It’s important to give children the opportunity to do well in life. They need to be guided and helped with their schoolwork, nutrition and leisure activities in positive and thoughtful ways to help them experience success. Of course, at Grasshopper Soccer we are passionate about teaching and educating our kids in both soccer and life skills.
The following ten tips should help parents to develop their kids’ basic soccer skills at home, so they can feel confident playing with their GS teammates on the field.

Tip # 1 Make the Little Successes Count

Whenever your child does well in backyard practices, tell them so! Reinforcement of a job well done, even in play, is very important.

Tip # 2 Eliminate Negative Feedback

No one likes to hear constant negative feedback. You would quickly tire of hearing it from your boss. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of your child’s abilities, focus more on the things they are doing well. Then, you can help them with their trouble areas and the child will have more of a willingness to listen and improve.

Tip # 3 Turn Practice into Games

Practicing drills in the backyard can be boring after a while. Instead of using the same old drills, come up with some fun games that you can use to teach the fundamentals of soccer.

Tip # 4 Foster a Love of the Sport

While you might love soccer, your children are still new to the concept of the sport. In addition to teaching them the rules of the game, you can watch games on television with them. Let them choose their favourite team, and this can increase the desire to play and practice in real life.
Tip # 5 Find Those Confidence Boosters
For children who are just starting out, make it easy to do well when they are practicing.

Tip # 6 Instil a Sense of Teamwork

Show your child how much easier it is to complete tasks around the house by working together with parents or siblings as a team. You can then use those lessons and apply them to playing soccer with their friends.

Tip # 7 Importance of Practice

Practice makes perfect, or at least is makes players better. Help your child understand that practicing will improve their skills and their enjoyment of the game.

Tip # 8 Videotaping the Games

Just as professionals tape their games to watch footage, you can do the same with your children’s soccer games. Watching their own games will help them to become more aware of where they can improve. It is also fun for them!

Tip # 9 Eating Healthy is Always Important

Providing healthy meals that will provide your child with energy and nutrition is vital. They will learn to eat well from a young age, and this will help them on and off the field.

Tip # 10 Provide Support

Once you have been helping your child around the house to learn more skills to take with him or her to the field, make sure you are there at the games and practices to show your support. It means a lot to the children.
Activity for Developing Confidence

• Place an overturned small rubbish bin or similar container in the back garden, or buy a small soccer net.

• Place several balls in front of the container.

• Let your child kick them in and score goals from an easy distance.

• Move the balls further away as skill develops.