6 Tasks of a Coach
It’s not just ‘coaching’. No way. It’s more, and importantly it is more so that the ‘coaching’ element gets ‘easier’.
Coaching and easy. Not usually together in the same sentence, but here we are.
The tasks:
Coaching Training Sessions.
No brainer. We are coaches, after all!
But what does Coaching Training Sessions entail?
Planning training sessions
Complete the grassroots courses and you’ll have access to the plans. You can also find them here [link pending]
Communicating about training
Expectations, needs, location changes, wearing the right gear, etc.
Key words
Executing training
Consider the actual execution - the 5 elements of a training session and what success looks like.
What are the key words. you are going to use and how will you help your players understand them - AKA context for key words.
Reflection
What went well?
Did we achieve our goal?
What would I change next time?
Coaching Games.
As with everything for coaching training sessions, games are the same.
Preparing
Player availability, starting line-up, subbing patterns or routine
Role of assistant coach
Equipment and responsibilities - Water? Tent? Bench? Camera? Player cards/game card?
Communicating the team goals for the game, relative to the keywords so parents are ‘in the know’
Executing
Coaching in the game
Coaching individuals
Substitutions
Team talks
Data collection
Self-control and control of everyone you are responsible for - parents, players, other coaches, and the welfare of the referee
Reflection
Did you prepare successfully?
What could or should change?
Did the game go as planned - not the score, but:
Coaching
Managing
Subbing
Team talks
Post-game communication
Avoid long talks after a game. Get out of there. Talk to parents, thank them for being there. High 5 all of your players
Summary email or note to the families about how the team performed based on the goals you had set prior to the game
Our main goal was building over the halfway line into the opponents half.
We did this 8 times in the game. We failed 4 times.
“We’re really happy with the pattern of moving the ball from the #1 to the #5, invite pressure then play out to the #2 or #3 and encourage them to BREAK.”
Managing the Performance Environment
Parents. How do you:
Educate them on what you are doing and why you are doing it?
We build out because…
Involve them?
Team manager
Social coordinator (lunch after games, season kick off pizza party, end of season awards, mid-season team event
Sideline manager (incase anyone is crazy!)
Build relationships with them?
If you coach your child, and they go to school with the other players, it could be easy to make friends with parents
If not, slowly walk to the car after practice, talking with parents as you do
Hold 1:1’s during the season with each family - give them an update on their kid, but find out more info about their kid too - “she is quiet at home so we do ‘x’ to help her” and now you are learning more too!
Leading the Player
Unconditional attention for each player
Remember, we are raising people, not just soccer players
Try my two points of contact with each player to build rapport and trust with them.
Personal - The perfect time is during practice arrival
A little conversation with each player about their day/week/weekend/dog/grandma visiting/vacation/new shoes. Whatever
The more you do this, the more context you have for players, and the more trust you develop
Coaching Moment - Could be praise, could be a correction
Get on their level. Ask what they saw, why they did what they did and what they could do next time (if a correction).
A+ is to say, remember last week when ‘x’ happened and you did ‘y’ for it - Think that might work here?
Individual Development Plans
Guide your players with a plan.
Find out why they play and what makes them tick. Do they play for fun because friends play, or do they want to be professional?
Who is their favorite player?
What are their goals for this year and the next 3 years?
What do they know about the ‘next level’ or ‘pathways’ for players?
Leading the Team
Now you need to connect all of those players and their personalities to the great good of the team.
Why are we all playing?
Really easy if everyone has the same reason. But they likely do not..!
What are our team standards, or even rules?
No yelling? No bullying? Everyone gets fair playing time? We’re ok with players playing other sports?
What are our team goals for this year?
Include your goals - why do you coach, and then marry that with the teams ambitions for the year or the season
If you get this right, you won’t be standing there wondering why no one else cares the way you do. Or, at least you will know that they won’t really care the way you do. Or, the other way - you need to push them hard because they want to make it to the next level by winning.
Leading Yourself
You took an impressive step in taking the grassroots class. Leading yourself also includes:
Any other education
Connecting experience from life (other work, family, management)
Continue education - another grassroots course or moving into the D license
Alternative education from coaching theorists
Set yourself up for success
Equipment - tactics board, note books to write EVERYTHING, reversible pinnies, cones, goals?
Gear - make sure your club kits you out - Look like a coach
Connect with other coaches
Grassroots page of exeperience asks you to identify a mentor. That can be easy, or difficult depending on your situation and your personality, but I strongly encourage you to find other coaches to watch, or to work with, or to just bounce ideas off of.
These tasks remain the same regardless of the level or gender of player you work with. They take purposeful attention for success, and there will be plenty of times you get it wrong, but keep coming back. It’s worth it.