Coaching a youth soccer club requires a lot of time and discipline (to coach and players alike) because just like any sport, it has its own challenges like failures and misunderstanding between your team members. However, coaching young soccer clubs is also very fulfilling; even the seeing your team members' smiles and laughter are enough reward for a coach of youth soccer club. If you want to be a soccer coach, then you definitely need to learn the youth soccer coaching fundamentals to help you start your coaching career.

There are a few but important things to remember when learning youth soccer coaching fundamentals.

First, always remember that a youth soccer coach must have a positive outlook. Soccer is probably the most popular sport in the whole world, and many kids play the game because its fun. However, many youth stop playing sports-such as soccer-because they don't feel the fun in the sport anymore. A positive and cheerful coach can revive the passion of these youth for the sport, especially if the coach keeps on encouraging these youth.

Also remember that you are coaching a youth team; a young team. In other words, you have to understand your team and that requires a lot of patience. A coach for a youth soccer team should also consider what drills he should apply to the team; this is a young team, so adult drills and practice are mostly not applicable to them.

Next, another part of youth soccer coaching fundamentals is the skill to explain things to your team. Since you are coaching a young team, most of them would surely feel bad especially if they lose a game; this attitude is common to young players. As a coach, you have to make them understand that in a soccer game, winning isn't everything.

Let them understand that losing is okay as long as you remember the mistakes of that (losing) game and let those mistakes serve as a learning experience for them to further improve their game. Also, losing makes these children humble; these experiences teach your team of the reality of like: it has its ups and downs. More importantly, let them feel that you respect and love them-whether they win or lose. This helps them improve their morale and strive to become a better player.

It is always good for a youth soccer coach to remember that these players have different learning abilities; some learn fast, some don't. Again, this requires a lot of patience in the coach's part. A good coach should monitor his players and keep track of their improvement. It's best if a coach can identify a player's weakness so that he can devise a training plan or a strategy for the player to improve his/her performance.

If a coach observes a player not improving too well, it doesn't mean that a coach should already give up on that player. Instead of giving up, the coach should encourage that player more and more. It may take long, but with the guidance and patience of a youth soccer coach, the team's game will definitely improve and each member will mature-not just as players-as good citizens of their community.

If you are the youth soccer coach of a team that plays 8v8, consider a 2-1-3-1 soccer formation consisting of 2 Fullbacks (FB), a Stopper (ST), 3 Midfielders (MF) and a Target Forward. Other 8v8 soccer formations are discussed below.

A 2-1-3-1 soccer formation has several advantages:

- Four "layers" of players, which will help you on both offense and defense by giving you more depth than a 3-2-2 soccer formation, a 2-3-2 soccer formation, or other three-layer formations. A 2-1-3-1 soccer formation is strong in the Center (between the 2 goals), which is critical for recreational soccer teams, and the extra depth will reduce the number of easy goals and breakaways that your team gives up. You should give up fewer goals by using this soccer formation.

- A dedicated "Target Forward" who stays Pushed Up toward the Halfway Line when your goal is under attack and shifts from side-to-side with the ball so he or she is in position to win cleared balls. This also has the advantage of keep opposing Fullbacks from pushing onto your half of the field and give you a breakaway threat for fast counterattacks.

- If you put a very strong player at Center Midfield (CMF) and a very strong player at Stopper it will help you control the Center of the Field, which is critical.

- You can put your weakest players at Right Midfield and Left Midfield and even weak players there might be able to help slow down attacks by the opposing team.

- A Recreational soccer team that has strong players at Stopper, CMF and Forward should be competitive.

If you are a youth soccer coach, in any of the 8v8 soccer formations you should consider:

- It is very important for you to have brave Fullbacks. You can play a slow and unskilled player at FB as long as he or she is brave and can clear the ball and you don't Push Up your FBs past the Penalty Box line. If you Push Up your FBs to the Halfway Line they need to be fast.

- Who to play in goal involves trade-offs - In Rec soccer it usually is better to play a great athlete or a great field player in the field than at Goalie. Coaches have tested this and found that a great athlete makes much more of a difference at Stopper than at Goalie - a great Stopper can make a 2 or 3 goal difference. I wouldn't make anyone play Goalkeeper who doesn't want to do it because there is too much chance they will resent it or be bored and not do a good job. If you don't have enough players who want to play Goalie, try to find a way to motivate players to want to play there. I see nothing wrong with one player playing Goalie, but you will need a back-up. Here are 2 ideas for encouraging players to want to play Goalkeeper: 1. After every game thank the Goalie(s) in front of the team and parents and praise them. Most goals are not the Goalie's fault - if defenders did a good job the ball would never get to the Goalie. 2. Designate a special iron-on "Goalie" incentive patch from Soccer Help or other sources.

- Use the "Dribble Around Cone & Pass Relay Race" soccer drill to teach One-Touch play and Aggressive Receiving.

- Try the "Shoulder Tackle & Strength on the Ball" soccer drill at your next few practices, it makes a difference and is fast and easy. It will teach your players how to shoulder tackle and how to withstand a shoulder tackle.

- Try the "Win the 50/50 Ball or be the First Defender One v One Attacking & Defending" soccer drill.

- Try" Dribble Across a Square" soccer drill at the first of every practice as a warm-up, twice with a square 10 steps wide (to teach Control Dribbling) and twice with the square 17 steps wide to teach recognition of Open Space and acceleration into Open Space, which teaches "breakaways".

- Spend about 15 minutes before or after practice teaching your Goalies the basics. What you should teach is described in other articles I have written.

Other 8v8 soccer formations that you might consider are a 2-1-2-2 (2 Fullbacks, a Stopper, 2 Midfielders and 2 Forwards), a 1-2-2-2 (a Sweeper, 2 Fullbacks, 2 Midfielders and 2 Forwards), and a 1-2-3-1 (a Sweeper, 2 Fullbacks, 3 Midfielders and a Target Forward). The formation you choose should be based on the abilities, speed and endurance of your players and the speed and ability of the opposing team.