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Top Tips for Avoiding Injury in Youth Soccer

April 10, 2018 by · Leave a Comment 

Summary: Every parent wants their child to stay healthy while playing sports. Here are some tips on how to reinforce safety for a youth soccer team.

 

As the head coach for a youth soccer team, you’re responsible for keeping each member safe from any major injuries. Before you start thinking that avoiding injury completely is impossible, yes that’s true. However, by taking the appropriate steps to conditioning as well as coaching methods, you can help prevent any serious injuries during the game.

 

Proper Coaching

 

As a coach, your team looks up to you. You need to set a positive tone for each kid and ensure that every one of them follows a certain standard that you create. Whether it’s banning any horseplay or teaching them not to get into fights, it all starts with you. Set the tone early on in the season by laying down rules that they must follow. You’ll also want to have a meeting with the parents as well if there are any concerns. This way, you’ll be able to converse with them while also providing reassurance.

 

Check Equipment

 

Another factor that you’ll have to consider is the type of equipment that your team is using. If they’re bringing their own, make sure to check each piece to make sure they’re in working condition and don’t have any cracks. If they are, let them know about different stores like Soccer Garage for example, where they could purchase new apparel at a reasonable rate.

 

Now, this doesn’t mean that your team needs the most expensive equipment on the market. They could even use discount soccer cleats as long as they don’t have any tears and other noticeable damages.

 

Don’t Be Afraid to Get Tough

 

If one of your players gets into a fight, it’s important that you take him aside and talk to him about what happened. Yes, the game can be frustrating, especially if the opponent is doing something that’s triggering your player’s emotions. However, it’s important that you set an example for the rest of the team as well. Talk to him and discuss the importance of channeling that aggression into the game instead of other players. Failure to do so could result in your player constantly hurting others and compromising the sport. Integrity is the name of the game, which is why you should always preach this before every game and practice.

 

The Bottom Line

 

Safety should always be your number one priority when coaching. It does you no good to push them into a position where they could hurt themselves or others. What kind of example would that be if you held that stance? Obviously not a good one. Emphasize this as much as you can and you’ll soon realize that the game will move along much smoother than you’d expect it to.

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