What are the Pros and Cons of Coaching Soccer for a Recreation League?

I have always loved playing soccer! When my daughter turned 4, I was excited to sign her up for soccer. While feeling out the paperwork, I discovered the league was short on coaching staff. I quickly decided to become her head coach. In doing this, there have been a few ups and downs, so I decided to write the pros and cons of coaching rec soccer.

Pros of Coaching Soccer for a Recreation League

1. You get to spend one on one time with your child. You can watch them grow and learn skills as a team, increase confidence, and build lifelong friendships. The car rides to and from practice are also treasured, as my daughter and I can talk about practice.
2. You get to practice your soccer skills. When was the last time you played soccer? I haven't played on a team for at least four years. It is exciting to be able to teach little ones about something I love as well as fine-tune my skills.
3. You get some good exercise. As a mom of three, I don't have a lot of extra time to exercise daily. While being a coach, it helps me to get out and practice with the kids. This means I can't just stand there and order the kids around but instead do what they are doing.
4. I am learning the basics. Have you ever heard that you will improve by learning the basics of something you know? Reviewing what I learned when I was little has helped me remember how to become a better soccer player by focusing on the bare minimum.
5. Learning how to teach soccer will help you become better at it! After teaching my little team how to kick a soccer ball, I realized I was not putting it in the simplest terms. I can say that I am better at soccer because I teach six-year-olds!
6. You're making a difference in others' lives. A few little girls on my team seem to come from rough families. I can teach them to be good people and fantastic soccer players by my example. 

Cons of Coaching Soccer for a Recreation League

1. We have practices twice a week and games once a week. That does not include all the paperwork and scheduling you need to do as a coach. It takes quite a bit of time out of your week.
2. You are responsible for so many kids. This means you need to keep them safe in and out of the game. 
3. It can be HOT. There have been days where we practice at 95+ degrees. I think more of practice is water breaks than playing. I know the girls are hot, and I feel like melting.
4. You have different talents that come together to make the team. This is true with almost anything in life, but as a coach, you need to figure out how to work with each team member to build a team that works together.
5. It can be frustrating. I remember trying to teach the girls how to pass to each other. I felt like I was talking to a brick wall. There was no response and no understanding of what I was saying. Let's say I gave up on that lesson that day. Since then, we have had to move back to our passing skills.
6. You have to deal with parents. This isn't necessarily a con but can be if parents aren't willing to support you. I asked if one of the parents minded helping me by being a team parent, they would need to schedule after-game treats and other small things. There was no support. 
7. Keeping 4-6 year-olds attention for 30 to 45 minutes is near impossible. Have you ever tried corralling eight busy bees into an open field? That is what it feels like while coaching. I often leave smiling because I have failed more than accomplished anything. At least it's worth the effort, I guess.
8. Working with the administration over all of the teams can be a pain. As a coach, you should not be treated like a child. You are not getting paid and are sacrificing a lot of hours out of your week to help the administration run their group. It can be discouraging with emails that are not very friendly or phone calls that are snarky.

"Our goal is to help the world make decisions with a list of Pros and Cons. We invite all to add to our lists to help others make the most educated decision possible. We are all in this world together to help each other and learn from what others have learned from their lives journey." -Pros and Cons Team

Written by: Sarah