You may have the greatest technical skills and training to teach soccer to children, but if you can't effectively communicate these skills and techniques your players will never reach their potential. Effective communication skills are essential to teaching the game, keeping your players enthused and helping everyone enjoy their soccer experience.

Verbal Messages:

• Be positive and honest: Kids know when they make mistakes, so encourage them to do better without offering false praise.
• State it clearly and simply: Take into account the age of the intended recipients when speaking and shorten the instruction time for younger players whose attention spans are shorter than older players.
• Say it loud enough and say it again: Be clear in your communications and organize your thoughts before presenting them. Remember: preparation improves performance.
• Be consistent: Teach terminology early and stick with it; switching "halfback" with "fullback" with "defender" will only confuse children.

Non-verbal messages:

• Facial expressions: A smile conveys more than any words so be ready to use your face to express your feelings.
• Body language: Remember that your players will look to you as an example, so becoming furious at a call and becoming red-faced, crossing your arms or stomping on the sidelines are all examples that your players will use to craft their own behavior. Remember that you are their main positive influence on your team, and physical gestures like a pat on the shoulder or a high-five or handshake can go a long way to softening mistakes or emphasizing successes.

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