optimist or pessimist?

[mothy]

Hi guys,
just a quick line to introduce myself as a new under 7 coach.Having played football since adolescence, and subsequently followed my 12 year old lads path into trials with, blackburn oldham and rochdale. i have decided to pass on what limited expertise i have to the younger generation. i am due to take my level 1 badge in july, and although i seem to talk a good game , i am a little apprehensive as to whether i can put my ideas into practisce.
Throughout my footballing life,i have always been labeled as the nearly man, a trait, which fortunately hasnt been bestowed on my son so far.Since taking over as assistant to our qualified coach, i have thoroughly enjoyed the experience, so much so that he reccommended me for my badge and to be honest there is a burning ambition to do well and steer the lads through a path other than the one i eventually chose.This is not to say i lack in the technical side of things, or other departments for that matter. I envy you guys for the jobs you do at all levels, i just hope that my progression has a coach picks up speed faster than the the lil`uns i am trying to inspire for there sakes.
Any advice on the `rookie` subject would be gratefully appreciated,and i thank you for your time in reading this post.
gl in all you do guys

mothy

[Val]

What is a "nearly" man?

Seriously though, it sounds like you are coming to this from the perspective of wanting to be with kids, and I for one, think that is how it should be. We need more committed youth coaches who want their kids to have than want to develop the next stud for the national team. So, rule #1: enjoy the kids. Rule #2: read every post on here . OK, not really, but you'll pick up a lot as you read and study and figure out what you're learning and how it fits into what you already know about the game.

Get into an early habit of writing down your practices. I hate paper, and this was difficult to start, but like everything, once it becomes habit, it'll come easier. A record of what you do each and every practice makes the self-reflection thing eaiser.

Real rule #2: Have fun. If you're not having fun, your kids never will.

[Jerzy]

Welcome to Grassroots.

Good place to start: a book some of us read together here, Tony Carr, How to Coach a Soccer Team. Good jumping off point for the kids, and for you as well.