How does everybody here handle disciplining players?
I am coaching 2 travel soccer teams this spring, one a Division I U-11 boys team and one a U-9 balanced league boys team. The U-11 team is a tryout league and these kids are the best players in the program. They are all committed and focused on the game. They are still boys so they occasionally do stupid stuff. They all know when they do the stupid stuff so they aren't surprised when they pulled out of line or off the scrimmage field to run a lap dribbling the ball. During game day they are terrific. Focused on the sideline, all pretty good teammates. They all seem to have each others backs on the field and on stuff like own goals.
My U-9 team is a completely different story. As a balanced league there are no tryouts. The club makes the teams up to make the three teams we field even in talent. My U-8 team from last season was mostly broken up as we were the best team in our program last year. I have 6 returning players and 7 new to the program (and it appears competitive team sports). I am a big team guy, no one person wins or loses a game. Fill in all the platitudes here. I have a number of the new players that almost seem like they are only there because their parents want them there. Our first game was today and the behavior was a horror show (the game was a nil-nil affair). I had one player who kept asking to be keeper. I told him in the second half he might get some minutes but it depends on the flow of the game. He kept hounding me every 3 minutes or so. When he was subbed in on defense he put on a whining, pouting fit about him being a keeper. This seemed to embolden all the newer players to demand specific positions from me. I about lost my mind. The crew of new players managed to miss an entire line change as they were so busy debating with me they missed the refs call to sub!!
Then my "keeper" malcontent made the comment to one of his team mates coming off the field, "You aren't very good at this game...". I have no use for that. Club rules say I need to play everybody even playing time so I can't penalize him in that manner.
Any ideas? These guys have me more frazzled than any group I have ever coached. I am good with losing, but I am not a baby sitter.
I am coaching 2 travel soccer teams this spring, one a Division I U-11 boys team and one a U-9 balanced league boys team. The U-11 team is a tryout league and these kids are the best players in the program. They are all committed and focused on the game. They are still boys so they occasionally do stupid stuff. They all know when they do the stupid stuff so they aren't surprised when they pulled out of line or off the scrimmage field to run a lap dribbling the ball. During game day they are terrific. Focused on the sideline, all pretty good teammates. They all seem to have each others backs on the field and on stuff like own goals.
My U-9 team is a completely different story. As a balanced league there are no tryouts. The club makes the teams up to make the three teams we field even in talent. My U-8 team from last season was mostly broken up as we were the best team in our program last year. I have 6 returning players and 7 new to the program (and it appears competitive team sports). I am a big team guy, no one person wins or loses a game. Fill in all the platitudes here. I have a number of the new players that almost seem like they are only there because their parents want them there. Our first game was today and the behavior was a horror show (the game was a nil-nil affair). I had one player who kept asking to be keeper. I told him in the second half he might get some minutes but it depends on the flow of the game. He kept hounding me every 3 minutes or so. When he was subbed in on defense he put on a whining, pouting fit about him being a keeper. This seemed to embolden all the newer players to demand specific positions from me. I about lost my mind. The crew of new players managed to miss an entire line change as they were so busy debating with me they missed the refs call to sub!!
Then my "keeper" malcontent made the comment to one of his team mates coming off the field, "You aren't very good at this game...". I have no use for that. Club rules say I need to play everybody even playing time so I can't penalize him in that manner.
Any ideas? These guys have me more frazzled than any group I have ever coached. I am good with losing, but I am not a baby sitter.