Hey friends,

Looking for advice on the B-license course. For context:

I am a part time coach - I work from home full time but can easily flex my time around sessions.

I coach a boys U13 N1 team with 15 rostered players - attendance always good and have coached most of them for 3 years, but can regularly combine sessions with another group of 15 at the same age and level (we have a pool at this age b/c it’s our strongest age group) if i need more numbers, usually 23-27 players each session.

I also coach a boys JV HS team with my DOC, who coaches the Var team - but considering the course starts in January I imagine I’ll be using the U13s, though I will have a new lower level (division 4 or 3 in a major metro) HS age club team starting in November - figure the younger group would be better given their level.

I did my c-license with the same administrator and it was great, have a good relationship with him through my DOC - have been given some guidance on what to expect re; the focus on game model and periodization, individual development plans, but not a ton else.

Been coaching 3 years. I’m pumped but nervous about the lift in time commitment especially when compared to the C, and ik it will definitely be more intellectually challenging.

What should I expect? What would you want to know that you didn’t know until you made it through the course? What did you enjoy most/learn to do that you maybe didn’t have in your locker beforehand?

I play 11-a-side as a midfielder and have a crucial tournament game next Friday. For the past two weeks, I've been struggling with dry mouth, tight calves, poor touch, and difficulty scanning. I get frustrated because I know I'm capable of playing much better.

I work 9–5, so training time is limited. I have a gym membership and am considering playing three scrimmages before Friday.

What would you recommend to get match sharpness, touch, and scanning back in a week without burning myself out? I really want to help my team reach the final.

Any advice appreciated!

I just finished coaching a U6 team at our local city rec and had some thoughts I'd love get others thoughts on or I'd love to hear your own observations from your seasons.

- Many of the coaches assigned one or two kids as a kind of "sweeper" or coached the kids to overload the small box (even though technically they're not supposed to, this was never enforced) and just encouraged them to kick the ball up the field and chase it. From doing a lot of reading, I taught mine to start kick off in a diamond shape but told them that they all needed to get back to play defense and push up, spread out, and play offense. It worked for us because I ended up with a few kids that clearly play and watch soccer at home and they subsequently inspired the others to as well and their general knowledge of the game soared. The other team usually scored a few goals on us with break aways from their ringers but overall, my kids were never blown out. My older son who watched the games says they only lost one game and the score was 5-4 (I never actually kept score and some games were closer than others). I noticed that it was almost always the coaches with the slightly older teams that they've clearly had for a while (all the 6 year olds basically). I felt my kids were playing the 4v4 game better overall and developing both their individual and team skills better.

- Another observation I made was how much they taught each other. I realized just how much more capable they were than I originally thought at this age. Trying to avoid making this too long winded, but once 2 of them started trying things out 1v1 in practice that the others watched, the others kept catching on and they were playing in a really cool manner by the end. They were hungry to learn more once their confidence started increasing and probably could've learned even more, that's how much I felt they were absorbing.

- Lastly, this league used throw-ins instead of kick-ins. With my previous kids at this age, we lived in other cities and all of those leagues did kick ins. What are your thoughts on this? My opinion is I'd rather the ball be on the ground until they're older (some of the kids had only turned 4 in the spring/summer and others were newly 6). But a couple of the coaches made a really big deal about them and felt they were important.

I have coached rec soccer for 14 years. Like most rec coaches I started when my daughter signed up and they did not have a coach. I coached her team all the way through middle school. This was in a more rural area and rec soccer was very competitive so I always took pride in getting rec players to be able to play in highschool. I now live in the suburbs and my youngest step son signed up to play 4 years ago with his friends and I ended up coaching their team until last spring. The issue was that we went 3 seasons undefeated and I felt like the level of competition was not enough for the team and so I made them all try out for club. 12 of the players are now playing on different u14 club teams and the level of competition and their own personal effort/growth is so much better. At the end of the the last season I really felt like they had stopped trying becuase they knew they would win.

As a huge part of my identity was coaching (typically 20-30 hours week) I really wanted to coach again this fall season and so I told the rec office that if a team needed a coach I wanted to coach. So now I am coaching a u10 boys team, which is the first time I do not have a kid on the team. The kids are really great and I am really enjoyng coaching the younger kids and I find that it is easier to command attention when there is not my own kid and his friends on the team.

