Praise Correct Praise, or not?

I have heard it called a "compliment sandwich." Knowing the whats, whens, and hows of giving feedback is a key to effective coaching. This is not easy. The same approach won't work with every player or even the same player every time. My preference is to give only positive feedback.

I don't think negative feedback is necessary for youth coaches at all, unless you are dealing with a discipline problem, which I never had while coaching youth. (Don't make rules that you know will be broken. Be realistic.) The only exception would be situations where the player was unaware of the mistake he made. Then you may decide to tactfully point out the mistake to him, if it is within your coaching objectives--no sense telling an 8 year old that he doesn't understand calculus. Even if you are correcting technique, you should be able to find something positive even if it is only praising effort.

Most of the negative comments I hear are about tactics and I don't believe there is such a thing as a bad tactic. Everything is situational. Moreover soccer is not basketball where teams expect to score with every possession. Attacks are going to fail far more than succeed and defenders are going to be beaten, which is why zone defense and cover is taught at the fundamental stage. Failures are expected and part of the game. The biggest mistake a youth coach can make is to make negative comments about failures of execution.

Also related to feedback is knowing how much stress to put on players. No stress means no adaption, i.e., the exercise is a waste of time from a training viewpoint. Too much stress also means no adaption. Again this is not easy when training groups of players. The most efficient session keeps everyone challenged.

Get both right and player mentality will improve as well as the other aspects.

 

When I like something that the player does or something the team does I say it out loud so the player or the team hears it. It is not just to say it. The players know I mean it.

If the player does something I don't like I take notes on it. If I see team weakness I take notes on that as well. Then I will work on those weakness on the practice field.

You address these things on the practice field. Every player is different because people are different. You learn how to deal with each by knowing how to read people. Most young coaches can not do it because they don't have enough life experience to do it. They think they can do it in the same way for all. Some try to do that through fear.

You coach on the practice field.

You adjust in games I will make a small coaching point to players and to the team in games. You win games with good small coaching points and you win games with good matchups you lose games by not making small coaching points and with bad matchups.

The quicker you fix a bad matchup the better. It won't just get better by themselves. Wait to the half it might be too late by then. I don't sub most of the time to get a better matchup. I think your a starter for a reason. Having versitle starters is the key.

When you have a good match up exploit it to the opponent stops it. If that coach takes to long then he will get behind and his team could lose big.

 

is it the article from April 2013?