It can be a truly thrilling event when your child comes home and tells you he or she wants to play a team sport like soccer. Certainly, it may mean some extra work on your part, driving the child to and from practice, going to games and all of that, but also it means that your son or daughter is about to embark on a very significant experience that will greatly affect the rest of their life. Sports can teach children how to work well with others in a team environment, how to strategize and how to coordinate their particular special talents with those of others around them.
Of course you will want your kid to have fun and be encouraged to keep going with the sport and there are a few things you can do to help with that. The first is to be involved without being overly obsessive. Pay attention to how they are acting; be ready to step back and allow them to attend practices without you if you notice that your presence is distracting them. Chances are you’ll still get your bonding time with them when they want to tell you all about what happened at practice afterwards.
Another thing to think about is how you react to the games or practices that you do watch. Letting your child or their friends see you yelling and swearing at a ref or at the team in general for a bad play will not help anybody.
Probably the most important thing that a parent, coach, or any other adult involved with the game experience can do is to make sure that all corrections or advice given to the child to help their game is done in a positive manner. Yelling at a kid because they don’t kick, trap or head the ball correctly will only serve to reduce their own self confidence in their abilities. Keep their minds as engaged as possible and they will gain more muscle control and continue to be interested in what they are doing.
If your son or daughter is not kicking, trapping or heading the ball properly, the best thing to do is show them the proper techniques during the next practice, or practice it with them on their own. Demonstrate how to kick, trap or head the ball, and tell them why it is important to do so; with positive reinforcement they will learn very quickly.
This website will give you more information: Soccer tips
Tags: football, kids soccer, soccer