“this is a good thing”

Soccer players these days have different skills and physical attributes. Some have lightning speed and can be seen burning up and down the flanks, others showcase their strength while man marking strikers and the strikers dazzle us with their short bursts and sharp turns. So what’s the point?  Although senior players play to their strength I would strongly suggest that the youngsters do the opposite.

Are you scratching your head yet? Coaches in Europe and in the Soccer Academies devise training methods that create a better overall player. Player development is based on working on your weaknesses. The training programmes create a balance between the strong and weak skills of a player. When Kids are left to their own devices at training, they will only train and work on the fun areas of the game. Give any young child a ball and an empty goal and they will spend the whole afternoon shooting the ball into the empty net. Is this a good thing?

In order for any player to significantly improve he must first eliminate all his weaknesses. So how do we combat this? Most players these days are designated right foot or left foot. Why? Most players have a psychological block that denies them the chance to strike the ball with the opposite foot. Why would you allow your child to only develop one foot? The best youth coaches in the world ensure that their players develop both feet. Not every child has access to these coaches so how do we tackle this problem? If you are aware of the problem you can easily fix it. Let your player strike the ball with his “natural” foot. Set a target and let your player try and hit the target using his stronger foot. Watch the player and study the approach and the striking technique. After a certain amount of repetitions, change feet. The idea of this training method is to replicate the same technique on the less desired foot. If the player struggles to use his opposite foot I’ve got three words of encouragement. Do you know what they are?

Practice, Practice, Practice.

With practice, encouragement and a lot of patience the player will develop confidence in his less preferred leg. The confidence will allow the player to use both legs efficiently and remove the psychological block that denies them the chance to use both legs. Could your players or child benefit from this? Absolutely, how many kids do you know that can kick with both legs? If you do know any, they are definitely the minority. Being part of this minority is a great way to get noticed and separated from the other millions of players that grace the green turf.

Has anyone heard the saying

Good things come in two’s

I couldn’t agree more, the left foot and the right foot.

In order for a training session to be effective, we must dissect the coach and ask a few questions first? At the end of the day, training sessions are the product of a coach. If you believe the coach isn’t creating a learning experience, why are you taking your kids there? Before allowing your kids to train with a coach, make sure the coach is worth your time and your child’s time.

If your a player or a parent, there a certain rules a coach must follow. Do you know these rules? If your a coach, it is your duty to provide an effective training session following these rules. So lets begin with these rules that are seen as the bare minimum in today’s training sessions.

RULE 1: Training Sessions must be prepared before training starts.

The coach must plan the structure of the training session before it starts. This includes time spent on various soccer drills, the amount of time spent on skills and the portion of training spent on conditioning. If your the coach, having your training session written down on a little piece of paper is a great way to remember your structured session. Each session should have a goal and a focus. Place the kids on the long path of development. Don’t leave anything to chance.

RULE 2: Be Organised!

Never let your players stand around. Always keep them active and productive. If your the coach, why not attend training early and set up the field of play before the kids arrive. This will not only save time during training, but it gives a powerful reinforcement to the parents that you mean business. That you are dedicated to training their kids. Also during training, set up the next activity while the players are finishing the previous activity. Keep the momentum and never let the kids stand around.

RULE 3: Be Positive!

As a coach, you always have to be in control. This doesn’t mean you go around dictating to the players. It means you provide direction in the session and provide a medium for learning and developing. This direction should always be enforced with a positive and purposeful attitude.

RULE 4: Appearance is Everything.

Even if your a bad coach or a coach that lacks experience, all this can be forgiven if you look the part. Invest in a tracksuit and a pair of boots. Remember first impressions and the art of perception are very important. Look the part because at the end of the day you are a role model to your players. Under no circumstance are you to smoke and drink during a training session. Also the use of foul language is a big NO-No. Look Professional and everything else with time, will fall into place.

RULE 5: Correct Equipment.

In order to create an effective training session, the correct equipment is paramount.

• Each player must have access to a soccer ball.
• Cones and markers
• Bibs or different colored training tops
• and a decent sized pitch for training.

If you do not have the above as bare minimum, then your training sessions need some serious overhauling.

RULE 6: Enthusiasm.

If the game of soccer doesn’t excite you and the development of young players doesn’t interest you, then stay away from the game. Whatever you do, don’t volunteer your time as a coach if you do not possess enthusiasm for the game and coaching. Enthusiasm is the most important rule. You must have the ability to create enthusiasm and excitement amongst your team during training. Never underestimate the value and the power of ENJOYMENT.

You might be reading this and thinking I’m not a coach, how does this relate to me? If you invest time and money in the game of soccer and your current coach can’t provide and uphold the above 6 rules, then your simply wasting your time and your childs time. Simple as that. The above are bare minimum, just like eating and drinking water.

A troublesome parent must be pulled aside as early as possible and clearly instructed that he is not to interfere with the team or the coach. If you set the ground rules nice and early, you leave the problematic parent with no option but to stop. Also make him aware that if his behaviour doesn’t improve, that his son will have to find a new club. This usually does the trick as long as you lay the ground rules from the start and enforce strict guidelines to follow.

In order for any youth soccer team to be successful it needs the support of the players, coaches and parents. The most important relationship in youth soccer is the relationship between the coach and the parents. If parents and coaches have a good relationship the benefits are enormous and usually result in a team being successful.

What happens when the coach clashes with a parent or parents? Is this atmosphere beneficial to the players? Does it promote the game and the players development? No it does not! What it creates is a hostile environment and puts doubt in the minds of other parents associated with the team. Why isn’t my son playing his position? Why is he taking off my son? If the problematic parent complains and gets his way, this will inevitably effect someone elses child creating a vicious cycle that will eventually destroy the team.

When a coach is continually questioned about his decision making, the coach loses his confidence and becomes less efficient. Instead of concentrating on the team and the players development, he worries about the parents and how they will react to his decisions. Speaking from experience this is a lose-lose situation for everyone involved. The coach can’t coach, the players are frightened because they continually see their parents argue and the parents are creating a hostile environment which is no longer fun. Would your child enjoy this atmosphere?

The best way to “coach parents” is to always keep them informed of your plans. Hold a meeting at the start of the season and explain to the parents that your objectives are based on the development of the players. Winning soccer matches will not be priority and the players will be put through a rotational system to ensure equal opportunities amongst the young players. Make it also clear that any parent found to be abusive or negative around the children will be instructed to leave immediately. Once you lay down the ground rules, give them the option to leave and go to another club/team if they feel they disagree with you. This way you eliminate all future surprises and leave the parents with a feeling of stability that their children will be given a fair go.

Another great way to “coach parents” is to involve them. Instead of parents being a taxi service for the children, get them involved as long as they follow your instructions. The difference in enthusiasm when they are involved is tenfold.

Last but surely not least, Communicate with them. Talk to the parents about their child’s development, strengths and weaknesses and offer suggestions for their improvement.