by Dave Simeone - NTSSA Director of
Coaching, National Staff Coach -
Reproduced
by permission of IndianaYouthSoccer.org
Most
of the sports that are currently predominant in our culture involve the coach
as an active participant. Although the coach is along the touchline, in the
coaching box or on the bench the opportunity for being overly involved with the
players constantly exists. These opportunities are aside from the usual
timeouts or substitutions. These typical stoppages in play already contribute to many sports being coach oriented rather than player
oriented. Combine the standard loud encouragement(
i.e.- screaming & yelling ) with animated cheerleading and you have an
excess of over - coaching.
Soccer
is different than most sports. The involvement of the coach is secondary to
those participating in the game: the players. While coach oriented activities ( basketball, baseball, American football ) demand, and
allow for, a high degree of involvement by the coach during competitive games,
soccer is different. It would be more appropriate to contend that soccer
coaches do their work and prepare their teams during the week. By the time it
comes to the game on Saturday morning it is up to the participants to act, make
decisions, and play! It is essential that the youth soccer coach understand
their role. If continuous over - involvement during the game is not the best
way to assist the players then the coach has a responsibility to alter their
behavior and learn to take a different tact. Sports such as baseball and
American football are what we would refer to as "set up" sports.
Between pitches (baseball) or plays (American football) time and opportunity
exists for diagrams to be drawn or the coach to reposition an outfielder.
Soccer does not allow for similar stoppages since play is continuous and fairly
uninterrupted. Players must be allowed, and ultimately able, to think and make
decisions on their own. They must learn to solve problems during the game. This
self - sufficient type of thinking necessitates that players learn from the
game and utilize any and all information that they receive and process towards
finding solutions to the problems they encounter.
TAKE SOME TIME TO EVALUATE WHETHER YOU MIGHT BE
OVER-COACHING.....
· Do you find that you are hoarse and your voice is
strained following a game?
· Is the information that you give your players during
half - time emotional but non-specific in terms of assisting them solve the
problems they encounter?
· Do you utilize catch phrases such as "suck it
up, boys" or "no pain, no gain" in attempting to motivate
youngsters?
· Do you find that you are sweating and running just
as much during the game as the players?
· Are your pre-game, half time or post-game speeches
similar to the president's state of the union address? In addressing the
players do you ramble and cause the players to wonder "What's his/her
point"?
· Are your remarks and instructions made during the
game and to players repetitive and redundant?
· Is this information general, non-specific jargon and
cheerleading altering the player's performance?
· Are you reluctant to allow players to make their
own decisions during a game? Are you constantly barraging players with
instructions during the game?
· Do you coach in absolutes such as always or never?
· Do you choreograph and arrange players into strict
positions with instructions such as "never go out of your zone" or
"defenders never cross midfield"?
· Have you instructed players to refrain from passing
the ball to certain teammates because their present level of ability is, from
your adult perspective, inadequate?
· Do you spend an excessive amount of time in practice
on throw-ins, kick-offs, corner kicks or penalty kicks?
· Are you utilizing methods of training that do not
allow for players to acquire and improve technical skill, tactical decision
making, physical stamina and confidence? (i.e. - dribbling through cones,
standing in lines awaiting a turn)
· Do your practices resemble games or activities that
produce the same degree of movement/stimulation as a soccer game?
· Are you attempting to improve the team's level of
fitness by minimizing the time the players have contact with the ball?
· Do you view the game as a contest based only on
fitness that leads to a preoccupation with running?
· Are you openly emotional or upset when addressing
the players to the point that they stare at you while thinking "what is
he/she so disturbed about"?
· As the coach do you have difficulty accepting a
realistic approach to winning and losing? Do you believe that winning is
synonymous with player development?
· Do enjoy and have fun coaching youngsters?
· Are you consistently aggravated and apprehensive
about coaching?
· Do the players seem to enjoy playing because of the
input and involvement of you, the coach?
The
games that youngsters play on Saturday mornings in their local leagues and
associations should be viewed as a vehicle for learning. The same is true
concerning their one, or two, days a week in practice. The acquisition of
playing ability is a long-term process that begins at the ages of 5 or 6. It is
unrealistic to expect youngsters at 10 or 11 years of age, and younger, to have
an adult perspective on the game. Because of their maturity level youngsters
are learning about the broadest parameters of play. They are at a stage where
development is the priority since the acquisition of skill, elementary decision
making and an appreciation and passion for soccer are founded. Young players
learn, and are a product of their experiences. They learn more from their
experiences ( games, activities, and the environment )
than they do from the coach. The role of the coach is to then organize and set
up games and activities that the players enjoy and learn from.
Unfortunately,
the majority of over-coaching occurs with youngsters who are between the ages
of 5 to 11. It occurs, in part, because of the "profile" of the
average parent/coach. These parent/coaches bring little practical soccer
experience with them. At the same time they are learning about soccer they are
learning about coaching. The availability of coaching education throughout
state associations, combined with the information that is presented in the
courses, simplifies coaching. Once youth coaches are exposed to this
information they can assume their role with greater effectiveness While coaches
are somewhat responsible to educate the parents of their players parents, in
turn, should evaluate the effectiveness of the coach: is my child learning to
play soccer or is the coach preoccupied with drills that only permit the
players to play at soccer?
Parents
should evaluate the demeanor and approach the coach takes towards games: is the
coach willing to allow youngsters to play the game for themselves or is he/she
absorbed with their active, but unnecessary, participation? Is the coach most
concerned with making decisions for the players rather than accepting that the
players must make decisions on their own? Overall, there should be uniform
agreement and understanding between the parents, coaches and league or
association administrators on this matter. This shared responsibility helps
ensure that play remains a leisure activity with a long-term interest of player
development.
REMEMBER.....Play is a key word
in player development!