Motivation, enjoyment, confidence, fear and pressure, mental health, the child who wants to quit · 8 stories
Stories that name no age are only under all ages. A story for U8 to U12 is in both of those bands.
A first-time U4 coach has one boy who trains and scrimmages but refuses to play games. Most replies say he is not ready and to keep it fun, with parents on the field if allowed; the main split is whether U4 games are appropriate at all.
Coach Kazu says young children do not lack concentration, they simply concentrate for shorter spells, and drills work when they hit four motivation switches: a slightly hard challenge, competition, recognition and imitation. He adds that coaches should keep the tempo quick and move on as soon as children lose interest, a point he saw with a kindergarten class.