Lessons Beyond the Pitch: A Parent’s Journey in Youth Soccer

After years of covering soccer, a journalist's foray into coaching a U7 team uncovers vital lessons about youth engagement, challenges of teaching, and the essence of play beyond competition.

Coaching my son's soccer team for kids under 7 has proven to be a significant learning experience, one that has profoundly changed my perception of the sport. As a long-time soccer reporter, I thought I had a grasp on the game, but I soon found myself grappling with the reality of youth coaching.

Just weeks into this endeavor, it became clear that our team was facing multiple challenges. Most notably, our players, including my son, were still very young—an age that presents unique limitations, especially in tactical understanding. Additionally, my role as a coach came from a desire to help, but also from some reluctance, especially when it turned out we had a serious issue with conceding goals—goals that seemed avoidable and unnecessary.

In England, children officially start playing soccer at age 6, with a non-competitive format where scores and league tables are not maintained. However, it quickly became evident to us that this didn’t equate to a lack of awareness regarding outcomes. The truth was painfully clear: we were facing a string of defeats.

This awareness led me to formulate a new approach to our strategies. For two years, we had been nurturing a style of play that emphasized passing, tactical awareness, and creative expression. However, it dawned on me that this strategy had yet to effectively translate into practical gameplay. Our practice sessions had not prepared these young athletes for the realities of a match; as a result, mistakes like dribbling in dangerous areas and ill-timed passes into densely packed zones became all too frequent.

While we reminded ourselves that the score was merely a number, the fear lingered that continual losses would deter our young players from enjoying the game they were meant to love. The primary challenge became balancing the joy of playing soccer with the desire to foster competence on the field.