Author: Jemma

Jemma Merrick is a life-long soccer fan, long-time soccer player and coach, and current soccer mom.  After high school, Jemma played both Division I and Division III collegiate soccer, at the University of Virginia and Macalester College, respectively. Jemma coached the women Macalester College Team.

COACHES CORNER: The Playground is the Ultimate Soccer Field for Play

COACHES CORNER: The Playground is the Ultimate Soccer Field for Free (and Fun!) Play

When my two boys are asked what their favorite part of their school day was, the answer is inevitably “gym” or “recess.” I know nobody wants to think of the end of summer quite yet, and especially not a return to school, but I also know my kids are already excited about getting to again hang with their extended friend group all at once – something that only happens during recess.

In the case of my eldest son, recess also proved to be a useful soccer recruiting tool. He and his friends play before lunch every single day, even outside in the winter months. This group has grown steadily over the years, which has in turn also grown not only a love of the game amongst the other students, but actual players that went on to join the local competitive club.

As a parent who always emphasizes the importance of academic learning, I have learned to see great value in the lessons my kids are picking up on the playground when they just get to figure out how to get organized in their own way, on their own. Of course it doesn’t hurt that they have also become ambassadors for a sport I adore. And while there’s no doubt it’s great to hear about those magical moments of discovery in the classroom, I also must admit that I look forward to hearing them recount the often funny and heroic moments from their recess free play field.

So, really…back to school can be back to fun? It certainly can be, if we remember to just let them play!

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COACHES CORNER: Remedy to Summer Soccer Brain Drain

Most teachers are well aware of a little phenomenon called “The Summer Brain Drain.” This is the loss of skills and knowledge that often happens during the months away from school. With many seasons already coming to an end just as official summer begins and a rather long gap before tryouts and then another before the start of the fall season, a parallel concept could be applied to our favorite youth sport: Summer Soccer Brain Drain. While this usually refers to a slide in math and reading skills, in the case of soccer it would be a loss of technical skill in the time away from the game. This is the perfect time to “MOTI UP” and helps combat a summer skill slide with some fun soccer homework.

  • Encourages your player to learn and be active while also getting some bonus tech time.
  • Learn Together! Study the skills on the app with your player and ask some directed but open-ended technique questions: “What do you notice about where the ball stays when doing the lateral four touches?”
  • Opportunity to set up mini-challenges – the adult can participate too. See how many reverse Vs. can be done in a set amount of time.
  • Record the players trying a skill and let them see themselves on the replay. Then give them a turn to do the same with you.

The prescription is in! A few healthy doses of MOTI (with World Cup viewing as an added supplement) to keep skills and learning on track.

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COACHES CORNER: Parental Advisory! A Beginning Guide Soccer Lingo

If you are looking to gain some credibility with your player(s) or in conversations with those in the know, here is a quick list of some fun dos and suggested don’ts of things to say.

First, two sideline pitfalls to avoid!

Boot it! – Usually used to instruct a player to get the ball cleared or plead with them to just kick it really hard.  The only time the word boot should come out of your mouth around soccer players is when you are quaintly referring to the soccer cleats on someone’s feet or instructing someone to grab some equipment from your car trunk. Think “cool new boots” or “could you please grab the cones from the boot, my car is the white Honda.”

Unlucky – This isn’t a phrase to completely steer clear of, but using it comes with a responsibility not to overuse it. Occasionally, a player is actually unlucky on the field, but more often you can hear “Unlucky!” exclaimed after any errant shot or pass. As a coach, these moments present an opportunity to give some more specific instruction and encouragement or to remain quiet. Further, hearing it repeatedly and inaccurately might discourage a player from a moment of on-field self-reflection, adjustment and correction…and could prove quite unlucky for the team in the long run.

Now, for the fun ones:

Nutmeg – it’s not just for eggnog anymore. Also indicates you have successfully knocked the ball between an opponent’s legs. Often used to be a bit cheeky and embarrass another player, hopefully in good fun.

PK – aka penalty kick, penalty, pen, dot shot. A direct free kick within the goal box against only the goalkeeper.

Nil – zero, zilch, nada. As in “the score was 2-nil.”

Hat Trick – three goals in one game by the same player.

Brace – two goals in one game by the same player.

I haven’t forgotten pitch, match and football, of course…but you might need a British accent to legitimately pull these words off!

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COACHES CORNER: The Merry Merry Month of May?!

There might be a poem and a song that declares it to be so, but I mean, is it really? I understand somebody decided to place Mother’s Day smack dab in the middle of it to make us feel like it is “our” month but I think many of us, especially us “Soccer Moms” might wonder why. May feels like it sends schedules into overdrive and moms right to the edge.

So many activities to juggle. The band and choir concerts. The end of year school projects and parties. Remembering which kid needs to be at which field in which uniform as seasons kick into high gear.

As you simultaneously play the top 40 DJ, throw snacks into the back seat and try ever-so-calmly to request (for the third time) that “Player A” get his shin pads on…take a quick peek at yourself in that rearview mirror and give yourself a mental high five.

You are doing a GREAT job!

Wise elders tell us that someday we will miss these moments. I am going to try to believe them and seek a little bit of merry amidst the chaos.

