MEMORY TRAINING HOW TO REMEMBER YOUR PLAYERS’ NAMES
WEEKLY
SOCCER COACH Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy
KILLER
FIRST TOUCH LEAVE DEFENDERS FOR DEAD
STEP IT UP DO YOU CALL FOR EXTRA TRAINING?
Keep it Simple at half-time LAST DITCH DEFENDING
TAKE EMERGENCY ACTION AT THE BACK
February 6, 2013 • Issue 302
COACH
OF THE MONTH <
ROBIN VAN PERSIE UNITED’S MASTER MARKSMAN
10
TIPS
FOR GETTING SPONSORED
THE BEST SOCCER DRILLS
EVERY WEEK!
COACHING GIRLS EXPERT ADVICE FOR A MALE COACH
Contents
It’s All Down To Coaches MEMORY TRAINING HOW TO REMEMBER YOUR PLAYERS’ NAMES
WEEKLY
SOCCER COACH Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy
KILLER
February 6, 2013 • Issue 302
COaCH
OF THE mONTH
FIRST TOUCH
<
LEAVE DEFENDERS FOR DEAD
10
STEp IT Up DO YOU CALL FOR
TIpS
EXTRA TRAINING?
KEEp IT SImpLE aT HaLF-TImE LaST DITCH DEFENDING
TAKE EMERGENCY ACTION AT THE BACK
ROBIN VAN PERSIE UNITED’S MASTER MARKSMAN
FOR GETTING SPONSORED
THE BEST SOCCER DRILLS EVERY WEEK!
COACHING GIRLS EXPERT ADVICE FOR A MALE COACH
Soccer Coach Weekly Issue 302
Soccer Coach Weekly is published by Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford GU5 0AB, UK.
Telephone
+44 (0)1483 892894
Editor Chris Hunt chris.hunt@greenstarmedia.net
Head Coach David Clarke david.clarke@coach-soccer.com
Contributors James Evans, Louis Massarella, Mike Pattenden Illustrations Mike Ronald Pictures Action Images, Nick Webster Production ATG Media Production Designer Jamie Leeson Publisher Kevin Barrow kevin.barrow@ bettersoccercoaching.com
Customer Services Duncan Heard duncanh@greenstarmedia.net
Managing Director Andrew Griffiths (c) Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved. Click here to read the full disclaimer. To subscribe to Soccer Coach Weekly call Duncan Heard on +44 (0)1483 892894 or subscribe online here
One of the positives to have come out of the opening of St George’s Park in England last year is the recognition being given to the thousands of coaches up and down the country that make grassroots football tick. St Georges will hopefully be putting coaches at the forefront of football in England, much like the situation is in Europe and America. Without coaches there wouldn’t be matches taking place every weekend. The hours you coaches spend getting the right advice and the right sessions not only helps to create a development culture at your club but is also vitally important to the children you coach. I know how hard it is for all of you because I’ve started clubs too, and have stood in front of parents wondering how on earth I was going to fulfil their wishes. Like you, I’ve stood at the end of a game when my team has lost, wondering if we would ever win again. Yes, it can be hard sometimes but coaching is also a wonderful experience, with some amazing highs. I spoke to a coach this week who has set up his own team because the side his son played for no longer saw the boy as part of their future. His son sat on the bench most matches and when he was allowed on, he was screamed at and told what to do. That’s not being a coach – coaches make football fun. To rescue his son he created a team and set about learning what he should be
In this issue...
