Responsible Sports: Dealing With Disrespectful Players at Practice

The challenges of game-like activities and the problem-solving situations they present are not only fun, but they help players develop to a higher level of soccer. 

Last month, a Responsible Sports Parent wrote to our panel of experts to ask: "I coach a soccer team made up of 13 and 14 year old girls. I have a couple of players that are ‘bratty.’ They want to do what they want; they roll their eyes when being coached or whistle when the coach is talking to them. Should I give in to them or kick them off the team?" Thomas, a challenged coach. 

We asked two of our experts to weigh in. Sam Snow, Director of Coaching at US Youth Soccer, had this to say:

On a number of different levels, the early teens are a challenging age group to coach. It is a normal part of this age to test and push the limits of those with authority over them – parents, teachers and yes, soccer coaches, too. Nevertheless, when it comes to team behavior coaches should follow this saying, "The standards you get are the standards you set.

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