Question Number: 18360

Character, Attitude and Control 2/11/2008

RE: Competitve Under 15

Tim Ruegg of Carlsbad, CA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 18291

Why are all the answers to Question 18291 so serious and pompous? We're talking about 13 and 14 year old girls here. The primary goal for a coach at this level is to keep the kids interested in playing the game. Kids stay interested by having fun. To hear these referees talk, soccer practices should be all about fundamentals, fitness and respecting the game. I don't think a coach allowing her kids to have fun with a trick play or two, in addition all of the other elements of the coaches job, constitutes some eggregeous breach of the spirit of the game. Who care's if it only works once or not at all? Did the kids enjoy the effort? Did they learn something more about he specifics of the laws of the game in order to develop a play that will conform to the constraints of the same? These can be good things. Bravo to a coach who remembers to have fun with her players. Boo to the stuffy referees who get so easily offended. It's still a game.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

The most fun is had by those who have a chance to realize a benifit of effort. Why waste it? As a coach I have many razzle dazzle ideas where we work a free kick or a set play. Fun is a not a command it is an essence and whether you choose to see the stuffy or the serious or silly instead of the sage or the smiles or smarts is also a choice!
cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Teach your players anything you want to keep them interested. If the referee pulls them up for something considered foul play don't complain just teach them something else to keep them interested. I taught my guys how to do diving headers, bicycle kicks, chip the keeper, long throw-ins -- things useful during matches. I felt teaching something that might loose control of the ball wasn't something we needed.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Because we take this stuff seriously and get very tired of coaches ignoring their responsibilities to teach little kids the fundamentals of soccer. Instead, they rely on trick plays and oftentimes teach their youngsters how to cheat.