3
FIRST TOUCH
4
SHARP SHOOTERS
5
STRIKE IN PAIRS
Leave defences standing and score goals like Robin van Persie
An exercise to help your strikers beat defenders with first touch Help your attackers create an understanding with their strike partner
6 GET A SPONSOR
Grassroots football depends on coaches
“Coaching can be hard but it’s also wonderful, with some amazing highs” coaching and how to manage. He hadn’t realised all the things he would have to do: the amount of emails to players, the collection of subs, the payment of referees, coping with training, getting a kit and buying the right equipment. But I went to one of his matches and it was great to see him doing everything the right way, encouraging his players and making sure they all got a game. And at the end, when his team had won, he was bubbling over with delight. By doing it all himself he is learning the hard way that coaching is a huge responsibility. Here at Soccer Coach Weekly we want to recognise all the hard work that goes into the role of the coach by
8 LAST LINE OF DEFENCE
A dynamic exercise to teach your defenders how to read the game
David Clarke
TIP OF THE WEEK
9 READY FOR BATTLE
Drill your defenders to deal with an incoming long ball
10 COACH OF THE MONTH
Each month we celebrate grassroots coaches who give more to the game than they take out
11
SOCCER SURGERY
Follow our 10-step guide to signing up a sponsor for your team
Your questions answered, including tips on how to remember players’ names
7 DEFENDING LATE
12 THE BIG DEBATE
To stop attacks every side needs a last-ditch defender like Barcelona’s Carles Puyol
shining a light on some of you who do the job. On page 10 we unveil our first Coach Of The Month feature, recognising grassroots coaches with all kinds of experience, whether it be for putting so much into the game every week or maybe just for making the kids happy. If you want to nominate someone, or even yourself, to be Coach Of The Month, please tell us why and you could be featured in the magazine. Email your nominations to editor@soccercoachweekly.net
Should you call an extra training session if your players aren’t fulfilling their potential?
Keep It Simple At Half-Time At half-time in the 2005 Champions League Final, with Liverpool 3-0 down to AC Milan, Steven Gerrard couldn’t concentrate on the team talk. All he could remember was the manager telling them to get an early goal – he did just that and they went on to lift the trophy.
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FIRST TOUCH Van Persie uses his first touch to beat defences
Leave Defences Standing Coach your players to improve their first touch and soon they could be leaving defences standing and scoring as many goals as Robin van Persie
A
message for your strikers: you don’t need to have lightning pace to beat your marker and get a shot in on goal. And if they don’t believe you, just tell them to watch Robin van Persie. The Dutchman uses clever movement, quickness of thought and, above all, a brilliant first touch to give him a yard of space. And as we’ve seen time and again, a yard is all he needs to apply a devastating finish. Van Persie, who despite a lack of searing pace scored 37 goals in all competitions for Arsenal last season and already has more than 20 for new club Manchester United, honed his skills using the methods of coaching pioneer Wiel Coerver at first club Feyenoord. “I practised daily and I was highly aware it was effective,” said van Persie of Coerver’s emphasis on technique. “You noticed it in weeks.” Fifteen years later the results are clear. “He has an excellent touch and needs very little time to get a shot away and finish accurately,” explains Alf Galustian, co-founder of Coerver Coaching. Nowhere was this more obvious than
at Upton Park in January, where van Persie scored an injury-time equaliser against West Ham in the third round of the FA Cup. He controlled Ryan Giggs’ long, diagonal ball with his left foot and scored with his right, all in the blink of an eye. “The first touch and his finish was absolutely world class, absolutely fantastic,” said Sir Alex Ferguson, while Arsene Wenger says, “I have seen many great players over 30 years, but Robin van Persie’s first touch is just exceptional.”
So exceptional that Ferguson believes RvP could be the difference between United winning the Premier League title and coming second this season. But what makes van Persie’s first touch so devastating? The key, as the following drills will show, is to take the ball away from your marker and towards goal in one swift movement. As van Persie proves, if you can do that, you don’t need to be blessed with great speed to find space in front of goal.
FIRST TOUCH TIPs TO BEAT DEFENDERS
Words by:
Louis Massarella Activities by:
David Clarke
RvP on the ball
A good first touch gives players the time and space to assess what to do next – pass, dribble or shoot. It also ensures that a time-wasting second touch isn’t required and allows players to operate comfortably under pressure in tight situations. To have a first touch like van Persie, your players should always… > Move into position to intercept the ball early > Select the controlling surface (boot, chest, thigh etc) > Place the controlling surface in the ball’s path > Stay balanced using the arms > Watch the ball carefully to judge its direction and speed > Keep the head steady > Be relaxed
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FIRST TOUCH
Sharp Shooters Executed at speed this is a dangerous attacking move that will help your players use a delicate first touch to beat defenders and set up goal scoring opportunities
WHY USE IT
This drill helps players get to know each other – when they are going to pass, and where and when they are going to move. It works on the technique a striker will use to create and execute a goal scoring chance.
