Soccer coaching giving you a headache? Then stop banging your head against a brick wall!
All soccer coaches – no matter how skilled and experienced - sometimes have difficulty with behavioural issues.
But you will have fewer days when banging your head against the nearest brick wall would be easier and less painful than coaching your "little angels" if you follow these guidelines.
Keep distractions out of sight and the sun behind you
Make sure your players are facing away from potential distractions (such as a training session on the next pitch) and that they are not squinting in the sun. Young players listen and learn with their eyes as well as their ears - don't make it difficult for them to see your non-verbal messages and demonstrations.
Don't speak until everyone is quiet and looking at you
Never compete with players who are chatting by raising your voice. Wait for them to be quiet, even if it takes minutes rather than seconds.
Keep it simple
Only deliver one message at a time. Don't start talking about one topic then allow yourself to get sidetracked or suddenly introduce a completely different subject.
Mind your language
Soccer has its own, peculiar language. "Hitting the channel", being "caught square", "compressing the play", "dead ball", "diving in" and so on might mean something to you but they will only serve to confuse young players.
And six-year-olds won't know that playing "in the hole" means playing in the gap between a team's midfield players and its front strikers, they'll be looking for a hole in the pitch to stand in!
Don't lecture
Your players will stop listening very quickly if you stand in front of them and demand that they listen to your words of wisdom. Remember, they've just spent a day being told to sit still and listen. They don't want you to turn their soccer coaching session into an extension of school.
Don't spoon feed
Ask questions that are designed to get your players to work out the answers for themselves.
If you're talking to your players about supporting the player on the ball, for example, don't simply tell them to move after passing. Ask them: "How can you help a team mate who has the ball?"
When they say move to a place where you can receive a pass, ask: "Where should you move to?" and "how far away should you be?"
And don't assume you have all the answers! Listen to what your players tell you.
Do not tolerate rude or disrespectful behaviour
Remember you are dealing with children who are probably excited and keen to get on with kicking a ball about. So don't immediately crack down on innocent, childish behaviour even if it seems inappropriate to you.
Persistently disruptive, rude or disrespectful behaviour (directed at you or another player) is another matter. Explain why you find the behaviour unacceptable ("if you're talking when I'm talking, you can't hear me") and what will happen if it continues.
Time-outs can be effective but make sure the player knows why he or she is being excluded, keep them short and never threaten a time-out then not carry it out. If you appear weak-willed and "soft", your players will take advantage of you.
I find that telling young players there won't be time for a game at the end of practice if I have to spend a long time getting my point across works wonders.
Never punish misbehaviour by making players run laps or perform press-ups. It's inappropriate, a waste of time and will cause resentment.
Full Moon days
Sometimes you will have days when your players' energy and mood is such that trying to coach them is clearly a waste of time.
If normally co-operative and hard-working players are behaving as though they've been eating sweets full of E numbers all day, don't fight it. Set up a small-sided game (SSG) that you know your players enjoy and let them get on with it. As long as the game involves a ball, they will learn more by playing than if you try to force them to calm down and listen to you. And you will keep your sanity!
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