If you want your players to perform better and enjoy the game more, then less is definitely more when it comes to coaching from the sidelines (or from the field). Kids should be able to play on game day without a constant stream of commands and instructions from the adults, and will almost always play better without that distraction.

Think about your own experiences as an adult. If you need to perform a complex task are you going to do better if you are free to focus and concentrate on that task, or do better if you have someone constantly yelling at you?

Positive comments and feedback are fine, as long as they do not become distracting, but try to limit instructions as much as possible while the ball is in play. At these ages, a brief reminder (ideally one familiar keyword or phrase) or simple instruction while the ball is out of play is the most effective way to coach.

The general tone of any coaching during the game should always be positive, and there is never, ever, a reason to make negative comments to or about any of the players, coaches, or spectators

As stated above, we are asking coaches to limit the amount of active coaching they do during the game in order to enhance the player's enjoyment and development. This will only work if the parents and other spectators do not try to "fill the void". Parents and other spectators are free to encourage the players on the field, but should not coach or give any instructions during practices or games (even yelling "go" is an instruction). Along with being distracting, the spectators often offer advice contradictory to what the coach is teaching them to do in training (a perfect example is the command "boot it!", something that no young soccer player should ever be ordered to do). Let the kids play.

As with the coaches, no spectator ever has any reason to make negative comments or remarks to opposing players, coaches, or fellow spectators

Coaches are ultimately responsible for the behavior of both their coaching staff and their sidelines. Any issues that cannot be resolved on the team level should immediately be brought to the attention of the Technical Director or the Field Marshall

For more information about why we strongly discourage coaching from the sidelines, please read the article below that Program Director Scott Nelson wrote several years ago for Soccer America Magazine.

http://www.socceramerica.com/article/44578/sideline-coaching-dump-the-gps-and-let-the-kid

The overall program is under the active supervision of the Technical Director and each age group has its own Age Group Director. The directors' main roles and responsibilities include:

Designing and Organizing weekly Academy Sessions
Coach training and education
Parent education
Coaching Behaviors

Scott has been coaching soccer for more than 20 years. He has coached all ages from 2-year-olds to adults, and all ability levels from recreational soccer to Premier, High School, and the Olympic Development Program. Scott also spent two years coaching the youth teams of the USL Seattle Sounders in the regional Super-Y League. He holds a National C License and a National Youth License from the United States Soccer Federation, The Advanced National License from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, Children's and Adult coaching licenses from the Austrian Soccer Federation, and an Expert in Youth Development Diploma from the prestigious MBP School of Coaches in Barcelona, Spain. Scott spent ten years on the Washington Youth Soccer Instructional staff, where his specialty was training coaches to work with very young players.

In addition to his work with the Academy, Scott serves as the Sparta Tacoma Boys 2009 Red and White head coach and previously served as the NORTAC and Sparta Director of Coaching.