Coaching Your First Youth Soccer Team - Three Secrets to Success

Success Secret #1: Get the Rule Book

Success Secret #2: Get the league practice and game schedules

Success Secret #3: Have a Parent Meeting

Get the Rule Book: Even if you're a fan of the game and believe you know and understand it, get the rule book from the league when you accept a coaching position. Youth sports often have different rules than High School, College, or Pro leagues. The rules will change by age group and division. Knowing how long the game periods last, how many timeouts you have (if any), and any mandatory playing time rules before the season begins will allow you to plan properly for your games.

*** Bonus Tip: Set your player rotation before you go to the game. Setting it up ahead of time allows you to plan your lineup, making sure that you meet all mandatory playing time rules. It also allows you to focus more on the game instead of wondering if Johnny or Susie has all of their time in.

Get the league practice and game schedules: You may have some latitude in scheduling practices but there will be scheduled times when you are scheduled to practice at the field. You often have to ask for the practice schedule. It is up to you, your team, and the parents if you want to have practices over and above the practices scheduled by the league. If you do, you're usually on your own to find an open field.

Have a Parent/Player Meeting before the season starts: Parent meetings are the most important step you can take to have a successful season. Establishing the rules and behavior expectations prior to the first practice of the season is essential. This is the time when you review team rules, pass our practice and game schedules, solicit volunteers, and ask the parent if there is anything special you need to know about their kids - Attention Deficit Disorder; Asthma; Needs Glasses; Known Allergies; etc. Trust me, you'll save yourself and your players a lot of grief if you find out the special circumstances ahead of time.

Other things to discuss:

Recruit Volunteers for the following positions:

1. Team Mom or Dad - the person who coordinates collections on fundraisers, concession stand and game day snack assignments, picture day, and other miscellaneous administrative type duties

2. Score/Stats Keepers - people who may not want to help coach but who come to the games can keep score and maintain stats for you in the stands

3. Coaching Assistants - you generally need at least one assistant, but if you can get a couple, I'd recommend it. Having extra coaches means help with running great practices and games

Discuss your objectives for the season. For example:

1. Develop the skills required to play the game

2. Have fun

3. Develop teamwork and sportsmanship

4. Give positive reinforcement based on effort rather than results

Describe your expectations of the parents. For example:

1. Be on time for practices and games

2. Volunteer when your schedule allows

3. Get involved and help your child work on their skills at home

4. Encourage good sportsmanship. Be an example by showing positive support for all players, coaches, and officials at every game and practice. Please cheer for your child during games, but try to keep from yelling instructions to them. Much of the fun is lost if their Mom or Dad is always yelling instructions.

5. Let the coach know if you or your child has any issues or concerns as soon as they arise. Problems can usually be fixed very easily if I know about them.

*** Bonus Tip: Hold your Parent/Player Meeting prior to the first practice, and away from the field. I like to use my local public library, which has meeting rooms that are free or very inexpensive to use. Having the meeting in this type of setting will allow you to hold your parent and player attention easier than competing with soccer balls, goals, and whatever else may be going on.

Implementing the secrets listed above will almost certainly assure you a successful season.

Good Luck!

Ric Reeder is the co-author of First Time Coach ? Soccer, First Time Coach ? Basketball, and First Time Coach ? Baseball. Ric coached youth soccer for eight years at the recreation and competitive levels, and is a former Director of Coaching for Madison United Soccer Association in Richmond, KY. He also coached basketball at three different levels: youth, AAU, and middle school, and coached baseball in the local Little League. Please visit http://firsttimecoach.com for more information on successfully coaching youth sports for the first time.

First Touch The Most Important Skill in Soccer

In Soccer, control of the ball is of great importance skills to every level and any type of player. The ability to control an awkward bouncing ball quickly and effectively gives the player with the ball the immediate advantage. This called "First touch" and is often the critical difference between success and failure in most situations during the match.

As players get older, the game gets faster, and demands more speed. At this level, there is a greater need for first-time passes and a precise first touch on the ball. Often, players cannot always play a first-time ball; therefore, they must trap the ball, or may have to dribble if no teammates are in position to receive a first-time pass. Time and space go hand-in-hand in soccer. The less time a player takes to do something, the more time they will have to take advantage of it. Typically when controlling a ball, a player will do one of three things after controlling the ball: shield the ball by putting their body between the ball and the opponent, pass (or shoot) the ball; or they will dribble the ball. The space and time they have to do these things will depend on how good the player?s first touch is when receiving the ball.

