Rec Soccer for Training the Young Ones

You may wonder how these little kids end up to be pretty good soccer players!  You’ll note if you go to one of these games early Saturday mornings, that each team has three or more coaches, who throughout the game are teaching them how to set up their offense and defense, where they’re supposed to play, and what to do when the ball comes at them.

When our kids were little many, many years ago, we called Soccer at this age “bunch ball.”  While it still tends to go that way after a while, I have to say these coaches deserve a lot of credit for not only donating their time and teaching them to play, but for their seemingly endless amount of patience with the kids.

Learning to throw in takes some practice.  They have to throw the ball in, without lifting their feet while throwing the ball.  For the older kids that usually means getting a running start and dragging the back foot on the ground while using upper body to power the ball in.  At this age, they just have to learn to throw without lifting feet.

Today’s game was fun to watch.  We’re nearing the end of the season, and the kids are starting to know whether they’re playing defense or offense, and they’re looking pretty good!

They don’t keep score at this age, though they do when they’re older.  Once they are old enough so they can keep track of who scored what, you’re probably not going to stop them.  I don’t know who won this game.  This is basic skill teaching.   Not even the parents put much stock in counting the goals, we just get excited when one of ours scores!  🙂

Thank you coaches.

Because of you guys many of us will be racing to travel soccer games who knows where, or to Regional games in a few short years, proudly cheering for our kids and grandchildren.

And look!  There are only three kids after that ball!  🙂