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Thank you all for your feedback. I am not sure I would be so passionate about coaching if not for my psychology degree. Being the mother of four daughters helps also…lol.
Mark, thank you for pointing me to the futsal thread. I am fortunate to be an in area that has many opportunities for futsal, however at the younger ages there are a few challenges in finding competitive leagues. Most leagues play arena indoor, which I suppose is better than nothing. I would love to see video of a futsal match.
You mentioned that your team was made up from players from different clubs? One of my frustrations in coaching I think is the soccer culture I live in. Many of the competitive teams in my area are made up of players seeking to check a status box more than want to be true players of the sport. The affluence of the area allows an attitude of “I wrote the check now I want to win” and the lack of knowledge of the game allows for training sessions to be looked at more like girl scout meetings. The idea that soccer for girls is more a social event even at the competitive level is making me crazy. I have fortunately found myself working with a group of coaches looking to turn this around.
My experience working with the youngest of soccer stars tells me that there is really no difference in ability between genders to develop skills at a young age. It is more body types and rates of development at 2 and 3 years, they all really just want to please coach(well most of them do). Around 4 years I start to see a difference in attitude between girls and boys. Many girls will resist working to learn anything perceived as difficult, they give up way too easy. I am very glad for my opportunity to teach them that hard work pays off. I often joke that it is the soccer culture that I am really working to change, one 2 year old at a time. I understand there is more of a chance that I join the WPGA than succeeding at that. I am not giving up on learning to play golf either.
I completely understand that the female and male brain are different operating systems. I wonder if our girls shouldn’t be a little tougher though. If we teach them how to take criticism properly at a young age we might find them healthier, happier and much more capable adults.
I look forward to applying the knowledge I have gained here to my teams this season. I will post video as soon as I can. Thanks again for your input.
~Sunny
Hi,
I am Sunny Troxell a youth coach in the Northern Virginia area. I work for HappyFeet/Legends NOVA teaching 2-6 year olds, and coach U9/U10 girls “travel” teams for an area club. I also volunteer for my neighborhood league as a coach and Age Group Coordinator. I have been following 3four3 for about a year as a silent reader. I am here because I want to stop bitching and start solving problems. I am really excited about this opportunity and learning with you all!
Cheers!!
