So You Decided to Coach Club Soccer: Part II

This is your best opportunity to set the tone for the season. For some, this will be their first club practice and they will soon find out that club ball is different than recreation. Don't be a jerk! I would highly recommend going easy on the kids at their first practice.

They'll be nervous and you will be too, hopefully.

A good way to find out what kind of team you have early on is to allow the children to split up to play a game so you can observe their behavior. (Note: Avoid appointing two players as team captains; they'll just select their friends. It's better to count them off in twos so as to prevent the lesser players from turning on you and possibly crying. That of course would elicit a response from the mother. If you've read any part of this series in detail this is trouble you don't want.)

First practice

For the first game, if you have vests to differentiate between the teams, all the better. If you don't you can go shirts and skins, unless you have girls. In that case you may be in trouble. In that case go dark shirts and light shirts.

Take lots of notes either on paper or through a recorder. You may look strange doing this but you'll thank me later. Two things should become readily apparent to you: One, who likes to play in what area of the field; and two, who does not.

This is going to come in handy when during a game an irate parent comes over to you to ask you why their star Billy isn't playing center forward. That is what you should be focusing most of your time on, and that's pleasing the parents. Not!

In fact, it is a great idea to look at the game without looking at the parents. If you can build a wall between you and the parents I'd highly recommend it. Here in the sanctity of your being you will be able to see some tendencies of your new team.