Since the approach to kids should be different if the coach expects to reach the best possible results, the first step would be to avoid criticism by all means and focus on praising the children’s stronger suits. Every team member is giving their best effort to become a better soccer player, and the coach should recognize that determination in order to develop a better relationship with the players as well. Positive reinforcement in children could be elicited with the help of proper body language, calm communication, and overall coaching consistency.
Another important idea would be to teach all the required techniques and knowledge in an adults manner to help children understand what is expected of them and approach the required tasks with all seriousness. It may also be that kids would require explicit demonstrations of how certain skills or drills have to be passed. Children might be more receptive to what they see, so it makes sense to have them pay attention to all the particularities of performing instead of communicating verbally.
The most important concept that cannot be overlooked when coaching children is that they are still individuals despite their age and life experience. Every drill or task that is assigned to players has to be passable in order to motivate kids to move forward and improve their personal and professional attitudes toward the environment. Accordingly, the coach would have to adapt to the children’s learning speed and not vice versa. Every individual should be treated equally, and the amount of competitiveness in games has to be carefully mediated by the coach in order to cultivate the team spirit and avoid significant conflicts.
