coaching during the game

All I really after a game say is "good game" (if it's true) or "good effort" (which is almost always true). And then anything logistical that I need to say, like "Practice tomorrow, usual time." I decided long ago that I would NOT go into a long-winded analysis of the game immediately after the game.

I can understand if a coach is in a tournament where such immediate analysis might be needed because of time constraints. But in normal one-off games, I don't. The reason is because they've spent 60-90 minutes listening to me and hopefully running their guts out. I give them a break so they can decompress, take a deep breath and think about the game on the way home or at home in a dispassionate way. We always talk about the game first thing at the next practice.

I want them to be in a situation where the analysis is two-way and that's not going to happen if they're physically and emotionally exhausted (which they should be). I don't want them to just hear me, I want them to listen and to think.

 

I say bravo. Really no point in going over the whole game and al the stuff you want to fix and wasting their time and yours.

First of all because if you talk more than 30-45 seconds they have tuned you out and secondly because they won't absorb and retain much under post-game circumstances.

A very wise old coach once told me that you get them together after the game and you pick ONE thing you want them to retain and mentally take home. Two is too many, three forget it.

One thing, then well done and home.

 

Homework is done sitting at the kitchen table, in a quiet atmosphere. Soccer and homework are just a littledifferent.

That's ridiculous

That's what PRACTICE is for.

Hello?

You pick a topic, work on it small group then say 5 v 5 then lastly full field ad try to get them to integrate it.

And baby, at practice they hear me plenty. I'm on the field, not playing - the coach should NEVER scrimmage with the team (with rare exceptions) - but coaching, working my ass off.

This is the dumbest crap I've ever read.

If they're still making the same mistakes at the end of the season, then you've don a pretty lousy job IN PRACTICE.

Games are like tests. Quizzes to see how the class is doing.

When your kid takes a spelling quiz, do you stand behind him yelling out the answers?

This is no different. I don't understand why you're not grasping it.

The point is that there is a time to teach and coach and a time to let the players play.

Practice is coaching time. Games are playing time.

And if tey show up for the game/quiz and flunk, then you go back and teach it again, hopefully a different way because obviously they didn't get it the first time, and it's YOUR fault, not theirs.

I will not sell out long term development for a ribbon or trophy, and I explain this to the parents up front.

You cannot guarantee success. You can't even promise that you'll win a single game. What you better guarantee is that each kid, every single one, will be a demonstrably, obviously better player at the end of the season than he was at the beginning of it.

And if you don't think parents will buy into that then you know even less than it appears you do.

Which would be tough.

If you say so. Your business.

Me, I'd rather have a moment AT PRACTICE (are you seeing a trend here?) to teach them what to do in a given situation and why.

Then, at the game, I get to see whether he learned it or not. If he did, great. If he didn't, then I need to try again.

But HOW WILL YOU EVER KNOW whether he has learned it or not if you don't give him the chance to show it.

And if you'd rather holler orders and win games so their parents will like you rather than teach kids how to play, then your priorities are way, way out of line.

Wonderful. congratulations. You get a cookie.

That's because you don't think the kids are as smart as I know they are.

Completely disagree.

Kids do indeed need help figuring out the game. That's why we have those long practices three times a week.

Coaches are on the sideline to see what the kids have learned and what they still are not getting. A coach's role is observational.

And since nobody suggested this, thanks for the insight.

See, you ay stupid stuff like "nobody dies" as if that made some kind of a point.

I'm glad you are a wildly successful coach who took over a sad sack team that is now kicking ass. Really I am. I'm sure you're very proud.

Personally, I'd never let a kid I liked play for you.

I've coached dozens of teams, hundreds of kids, and never made anyone cry. Maybe that's because I've never yelled at anyone. Apparently you feel differently and your parents don't mind.

Myself, if I ever caught myself yelling at a kid, I'd quit.

 

So, basically you're saying you act the complete opposite toward kids as you do with adults?

 

I am shocked at what the moderators are saying. If that last comment wasn't a personal attack, what is. And supporting another moderator's making kids cry at his practices. I would complain, but you are the moderators! So complaining to the moderators is useless. So I hope that this post will shame you into retracting your comments.

 

I'm above shame. And, my statements were a joke. Lighten up. Besides, I'm not the moderator of this forum. You can complain all you like about my posts. Geez.

The poster came into the thread - mid-stream - and launched a tirade on the notion of "coaching during the game". The same statements were made by previous posters, but with less anger. It was a redundant and aggravated post. It seemed as if the poster did not read the entire thread before posting.

The fact that Bill can speak with such "condescension" towards adults makes his statements regarding the fair treatment of adolescents and children both humorous and ironic.

But, I do agree with his sentiments and enjoy the posts. I just thought it was a bit odd that he felt it necessary to proclaim such strong statements when others had already done the same.

