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Getting Organised
Coaching a squad of young football players involves more than showing up
with a whistle, a team sheet, and a car boot full of footballs.
Being a
coach kids admire and look forward to seeing all season requires a lot of
preparation on your part prior to the first training session.
First, think about why you got involved this season, what you hope to
accomplish and what your approach is going to be to help your team get
there. Have you assumed the coaching role because you genuinely want
to help kids pick up and develop skills in a fun and safe environment, or
because you want to make a bid for the league title? What’s your take on
playing time, motivating players, and creating a positive atmosphere?
This chapter considers those aspects, and many others, which form the
basis of your coaching philosophy. Having a philosophy in place and
sticking to it as best you can sets the tone for a good season. A portion
of your philosophy should also be dictated by the league you are coaching
in. That’s why it’s always important to find out as much information as
you can about the league’s policies before you step on the pitch. Being
involved in a league that promotes the values that you are aiming to
impart to your team is critical for
everyone’s enjoyment.
Developing a Coaching
Philosophy
Creating a coaching philosophy is fairly simple. Living up to it all
season long is the tricky part. What is a coaching philosophy? Basically,
it reflects the standards you have set for yourself and your team, and is
the foundation of your coaching values and beliefs.
Entering the season without a coaching philosophy is like driving across
the country without a road map. Yes, you’d eventually arrive at your
destination, but not without wasting a lot of time and energy with wrong
turns and dealing with unnecessary problems and aggravation along the way.
A well-thought-out coaching philosophy should reflect a number of
considerations, such as:
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Focusing on the best interests and
well-being of every player
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Promoting the respect of players and
coaches on both teams, as well as officials
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Upholding the virtues of fair play, good
sportsmanship, honesty, and integrity
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Placing safety, skill development, and fun
ahead of any personal desires to win.
Even with a carefully planned philosophy firmly in place, you will find it
pretty challenging adhering to it at all times. This can be particularly
true when Billy’s mum confronts you halfway through the season about why
the team isn’t winning more games; or Jennifer’s dad questions why the
kids with less ability are receiving as much playing time as the team’s
best players.
(For explaining your coaching philosophy to the parents before the season
gets under way, see Chapter 4, which can help you steer clear of many of
these potential headaches.)
Your philosophy is going to speak volumes about you as not just a coach,
but as a person. So take the time to put real thought into it. You’ll be
glad you did. Lead your players in the direction you know is right. Strive
to instil in them the values that you want your own kids to exhibit
throughout their life.
Tailoring your coaching to
your age group
Children are continually changing, and one of your responsibilities as a
coach is to know what to expect both physically and emotionally from
youngsters at various age levels. Being fully aware of these differences
enhances your coaching skills and your ability to relate to your team. It
also ensures that you don’t favour those players on your squad who are
more mature and skilled at the expense of those who are less skilled and
developed.
No matter what the age or skill level of your players, always be
supportive and enthusiastic. Pile on the praise and never stop encouraging
them. This approach builds their confidence and self-esteem, regardless of
age, and it’s a gift that will last for years to come.
While each child has his or her own unique strengths and weaknesses, all
youngsters possess general characteristics that are dictated by their age.
Good coaches are aware of these traits. The following are general
characteristics that are applicable for certain age ranges.
Age 6 and under: Children in this age bracket may never have played
football, and this season may very well be their first experience in an
organised team setting. Your job is simply to introduce them to football’s
most basic elements and whet their appetite for future participation. (See
Chapter 5, which covers the fundamentals that you can focus on with this
age group.) Children at this age generally aren’t concerned about how well
they are performing football skills compared to the others on their team.
They are primarily interested in being with friends and having fun
discovering and playing the sport. Competition is usually the furthest
thing from their minds, which is why scorelines and league rankings are
often not that important at this level.
Age 7–9: Youngsters at this age tend to start focusing on mastering
the basics of the sport. They also crave feedback from coaches and parents
on how they are performing certain skills and how they are progressing in
a new skill. They begin noticing how their teammates are faring while
practising these skills. As coaches praise their peers for properly
executing a skill, the child will want to earn that same feedback as well.
The desire to compete carries much more prominence for some youngsters in
this age range than others, particularly if they have older siblings who
they have watched compete in football or other sports and now feel it’s
finally their turn to display their skills.
Age 10–12: More than likely, these children have had experience
playing football in the past and are continuing with it because it has
piqued their interest. Keep the positive momentum going by adding to their
foundation of skills and fuel their desire to continue playing by
conducting training sessions that are both challenging and fun. Quite
often, sports take on added importance at this juncture in their life and
they really want to do well. (For more on skills and drills with this age
group, see Chapters 10 to 12.) As children reach this age range, many
become more competitive and seek to perform better than others of their
age. When their ability matches up with their peers, or surpasses it, they
feel a real sense of achievement.
Emphasising teamwork
While football is a sport that allows individuals plenty of opportunities
to be creative and to run with the ball on their own, you and your team
are much better off if you can get everyone to work together as a cohesive
unit. Of course, this is easier said then done.
