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Welcome to the Soccer Newsletter. Today’s subject
will deal with the amount of talking a coach should do during games and
training sessions.
First I would like to recommend that if you haven’t
already, you should check out the Goalkeeping Newsletter I wrote on
mental preparation (http://web.archive.org/web/20031006235926/http://finesoccer.com/goalkeeping_edition_82.htm).
Although it was written for goalkeepers, it certainly applies to field
players as well and is a subject that most coaches don’t spend enough
time thinking about. Also, I would greatly appreciate it if any coaches
in the United States, would take a minute (and it really is just a
minute) to take the current survey at
http://finesoccer.com/survey.htm.
I have spent a ridiculous amount of time at fields
over the years running training sessions and the one thing I notice when
I look around at other teams training is how little they actually
train. So much of the time is spent milling around or listening to the
coach speak (actually I don’t know how much listening is actually going
on). What these coaches don’t seem to understand is that the more they
speak, the less the players pay attention (in general). If I hear
someone talking constantly, I automatically assume that whatever is
being said can’t be that important. When I hear someone who doesn’t
speak much say something, I listen more intently because they obviously
have given this some thought and judged it to have some value to share
with others.
When the players first show up to the field, rather
then sitting them down and telling them what to expect during the
training session, let them begin their warm up. This is one of the
reasons I believe in having the same run and stretch every training
session. Not only does it help to assure that they are warming up all
parts of their body properly, but it means that I don’t have to spend
their training time telling them what to do. When they are done with
their first run and are stretching, I will allow them a few minutes to
stretch and talk some (a bit of a bonding time as long as they take the
stretching seriously, I don’t mind them talking). When I sense they are
almost done with the first stretch, I will then speak to them about the
plans for the training session as well as what their second run will
be. By doing it this way, I don’t occupy any additional time since I
speak to them while they are still stretching.
After this second run, they get a second stretch in
and during this stretch; I can explain the first exercise. I do it real
briefly. I watch and hear coaches spend 10 minutes explaining an
exercise that could have been done in 1 minute. One of the things we as
coaches have to realize is that players are smarter then we think, so
explain and move on. One of the advantages of explaining briefly and
moving on is that it forces the players to really think about how this
is going to work. When they are going to the proper places to start the
exercise, it’s not uncommon for them to be explaining the drill to each
other, which again, makes them think and makes them communicate.
I then let them do the exercise a few times without
correcting anything to see if they can work any kinks out themselves.
In most cases, they can. Realize, that by allowing them to make
mistakes, they also learn to correct their own mistakes. After a very
brief time, I will make any adjustments (and even here, I will try to
make these adjustments with as few words as possible). Then the
exercise continues. If things go as hoped, all further corrections can
now be made to individuals and not take any more team time. If I see a
pattern of mistakes from a group of the players, I will call them in,
make a group correction and start the exercise up (I try to do this in
less then a minute).
I will continue this pattern in the next exercises
so if you ever watch me run a training session, you will very rarely see
me having a team sitting around listening to me talk for any length of
time.
When I want to talk about an upcoming event (such
as an upcoming tournament details) that is one of the things that can be
accomplished during the cool down period (for information on the cool
down period see
http://finesoccer.com/soccer_edition_57.htm).
Most teams have a very limited amount of time for
training (this is true for club and college soccer) that I don’t know
how coaches can waste the amount of time that they do explaining things
over and over again. Say what needs to be said, and more on.
As far as talking at games is concerned, realize
that this is the players time. I have always thought of it as the
difference between a teacher in a regular class or a teacher giving an
exam. During the regular class, there will be teaching going on,
questions asked and answered, and various types of input. However, the
exam is when the student shows what they have learned. Teachers don’t
teach during exams and coaches shouldn’t be teaching much during games
either. Does this mean that a coach can’t make corrections during a
match? No but it does mean that they should be made quickly and then
the coach should sit back down. It’s funny because I visit various
coaches’ forums and talk to a lot of coaches and the one thing I hear is
coaches saying they don’t yell much during games. I am not saying they
aren’t being truthful but rather that when I am at youth tournaments, a
large majority of the coaches are doing a great deal of yelling and note
I did not write that they are doing a great deal of great yelling. I
hear yelling at players for making mistakes, yelling at refs, yelling at
I don’t know what else because I am just like the players and end up
ignoring the coaches as well.
If you as a coach want to be taken seriously by
your players during a game, only say something when it’s important and
then go back to doing what you should be doing which is looking for ways
to make your team even better.
I have found that when I work with younger groups,
I do coach a bit more from the sidelines simply because it doesn’t make
sense to let them make the same mistake over and over again until half
time or the next training session but even with younger players, it
should be done in moderation.
I was at a scrimmage the other day where a U11 team
was trying to train a new sweeper (their regular one was sick). Because
it was at a friendly scrimmage, an assistant coach actually stayed on
the field and helped her in her positioning during the game. She seemed
to do a very good job and understand what he was telling her. Then for
the last 10 minutes or so, he let her do it by herself and it was great
to see this young player really show what she had learned. If he had
not given her this opportunity at the end, he never would have known if
she really understood what was happening or not (she did). That is
where the real coaching shows its benefits.
I believe it would be real interesting to videotape
coaches at games and training sessions and then show them just how much
excessive talking the are really doing.
If you are a new subscriber, you can find all
previous newsletters online at
http:/finesoccer.com/
Feel free to share your views on this subject or
any other one by visiting the FineSoccer Forum at
http://finesoccer.com/forum.htm or sending an email to
comments@finesoccer.com
Have a great day
Lawrence
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