No don't do it.

The best parent direction/advice given to their kid on the field that I have ever heard over lots of years of standing on sidelines and sitting in stands is, "[Name] What can you do to help?" This was maybe at age 10/11 and the kid was great but had about a 20 second attention span. Dad played 1st Div PL and his older brother now is playing MLS. Wish he had been around my older daughter's teams.

Go to a pro soccer game -- D.C. United or Spirit -- and watch the goalkeepers. See how they're positioned. See where they go to distribute the ball. (As a rec coach, it drives me crazy when kids are practically standing in their own net and punt the ball barely out of the box.)

Maret has a fantastic weekly soccer goalie camp in the summer -- try that perhaps.

Anonymous wrote:Jesus, why don't you just take him to the field, put him in front of the goal, and kick the ball at him a couple of hundred times. This isn't hard. That's all the "training" he needs at this point.

oh really? you're a genius!

Jesus, why don't you just take him to the field, put him in front of the goal, and kick the ball at him a couple of hundred times. This isn't hard. That's all the "training" he needs at this point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Could you videotape him and then give him advice while he's looking at how he played? It might be even more useful, and you wouldn't be breaking any rules and making anyone uncomfortable.

good idea, thanks.

can i suggest to the coach to spend sometime at practice with him on playing goalie? or is that bad form as well? i guess i could 'encourage' my son to ask the coach himself...

Is he friends with one of the kids who has been playing goalie? My son and his friends help each other out. You could ask the coach for suggestions for working with him. The coach might then offer to work with him but I wouldn't expect it. Most of the time volunteer coaches seem to be spread thin.

Anonymous wrote:
Could you videotape him and then give him advice while he's looking at how he played? It might be even more useful, and you wouldn't be breaking any rules and making anyone uncomfortable.

good idea, thanks.

can i suggest to the coach to spend sometime at practice with him on playing goalie? or is that bad form as well? i guess i could 'encourage' my son to ask the coach himself...

This reminds me of the VW commercial where the uncoordinated, unathletic dad is trying to show the kid how to throw a baseball.

We have a couple parents on our team that never played soccer that are the biggest loudmouths. They are always yelling the wrong directions and at other kids too!! And they are always screaming 'offsides' when they clearly don't know the rules.

For the love of God, please let it stop!!! I have 6 more weeks with this team. I've been biting my lip for so long...bound to burst soon...

Could you videotape him and then give him advice while he's looking at how he played? It might be even more useful, and you wouldn't be breaking any rules and making anyone uncomfortable.

I hope your kid throws the ball at you.

How annoying/embarassung to have your dad standing behind you and yelling at you through a game.

You should not be coaching during a game. If you really feel that you need to help him with basics, take him to a field for a practice session where you do your coaching/training/whatever outside of games. Parents have no business interfering with the game unless they also happen to be the coach of the team.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dear OP,

We all saw you last weekend pacing around the goal and let me put this nicely: IT'S RIDICULOUS. Just bad on so many levels. DON'T DO IT.

See you at the end-of-season participation trophy party!

well i might actually continue to do it just to drive you nuts. will encourage the other parents to continue too!

If I were the opposition I would probably encourage you to keep doing it because you likely don't know what you are doing anyway.

Anonymous wrote:Dear OP,

We all saw you last weekend pacing around the goal and let me put this nicely: IT'S RIDICULOUS. Just bad on so many levels. DON'T DO IT.

See you at the end-of-season participation trophy party!

well i might actually continue to do it just to drive you nuts. will encourage the other parents to continue too!

Good grief -- don't do it, please. Do your coaching outside of games! Backyard or park.

OP - Good for you for asking.