Soccer Parenting
Why Youth Soccer Parents Should Never Attend Practice if They Care About Player Development
We’ve all read about or witnessed poor parent behavior on the sidelines during youth soccer games. However, the biggest consequences of over-involvement from parents actually comes from those who hover around the team during practice.
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All Soccer Parenting Articles
Best advice for soccer parents: Keep quiet on the ride home
John O'Sullivan says one of the least favorite moments in youth sports for the child is the ride home after the game! In this piece, the best selling author explains why and urges parents they'll do far more good for their young athlete by keeping quiet at that crucial time when emotions are high, disappointment, frustration, and exhaustion are heightened for both player and parent.
High-profile guests set to present at first Soccer Parenting Summit
Soccer parents throughout the United States will have the chance to learn from a lineup of prominent speakers this week during the first-ever Soccer Parenting Summit, an online event set for December 2-4.
Dure: Are pro coaches really better than parents?
It's been said that soccer coaches get better when they become parents. Beau Dure wonders: Are professional coaches, with no kids on the team and often no kids back at home, really an improvement over parent coaches?
Eden Hazard showed his kid no mercy: Can soccer parents learn from him?
You may have seen the viral video of Chelsea FC star Eden Hazard and his 3-year-old son that's making the rounds this week. It got us thinking here at SoccerWire: What might the typical North American soccer parent think of an elite professional like Hazard taking a no-coddling approach to his wee lad's earliest exposure to the beautiful game?
Letter to the Editor: True ‘Sports-Mom-Ship’
Arlington Soccer Association parent Wendy Green penned a Letter to the Editor after another mother from an opposing team floored her with an unexpected gesture of kindness, passing along a video of her daughter scoring an exceptional goal in a Virginia State Cup quarterfinal match.
Guest columnist: Kris Ward on abusive youth coaches and how to steer your kid clear of them
Guest columnist Kris Ward shares an ugly tale of abuse and vitriol experienced on the sidelines of a recent youth match, and ponders how players and parents can keep clear of foul-mouthed, manipulative coaches.
LeBolt: Five things parents aren’t doing to protect their kids from concussions
We are aware of the concussion risks. We’re getting educated about the symptoms. We’re badgering our clubs to establish concussion policies, and we are letting the referee know just how we feel about that dangerous play out there. But there are five things parents aren’t doing to strengthen kids against concussions, writes Dr. Wendy Lebolt.
Dure: Presenting the FREE education plan for parent coaches
The Virginia Youth Soccer Association’s new coaching program has a noble goal, and a bold new approach for beginning coaches, mostly parents, who’ll be working with kids in the crucial Under-6 to U-10 years. SoccerWire's Beau Dure takes a look.
