Anyone run a youth team?

...looks like I will soon be running an under-8s team, just wondered if anyone else has done something similar and had any good advice,tips etc

...looks like I will soon be running an under-8s team, just wondered if anyone else has done something similar and had any good advice,tips etc

Yes. Did it for a good few years and I'm involved with my nippers U9 side now.

Prepare to give up your weekends and be unpopular with the "soccer mums" when you don't pick/sub their darling boy.

...looks like I will soon be running an under-8s team, just wondered if anyone else has done something similar and had any good advice,tips etc

I ran an U13 team last season with a lot of help from a well qualified coach. Best tips are to encourage the kids constantly. Stick to simple instructions. Vary the training as much as you can and keep them all involved all the time. That bit isn't always easy when you want to focus on a particular discipline, but it's much worse to construct a training activity that excludes some of the kids. With U8's you probably won't be doing any tactical stuff, just getting them to pass the ball will be enough of a challenge. Lastly - let them play a match iin every training session - it's pretty much what my lot want to do for the entire session, but I have to try to get in some techniquie training as well.

The first task is to decide if you just want the kids to learn to play, and give them all time, or do you want to produce a "winning" team. Either way you will lose players, and as View From The Top says, you can't win.

Oh, and your phone bill will rise exponentially.

But seriously, make sure they have a good coach to teach them how to play, understand the game, and most importantly enjoy the game. This way they will thank you in 10 years time!

Running a kids team in Southsea you will probaly need a good stab-proof vest.

HTH

Coached my under 14s since under 7s. My advice - dont do it if you want praise. Get someone to deal with the parents. Include your other half as much as you can. Dont think you can tell a kids ability at 8 years old. some of my best players now could hardly kick a ball at 8. Have fun.

Sort out the dad who thinks it's his job to shout out orders/tactics to the whole team.

Surely the first thing in all serious is to have a CRB check done in case a problem parent says something. Also emergency first aid

Sort out the dad who thinks it's his job to shout out orders/tactics to the whole team.

This. If you are coaching yourself make it clear to parents straight away that the only coaching comes from you. Encouragement and support is fine and should be actively encouraged, but no telling the kids what to do.

You will probably need to do a child protection course, if you haven't already, and get a CRB as has already been mentioned. THe clubs Child Protection Officer should be able to sort that for you.

ran sides from under 9 to under 15, twice, now serve on main committe at Warsash Wasps, looking after all Saturday fixtures from under 11 to adult sides

Last year I became an assistant manager for a newly formed under 7's team.

Do the FA Level one coaching course as this gives you a good grounding. They do this at Portsmouth college in the evenings over a number of weeks, or at the navy sports ground (HMS Temeraire) they do it all in a week- I took a week off work and did it there.

Make sure that there are 2 of you, a manager and an assistant. It is definately a 2 man job. Unless you get more coaches don't start with more than 10 kids.

At this age its about playing rather than winning and ensuring that the kids have fun. It can be hard work and frustrating, but incredibly rewarding when over the course of a season players who couldn't kick the ball, end the season scoring wonder goals.

Good luck.

I've run a team since I was 20. They were u11's then and now they are beginning youth level.

I'll echo the advice to do the FA level 1, a lot of it is common sense but it does give a lot of good tips for session layout and some training drills.

Aim to recruit a few of the more enthusiastic parents as assistants, aim for no more then 8 kids per adult.

You do need to be resilient and eassertive though, some parents can be arseholes and will think they should be the manager, often contradicting instructions you give if they feel it's best for their little treasure. Stay clear in your aims and beliefs regarding how the team should play and they soon back off, Hufton and RPB are bang on in their advice.

Be strong, plan things well and stand your ground. I wish you luck, it can be thankless but when you see your team play that one moment of beautiful, unstoppable football... it's the best feeling in the world.

I run a girls team here in Sweden for girls born 2000. Been doing that since 2006 - fun most of the time but as people have said in earlier posts - some parents are just crazy. Me and my mate that trains with me have most problems with mums screaming at us and asks why their daughter isnt playing as much as she wants.... so we now have rules for the parents - but some mums still acts like mad mens.

And remember that football should be fun - thats our main mission really - to make these girls love the game.

Good luck mate !

Thanks for all of the advice. The club is an FA charter standard club so it is pretty well organised and I'll be able to do my FA level 1 and get some help from the more organised guys. The one thing going against it is that the under 8s last year (when they were under 7s) had a crap coach so nearly all of the players who started a year ago left to join other teams.

I'm really looking forward to it but am a bit worried about getting the balance right between trying to get them to "play the right way" and being successful. My in-law (who's football opinions I rarely agree with) gave me the cliche advice of stick a big kid at the back who can welly it forward and a big kid up front who can shoot it hard but I don't want to play hoofball. I'd rather help them develop some skills than win through hoofball but at the same time I don't want them to get thrashed by teams that do adopt the hoofball style.

Haven't told them that I'm a Saint yet lol

I'm really looking forward to it but am a bit worried about getting the balance right between trying to get them to "play the right way" and being successful. My in-law (who's football opinions I rarely agree with) gave me the cliche advice of stick a big kid at the back who can welly it forward and a big kid up front who can shoot it hard but I don't want to play hoofball. I'd rather help them develop some skills than win through hoofball but at the same time I don't want them to get thrashed by teams that do adopt the hoofball style.

This is how coaching in this country is flawed.

You need to instill a winning mentality but there is too much focus on winning at all costs. Pick the big kids and the quick kids, ignore the skillfull luxuries.

They are kids... this is about teaching skills and keeping it fun. Do not set specific positions at this age just teach the basic skills. Keep the team rotated and when they get to 12 they should then start to become specialised. But even then keep training mixed up.

Too many clubs go for muscle, fitness and power and discard the smaller kids. If you want to really go for the skills buy yourself a book teaching 'Coever' coaching methods (the dutch system) it thinks outside of the box but is inspired.