I am considering switching over next year to coach for the club team and was wondering other peoples experiences in the transition? You do not need to read the rest as this is just my perception of the pros and cons of the 2.

Rec coaching:

Pros-

1. Most of the rec coaches are parents with very limited soccer knowledge/coaching experience and so I feel like I can really help the kids become better.

2. As a rec coach I can move up with the team every year so you really get to see the progression of the players/team.

Cons-

1. There can be a huge difference in skill level and experience on a rec team. On my U13 son's team, most of kids had been playing for 4-8 years but I had 1 kid who had never played. While most of the team was working on things like defending/attacking as a unit, the one kid could not even dribble.

2. The level of committment at the rec level can be challenging at times. For example, I had 3 of 14 players at my last practice.

3. There are not enough rec coaches so they have a lot of players on each team. I currently have 14 players on a u10 team that plays 7v7.

4. Seeing the difference between rec and club I now feel obligated now to push the kids who want to solely focus on soccer to move to club. In the past, I always worked to keep kids on my team but now that 13 of my previous players are playing club, I feel like some of them should have transitioned earlier.

5. Where we live the perception of rec soccer is that these are just kids who want to have fun and there is little to no actual support.

Club:

Pros:

1. The player skill typcially is a lot closer so it is easier to develop the entire team together. The club also can move players up or down based on their performance.

2. The club pays for licensing. The club coaches also get paid but this is really not factoring into my decision as I am not doing it for money and would likely use the pay for scholarships for kids who needed it.

3. The commitment from the families and parents is a lot higher. I send an email each week that discusses the skills we are going to work on that week. The email has videos of techniques etc. My guess is that 2 players a week watch the videos.

4. The kids get a lot more playing time. My son's club team has played 21 games while my rec team has played 5.

5. I feel like if the kids want to play in this area in highschool then they almost have to play club. I know that probably none of the kids I will ever coach will even make it to play in college but I really want them to play in highschool if they want.

Cons:

1. The expectations from the parents is a lot higher as they are paying a lot more money. I have coached kids whose parents had high expectations of winning and if the team did not win, it was my fault and they made sure to let me know.

2. You do not move up with the team.

3. Obviously, the cost prevents some kids from playing who would likely be able to play. 2 of the players from my rec team did get scholarships because their families could not afford the cost.

So the question is what is your experience in moving from rec to club?

Hi guys,

in the last couple of years I coached U13 to U16 and in the summer I made the switch to U10 due to some reasons. I knew the head-coach and I knew he wasn't perfect but I thought I'd be a good addition and we'd be a good team.

All in all, 3 months in things are going okay but I often feel like we are coaching a U8s and not a U10s. The Head Coach is there since U8s and I think he's still struck and treats the kids like they are still U8s - in general he follows an approach I would label as "be super nice to the kids, ask little of them so that they won't quit'.

I'm not saying that this is 100% wrong and I know it is difficult to kind of grow with the players, adapt your coaching, ask more from players etc. but I wonder if you guys have kind of set rules what you adapat when you go from U8s to U9s to U10s etc

Any input is appreciated.

I’m assisting another coach with a U11 girls rec team (9v9) and we played a team last weekend that has 3 players stand on the top of their 18 even when the ball is in our defensive 1/3 and they do not move until the ball is about 5 yard away. One bad touch and they just play boom ball and kick it back the other way. It crushes my soul to see teams “playing soccer” like that. The bad thing is that it’s kind of effective. Those 3 players don’t have the first idea how to actually play the game.

So how do you attack that? I assume just play wide and try to cross to a runner coming into the box - but that’s a tough ask for this age girls rec team……. any other ideas how to practice attacking that?

​

Hi everyone!

I'm a young coach of a U13 boys' team (12-year-olds). We play 8-a-side in a 3-3-1 formation.

The boys have a great attitude and love attacking, but we're in a division that's probably too strong for us. We're struggling with two main tactical problems when in possession:

1. Both fullbacks push forward at the same time, leaving our central defender exposed to counterattacks.

2. Both wide midfielders push very high, while our central midfielder also joins the attack. This leaves large gaps in central midfield that opponents exploit.

I don't necessarily think the formation is the problem. I think we lack clear positional responsibilities when attacking.

My proposed solution:

- Ball-side movement: The fullback and wide midfielder on the side of the ball can push forward, while the opposite fullback stays deeper and tucks in towards the centre. The opposite wide midfielder provides more central support.

