Coaching Soccer Successfully

Coaching Soccer Successfully features diagrams and illustrations that highlight successful game play. The text also will help you determine your own coaching philosophy and learn how to communicate effectively with players and parents.

Roy Rees and Cor van der Meer combine years of national and international playing and coaching experience to cover every aspect of the game, from tactical instruction to the planning, preparation, and performance evaluations essential for building a stronger team and a better program.

I accidentally bought two copies. I brought one to practice and showed it to a couple coaches whose teams were practicing nearby to see if they'd be interested in buying it from me. They leafed through it, and in seconds were engaged in a friendly but quite serious argument about who would get to buy it from me.

This book is really good.

It has made a huge difference in how I approach coaching. It is at once personable and professional. The scope is very broad, covering technical skills, tactical considerations, and some strategic discussion. Each topic is presented clearly and in startling depth. Every coach or player will learn a lot about the game here.

What is particularly unique and useful about this book is that it discusses in detail how to approach a season -- how to prepare before the season starts, how to engage a team from the first, what sort of considerations are important at what times, how to approach the off season. It focuses not only on the game, but the role of a coach as an influence on a young life.

This book is really, really good!!


An excellent overview on coaching soccer   July 27, 2000
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

I coach a youth team (12-18 yrs old). This book gives me a good overview and understanding of what is required in coaching. Two keys to successful coaching: passion and knowledge. A good, motivating coach is one who manages to help his team to overachieve. A negative, critical coach will see his team underachieve. The author's love and respect for his players has transformed my approach to coaching. I have learned that people don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

Secondly, this book provides reasonable information on defensive and offensive tactics. I have been playing soccer for over 15 years in various leagues. But it was not until I read this book that I understood the game so much more. I also helps me to appreciate soccer. The defensive habits: covering goalside, inside and support are actually the foundation for attack as well. If you can get your team to play well with the basic defending habits, they will be able to grasp attacking formation and habits as well.

This book is a must read for all beginner and intermediate coach. It gives a great overview of soccer coaching. But you will probably need other resources for more help on more technical help: set pieces, different formation (4-4-2), (4-3-3). This book talks extensively on 3-5-2 formation, which is a direct and very flexible formation actually.

Thanks to Roy Rees for this book! Bravo!


Oustanding presentation with thorough coverage.   January 21, 1999
 2 out of 3 found this review helpful

This is a must for coaches of all levels. It is well organized, easy reading with many great personal insights. The author is very thorough and has the chapters orginized. It is easy to follow and easy to go back and find topics for reference later. I highly reccomend this for anyone who is serious about coaching.


Excellent book, covering soccer coaching from A-Z.   November 19, 1998
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

In the past three years of coaching soccer I have read about two dozen books on the topic. This is the best I have found. This book covers some of the topics that I have searched in vain for such as preparing for matches and evaluating players. I recommend it highly.