I’ve seen many soccer coaches take their positions way too seriously. Coaches who are hot headed and presumptuous in their coaching styles will find that their players don’t live up to their inflated expectations. Why is this? As a former player who found myself matched with several coaches who fit this description, I consider it to be common sensical: if you frighten your players, they will do what you ask out of fear.
You shouldn’t want your players to fear you, or do what they do out of a sense of guilt or obligation. You don’t want to control your players. Instead, you should want to push them in the right direction while cultivating an atmosphere of enjoyment and learning. When you coach, imagine what it would be like to be coached by you. Ideally, you should want to inspire your players to succeed, not pressure them.
A good coach will acknowledge when players are not up to the level of the practice session, and quickly adjust the exercise to make it easier to meet. It should go without saying, but a coach who praises his players, focuses on what they did right and where they can improve, will get much more out of his players than a coach who yells, screams and focuses on the negatives.
Remember, coaches prepare players not only for games on the field, but also for real life applications such as taking directions, communication and team building. Learning what each player needs, and where he needs to improve as an individual player, will result in a more cohesive and well functioning team, overall. Coaches who open up communication channels between themselves and players often find their players communicating a lot more when playing on the field. In the opposite manner, coaches who bark orders, whose coaching styles become characterized by rage, will find their players less inspired on the field and less communicative with one another when it matters most. In truth, aggressive coaching is a self-defeating tactic.
Next time you find some sort of disconnect between you and your players, take a moment to stop and step away from the situation. Ask yourself, are your players having fun? Do they understand the fundamentals, or must you go back and practice with them? Do they know the rules? Are your coaching skills inspiring them, or instilling fear in them? Be the coach you would want to have.
You shouldn’t want your players to fear you, or do what they do out of a sense of guilt or obligation. You don’t want to control your players. Instead, you should want to push them in the right direction while cultivating an atmosphere of enjoyment and learning. When you coach, imagine what it would be like to be coached by you. Ideally, you should want to inspire your players to succeed, not pressure them.
A good coach will acknowledge when players are not up to the level of the practice session, and quickly adjust the exercise to make it easier to meet. It should go without saying, but a coach who praises his players, focuses on what they did right and where they can improve, will get much more out of his players than a coach who yells, screams and focuses on the negatives.
Remember, coaches prepare players not only for games on the field, but also for real life applications such as taking directions, communication and team building. Learning what each player needs, and where he needs to improve as an individual player, will result in a more cohesive and well functioning team, overall. Coaches who open up communication channels between themselves and players often find their players communicating a lot more when playing on the field. In the opposite manner, coaches who bark orders, whose coaching styles become characterized by rage, will find their players less inspired on the field and less communicative with one another when it matters most. In truth, aggressive coaching is a self-defeating tactic.
Next time you find some sort of disconnect between you and your players, take a moment to stop and step away from the situation. Ask yourself, are your players having fun? Do they understand the fundamentals, or must you go back and practice with them? Do they know the rules? Are your coaching skills inspiring them, or instilling fear in them? Be the coach you would want to have.