, I took a walk along the line of soccer fields, stopping occasionally to watch the games for a moment or two. The ages of the children varied, as did the gender and the level of skill but nonetheless a similar pattern emerged and along with it a revelation. Some adults are just plain nuts.

The screaming, the endless screaming. ?Go! To goal, to goal!? ?Watch number 3, watch number 3! Nooooooo!! I told you to watch number 3!? ?Shoot! Shoot! Now shoot! Now, now, now!? ?Take it up the side! The side, keep going, keep going!? ?Sarah?s in the middle, she?s in the middle! The middle, the middle! PASS! PASS!? ?Ohhhhhhh!!!!?

I stood mesmerized by a coach who stalked along the sidelines shouting detailed instructions to his players as if he were a human joystick that could control their physical movements with just the sound of his voice. ?Danny, move left.? ?Dribble right and go, right and go!? ?Take it left and cross. Cross! Aahh, for God?s sake! I said cross!?

Note to all parents and coaches who scream from the sidelines: Your kids can?t hear a word you say. Want to control your players every move? Get a foosball table. As much as you want your kids to score, there are kids on the other team who don?t want them to score. I?m surprised parents haven?t tried screaming at the kids on the opposing team. ?Hey number 11, stand still and do nothing!?

I heard a mother offer the following words of encouragement to her daughter as she waited for the second half to begin, ?Do it up right. Make me proud.? Do it up right? I was tempted to alert the referee, ?Mangled syntax on the field. Everyone take a knee.?

Can you imagine how parents who shout at their kids at soccer games would fare if they were subjected to the same treatment at work? Say they?re in the process of admitting an emergency room patient while the boss watches from across the room. ?Not the injury, the insurance card, check the insurance card first! We don?t take United Health anymore. Oxford, yes! Oxford! Quick, the copy machine?s free, the machine?s free. Hurry! Someone?s coming with a huge file, run! Run! Keep going! Oooooh!?

Years ago, I used to play little league baseball. Most game days, I slid my glove on the handlebars of my bike and rode over to the field by myself. My teammates did the same thing. Our parents came to watch if they had the time, if they were busy, they didn?t. Sometimes we won, sometimes we lost. Sometimes I got a couple of hits and caught a couple of balls and sometimes I didn?t. Big deal. It was summertime.

After the game, I?d ride back, put my bike in the garage and walk in the house. My father would ask me how we did, I?d tell him a little bit about how the game went and that would be it.

Two minutes of conversation at best --and in my mind-- still the perfect length of time to spend discussing any game between a bunch of nine-year-old kids.

John Hartnett is the owner of Early Bird Publishing, a manufacturer of all occasion humorous greeting cards (www.earlybirdpublishing.com). He is also the author of Now What?, an online blog at www.johnhartnett.blogspot.com

Quiet Please, Soccer Game In Progress

                

 

Icy temperatures far below normal. Gale force winds. Stinging sheets of horizontal rain. Cascading rivers of mud.

This abnormal change in our weather patterns can only mean one thing. Somebody somewhere has scheduled a children's soccer game.

My daughter had two games this weekend. Like every game before them -- it rained. Temperatures never got above 46 degrees unless you were lucky enough to spill coffee in your lap. I saw two four-year old girls selling shots of sambucca out of the back of their parent's Suburban.

In spite of the inclement weather parents were there in force. This was an end of the season tournament and there were eleven fields, all of them filled with hard charging boys and girls and all of them lined with parents, siblings, spectators, coaches, assistant coaches, and the occasional European trainer, whose ubiquitous cries of "Unlucky!" or "Well done!" in English and Irish accents provided a little extra ambience in a "Tom Brown's School Days" sort of way.

While my daughter warmed up in preparation of warming up for her game, I took a walk along the line of soccer fields, stopping occasionally to watch the games for a moment or two. The ages of the children varied, as did the gender and the level of skill but nonetheless a similar pattern emerged and along with it a revelation. Some adults are just plain nuts.

