Parenting your Child in Soccer when School is in Session

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:50:42 GMT

As a parent of a soccer player who is also attending school, you probably understand the challenges to balancing everything, especially if you have more than one child playing soccer or any additional sports. As a youth soccer coach and parent, I fully understand the challenges that come into play.

While there are so many benefits to your child playing soccer, there are also many challenges which your child may face that other children do not have to experience. As a parent, it will be essential that you are aware of these challenges and that you do everything you can to assist your child during your soccer season in making the correct decisions.

Although some children play soccer all year long, many only play soccer during the fall season. Thus creating a challenge of balancing soccer and school work; which they may not be used to. The key to success with fall soccer and education is to find the right balance. When you throw in that most kids have an earlier bedtime, they will want to hang out with friends and will have other responsibilities and tasks to attend to, it's easy to see how things can get stressful when participating in fall sports.

The following tips will help to balance your soccer players life:

Sit down and discuss the priorities: If school should always come first, then it's essential that you explain the expectations to your child and have clear guidelines on what will happen as a consequence.
Plan ahead for your fall sporting events: Be sure your child also has a copy of game and practice schedules so that he/she always knows what is coming up and that he/she can properly prepare.
Make time for homework and plan meals according to the game and practice schedules of your athlete.
Make bed time as early as possible and always provide nutritious meals: This is very important for any fall athlete who is also a student at the time. Food is fuel for the body and the brain.
Help your child with organization for school, sports and other responsibilities: Give your child the tools needed to stay organized throughout the season and then regularly check to be sure they stay on track.

You should take an active role in your child's life if he/she is to be a soccer player while also tackling school and other responsibilities. Try to arrange at least one day off each week for your child, where there is no school or schoolwork and no matches or practices. Don't make your child practice at home on this day. Just give them time off to relax and take a break.

Monitor your child for signs of stress or lack of adequate sleep.

Remember that stress can be serious for anyone, especially a child, and can even lead to physical or social problems. Remember that soccer is meant to be fun and provide necessary physical exercise.

Don't pressure your child too hard to be the team "star" or to believe that winning is the only measure of success. Don't place soccer above other important aspects of life such as school, family, friends and wellbeing. Avoid the win-at-all-costs mentality that will only harm your child in the long run.

Soccer should be an addition to your child's life, not their entire life. Balancing this will be essential to their good health and wellbeing now, as well as a healthy future for your child as he/she grows into adulthood. Give them the tools needed to build this foundation today and he/she will carry it with them for the rest of their life. A balanced schedule, diet and the appropriate rest will allow your child to succeed better in soccer, school and life in general.

Parent Etiquette When Attending Soccer Events

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 13:42:51 GMT

Parent Etiquette When Attending Soccer Events

Your behavior, as a parent, should set an example for your child's behavior during fall sporting events.

Sports are all about:

Team building
Confidence
Leadership
Making new friends.

However, some parents exhibit poor behavior, which takes away from the benefits of participating in sports.

What Should You Do at Your Child's Fall Soccer Events

Because most fall soccer matches take place outdoors, it is important to monitor your behavior accordingly.

Cheer all players: So your child is the star athlete of your local competitive soccer team, but other players could obviously use some additional practice especially on recreational teams. Should you only praise your child, or offer encouragement to all of the players? Offering encouragement to all of the players will boost their self-esteem, thus helping them become better players. By criticizing other players, especially at a young age, will lead to resentment from parents and your child's teammates.

Talk to the other parents: Whether you have an outgoing personality or not, it is very important to make friends with the other parents on the team. If your child decides to stick with soccer through high school, you may be forced to see the same parents for quite a few years.

Bring food and drink for the whole team: The best parents are the ones who bring food and drink for everyone on the team after a match or practice. Do not just bring something special for one player because it can cause resentment among the team. However; volunteer as a team parent and coordinate with the other parents to switch off who brings what every week.

Act sportsman like: Be nice to all players on both teams and especially your own child. Any criticism at a young age can turn into resentment very fast. However; positive feedback encourages everyone to do better and have a good time. Soccer at a young age are not about wins, but rather leadership and team building.

What Not To Do at Your Childs Fall Soccer Events

Outdoor Fields make it much easier to chant, yell and criticize, which can be both a good and bad thing.

Do not argue with the ref: The worst parents who attend their child's matches are the ones that constantly yell or argue with the ref over a bad call. Referees are human and are subject to making mistakes, and will make mistakes on occasion. Remember to act sportsmanlike and to respect the officials. Although you as a fan may see an infraction on the field it doesn't mean the referee saw the same thing. Their view may have been blocked by another player, or they may not be at the right angle.

Do not yell at other players: Children at a young age will make mistakes. This is youth soccer; these young players are NOT college or professional players yet and will have plenty of time to decide as to whether they are interested in heading in that direction. If certain players are not performing up to par, the last thing you want to do is call them out in front of their teammates. How would you like it if someone yelled at you, every time you made a mistake? Keep your comments to yourself, unless they are positive.

Do not call out your child: If your child is the reason the team missed the game winning goal? The last thing they want to hear is you yelling at them. Discuss the positive things from the match and offer to practice with them or even get them additional training from a local soccer trainer.

Do not argue or fight with other parents: Parents who argue or fight with other parents provide a poor role model for their children. Remember at the end of the day that the game was just a game. Be respectful at all times and never start fights with other parents. When parents get in fights it does not reflect well on their character or the team. Parents who continually argue at matches or have ever got into a confrontation will probably get you player kicked off a team or even stopped from being picked for a team.

