>>>http://deadspin.com/what-might-happen-if-a-football-coach-coached-soccer-1012841849
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>>Funny! Thanks.
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>>My two favorite parts are his definition of wanker and the scene where he is hounding an AR for the definition of offside. I know from personal experience the latter is true. It's the one soccer rule many American soccer parents think they understand -- and they don't. One funny memory is from an AYSO national tournament game several years ago in which I was an AR (sideline ref to those who don't know the acronym). A player was offside and I popped the flag. The receiving player had burst into the clear, so there were some parents, one guy in particular, who were not pleased by the call. During the next break in play I went down and talked to him, amiably. I have always been amiable while refereeing; kids playing a game on green grass, what's not to like? I said you are of course free to express your opinion but please consider this. I was dead even with the second to last defender, exactly where I was supposed to be. Your guy was offside. You're 40 yards back sitting in a lawn chair and you want to argue the call? He smiled, we shook hands, and then we all went back to the match.
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>Always surprises me how hot-under-the-collar some parents get in defence of their offspring :-}
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>>It has been several years since I refereed. I miss it and if I can get back in some modicum of physical condition I intend to get back involved.
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>>Speaking of physical shape, have you already done your mega bike ride this year or is it still coming up?
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>Done (early July). From Mont Blanc, round the Italian lakes and down to Venice. Then Trieste into Slovenia and up to Budapest.
>Did a Nick though and wrote my bike off on the first day. Bought a new one and back on the road in 3hrs! :-}

Excellent!

Speaking of Nick, have you been in touch with him lately? I haven't noticed him posting in a while now. Maybe he is still in rapture over the royal baby ;-)

My experience was that the parents of Under-6 and Under-8 players were the most difficult. Like most good parents, I suppose, they often thought their kids were perfect in every way. Sometimes soccer was the first realization that their child was average or below average in anything. The other thing that was difficult was so many of them tried to coach from the sidelines. At that age most of the players go onto the field barely knowing which direction their team is going, much less capable of processing half a dozen hollered instructions at once. AYSO, which is the largest youth soccer organization in the U.S. (and I believe in the world) has some really good age-appropriate guidelines for coaches. At U-6 there are only about 4 things you want them to learn, like how to kick the ball and how to receive a pass. Not that many of them are interested in passing the ball at that age, LOL.