I coach my daugther's soccer teams. (5 and 6 year olds). Our team had their 2nd practice today (I was not at the first practice, my assistant ran it for me).
I was told after that practice that one of the girls "had a rough day", but didn't really think much of it.
Today she showed up and seemed great. Good introductions. Seemed excited to kick the ball back and forth.
Then when I lined the kids up to do a dribbling drill, she lost it. Screaming, crying, yelling "It's too hard". She hung out on the sideline with her dad.
This pretty much lasted the entire hour. I tried to encourage her to come join us. I asked her to help me coach. Anytime that there was running involved, she melted down. It was a little disruptive to the other 6 girls on the field and I didn't want them to have to deal with a screaming kid the entire time.
I am a pretty patient dude and have had kids that need a little help in the "listening and paying attention" department (usually because I am doing something boring).
I suppose it could be autism or something, but I have been around quite a few kids with autism and this seemed a little different. She was very talkative and seemed engaged at the beginning and the end.
She was also pretty athletic (for a 5 year old). She kicked the heck out of the ball. When we practiced throw-ins, she chucked it pretty good.
They dad just said to me 'She gets a little frustrated sometimes." They paid for her to play and I want her to have a good time (My goal each year in coaching is that the kids want to play again the following year. If they think it's fun, they will come back)
I'm just a volunteer dad. I don't have any training on how to deal with these types of situations.
Any advice?
EDIT UPDATE- The mom approached me at our game today and told me that she as Autism/Aspbergers. She get's scared and nervous at new situations but is highly intelligent (IE - she knows all stars and planets. She reads the news on a Kindle. She is in Kindergarten.) She played a few minutes today. Whenever it was our turn to kickoff, I walked her out to the center (holding her hand). She kicked the ball and ran off the field to her mom and dad. I am going to work my hardest to make sure she has a good time this year.
I was told after that practice that one of the girls "had a rough day", but didn't really think much of it.
Today she showed up and seemed great. Good introductions. Seemed excited to kick the ball back and forth.
Then when I lined the kids up to do a dribbling drill, she lost it. Screaming, crying, yelling "It's too hard". She hung out on the sideline with her dad.
This pretty much lasted the entire hour. I tried to encourage her to come join us. I asked her to help me coach. Anytime that there was running involved, she melted down. It was a little disruptive to the other 6 girls on the field and I didn't want them to have to deal with a screaming kid the entire time.
I am a pretty patient dude and have had kids that need a little help in the "listening and paying attention" department (usually because I am doing something boring).
I suppose it could be autism or something, but I have been around quite a few kids with autism and this seemed a little different. She was very talkative and seemed engaged at the beginning and the end.
She was also pretty athletic (for a 5 year old). She kicked the heck out of the ball. When we practiced throw-ins, she chucked it pretty good.
They dad just said to me 'She gets a little frustrated sometimes." They paid for her to play and I want her to have a good time (My goal each year in coaching is that the kids want to play again the following year. If they think it's fun, they will come back)
I'm just a volunteer dad. I don't have any training on how to deal with these types of situations.
Any advice?
EDIT UPDATE- The mom approached me at our game today and told me that she as Autism/Aspbergers. She get's scared and nervous at new situations but is highly intelligent (IE - she knows all stars and planets. She reads the news on a Kindle. She is in Kindergarten.) She played a few minutes today. Whenever it was our turn to kickoff, I walked her out to the center (holding her hand). She kicked the ball and ran off the field to her mom and dad. I am going to work my hardest to make sure she has a good time this year.
Last edited by:
timboricki: Mar 3, 12 14:09