When asked about areas of difficulty, most new coaches say they feel unprepared to deal with parental behaviors and believe that the coaching experience would be significantly improved if they had preparation in this area. Topics that coaches discuss most frequently include parent intensity, emphasis on winning, political diplomacy and lack of game knowledge.

The No. 1 topic for coaches was parents' overemphasis on winning. Oftentimes parents fail to understand the mission and philosophy of a youth soccer coach. It is US Youth Soccer's belief that soccer should be all about having fun and learning the fundamentals of the game, especially for the U-6 to U-12 age groups, and not about the number of win or losses. Youth players under the age of 12 may stop thinking about the game they just finished playing within five to 10 minutes of the end of the game.

Coaches also discuss the issue of dealing with parental politics as a major problem during their early years of coaching. Coaches have stated that they were unprepared to answer questions from parents about why their kid isn't playing more or wanting to have a discussion concerning their child during the game or at halftime. After this coaching experience, many coaches may decide not to select a player based on that parent's behavior.

So what could help these coaches out? Coaching education, but not just any coaching education. For example, having a college coach run a training session for Under-12 coaches that he or she would do for their college team would not be helpful. Does this happen? Yes. Training for all coaches should be designed to meet the needs of the age and level of the players to be trained. Coaches who are educated on developmentally appropriate coaching practices and are clear about their organization's and personal coaching philosophies will be more adept at providing an environment that encourages children to enjoy the game. Also, coaches that are educationally prepared will also be able to better deal with over-involved parents.