Remember these Simple Steps for Enjoying a Soccer Match:

Sit back

Relax

Be Positive and Cheer on the Team

Enjoy the Match

Rules of the Game: Rule 11 - The Offside Rule

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:42:12 GMT

Who makes changes to the Laws of the Game

Each year on July 1st, the Laws of the Game within soccer are updated by FIFA. Law 11 is one of the shortest of the 17 laws, but is perceived to be one of the most complicated and controversial. There are many reasons for this.

Players, Spectators, and Coaches:

Do not really know the correct ruling
Do not have the correct angle to view the offside position
Become emotional during the match
Say Offsides are to difficult to understand

In reality; Law 11 is very easy to understand.

It's as easy as
1-2-3.

Although it is NOT an offence in itself to be in an offside position, the referee follows the following guidelines

A player is in an offside position if:

The player is closer to their opponents' goal line, than both the ball and the second to last defender.
Definition of second to last defender: The Goalkeeper is the last defender and the nearest player to the goalkeeper on the goalkeepers team is the second to last defender

A player is NOT in an offside position if:

The player is in their own half of the field of play or
The player is level with the second-last opponent or
The player is level with the last two opponents

To view and understand Law 11 view this interactive demonstration.

Leave us your comments if this was helpful to you

G4S Channel Clips

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 01:39:16 GMT

Do you own a Pevo Channel Goal?

How many of you have been using the LockIt Net Fasteners which have at times popped out of the Channel or broken during play on the Pevo Channel Goals?

The G4S Channel Clip Net Fastener which is Bigger, Thicker, Stronger & More Secure

Always Keeping Your Soccer Net Attached to the Goal

Goals 4 Sports is a leading distributor of the Pevo Soccer Goals. The Pevo Channel Soccer Goals are one of the best; if not the best goals on the market today.

As Goals 4 Sports sells so many of the Pevo Goals, we have been listening to the feedback from our customers. Many have been disappointed with the LockIt Net Fasteners for the Channel Goals, stating that they were not as tight fitting as they would have liked. The LockIt Net Fasteners would at times pop-out or even break during games and practices. With this feedback we decided to do something to solve the problem.

Goals 4 Sports decided in 2009 that we would design and manufacture a new channel clip specifically designed for the Pevo Channel Goals. The New Design has been named the G4S Channel Clip Net Fastener.

The new G4S Channel Clip Net Fastener design has been tested on many Pevo Channel Goals and we are very pleased with the results. It fits into the Pevo Channel more securely and will not slide along the channel or pop-out of the channel during play. The G4S Channel Clip Net Fastener has been approved by Pevo Sports and will now be the official Channel clip net fastener moving forward for the following Pevo Soccer Goals: World Cup Soccer Goals, Supreme Soccer Goals, Channel Soccer Goals and the Channel Park Soccer Goals.

Previous customers are ordering the New G4S Channel Clip Net Fasteners and they are already flying out the door.

Visit http://www.goals4sports.com/channel_clip_net_fasteners to make a purchase or view a video of them being installed.

Goal Safety: Who Cares?

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:23:00 GMT

Soccer Goal Dangers

A gust of wind…a young player…an uneven playing field…In their current design, only 22 pounds of force can bring a 400-pound goal crashing down, injuring or even killing a player.

THE TRUTH is EVERYONE SHOULD CARE
Coaches, Players, Referees, Parents, or Administrators using a soccer goal for any matches, practices or personal use, should all care about Goal Safety.

The Reality Is:
As of August, 2011 there have been 36 Deaths and 56 Reported injuries from Soccer Goals since 1979. People are LAZY and DON’T Secure soccer goals correctly because they constantly think “IT WON’T HAPPEN HERE”, or they just don’t realize the dangers of a soccer goal. I personally have seen many coaches & parents who have shown up at a soccer field, taken one of the soccer goals which have been laid down, put them upright, and started playing without securing the soccer goal. Then when they start chasing after the ball the child/children have kicked away from the area they are using, the children start playing in the net or trying to jump onto the crossbar to swing on it.

What about the parent who purchases a soccer goal for their back yard? Is it not dangerous because it is in the safety of their home. The answer is NO! Any goal, no matter where it is located is dangerous if not secured correctly.

Have you heard the saying “If I had a Dollar for every time I’ve…”

Mine would finish that sentence with

“…asked a coach or parent to secure a soccer goal or if they have no way of securing the goal, the goal should not be used and to use cones instead.”

I have then discussed the dangers of not securing a soccer goal.

Why is a Soccer Goal Dangerous?
Some soccer goals that are more dangerous than others. A soccer goal WITHOUT a weighted backstay ground bar will topple over easier than a soccer goal WITH a weighted backstay ground bar as there is no additional weight to keep the goal upright. However; please don’t be mistaken that a soccer goal WITH a weighted backstay ground bar cannot topple over, as that is far from true. Given enough weight on the crossbar to outbalance the weight of the backstay ground bar, it WILL topple over if not secured.

Is it a Soccer Goal or a Jungle Gym?
As many times as a parent, coach, or soccer administrator tells and sometimes yells at children to not play in or on a soccer goal; they are children and they will unfortunately continue to do it.

What can YOU do?
Educate your members on the dangers of not securing soccer goals (feel free to use this article on your website).

It takes less than 5 minutes for an individual to get the required ground anchor stakes, hammer, anchor sandbags, etc, to secure a goal. There are many options for everyone to secure soccer goals using the following:

So to repeat the original question; Goal Safety: Who Cares?

Your Answer should now be:

WE CARE; WE NEED TO CHECK THAT ALL OF OUR SOCCER GOALS ARE SECURE AND EDUCATE OUR COACHES AND PARENTS ABOUT GOAL SAFETY!!!

Resources: