Expectations vs. Encouragement

After attending my daughter's soccer practice I am found contemplating if you can encourage your child without them feeling a sense of expectation. I want my daughter to be active and participate in various activities. This is her second session in soccer and she enjoys the individual drills. Being in her second session, they now play scrimmages for the last 15 minutes of the class. My daughter refused to participate in the scrimmage portion today. I asked her to try and do her best. I told her that she can only get better if she practices and tries. In the midst of her tears, she told me that she does not know how to play. I tried to explain that she can't learn if she does not try. She went silent.

After a long silent ride home I am wondering, did I say something or behave in a manor that would have led her to believe that just doing her best was not good enough. I have been over paranoid about trying to be encouraging and showing positive reinforcement every time she tries. I try to not relate my praise to doing something perfect or even right, just trying.

This dilemma goes past soccer. I try to focus on effort not end result. I do not settle for a lack effort...I push her to try again and to put forth more effort. I wonder if my efforts to show my daughter work ethic and determination, I have done exactly what I have tried to avoid.