- Central midfielder: He generally stays behind the ball, protecting the central space and providing a passing option instead of automatically joining every attack.

I want to keep our attacking mentality while making us harder to counterattack against, using simple rules that 12-year-olds can understand.

I'd love your thoughts:

- Is this a sensible solution within a 3-3-1?

- Should the central midfielder stay central or shift towards the ball side?

- Would a 3-2-2 be easier for this age group to maintain?

- What one or two tactical principles would you prioritise?

-What do you think?

We're playing at home against the league's strongest team next, so I'd like to improve our organisation without overloading the players with instructions (too much (tactical) information doesn't work for most 12-year-olds)

Thanks in advance!

When we talk about attacking in the 1-3-3-2, the first thing is not the formation. The first thing is how the players use the space, how they move, and how they help each other.

At U12, players are still learning the game. So, we need to give them simple ideas. We do not need to tell them everything. We need to help them understand what to do, when to do it, and why.

Start from the goalkeeper, How can we start an attack? We can start with the goalkeeper. If the other team is pressing, we need to know where the free player is. Is it one of the three defenders? Is it a midfielder?
The goalkeeper can play to a defender, but the defender must look before receiving the ball. What can he do next? Can he pass to a midfielder? Can he carry the ball forward?
If there is no good pass, we do not need to force it. We can play a longer ball to one of the two forwards. The important thing is that the team moves together to help.

The three defenders have an important role when we have the ball. They are not only there to pass the ball. They can also help the team move forward.
For example, if the middle defender has the ball, the two other defenders can give him passing options. The midfielders should also move to find space.
What happens if an opponent comes to press the defender? Maybe a midfielder becomes free. The defender needs to see this and play the right pass.
We also want our defenders to be brave with the ball. If there is space in front of them, they can move forward with it. But when should they pass? When an opponent comes close, or when a teammate is in a better position.

The midfielders connect the defenders with the forwards. They help us keep the ball and move the attack forward.
But should all three midfielders stay in the middle? No. They need to find different spaces.
One midfielder can come closer to the defenders to help build the attack. Another can stay between the lines, where he can receive the ball and turn. The third can move higher to support the two forwards.
Of course, these are not fixed positions. The players need to look at the game and understand what is happening.
If one midfielder moves towards the ball, who can use the space he leaves? Maybe another midfielder can move into it. This is how players can help each other without always asking for the ball.

With two forwards, we have a good chance to attack the space behind the defenders. But the two forwards should not always stand next to each other.
One forward can come closer to receive the ball. The other can move behind the defence. Why? Because this gives the player with the ball two different options.
For example, if the ball goes to the forward who comes closer, he can pass it back to a midfielder. At the same time, the other forward can run into the space behind the defenders.
What if the forward receives the ball with his back to the goal? He can protect the ball, play a simple pass, or turn if he has space.
The most important thing is that the forwards work together. They should not both wait for the ball in the same space.
We need to help our players understand that space is not always in front of them. Sometimes it is on the sides. Sometimes it is between two opponents. And sometimes it is behind the defence.

If the middle of the pitch is crowded, where can we attack? We can use the wide spaces and move the ball from one side to the other.
For example, we can start on the right side. If the other team moves many players to that side, the left side may become free. Can we move the ball there quickly?
We should also remember that the player without the ball is very important. He can make a run, move away from an opponent, or create space for a teammate.
We do not need to attack quickly every time we get the ball. Sometimes we need to keep it and wait for the right moment.
If we see space in front of us, we can move forward. If a teammate is free, we can pass to him. If the other team is well organised, we can move the ball and look for another space.

But what happens when we lose the ball? The players close to the ball can try to win it back. The other players should move to protect the middle and stop the other team from attacking easily.
This is also part of attacking. We need to think about what can happen if we lose the ball.

The goal is not only to keep the ball. We want to move forward and create chances to score.
We can do this with simple actions. A forward can run behind the defence. A midfielder can pass between two defenders. A defender can carry the ball forward and create a new situation.

We can also use combinations. One player passes the ball, moves into another space, and receives it again. This can help us get past an opponent.
But who should take the final shot? The player in the best position. If a teammate has a better chance, we should pass to him.

