The three rules of soccer: Advice for soccer coaches.

***********Disclaimer**********
These are the three rules of soccer for the young kids that I coach.  In some ways these could be the three rules for any sport, even individualistic sports like cross country which I have participated in as much as anyone.  If you are looking for your child to win your particular sport you may be upset and disappointed by these simplistic rules, but the kids I coach can remember them, and if the first two rules help them to actually follow rule three, which is what I have begun to see even in my kindergartners, what an effect it would have on their whole life!

Rule #1:     HAVE FUN.  Do all the things your parents say you cannot do inside: run, yell, jump, etc.

Rule #2:     BE SAFE.  Do not kick people, or their hands or heads.

Rule #3:     PLAY AS A TEAM:  "I will give a double high five to every player who passes the ball to someone on your team."  They started passing the ball to each other.  Training humans to work together toward a goal instead of working toward a goal solo is one of the hardest tasks of a teacher of any group, from preschoolers to middle-agers.