Coaching Soccer

In my daughter's blog she said "I think this must be why my Dad coached his kids' soccer teams--to give him an excuse to be the one yelling on the sidelines." 

I admit that I did keep up a steady stream of "helpful" coaching from the sidelines.  The reasons for coaching probably included the "yelling" part.  I think that if I was to coach another team of very young kids; I would encourage the kids to talk to each other on the field.  Young kids quite often keep talking and talking, but put them on a soccer field and they will not talk to each other.  In soccer other players can help their teammates by telling them that an opponent is coming up to them or that a teammate is open square, etc..

I also coached because I like sports and spending time with my kids.  I was introduced to soccer at a later age, it is a sport I probably could have been good at if I had started at a early age.  Running and thinking are a couple of my strong points.

Plus my kids were/are good at soccer.

To get back to the "yelling/coaching". I also believe that the kids on the field don't really hear us!


Coaching is not a natural way of life. Your victories and losses are too clear cut.-- Tommy Prothro



Make sure that team members know they are working with you, not for you.-- John Wooden


Leadership, like coaching, is fighting for the hearts and souls of men and getting them to believe in you.
-- Eddie Robinson


Coaching is a profession of love. You can't coach people unless you love them.-- Eddie Robinson



A successful coach needs a patient wife, loyal dog, and great quarterback - and not necessarily in that order.-- Bud Grant


I'd rather be a football coach. That way you can lose only 11 games a season. I lost 11 games in December alone!-- Abe Lemons



Overcoaching is the worst thing you can do to a player.-- Dean Smith



Either love your players or get out of coaching.-- Bobby Dodd


"The coach should be the absolute boss, but he still should maintain an open mind." -- Red Auerbach


Bad shooters are always open" -- Pete Carril



coach (n) 1 a horse-drawn carriage 2 a railroad car.

an athletic instructor or trainer.  • a tutor who gives private or specialized teaching.

ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (sense 1) : from French coche, from Hungarian kocsi (szekér) ‘(wagon) from Kocs,’ a town in Hungary

ORIGIN early 18th cent. (as a verb): figuratively from coach 1