Football Strategy, Training and Parenting - Leeuwin Naturaliste Soccer Association

Characteristics of six to ten year old soccer players

six to eight...the wonder years Attention span is a not at a "competitive" stage Inclined towards small group activities. Always in motion: scratching; blinking; jerking;…

Coaching at the game: junior soccer coaching style on match day

Soccer CultureThe essence of the soccer culture is that soccer is the "player's game". What this means is that, once the game is underway, the…

Coaching the swarm - a guide to teaching formations and positional 'sense'.

Most teams (and new coaches) are thrown into games after just a few practices - well before the coach has had any real chance to…

Corners

Well thought out corners are difficult situations for the opposition to defend against and often lead to goals being scored. The offensive tactics used in…

First season as a youth soccer coach

For the parent coach that's new to the game and coaching, the first two questions they usually ask are "What am I supposed to do…

Free Kicks

As with corners and throw-ins, free-kicks are a major source of goals at any level of the game. There are many reasons for this which…

Goalkeeping - Overall description

Quite often coaches wrestle with the question of when to encourage a player to specialize in the GK position. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer…

How to be a good referee

Above all else, be consistent. Nothing drives coaches, players, and fans into a rage faster than having a ref that doesn't make calls both ways.…

how to use small sided games in youth soccer coaching

4v4 can be misused as a tool. It is not just a matter of putting eight children on a small field and making some random…

Individual Technical and Tactical Issues for U-5’s and U-6’s

Coordination and Basic Motor SkillsVery young children (four and five year olds) are learning to coordinate and control their body movements and dynamic balance, and…

Introducing the concept of team work

Team work starts with two. If players cannot solve the simple problems they face with a partner they will not be able to function in…

Make your child a winner

I often hear the comment "Oh well it’s just a game!" I wonder? Playing on a soccer team can be an important experience in your…

Penalties, Kick-Offs & Goal Kicks

Likewise for defenders, there is a simple but effective rule to respect during penalty kicks. The fastest attackers should position themselves where the "D" line…

Possession

The usual possession exercises progress through some warm-ups involving takeovers and combination play through 4v2 all the way to 6v6 to goals. You can choose…

Principles of Attack

(Based on the USSF Coaching Schools) Soccer is a fluid game in which the player who has possession of the ball must always have several…

Principles of Defense

(Based on the USSF Coaching Schools) Good defending begins with an understanding of how the principles of defense are applied by both the individual player…

Referees

Rooball RefereesLNJSA have a great system of training and utilising our own Junior players (U14 to U17) to be referees for the home Rooball games.…

Set Plays

It is often mentioned that a large percentage of goals arise from "dead ball" situations. However, many teams do not devote the necessary time and…

Ten Commandments For Parents of Athletes

1. Make sure your children know that win or lose, scared or heroic, you love them, appreciate their efforts, and are not disappointed in them.…

The most important soccer skills to teach children

Soccer players need a lot of different skills, and it does not matter for most of these skills whether you teach Skill A or Skill…

The perfect parent

I suggest that you hand it out as part of your welcome pack to new parents, at pre-season meetings or whenever you have a problem…

The trials and tribulations of a footy ref

Background: This is my first season as a 'roped-in' parent acting as assistant to our U7s manager for training sessions. As the manager is required…

Throw Ins

Players often lose their concentration when the ball is cleared out for a throw-in. Defenders may feel their job is done and it is at…

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