Successful Strategies for Coaching and Parenting
Adventures of a soccer dad and coach—part memoir, part primer, and a total win
Traverse City, Michigan—You see them everywhere from early spring to late fall. Children resplendent in jerseys, shorts, shin guards, and soccer cleats jumping into minivans while toting balls, bags of mandarin oranges and granola bars, coolers of bottled water, and sports drinks. Headed to a local park or city field, they’re amped to join their teammates for another rousing soccer match. In twenty to ninety minutes, depending on the age group, it’s game over.
That’s just scratching the surface of the sport, as Andy Beers, author of The Soccer Dad Chronicles: Successful Strategies for Coaching and Parenting from Mission Point Press tells it. Beers embraced being a soccer dad, going from a beginner to a confident coach over sixteen years with his three children. “Recreational soccer was a collective experience for my family. We shared disappointments and triumphs. It influenced our lives and contributed to the successes that my children experienced on and off the field.”
Valuable Lessons
In The Soccer Dad Chronicles, Beers shares valuable lessons for all soccer parents, whether their child is a beginner or advanced, with insights on how to improve your own soccer adventure. He also cites the wide range of participation available to parents. “The soccer mom or dad experience is a continuum. It ranges from parents who do little to help their children succeed, typically dropping-and-ditching at practices and games with little support or participation. On the other end of the spectrum are the positive parents who encourage and support, the ones who do the shuttling to games, help when weather conditions are extreme, organize end-of-season parties, and assist with coaching,” he said.
Chapters in the book detail each of Beers’s coaching years, starting with “Year 1: Baptism by Soccer” through “Year 16: Back in the Saddle.” Additional chapters such as “Soccer on the Serengeti,” “Trophy Ban,” “Trip to the Emergency Room,” and “Last Day Together” chronicle his family’s real-life soccer adventures, a remarkable story with surprising plot twists. “My family experienced numerous challenges, including my struggle with coaching, super-competitive opponents, coaches who emphasized winning, inconsistent officiating, and bouncing back after tough losses. How we did it as a team and family is the story.”
Parenting Insights
Beyond the abundance of lessons and tips for coaches, parents, and players featured in The Soccer Dad Chronicles, Beers shared several key insights for parents considering the sport for their children.
The different types of soccer programs merit consideration when exploring options. “I was a recreational soccer coach where the emphasis is supposed to be on fun and learning the game. Winning is a concern but in my mind, it wasn’t the goal. Winning takes on more importance in club soccer programs.”
The coach strongly influences the outcome of a family’s soccer experience. “Parents should begin evaluating a coach long before the first day of practice. Ask other parents about the coach’s demeanor, player attitudes, fundraising requirements, and tournament participation. Then ask those same questions of the coach as soon as possible.”
Once the season starts, the parent’s role diminishes but occasionally there are conflicts. “The first step toward resolving conflict is discussing situations calmly. Avoid ambushing a coach two minutes before the start of practice or a game. Talk to them privately after practice or have a phone conversation.”
With a strong, established infrastructure and the US hosting major soccer events from 2024-2026 and possibly beyond, it’s anticipated that youth soccer participation is poised to grow dramatically over the next decade. Plenty of time for soccer dads, and moms, to pick up The Soccer Dad Chronicles: part memoir, part primer, total win.
The Author
Andy Beers is a father, husband, outdoorsman, and soccer coach who was twice awarded Coach of the Year by his hometown club. Beers’s method of problem-solving and conquering barriers has been successful over a broad range of applications, including coaching, parenting, research, and manufacturing. Applying critical thinking to youth soccer helped Beers identify positive outcomes regardless of whether matches were won or lost and allowed him to teach strategies for success in life beyond the game. Beers lives in Wisconsin with his wife.
The Book
The Soccer Dad Chronicles, Successful Strategies for Coaching and Parenting
Andy Beers
318 pages; 6 x 9 inches; B/W
Family & Relationships, Coaching, Soccer
ISBN: 978-1-961302-98-3, $17.95 (Softcover)
ISBN: 978-1-961302-97-6, $26.95 (Hardcover)
Mission Point Press, November 7, 2024
Copies are available in bookstores and online. For more information or to arrange for signings and events, contact the author at andybeers.author@gmail.com.