I’ve been working with recreation level soccer coaches recently as volunteer work and have noticed a couple of common mistakes we all made when we first embarked on our soccer coaching careers. I thought I’d point out these mistakes along with quick and easy ways to fix them.

5. Expectations That Are Too High. While everyone knows that little Johnny or Jenny isn’t going to be dribbling like Pele after a week of practice, we still hold out hope that if we keep drilling at them on all the little mistakes they’re making that they’ll “just get it” at some point and immediately start playing flawless soccer. Sorry folks, but there’s no shortcut on this one; the players simply need time to mature and improve their basic abilities. It’s great to correct mistakes that frequently occur (pull the player aside if it’s only one that’s having this trouble repeatedly, but make a point to the whole group if several players are suffering from the same problem), but a relaxed environment with helpful comments sprinkled judiciously will go a lot farther than anything else.

4. Confusing Terminology. A lot of recreation soccer coaches are volunteers who lack a long history with the game. Thus they have an idea of what should be occurring, but don’t always have the knowledge to tell the players what exactly that something entails. So while they might know that dribbling with the instep (toe pointed down, foot angled slightly in towards the body) is the best method for running with the ball, they might confusedly tell the player to dribble using the outside of the foot. The coach then tells the player to dribble with the outside of the foot (envisioning the player running with the ball), but the player interprets this as turning the foot completely sideways while trying to run and control the ball, all at the same time. The player is unsuccessful, the coach is frustrated, and the problem is unresolved as the coach is aware of the problem, but unaware of what needs to be changed. The solution is to make sure you understand the basic techniques involved with soccer and the proper terminology associated with them. Always make sure you are congruent with what you are saying to the players and what you expect of them. Quickly specify to the player what you intend if you notice these ‘lost in translation’ problems.

3. Lines. Too often I see the whole team divided into two groups lined up directly across from the goal, everyone getting a chance to shoot every two minutes and spending the rest of the time waiting in line. This is unfortunately not the best use of practice time. Sure, everyone gets a chance to practice their technique under the coach’s eye, but it’s more enjoyable for the players (and better for their development) if they’re involved in a soccer related activity where everyone is passing the ball with greater frequency. Even a simple activity where players are numbered and passing in pairs in a small area while shooting every time the coach calls their number is preferred to the gym-class teaching method that makes use of lines.

2. Lecturing. There’s only a very limited amount of practice time we have available to work with our players. I’m sure everyone reading this would agree that their goal is to help their soccer players to improve as quickly as possible, so we logically believe if we dump our brain’s worth of information out to them at the start of practice, they’ll perfectly understand what we want from them. What the players really want and need is to play soccer related games. A better way to provide verbal information without wasting time is to pull the team together at the start of practice, mention the practice topic (such as passing), and then get the players playing the first activity. This will keep the enthusiasm high and from that point you can step in and make corrections and comments when necessary.

1. Incorrect Technique. Unfortunately this is a real problem. Many volunteer soccer coaches haven’t played enough soccer to really have rock solid technique that will be a good model for the young players. When demonstrating a technique, particularly to the youngest, most impressionable ages, it’s vitally important to provide an example as correct as possible. This will be the ‘picture’ or ‘video’ the player sees everytime she practices a technique. Set them on the right course early and they are well on their way to achieving their potential. If you’re unsure as to the exact way to perform a technique ask an experienced player or coach to stop by your practice session and perform some demonstrations for the players. The experienced player will be more than happy to help out and show off while your players will benefit from a great model. In the end, you’re the smart coach for recognizing your own weakness and addressing a great way to solve it!

Author: Matt Emmert
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Links

SoccerMyLife Latest