The screaming, the endless screaming. "Go! To goal, to goal!" "Watch number 3, watch number 3! Nooooooo!! I told you to watch number 3!" "Shoot! Shoot! Now shoot! Now, now, now!" "Take it up the side! The side, keep going, keep going!" "Sarah's in the middle, she's in the middle! The middle, the middle! PASS! PASS!" "Ohhhhhhh!!!!"

I stood mesmerized by a coach who stalked along the sidelines shouting detailed instructions to his players as if he were a human joystick that could control their physical movements with just the sound of his voice. "Danny, move left." "Dribble right and go, right and go!" "Take it left and cross. Cross! Aahh, for God's sake! I said cross!"

Note to all parents and coaches who scream from the sidelines: Your kids can't hear a word you say. Want to control your players every move? Get a foosball table. As much as you want your kids to score, there are kids on the other team who don't want them to score. I'm surprised parents haven't tried screaming at the kids on the opposing team. "Hey number 11, stand still and do nothing!"

I heard a mother offer the following words of encouragement to her daughter as she waited for the second half to begin, "Do it up right. Make me proud." Do it up right? I was tempted to alert the referee, "Mangled syntax on the field. Everyone take a knee."

Can you imagine how parents who shout at their kids at soccer games would fare if they were subjected to the same treatment at work? Say they're in the process of admitting an emergency room patient while the boss watches from across the room. "Not the injury, the insurance card, check the insurance card first! We don't take United Health anymore. Oxford, yes! Oxford! Quick, the copy machine's free, the machine's free. Hurry! Someone's coming with a huge file, run! Run! Keep going! Oooooh!"

Years ago, I used to play little league baseball. Most game days, I slid my glove on the handlebars of my bike and rode over to the field by myself. My teammates did the same thing. Our parents came to watch if they had the time, if they were busy, they didn't. Sometimes we won, sometimes we lost. Sometimes I got a couple of hits and caught a couple of balls and sometimes I didn't. Big deal. It was summertime.

After the game, I'd ride back, put my bike in the garage and walk in the house. My father would ask me how we did, I'd tell him a little bit about how the game went and that would be it.

Two minutes of conversation at best --and in my mind-- still the perfect length of time to spend discussing any game between a bunch of nine-year-old kids.

John Hartnett is the owner of Early Bird Publishing, a manufacturer of humorous greeting cards (http://www.earlybirdpublishing.com) and distributor for Send Out Cards: Changing Lives One Card at a Time (http://www.sendoutcards.com/hartnett). He is also the author of Now What?,at http://www.johnhartnett.blogspot.com. email:johnhartnett@earlybirdpublishing.com.

Training to Prevent ACL Injuries in Soccer

                

 

Soccer is enjoyed both competitively and recreationally by all ages. Participation in any sport however can potentially lead to injury. Injury to the ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, is a common injury to those participating in soccer. Rehabilitation and treatment following an ACL injury is costly and will most likely result in significant loss in playing time for the athlete. Injury or rupture of the ACL can occur during contact or non-contact situations such as running and jumping. During running, injury most often occurs with quick directional changes, rapid decelerations and torsional or rotational movements. The landing phase of jumping with varus (outward) and valgus (inward) stresses at the knee accompanied by rotation also stress the ACL and can possibly result in injury. In an effort to decrease the incidence of ACL injuries, a preventative training program should include neuromuscular training. Traditional lower extremity strengthening programs have utilized machines to exercise the quads and hamstrings. These programs do little to improve dynamic strength and stability which are very important in knee joint control on the soccer field. Neuromuscular training involves challenging the proprioceptive system via various balance and stability activities. Through neuromuscular training, dynamic joint stability can be improved and hopefully decrease injury.

