Here's why volunteering to coach a youth soccer team is totally worth it

Welcome to our SYSA educational series! This series is where we provide advice, guidance and useful tools for parents, coaches and volunteers within the Seattle Youth Soccer Association.

As recreational neighborhood soccer programs across Seattle start to open up their fall registration, a question comes to mind for a lot of local parents. Should I volunteer to coach youth soccer this year? Should I volunteer to coach my kids team?

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Yes, it can seem like a big commitment, but it’s a commitment that comes with so many benefits. Here's a few of the reasons why volunteering to coach a youth soccer team is totally worth it:

You get to connect in new ways

Volunteering to coach a youth soccer team put you into a position that connects you with your community. Not only does it get you out into your neighborhood for practice sessions at the local park, but it also allows you the chance to interact with the other parents and volunteer coaches. Putting yourself into an environment with like-minded people who share the same values gives you the opportunity to expand your social circle.

Volunteering to coach your kids soccer team also allows you the opportunity to connect with your child in a new and different way. Not only will you get to spend time with them, but you'll be in a new environment together where you are able to learn more about each other and add to your relationship.

You get to play soccer, and soccer is fun!

One of the best reasons to volunteer to coach a youth soccer team is that it's fun! Volunteering to coach youth soccer gets you outside, gets you active and gets you enjoying something new. Coaching can be a refreshing change of pace from your other daily activities and commitments.

{Related read: Keeping soccer fun! Here's why it's so important}

Also, if you have previous soccer experience, volunteering to coach a youth soccer team can help you rekindle your love for the game. Coaching can motivate you and spur your curiosity to want to learn more, further expand your soccer knowledge and become a student of the beautiful game!

You get to see players improve

One of the most rewarding parts about working with kids on the soccer field is seeing them learn something new and grow from it. Over the course of the season, seeing the team and individual players grow and prosper is hugely inspiring. It's fulfilling to see them find success, especially when they worked hard for it.

And we're not talking about success as in only scoring goals and winning games, we're talking about success when it comes to the little things: improving your touch, learning how to pass, learning how to get along and work together with teammates. All those little things that matter and make the game more enjoyable.

You experience personal growth

Volunteering to coach a youth soccer team can be huge for self-development and personal growth. Taking on new challenges like coaching can put you into situations where you have to expand. Here are just a few examples.

Coaching can help you become more self-aware of how your emotions, body language and communication impacts those around you. Coaching can help you develop patience on several fronts: patience for the shorter attention spans of kids, and patience for the process of progression and improvement. Coaching also requires a lot of self-reflection and ability to objectively look at what you are doing and how you might be able to do things differently.

You get to give back

If you are someone who had a positive sports experience in their youth, you might feel drawn to giving back and paying it forward. Coaching allows you that opportunity.

Giving back to your community is really important because good volunteers are the biggest piece of keeping nonprofit sports programs alive and well. Most neighborhood youth recreational soccer programs wouldn't be functional if it wasn't for their dedicated, hard-working volunteers. Volunteers make it possible for kids in the community to have the opportunity to play soccer, have fun and learn valuable life skills in the process.

There are many, many benefits to volunteering to coach youth soccer, even beyond our list here. While it is indeed a time and energy commitment, the return is huge - and not just for the players but for YOU as well. The benefits you get from coaching are really something special that you can't get anywhere else.

Keeping Soccer Fun! Here's Why it's So Important

Welcome to our SYSA educational series! This series is where we provide advice, guidance and useful tools for parents, coaches and volunteers within the Seattle Youth Soccer Association.

In youth soccer these days, it can sometimes feel like fun is no longer a priority. Passion, joy and enthusiasm for the game too often find themselves taking a backseat to winning and being the best. Even when players themselves aren't all-consumed by this, when they are surrounded by a culture of win-at-all-costs mentality, it is very easy for them to feel the impact of expectations and put pressure on themselves to perform well, score goals and not make mistakes or mess anything up. Not only does this take the fun out of the game, it also makes it less likely that players will find success or stick with the game for an extended period of time.

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(It’s important to point out that there’s nothing wrong with winning, absolutely not. Winning is great. Winning is a part of the game. Winning is fun and it gives teams something to strive toward, and a reward for working hard. The problem arises when winning becomes the only thing that matters, and everything else gets sacrificed in the pursuit. What is everything else? Character development, growth-mindset and pure, simple enjoyment of the game to name a few.)

The number one reason that it's important to have fun at soccer is because kids are more likely to participate in activities that they enjoy.

Simple. Having fun on the field keeps kids in soccer, and playing soccer has so many positives. The mental, physical and emotional benefits are extremely high, so keeping kids engaged and wanting to play is the biggest reason why it's so important to keep the fun in the game.

Keeping soccer fun is something that recreational youth soccer is good at, as neighborhood soccer programs are typically centered around that concept. As players start to move into select, competitive, travel and premier programs though, other elements start to come into the picture more and can overshadow or sometimes even replace the 'fun' element for some players. If players, coaches and programs stay diligent to this though, it doesn’t have to be this way.

The truth in the matter is, it is absolutely possible to keep the fun in the game at any level of play. Whether you are playing on your co-ed neighborhood recreational team or on an ECNL team traveling all over the country for games, fun should and can absolutely be a part of the picture. According to this article by author Janis Meredith, a life coach for sports parents, "fun and hard work in youth sports are not mutually exclusive. You can have both."

There are so many developmental benefits to playing youth soccer, not to mention the life skills gained in the process. The level of growth and character development that is available to kids through participation in youth sports is why it's so important that kids are having fun and wanting to play.

When kids are having fun at soccer...

They get numerous physical and mental health benefits

It's important to have fun at soccer because soccer helps kids stay active and get outside! Running around on a soccer field is fantastic physical fitness. And having fun playing soccer is not only good for their physical health, but fun itself is also good for mental health! Smiling, laughing, and feeling joy improves mood, self-esteem and general overall positive mindset and outlook.

They learn better and they develop new skillsets

When kids have fun they learn better! Problem solving and decision making are just some of the many skills they grow at when they are enjoying themselves on the soccer field. They learn to be curious and try to figure things out on their own. Other skills that playing soccer can help develop include focus, patience, perseverance, courageousness and creativity.

They get practice interacting and learning to work as a team

Keeping the fun in youth soccer is also great for kid's social interaction and growth of relational skills. They learn to interact and communicate with other people. Players have to work together as a team and figure things out as a group. They learn to be socially aware, encouraging, empathetic, appreciative, respectful and have trust for others in a group setting. They make new friends and are introduced to different social groups outside of school.

The best part is that to get all of these benefits, the only thing a kid needs is to HAVE FUN when playing soccer. They don't need to win every match. They don't need to play perfectly. They get these extremely valuable developmental benefits if they are finding joy in the process, regardless of the scoreline. While our culture may try to tell us that winning is everything, winning IS NOT everything in soccer. Development, growth and healthy mindset ARE - which is why it is SO important to have fun at soccer.