After a one-two between the servers, a pass from Server B triggers the striker to feign to his right before going left to receive the ball
1
SET UP
Use four players including your goalkeeper. You need balls, cones and a goal. Position a pole or cone (or a mannequin if you have one) just outside the penalty box on the size of pitch your team plays on
A
3 2
B
The striker opens his body to receive the pass on his back foot. His first touch guides it past the cone towards goal to set up a shot
The striker’s second touch must be a shot. It should be a shot across the keeper towards the far corner
HOW TO PLAY On the coach’s command the two servers exchange passes. Server B passes to the striker’s right. As the ball is passed the striker feigns to go to his right and then goes left to receive the ball, which he controls on the turn. His second touch must be a strike at goal. Work one striker for five goes and then switch players.
A
B
Speed is key for the striker so the shot must come quickly after the first touch
TECHNIQUE The striker’s movement is vital, creating a yard of space to receive the ball, then controlling it quickly and smoothly to get past the defender and shoot. Timing is key: the timing of the pass, the dummy and the run. In a match all these parts make up the move – success comes when they all work together.
Player movement
3 2 B
A
1
If the pass comes from Server A, the striker makes a dummy run left, before coming back to his right and shooting with his left foot
Ball movement
Shot
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FIRST TOUCH
Strike In Pairs Help your strike partners develop an effective understanding with each other in order to create the space needed to score goals like Robin van Persie
WHY USE IT
s yd 30
When two strikers play together they develop an understanding. Robin van Persie uses his strike partners to create the space needed for match winning shots on goal. Follow this drill and your players could forge a similar understanding.
s 40yd
SET UP You need at least eight players, plus two keepers. One striker and a defender should be in each half, with a line of second strikers for each team at the side of the pitch by the halfway mark. You need balls, bibs, cones and goals. Play a small-sided game on a 40x30-yard pitch with goals at each end.
The practice works in both directions, with both teams attacking at the same time
Each keeper throws a ball out to the right in the direction of the first striker queuing at the halfway line
The striker receives the ball and turns to combine in a 2v1 situation with the second striker to try and score
HOW TO PLAY To attack at both ends simultaneously, each keeper throws the ball to the first of the strikers waiting on the sidelines. He must combine 2v1 with the attacker already on the pitch in order to set-up a scoring chance.
A quick pass from the striker coming on can catch the defender out, leaving space to exploit with a one-two
After each attack, the striker who first received the ball takes the place of the second striker, who joins the queue at the halfway line
TECHNIQUE To develop a partnership between two forwards they must work intensively in training, moving into different positions to disrupt the defence. Creativity is key to opening up space and a good first touch can help to beat defenders.
Player movement
If the striker coming on dribbles rather than passes, he can take on the defender 1v1. He must avoid being forced away from the goal
Ball movement
Shot
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SOCCER BUSINESS
Ten Steps To Getting Your Team A Sponsor Signing up a sponsor can make all the difference to a team’s finances but finding one isn’t easy. Former Reading FC Commercial Director Boyd Butler offers his ten-step plan
01
Identify Your Market
Make sure you know your target market. Some companies will want to get involved to show they support the local community or to publicise a neighbourhood service, but your most likely sponsors will be related to your players. Find out which parents own (or work for) a business that might invest. Ideally it would be a business owner who can make decisions himself.
02
Get A Website
03
KNOW What You Need
Websites are a good place to direct potential sponsors if they want to find out about your club – and once you’ve struck a deal, websites can give sponsors valuable exposure. If you haven’t got one, sign up with a company like clubwebsite.co.uk and get one for free – just make sure it gets your ethos across.
Fix the price of the sponsorship and explain what it is you want. If it’s cash for 15 sets of kit, find out the price and show the sponsor the supplier’s quote. That way they’ll know exactly what it is they are contributing to. But remember to make sure you budget for printing the sponsor’s logo on the front of the shirt.
04
WORK OUT What To Say
No businessman will hand over cash without feeling he is getting value for money, so you have to make a pretty convincing case. Whether it’s a face to face meeting or a pitch on the phone, make sure you know what you’re going to say and that you get your message across.
