"I can't say enough about the tried and true results of using these patches! 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!!!"
Coach Gayla

"My kids love the patches! This is my very first year ever coaching soccer, and I'm having a blast! My kids are the envy of every team in our league!"
Coach Chris

"These are fantastic! My guys kill themselves for the patches, and they look great."
Coach Mark

NOTE: Many coaches re-order these. The average order size in Canada is 120 patches.

De-emphasize the rewards for scoring (players who score a goal get plenty of positive feedback...there's not enough given for assists and other positive actions) and start giving a lot more rewards and recognition for assists and tough, brave play and good defense.  Also try not to reward players based on "the best...".  This may lead to resentment between players if some are getting a lot of patches and others are not.  Instead, try to emphasize individual accomplishments and performances in practices and games.  If each player practices and plays hard, the whole team benefits!

Specifications:

• One inch (26 mm) diameter and 100% embroidery (this is preferable and superior to many patches)
• Excellent construction and iron-on backing with superior adhesion
• Easy to Iron On (click here for instructions and iron settings)

How to Use Patches to Motivate Players

1. Practice & Game Attendance -- We all know how hard it is to motivate kids to come to practice or to practice on their own time. We also know how important it is for kids to come to practice. Soccer is a team sport. It’s impossible to practice or teach some things such as formations if your kids don’t come to practice. Your team will definitely play better if your players come to practice. If you want to encourage practice and game attendance you might want to give a Black/White patch each time a player comes to practice or a game (Or even better, give a different color for each 4 to 6 practices. Example: when they have earned 4 Black/White patches, then they start getting a Blue/White patch; and when they get 4 of those they start getting Light Blue/White, etc. At the end of the season, give a Gold Star patch for perfect practice and game attendance, and ONLY give the Gold Star for that. And give a Blue Star patch to players with a 90% attendance record. This approach is probably better than just giving Black/White because it would be more motivating and fun). I can tell you for certain that teams play much better if most of their players come to practice.

    

2. If you want to encourage Aggressive Play and Winning the Ball, you might give out the Red/White patches or a Red Star patch (we call them Blood Patches or Bravery Patches), but give these sparingly and make a BIG DEAL in front of the entire team of getting one of these and praise bravery, hustle and toughness. This approach really works; it worked for me. Remember, not every kid can be a good athlete, but every kid can hustle and be brave.

    

3. Give patches for Improvement -- that way each player will be encouraged to improve. Don't just give a patch to the "best" player, but to each player who improves -- that way each player is encouraged to improve and has the opportunity to earn a patch. If a player is really good, perhaps they can earn a patch for becoming more consistent or for improving their technique. Choose a color and let that be the "improvement" patch.

    

4. If you want to encourage good defense, then decide how you will determine this (is it a team effort of limiting the opponent to 1 goal or less?). Example: if the opponent only scores one goal or less everyone gets a Kelly Green/White patch.

    

5. If your team isn't scoring many goals, it could be beneficial to use the patches to motivate your players to do the things that can produce goals, and Team Attacking. Examples of behavior that you want to teach and encourage include: getting in front of the opponent's goal (most goals are score in front of the goal, and the more players you have there, the better your odds), stealing the ball from a defender and scoring in your "Attacking Third", being alert and in position for rebounds, being aggressive, brave, alert and hustling. In brief: if your Forwards and Midfielders are in position, alert, aggressive and hustle, your team will score goals. Over half the goals in Rec games are scored using the inside of the foot. Placement is more important than power. Shoot low and toward the corner... from inside the Penalty Box a groundball is more likely to score than a hard kicked air ball, because the shot will be more accurate (think about how many hard kicked balls totally miss or go straight to the Goalie), although on a wet field "Chip" shots can be effective because the Goalie will have trouble catching them. If your team is U8 or older, you should start to think about Team Attacking and Team Defending.

    

6. You can use them to encourage kids to participate or behave at practice.

    

7. You can use them to encourage kids to listen to the coaches and follow instructions.

    

8. Do you want to encourage assists or unselfish play?

    

9. Do you want to encourage running or speed training?

    

10. Do you want to encourage players to learn "Moves"? (which they can practice at home)

     

11. Do you want to encourage kids to practice at home?

     

12. Or to practice Juggling? (which they can practice at home). Example: increase your juggling by 10 and get a Gold/Blue Patch or a Red Star patch.