Neuromuscular control or stability relies upon the proprioceptive system. This system consists of proprioceptors or sensory receptors within the ACL and the other soft tissue structures within and around the knee joint. These receptors are located throughout or body and provide our brain with information of position sense and joint stresses so that our muscles may respond appropriately and protect our bodies from injury. A neuromuscular training program typically consists of balance exercises on the involved limb, dynamic joint stability exercises, plyometric exercises, agility drills and sports specific exercises. Balance training may include double or single leg stance on flat surfaces, a wobble board or even a trampoline. Dynamic joint stability training involves controlled balance movements such as lunges, balanced reaching activities with the upper or lower extremities, step-up and step-down exercises, squatting with or without weights on different surfaces and single leg squats. Plyometric or jump training involves quick and powerful movement involving pre-stretching of the muscle to produce a stronger muscular contraction. An example of a plyometric activity would involve jumping off of a box and then exploding up and over another obstacle. These exercises help to facilitate quick directional changes and control in landing and jumping activities. Jumping exercises using plyometric training might include two and one legged jumping on a trampoline, 180? turning jumps and vertical jumps.

Sports specific skills training activities include running, lateral running, backward running, shuttle runs and agility drills. Agility activities may include figure 8 running, quick directional changes which are not preplanned but rather directed by a coach or trainer, passing, kicking and throwing activities.

The training program should include enough exercise to induce muscular fatigue for the athlete and train the appropriate muscular responses. Proprioceptive deterioration can increase with muscle fatigue; therefore the training program needs to include enough repetitions to create some fatigue in the athlete. The training should also be performed throughout the ROM of the joint to stimulate and train different receptors at different angles of joint motion.

Beth Bartels is a Physical Therapist at Excel Physical Therapy in Nebraska. You can learn more about this topic and others by signing up for the FREE newsletter at www.excelpt.com

Coaching Your First Youth Soccer Team - Three Secrets to Success

                

 

Success Secret #1: Get the Rule Book

Success Secret #2: Get the league practice and game schedules

Success Secret #3: Have a Parent Meeting

Get the Rule Book: Even if you're a fan of the game and believe you know and understand it, get the rule book from the league when you accept a coaching position. Youth sports often have different rules than High School, College, or Pro leagues. The rules will change by age group and division. Knowing how long the game periods last, how many timeouts you have (if any), and any mandatory playing time rules before the season begins will allow you to plan properly for your games.

*** Bonus Tip: Set your player rotation before you go to the game. Setting it up ahead of time allows you to plan your lineup, making sure that you meet all mandatory playing time rules. It also allows you to focus more on the game instead of wondering if Johnny or Susie has all of their time in.

Get the league practice and game schedules: You may have some latitude in scheduling practices but there will be scheduled times when you are scheduled to practice at the field. You often have to ask for the practice schedule. It is up to you, your team, and the parents if you want to have practices over and above the practices scheduled by the league. If you do, you're usually on your own to find an open field.

Have a Parent/Player Meeting before the season starts: Parent meetings are the most important step you can take to have a successful season. Establishing the rules and behavior expectations prior to the first practice of the season is essential. This is the time when you review team rules, pass our practice and game schedules, solicit volunteers, and ask the parent if there is anything special you need to know about their kids - Attention Deficit Disorder; Asthma; Needs Glasses; Known Allergies; etc. Trust me, you'll save yourself and your players a lot of grief if you find out the special circumstances ahead of time.

Other things to discuss:

Recruit Volunteers for the following positions:

1. Team Mom or Dad - the person who coordinates collections on fundraisers, concession stand and game day snack assignments, picture day, and other miscellaneous administrative type duties

2. Score/Stats Keepers - people who may not want to help coach but who come to the games can keep score and maintain stats for you in the stands

3. Coaching Assistants - you generally need at least one assistant, but if you can get a couple, I'd recommend it. Having extra coaches means help with running great practices and games

Discuss your objectives for the season. For example:

1. Develop the skills required to play the game

2. Have fun

3. Develop teamwork and sportsmanship

4. Give positive reinforcement based on effort rather than results

Describe your expectations of the parents. For example:

1. Be on time for practices and games

2. Volunteer when your schedule allows

3. Get involved and help your child work on their skills at home

4. Encourage good sportsmanship. Be an example by showing positive support for all players, coaches, and officials at every game and practice. Please cheer for your child during games, but try to keep from yelling instructions to them. Much of the fun is lost if their Mom or Dad is always yelling instructions.