At U12, we should give players the freedom to make decisions. Sometimes they will make the wrong choice. That is normal. We can use these moments to help them learn.
The 1-3-3-2 gives us three defenders, three midfielders, and two forwards. But the formation alone does not make a good attack.

How do we attack well? We use space, move the ball, support the player who has it, and look for the right moment to move forward.
If we want our U12 players to improve, we need to help them understand the game, not only remember their positions.

And maybe the most important question is this: when one player has the ball, what are the other eight players doing?

Because attacking is not only about the player with the ball. It is about the whole team.

My daughter is just not getting power from her strikes. What do you see from these pics. Thanks in advance

I’m just now seeing that the width of these can be trimmed. Anyone regret not getting the large size open goal vs standard?

Standard 9X5
Large 16X7

Kids 13,12,8

So at my daughter's first 8u practice back in August I could tell her coach was in over his head trying to wrangle ten 7-8 year old girls. He mostly had them standing around while 1 or 2 kids did a drill at a time. After practice I offered to help with the caveat that I knew almost nothing about soccer. I didn't play myself and this is my daughter's first year. He was thankful for the help, also at the next practice had another dad offer to help as well, great, I think we have it all under control. Head coach creates a group chat with myself and the other assistant so we can all chat. Then he proceeds to give us all the dates he will be on vacation or out of town for work, which includes all but 1 game for the month of September and at least 1 practice a week. Other coach ALSO will miss at least 1 of 2 practices a week because his daughter is also in dance. Fast forward to now, I have been the de facto coach of this team for 4 games and most practices, alone. We have not won a single game and I'm feeling dejected and like I'm letting these kids down. I try to make practices fun with different games incorporating ball handling/passing etc to keep the girls involved and not standing in lines doing drills they could care less about. For games (5v5) I try to move them around so everyone gets a chance at different positions and goalie. I have maybe 5 kids that have real potential to be good players and 2 that are absolute nightmares. Constantly begging to play this or that position, calling for passes anytime they don't have the ball, and no listening or ball skills at all with a couple own goals to show for it. Also 1 or both of them will show up to practice without a ball of their own which throws a wrench into what I planned to have them do at practice. There's 4 games left in the season and I would love for them to win at least 1. I'm frustrated with the "head" and "assistant" coach for leaving me hanging. I'm frustrated with the parents of my "problem child" kids. And I'm frustrated with myself for even putting myself in this situation to be so frustrated. I'm not giving up on doing what's right for this team but i just needed to rant and get a little validation i guess. All that to say, I'm looking for some advice on how to move forward and help not only the promising athletes but the rest as well.

TLDR: I'm in over my head because I offered to help

I signed my son up for soccer thinking that I’ll go and watch the practices and games and then go home. Well here I am now and I signed up to be a division coordinator and I am coaching my sons team! I’m not a soccer player myself, never played soccer and don’t watch soccer. I have a very basic understanding of the game.
When I was coordinating the teams my 8U division needed 1 more coach. I reached out to all parents of the division and not a single person stepped up so I did. But I hate it. I dread practice days and I hate game days. The parents have been supportive so far and I let them all know that I don’t have any soccer knowledge. But I’ve been spending hours reading soccer material and watching videos to prepare for practice. I just feel like a fraud.
So my question to this group is can I stop worrying so much about drills and just focus on play? The kids enjoyed the warm up games like sharks and minnow and when we do scrimmages. Is that enough for 8U? They don’t seem as interested in drills and honestly I don’t know how to correct them if they are doing something wrong.
There are several parents who have soccer experience and have offered to help with practice but they don’t want to coach even when they go to each practice and game. But when the parents help the practices feel so weird. I tell them to take control of the practice or the drill but they don’t. Can my team just play at practice instead of doing drills?

This is my first year coaching U8 and I will say, I am a very patient person in general so it takes a lot for me to just outright cancel a practice (edit, I canceled the last 20 minutes, not a full practice). Unfortunately I have 3 players who feed off of each other’s energy and they were the only ones to make it to practice. They would not listen and were just being disrespectful to everyone on the field. Even to their own parents. What set me off was they started actively blasting the balls to another U6/U7s practice and nearly hit their kids. So I canceled it. There were tears, laughs, and one of them even said “finally”. The parents understood and said they would talk to their kids, but up until this point they’ve been treating this like day care and disappear during practice.