05
Use The LOCAL Media
06
Offer Added Value
Local radio and newspapers will publicise your quest for sponsorship, particularly if you have a press pack of things you will be giving the sponsor and a good angle for their story. For example, ‘Local football team looks for one minute of Rooney’s wages for kit sponsorship’ might work.
Lots of teams want sponsorship so make your proposal attractive by adding value. Ask the editor of the local paper if he would run a story about your sponsor with a small picture. If he says yes, let any candidates know they will get this exposure as soon as they sign up. Think of other ideas too, such as displaying the company logo on your website, newsletter and training gear.
07
Sell Your Connections
Tell your potential sponsor that each member of the team will hand out 250 flyers to local homes. That’s a leaflet drop of 3,000 homes. This could be a valuable service to a local business. Alert the local media to this.
08
Take A Chance
Maybe there’s a local celebrity who you could pitch the idea to – it’s a long shot but it might just work. This season Eastleigh Reds Under-13s struck a deal with The Prodigy after the band learned the team train to one of their songs, while Kingswell Under-9s can boast a deal with Swedish musician and ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ star, Basshunter.
09
Above: Be like Graham Taylor and launch your sponsorship with a fanfare
Deliver On Promises
When someone does sponsor you, make sure they see the immediate benefits. Have a ceremony to unveil the kit with their company name on it and present them with a team picture. Send them any press cuttings that feature a picture of the team.
10
Don’t Forget Them
When you get a sponsor, don’t lose them. Invite them to games and text them the results after each match so they can follow your progress. If you have an end of season party, make sure your sponsor is the guest of honour and presents the Player Of The Season Award.
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Left: Follow Sam Allardyce’s lead and pitch for a team sponsor
SOCCER COACH WEEKLY
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DEFENDING LATE You wouldn’t want to battle Carles Puyol for that ball!
Last-Ditch Defending Even if your team is packed with skill and talent, every side needs a last-ditch defender like Carles Puyol to stop the goals going in at the wrong end
S
ometimes the defensive situation demands emergency action. If you want your players to learn how to be great last-ditch defenders, there are not many more effective stoppers to emulate than Carles Puyol, a rock in the back line of a Barcelona team celebrated for its attacking flair. He may not be a pretty player but the fact that at 34 he has just signed a three-year contract shows how important he is at the Nou Camp. Every team needs a defender who can save the day and for all of Barça’s possession, there are times when they lose the ball. His teammates will try to win it back high up the pitch, but if that doesn’t happen Puyol and his partner Pique are the thin blue and red line standing between a quick break and a goal. At five foot ten he’s no giant but he is a warrior and his tackling can be ferocious. He goes in swift and hard, which often means he comes out on top of balls that he has no right to
win. Key to this is his timing and his eye. He is quick and if the attacker shows him the ball, he will strike. Puyol’s reading of the game is superb. He is not usually in the last-ditch position by accident. His trademark blocks and slides may look desperate but they happen too frequently to be accidental. He knows when emergency action has to be taken and if he appears to break the golden rule of not going to ground, it’s usually because it’s the only way to reach the ball. In sliding across he is able to use his whole body rather than just his foot to block. Like John Terry for Chelsea, he worries about the consequences later. He has his critics. Anyone in a team with Messi, Iniesta and Xavi is going to look a bit shabby, but he is always there when the heavy lifting needs to be done. “I work harder than the others,” he once said. “I’m like the student who is not as clever but revises for his
exams and does okay in the end.” His work rate is impressive enough, but playing in a team where it’s easy to switch off, his concentration levels are phenomenal. Gerard Pique tells a story of his skipper screaming at him to focus – and that was when the team were four up with just four minutes to go. If you think your players need to take on a little of Puyol’s defensive spirit, we have two exercises on the following pages that will help them learn how to win the ball before it’s too late.
