Southeast Missouri State University student publication

Soccer coach Heather Nelson coaches youth soccer club

Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Heather Nelson and members of the Missouri Youth Club Soccer team at Houck Stadium during practice. Photos by Isaiah Adams

Instead of the usual screaming and chanting that fills the air of Houck Stadium, it's laughter and shouting that takes over on Monday and Wednesday nights. This is when the Missouri Youth Club Soccer team practices.

Last Monday the team practicing was U11, or girls that are aged 11 years and younger. This team is coached by none other than Southeast Missouri State women's soccer coach Heather Nelson.

Nelson has coached many teams throughout the years, some being younger teams. But she has also coached older club teams as well. All the teams in the organization travel around the Midwest region and play other club teams.

"We have played in tournaments in Tennessee, Illinois and Kansas," Nelson said.

During the practice, the team began by running through some basic warm up drills that involved passing and shooting. Next, the team split into two groups. Nelson took 10-12 players aside and helped them run specific drills for the positions that they play. Sometimes Nelson stopped the drills to talk to the group, other times she pulled one member of the team aside and taught them ways they could improve.

The team members later scrimmaged against an older team, which helps the girls stay focused and prepared for their upcoming tournaments, Nelson said.

At the time of the scrimmage, Nelson pushed the girls to play as if they were playing in an actual game. She regularly talked to team members on the sidelines and showed them different ways they could approach a previous play.

Along with Nelson's team, there are several different teams in the organization. Some are coached by Southeast soccer players and they sometimes help coach Nelson's team, although none were there last Monday evening because they were set to leave the next morning to go play against Tennessee Tech.

The Redhawks defeated Tennessee Tech 2-0 and then beat Jacksonville State 3-0 on Sunday to improve to 10-5 overall and 7-2 in Ohio Valley Conference. They'll play at SIU Edwardsville on Friday, with the winner claiming the regular-season conference title.

Nelson said she encourages all of her players to give back to their sport. She also said that it shows the younger girls that they also can one day be a college athlete.

"When you start becoming a coach, you start becoming a better player," Nelson said

Not only does this team help get the young players active and teach them about soccer, it teaches them so much more.

"We have found that the longer the girls stay in the program, the better grades they get in school, the higher confidence they have in themselves and the better leaders they are," Nelson said.

Ten-year-old Camille Graham is a player on Nelson's team.

"I like to play with this team because they have good ball control," Graham said when she was asked what she liked about soccer.

Ten-year-old Ella Haggerty, who plays right and left back for the team, said "going after balls and stuff" is her favorite thing about playing.

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