Soccer balls are everywhere

Is it right to specialize in sports training? Should we be pushing our children into playing a certain sport at the age of 5-6? Some experts would say no, they would throw up their hands in disgust concerning specialized camps, practices three and four times a week, tournaments every weekend and huge amounts of money being spent to become the next Pele. These same experts would throw out statistics that show approximately 1% of children will grow up to actually play these sports as adults on a professional level. They would also say that we should give our offspring the chance to experience different sports at different levels. On the other hand, Tiger Woods had a golf club in his hand at two years of age, and has experienced success at every level, and in fact has set the standards for golfers for years and decades to come. I love coaching the sport of soccer, to me it is the beautiful sport! I believe that lessons learned while playing soccer will translate into life experiences, and I also believe that learning how to play the game well will build a child's self-esteem, provide a concept of teamwork, and supply the player with confidence to accomplish any objective. I oftentimes see coaches who forget that its the players who matter, not the win or loss record, or number of trophies a team will get. Do the players enjoy the experience? Do they show good sportsmanship? Do they play up to their capabilities? That's what sports will teach them if coached in a proper manner. This is true at every level, and at every sport, not just soccer. But, soccer is still the best!