You might disagree, but hear me out on this when I say that in coaching high school soccer, communication is the first step to success. The term coaching signifies the art of communication. It enables you to let people understand exactly what you wish them to do and in what sense.
In soccer coaching, I’ve come to notice that generally the former players have assumed the responsibility of being coaches. Still, there are several problems that they have to find solutions to. The reason why many of these issues show up is the coach’s inability to communicate. You must recognize that there are certain issues related to communication that need special attention if your job is to be made easier.
These have been described one by one.
Coaches generally allow their emotions to become involved while watching their kids play. Instead of acting as analytical observers, they become more of spectators. They fail to notice the important points that could better their team’s performance. As such they lose the focus on directing the team towards a win by way of an effective conversation.
Even though the coaches are well versed with the technicalities of the game, they are not trained specifically on communication. For example; use of flip charts and videos in soccer coaching is not applied by many coaches as they aren’t aware of them. When the coach finds it difficult to communicate his messages clearly, it brings monotony to the game even if he has a complete knowledge of the game.
It is even more important in case of coaching high school soccer because the players are not new to the game. They have been working on these drills for some time but the standards are different. You can do away with the monotony of repetitive messages by frequently changing the layout of training.
It may come as a surprise to you that coaches often forget that their training sessions are carried out by people. They tend to get carried away in the process of coaching and training. When a coach tries to instruct something to the play but does not use that player’s name, it creates confusion and is an apt example of bad communication.
Some guiding principles for coaches in football coaching are given below:
• Every message from the coach is equally important. So it’s necessary that they are deduced correctly.
• Use positive language that encourages players to give their best shot. Help them to improve rather than reprimanding them for not playing well.
• Spend equal time with all players. Studies indicate that coaches spend relatively more time with star players in team (up to seven times more!).
• Communicate the potential issues that could arise and have a solution ready.
• Add force to the player’s confidence by harmonizing criticism with praise. Tip the balance more towards praise with players in coaching high school soccer.
Trust me. When you apply these rules to your training sessions, the benefits will be much more that you’ll expect.
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Andre Botelho is a recognized expert in youth soccer coaching. He influences well over 35,000 youth coaches each year with his unique coaching philosophy, and makes it really easy to explode your players’ skills and make training more fun in record time. To download your free youth soccer coaching guide visit: Coaching high school soccer.
Tags: Coaching high school soccer, coaching youth soccer, football coaching, soccer coaching