MID WINTER COACHING REMINDERS

Hey coaches!
I decided to post a letter that I wrote to coaches a year or so ago. It was a letter that I wrote to coaches in the club that I was working with at the time, reminding them of what they could be doing to “move things along”.
After visiting an indoor soccer event this past week here in WI, I thought about some of the issues brought up in this letter.
I trust that you will find it useful.
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What!? We are already ¼ the way through the second indoor session!? It has been fun seeing many of the team’s progress over the course of the winter. Despite the lack of training time, many of the teams seem to be getting better, and keeping enthusiasm high.

I would like to briefly discuss some “reminders” for all of us that have arisen from recent observations of watching the teams play.

U12 and Older:

1. This is a perfect time to expose the players to playing different positions! Providing them the opportunity to see the game from a different place on the field is good for their development as it assists them in becoming an all-around player. They have to deal with pressure coming at them from different angles, and it exposes them to the “pressure” of having different responsibilities (When in the back, giving the ball away often leads to giving up a goal. Playing up top gives them the pressure of being the primary goal scorer).
2. Encourage the players, and do a lot of your coaching “after the fact”. We need to make sure that we don’t “joy-stick” the players around the field… trying to control their every thought and action. Instead, allow the players the freedom to experiment, try things out, find solutions to the game, and enjoy the competition. A great time to coach is after their playing shift is over (e.g.: “When the defenders are not pressuring you, see if you can dribble at the goal.” “When you receive the ball with your back turned towards the goal, perhaps look to play the ball back to someone who is able to face forward.”) This will allow them to approach their play the NEXT time with options to look for.
3. Make sure that the team keeps “compact” or “together” both in attack and defense. In attack, this will allow the player with the ball to always have support close by. In defense, it will stop the team from being able to move the ball easily from one end of the field to the other. When the team gets “stretched out” too far, the game becomes more difficult and breaks down in to a series of one versus one confrontations. It is better to play together as a team.
4. Encourage risk taking and creativity at the appropriate times and places. When a player tries something “different” (E.g.: Heel passes, a special dribbling move, a “scoop” pass, trying to “chip” the keeper from long range), it is a GREAT thing, and needs to be encouraged. Of course, this has to be balanced. It may not be the right place to try their new dribbling move right in front of their own goalkeeper… when under pressure, but is a good time to do it when they only have one defender to beat when going to goal. Encourage this when you see it. In fact, ask for it! “Let’s see if anyone can do something spectacular today… bonus points for an amazing dribbling move!”

U8 & U10:

1. For sure, point #2 above REALLY applies to this age group. Getting them to be able to focus on playing, and meeting the demands of the game (i.e.: being able to control the ball, keeping from tripping over their own teammates, remembering what way they are going) is a full time job that demands all of their concentration! As we enjoy watching them learn, we need to remind ourselves that there is nothing like experience as a teacher. This is particularly true about playing on the little field. I am constantly amazed at how LOUD and CONFUSING that “arena” is. With all of the parents standing right close by, shouting out instructions, it is often a very confusing place to play. As coaches, we need to make sure that we don’t do anything that will overly confuse them. Keeping our comments positive, and helping them focus on simple things is the key.

2. The pre-game “chat” is essential. Keep it simple, give specifics. A real good idea is to have them have a goal for the game. For example, saying to them before the game, “Let’s see how many times we can make a pass”, or “Let’s see how many times the goalkeeper is able to pass the ball to a teammate after she makes a save”. These simple objectives get the players thinking about HOW they are playing, instead of just the result (i.e.: scoring goals… not giving up goals.) Then, when you see it happen on the field, you can start counting! “That is two passes in a row… great job!”

All Ages:

1. We all need to remind ourselves to meet mid-way through the session with the parents. Ask if they have the complete schedule. Ask if anyone is having problems getting a ride. Use any excuse that you have to get them together. The important thing is to get them together so that the lines of communication can stay open. At the same time, you can also remind them of philosophy: “I think the players are getting better as we have them play different positions”. “I am trying to encourage them to try different things on the field, on their own, without constantly telling them what to do”. These things keep the parents informed and involved. Give them a reason for your decisions. This way, they support your efforts after the game, on the way home in the mini-van!
2. Use this time to become familiar with the other players in your age group in the club. This will help out tremendously as we approach team selection at the end of the spring season. The single most important “tryout” that the player has is how he or she plays during the season. Having one tryout as a means of selecting players for the team does not make any sense and is not fair. It is much more effective to observe the player during the course of a season in order to find an appropriate level for them to play at. The indoor season is a great chance to do this. Often, the Fieldhouse has Express teams playing against each other, or the other Express team is on right after each other, so we can “hang out” and watch them play for a half. This time will certainly help later on when we evaluate the players to decide which team to place them on. More of this will be explained in the Club Handbook that we are putting together (and, is almost finished!). But, it is good to use this opportunity to get a jump on the process!

Those are my thoughts at this time. Of course, I realize that many of these have been mentioned before, but it is always good to remind ourselves of these important ideas!

Keep up the good work!