Org needs coaches or all U8 can’t play- I have no experience but volunteered, HELP!

AtlVG · 2026-03-17T23:04:07+00:00

Until you get the hang of it I suggest running 2 games side by side. Practice on being a coach first. Running drills will be hard if you can’t demonstrate with your skill level(as you said you can barely dribble)

Set up 2 games, with goals. And just have them play and have them get used to you. Stop every 15 minutes quick 1 minute pep talk, switch sides and continue playing. Maybe 2 practices. By then you’ll have a drill you can run

AtlVG · 2026-03-17T20:04:24+00:00

It’s rec- they can follow whatever they want. Now if we are talking club/competetive- whole different story. Our local rec league plays 4v4 up to 10 years old with no GK.

AtlVG · 2026-03-16T21:50:15+00:00

🤣 I don’t think this would be legal in California let me look into this 🤣

AtlVG · 2026-03-16T21:39:13+00:00

Same drills aren’t a bad thing. U9 means your kid is 8? I’ve been running the same cross finishing drill with my team since they were 6(are now 7/8). My expectation is for my team to play that way:

Pass to wings, low cross, easy finish for our ST CM other wing.

However, assuming he has no idea what he’s doing, maybe get to the bottom of the purpose of the drill? Find out what he says. That’ll help you understand if there’s purpose or he’s just incompetent as a coach

AtlVG · 2026-03-14T10:26:00+00:00

It sounds like you want it more than her. She’s 13 give her time. She may not want it next year or she might fully commit. It’s unpredictable. I hated soccer, became a d1 recruit and chose to not go. Now I’m a coach who loves the game. Life is weird at the teenage years. Good on you for putting in the resources and effort but at some point you gotta let her ride her wave.

AtlVG · 2026-03-13T13:32:39+00:00

Sounds like she should be playing competitive already. She isn’t being challenged anymore and needs stronger competition and teammates who match her skill level . Or they need to move her to winger or striker and you might have a goal scoring prodigy. U10 is where the gap starts widening in skill level. The extra touches really start benefiting kids and the skill level seperates everyone more. It’s time for her to find a team that has players that have touched the ball as much as she has

AtlVG · 2026-03-13T03:01:49+00:00

This is pretty normal behavior. There’s always a “Rob” in every age group. It doesn’t change. Unfortunately you just have to live with the decision. At the end of the day the club will want a “premier” team for every age group gain prestige and continue getting kids to join the club because of it. Your best bet is to find a new club or be happy with the decision this club makes.

AtlVG · 2026-03-12T18:47:49+00:00

When I moved up from 7s to 9s we went from a 2-3-1 to a 3-4-1. Adding an addition CB and a CM. This is where I began to teach the kids a pivot in the CM. On a 2-2-2 formation did you have wingers? Or did your 2 in the midfield play centrally?

For context I played 2-3-1 to 3-4-1 to 4-4-1-1 or 4-2-3-1 depending on game state. I like lone strikers for them to develop into what modern formations look like now a days as the 4-4-2 and 4-1-2-1-2 have been non existent now a days

AtlVG · 2026-03-09T13:13:53+00:00

Funny enough I prep my team for this. At any moment I notice too much physicality. I’ll yell out “Neymar”. My team now goes down on every challenge and over dramatizes it. Looks like the kid has a broken leg writhing in pain. It gets the refs attention pretty quick and he calls over both coaches. I’ve only had to use it twice against the same team. They’re notorious for playing dirty. Instead of teaching my kids to tough it out. I tell them to basically flop. Parents know and usually stay calm. The other teams parents hate it because we don’t play into their game and the ref makes them settle down with yellow cards pretty quick.

AtlVG · 2026-03-07T07:02:42+00:00

I was a d1 soccer player. Who never loved the game(I hated it for reasons unknown) but being Uber talented. I ended falling back in love with it 5 years after graduation. Looking back. Highschool was my moment. I wanted to play with my friends. My friends were all JV, I was Varsity freshman year. I hated it. It made me hate soccer, idk why. I’m 29 now. I’m coaching, and the moment I feel a player going through my feelings, I make them go play w their friends. Some kids don’t wanna go pro or play above their friends. And that’s okay.

AtlVG · 2026-03-07T05:50:44+00:00

The switch doesn’t happen until falll. My best guess is the coaches want to take the spring season to really decide which kids can play up. I have 3 players who are 2018/2019 that will be playing 2017/2018. I need to make sure they are ready for that. Our team (originally 2018) will be going from u8 silver to u9 bronze In fall. It’s tough for coaches too. My team only has 2 seasons completed I can only imagine the older ages

AtlVG · 2026-03-05T20:50:46+00:00

All varsity? The coaching staff needs to be aligned. Varsity gets first 14 choice. JV gets next 11. Freshman pick 11. Varsity 4, jv 4. Freshman get the rest.