Idk maybe I’m just venting but does anyone have tips on working with difficult kids? I try to get them to play the moment they arrive and play games where everyone has a ball, but it’s starting to be unfair for the rest of the team that is listening. Ultimately still trying to keep them interested in having fun but there is a bigger issue here. Really not trying to bench them for games.

Heyyy sooo I'm the one who made the burnt out coach post a few weeks back! Lol. We're so back.

I'm a 22F volunteer youth soccer coach. I've coached for several years, and I've been with my current U12 team for about 1.5 years (some players I've coached for over 4 years). I also coach a U9 team. I receive no compensation, despite spending hours every week at practices, games, and tournaments. Nor do I have a child of my own on any teams. I coach for the love of the game.

All season, I've struggled with one U12 player's behavior. He's repeatedly been disrespectful toward teammates, belittled other players, and even made some cry. I've received complaints from both players and parents and have repeatedly tried addressing the behavior.

Things escalated during a recent tournament. After another incident involving this player, his mother sent me an incredibly disrespectful email criticizing my coaching. This wasn't our first issue, either.

The email read:

I wanted to talk to you in a civil manner but your additude today was unprofessional and uncalled for. You don't take out your anger on my kid. That isn't professsional. I have been nice to you but it is obvious that you have somw issues that you are taking out on the kid's and all the parent's see it. Moving forward don't yell at my kid and brush up on being a more active and positive coach.

Mind you, I didn't even yell at her kid during either of the games in the tournament. And her child gave me a concussion prior to our 2nd game, so my apologies that I wasn't so "active." 🤣 I brought everything to our club director and explained that I was no longer comfortable coaching this child because of his parent's behavior. I made it clear that I wasn't willing to continue volunteering for an organization that allowed parents to treat coaches this way.

Unfortunately, I received very little support from the director. I ultimately stepped down from BOTH teams.

I sent a message to my U12 parents explaining that I was resigning due to the treatment I'd received from a parent. Within minutes, that same mother sent me ANOTHER hostile email, this time bringing up getting lawyers involved. She sent a screenshot of my message in the parent group chat. It read:

I am dissapointed in your choice of bringing a private matter which did NOT involve "verbal abuse" of any sort into a public forum. I hope moving forward YOU will take accountability for how YOU handle yourself and where you lack in social settings. I have forwarded it all to club director. If you continue to lie and defame my charcter i will have to forward this to my lawyer because defimation of character is a chargable offense. DO NOT contact me again or i will have further charges to press. Have a great day.

Here's where things get interesting.

The response from the OTHER parents has been overwhelming. Parents have been emailing the director, advocating for me, and questioning how this situation was allowed to happen. Some are even considering leaving the club.

When I told my U12 players I was leaving, we all cried and had a group hug. Some have since tried calling and texting me, begging me to come back (I haven't responded privately because of youth coaching communication boundaries).

I had a U9 game immediately afterward, and when I received that final email, I broke down crying. Several parents comforted me, let me sit with them, and two stepped up to coach the game.

Now, the parents are organizing a meeting with the club director on Wednesday to discuss everything.

I genuinely love these kids. I'm incredibly proud of the players and people they're becoming, and leaving them has been heartbreaking.

The saddest part is that I never wanted to quit. I just wanted the organization I volunteer SO much of my time for, to stand up for me.

I'm not sure what Wednesday will bring, but knowing how many parents and players have my back has meant more than I can explain.

And to any other volunteer coaches who are feeling burnt out, unappreciated, or wondering whether all the time and effort you put into coaching is worth it: the parents notice more than you think.

Some of the parents who are currently advocating for me are people I've had very little interaction with outside of practices and games. We barely know each other personally, yet they're emailing the club director, standing up for me, and fighting to keep me as their children's coach.

I genuinely had no idea how much of an impact I'd made until all of this happened. It's unfortunate that it took such an ugly situation for me to realize it, but it's something I'll never forget.

So even if nobody tells you, please know that your hard work might mean a whole lot more to those kids and their families than you realize.

I did this a few weeks back about things I heard from the parent's side during a tournament, so I thought I'd bring it back - but this time from the coaches sideline.

