Duane Cummings

St. Gregory's Head Men's Soccer Coach

www.sgc.edu/athletics/soccer/mens

I feel that young players need to start slowly and learn all the skills correctly the first time. These include collecting, heading, passing, dribbling, etc. Once they begin to gain confidence, they should play lots of different games (unsupervised). This way they learn how to solve problems on their own. After they get a good grasp on skills, then someone can start worrying about their tactics. Children can master a Gameboy, or Nintindo with no worries. They can respond to the scenario without thinking, just by instinct. That's what they need with soccer, they need to teach their feet to do what their hands have been doing their whole lives. Too many players get by without ever learning the game and being fully developed. They rely on their speed, or their height, but never fully develop.

Then when they need those skills to compete, they aren't there and they get discouraged. Mastering the game starts at a young age and it instills overwhelming confidence.