New York Youth Soccer’s List: Can You Name All 10?
New York Soccer News: Insights from Tim Bradbury, Director of Coaching, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
It has always struck me as a little odd when clubs or leagues tell me that they struggle to find youth coaches as I cannot begin to imagine my life without coaching.
Please find below my Top 10 Great Things About Being a Soccer Coach:
- The smiles and joy you will see on the kids’ faces as you create fun and challenging environments for them to learn and play in.
- The personal growth you see in kids as they learn to handle challenges, disappointment, and some success and the joy you get in being there to support them.
- The joy and pride you see in the parents’ faces as they watch their children learn and develop as players and teammates.
- The pride you feel as you bump into kids you taught to play many years ago and they smile and thank you for the great times and memories the team gave them.
- Your own growth as a teacher as you self-reflect on how you handle dealing with all the personalities you must work with.
- The lifelong friendships you will develop with both the coaches that work with and the parents of the kids you coach.
- The extra step and zest for life that comes from the increased level of activity that being physically active as a coach will bring.
- The pure pride and joy knowing that you helped lots of kids develop a love of sport for life.
- The great memories that players and their families have from the games they play and the places they will see.
- The unforgettable and stirring emotions as you see how strong the bonds are of the team you develop and how the group forges friendships for life.
I really cannot imagine how empty my live may have been if I had not been lucky enough to start on my journey as youth coach.
Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association: With 100,000 youth soccer players–both boys and girls–and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) reaches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with nine leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees, and administrators.
