“Micro” Coaching Tips

Coaching Sessions aka Practices

Coach, have a real, written, idea of what you want to accomplish during a session. It will lower your stress level during practice. Just understand that sometimes it’s a good thing to throw out the day’s plan and just play!

Plan on practices running about the duration of your weekly game; about 45 minutes in total. The frequency of practices depends on your schedule; twice a week is pretty standard. Plan to start holding practices sometime in August and go into October.

You will need to find an area, 20 yards by 30 yards will suffice, to hold practice. If you cannot find an area, Hillwood board members, other team parents and your fellow coaches will have ideas on where practice areas could be. When the players are older, larger practice areas are coordinated through Hillwood.

Before the Game

Before The Game: The Micro season usually runs eight weeks starting in September. Schedules will be available around the time of the second coaches meeting and could be hardcopy or electronic on this website. Please contact your “opposing” coach Thursday or Friday each week, to confirm your upcoming match. This is good practice, to build community and prepare you for the coming years when your team will be playing other clubs in SYSA. Micros play what is called a Small Sided Game.

On game day, have players show up about 15 minutes before game to have a helper warm-up your team. If you are the first game of the morning you may have to set the field. Please “walk the field” to clear debris and hazards. If you are the last game you may have to break the field down and take care of the goals and cones. This will become clearer at the coaches meeting.

Meet with the other coach to figure out who will referee which part of the game and details like duration of quarters or halves, corner kicks and goal kicks and throw-ins and that only players and refs are on the field of play. Check shoe laces and shin guards and no jewelry. Hopefully, parental units took their players potty before they left their abode.

The Game

The game starts with four players on each side, each player on your squad will play at least half the minutes of the game. The referee will make sure players know which goal they are shooting for and then game starts and everybody cheers! The players run around, more cheering! Substitutions are made, and players run around some more. The quarters and/or halves go by with more cheering and encouragement! The final whistle blows to end the match and there’s more cheering! Teams high five each other and coaches shake hands. More cheering! There may be a “victory arch” (the history of which I know not) AND snacks (also, an unusual formality)!

Coach, gather your players together, briefly and ecstatically let them know, without reservation, that they played great soccer!

You’ve done it coach! You kept your players as safe as possible, they played soccer and hopefully everybody had fun at the same time. Congratulations!