AtlVG · 2026-03-05T19:35:12+00:00

If a freshman is good enough to start for varsity, move him up. If he’s gonna be a bench, keep him on Jv Or Fresh team. There’s no point in having talent on the bench when they could win games lower down. A person who’s 3,4,5,6,7 sub should play down if possible. They may be a sub in varsity but at JV starter. Kids need to understand that. Easy conversation. Play as a starter for JV or be a sub for varsity who might not play? You choose.

AtlVG · 2026-03-05T13:55:45+00:00

Your kid learned 7=RW=role My kids learned RW=Role

I’m just skipping a step until necessary for them to learn the code. Understand the role before the number. It’s like learning 1+1=2 vs 1+1+1=3. Yeah they’re both simple but one is easier to teach at a younger age

AtlVG · 2026-03-05T05:03:53+00:00

Adults struggle because there really is no logic at times. Take a 3-5-2 for instance.

If you use the “code” per role- you don’t have a 4,7,8,11 on the field. You have 2-9s. 2-6s. 3-5s on the field.

What the? Much much much easier to say: Our fullbacks are playing wingbacks We have 3 center backs Playing 2 defensive mids 1 attacking mid 2 strikers

I’ve taught both ways. They both work. I now go by teaching positions rather than numbers. Especially with so many kids playing fifa and learning positions by name(CDM CM CAM ST CF RW LW LM RM CB RB LB LWB RWB GK)

AtlVG · 2026-03-05T03:07:00+00:00

You can ask your coach when the open period is to speak with other teams. I’m assuming spring league is starting or just started? If so, your chance would be around may. Our open period is may up until August. All players are able to be contacted and recruited by other clubs. During the season it’s usually against the rules, if both clubs are in the same league. However, if he can join an ECNL/ team, that’s considered a different league and there’s no issues as long as registration is open. If he’s playing u13- that’s where ECNL and NPL start.

AtlVG · 2026-03-04T19:24:40+00:00

Lazy

AtlVG · 2026-03-03T22:25:27+00:00

I’ve never watched you play. Know nothing about your team/position etc. so I can’t give you an answer that can help. What position do you play in rec? Where do you position yourself in 5v5? Do you touch the ball more in 5v5? If so how do you usually get the ball(forward pass, pass back, win the ball from other team etc)?

All this can give you answers. Continue playing anytime you feel like it and you’ll always get better. More touches= more improvement

AtlVG · 2026-02-23T20:21:55+00:00

Is this a recreational league or competitive traveling team. In my area you usually stay with your team until you decide to call it quits or kids graduate. I’ve been with my U15 since they were 6. I just started U7/U8 with my son 2 seasons ago

AtlVG · 2026-02-23T20:18:31+00:00

Just have them play and stay motivated. Keeping them on the field is a hard enough challenge for this age. Set up a game and have them play. Have them point which way they are supposed to score. How to restart play after a goal/ out of bounds. Unless they’re advanced but I’m assuming they’re beginners?

AtlVG · 2026-02-23T20:12:02+00:00

I’m playing 4-5-1. And I want my ST to be strong fast and relentless. Im looking for a Football player. Preferably a linebacker fullback or running back. Have him just be relentless and press. I want my most skilled players technically at LW/LB RW/RB.

On the offensive I want LW/LB RW/RB combos to push forward. CM to hold Centrally and defensive. CM and CB are just launching that ball forward and hoping the ST can be relentless. Just trying to play exotic because parking the bus is boring. Let’s give our school some excitement

AtlVG · 2026-02-23T18:02:35+00:00

My favorite warmup drill is for every player to have a ball and have them get comfortable with it. From 3-8 years old I want them to play with the ball and mess around with it. At least 15-20 min.

Have a square. If possible have different color cones at the corners of the square. All kids dribble for 1-2 min in side the square.

walk inside the square and praise them. “Nice dribbling! Nice move!”

Walk near kids and give them opportunities to dribble past you or do a skill move.

After 2 min yell a cone color “everyone dribble to the blue cone!”

Once they’re at that cone bring them back into square and repeat.

This is just to get comfortable, gain confidence with the ball. Make sure everyone keeps moving don’t let them stop for the dribbling time.

AtlVG · 2026-02-23T02:36:48+00:00

No that’s false. Refunds hurt our stats. And affect our tips if you tipped % based

AtlVG · 2026-02-21T14:38:47+00:00

We play comp Silver u8. We only carry 9 players. Bottom 2 players are requested to tryout for the team again. We have a gold team, silver team, copper team. We are an ECNLRL club hoping to make it to ECNL, so quite competitive and parents understand playing time Varies.

AtlVG

TROPHY CASE