Words by:
Mike Pattenden Activities by:
David Clarke
“Puyol is the key, not just because he is one of the best defenders in the world but because of his character. He never lets up” – Xavi on the importance of his Barcelona team-mate Carles Puyol Issue 302
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DEFENDING LATE
Last Line Of Defence Use this dynamic team game to teach your defenders how to read the game when battling in desperate one-on-one situations with an opposing striker
WHY USE IT
SET UP
Play a 5v5 including goalkeepers. Mark out a pitch 40x20 yards, with a five-yard zone for the keepers at either end and three 10-yard zones. Play 2v2 in the centre zone and 1v1 in the outer zone. Players must stay in their zones.
1v1 2v2 1v1
5yds s 10yd
s yd 20
Last-ditch 1v1s are a big part of youth soccer. If your defenders are losing most of them, you will probably be losing matches quite badly too. But using 1v1 practices will give young defenders the chance to learn how to win some of these one-on-one battles.
The first line of defence in this situation is for the defender to read the pass from midfield and intercept the ball
s 10yd s 10yd 5yds
The defender must cover the goal, the attacker and the ball. By correctly reading the game here, the defender has pinched the ball before it reaches the attacker
If the attacker turns and runs at him, the defender must be able to slow the attack down and try to tackle to win the ball
HOW TO PLAY
The idea is to have as many 1v1s in the final third as possible, to represent the last ditch situations that cause defenders problems. They must remove the danger by either forcing the attacking player away from the danger area or by winning the ball. The ball cannot go above head height.
Here the defender is too far away from the attacker and has to slide across to block the ball
By pressing tightly the attacker may have to go backwards and pass the ball back into midfield â&#x20AC;&#x201C; another way for the last defender to slow down play and remove the threat
TECHNIQUE
This practice has a lot of elements to it, from midfield battles to last ditch defending situations. All the fundamentals of defending can be seen in the 1v1 zone: tackles, jockeying, blocking and clever positioning to block the attackers route to goal.
Player movement
Ball movement
Shot
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DEFENDING LATE
Ready For Battle Drill your defenders to cover each other while one of them deals with an incoming long ball that threatens your goal. Soon they’ll be experts at last-ditch defending
WHY USE IT
server
s yd 30
The long ball is a weapon used a lot in youth soccer and defenders have to be ready for it. This exercise teaches defenders that if they let the ball bounce or fail to cover it, they leave themselves open to fleet-footed attackers who will run onto any missed or poor clearances.
A server starts the game with a long ball. Can the defenders win the ball and start to build an attack on the other end?
s 40yd
SET UP
Set up a pitch 40x30 yards with a goal at either end. The defending team line up with a goalkeeper, back four and three midfielders against the attacking team’s keeper, midfield three and two forwards. The attacking team includes two servers who they can pass to. You need balls, bibs, cones and goals.
server
One player should be ready to deal with the long ball and the others should be ready to cover in case of any problems
The attacking team can use the servers to pass to if they are under pressure
HOW TO PLAY
To start, one of the servers on the attacking team plays a long ball into the back four of the defending team. Play normal football and restart with a long ball if a goal is scored or if the ball goes out of play.
Whenever the ball goes out, play is restarted with a long ball from the servers
TECHNIQUE
When defending long balls it’s important that one player attacks the ball while the other defenders drop behind in order to cover him. This improves your defenders’ understanding and gets them ready for when these situations occur in matches.
Player movement
Here the defending team makes an effective headed clearance that allows them to attack and score
Ball movement
Shot
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GRASSROOTS COACHING Our Coach Of The Month in action with his academy players
Coach Of The Month Each month we recognise a grassroots coach who has given more to the game than he has taken out. This month we celebrate Courtney Pettifor, a coach of the future Name: Courtney Pettifor Age: 17 Coaches: Ely Crusaders Academy, Littleport Rangers U10s, Ely Sixth Form, Ely College KS3 Girls Qualifications: FA Level 1 Coaching Awards: BBC East Sports Young Unsung Hero Of The Year Award, Living Sports Young Community Volunteer Of The Year Award Courtney Pettifor has been coaching since he was 13. He recently found himself rubbing shoulders with Olympians Greg Rutherford and Louis Smith when he was crowned Young Unsung Hero Of The Year at the BBC East Sports Awards. He was nominated for Coach Of The Month because of the many hours of voluntary coaching work he does each week with two clubs and several local schools.
