Coaching A U5 Soccer Team

This year Big C is finally old enough to play organized sports!  Having played soccer my entire life I excitedly signed her up in March (the season didn't start until September)!  Well one thing leads to another and while I was technically considering it - they asked me to be a coach.  Whatever was I thinking agreeing to that!  In all actuality it has been a true learning experience and while it is much more difficult than I imagined it is turning out to be pretty fun.

There are six 4 year old's on our team and at practice and I also have Little C who is 2.5.  The first few practices and the first game were a total disaster - none of the girls understood the game at all and while we did score quite a few goals they were all in the other team's net!  Plus the girls plowed off the field and into all of the bystanders taking out quite a few people -oops. 

Slowly practices got better, now at week 7 (3 more to go) the girls are getting the basic concepts of direction and getting a ball in the goal.  We play games like Coach says, Sleepy Bear, Tag (with a ball), we run, we pass and we practice big kicks.  I tie a heck of a lot of shoes every practice and even more so every game.  We talk about passing and dribbling and kicking with the inside of your toe.  They are learning to stop playing when they hear the whistle.  They are building endurance (the first game not a single girl played an entire quarter - I had to keep rotating them) and now they are playing at lesat two quarters in a row.

Yet they are 4 year old girls and they all want attention and they all want the ball - all of the time.  This is our next lesson...sharing.  Maybe next year they can learn more technique but for now I am hoping they are having fun - they are four years old - I will be happy if they are happy and I will be ecstatic if they want to play again next year! Don't ask me if I am coaching - that decision will be made next year!