Whether you are completely new to the sport or you’re a huge soccer nut who lives on the pitch, as a soccer parent, you will always want the best experience for your youth athlete. This blog will go over a few tips on how to be the best possible soccer parent for your child.
Understand Your Child’s Passion
Firstly, it’s important to understand your child’s level of passion for the sport. Just because you watch the Premier League every chance you get doesn’t mean your athlete also loves soccer. You should be willing to let your child try a variety of sports instead of forcing them to play a game that they don’t love.
Find the Right Coach
If your child loves the game, then a great way to show you care is by helping them find a coach! Coaches can view your athlete’s tendencies, weaknesses, and areas of opportunity for improvement. Athletes Untapped makes it easy to find a coach. All you need to do is fill in your zip code and sport, and our website will find you the top coaches in your area!
Show Encouragement
As the parent of an athlete, you must learn how to show encouragement. Celebrate those big wins, but also the losses. Don’t be the typical parent who points out mistakes your child made immediately after the game. Be there to comfort them and look for areas in their game that can be improved with practice. Try not to get antsy and swap coaches, as that will hinder your child’s long-term success. If you can stick with the same coach, they will be able to understand your child’s mentality and tendencies better than any new coach. Also, as a former athlete myself, I do not get into screaming matches with referees. It is incredibly embarrassing as an athlete and discourages your child.
Keep Realistic Expectations
Make sure to keep realistic expectations. Success in any sport, especially soccer, requires a combination of many things. Athletes need talent, drive, effort, and even a little bit of luck to make it to the highest levels of play. Very few athletes make it to professional leagues and even college teams. Support your athlete as much as possible, but be realistic.
Know When to Get a Private Coach
Only get a private soccer coach when the time is right. If your 8-year-old just started last week, then private coaching is not a good option. It would be better to sign up for camps with other athletes around their skill level first, so your child can build the fundamental skills needed for private coaching. Private coaching is best for athletes who have a passion for the game and a drive to improve. Once your child is older and eager to improve, you can look to get a private coach through Athletes Untapped, where we gather local, experienced coaches that can help your child improve.
Help Your Athlete Set Goals
Help your athlete set goals. Sit down with them frequently and help them list out realistic goals that they would like to achieve. Maybe they want to make the JV or varsity team. Maybe it’s something smaller, such as playing in a recreation league. As long as the goals are realistic and achievable, they will be able to maintain a drive to achieve them.
These five tips will help you become the best possible soccer parent you can be! If your child wants to become the best athlete they can be, then go to Athletes Untapped and find experienced coaches near you!
