Getting the Gear

To play a winning game, your soccer player will need the right gear:

• Uniform in the team’s colors (Usually provided by your local soccer organization.)

• Shin Guards: Shin guards are worn on the lower leg. They come with a hard protective shield which is worn over the shin to prevent soccer ball bruises.
• To size your child for shin guards, measure the lower leg an inch below the kneecap stopping within an inch above the ankle. This measurement is the length that your child will need in shin guards. Try the shin guard on with a soccer sock to check comfort level and fit. Shin guards should never be worn during a game without a soccer sock. New shin guards run from $3 to $10 and come in a variety of colors and sizes

• Soccer Socks: Soccer socks are extra long and thick. They are sometimes worn under the shin guard on younger kids to prevent chafing.
• Soccer socks come in a choice of colors, styles and sizes. More expensive socks are made with microfibers specially designed to add extra support and keep feet dry during the heat of a game. Prices for one pair of youth soccer socks run from $3 to $7, while more expensive socks run from $7 to $18.

• Cleats: Cleats are special soccer shoes with spiky soles. The spikes provide more stability for running and making sharp turns. Cleats come in a variety of different sizes, styles and colors. Some cleats feature special designs, which manufacturers claim will help a child play a better game. When buying cleats, keep comfort and proper fit as the highest priorities. Prices for new cleats run from $15 to $60.

Quality soccer equipment does not have to be brand new. Many discount sporting good stores offer gently used equipment at a fraction of the cost. When buying used, look for quality and avoid cracked shin guards and broken spikes on cleats. Should your child change sports, gently used youth soccer equipment can be resold.

Playing It Safe

Safety during the game needs to begin at home. Have your child try on their equipment and practice running drills in the back yard. Make sure they are able to run and kick a ball comfortably with all the equipment on.

A nutritious meal or snack two to four hours before game time will give your soccer player the energy to keep going. Have them drink water before the game with frequent water breaks during the game to keep hydrated. Avoid super sugary snacks, soda pop and high concentrated energy drinks as they give a temporary, artificial feeling of energy. A nutritious snack during half time is a healthier way to keep the energy flowing.

Safety and sportsman like behavior go hand in hand. Parents should teach their child to play each position with sportsmanlike behavior. Competitiveness is important, but should never be taken to extremes. Promote good sportsmanship by encouraging your child to play effectively while maintaining their own field position. Encourage your child to listen carefully to instructions and support other teammates with positive encouragement. Having fun and developing new friendships will build memories to last a lifetime.

Coaching Your Child’s Team

Coaching your child’s soccer team can be a fun and rewarding experience. Most youth soccer organizations rely heavily on parent volunteers. Local soccer organizations usually provide a training meeting to teach basic rules of the game.

Volunteer coaches support the team by coaching practices, passing out equipment and maintaining team/parent communications. Volunteer parent coaches can make the experience fun by teaching teamwork and general soccer skills. Volunteer parent coaches can also help each boy or girl play soccer to the best of their ability. They can help players by teaching these four basic soccer positions:

· Goalkeeper: The goalkeeper defends the opposing team’s goal. The goalkeepers are the only players that can use their hands to pick up the ball and only in the goalie area. They are also the only player allowed to throw, roll, punt, or drop kick to put the ball back into play.

· Defender: Defenders, also referred to as fullbacks, play in front of the goalie and have two primary objectives: they defend and protect both the front and sides of the field. They also provide interference as the opposing team passes the ball. Fullbacks, positioned towards the front of the field, keep the rest of the team organized by encouraging other players to take their positions as the ball comes down the field.

· Midfielder: Midfielders line up between the fullbacks and forwards. Their objectives are to protect the middle of the field, recover the ball from the opposing team and support momentum toward a winning goal
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· Forward: Forwards play in front of midfielders and their primary objective is to score a goal. Ideal soccer plays involve organized teamwork where the ball is passed from fullbacks to midfielders, and on to forwards who get to try scoring a goal. Forwards are positioned near the center of the field in defensive action and then on offense must be able to run and kick the ball quickly down the field to the team’s goal. The fastest running players are often asked to be forwards.

Playing soccer will help your child build teamwork skills. Quality soccer gear, playing it safe and coaching your child’s team will go far in creating a memorable soccer experience for you and your child

For more information on coaching soccer drills and skills, check out these helpful links. To help your child enjoy playing soccer read our article Score Big with Youth Soccer

More information on Soccer gear and what is needed to play.
Soccer drills and skills designed especially for kids.
The basics of soccer for any Parent Coach who wants to learn more!

It’s important for young children to have a ball! Most children play sports for fun, and fun is largely what it’s all about. Learning a new skill, developing friendships and improving physical fitness is what every parent wants for their child. Parents should encourage young children to have fun and stick with their chosen sport. Starting a pre-school aged child in soccer can be tricky, but well worth the effort. Most young children enjoy kicking a ball and soccer is an easy sport for a three year old to participate in. Ron Preece, Program Manager for a Youth Recreation Center, states that “the season for three to four year olds is often called the watch season. We just want to get them kicking the ball and going in the right direction. Sometimes a child will start crying and whining. This in turn can lead to a frustrated parent.” Preece emphasizes the importance of parental encouragement. Help your child have fun and keep playing through the ups and downs of the game. Lay positive ground work for your child’s future sport experiences.

Three Important Concepts

Listening, learning, and participating are three important concepts of learning how to play soccer. Preece comments that, “From the ages of five to six, a child will grasp rules and concepts and the goal of actually getting the soccer ball into the goal.” Six and eight year olds have the option of moving on to more competitive soccer or continuing to play for recreational fun. As a child matures, more soccer drills can be introduced as well as more strategy. Volunteer coaches can assign positions and expect an older child to play a position with more aggressive skill. Defensive and offensive positions should be well defined in older age groups and a child should be able to understand the principal of sportsmanlike competition. “Nine and eleven year olds are really my favorite group to coach,” says Preece, “it’s because they have developed coordination and can really do a lot of different things.” Eleven to twelve year olds can focus on advanced technical skill with drills designed to improve every player’s game. Teenagers and young adults can continue to play competitively and participate in high school and city leagues. Soccer is a sport that a child can grow into as it has something for every age group.

Playing the Game

Knowing some basic rules about soccer can help a parent to offer instructive encouragement on the field and between games. The official soccer rules are often referred to as “Laws of the Game” and are revised annually by the FIFA, the organization that manages the soccer rules. The official rule book contains 17 sections and is over 70 pages long. That’s much too much information for a busy parent to absorb. A basic idea of how the game is played is all that is needed to help your child have fun and play a good game. Soccer is basically a hands free game. Players can kick the ball with their feet and even bounce it off their heads. An official soccer team usually consists of 7-11 players including a goalie. The goalie’s job is to defend the goal from any incoming kicks. The goalie is the only person on the team that is free to use their hands to block a kicked ball. Players kick the ball and try to get it into the other’s team goal while the goalie and other players guard the goal. Individual team positions include: Forwards, Fullbacks, Half-backs and Mid-Fielders. All are positioned on the field to guard the goal in a specific area. Many youth organizations adjust the rules based on the size of the field and how many players per team. For example; Preece’s recreational organization offers what they call “short sighted soccer” with 6 on 6 players and a season of seven games. Player Positions such as full back and half back are assigned by the volunteer coach. For more information on the official “Laws of the Game,” and other soccer information, be sure to check out the links below.

Playing soccer is so much more than just getting your child to and from the games. Ron Preece adds that “The number one reason to play sports and games is fun. It really is the influence of coaches and parents that take it to a different level.” Encouraging a child to have fun while learning to play soccer can help make the experience of a lifetime.

More information on the AYSO organization . Look for a local AYSO team in your area!

More information on the US Youth Soccer organization. Look for a local team in your area!

More on Soccer Rules and the official “Laws of the Game.”

Definitions of soccer terms made easy for parents!

Fun soccer coloring pages and activities to help a small child get excited about playing soccer!