I always tried to not make kicking around at home feel like an extension of practices. Meaning that I only corrected things/taught if I was asked.
Not coaching my kid this season. I'm a referee this season, so at practice I just help where needed. My youngest kid decided to sign up last minute so I let him take a much needed break from karate lessons and play soccer instead. grateful that the coach is there for reinforcement and to praise his effort. If it's just coming from me it might not mean as much.
My wife doesn't come to practices and games often, so it's been a month since she last saw my kid play. She thought she had mad big strides. I think we coaches and parents lose that luxury of not seeing our players for long stretches and don't notice the jumps in improvement.
So one of my fears is of becoming the overbearing dad that lives vicariously through their kids. I cringe at the parents who are overbearing and have no perspective. But envy the few whose kids are pushed. We know how most of those end up. Any insight on how to find the sweet spot? Right now we have a good working relationship and she loves the game, plays decently for her age. But can't help but believe that that next year, that next level is just right there if she just loved to train outside of practice. She doesn't hate it but she doesn't attack it with gusto. It's like homework-I have to prompt her to do it. Left to her devices she'd just do crafts or build with Legos or tinker toys all day. Maybe I just leave it alone? I got answers for days for other people's kids but I'm too close to this problem.
Have you seen him use any of his karate kicks to volley the ball is yet? Plus the first thing you learn in karate is how to fall safely. So that should help him as well. Encourage him to use some of the things he learned doing other things. One of the big things I learned from our football that could help him in life is too think a head.
I would encourage her to come along to games to enjoy him play, and then go out as a family. Kids like that as long as you don't yell out instructions to him in games. I think getting the grand parents to come to games can be a lot of fun for them as well. I love seeing my grand kids doing fun stuff. Plus you don't have to ever choice from them playing a game or see the grand parents your doing both at the same time.
Not every player is that self motivated. But that can change if he gets a lot better. Funny I have found my own kids I have 4 grown up children never did what I wanted them to do or wanted them to do. My foot doctor has 4 boy children. They all want to be foot doctors like that dad. I am amazed by that.
Your daughter is 8, right? I think the behavior you're describing is precisely what an 8 year old should be doing. That's way too early an age, IMO, to be all soccer all the time. Kids need to do other things, and play other sports. I think the big thing to do at this age is to encourage her love of the game and do whatever you can to make sure it stays fun for her. Relating to your earlier post about coaching during back yard play. I've struggled with this myself with my son. Again, I think it's important to separate play from practice. I do my best when we're in the yard to try to not coach him, unless he asks. So, whether we're kicking the soccer ball or playing catch or pitching wiffle balls, when we're in the yard *playing*, that's what it should be. I think you kind of caught on to this with the juggling thing.
I think you're right and I have to do a better job switching off. It's like I see incorrect technique and I immediately have to step in. But looking at it from her perspective—it wouldn't be much fun to be constantly corrected when you think you're just out there to hang out.
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