When The Passion Leaves...

                It's been a while since I've last written here, and there are a few reasons behind that, but with me being pretty sick this weekend and not wanting to get out of bed I figured that today is a good day to write.

                

One of the reasons why I haven't written in quite a long time is because I have lost the full passion that I have had for the game (it's slowly coming back though). There are a few personal reasons why my passion has dwindled but I won't get into that. I have always said to myself though that when the game no longer becomes fun it's time to step away. Today I want to write a quick blog on this topic in regards to both players and coaches when it comes to the passion being gone.

               

  A couple of seasons ago I had a player's mother chat with me where she tried to help me convince her then 9 year old to stick with playing soccer after she had decided she wanted to participate in other activities. I think I may have caught her a little off guard when I said I can't do that. My reasoning/thought process behind that statement comes from my personal belief that if a player isn't interested in participating in a certain activity, there's really no point in forcing the individual to stick around, especially when the players are at a young age. When players are at a young age they are still trying to figure themselves out as people and to try and typecast into one sport for the rest of their lives (if it isn't their choice) is a bit foolish in my opinion, and they should be able to try to find the activity that brings them the most happiness. I'm a firm believer that kids should be provided with as many opportunities to find themselves while growing up.

                

From a coaching stand point, it's not fair to the coach, or to other teammates when one of their teammates has no interest in being there. They often become a distraction to the rest of the group as they have little interest and they could be potentially be taking the place of another individual who may not be as skilled, but has the eagerness to learn. I know personally as a coach I'd prefer to work with a player who is less skilled but is wanting to get better at any cost in comparison to a player who may be a bit more skilled but has little interest in being there.

                

I would like to point out that while you were reading this article, I wasn't talking about players giving up the sport because they're going through a difficult patch (team isn't winning as much, not having as much fun in their current environment), but I'm talking about the individuals that truly don't have interest in participating in the sport any more. This also goes for coaches as well, because if they're not interested then they are doing a complete disservice to their players.

                

As I said I'm not feeling too well so I'm going to be wrapping this one up now.

Cheers!

Creating a Better Environment

So it's been awhile since I've written a blog, but tonight I came across a great read titled Coaches 10 Commandments for a Great Season (found here: http://girlscansocceradventures.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/coaches-10-commandments-for-a-great-season/) and it inspired me to come up with some of my own tips on what can help lead to a great season, and great relationships amongst your team.

Come With A Proper Session Plan:

This is quite possibly the most important thing a coach can do, as player development and game preparation starts on the training pitch. There's nothing worse seeing a session being ran where there is no specific topic that you can see the players working on, and the different drills have no or very little connection to one another. This is important in the development of players as they will be having the point you're trying to get across to them engrained into them all practice, and thus they can focus on those principles that you're teaching them. With that being said, as a coach you should focus on only coaching points related to the topic that you're teaching. I know it may be hard, but in the end it's for the better. If you're coaching drills for strikers, then there should be very little focus on defensive points that session. Another thing to remember is make the session plan applicable to the level you are coaching. There's no sense in running a session that is below or well above the player's level as they will end up gaining very little from the session.

Listen To Your Players:

I've made reference to this in prior blogs, but I have personally found this to be one of the most important tools when coaching. As a coach you may have your own ideas, but it is very important to ask your players engaging open ended (not yes/no) that allow them to think about the importance of what you're teaching, why THEY think it may be useful, and when they can use it in a game situation. I've also found that this is particularly useful with younger aged players because (I'm guilty of this sometimes) us as coaches will explain a drill in terms that we understand, but the majority of your players don't. From here I have had many times where my players have been able to in the most basic of terms so that everyone can understand.

Don't Be Afraid To Have Fun (It's Not A Sin to Have A Laugh):

At the end of the day soccer is a game, and I'm a firm believer that if the player isn't enjoying the game anymore then it may be time for them to hang-up the boots (I know it seems bad to say). Fun can be had in many ways though through a training session. Coaches can do this by turning certain drills into small competitions (that will also increase the intensity), or mixing things up a bit so you're teaching them soccer related topics but in different manners (such as hand ball to teach off ball movement). Sometimes you also have to put your own pride to the side and let loose, like allowing your players to dye your hair, agreeing for them to choose your wardrobe for a day if they complete a specific task that you ask of them. When working with older groups, don't be afraid to revert back to small activities/drills that they may have done at much younger ages as sometimes it can lift their spirits to just go out and have fun. One comment that has stuck with me came over this past winter session when I was running a session for my club's u17 girls team. I had the players do a taxi race and when they were finished that I heard a player say to her teammates "Who knew fitness could actually be fun?"

When working with younger players (u8-u11), one of the best pieces of advice I received when I just started out coaching was that "About every 6 weeks, there will be a practice which is a complete throw away". What this coach meant was that the players are kids and there will be a session (if you're training multiple times a week) where their focus just won't be there no matter what you do. These are the days where instead of getting angry and sending players out, you grab your bibs, call them in split them into teams and just let them play.

Team Bonding:

One of the things that I'm really in disagreement with the OSA is their elimination of tournaments for players from u8-u12, and not for the chance to win a meaningless trophy (eventually life will trash all your trophies), but for the fact that it takes away opportunities for the players and their families to bond together off the pitch. Very few if any of the players you coach will go pro, but the bonds and friendships they will develop can last a lifetime. Ways you can provide these bonding moments as a coach is by organizing team parties/bbq's, fundraising events such as carwashes, or going to watch a professional game just to name a few things. This also allows you to learn more about the players that you coach away from the pitch.

24 Hour Rule:

Sometimes as coaches we don't like to interact with parents all too much when it pertains to the game. One of the most useful tools I always implement with any team I'm coaching is the 24 hour rule. What this is, is a rule that if there are any issues (bad OR GOOD) things don't get discussed until at least 24 hours after the event. The reason behind this is because when something happens immediately individuals may be filled with emotions and say things that they may regret shortly after. This goes for coaches too when it comes to dealing with parents on how a player(s) may be behaving. If the emotions are still there after 24 hours, then the majority of the time it is an actual valid concern, and not just a heat of the moment thing.

Look for the Positives:

Especially when you're coaching younger players, it is always very important to look for the positives no matter how things may be going. If the team happens to play a "bad" game, you may be a bit angry but after you might let them know of areas that may need improvement on, you should try your best to end your post game/practice talk with a couple positive points. The reason why this is important is because it shows the players that you still have faith in them, and that they know some things still went okay.

These are just a few of my thoughts that can help lead to a more positive team environment.  The better the environment is, the more enjoyable it is for the players, and it will make them wanting to come back pitch that much more.