Family Soccer

Keep Soccer Fun !!!

Why do kids like to play soccer? What keeps kids playing soccer? This is an important question to ask because, according to the National Alliance for Youth Sports, about 70% of children in sports leagues quit by the age of 13 and never return. Why are we losing these kids and what can we do about it?

In 1990, the Athletic Footwear Association conducted a survey of over 20,000 kids nation-wide and asked children why they participate in sports. These are the top 10 reasons:

To have fun
To improve their skills
To stay in shape
To do something they are good at
The excitement of the competition
To get exercise
To play as part of a team
The challenge of the competition
To learn new skills
To win

The key to successful participation is ensuring that the kids have fun. Keep practices active; avoid long boring lines. Younger kids don’t need to run laps. Many dread this exercise and find it boring. Focus on improving their skills, integrate prizes, play games and scrimmages. Don’t focus on winning and foster the fear of failure. Teach them it is ok to make mistakes and engage in good sportsmanship between team members and other teams. If they have fun they will continue to play the beautiful game for many years to come.

The Most Popular Sport In The World

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Why is Soccer the Most Popular Sport in the World?

There is no doubt that soccer is the most popular sport in the world. Over 3.9 billion fans tuned in to watch the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The World Cup has been played every four years since 1930 (with the exception of 1942 and 1946). It is the most watched sports competition in the world. Soccer, also known as “the beautiful game,” is popular due to its ease of entry, entertainment value and global participation.

Soccer is an easy sport to start playing. One needs shoes, a ball, friends, and a goal. Soccer can be played in the dirt, grass, a parking lot or at the beach. Rules are simple: do not use your arms and get the ball into the net. There are a few other rules but most people can learn them easily. Size matters less in soccer; agility is more important. Young and old can play. Soccer truly is an easy sport to begin playing.

The “beautiful game” is also very appealing to watch. A soccer match is 90 minutes long and played at a fast pace with almost constant action. Soccer fans are extremely passionate and can be part of the entertainment at the games. Additionally, the skill level of professional soccer players is amazing. Watching the winning goal go into the net can be a very satisfying experience. Fans worldwide would agree that watching soccer is a fun pastime.

Soccer is popular all over the world. Nearly every country has its own soccer league. A country’s team is a source of national pride for its citizens. Watching a national team compete unifies countries that have strife within. Few countries have another viable national sport. During the World Cup, the entire planet comes together to watch the world’s teams compete. The global popularity of soccer is most evident during the World Cup.

Soccer is easy to play, fun to watch, and popular in most countries. Anyone can learn to play; there are few barriers to the sport. Watching soccer is a pastime that most people enjoy immensely. It enjoys worldwide popularity. If you haven’t tried playing soccer, try it. If you haven’t watched a soccer match, go to a live match. Then you can experience the beautiful game for yourself.

Picking your team

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Picking the right soccer club and team for your child to play on takes some thought about what you and your child want to achieve. Players should be able to develop their soccer skills and knowledge but it must also be fun.

Some things to consider when picking a soccer club are:

What is your current skill level – Are you new to the game or a seasoned player. Will you be improving rapidly or have you already developed your skills to a level where you are “fine tuning” your abilities.
What are your goals – fun, socialization, character building, responsibility, college scholarship, olympics, pro-team, career, coaching, training?
Does the coaching focus on advanced game strategies or the basic fundamentals of soccer?
This will be an important peer group for your child. Will some of the players on the team make good friends?
What days does the team practice and how often?
How far do you have to travel for games?
In the off season do many players participate in training camps or maybe play on a Futsal league?
How much does it cost to play on this team. Do you have to buy jerseys, pay tournament fees, travel and hotel fees?
Do you have options for carpooling to practice and games?
Are the other parents and their families enjoyable to spend your weekends with?
Some clubs have guidelines where all players get to play – win or lose.
Are the competing teams in the league of equal ability. It’s more fun and beneficial when games are close.
Is good sportsmanship promoted or is winning at all costs more important.

If you pick the right club to join, soccer might become a lifestyle for your family. It can be a fun adventure bringing your family closer together. Give your child the chance to learn about life, sportsmanship, the fun of competition and physical activity with the opportunity to play soccer.

Become a Soccer Referee

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Soccer is a sport played in many areas around the world and continues to grow in popularity. With this growth comes an increasing need for soccer referees. If you are already traveling to the soccer field on a regular basis why not start reffing, get some exercise, and make some money.

There are many referee training courses to assist you with getting certified. The requirements vary by state and what level of competition you will be reffing. ( Referee Grades ) A good place to start is to check with your local soccer club or ask a ref at the next game.

As a referee you will be responsible to enforce the “Laws of the Game” in a way that will keep the game safe, fair and fun for everyone. You should interfere with the game as little as possible and avoid making calls for questionable offenses. In order to ref competitive soccer games officials must maintain good physical conditioning to keep pace with play and maintain a good view of the action.

Basic Rules Of Soccer

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Some basic rules to help you enjoy the game:

If a player uses his hand/arm to block or hit the ball it is called a hand ball. The other team will get the ball and be awarded a free kick or possibly even a shot on goal depending on where the violation occurred.
The goal keeper is the only player allowed to use his hands. He must be inside the boxed area directly in front of his goal. If he is outside of this box he may not use his hands. He wears a different colored shirt so it’s easy to see that he is the goalie.
Adult teams have eleven players including goalies. Younger age groups often play with less.
If a player kicks the ball out of bounds on the sideline, the long side of the field, the opposing team gets the ball. One of their players must throw the ball back into play using both hands and keeping both feet on the ground when they throw. If they don’t the other team gets the ball back.
Two things can happen if the ball goes out of bounds on one of the ends of the field. If the offensive team kicked it out the opposing team gets a goal kick. They will kick the ball from in front of their goal down the field. If the defending team kicked it out of bounds, the offensive team gets a corner kick. They will place the ball at the corner of the field and kick it back into play from there.
A regulation length game consists of two 45 minutes halves. Younger age teams play shorter games.
At the start of play each team must be on their own half of the field. The defending team must be 10 feet back from the ball.
A ball must completely cross the line to go out of bounds or score a goal.
If a player is off-sides, the other team gets the ball. You are off-sides if you are on your offensive half of the field and don’t have two of the other teams defenders between you and the goal when you first play the ball. Yes, the goalie counts as one of the two defensive players. Also, you can’t be off-sides on a throw in.
Intentionally holding, kicking or shoving opposing players are some of the things you will get a foul for. Minor fouls result in the other team getting the ball. More sever fouls will get a player a yellow or red card. It takes two yellow cards to be kicked out of a game but only one red card.
There are two types of free kicks awarded to the opposing team from penalties. If awarded a Direct Free Kick you can shoot on the goal or pass the ball. An Indirect Free Kick must be touched by another player before entering the goal. If the referee is holding one arm up before the kick you know it is must an indirect kick.
When a foul is committed by the defensive team inside the boxed area right in front of the goal the other team gets a penalty kick from inside the box. The goalie will be the only defensive player between them and the goal. The offensive team often scores from this penalty.
The player putting a ball into play may only touch it once until a second player touches the ball. If a player barely hits the ball and decides to take another kick at it, that is a two-touch. This also applies to throw-ins.

To see official rules look here:

IFAB – International Football Association Board
FIFA – Fédération Internationale de Football Association