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

COACHES CORNER: The Power of Positivity

In addition to the often recommended “I love to watch you play!”, some suggestions of supportive words to offer and questions to ask the young player that will help them grow as a teammate and in their understanding of the game:

You worked so hard today.

I saw when you helped that opposing player up, that made me smile.

I am sorry that today was rough. I’m so glad you have tomorrow to try again.

It was fun to see you have fun with your friends.

What did you do today on the field that made you feel proud?

I know you felt nervous and you were so brave anyway.

What was your favorite part of the game?

Is there something that you observed that the other team did well?

I noticed you listening intently when the coach was talking at halftime. What made you listen?

You never gave up the entire game!

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

COACHES CORNER: I Love to Watch You Play…HONESTLY!

By now, many parents have probably heard/read that the main or only thing you should say to your young player after a game is “I love to watch you play.” While I wholeheartedly believe this to be true (even if difficult to practice at times), I think that there could be an “also” added to the parental responsibility: also mean it! And by mean it, I mean actually WATCH them play.

I learned early on that my boys were watching me to see if I was watching them. They would occasionally glance over to check in with me, looking for acknowledgment, after doing something on the field or while waiting as a sub on the sideline. Afterward, almost without fail, I would get the post-game questions of “Did you see that time….?” or “Remember when I did….?” They weren’t always referring to a big play they made – sometimes it was something silly that happened, but they wanted to know if I had noticed, if we had had a shared experience. Ultimately, it mattered to them that I bear witness to what they had shown up to do.

This became even more obvious to me when the questions began to change as they got a bit older: “Dad, can you not be on your phone the whole time?”, “Mom, can you not spend the entire game visiting with _____(fill in the blank with another player’s parent’s name)?” While it was by no means the case that I had been chatting through an entire game, my son had likely just never caught me looking because he was engrossed in his own playing. But his perception was important to me, and ultimately, I understood that he just wanted to be seen. This theory was confirmed further when, before a practice, I got a: “Mom, can you watch me play today?”

I don’t think this desire is specific to my kids. In my years of coaching, I have also observed other players behaving similarly, especially in rec programs and early on in a child’s sports playing experience.

Our kids are asking us to be present.

This doesn’t mean that they are asking for additional feedback or critique. It does mean that they actually want you to be more than just their personal Uber and pay attention – which is really great news!

And in the end, you can honestly (and JUST) say “I love to watch you play.”

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

Coach’s Corner: One Size Doesn’t Usually Fit All

Do you know what kind of coach you are? Can you describe your style? How you motivate players? Are you impactful in tapping into players needs to be affirmed and coached positively?

I won’t continue with the 20 questions, but I will suggest that however you usually show up, it can be a game changer when you are able to be you – but also be the kind of coach (each of!) your players needs you to be for their growth and love of the game.

In other words, you should absolutely bring your authentic personality to the field – it won’t work to try to over-emulate to be too much like somebody else or something you are not. But after thoughtful reflection and getting to know your players, you should also absolutely have a strong sense of how to provide communication that is individualized to the receiver when giving one-to-one feedback. This will lead to greater impact and larger intended outcomes for the player, and possibly for the entire squad.

Personality. Mood. Confidence. History. All of these and more can play into the nuances of how a message is received. Your choice of approach and words are important. They can encourage and energize or paralyze and deflate. And what works with one player, might not (actually, likely won’t) work for another. “I need you to…” vs. “I know you can…”. Public acknowledgment vs. private discussion. Intense and impassioned vs. calm and casual. And so on.

If it feels like an overwhelming prospect to try to personalize your coaching, I am guessing you already do some of it quite naturally without realizing it. I’m also willing to bet that you are capable of doing even more with great benefit! It’s worth the effort, so:

I need you to try! Also: I know you can do it!

View another COACHES CORNER article here.

COACHS CORNER: Keeping Practice FUN AND EFFECTIVE

  • Minimize the lines, maximize the ball touches – players should rarely be standing around. Set up more than one station of the same drill, go to both goals to shoot or have a passing sequence lead up to a shot so more players are involved, one ball per player and keep them moving during skills session.
  • Players will respond to your energy level and enthusiasm, both physical and verbal…you should be almost as tired as the kids by the end of practice!
  • Try to make one to one contact/connection with every player throughout the course of each practice and game. Make direct technique corrections with a player that is struggling to execute a skill, acknowledge great effort to the player who sprinted back on defense, high fives as they are getting subbed off.
  • Incorporate some analogous visuals as you talk about technique. Ankles should be locked when doing an inside of the foot pass – what would happen if a hockey stick had a blade on a hinge?
  • Come up with some fun/silly catch phrases that are easy for the kids to latch onto and for you to pull out during games and practices. “Say no to the toe!” to remind them which part of the foot they should be using to shoot or pass. “Zak, Rutabaga!” when Zak is looking up at the sky instead of focusing on something soccer related.
  • Stop a skills session or a drill in the middle when you catch a player doing something really well and have them do a demonstration for the whole team. Let them take a bow at the end and encourage a round of applause from teammates.  

View another COACHES CORNER article here.