How to Best Support a New Soccer Player

Along with school, the fall youth soccer season is now in full swing. If you have a new player, you might be wondering how you can help him get off to a great start. When it comes down to it, your primary job as soccer parent is simple; just make sure that your child is well-supported and prepared to play.

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Positive Parenting Videos from US Youth Soccer

US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sports organization in the US, has produced and posted new videos about positive soccer parenting. They probably won’t win any cinematography awards, but they are short, to the point and contain lots of worthwhile information. 

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Can Praising your Child on the Soccer Field Hurt Her?

The answer is an unequivocal yes, according to a recent ABC News Nightline story. At first glance, this might sound as though it flies in the face of every bit of modern parenting advice you’ve ever heard. I’ve always been a big believer in encouraging kids, a theme that runs throughout my book, Soccer for Moms. So it goes without saying that I read this article with some healthy skepticism. When I looked closer, however, I found that the ideas in the article make a lot of sense. The trick, it turns out, is not necessarily to withhold praise, but rather to be careful about the kind of praise you offer your children.

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