Coach encourages young boy to fail during training and it's a lesson for every soccer parent

A good coach teaches the game, but only a great coach knows how to read the moment, meet a child where they are, and make them feel capable even when things don’t go right. Patience, timing, and encouragement can shape how a young player sees themselves, and that leaves a mark far beyond the field. That kind of support was on full display in a TikTok video shared by ACFC (@andrewcartwrightfc), and it’s now being praised across the internet.

As shown in the clip, a young boy missed a goal during practice. Instead of correcting him, his coach gently asked him, "If the ball is there, what foot should you shoot with?" He waited patiently as the child figured it out, then encouraged him to try with his weaker foot. He didn’t focus on the miss. Instead, he said, "You might miss. But do you know what it is if you practice now?" The boy listened carefully as the coach explained that if he started working on it now, "when you become like 10 and 11 years old, you'll score with that one then." The boy promised to give it a shot and actually hit the goal two minutes later. That’s when the coach smiled and told him, "You, my friend, have just made my day."

Although the video was originally shared on TikTok, it gained traction when it was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by @CahairOKane1, who wrote, "Saw this earlier and just thought it was a brilliant video, a great example of proper coaching. 'You’ve gotta miss with it now to score with it when you’re older.'" Viewers praised the coach’s thoughtful and empowering message.

@CiDeel wrote, "That’s brilliant! The most important thing a young player can do is use both feet from a young age. Reap the rewards 10-fold later on." @AdvFtbAcad commented, "This is incredible. Gives the young player such freedom to fail and learn. Amazing!" @davidharrywebb noted, "Could do with him involved with the pros. Absolutely class. My old man had me kicking the ball against a wall with both feet for hours. I can't emphasise how much basics like that work. I was comfortable using both feet by the time I was a teenager. If I can do it, anyone can." @Coach__Luca said, "Lovely interaction. Being permitted to ‘fail’ is liberating as a child. It’s where learning magic happens."

@MattWoodhouse16 added, "Brilliant, will be using that lesson to help the young hurlers to build confidence on their weaker side. Miss now, score when you're older." @manusanroman simply said, "More coaches like this are needed, especially at that age. Wonderful to see!" @Zach_CableGuy wrote, "Great stuff! I heard recently that we should stop referring to it as a weak foot and start referring to it as an untrained foot." However, there were many who didn't quite agree with the coach's approach. @evertobebest bashed the hateful comments, writing, "Whoever feels the need to argue against this and post negatively ABOUT A 6-YEAR-OLD seriously needs to reassess their lives. This coach also plays professionally. I think he knows what he’s doing. Keep positive or go take a walk."

You can follow ACFC (@andrewcartwrightfc) on TikTok for more football coaching content.