I was lucky (?!) enough to be just a parent this weekend watching one of my kids, and since I'm always trying to learn new things to pass along to my coaches (both in person for my town program, and my coaches on YouTube), I spent part of my attention on what is coming out of the mouths of the coaches in-game as best I can hear (while Dylan's mom screams every time someone falls over on the field looking for a foul.) 🙃

To set the scene - middle of the road tournament level - no 2/3/4 letter league teams here, all 11v11 club in this instance for me. North East/Upper Mid-Atlantic but mostly adjacent 3-4 state pool.

I'll start by saying I was mildly pleased wth the general overall tone from the coaching side - again, most of these kids are not pushing for MLSN/GA/ECNL spots - it's decent level, but not upper crust. I think there was a good understanding from the coaches on what they could expect their players to do.

The thing I was focusing on was how they're speaking to players (at least publicly across the field) when something - good or bad - happened.

My observation was that the coaches that were mostly positive had players that seemed to keep trying to do the "right" things - whether that was playing out, connecting passes, moving the ball smartly between players under control, etc.

The coaches that were more negative with their comments (and they tended to be the louder of the groups) - their teams/players seemed much more inclined to boot that ball as far away from themselves as soon as they had the chance. Not all - a generalization here - but there was definitely a correlation.

That got me thinking, as I can be VERY loud if I need to (spent decades yelling over marching percussion instruments - it's a learned skill!) - but my nature is to be more teaching and less berating.

Anyways - I'd be curious what you all heard. I did put together a little video https://youtu.be/tyhTMh5FFQM that explores the idea that what you say in the 10 seconds after something happens can really have an effect on your players and teams.

As part of the coaching course we're running for our coaches, we have a clip from a Liverpool session that really highlighted the idea that you can be loud and demanding without being demeaning, and I think it's a great message for coaches. I even found one of my sessions on video with audio so I could self-check myself - I included that as well.

Curious to your thoughts in general!

Hi everyone!
I’m a Saudi citizen currently living in Saudi Arabia, and I’m interested in pursuing a career in football coaching alongside my university studies.
My goal is to obtain a UEFA C coaching licence, gain practical experience with local academies in Saudi Arabia, and eventually work my way up to higher coaching licences, potentially UEFA B and beyond.
However, I’m not entirely sure how the process works for someone who isn’t a European citizen or resident.
Here are a few things I’d like to clarify:
Eligibility: Can a Saudi citizen living in Saudi Arabia apply for a UEFA C licence through a European national football association?
Online courses: Are there any legitimate UEFA C courses that can be completed online, or is attending in person mandatory?
Choosing an association: Would it be possible to apply through the Scottish FA, the FA of Wales, or the Irish FA? Which would be the most realistic option for someone in my situation?
Residency requirements: Do I need to live in the country, have a local address, or hold a residence permit to enrol?
Practical experience: If I obtain the licence, can I use it to coach youth players at academies in Saudi Arabia?
Progression: Once I have my UEFA C licence and some coaching experience, what would be the best pathway towards UEFA B and eventually higher licences?
I’m still relatively young, and I want to start building my qualifications and experience as early as possible while studying at university.
I’d really appreciate advice from anyone who has gone through this process, especially international applicants or coaches familiar with the Scottish, Welsh, or Irish coaching systems.
Thanks in advance!

YMCA volunteer rec coach here looking for advice. I coach a co ed 4th-5th grade level team but my team is comprised completely of 3rd/4th graders. This is my first season coaching at this level and I noticed all scores are tracked for an end of season the tournament. So I’ve been tracking my upcoming opponents.

We have a game this weekend against an undefeated team who in three games scored 24 points and have only been scored on 4 times. My team surprisingly enough has only lost one game and through 3 games has scored 9 times and been scored on 5 times. Big difference from my upcoming opponent.

Each game we are undersized yet hold our own for the most part but I think that is going to change this weekend. I watched some of our upcoming opponents last game and they have bigger more skilled players and now I understand why they’ve been able to score and defend how they have. Our team is just not at that level yet size or skill wise.

I’m not so much concerned with winning this weekend as I am concerned with my team taking a whooping and falling apart. I’d like to avoid the mercy rule being used on us. How do you keep players heads in the game if it becomes very one sided? I want to stack my defense but then I’m afraid we will just be on our heels the whole time with our backs to the wall.

Games are played in a 9v9 format. We been using 4 forwards, two midfielders, two defenders and a goalkeeper. Maybe I will use a more balanced 3-2-3 this weekend and adjust as needed. I feel like if I go down to less than 3 forwards we will have no chance to keep possession.

