{"id":32430,"date":"2023-05-15T09:29:29","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T16:29:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/?p=32430"},"modified":"2023-05-30T10:56:39","modified_gmt":"2023-05-30T17:56:39","slug":"how-to-nurture-interest-in-soccer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/how-to-nurture-interest-in-soccer","title":{"rendered":"5 tips to Nurture Your Kid\u2019s Love for Soccer (Without Being Overbearing)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usyouthsoccer.org\/about\/who-is-us-youth-soccer\/#:~:text=US%20Youth%20Soccer%20registers%20nearly%203%20million%20players%20annually.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Why do more than 3 million parents in the U.S. choose soccer for their kids<\/a>? The honest answer is when kids are 4-6 years old, soccer is one of the few activities you can sign them up for to help them develop their motor skills, social abilities, and make them a little tired so they (and you) can get a good night\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Soon, you find that the soccer family lifestyle sneaks up on you. Your children are now 10-12 years old. You\u2019re driving to games every weekend, you have the best folding chair in the market, you\u2019re on parent phone trees, you\u2019re in a group message with your coach, you\u2019re using <a href=\"https:\/\/traceup.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a soccer camera to capture your kiddo\u2019s highlights<\/a>. But despite the all-consuming nature of soccer, you stay committed because there is nothing like seeing them kick, pass, tackle, fall down, and get back up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/embed\/feed\/update\/urn:li:ugcPost:7024000933768388608\" height=\"1118\" width=\"504\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" title=\"Embedded post\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"167\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Banner_Playlist_2.png?resize=640%2C167&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Banner_Playlist_2.png?resize=1400%2C365&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Banner_Playlist_2.png?resize=300%2C78&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Banner_Playlist_2.png?resize=768%2C200&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Banner_Playlist_2.png?resize=1536%2C400&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Banner_Playlist_2.png?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Banner_Playlist_2.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips for supporting their interest in soccer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your child has shown an interest in soccer, as a parent, you\u2019re going to want to do everything you can to nurture their love for the sport. However, it can be challenging to balance supporting your child&#8217;s interests with giving them the space they need to come into their own. Here are five tips for soccer parents to help nurture their kid&#8217;s love for soccer \u2013 without being overbearing. And a bonus tip for leaning on your player\u2019s video highlights to build a connection with them around the sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Encourage, but don&#8217;t pressure.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s natural to want your child to succeed, but pushing them too hard can cause them to lose interest in the sport or burnout at a young age. Instead of asking about how they feel about a win\/loss, ask them what their favorite moment from the game was. Instead of letting them know about the things they could have done better, ask them when they felt proud of themselves. Instead of comparing them to another player, challenge them to think about how they helped a teammate during the game.. Do your best to allow their passion and love for the game push them on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don&#8217;t coach from the sidelines<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We know the effort it takes to attend every game. We know how good it feels to root for your kiddo when they\u2019re doing well. We know how tough it is to see your player fall down and struggle. We also know how hard it is to contain all of these emotions. Instead of coaching from the sidelines, shouting instructions, or critiquing your child\u2019s performance during the game, spend some time building your relationship with the coach to have more trust in their program and the process. Let your child enjoy playing the game and try <a href=\"https:\/\/traceup.com\/what-to-say-on-the-ride-home-after-a-loss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">communicating with them on the ride home<\/a> and do your best to let your player initiate the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We also recommend using <a href=\"https:\/\/traceup.com\/capture\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trace to capture their game highlights<\/a> and let them watch themselves back after the game. The earlier you introduce this way to learn into your kid\u2019s life, the sooner they\u2019ll develop a habit of self analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qty8MkUphtc\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Help your child set goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/traceup.com\/setting-goals-in-sports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Help your child set realistic soccer goals<\/a> to steadily improve their game. Examples could be as simple as improving their ball control or scoring a certain number of goals in a season. Encourage them to work towards their goals, but also remind them that it&#8217;s okay if they don&#8217;t achieve them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Put effort into building a community<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/traceup.com\/5-ways-to-build-community-within-your-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Building a sense of community on a youth soccer team<\/a> can be a great way to nurture your child&#8217;s love for the sport. Encourage your child to get to know their teammates to help them develop empathy and improve their ability to collaborate with others on and off the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Encourage your player to also develop a good relationship with the coach by asking questions and asking for feedback. This helps them hold conversations with adults, develop interpersonal communication skills, and learn how to value and position themselves at an early age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Let them make their own decisions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Allowing your child to make their own decisions can help them develop a deeper love for the game. Let them decide how much they want to practice, which position they want to play, and the level they want to play at. This will also help them take responsibility for their choices and develop a sense of independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One thing you can do to enable this is by helping your player navigate club pathways. Talk to your club director and coach to find out the structure of the club, what the levels are, and the options that are available to your kid.\u2026 lay it all out in front of your child and give them the gift of making decisions for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bonus: Record their games to capture their enjoyment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Recording your child&#8217;s soccer games can be a great way to capture their enjoyment of the sport and their progress over time. By watching their highlights together, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/traceup.com\/how-to-improve-through-video-analysis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">help your child identify areas for improvement<\/a> and celebrate their successes. However, it\u2019s important to remember that these recordings should be used as a tool to nurture your child&#8217;s love for soccer rather than to add pressure or critique their performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for an easy way to record their best highlights every game, check out Trace\u2019s all-new <a href=\"https:\/\/traceup.com\/focus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PlayerFocus<\/a>. PlayerFocus captures the game the way you want to watch it \u2013<strong> focused on your child<\/strong> \u2013 and delivers an enhanced viewing experience that lets you zoom in and follow your player without additional work for you as a parent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/Cr097HWLegJ\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/Cr097HWLegJ\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/Cr097HWLegJ\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Trace (@traceup)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, nurturing your child&#8217;s love for soccer (without being overbearing) requires a delicate balance of support and pressure. While this checklist is no guarantee that you\u2019ll be the perfect parent throughout your child\u2019s entire soccer career, it will certainly be a great reference to help you be the best you can be and help your child develop a lifelong love of soccer moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n\r\n<script>\r\n$( document ).ready(function() {\r\n var referred_by = ;\r\n\r\n\r\n});\r\n<\/script>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"cta\">\r\n<h2>See how Trace works<\/h2>\r\n<p align=\"left\">Want to learn even more? Submit the form below to receive a video demo with more on how Trace works, success stories, and steps to start Tracing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<script charset=\"utf-8\" type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/js.hsforms.net\/forms\/v2.js\"><\/script>\r\n<script>\r\n  hbspt.forms.create({\r\n    region: \"na1\",\r\n    portalId: \"5755374\",\r\n    formId: \"8f226c3d-d0e8-4fb0-942c-1cd2e70fef9f\",\r\n    version: \"V2_PRERELEASE\",\r\n    onFormSubmit: function($form) {\r\n        $('input[name=\"referred_by\"]', $form).val(referred_by);\r\n      }\r\n  });\r\n<\/script>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Parents want to do everything possible to nurture their kid&#8217;s love for a sport, but it can be challenging to do so without being overbearing. Learn more here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":155722392,"featured_media":32445,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[703414746,703414511],"tags":[],"table_tags":[],"class_list":["post-32430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-parent","category-player-development"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Proud-mom-nurturing-childs-love-for-soccer.png?fit=1920%2C1200&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/155722392"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32430"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32430\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32988,"href":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32430\/revisions\/32988"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32430"},{"taxonomy":"table_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/table_tags?post=32430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}