Behind Every Great Soccer Practice…

Soccer is in Mike Pereira’s blood. His family played for generations in Portugal. As part of the first generation to be born in the US, Mike grew up around soccer, but he didn’t begin coaching until he had kids – first at the parks and rec level and eventually for a travel league through the Soccer Club of Newington in Connecticut. With 15 years of experience under his belt, he currently coaches U11 boys. 

Describe the perfect practice

First, attendance is key. The perfect practice is when everybody shows up and is paying attention. Then we do a good drill that the kids haven’t done yet and they’re able to accomplish it. As the drill continues, we add an obstacle to make it a little bit more challenging. We’ll add a goalie, for example, or have the kids make two passes instead of three passes, things like that. When we add new challenges and they’re able to succeed, that’s a practice that works. And then getting to watch that skill transfer onto the game level always makes me feel like we did something good.

What are some of your go-to drills or games? 

I like to start off with a passing drill, whether that’s passing between cones for an extra challenge or a monkey-in-the-middle drill where there are two chasers. The kids always seem to enjoy that. Obviously, kids love to scrimmage, so we do 1v1 and 2v2 scenarios where they get to showcase their foot skills and try to show off a little bit. Then I get to watch them and see where we as coaches can help them better develop their foot skills or their defending. 

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What’s something you’ve learned from another coach? 

I remember playing youth sports and there was always that one drill where we would have to wait our turn. It was always a long line and we were just waiting. Waiting can obviously cause fooling around and then maybe somebody gets hurt. The best advice I received was to keep lines short. That’s something I always tend to make happen. I make sure we do activities that everyone can be involved in, where nobody’s waiting for very long. It definitely makes for a smoother practice. 

What’s the most challenging part of being a coach? 

Depending on the age group, trying to get their attention can be a challenge. But there are ways around it – having fun activities, making sure that everyone is involved at the same time and that kids aren’t standing around in lines. That keeps things moving and then there’s less opportunity for them to go off on their own and start talking.

What’s the best thing about being a coach? 

Just watching the kids learn and play the sport. I want to build their skills. I’m not looking for wins. I’m more focused on their development and getting them to be better than they are today. Building character and self esteem for these kids is extremely important. The best thing for me is watching the smiles on their faces when they score a goal or accomplish something that they couldn’t before and seeing that sense of pride on their faces.

What’s the secret to great coaching?

Keep an open mind – let everybody participate, even a kid who’s watching at the side of the park. Invite people in, and everybody’s gonna have a good time. Soccer is a beautiful sport that brings people together. 

 

Michael Pereira was selected by his community as the 2024 Hartford Healthcare-GoHealth Urgent Care Coach of Year, an award program that empowers leagues to recognize coaches who go above and beyond. Learn more about Hartford Healthcare-GoHealth Urgent Care.