5. Let the coach know if you or your child has any issues or concerns as soon as they arise. Problems can usually be fixed very easily if I know about them.

*** Bonus Tip: Hold your Parent/Player Meeting prior to the first practice, and away from the field. I like to use my local public library, which has meeting rooms that are free or very inexpensive to use. Having the meeting in this type of setting will allow you to hold your parent and player attention easier than competing with soccer balls, goals, and whatever else may be going on.

Implementing the secrets listed above will almost certainly assure you a successful season.

Good Luck!

Ric Reeder is the co-author of First Time Coach ? Soccer, First Time Coach ? Basketball, and First Time Coach ? Baseball. Ric coached youth soccer for eight years at the recreation and competitive levels, and is a former Director of Coaching for Madison United Soccer Association in Richmond, KY. He also coached basketball at three different levels: youth, AAU, and middle school, and coached baseball in the local Little League. Please visit http://firsttimecoach.com for more information on successfully coaching youth sports for the first time.

Soccer in the USA

                

 

Soccer is one of the most popular and loved game and sport worldwide. It is one of those games that has the biggest audience of fans both who play it and support it. However this is not so true for the whole world. For example, the United States of America are not that crazy about it, Americans are more fond of American football.

Soccer, or football (or foosball or football), as it is called by the rest of the world outside the United States, is surely the most popular sport in the world. Every four years, the world championship of soccer, the World Cup, is watched by literally billions all over the world, beating out the United States professional football's Super bowl by far. It is estimated that 1.7 billion television viewers watched the World Cup final between France and Brazil in July of 1998. And it is also a genuine world championship, involving teams from 32 countries in the final rounds, unlike the much more parochial and misnamed World Series in American baseball (that doesn't even involve Japan or Cuba, two baseball hotbeds). But although soccer has become an important sport in the American sports scene, it will never make inroads into the hearts and markets of American sports the way that football, basketball, hockey, baseball, and even tennis and golf have done. There are many reasons for this.

Recently the New England Revolution beat the Tampa Bay Mutiny in a game played during a horrid rainstorm. Nearly 5000 fans showed up, which shows that soccer is, indeed, popular in the United States. However, the story of the game was buried near the back of the newspaper's sports section, and there was certainly no television coverage. In fact, the biggest reason for soccer's failure as a mass appeal sport in the United States is that it doesn't conform easily to the demands of television. Basketball succeeds enormously in America because it regularly schedules what it calls "television time-outs" as well as the time-outs that the teams themselves call to re-group, not to mention half-times and, on the professional level, quarter breaks. Those time-outs in the action are ideally made for television commercials. And television coverage is the lifeblood of American sports. College basketball lives for a game scheduled on CBS or ESPN (highly recruited high school players are more likely to go to a team that regularly gets national television exposure), and we could even say that television coverage has dictated the pace and feel of American football. Anyone who has attended a live football game knows how commercial time-outs slow the game and sometimes, at its most exciting moments, disrupt the flow of events. There is no serious objection, however, because without television, football knows that it simply would not remain in the homes and hearts of Americans. Also, without those advertising dollars, the teams could not afford the sky-high salaries of their high-priced superstars.

Mary Anne Winslow is a member of Essay Writing Service counselling department team and a dissertation writing consultant. Contact her to get free counselling on custom essay writing

Just Play Beach Soccer

                

 

One friend of mine asked me recently why all men are crazy about playing football or what is known in United States as soccer. I am sick of explaining things that you can only understand based on personal experience. But although I managed to provide her with a luminous answer, she came back stating yet another question. "Is it different to play soccer on the grass than to play it on the beach?" That was a good one. "Of course it is different," I replied. Beach soccer, as you can tell by its name, is a sport played on the beaches; preferably during spring or summer time. Although it has been played informally for decades, it was given its official name and rules only recently and specifically in 1992. Since then it managed to become a rather popular sport and I believe that if you really want to learn something about soccer you should better start playing it on the beach.

