How to set skills expectations for children when football training

Children playing football (stock image from Canva Pro)

Help encourage your child to love football as well as developing skills

Collaborative post by another author.

Watching kids chase a football around a pitch - it’s chaotic, noisy, often hilarious and full of potential. Whether you're a parent or coach, it’s natural to wonder how much progress you should expect from young players. Should they be dribbling smoothly by age seven? Nailing perfect passes by nine?

Truth is, setting the right expectations is less about ticking off a list of skills and more about knowing what’s realistic and what keeps the joy in the game.

Keep things in perspective

First off, football training at places like Pro Football Academy isn’t actually going to be something that turns them into pros overnight. Their main purpose is to help them enjoy the sport while picking up key skills along the way. Yes, technique matters, but so does confidence, teamwork and just feeling happy to turn up to training each week.

Some kids will sprint ahead with natural flair. Others might take longer to find their rhythm. Both are completely fine.

Age matters

What’s reasonable at one age might be way off the mark at another. For younger children (say under 9 or 10), expecting consistent positional play or complex passing routines just isn’t realistic. Their focus is still developing and coordination comes in waves.

At that stage, you want to see things like:
Trying to control the ball
Learning to dribble in space
Understanding simple instructions
Staying involved in play

Mistakes? Let them happen. Kids grow through them, as we all should.

Look for progress, not perfection

One of the best ways to set healthy expectations is to shift the focus from outcomes to improvement. Did they try using their weaker foot today? Did they stop and think before passing? Things like that indicate progress.

Rather than saying, “You should be able to score from there,” try, “I saw you looking for space, great thinking.” It changes how children see the game, not as something to get right, but as something to grow in.

Avoid comparisons

This one’s tough. It’s easy to look around at training and notice that one kid who seems to do everything right, but football development isn’t linear. Some children peak early, others catch up later. Comparing them doesn’t always speed things up, it just adds pressure.

The best expectation you can set is to let your child be better than they were last week, not better than the child next to them.

Ask them how they feel

Sometimes the clearest insight comes straight from them. Ask what they enjoy about training. What’s tricky? What are they proud of? You might learn they’re quietly working on something you hadn’t noticed, like learning to use both feet, or trying not to panic under pressure.

Their answers might surprise you. They might also help you adjust your own expectations.

When it comes to kids and football, the long game matters more than the short-term wins. Set expectations that encourage effort, allow mistakes and make space for fun. Because once a child enjoys the game, really enjoys it, the skills will come in their own time.