The 18 Best Soccer Gifts For Coaches

Coaches are mostly control freaks, but one thing they can't control is the weather. Make sure your favorite coach is warm and dry when it rains with a nice raincoat.

Modern soccer is dominated by transition tactics, so make sure your coach knows the ins and outs of every transition situation, and learns from the best.

Adaptability is important, so give your coach the advantage with this history of soccer tactics. The author, Jonathan Wilson, is one of the sharpest analytical minds in soccer media. Who knows, your coach might find something special. There's no rule that says tactics from way back when won't come back into fashion.

Coaches need to be heard. Make sure your coach is able to get the team's attention with one of the loudest whistles in the world.

Small-sided games are an important part of any good team's practice regimen, and pug goals are way better than making goals out of cones or sweatshirts or something.

Muddled communications can easily throw the best-laid gameplans into disarray. Gameplans thrown into disarray translate into losses. Make sure your coach can draw the gameplan up clearly so the team can understand. Understanding the gameplan translates into wins.

Coming up with good drills is hard, but it doesn't have to be. Not with these handy CoachDeck cards.

A coach's job is much easier when his or her team's players can kick accurately. A coach can breathe easy telling a player to pass to a certain teammate or shoot at a certain moment when he or she is confident the ball is going to arrive on time and on target.

Set pieces are incredibly important, and they only get more important as the level of competitiveness increases. A coach needs to have his or her players ready. Games can be won or lost with a single kick, and the best way to make sure the ball bounces your way is practice.

No goals? No problem. Goals are heavy and unweieldy. The soccer rebound wall is far more portable than a goal, and can be set up just about any place that has grass. Practice anywhere!

The last minutes of a match are crucial, and a team in good shape will almost always beat a team that is huffing and puffing. Don't leave anything to chance. Make sure your coach has the best-conditioned team out there. (Think of this as the gift that keeps giving.)

You can't play, or coach, soccer if you're dehydrated. We've always said that.

All the elite European club coaches wear tracksuits at one point or another. Intimidate opponents in comfort and style. Look the part, be the part.

Nothing shortens a long road trip like sick tunes.

No park or wall close by and no indoor soccer shoes? No more worries with the Futsolo ball. Turn any room or outdoor space into a great training session. Just remember to use both feet. Check it out here.

Benches such as those used for youth soccer games are uncomfortable, and no adult should have to sit on one without some protection. After all, you can't think about tactics when you're busy thinking about how much your buns hurt.