Playing soccer on the beach is considered by many fans as the paradise of the apprentice. The soft-sand playing surface can correct some usual mistakes for a beginner, as the ball often stacks on it. Actually, the element of sand does only facilitate the efforts of new players, but it is considered a heavy obstacle even for those experienced ones that wish to show off their abilities. Plus the compact pitch -measuring 28 x 37 meters if there is an official beach soccer facility- is by far smaller than the grass field and makes scoring easier, even for players who decide to try it for the first time.

A great advantage of beach soccer is the fact that one needs no special equipment to play it. An adequate size ball and the sand of the beach are more than enough for one to begin exploring this game's unique character. Even when no organized facility on the beach exists, those interested to play beach soccer need only two canes to symbolize the area of a goalpost. Canes or just a pile of clothes are preferable in comparison to heavy stones or even huge blocks of rocks, which can be very dangerous for feet injuries, as shoes are not allowed in this game. Thus, if you are on a sandy beach, it is a sunny day, and you have nine friends willing to join you, you can start playing beach soccer. When you do experience it, let me know if you liked it. Most importantly, let your girlfriend know!

When I finished my lecture about beach soccer my friend seemed excited. "I will play it every single weekend," she said. But before you ask yourselves how much time should you invest in practicing this sport, before you can consider yourselves good soccer players, try playing it for awhile. Since you cannot play beach soccer all year around, unless you move to California or Florida every time you have a beach soccer need, you have to exercise your soccer playing abilities on the actual lawn ground. Believe me when I tell you that it is not that easy there too!

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Outdoors, Recreation, and Fitness

Make good use of soccer tipster services

                

 

The key to winning a wager is to lay the wager correctly. In order to do this, there is a lot you need to keep track of; for example you need to be aware of the positions of the various teams in the points table, the leading players, their current form, goal difference, and most importantly how and why the odds fluctuate in a given competition. It can get tough for the average working Joe to keep track of every little factor that can potentially decide whether you hit jackpot or get disappointed. Most people are recreational punters; even the serious bettors do so because of the pleasure that the activity provides.

Granted, winning is a big high but if preparing for a win is like you were going to give an entrance exam, then it can be a bit of a spoiler. This is where soccer tipster services come in. Soccer tipster services are provided by online betting sites and gambling portals. You can visit these sites to gather tips on whom to bet on and whom to give a wide berth. It's a great way to gain information on what others feel about a team or a player and the best part is that these tips are free. Of course, there are bound to be differences in opinion and the weight given by different tipsters to different teams will vary; however even this has a positive, you can gather tips and arrive at your own conclusion based on them. Over a period of time, this practice of reading tips and co-relating them to the reality of the game can develop into a useful skill that will stand you in good stead as you progress and grow as a skillful punter.

The manner in which the tips are arrived at is both objective and subjective; skilled tipsters offer their tips based on their observations and at the same time the websites use complex algorithms to arrive at a tip. These algorithms factor in various aspects such as the current form of a team, goals scored - for and against, leading players, etc. More weight is accorded to an away win as against a home win. The tremendous amount of historical data available also makes it possible to draw trends and forecast based on them by making use of statistical tools.

If you fancy yourself as a punter you too can try your hand at providing tips. Your tips will be published at an online betting site or you can even set up your own site. You could stand to make some good money, especially if you have access to insider information and you can offer insider tips. As more and more people benefit from your tips, they will frequent your website more regularly; which can lead to advertising revenue. So whether you're a Bundesliga fan or your follow the English Premier League, you can beat the bookmaker and make the most of your bets, all you need to do is to make good use of the soccer tipster services provided online and at the same time use some of your own understanding of the game.

