I think these value statements, exhortations and aphorisms are expressions of the Spirit of the Game of Soccer.  They are the accumulation of my experience as a player, 13 years of youth soccer coaching, and even more years of refereeing youth, scholastic and adult soccer.  A few of these value statements were my inventions, many were copied and modified from someone else's wisdom, and some were adopted intact from others.  They're in no particular order or arrangement.  There is some repetition, and some may even disagree with aspects of others.  I'm sure there are many other ideas that should be included in a proper or complete list.

Always play to win.  Never take unfair advantage, always play fair.

Respect for the opponents, officials and spectators earns respect for me, whether I win, lose or tie.

Kick the ball out of play when someone's hurt.  When you do, my throw-in will be to your team.

The techniques and tactics of soccer are hard to master.  That's what makes it so interesting.  Nobody ever gets it perfect.

If you wouldn't yell at a musician while they're playing, why would you yell at a soccer player?  Soccer takes a lot of concentration, too.

Never criticize any athlete for an error.  And referees are athletes too.

Practice is as important as playing.  You'll play the way you practice.  When a player misses practice, it hurts the team even more than it hurts the player.

Coaches should teach.  During games, nobody gives players instructions instead of information.

You need a team to play soccer AND to practice and learn to play as a team.

Respect the Laws of the Game.  Know the Laws and rules, and don't try to change them to suit yourself.

Always try never to hurt anyone, opponent or teammate.

Playing hard and well is what makes soccer worthwhile.  Somebody has to win and lose each game, but there's always another game and another season.

Players may need help in learning and preparing.  Then they need to be let alone to play.

Winning is even better when you play fairly and well against a respectable opponent.  There's no shame in losing when you play well and fairly against a respectable opponent.

Soccer is a game of decisions – where to move, how and where to play the ball, etc.  Coaching is just one way to get the tools to make decisions.  Players have a right to play and make the decisions on the field.

Players should learn in practice and apply it in games.  Coaches should learn during games and apply it at practice.

The referee is always right, even when the referee gets it wrong.  Nobody is entitled to referee except the ref, nobody gets to help unless the ref invites it.

Soccer is a contact sport.  People fall down.  We don't knock them down on purpose.  When somebody falls, we help them up.

Dishonesty, diving and gamesmanship are the tools of those who can't compete fairly and haven't the integrity to try.

Soccer takes a lot of concentration; don't distract the players when they're trying to play the ball.

Positive reinforcement of success is the best way to teach, and suggestions for improvement next time are almost as good, but both build on experience.  Making decisions for players and giving them instructions during play will weaken the base of experience.
 
The coach's job: teach and train at practice, put the players in position and let them play, observe and analyze performance, substitute when necessary, and plan the next practice in response to opportunities or deficiencies that you're seeing in the game.

There's always somebody better than you are; How would you want them to treat you?

Soccer is difficult.  Soccer is fun.  Soccer is for the players on the field.