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Coaching the Match
| Many youth soccer coaches
attend some initial coaching training such as G,
F, or E licensing courses. For all their value,
none of these courses offers the coach a practical
model for effective coaching behavior on game day,
but instead demonstrate how to organize effective
training.
Game day coaching behavior is left to the coach's imagination,
and coaches make up their own style without regard to whether
it is effective or not. Coaches who start out with
screamers often become screamers, and those who start with
micro managers become micro managers.
Dare You Ask?
If you have not yet thought about how you are doing on
game day, you might want to have your players complete
an anonymous survey about your behavior and how you are
or are not helping them in the game. Be prepared
for a shock, the results may not be as positive as you
might expect.
Common Failures
- Screaming at players, discouraging creative play.
- Arguing continually with the referee, distracting the
players.
- Trying to micro manage players on the field, discouraging
innovative play and learning - Play the ball down the
line, cut it in, pass to Jenny....
- Asking rhetorical questions and whining - Where are
my defenders? When are we going to
learn to keep our shots down? The players are wondering
at this point what specifically they should do, and the
parents are wondering why the coach has not already taught
the players how to keep their shots down.
- Being the center of attention - demanding the focus
of spectators, players, and the referee
- Paying no attention to the game - ordering a pizza
with a cell phone from the lawn chair, listening to headphones,
talking with other coaches. Parents expect the
coach to observe, make some corrections, not tune out.
Be Effective
- Observe First
The undisciplined coach who allows temper or frustration to enter
the thought process is loss. Panic, anger, frustration,
and fear are mind killers. The players are depending on
the coach to be the coolest and most perceptive head on the field.
- Use a Checklist
As the coach, you should be able to explain to someone on a telephone,
within 5 minutes of the start of the game, all the technical
and tactical details of play. This includes knowing what
system of play the other team is using, where free players from
the other team are coming from, which of your players is not
marking tightly, which of your players is getting beaten, which
of your players are stronger than their opponent, whether the
opposing sweeper is deep or flat, whether the opposing goalkeeper
has a decent punt or goal-kick, and all other relevant details
needed to make tactical decisions about how to play in the match.
- Limit Coaching
There is nothing more destructive than an unceasing commentary
and instructions from the coach. Younger players can absorb
all the information an adult coach can spew out and still play
effectively. Don't try to be a play by play director, let
the kids play so that they can learn. Trying to micro manage
the game will drag the team down in the long run.
- Find the Moment
Players going shoulder to shoulder or fighting in a crowd of players
aren't ready to listen to the coach, so shut up. There
is nothing that shows lack of coaching ability more than hearing
a coach try to keep up a continuing stream of instructions to
players fighting for a ball or making rapid one and two touch
passes across the field. There is no way that the
information the coach is sending can be received, processed,
and used, and the coach becomes an anchor on the team. Wait
for a ball out of play or another quiet moment to give simple
and specific instructions.
- Applaud and Recognize Good Play
You don't have to wait to say Nice pass, well done, good shot,
like what you did, excellent. Don't criticize your players,
be the first to encourage good play. This is not restricted
by the third commandment Limit Coaching.
- Give Positive Instructions
Don't ask rhetorical questions like why can't we clear the ball
or where are my defenders? The kids don't have any
idea what you want them to do so they ignore this as spurious
input. Instead, give positive instructions like mark up
closer, play closer to the touch-line, sprint out to the
half-way line faster after we clear the ball.
- Speak Clearly
Realize that the kids on the field, at times, may not be able to
hear you. Wind, crowd noise, and distance limit communication. Use
short clear words at the right moment, don't mumble or whine,
show a positive and confident demeanor.
- Use Simple and Specific Instructions
Don't start up a theoretical conversation with tired and confused
young players. If you need to make a correction,
use simple, friendly words that are clear and unambiguous.
