Is Youth Soccer Coaching For You?

So, you want to coach youth soccer.  What a wonderful thing to do!  Although it will be a fun and rewarding experience overall, there are some things to think about when making your decision about youth soccer coaching.
How do you handle confrontation, frustration, and disagreements?  Will you be able to handle unhappy parents with calm strength?  Parents protect their children like lions.  Any real or perceived injustice will make a parent angry.  You need to be able to communicate peacefully and with an eye toward a positive and agreed upon resolution.  Get out your dancing shoes, making the parents happy is going to require some fancy footwork!  Just remember, you will never be able to make everyone happy.  The most you can expect of yourself is to make sure everyone's concerns are addressed and every parent feels heard.  However, as the coach you have the final say.
You will be dealing with children.  There will be pouting, temper tantrums and disinterest.  Are you ready to be a leader to children who may not want to listen?  Do you have a plan for how you are going to handle the usual children's antics while teaching the needed lessons about teamwork and good sportsmanship?  If you keep in mind that how you handle every child in every situation is teaching all of the kids valuable lessons about how to handle life in general, you will be fine.
Are you aware of the time commitment that will need to be made for coaching youth soccer?  Will you be able to make it to every practice on time?
You will need to be educated about the techniques and plays in soccer.   You will also need to be familiar with the rules and regulations.
Can you remember to treat every child equally regardless of skill level or social and economic background?  Every child wants to feel special.  As a coach, you can change the course of a child's life by offering some needed encouragement.  Never underestimate the impact you could potentially have on a child.
How do you handle disagreements or situations when your own child makes a bad play?  The time will come, probably once at every game, that you do not agree with the referree, can you handle your displeasure with class?  Will you set a good example?  When your own child makes a mistake, will you be able to treat them in the same manner that you do the other children?  Coaches who come down hard on their own kids make everyone feel uncomfortable.
This is just a brief sampling of the things to consider when deciding if youth soccer coaching is for you.   No doubt that will a little planning and a lot of heart, you will do fine.