The Football Pregame Talk

What you say and how you say it when delivering the pre-game speech is a big motivator for your soccer players. Try these coaching tips when talking to the kids before the football game to prepare them for competition:

• Speak in a calm and relaxed manner.

• Be brief.

• Conduct the talk away from any distractions.

• Stress the importance of having fun and displaying good sportsmanship at all times during the game.

• Stay away from overused clichés; speak from the heart to get your point across.

• Avoid pressure phrases like “Let’s score five goals today.” Kids can give you their best effort, but they can’t control the outcome of games.

• Be enthusiastic with your tone of voice and body language. The kids will be more responsive.