‘KICK IT”

If we can just eliminate yelling “kick it” from the sidelines of a youth soccer game and replace it with “keep it,” we would dramatically increase the level of play in this country.

Small changes can (and do) make a big difference.

One of my favorite pieces of advice, and one I wish I had considered with my own children, is to have soccer balls in the house but not allow kids to kick them. Children who play will want to use the ball, but they must keep it at their feet. This builds the skills we need much more than simply kicking it.

In America, we view the sport like American Football. We view it as an effort to move forward, to “move the chains.” We view it in simple ways, as the sport where you kick the ball versus throwing it or running with it.

Kids in other countries want the ball; they don’t want to kick it away. This builds individual skills and does so when it makes sense to children, … in years when they are developmentally ego-centric.

Celebrating a “big kick” and yelling “kick it” are among the most counter-productive things we can do at youth soccer games!

Brandon Koons,

Otterbein University.