Product Description

As a soccer coach, you need to know how to teach basic skills and run solid practices. Teaching Soccer Fundamentals explains how to maximize young athletes’ learning of essential techniques and tactics through fun and efficient practice sessions.

Including helpful photographs and illustrations as well as instructions that are easy to understand and apply, this book shares more than 30 years of soccer coaching experience. Author Nelson McAvoy offers tips for maintaining kids’ short attention span and methods for boosting participation, including short-sided games. Teaching Soccer Fundamentals will make next season a more rewarding experience for you and your players.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #180103 in Books
• Published on: 1998-08-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 184 pages

Review
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""This book will help coaches develop a good foundation and basic coaching methodology. I recommend it for coaches of adolescent players.""
Jeff Tipping
Director of Coaching
National Soccer Coaches' Association of America

""McAvoy expresses ideas which are of value to both the novice coach and experienced coach at the highest level.""
Richard Broad
President, American Soccer Program
Director, Middle States Soccer Camps
Head Soccer Coach, Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA

From the Publisher
"This book will help coaches develop a good foundation and basic coaching methodology. I recommend it for coaches of adolescent players."

Jeff Tipping Director of Coaching National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America

"McAvoy expresses ideas which are of value to both the novice coach and experienced coach at the highest level."

Richard Broad President, American Soccer Program Director, Middle States Soccer Camps Head Soccer Coach, Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA

About the Author
Nelson McAvoy retired as a head scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and is now involved in what truly brings him joy—helping kids enjoy the game of soccer.

The director of the Potomac Highlands Soccer Club, McAvoy has coached youth soccer in widely different locations, including Eastern Europe, Puerto Rico, and in Washington D.C. He is certified as an AYSO coaching instructor and a Scottish Football Association youth and club coach. He has also held a USSF B license for 25 years and holds an advanced national diploma from the National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America.

McAvoy lives in Keyser, West Virginia. When not coaching soccer or administering soccer events, he enjoys equestrian jumping and driving sports cars.

Customer Reviews

Excellent for coaches of all age levels
This is the best single soccer coaching book I have.

It is well-written with humor (he confirms something I've always suspected - when you are yelling at the kids during the game, it sounds to them like you're speaking Bulgarian).

I have used more drills and ideas from this book than any single other book.

I highly recommend this one.

The Man has a Plan
In his book, Nelson McAvoy offers you a plan on how to teach young players the game of Soccer, rather then another book of drills. Unlike most books, he centers on the development of the child learning capibilities and how they learn to kick a ball. Then he explains how to teach it.

Through a step by step procedures, he develops the laces kick, then the inside of the foot push pass as the child learns how to turn their foot.

The book is filled with enough pictures, practice plans, and games to keep your youth team busy and learning in a fun environment.

I would recommend this book for any coach who is looking for the long term development of the youth player.

Teach the game
Regardless of whether you know the game, if you want to learn more about how to teach the game, this is the book for you. I grew up playing, but starting coaching was a struggle to get the kids to understand -- until I bought this book 2 years ago. I still recommend it, and I still use it. This shows you what skills to start with and how to progress as the kids catch on. With the philosophies and games in this book you can keep the attention of your team for many many practices.