Players MUST develop a feel for the ball. it's means touch, and a fine touch requires a player to be comfortable touching the ball with all parts of the foot. Players must practice controlling balls on the ground as well as balls out of the air. Remember, that good control is the ability to take the ball with one touch in such a way that you can play the ball with your next movement without having to chase or reach for it. The ability to control the ball with the feet is a basic element of soccer. A good touch is very instinctive to some players, but harder for others.

To learn more about playing football please visit http://soccerboots.blogspot.com. You can find more about football training and playing tips.

Oman's Chances At The Soccer Gulf Cup - Abu Dhabi

The much awaited soccer Gulf Cup in Abu Dhabi, UAE will commence on the 17th of January, 2007. The opening match will feature the biggest rivals in the region, the Sultanate of Oman and the host country, the United Arab Emirates.

The setting for this gulf cup has been pretty much identical to the 2004 one in Qatar in which 8 countries have been divided into 2 groups. Oman has been fixed in group A that also includes the UAE, Yemen and Kuwait.

At first glance, it looks like the Sultanate of Oman has finally managed to evade the group of death and has, this time around, fallen into the easier group out of the two. That being said, it is now faced with a very difficult task of battling it out with the host country in the opening match of the tournament.

In a recent survey on SoccerBlaze!, 66% of the participants voted that the Sultanate would acquire either third or fourth berth. 27% responded that Oman will exit from the group stages and 5% said that it will reach the final match, which will be a repeat of 2004. Let us have a closer look at group A and analyse our chances of success.

Sultanate of Oman's Preparations

Our preparation for the Gulf Cup started (or should have started) after the match against UAE in the Asian Cup qualifiers. We lost 0-3 to Jordan in Amman in the qualifiers and 2-0 to a youth Iraqi team and 1-0 in the Asian Games in Doha. I am sorry, I couldn't resist being sarcastic. Our beloved coach Milan Macala has set up a training camp in Qatar which, according to officials, includes a match against the Qatari national team.

United Arab Emirates soccer team

Just like Oman, UAE has never won the Gulf Cup. They however have the home advantage this time and an excellent coach, who also happens to be the one that performed wonders with Senegal leading them to the quarter finals of the 2002 World Cup, Bruno Metsu. With these factors in mind, the UAE seems to have a more than decent chance of qualification to the knockout stages of the competition.

Sultanate of Oman's last two encounters with the UAE were in the Asian Cup qualification rounds. Oman lost 1-0 away from home in UAE but then redeemed the loss with a 2-1 win in Muscat. It is worth mentioning that the UAE's performance has declined considerably since 2004. The Sultanate has a decent chance of beating the UAE but my vote unfortunately goes to the Emirates as I believe the opening match, home advantage and the crowd will all work in the favour of the UAE and prove to be too overwhelming for Oman.

Kuwait soccer team

On the 20th of January, Oman will meet Kuwait, in a repeat of the opening match of the Gulf Cup in Kuwait in 2003. Kuwait are the competition's record title winners with 9 titles in their pockets, winning 7 out of the first 10 Gulf Cups. Kuwait has however slipped out of contention in the last few years and most recently by failing to qualify to the Asian Cup in 2007, losing out to Australia and Bahrain. Football in Kuwait seems to be in its worse ever state and calling it a crisis would not be an exaggeration.

I believe Oman has the capacity to beat Kuwait and I hope that they do. I also believe that Kuwait will come into this match with 3 points already in hand following its match against Yemen. Therefore, anything but a win against Kuwait means the end of our venture in Abu Dhabi.

Yemen soccer team

Yemen is the weakest team in the region and have played only 2 Gulf Cup tournaments to date. Their best two results in the competition were a draw against Bahrain and a draw against, yes you guessed it right, the Sultanate of Oman. Throwing Yemen into the mix up does however cause one or two problems to the other teams in the group if it managed to pull out shocking results like the ones against Oman and Bahrain, respectively.

Summary

I am sorry but I just can't think of Oman as the winners of the Gulf Cup and I think you can excuse me for not comprehending this fact being an Omani that is used to the first place backwards. However, I believe Oman can make it to the knockout stages and ultimately to the third versus fourth match. Once again this is all dependent upon which Oman side shows up in Abu Dhabi, is it the side that were runner ups in Qatar in 2004? Or is it the side that was and easy prey for Jordan, Iraq and China in 2006?

Saied Mohammed is the owner and co-founder of SoccerBlaze.com, a privately owned Football/Soccer Blog with emphasis on football news, articles and discussions from the Sultanate of Oman.

We are constantly looking for more members and posters so please jump in, join us and share your views at the first Omani football / soccer blog

Soccer Betting

Soccer (also called Futbol or European Football) betting is very popular in many parts of the world. In fact, the only place that it's not is the United States. The game of soccer can be claimed as the world's true sport, but the United States does not enjoy soccer anywhere near as much as other parts of the globe. As with any other game, it's important to know the game before you put down your cash. Thanks to the Internet keeping up with teams and getting information on foreign teams is a snap. You can find some wild money lines in soccer.

