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Children misbehaving in training - distracting the others

Hello, I am currently coaching an u9's boys team and a majority of them are well behaved and want to play football, but the odd 1or2 tend to mess around at training which distracts the others. I have sat them out in training and spoken to the parents but still this goes on. Do I decide to kick them out of the team altogether or does anyone know the miracle cure to stop this happening?

duane Coach, England

16 answers

ANSWERS

Football CoachCoach

Isolate the toublesome duo. Give them a ball and send them off to dribble round the full pitch or area. That way you can concentrate on the drills will the kids that want to learn. The kids misbehaving will soon get the message if they are missing out on some fun drills but at the same time they are practising their dribbling without knowing it! If that fails then the only option you have is to drop them down a level or ask them to leave. At that age, you will always have willing players looking to join.

Sportplan TeamAdministrator, United Kingdom

Hi Duane,

We put this answer out on our Facebook page and got two answers from other coaches:

Jamie said "Get the parents to come and watch the sessions. Give them the option - Either the child tows the line or they go."

Lee's answer was "Use the well behaved children as examples of "good" players. Get the children to replicate them in sessions and start with high energy sessions to help them get in training mode. Get the less well behaved players to sit out and watch everyone else. Sometimes the parents are part of the problem, so it's good to instil basic discipline techniques."

Hope these answers help!

Football CoachCoach

I have the "box of death" set up for misbehaving players. It is a tiring drill that gets their anxst out so they can focus. The box is 6 cones on a rectangle. They jog to the irst cone and sprint back. Jog to the second cone and sprint back and so on until the player has completed all 6 cones. The assistant coach can make sure they actually sprint and if not, they will have to do it again.

johann larrcillaCoach, Mexico

I have coached u6 kids u8 u14 and u19 my experience tells me u9 ahve kids who are there to have fun and not really be there because they want to be there others because stuff goes on at home that makes them be that way be as it may at that age organized soccer is just an activity perhaps you have to tell their parents that their kids are not ready for team sports and that they have to teach their kids how to behave in a group setting

fatback4 Coach, Australia

Usually the dispuptive player are looking for attention. I have had success by giving he player a chore to help me. Inflate the child by making him your assistant for the session. Giving out or collecting bibs etc, making them seem important tends to remove the negative behaviour. I have also used a mentoring scenario by putting a disruptive player with a more stable focused player.

Pepe Coach, Australia

Different countries, different environments, different players: there are no answers that are good for all. In Australia? Coaches must be really patient and forget about achieving great results with lower grades. Rugby has always had the lions share, while football is generally regarded as a cheap after school kindy mostly good for parents and spoiled kids.

Volda FotballCoach, England

Something to think about... when we create and install "punishments" or "consequences" we have to remember that these will be seen as a negative thing to the child.

Therefore if we make our players RUN and SPRINT as punishment... then this could have a negative affect when we need them to run the most... in matches. We need to make the players understand running is an essential part of playing football and should not be used for negative reasons.

Football CoachCoach

h martin here uk coach under13s , i went through this when it was bad i would sit the guys down pre training and tell them if it occurs i will terminate the session you must follow trhrough on this , what really does work is to isolate the offenders and send the rest of the team for a lap because of them , this soon sorts its self out as the good guys soon get fed up and practically keep the silly ones in lin , if its beyond that seriously think about moving them on as its not fair on you or the willing kids

Football CoachCoach

Perhaps the sessions are not challanging enough so they are getting bored? Are there any sessions that they excell in and do not misbehave? When my under 9's mess about, or don't listen etc they are sent to a cone, like a sin bin (seperated so as not together) and then they sit there for 5 minutes. I usually sin bin them at a good point in the session, i.e. dribbling, shooting or at the start of the game session.

Get all the kids together before your next session and tell them that for the duration that you have them it is serious, to coach and that you will not tolerate any bad behaviour! Then tell them if they do persist then they will be asked to leave for a week and then for good, but give them chance and opportunity as per some of the replies above. It is unfair on the others who want to learn and for you, who is giving up your time!

Hope that helps.

Football CoachCoach

We have 3 coaches to train between 15 to 20 under 13's boys. Most of them get on with it but we have 2 or 3 kids who just want to do their own thing and carry on. The main coach tends to punish everyone if 1 or 2 players step out of line, as a result of this we have lost 2 out field players and a goal keeper with a few others getting fed up with it. My son is a player we train and has said to me that he just wants to train and play and not get punished for other kids mucking about and has asked me to phone another coach i know so he can join them. he is also going backwards as far as his football goes so i give him extra training which is helping him get back to the standard he was it before. I have spoken to the main coach about just punishing the kids who misbehave but he looks at it as a team sport so everyone gets punished. Should i persivere with this club and his rules or should i take my son to the other club?

Football CoachCoach

Hey there, I run an under 19s now having working with smae group for 7 years since under 12s.

In regards to the misbehaviour there needs to be set guidlines boundaries and structure in place.

Having a team booklet of expectations and discipline ranging from time keeping, effort, behaviour and responsibility is key along with the main frame of training being challenging and fun.

The key to successful stress/behaviour free sessions is first and foremost the coach setting an example standards and boundaries between players and coach. This means not being their friend but being someone they know is approachable for guidance and support.

If players i coached under 15 there was absolute no swearing, no back chat and no tantrums. If they did have tantrums or back chat...ensure you as the coach is incontrol of your own emotional responses. Calmly remove the player from the situation by asking him to have a 1-2-1 discussion and ask him to explain his issue. Then give a consequence by sitting him out of the fun part ( football) and have him doing some shuttles. Sooner you nip anyone who steps over or out of line must know you will have consequences in place.

Running everyone round the field and sprinting etc is good on rare occasions but why punish the whole squad for one or two others who cant follow squad discipline? If it persists get rid of the desease...because if you dont what happens is your squad see you as a walk over and you lack their respoect. Action speaks louder than words. As hard as it seems a good coach in control and is not scared to drop or remove what others view as their best player will command total respect and discipline from other members of your squad.

This then builds up trust, loyalty and team bonding between players and and the coach. In last 4 years i have had same 13 players and just romped our league with a clean sweep of wins.

Oh and never forget to praise and remind players individually and collectively what their awesome talents bring to the side.

All the best :)

Football CoachCoach

Oh finally i forgot to say... The best thing i have always done too is if your not at trainnig, you dont play..bench regardless of who it is.

The squad always have 16 out of 17 at training each week and no one complains of being benched unless they have a very valid reason for not being there. Again feeds into discipline etc.

duane Coach, England

Thanks everyone for your answers. Some different opinions/ideas and some great advice. I have recently moved clubs and now starting with a new bunch of players, we're now starting training so all of this will taken on board. Thanks again, Duane.