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Soccer |
Other Sports &
Activities |
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Coaches, youth soccer has never been so
popular as it is right now in Canada, and it's only going to get
bigger. However, the future of soccer starts
with us at the grassroots levels, teaching the kids the basics,
the intermediate skills, and eventually the advanced skills, as
they grow. The most important levels to begin growing foot
skills, in my opinion, is ages
2-10. Yes 2! Watch what a toddler does to a ball
when they walk up to it. They kick it. Let them kick
a ball as many times as they can. The more touches these
kids have on a ball, the better for them to develop their foot
skills, motor skills, and comfort with a soccer ball. This
is one of the most troubling problems youth have in Canada
today. Many don't know what to do with the ball and kick
it away (hot potato). Practice makes permanent, so choose
game drills that maximize the touches on the ball per player. |
Don't
let the website title fool you! We also have cool
incentive patches for players of any sport such as the lightning
bolt patch, star
patches, "D"efense patch, and "V"ictory patch! These patches can apply to little league, basketball,
hockey, football, martial arts, bowling, or anything.
As with soccer, touches with
a ball, or puck, is very important to create a fun experience during
practices and games. Choose fun game drills to do just that. |
* Note: I
will be on vacation from July 3rd to July 14th and
will not be able to process orders during this
period. Any orders submitted during this time
frame will be processed upon my return. I
apologize for any inconvenience this may cause
anyone. *
I used them last year and they made a
big difference.
In our league
at the GU8 level we were 1st place overall and we
won the year end Cup Championships too. ;o) The
patches were a big hit!!
--Coach Howie, Ontario
In this day and
age customer service such as this is a by gone
commodity. I am using them for soccer. As you know
kids love variety. I only use the patches for
practice and not for games. Kids all try hard in
games but practice is a different story. By giving
out the patches, the kids want to excel in
practice. I coach a u14 boys team. They are never
too old to be recognized!
--Coach Enzo, Ontario
I
can't say enough about the tried and true results of
using these patches! My team lost all 8 games last
season, and moral was low. Nothing I tried seemed to
make a difference. I try to make soccer a very fun
experience for the kids, not bad, by yelling at them.
When I came across these patches, I figured I would give
it a shot. What could it hurt? Well, I will tell you
that this very same team that lost ALL 8 games in the
fall, won 7 out of 8 games this spring!!! The kids
wanted those patches!!! We placed 2nd, and got the
silver medal! Thank you for helping me, help my team!!!
These little patches gave them so much more to work
toward, and have something to show, for their
progression, and accomplishments!
I can't say thank you enough!!!
Thanks!!
--Coach Gayla
Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is “catching” a child
doing something you want them to do and
rewarding it. The child gets attention and
reward as positive reinforcement for doing the
right thing and will focus on repeating that
behaviour.
So, for example, if you award a child a patch
for providing an assist in a game or training
session they will try to repeat the action
because of the approval it attracts. Other
players will also try to replicate the behaviour
(the assist) because they want to rewarded in a
similar way.
Children really do want to be 'good' - you just
need to make sure you reward them for doing so.
This could be a simple "well done" but a more
tangible reward - a patch - works even better.
Children can take soccer patches home (or to
school) where they can show them to their
friends and parents.
Why does positive reinforcement work?
Positive reinforcement works because it gives
children positive goals to work towards instead
of only focusing on negative consequences to
avoid. Positive reinforcement fulfils strong
basic psychological needs of every child.
It's worth remembering that positive
reinforcement works best when it isn't a
once-in-a-while thing; the more it happens, the
more effective it is.
I started coaching my daughter's recreational
soccer team in the spring of 2005 after being nominated
by some of the other parents. I had no coaching
experience and was a true sideline soccer Dad. One
of the things I learned very quickly was that it was a
challenge keeping the girls motivated to excel in
practices and games.
I tried some of the soccer incentive patches
in 2006 with my U11 Girls team for the first time to see what would
happen as we had gone through our whole regular season
without a win and very few goals scored. The
result was fantastic! The girls game play on the field
changed to a whole team effort. They went from
being last in the standings to serious championship
contenders in the play-offs. I almost had to fight
the girls off as they practically swarmed me after a
game to see who was going to get a patch. It is
with this reaction and result that I decided to offer
these various patches to coaches and associations across
Canada. These patches work and the kids love them!
Read what many other coaches have been saying about them
here!
It amazes me how many coaches rarely
think of motivation as a key element to player development. When
you really think about it, motivation plays a great part in the daily
lives of all of us at home, at work, and at play. More so, our
young people require this motivation in even greater amounts! How
far does passion for a sport, respect, and drive to excel last without
motivational techniques? You as a coach or parent are in a perfect position
to provide this much needed skill, and these patches are a great tool to
assist you in that endeavor. The kids love them and they work hard
for them. Try them out and you'll notice a positive change in your
players.
***
We
only service Canada for these items.
Visitors from outside Canada should visit
SoccerHelp
to place your orders for the patches and
much much more! If you are from any other country, head
on over to
SoccerHelp. ***
--Coach Steve, The Soccer Patch
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