     

13. For another example of how to use them, the Baltimore Soccer Academy developed a program called the "Outstanding Individual Achievement Program" ("OIA"). They used the patches as rewards for achievements such as mastering skills, running, juggling, getting good grades and attendance.
     
14. Coaches Recommend NOT Giving a MVP Patch and that Every Player at a Recreational Game is Given a Patch: Coaches recommend NOT giving a MVP patch because that makes it seem that one player is more important than the others and can cause hard feelings. Coaches also recommend that in Recreational leagues you give every player who is at the game a patch so feelings aren't hurt. You might ask "What if the player didn't try?" Here is a way to handle that -- you could give a Green Star patch to the kids that don't earn any other type of patch. There are many different kinds of patches and some are cooler than others. That allows you to designate special patch for specific actions. For example - a lightning bolt for hustle, a "D" for Defense, A for Attitude, etc. ONLY give those if they are earned. That does NOT mean you have to give every kid an attendance patch for just showing up for the game… you would only give the Green Star patch to kids who didn't earn a patch for improvement, attitude, effort, hustle, bravery, or some other reason.
     
15. As an End of Season Reward. The Shamrock Patch is a great patch to give out at the end of the season to wish everyone "Good luck".

9 Tips for Developing a Soccer Patch Motivational Plan

1. Coming to Practice is Critical, So You Want to Motivate and Reward That. It will be a huge advantage if all your players come to practice. That is the only way to practice as a team.

2. Create a Motivational Program Prior to Giving Out Any Iron On Soccer Patches or Star Patches. List the behaviors that will be awarded, how to earn them and show a picture of the patch. (You can copy and paste the pictures online from The Soccer Patch).

3. Provide a Copy of the Motivational Program to the Parents and Players. This is essential so that players and parents understand the purpose and motivation behind the system.

4. Be Sure to Buy Enough Soccer Patches or Star Patches. You can estimate how many of each kind you will need by considering the number of games and practices.

5. Use the Soccer Patches and Star Patches to Motivate and Reward Individual Improvement, Effort and Attitude. There are certain things players can do and can't do. Every player can try their best, hustle, be brave, have a good attitude, listen to the coach and gradually improve. BUT, every player isn't fast or a great athlete. That is the problem with giving a MVP patch for Rec games - the best athletes will probably win it every time and the kids who aren't great athletes probably don't have much of a chance. Soccer is a team sport and it is important that all your players improve. In fact, it will probably help your team more if your weak, timid players improve than if your great athletes improve because "Weak" links are usually what hurt a Rec team the most.

6. Make a List of the Specific Individual Improvements You Want to Encourage From Each Player. Typical things might be Bravery, Hustle, Listening to the Coach, Playing Your Position, Defense, etc. That way you can look for improvement by each player. Tell the kids what you would like to see them improve in and if they improve, give them a patch and praise them. Try to find a reason to give EVERY player a patch. Continued individual improvement is your goal. Remember: Soccer is a team sport and it is important that all your players improve. In fact, it will probably help your team more if your weak, timid players improve than if your great athletes improve because "Weak" links are usually what hurt a Rec team the most.

7. Giving a MVP Patch is a Bad Idea for Rec Teams and Can Cause Hard Feelings in Any Team Sport. The reasons are stated in no. 5 above. Be careful about giving MVP patches - they give the impression that one player is more important than the others and that can only lead to disagreement and hard feelings. It is VERY hard to decide who is the MVP in a team sport such as soccer.

8. Your Plan Needs to Be Specific to Your Team. Every team is different. A Rec team will have a different plan than a Select Team.

9. It is Best if Every Child who Attends a Rec Game Gets a Patch. Remember, you are playing Rec soccer and it is supposed to be fun! If you don't give every kid a patch, the players who don't get one will feel left out and could develop negative attitudes and ill-will towards the coaches and other players. You might not want to give one to a player who was at the game but didn't try, but here is a way to handle that -- you could give a black soccer ball patch to the kids that don't earn any other type of patch. There are many different kinds of patches and some are cooler than others. That allows you to designate special patch for specific actions. For example - a lightning bolt for hustle, D for Defense, A for Attitude, etc. ONLY give those if they are earned. That does NOT mean you have to give every kid an attendance patch for just showing up for the game. you would only give that to kids who didn't earn a patch for improvement, effort or attitude.