Fundamental Soccer Blog

A (Very Real) Message From the Experts

✍️ This one’s not from me, it’s from the real experts: the kids themselves. And they have this to say…

After reading ‘Encourage?’ got all the adults talking about celebrations, joy, and the dropout crisis in youth soccer, we figured you might want to hear from… us.

That’s right: we, the players, the kids you coach, cheer for, shuttle to games, and occasionally treat with post-practice smoothies.

We’ve been watching, listening, and kicking our way through this sport for years. And now, we’d like your attention for a minute (or two).

🗣️ Please Listen, Grown-Ups

Especially you “traditionalists” 👀.We know you care.

But did you know nearly 7 out of 10 kids quit soccer by the time they’re teenagers? That’s a wake-up call, eh?

So we sat down on our soccer balls, picked some grass, and figured out why:

Soccer isn’t always fun for us.

And it might be because you grown-ups don’t always realize who you’re dealing with.

👶 A Very Scientific Guide to Who We Are:

What You Say	What We Hear

“Let’s go out there and have some fun!”

“Fun = Running until my socks explode.” 😅

“Find space!”

“But I don’t have a space suit!” 🧑‍🚀

“Pass the ball!”

“Every time I try to be Tom Brady, the ref yells ‘hand ball!’” 🙄

“Stay in your position.”

“The only one I know is in the back of the line.” 😩

“Use the inside of your foot.”

“What part is that? Is there a map for my foot?” 🦶📍

“Let the ball do the work.”

“YEAH! That means I don’t have to run!” 🛋️

“Nice try!”

“I definitely kicked it the wrong way again.” 😂

“Don’t bunch up!”

“Bunch? Like fruit snacks??” 🍇

“We’re working on skills today.”

“Cool! Are we learning ninja flips?” 🥷

“Be sure to shoot in the attacking third.”

“Good thing I brought my finger gun.” 🔫

“Be sure to change channels.”

“How? My dad always controls the remote!” 📺

“Play relaxed.”

“Where’s my lounge chair? And my smoothie?” 🍹

“Stay in your triangles.”

“Triangles?? Those are tiny—I can barely fit one hand in there!” 🔺

“Play wide!”

“But the sidelines are lava!” 🦶🔥

🧒 “We’re trying, Coach. But sometimes you sound like you’re from a different planet.” 👽

⚽ But Wait—Before You Gasp and Drop Your Clipboard…

There’s hope. It’s called

Quad Goal Soccer.
It’s wild. It’s fun. It might just save the game we were about to stop loving.

Let us explain…

🎯 The More Goals, The Merrier

Hey, grown-up, do you know what the most fun part of soccer is?

SCORING. GOALS.
No debate.

But do you know what’s even better for us than scoring?

Doing the celebration afterward.
Cartwheels. Knee slides. Airplane arms. Slow-motion hugs. Dab pyramids. You get the idea.

So here is a must-have rule in Quad Goal Soccer:

🎉 Everyone has to learn an after-goal celebration.
It’s basically a rite of passage, like learning to tie your cleats, but way cooler.

Is it OK if both teams celebrate every goal that is scored? A resounding YES!

_____________________________________________________________________

👯 Small Teams = Big Involvement

We love to play 2v2, 3v3, or 4v4 games. That means:

More ball touches
More chances to try stuff
Less opponents to take the ball away
More chances to feel like a super-star

And the best part?
The coach can rotate players at any time and as often as they want. This means that no one is stuck on the sidelines for any period of time with their shin guards off.

💡 Decisions by the People (a.k.a. Local Communities)

Since every community is different, locals create their own Quad Goal Rules.

Team sizes
Field setup
Music playlists

We don’t need one giant rulebook written in lawyer-speak. We need:

A fun-size field
Four goals
Less opponents
Good vibes
And just let us play our game 🎶

🧠 For the Grown-Ups Who Still Love Their Spreadsheets

If stats are your love language, here’s why Quad Goal makes total sense:

More goals to score on (yes, there are TWO):
*Double the chances, the goals, the celebrations, the FUN!
No goalies for the littlest players:
*Triple the chances, the goals, the celebrations, the FUN!