A while back, one of the kids I was soccer training just blurted it out “soccer train me like a kid, not an adult!”. I was stunned, but it opened my mind to the possibility that I may not have a full understanding of how to coach young soccer players.

Working with children needed specialist knowledge and understanding, which I gained through a mentor working with children and completing children fitness courses.

Coaches need to have a  real understanding of how to bring the best out of young soccer players. The problem is that most of the information out there is based on adult training methods. That’s because the adult body, with regard to training, has been studied pretty thoroughly and that is where the expertise has been developed. [Read more...]