You can't coach soccer just for the "fun" of it.

The word "fun" is now being thrown around like pesos south of the border. Much like the peso, the word "fun" has become completely devalued.

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I constantly hear coaches telling their players, "You have to have fun to play soccer." And then the game begins ... and you hear those same coaches ranting and raving over mistakes.

I know for a fact that I can never have "fun" when someone starts yelling at me. The problem is that "fun" can led to mischief and, at the very least, a loss of concentration on the game.

If I were to tell my eight-year-old daughter the same thing, I would be run over by a houseful of little girls tearing up the furniture in their version of the Olympic Games.

The point I am trying to make is that every kid has his or her own idea of "fun." With athletes, fun only happens when everything is being properly executed.

I was lucky enough to have two brilliant coaches named Chico and Adrio run a soccer camp for my players. Their emphasis was never on "fun" but on "play." All of their activities were involved and challenging, both physically and mentally. And they would call the kids "players" and not "Sonny" or "Hey, you."

Players have fun whenever they play properly, but they're not going to play properly when they are having fun. After the first week of camp, every one of the players came up and told me that, "Camp was great! A lot of fun!"

Coaches who are serious about their game want their players to be as good as it's possible for them to be right from the beginning, and to stay focused on the game.

When the first words out of a coach's mouth are, "Have fun!" he is sending out a mixed signal. The players are going to look for anything that will divert them from the task at hand. The coach will then have to play the heavy: get the players back in line, compromising any chance of having fun.

There are many ways of introducing "fun" into the game. The most effective of these is giving the players some ownership in the team.

If possible, the coach can let the team know what he is going to do at the next practice. This will enable the players to focus on whatever is going to be run at them.

If a player's suggestion does not meet with the coach's fancy, a simple phrase like, "That is a nice idea, but does not quite fit into our agenda," will let the player know that the coach has listened and that his idea is still under inspection.

Here is an idea that I have used in the past. It gives the players part ownership and allows them to have a little "fun" while using the proper skills:

I am lucky enough to have an array of soccer practice equipment at my disposal. I divide the team into four teams. Team One plays Team Two and Team Three plays Team Four. Each pairing is given certain pieces of the practice equipment to use: two corner flags, five disc cones, one pop-up goal, and a ball.

The teams then have five to eight minutes to organize a game in which all the materials must be used. The younger players may be given a little more time. The only rules the players must observe are no dirty plays and no hands. Other that that, we let them go.

We stress everything that we wish to see them accomplish, like creating space, setting triangles, and communication.

After the game is played, we switch the teams and give them a new set of materials. It is not important that you understand their game. The main concern is on them to play and execute properly.

Although the focus is on playing, fun cannot help but introduce itself into the mix. It may take them a while to get the hang of what you're asking them to do. Many of their previous coaches probably never thought of relinquishing any of their power to the players. Coaches have to be patient with their players--guide them and don't do any of the playing for them.

Practices like this cannot be done every time. There are things that you most certainly want to accomplish. If your team does not have good technique or knowledge of the game, these things must be built up for the players to achieve success. Once you have properly established the fundamentals, you must get the players involved in playing.

Playing can not only become "fun," but a developer of skills and conditioning. Only after the kids see teams playing smoothly and correctly will the coach start hearing them say, "Man, this is real cool. It can be a lot of fun!"

By Gavin Casey, Soccer Coach, North County H.S. Glen Burnie, MD