Florian Koerner runs a popular free online football betting tips website.Visit SoccerBetting.info every week or subscribe to his free soccer betting tips by email.

Watch live soccer games with a single click!

                

 

Nowadays, due to the improvements of technology and the development of the Internet everyone can watch live football from a comfortable seat at home, and all this without paying expensive cable or satellite fees.

Now you can watch premiership games, champions league soccer, cup matches live, al broadcasted on the Internet, sometimes free and sometimes after paying a small fee. You can enjoy many quality football matches easier then ever. And don't think that you have to buy some extra hardware or anything because all you need is an Internet connection, but it has to be a broadband connection if you want the live football stream to have a high quality.

How can you do this? Almost every soccer match that is taking place somewhere in the world is broadcasted through a live football stream that you can access from anywhere and furthermore most of the matches come with an English commentary.

If your Internet connection's speed is high enough then the live transmission of the game will be uniinterupted, but this and the quality depends on how busy the server is.

There are many websites that are broadcasting live soccer streams and most of these provide high-quality streams and they have more links to choose from because only one would make the line too busy.

You also need a player that supports live streaming if you wish to watch live football games. The most common players are RealPlayer, MediaPlayer and WinAmp. The websites that provide soccer streams have a list with all the games taking place at the moment and all you need to do is click on the game and the player will open and you can watch it. As simple as that!

So whenever there's a major football event you know that it's certainly broadcasted somewhere on the Internet and you can watch everything and you only pay a few dollars!

For more information about Live Soccer or Premiership Feeds we are recomending this link

Why Coach Soccer? How to have fun doing it.

                

 

Warren Buffet might not know soccer, but when he said, "Tell me your heroes and I'll tell you how your life will end up", he was onto something.

When it comes to coaching, everyone wants a say but few are willing to turn their words into action and take a team even under 8s which is where yours truly started.

How can You enjoy coaching soccer? Let me count the ways:


1. Coach your kids and you get to spend more time with them at something you can help them have fun at AND enjoy mastering new skills.

2. Coaching young people of any age gives you the opportunity to have a massive and important influence on the future of your community and country! This is not just talk. Ask any adult who has played sport for a while and there is a good chance the had great people who were their coaches.

3. You will be remembered for all the right reasons and kids will copy your example. There are no less than 3 great coaches I remember until I left town at 17. Mr Nicolas (Fatherly man who really cared and It was much appreciate) Mr Edgar (fantastic accent I still havent mastered but he was fair and encouraging), and lastly Bobby Feed the Bear Mutter (A burly Scotsman whose belief in me propelled my confidence sky high, I can still hear him call, Whos the boss Richard? Show him whos the boss!

4. You get to develop skills in something you have a passion for and coaching soccer skills is full of challenge and rewards.

5. Get a life! No longer wandering the streets looking for something or sitting in front of the TV, rock up to your local soccer club or school and Im sure there will be opportunities to add a new dimension to your life and the lives of others.

6. Build contacts in your community and neighborhood. If you coach kids they have parents and they have lives too that may provide a way to help you with something in your life.

7. Leadership, responsibility, and commitment all have their own rewards and these are abundant when you coach soccer.

8. If you are a player in a club you get praise from members in the club, you get on the in with the other coaches in case you wanted to advance a career in this way, and you get some equipment to use whenever you want to improve your own game.

9. It will add to your attractiveness to employers as coaching soccer or any sport, shows the attributes above. These are easily re-worded to suit the job type. E.g. Active Member of my Community. It shows commitment, reliability, purpose, and that you can get out of bed in the morning.

10. Personal satisfaction. Winning your competition, one game, or having kept a bunch of people happy and off the streets. Plus you are involved doing what you love, Soccer (sport).

I once coached soccer at a local high school and these young boys (11 and 12 yrs) came to class with short black pen marked on the top of their wrists and hands What is that for?, I asked, Were Mr. Kerr-Bell they said! Never under estimate your power.

