Michiana Soccer Association
P.O. Box 4337
South Bend, Indiana 46634
PHO: 574-339-3744
FAX: 574-277-2729
michianasoccer@comcast.net

MSA Coaching Resources

Letter from Greg Gidman

We say it is For the Kids: Is it?

 

I seem to gauge my life by soccer seasons these days. Perhaps you are not quite doing this yet, having a young player in your house or perhaps you have been doing this for as long as you can remember. Either way, there is something about an impending season. The stores offer discounts on cleats and socks and shorts which are still twice the cost as the rest of the year, suddenly people are concerned with things like crabgrass and ankle breaking holes, the kids pull out the jersey they got last Christmas of some European star with his name boldly displayed on the back of a team none of us can even pronounce. Certainly the World Cup this past summer linked the spring and fall seasons together better than usual. No joke, I was sitting in a restaurant in Louisville watching the final and the satellite lost its signal while the ball was traveling toward the goal at the moment Spain won the World Cup. I am not sure I ever saw the gooooooaaaaaaaaaal!

 

MSA parents are trying to figure out when the season starts and who their coach is and when practice will be. Parents are already thinking about Saturday morning games, and will have to pull out and check their lawn chairs from some pile of stuff that never got put away from the last camping trip or picnic or outing to the beach.

 

Coaches are gathering their teams together with high hopes of an amazing season filled with glorious goals, players that apply all they have been taught in game situations, huge tackles, diving saves, and a few of the world’s greatest motivational half time talks thrown in along the way.

 

As the Director of Coaching gets ready for another season he dreams the strangest dream. All these kids, hundreds, walking across fields, MSA Park and Knollwood and Boehm chanting FOR THE KIDS! FOR THE KIDS! They are dressed in all types of uniforms. Different colors. Different sponsors. Some are tall and lanky while others are short with a strong build. Some with red hair and others with brown hair. Though all very different one from the other all adamantly chanting FOR THE KIDS! FOR THE KIDS!

 

Well the kids have spoken! So during this season, whether a parent or coach or family friend, do everything you can to do what the kids are asking for; making this entire soccer experience about them and for them.

 

Questions to ask to make sure it is For the Kids!

 

Are the kids having fun?

Are the kids being encouraged?

Are the kids being taught?

Are the kids smiling?

Are the kids eager to come to practice?

Are the kids loving soccer?

Do the kids feel important?

Are they happy after practice?

Do the kids look forward to the games?

Do they talk about soccer practice at home?

 

Some Resources

Note: These are stored in Adobe 'pdf' format. To download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader, click here. Also Note: Some of these files are quite large. Please be patient when you download.

Coaching Manual

Greg has prepared a coaching manual, and it can be downloaded here. Please keep in mind that the file is quite large (about 4MB), so please allow some time to complete the download.

Practice Plans

Practice 1
Practice 2
Practice 3
Practice 4
Practice 5
Practice 6