Soccer Workshop

Today's Workshop was really, really good. The drive there and back wasn't bad... (it was dark both ways, that was sorta funny). The teacher for my classes was really good.

I learned several new games to play with the kids, and that is always helpful. Sometimes it's hard to come up with drills that let you work on certain aspects of the game without boring 6 year olds.

One thing that I really liked, and will probably have to work on the most was this
Teachers teach class during the week, they give homework and prepare the kids. When the time comes, they test the kids. Do they help them or do they want to see how much the kids have learned?

That's what soccer coaches do. We teach during our practices. We give them things to work on at home... sometimes. And when the game come on the weekend (aka test) let them play. Don't help. See what they have learned.

If all you do is tell them every little thing they need to do, they'll never learn it for themselves. As they get older, by the time you (as the coach or parent in the stands) see what is happening, say it, the kid hears it, processes it, the play is gone. They need to learn how to see that on their own. Then work on that at the practices. Now, the kids are still trying to learn where to stand at my age group, but there are some things that I'll just need to shut up, and let them make mistakes on their own.

*Sigh* This isn't going to be easy.