There are many coaching videos, courses (often run by your local Soccer Club), books and other coaches to help you. A good way to start is to support the coach, be a manager, or gear minder person and learn that way. Showing up to practices to help is also useful.

Coaching soccer is a full on commitment that reflects everything the Real Madrids and Manchester United coaches experience (except the money and chance off being replaced if you lose!)


So enjoy the rush of excitement and adrenaline that coaching gives on matchday

(PS. Look up soccer club directory online in the search box or thumb through your phonebook to find a club near you.)


Get out there coaching soccer and make a difference and remember, if you are there for the game or kids... you have already won.

By Richard Kerr-Bell

richlife@xtra.co.nz

www.training-soccer-expert.com

Warren Buffet might not know soccer, but when he said, "Tell me your heroes and I'll tell you how your life will end up", he was onto something.

When it comes to coaching, everyone wants a say but few are willing to turn their words into action and take a team even under 8s which is where yours truly started.

How can You enjoy coaching soccer? Let me count the ways:


1. Coach your kids and you get to spend more time with them at something you can help them have fun at AND enjoy mastering new skills.

2. Coaching young people of any age gives you the opportunity to have a massive and important influence on the future of your community and country! This is not just talk. Ask any adult who has played sport for a while and there is a good chance the had great people who were their coaches.

3. You will be remembered for all the right reasons and kids will copy your example. There are no less than 3 great coaches I remember until I left town at 17. Mr Nicolas (Fatherly man who really cared and It was much appreciate) Mr Edgar (fantastic accent I still havent mastered but he was fair and encouraging), and lastly Bobby Feed the Bear Mutter (A burly Scotsman whose belief in me propelled my confidence sky high, I can still hear him call, Whos the boss Richard? Show him whos the boss!

4. You get to develop skills in something you have a passion for and coaching soccer skills is full of challenge and rewards.

5. Get a life! No longer wandering the streets looking for something or sitting in front of the TV, rock up to your local soccer club or school and Im sure there will be opportunities to add a new dimension to your life and the lives of others.

6. Build contacts in your community and neighborhood. If you coach kids they have parents and they have lives too that may provide a way to help you with something in your life.

7. Leadership, responsibility, and commitment all have their own rewards and these are abundant when you coach soccer.

8. If you are a player in a club you get praise from members in the club, you get on the in with the other coaches in case you wanted to advance a career in this way, and you get some equipment to use whenever you want to improve your own game.

9. It will add to your attractiveness to employers as coaching soccer or any sport, shows the attributes above. These are easily re-worded to suit the job type. E.g. Active Member of my Community. It shows commitment, reliability, purpose, and that you can get out of bed in the morning.

10. Personal satisfaction. Winning your competition, one game, or having kept a bunch of people happy and off the streets. Plus you are involved doing what you love, Soccer (sport).

I once coached soccer at a local high school and these young boys (11 and 12 yrs) came to class with short black pen marked on the top of their wrists and hands What is that for?, I asked, Were Mr. Kerr-Bell they said! Never under estimate your power.

There are many coaching videos, courses (often run by your local Soccer Club), books and other coaches to help you. A good way to start is to support the coach, be a manager, or gear minder person and learn that way. Showing up to practices to help is also useful.

Coaching soccer is a full on commitment that reflects everything the Real Madrids and Manchester United coaches experience (except the money and chance off being replaced if you lose!)


So enjoy the rush of excitement and adrenaline that coaching gives on matchday

(PS. Look up soccer club directory online in the search box or thumb through your phonebook to find a club near you.)


Get out there coaching soccer and make a difference and remember, if you are there for the game or kids... you have already won.

By Richard Kerr-Bell

richlife@xtra.co.nz

www.training-soccer-expert.com

Richard coaches elite soccer players at the Otago Polytechnics Academy of Sport and takes statistics for the National Soccer League Team Otago United in The NZFC. He is passionate about soccer and people.