Soccer Coach Labeling Children - A Bad Idea?

There are many views on soccer coaches labeling children. Most coaches analyze their players carefully and tend to label them as fit for one position or the other.

Thereafter, the subsequent development of the player is largely dependent of the label that has been allotted to a specific player. However, there are a number of conflicting views on the subject.

There are a number of coaches who have said that a good practice to coach youth soccer would be to be more careful while proceeding in this direction.

Most soccer coaches commence labeling children rather early in the child's football career. When children are introduced to small sided games and first encounter formal coaching, they are typically under 8.

When they move to U-9 or U-12 groups, they are generally not developed enough to be labeled correctly.

The child still has to evolve and develop soccer thinking and this takes some time and a lot of experience. If the child is labeled early, many hidden talents may not be detected and developed.

Another key issue involved with football coaches labeling kids relates to the way small sided games are managed. Small sided games are a critical element in a child's development.

When the child plays in a small field with fewer players, he will get adequate possession of the ball and experience the problems that are associated with retaining control of the ball.

Only when the child has had adequate exposure to small sided games, should he be brought into larger groups.

To coach youth soccer, the person must remember the important aspect of labeling the players. However, this should only be attempted after the child has been exposed to playing in all positions so that he has had adequate opportunity to develop.

Another issue related to coaching soccer to children is the amount of time that they actually get to play. It has been seen that often coaches get ambitious and make even junior teams travel large distances to play opposing teams.

Do not make this mistake. Young children tire out easily and making them travel for anything more than 45 minutes is wasting their time.

Important as it is to make the players focus on specific positions, it has been well understood now that soccer coaches labeling children is a practice that has its own time and place.

Coaches should classify and label children, but not so early that the child is constrained to either grow or stagnate only in a restricted position.