If you are brand spanking new to soccer betting, you are in for a treat--and possibly a headache. One thing that's both good and bad is the number of leagues around the world. It's good because there is plenty of soccer action to wager on, but it can be overwhelming at the same time. It's recommended that you start by focusing on the soccer league(s) in your region or a region that interests you. This will allow you to become an expert in that area and you will do much better. Once you get the hang of it, you can expand your horizons if you want.

To win more money and more consistently you will need to know how a soccer game works--at least to some degree. The more you know about soccer and the more you understand the flow, the better off you will be. This task can be accomplished quickly be browsing some Internet websites and reading the data they offer. While you are searching around, look for pages on some of the teams you might be betting on. Specifically, look for any information on how they play the game and anything about their scoring and defense.

The main question is about money. Can you make real money betting on soccer? The quick answer is yes. Soccer presents some great opportunities for the informed sports bettor. When you place a bet on a soccer match, you bet on the winner outright. There is no point spread--although some sports books do proposition bets with goals. You can also bet on the match ending in a draw, which happens semi-frequently. Betting on the draw usually results in a nice payoff if it comes in. Many draws will be +200 or higher.

The lines in soccer matches are usually pretty interesting. Matches that feature teams who are close in talent have plus-money lines, which is different from other sports. For example, you might have the favorite being a +125 and the underdog being a +175. No matter whom you choose, you are getting value for your money. Even if you are not experienced with soccer betting or soccer in general, it can sometimes be easy to spot the big favorite. Teams that are overwhelmingly dominant in a match might be -500 favorites. Obviously, there's no value here and smart sports bettors should stay away from such matches.

Here's an example betting line.

West Ham United +120 Bolton Wanderers +175 Draw +225

As you can see, there's value in all three wagers and the line is easy to interpret. It's important to note that typically, after 90 minutes of play, the game is final. The sports book might not take Overtime, the Golden Goal rule and penalty kicks (outside of regulation) into consideration.

Overall, soccer betting is definitely something sports bettors should look into. The game gives sports bettors great value for their money and there is plenty of action to go around. If you have not tried betting on soccer yet, give it a look. You just might find your new moneymaker.

Sebastien Veilleux is the founder of AdvantageSportsBetting.com. He's a sports betting expert. Advantage Sports Betting features horse wagering and sports betting.

World Cup Soccer: Football that unites the world.

In every sporting event one can invariably find a player, a team, a nation, poised to become the next memorable story - a story that will survive the test of time and go down in history. The FIFA World Cup is unique, in that, every country can qualify. It is the only tournament that can unite the world with its common passion for the sport. It is a tournament where everyone celebrates, dances, and rejoices in the streets of their capitals, exulting in the spectacular feats of their players, their teams and their nation. But what makes the World Cup particularly extraordinary is the national pride that it inspires, especially for the first time qualifiers. Since the first tentative World Cup in Uruguay in 1930, World Cup history was not only about the winner or winning the title, but about the stories. World Cup history resonates with the back-stories that echo through time - of players, teams and nations that surprised the world by achieving the unexpected. From the poignant moments of the underdogs and the worlds Cinderella teams, to the birth of legends and the brilliance of the football giants - the World Cup brings joy to every nation. It is about the stories of players, teams and nations taking it to the highest levels; the stories about emotions and pride that unites the world.

At 2006 FIFA World Cup, we welcome the heavy favorites - from the European continent and all the way to the South American continent. For these giants, winning is everything. In their spirit is held the promise of thrilling showdowns, individual feats of brilliance and the majestic harmony in motion of a team united in its quest for the world's most coveted prize in football. Will the European contenders - Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands, France, and England have the firepower to overcome the South American power forces from Brazil and Argentina, or will the world be dancing to the samba beat again this year?

What about the other European contenders, the lesser known South American teams, or the North American and Central American zone teams? Or better yet, the Australians? Let's not overlook the African continent! Will the trophy finally make its first trip south of the Mediterranean Sea? For that matter, even the Asian continent and their desire to bring Asian football to new international acclaim should be considered.

At the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, we hope to see these underdogs, long shots, and Cinderella teams. There is always something special about the underdogs for winning is not everything to them. Simply by qualifying to walk onto the world stage, they have realized their goals and sparked the hopes of their nation. Armed with this impossible hope, win or lose, they are there to defend their national pride, and valiantly defend it they will, sometimes to the very chagrin and amazement of disbelieving onlookers.