Imagine having 10 kids in front of you. You have one really good toy that
they are all eyeing. You give the toy to one child and ask that they share
it with everyone. Tough to achieve, eh? The same goes for football.
There’s one ball that they are all going to have to share in order for the
team to be successful.
So how do you get the team to that point?
Sure-fire routes to fostering the essence of teamwork among your players
don’t exist, but the following are some pointers to assist you in your
efforts and get the players to begin to see the enormous benefits that
accompany working as a team rather than a bunch of individuals.
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Give touchline support. Encourage players
not in the game to stay involved by cheering and supporting their
teammates. This keeps them
involved in the action instead of glancing over to see what their
parents are doing or what kind of food their friends are eating.
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Allow individual freedom – at times. While
you should allow players individual freedom to run with the ball, it
must be done within the con-
fines of the team setting. There will certainly be points during the
game where a player’s close control skills and ability to dribble the
ball down the pitch may be called for, and that’s part of the game. But
when that player then ignores teammates and isn’t willing to pass the
ball, the team chemistry is threatened. Remind players that they have
teammates for a reason and must be sure to look out for them. (The
problem of dealing with a player who isn’t willing to pass the ball is
covered inChapter 19.)
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Avoid the captain syndrome. Continually
relying on two or three players to serve as team captains throughout the
season puts them on a
platform above the rest of the squad. By giving every player the
opportunity to lead warm-ups in training or be first in a drill infuses
the team with that sense that everyone is equal.
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Praise team efforts. During training
sessions, make it a point to recognise the efforts of the team whenever
possible. For example, if you’re conducting a 3-on-1 drill and the
attacking players score a goal, you may feel a natural tendency to
applaud the end result and acknowledge the youngster who scored at the
expense of the others involved in the drill. Be sure to acknowledge the
perfectly executed pass that began the move, or the pass that found the
unmarked scorer. If your admiration is spread among all the players who
played a role in the goal, players begin to understand that setting up a
goal is just as important as scoring in the team framework.
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Get the kids praising one another.
Encourage the kids who score goals to acknowledge the pass from their
teammate that led to it. If you get kids into the habit of giving one
another high-fives, or telling one another ‘great pass’, this forges a
bond and strengthens the idea of
everyone working together for the benefit of the team. Recognise the
non-scoring contributions after the game. The kids who
scored the goals don’t need additional praise after the game because
their shot generated cheers and applause from the spectators. How
about giving out post-game prizes to the player who began the move with
a great pass out of defence? After all, there never would have been a
goal without the effort of that child, and it’s well worth mentioning
that whether the team wins, draws or loses, the whole team deserves the
credit and not just any one player.
Motivating players
Regardless of the age or experience level of your players, they arrive at
the pitch with vastly different motivations for playing the game. While
some will be strongly motivated individuals who will be real gems to work
with, others may benefit from your inspiring words.
Some players should respond positively to the challenges you issue, such
as seeing whether they can deliver 10 accurate passes in a row. With
others, that approach may actually detract from their motivation to
participate. Each youngster you come into contact with is different.
Discover for yourself what works for each child to help get the best out
of them.
Here are a few general tips that you can employ to help spur your players
on to become the best they can be.
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Share your love of the sport. If you have
a sincere passion for football and for passing this on to children, your
excitement and enthusiasm should rub off on the team.
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Set attainable goals for youngsters. By
having reasonable expectations for the kids you are coaching, and
setting goals that are within their reach, you will stimulate and
encourage them to keep working because the goals are within sight. If a
child senses that your expectations are impossibly far-fetched, they are
going to wonder what’s the point of trying and their play on the pitch
could suffer tremendously.
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Recognise the good things happening on the
pitch. Stop training to point out when a player has done something
really well, not when he’s
made a mistake. Praise is simply one of the best motivational tools
around. Think about it. If your boss tells you that you have done a
great job on a presentation in front of your colleagues, you are going
to give even more effort on your next presentation. The same goes for
kids performing skills on a football pitch.
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Do not motivate through fear or threats.
Making a child run a lap for failing to perform at an expected level has
no place in youth
football. These types of approaches typically handcuff a youngster’s
ability to perform because they’re now afraid of making a mistake that
is going to translate into punishment. Children have to feel free to
make mistakes in order to improve. Plus, this motivation-through-fear
tactic has a strong probability of putting them off of the sport in the
years to come.
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'Coaching Football Teams For Dummies' is a
useful new
soccer coaching handbook available at a
discounted price from
Amazon.co.uk
Synopsis
This work
is packed with drills and tips for training and game days. It
describes the fun and easy way to master the art of football
coaching. Volunteering as a youth football coach can be a great
experience, both for you and your squad. But what if you've never
coached before, or want to improve? Don't worry! This friendly guide
explains football rules, shows you how to approach coaching, and
gives you practical pointers on improving team skills and
encouraging good sportsmanship. It helps you: understand football
rules; develop a coaching philosophy; teach football fundamentals;
run great training sessions; lead your team during a game; and,
communicate effectively with parents.
download
chapter 1
(includes 'coaching your own child', 'the
rules of football' and 'planning training sessions')
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