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The role that parents play in the life of a soccer player has a tremendous impact on their experience. With this in mind, we have take some time to write
down some helpful reminders for all of us as we approach the upcoming season. If you should have any questions about these thoughts, please feel free to
discuss it with us, the coaches.
- Let the Coaches Coach: Leave the coaching to the coaches. This includes motivating, psyching up your child for practice, after game critiquing, setting
goals, requiring additional training, etc. You have entrusted the care of your player to these coaches and they need to be free to do their job. If a player has
too many coaches, it is confusing for them and their performance usually declines.
- Support the Program: Get involved. Volunteer. Help out with fundraisers, car-pool; anything to support the program.
- Be Your Child’s Best Fan: Support your child unconditionally. Do not withdraw love when your child performs badly. Your child should never have to
perform to win your love.
- Support and Root for All Players on the Team: Foster teamwork. Your child’s teammates are not the enemy. When they are playing better than your
child, your child now has a wonderful opportunity to learn.
- Do Not Bribe or Offer Incentives: Your job is not to motivate. Leave this to the coaching staff. Bribes will distract your child from properly concentrating in
practice and game situations.
- Encourage Your Child to Talk With the Coaches: If your child is having difficulties in practice or games, or can’t make a practice, etc, encourage them to
speak directly to the coaches. This “responsibility taking” is a big part of becoming a big-time player. By handling the off-field tasks, your child is claiming
ownership of all aspects of the game– preparation for as well as playing the game.
- Understand and Display Appropriate Game Behavior: Remember, your child’s self esteem and game performance is at stake. Be supportive, cheer, be
appropriate. To perform to the best of their abilities, a player needs to focus on the parts of the game that they can control )their fitness, positioning,
decision making, skill, aggressiveness, what the game is presenting them). If they start focusing on what they can not control (the condition of the field,
the referee, the weather, the opponent, even the out of the game at times), they will not play up to their ability. If they hear a lot of people telling them what to
do, or yelling at the referee, it diverts their attention away from task at hand.
- Monitor Your Childs Stress Level at Home: Keep an eye on the player to make sure that they are handling stress effectively from the various activities in
their life.
- Monitor Eating and Sleeping Habits: Be sure your child is eating the proper foods and getting adequate rest.
- Help Your Child Keep Their Priorities Straight: Help your child maintain a focus on schoolwork, relationships and other things in life besides soccer.
Also, if your child has made a commitment to soccer, help him fulfill their obligation to the team.
- Reality Test: If your child has come off the field when the team has lost, but they had played their best, help them see this as a “win”. Remind them that
they are to focus on the process and not results. Their fun and satisfaction should be derived from “striving to win”.
- Keep Soccer in its Proper Perspective: Soccer should not be larger than life for you. If your child’s performance produces strong emotions in you,
suppress them. Remember your relationship will continue with your child long after their competitive soccer days are over. Keep your goals and needs
separate from your child's experience.
- Have Fun: That is what we will be trying to do! We will try to challenge your child to reach past their “comfort level” and improve themselves as a player,
and thus, a person. We will attempt to do this in an environment that is fun, yet challenging.
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