U12s have a new coach (me)

[AABestor]

hello all, I believe that I will be taking over a U12 team for the next season, due to the fact that the previous coach has gotten another job and will have to relocate.


this past year they moved into the premier league by winning the classic division. They then were knocked out of the premier league due to lack of pionts.

I have a clear goal I would like to accomplish: of getting them back into the premier division and keeping them there. This may be a bit of a reach to ask since you haven't seen them play, but I was looking for any suggustions on how this might be done? Besides talking to the previous coach, evaluating them and practice practice practice. The season starts in about three weeks and I'm not even sure if they've started practicing yet due to the coaching conflict.

to this date I've only coached low level kids of this age group, and high school soccer. This will be a new experience for me.

These are one the better teams at this age group and I'm not sure what expectations to place on them or what to teach them?
should I stick to techincal over tactical or since they are a higher talent are they ready for more?

any help from experience coaches at this level and age group would be great thanxs?

[goyoureddevils]

Three things to focus on right away:

Firstly, girls are far more social and emotional about the reasons why they play the game. As a good friend of mine said to me about his very successful girls program in Miliwaukee, "I can tell if we are going to have a winning season the moment I walk into the first practice by looking at how well they get along." Considering they have just gone through losing a coach and getting knocked back a division, you are gonna want to talk to them about team and family and what all of that means, but ultimately you are gonna have to give them free time to work through all of it. That means, for instance, give them a warm up routine that they can memorize from start to finish, put a couple of girls in charge of it, then walk away... let them talk and reconnect for about 15 minutes each practice. Anson Dorrance said at a seminar, "Boys have to be winning to be happy, girls have to be happy to be winning."

Secondly, find a local team, a tough one at your age group or near it, and schedule a scrimmage game right away. Let someone else coach the girls, what you need to do is be able to sit back and observe, look for strengths and weaknesses tactically and technically, then make notes. Those notes will become your blueprint for a successful season.

Thirdly, communicate with everybody! Make sure the parents and the players know what is expected of them, what you expect of yourself, and what you expect for and from the team's experience this year. If you hadn't noticed, girls talk alot more than we do, and if you aren't talking, they will fill in the blanks with their own words... yes that's right, they will start to assume this or that if you have not stated otherwise. Girls are big on security and knowing exactly where they stand, but not in the harsh and direct way we usually let boys know. That said, whatever you have left unsaid will definately be magnified in a young girl's imagination... and that is never a good thing. Don't handle them with kid gloves or anything, just remember that you must be very clear and very consise or they will read alot more into it.

[Val1]

Maybe I missed something, but how did you know that this was a girls' team, Red?

That's a good summary, though, of the differences between girls and boys. I coached all girls last year for the first time and it was by far the most enjoyable experience I've had.

You can also look here for lots of coaching ideas:
www.GrassRootsCoaching.com/forum

[efernandez9]

Maybe I missed something, but how did you know that this was a girls' team, Red?

That's a good summary, though, of the differences between girls and boys. I coached all girls last year for the first time and it was by far the most enjoyable experience I've had.

You can also look here for lots of coaching ideas:
www.GrassRootsCoaching.com/forum he had mention in his intro comment that he had only coached KIDS and low entry level at high school-

your link ask for registration at a different forum?