For many years, coaches have coached soccer – this is a logical expectation. However, Long Term Player Development (LTPD) advocates the need to encourage physical literacy before game techniques. This confounds many parents who register their young children in soccer for the team and social components, forgetting that many children are too immature to grasp the concept of sharing and team play at an early age.

The first stepping stone for children playing is to develop the key physical movement patterns. Physical movement provides the basis of self-worth in developing children. To stand, walk, run, and fall comes long before spelling one’s name and academic scores. This is not to say that young children should not be encouraged to develop soccer techniques with a ball. Lionel Messi was a … continue reading here (scroll down to Tip of the Month).