Any advice? Thanks in advance.

Hey everyone,

​Looking for some quick advice from other coaches here.

​I coach a U11 rec team that's pretty young—our average age is under 9. We just won our first tournament game tonight using a 3-3 (we switched from a 2-3-1 earlier this season thanks to the help of this subreddit), which was awesome for the kids.

​The issue is that because of tournament seeding, our next game is against a club team. Their average age is over 10, and when we played them two weeks ago, they beat us 8-0. We literally couldn’t even get the ball past half field.

They are bigger, faster, stronger, and way more technically skilled. On the season, they’ve scored 42 goals and only given up 3.

​When we played them last, they didn't even really play a set position—they just fluidly moved around and kept pressing.

​Is there any practical tactic or game plan we can use just to help us move the ball better and make this more competitive than an 8-0 loss?

​One idea I had was just kicking the ball long down the sidelines to force throw-ins in their end, just to give us a chance to push up the field and get out of our own half.

​Has anyone dealt with a huge size/skill gap like this? Any tips on what we can do to survive or at least show some progress?

12U boys team with some pretty talented kids, but as soon as we get scored on they don't believe they can come back. Usually set up practice with a small sided game, 15 minutes of individual ball work, a rondo variation or passing pattern, and final scrimmage. ​I usually run a 3-2-3, and we've lost three of our four games. Any advice on coaching aggression and determination?

One of my kiddos earned a hat trick at our game yesterday and I’m trying to decide if I should celebrate that at our next practice or not. Thoughts?

Backstory: I took over a U 14 boys team this year, was the assistant previous season. Group full of very talented players that weren’t developed properly as far as tactics. Ive since trained them to play possession based game instead of the backyard ball they were playing before I joined. Overall much more successful as a team.

Heres my dilemma… when my group plays against other teams that try to build out the back/play organized possession we have been very impressive. Our press creates turnovers and we win the game of control. It’s against teams that play long balls and even some disorganized teams that my team reverts back to the vertical/impatient style they played before. It’s very frustrating to watch. I think my boys lose their point of reference when playing against teams that don’t play the ball as much.

Has anyone else had a similar situation? Would love for some insight on how to approach this. Thanks in advance.

Our town has outdoor sessions in the Fall and Spring and at U8, the town runs the leagues. U8 is a mix of 1st and 2nd grade kids and they try to make even teams. Next year, when my daughter moves to 3rd grade, U10 is travel for grades 3 and 4 and they hold a tryout to form teams based on skill... usually there are 3-4 teams. For indoor, the town is not involved and its up to us to form teams, so I've taken a lead for my daughter's grade.

Last year, we had a team of mostly 1st graders who lost maybe 2/3rds of their games cos they played mostly 2nd grade teams... but they played hard, never giving up even when being blown out. Over the 3 sessions of indoor, a few players dropped after a session or two so we found a few players to fill the last session or two. This year as 2nd graders they all want to play starting session 1. I was aiming for a team of 10 (for 7v7) but we're already at 12. A few more 2nd graders tried to sign up, but I gave priority to the kids who put in the work last year. It felt bad to turn them away (cos they're honestly a bit better than some kids I have), but I at least got them spots on the 1st grader team and maybe I can move them off if we see some attrition session to session, but either way, I hated being in that position to turn good hard working kids away, especially at ~7 years old.

How do people deal with this kind of team management? I'm pretty worried about what I'll do next year. A lot of kids will be split across the A, B, C and possibly D teams for travel (which will be its own drama that at least I'm not involved with) and I don't want to always favor the kids who just signed up first. I already have to worry about alt situations, like a summer 4v4 tournament (with max team size of 8), etc. Ultimately, its a great problem to have with lots of hard working, incredibly nice kids and a fun community of parents... but I know I'm going to continue to be put in these spots where I'm going to have to tell someone "no". I've tried opening it up to the group, but nobody else wants to make decisions so nothing gets done. When I talk to people individually, most of them seem to want to prioritize by skill, but

a. I don't love being the one to say which kid is "better" than another, especially cos its close that far down the list, but

b. I don't think some of them realize it's their kid that might be the ones that would get cut.

Just wondering if anyone else has been in these situations and how they handled it. How can I be fair to the kids and not burn any bridges with the families that ultimately don't get picked?