Lately, many coaches have taken to alternative methods of ensuring that their players are still practicing sports. Soccer coaches have taken to putting lessons online either through YouTube or other online methods. As a coach myself, I have taken part in giving some lessons online so my kids can practice at home during this pandemic.
I love the idea of being able to give kids something to do at home while everything is going on. But this also made me think about how this is affecting soccer in America.
Too many times, the focus of a coach is to ensure that their team wins. Everyone can agree that winning is important, especially for kids as it rewards them for their hard work. This, however, can be a downfall.
Growing up my coaches focused more on winning rather than improving individual skills. As a kid, if you see that winning is more important than skill, that’s what they’ll take with them. The videos are allowing kids to focus more on improving skills rather than winning a game.
With so many coaches and programs taking part in distance learning, this is also giving kids a diverse way to learn. Parents and kids can seek out new methods of how to teach new skills from different coaches or programs.
Having so many diverse videos also means that different skill levels are being taught. This is a great way for some kids that may be more skilled for their age to be practicing new things.
Basic skills are being covered in most of these videos. This is providing the opportunity for kids to continue hardening the basic skill levels. Reinforcing these skills will also help kids learn and build newer skills.
On the other hand, with so many basic skill videos this may attract more people to soccer as a whole. If their kids can practice skills at home, then that may lead them to playing once all sports resume.
Even after sports resume, these videos will stay on the internet. Allowing kids to continue practicing at home and continue to bring in more people to the sport.
Hopefully, once everything goes back to normal we can still remember to focus on improving skills to help each kid grow.