 

So anyway I try and limit my coaching during the game for the U-12 rec team to the occasional instruction to tell my defenders to push up or to not make a 5 man wall when a freekick is at the halfway line.

 

Every time a player comes off the field I try to give them two or three things they did well to reinforce that and then one (very occassionally two) things to focus on improving when they go back to the field.

In terms of players on the field, I think most of what I say during the game is praising them doing things correctly and quick reminders like "first to the ball" or "quick transition". I also try to have the kids on the sidelines observe and learn from there but I can probably do a better job of that.

 

I think, though I could be wrong, you mis-understand the "no yelling" idea in this thread. I see teams with an ex-american football coach on the sidelines who is constantly yelling from the sidelines the entire game with every touch taken on the ball.

I see coaches who after a game are pratically hoarse from not cheering but trying to direct every aspect of the game.

I doubt anybody is saying that an occasional instruction from the sidelines is wrong. The idea on the whole is to let the game be the teacher on gameday with very little interference from the sidelines.

Too many players never learn good decision making skills because they never really make any decisions in the games. Too many players have no creativity because the very same reason.

I think the point is to watch a game even with a u-10 or u-12 team like a Marcello Lippi or Alex Ferguson where the vast majority of the game is spent doing just that watching with just the rare instruction from the sidelines.

 

Best thing that ever happened to my coaching style was have my wife videotape while my kids played and I coached, then watched it. Never realized how much I was "directing traffic" during the game. I now pretty much say little, I may shout out something I see that needs changing, but in general I say nothing except encouragement.

 

It looks cool to you, b.c you're a jerk? Is THAT the answer I'm supposed to get from that logic? Usually yelling makes a coach look bad at his job.

The kids you are coaching are 4 years removed from U13. Your job is not to put the finishing polish of "communication" on them. Your job is to get them comfortable with the ball.

 

You've gone from asking questions in this forum about the simplest things to telling everyone that you don't need help b.c of 35 years of soccer experience.

If you don't want your opinions to be challenged, don't open threads.

 

Once they walk over the line that's your job mostly done. Kicking every ball for them just confuses the issue. They're only kids, teach them how to play as a team in training then just keep an eye on the game to make sure things stick roughly to plan. Encourage them, and there's not much more you can do.

Your team should be doing all the shouting they need to at each other, if not teach them to communicate, probably the most important thing for any team. If they're doing that properly then they won't hear much of what you're saying anyway.

 

What is the point in yelling. The kids stop because they cant hear you, in fact about three kids stop because they all thought you called out to them. Whats the point. Get it right before the game, if its going wrong fix it at half time, if its not fixed you lose - you then learn from it and work on it at training the following week!

Muz
www.soccercoachingguide.com

 

This comments should be send to every youth Association. This time to explain and direct is on the practice pitch.

 

I guess it depends on what your objectives are. If you coach to win a game, then you should probably direct them a lot. If you coach to develop players, then you should leave them alone and address certain issues during practice. But even then don't over instruct the kids. It's better to put them in certain situations where the outcome of the game is the issue you were wanting to address. For instance if you feel that your players are losing all the 1v1's then during a practice put them in lots of 1v1 situations where the solution to the puzzle would be to get past the opponent.

When there is a need to instruct, ask questions instead of giving them the answer. Johnny, did we keep the ball after you kicked it? Johnny, do you think there was another way to get the ball upfield besides kicking it hard? Make them think, and come up with the answer themselves. That way it will stick a lot faster then repeatadly telling them what to do. This method is called guided discovery (www.socceralaska.org/socceruploads/SoccerSavvyPlayers.pdf). Hope this helps!

Erik.

 

I guess I disagree with this, to "coach" them you should be teaching them the game and skills needed, this includes adjusting to game conditions on the fly.

I am a coach on the quieter side. When I see something that needs adjusting, and I don't feel it can wait for the half time, I give them a few minutes to see if they notice and adjust, if not, I will shout out some simple change instructions or just point out what I see. Then sit down again.

By 13-14 years old, the players need to be able to see and realize what is happening on the field and make adjustments.

 

For some reason I coach MUCH more during indoor games than outdoors. Maybe its because they can actually hear me using a normal voice and I don't have to scream to be heard.

 

Coaching during the game is important for youth. You have a prime oppurtunity to show them exactly what you mean/want within it's natural enviroment. Where would a better place to teach be. However I believe it shouldn't be every 5 seconds. Wait for the oppurtunity to give the player options rather than tell them what to do. Remember in soccer there isn't just one answer to any situation. What do you do if a player dribbles around 8 players and the keeper and scores (you say great job). What do you do when a player tries to beat 2 players and loses the ball. So remember as a coach there is a thin line between what to do and not to do.

 

If its in the attacking third, you praise that player too. In some developmental situations, you would praise him for the attempt no matter what third of the field he was in.