As football fans across all continents count down to the opening day of 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, BetUS Sportsbook has launched its 2006 World Cup betting portal for soccer betting enthusiasts around the world. What a day it shall be, June 9th 2006! What a month it shall be, until the truth will set us all free on July 9th 2006! The whole world will be looking to Germany from June to July, watching history in the making. There will be sorrow, there will be joy. There will be dreams crushed, there will be dreams made. There will be silence in the streets, there will be rejoicing and dancing in the streets. After all, this is the World Cup, the tournament of tournaments. So may the best national team win!

Natalie Aranda writes about sports and entertainment.

How To Teach Aggressive Soccer Play

Hustling, strong play is super important on both offense and defense. If your team does not get rough and play hard, you will nearly universally lose to a team that is a good deal more hard. When we refer to aggressive play, we mean getting into the game, not being fearsome of getting contact and "winning" the "50/50 balls", which are the easy balls that either team has an equal fortune of winning. It is rough to win these if you are fearful of contact. The most hard squad might typically "win" most of the 50/50 balls and might generally gain the match. It is decisive that your defenseive players be rugged and not fearsome of full contact. If a player is cowardly of bodily contact, you might spare several goals if you play him or her at Fullback or Sweeper. Any player who is cowardly of full contact is at a disadvantage. Ideally, you desire to Teach your players to not only be brave and unafraid of bodily contact, but also to move fast and be strong about moving to the ball and to gain open balls. This is usually not easy to Instruct. A few children are by nature cautious and most young youngsters have been instructed that boisterous or aggressive play is bad because someone can get wounded. We are often asked how coaches can Instruct players to be more hard. We think that getting into the game and tough play are two of the most crucial affairs you can Instruct. Merely expressed, the players who get rough and play aggressively might have more gratification and enjoyment from playing than those who do not. Now, we are not talking about encouraging dirty, unsafe or unfair play, we are only talking about supporting players to hustle, be dauntless and do their best. Some of my favorite Fullbacks were small players who lacked skill, speed or much athletic ability, but they were hard and dauntless and would not back down from anybody. The following are A select few ideas for your circumstance and Practice Games that Teach hustling and tough play:

Instruct your players that it is safe to be dauntless, rugged and strong. One of the virtually all significant affairs you can do is to promote your players and congratulate them While they are brave and hard. Try to do so in a confirming way, such as: "Way to get rough Mary!" or, "gain the ball Matt, you can do it!" or, "Way to battle for the ball Tommy!" One idea that Soccer Coaches have had skillful luck with is to generate honors for tough, fearless play. For example, ask several of the moms to cut stars out of gold, silver or red iron on fabric and supply them to the players who play rugged. The players can iron the stars on their jersey sleeves. Or even, supply out small-scale iron on soccer ball patches Or anything you conceive your players will like. almost players enjoy to pull in these sorts of benefits.

Premium Drill Games That Teach getting into the game, Tackling and hard Play:

about all Drill Games involve contention and pressure. In these regards, Practice session games model real "match" circumstances and promote players to get rough and perform soccer actions under pressure at "game fastness". There are many Premium drill Games that Instruct hustling, aggressive play and how to "dispossess" the "onball attacker" of the ball First, attempt the "Shoulder Tackle and Strength On The Ball match." Shoulder tackling" and "strength on the ball are two super important matters to Teach. This match will get your players used to full contact and Teach them how to tough contend for the bal). Then, try out "Attack and Defend Ball Tag", "Across and Back Ball Tag", "Dribble Past defenders ", "Double Dare Attack and Defend", Dribble and Tag and Reverse", and "Sharks & Minnows". Two other games that can teach your players to be aggressive are "Defend The Goal & Clear match" and "Corner Kick Simulation" These 2 also teach Some other useful matters.

We powerfully advocate teaching Coaching Rules. It teaches your players how to position themselves to defend and win the ball on your opponent's throw ins, goal kicks and punts.

We also powerfully advocate you play the "Dribble Across A Square game" three times to begin every drill and call for each player his or her grade at the end of each game. This might let you supervise each player's progress. This is the single best game you can play. I assure you that your players may develop striking dribbling skills and outstanding field vision and field consciousness if you play this match a lot. It is not the almost fun match, and your players can sound off a little, however it is worth it. As your players see that the match is causing them to improve, they may not sound off about it. You may see spectacular improvement after four or 5 drills. Being able to dribble and shield the ball is critical. Your players will have a lot more self-confidence and will play with more enthusiasm if they realize they can dribble and protect the ball. One of the peachy items about the "Dribble Across A Square match" is that it is self teaching and playing the match teaches players how to control dribble, fastness dribble, shield the ball and twist.

In short it just makes sense to teach aggressive play and your squad will thank you for it.

Visit one of the most fact filled soccer resources on the web.

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