Handling Disruptive Youngsters

Contributed by Dennis Hillyard, FLMSL Head Coach

​I doubt very much if there is a coach anywhere who at one time or another has had one or more youngsters who will talk, bounce their soccer balls or just play around while you are attempting to teach them something. Even worse, the more you tell them to desist then the more they continue.

SOLUTION
Tell the youngsters to either sit down with their soccer balls placed behind them or, if standing then to place one foot on their soccer ball. Then tell the players which topic (s) they will be learning and that if they work hard and pay attention then they will be rewarded with a scrimmage at the end of the session.

PAUSE and then, tell them that the scrimmage is their reward for working hard but if you have to stop the session due to one or more youngsters misbehaving then any time lost will be made up by deducting time from the practice.

All kids love a scrimmage thus, the first time any one of them starts to misbehave then DELIBERATELY look at your watch. The immediate effect will be that the other youngsters will tell the offending player (s) to behave.
Trust me it never fails. Where children will often listen to their coach more than they listen to the parents so will they listen to their peers.