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Running
Form
Bill Bowerman, in his coaching days at the University of
Oregon, has been quoted as saying "Run Tall". This sums up
the style of many of the recent and current greats in long
distance running. You should run standing up fairly straight,
not leaning forward, twisted to one side, or tilting backwards.
You should be looking ahead at where you are going, not staring
at your feet or the ground. Of course on a trail run, you
might be checking out the ground and what is coming up next,
if you value your ankles.
Foot First: Where should you contact
Some say to run on the ball of your foot, others say contact
the ground with the heel. We take a middle of the road approach.
Studies have shown that good long distance runners usually
contact with the midfoot. Slower runners contact between
the midfoot and the heel, faster runners a bit further forward.
We feel that only sprinters or short to middle distance runners
should contact the ground with their forefoot or the ball
of the foot. While there may be exceptions to the rule, this
is a good way for most beginning and intermediate runners
to start out. It allows for better shock absorption, less
stress on the calf muscle and Achilles tendon, and better
rolling forward onto the next stride. Your muscles then end
up being used in a similar manner to how you walk, and this
is the pattern of muscle firing and contact pattern they
are accustomed to.
Hips & Head
This part is hard to think about: Where are your hips when
your foot hits the ground. Some people have suggested that
your foot should be under the center of gravity of your body
when it strikes the ground. A line from your head through
your hips should end up at your foot. Keep the head fairly
straight and look ahead. Turns to the side should be done
carefully and usually mostly from the neck up to avoid twisting
your body and making you unstable in your forward progression.
Arm Carriage
This is what you use when you haven't yet obtained a jogging
baby stroller. Actually, it is where you allow your arms
to swing. First, and most importantly, don't tense up and
carry them stiffly with your hands balled up into a fist
and your elbows completely bent. Relax. Carry your arms at
your side somewhere between your waist and your chest. Make
sure they are not too high or too low. One arm swings forward
while the other one goes backwards. This occurs opposite
to the foot and leg motion. Sprinters on the track move their
arms in a straight forward-backward motion. Most longer distance
runners use a slight arc as they swing their arms, but the
better ones don't waste motion by moving too much from side-to-side.
In other words, they don't swing their arms excessively in
front of their body.
Knees
The knees do not have to come up very high for long distance
runners. Only sprinters or those of us chugging up a hill
have to left our legs high.
Stride Length
One of the biggest problems of form in long distance running
is overstriding. Make sure that you don't do this, it can
lead to a host of problems including Achilles tendonitis,
ITB pain, and iliopsoas muscle pain.
Breathing
While some like to tell you how to count your breathing
in seconds both in and out, we will just tell you to keep
breathing, deep and regular. In most cases your breathing
will take care of itself, as you run faster, you'll breathe
faster. And yes, most runners are mouth breathers or at least
nose and mouth breathers. It would be impossible to take
in adequate oxygen just breathing through your nose.
Uphills and Downhills
Slow up a bit on the uphills. In general it is a bad idea
to try going faster. Move your arms a bit more to help you
imagine that you are cranking your way or pulling yourself
up hill. Shorten your stride and chug on up. You can think
of the little train that could and repeat "I think I can" on
the way up a big hill.
On the downhill, be careful. Go slow. The biggest risk,
is to your knees. Your quadriceps do the bulk of the braking
and be overworked without you being aware of it. If you are
racing, then you may lean forward a bit and fly down the
hill in a short race, but certainly be more careful in training.
In fact many runners who use hills as part of their training
will walk down the hill while recovering to run up the hill
once more. This is a good way to rest and recover while avoiding
the excessive knee stress that downhill running can cause.
Technical Speed
To teach and grow individual creativity, you must teach
good technique and develop technical speed in your players
so that they are comfortable on the ball under all conditions
of time and space pressure. Unless players are able to look
up from the ball under pressure, the only problem solving
and creativity they can provide is heads down dribbling to
survive. Once players are comfortable and relaxed on the
ball, they have time to solve other problems and enjoy doing
it.
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