A law student and legal intern based in New York City, Rachel Lader played on a nationally-ranked soccer team between the ages of 13 and 16. Rachel Lader credits the experience with fomenting her love of travel and continues to travel all over the world. Youth soccer is a great way for young people to learn many important life skills, as well as for adults to participate in their community as coaches.
The US Youth Soccer organization advises new coaches to focus on developing good communication skills as a key competency. It also stresses the importance of gaining the support of parents and setting clear expectations for players’ behavior.
In terms of hands-on advice, coaches are encouraged to stay calm and leave tactical decisions up to the players during a game. Additionally, setting a high standard for themselves will translate to the same expectation from players. Above all, coaches should stay positive and strive to get their athletes to play fairly and do it out of love for the game.
