Notes from Division I Organizer

#3 soccer ball. These smaller, lighter balls are easier on the children’s knees and a lot more fun. The adult size #5’s are just too big for a 5-year-old to kick through on those rare occasions when they try to pass. If one of your players shows up with the larger ball just explain the difference to the parent and hope for the best. If he insists on using it there’s not much you can do – just don’t let him use it in shared activities with other players.

If a parent asks for advice on selecting a ball, recommend the softer, hand-stitched balls with a bladder. They’re a little more expensive than the plastic balls but they’re also a lot easier on the foot when the weather turns cold.

Clothing – the league provides jerseys. However, these jerseys are not to go home with the children (We lose too many this way). Please collect them at the end of each session. Some coaches launder them themselves, others recruit parent volunteers. If your send them home with a parent, please make sure they plan to return the following week – especially if the next week is picture day.

Foot ware – Sneakers are fine, spikes are better. The common denominator here is shoes that tie. We’ve had children show up in sandals and slip-on sneakers. The sandals should be discouraged aggressively, especially if other players are wearing spikes. The slip-ons fly off with every hard kick.

Shin guards are a must. A child can not play or even practice if he doesn’t have them. In past years I’ve seen children playing with exposed plastic guards strapped to their shins. In these cases you can let the child play but next week he must have the guard completely covered with a soccer sock. The exposed guards often turn or come off and could become tangled with other equipment as the players cluster around the ball.

NO SLIDE TACKLING – Please keep your players on their feet. When they go to the ground there’s a good chance they’ll get kicked in the face. Also, they’ll learn more on their feet then they will on their butts. If a player ignores repeated warnings, remove him from the game and have a coach or parent talk to him.

NO HEADING – This is a controversial issue in soccer today. Most old-line coaches will say millions of kids around the world are heading the ball with no adverse effect. We don’t care. At this age children can’t use the skill effectively anyway – so why spend time teaching it.

Jewelry – Have the children remove any chains, watches, bracelets, dangling earrings or anything that you consider a safety hazard.

Dangerous or overly aggressive play is forbidden. The most common form of dangerous play is when a child slips to the ground but continues to kick at the ball. When this occurs, play should be stopped immediately and the ball is then awarded to the other team.

Hand pump, the compact variety. They cost about $10 and are extremely helpful on those days when half your team shows up with soft balls.

Sticky name tags for the first few sessions.

Whistle, clipboard, cones and a few extra balls - Provided by the league.

Dress to run with the kids – your good example is your best teaching tool.

Goals – for Division One the league provides Pugg Pop-Up-Goals. Your Commissioner will distribute them each week and you will drop them make off at the trailer after each session (where we pass out the free Cokes).

Your smile - For many of your players this will be their first soccer experience. They won’t understand even the basics of the game, like which direction to run and more than a few are going to score on their own goals. Your positive encouragement/attention is the way they’ll gauge how well they’re doing. Please a special effort to say something nice to each child at each session. Kids sometimes have a difficult time recognizing their own significant improvement.