> WHY I COACH: “I first started coaching at Littleport Rangers when I was 13, inspired by my coach Jamie Spalding, who is the person who has made me the coach I am today. I wanted to do something that would benefit others. I’ve always liked helping people and by coaching younger children it enables me to pass on my knowledge and skills to them.” > THE BEST THING ABOUT COACHING: “Seeing the smiles on the faces of the kids after
training is priceless. When I’m up late planning drills and activities, as long as I get a smile it makes it all worthwhile. It’s also about seeing players improve. Every coach wants their players to enjoy themselves and be the best they can be and it’s no different for me.” > MY COACHING PHILOSOPHY: “Coaching is about making sport fun whilst developing the children both as individuals and as sportsmen and women.
with learning difficulties and special needs too, as that’s a topic really close to my heart.”
If I hear any of the children say ‘I want to be like you when I’m older’, then I really couldn’t ask for anything more.” > FAVOURITE DRILL: “It would be Sharks – you divide into teams of equal numbers and each player has a designated number. The coach stands in the middle and calls out a number. That player is then against the other team to score in either of the two goals at opposite ends of the pitch. It works on strength and shielding the ball from your opponent, plus dribbling and tackling.” > COACHING AMBITIONS: “I want to be the best coach I can be. I want to be able to take as many coaching courses as possible and keep coaching in youth football, but at a professional level. I’d also like to coach and help promote football for people
> MAKING SACRIFICES: “I gave up playing in order to take up coaching. I miss playing but it was the best decision I ever made.” > COACHING HERO: “My hero is Jez George from Cambridge United. I respect him a great deal as he started off coaching youth football. He then coached the Cambridge United youngsters before moving on to managing the first team. I hope to take the same route and to see him succeed is motivational to me.” > A WORD OF ADVICE: “You get from coaching as much as you put in. The more effort you put into making the sessions enjoyable and eventful, the more satisfaction and happiness you will gain from it.”
If you know someone who deserves to be SCW’s Coach Of The Month, or if you want to nominate yourself, let us know why. Send your nominations to editor@soccercoachweekly.net
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Soccer Surgery
Your Questions Answered THIS WEEK: Advice for a male coach working with a girls’ team for the first time and an expert opinion on how to remember the names of all your players Do girls offer a different challenge for a male coach?
Hello
my name is
Picture: WoodleyWonderWorks
Q “ There are 18
players in my new team. What can I do to remember what their names are?
Q “ As a male coach, where do I stand in terms of coaching girls for the first time? Do I need to approach the challenge any differently?
A
This is a tough challenge and it’s good that you’re approaching it with caution. Naturally, there is a code of conduct that applies to any coach, whether male or female, and whether the subjects are boys or girls. The code centres around appropriate actions, language and distance from your subjects, and being careful to avoid situations that might provoke suspicion. For instance, never offer a player a lift home, even if his or her parents are late; always ensure you’re outside the changing room when players are getting their kit together; and try not to get involved in organising sleepovers. In theory, those boundaries should be the same whether you’re coaching boys or girls, although it’s true to suggest the reality is slightly skewed for a man coaching girls. There is obviously a same-sex bonding that teams can benefit from, not least in the conversations between training points, and these really break
”
down barriers and build rapport. You might have to work harder to find those common denominators of conversations, but they will be there if you look. And when coaching girls, always approach training from less of a competitive standpoint, because their sole take-out is often enjoyment and little else. Also, consider bringing in a female helper, if you feel that would help. This person can act as something of a halfway house, relaxing the players and taking the awkwardness away from certain situations. Consider too getting parents involved whenever possible – this again takes away the notion that it’s ‘just you’. Soccer coaching should never be one person’s task, no matter what teams you’re dealing with. Mostly though, common sense, transparency and plenty of smiles are the best way to go. Answered by Jake Luff, an FA Level 3 coach from Dereham
GET YOUR SOCCER PROBLEMS SOLVED If you have a coaching problem or a training dilemma that you want the experts at Soccer Surgery to cure, send your queries to Soccer Coach Weekly…
editor@soccercoachweekly.net
”
A
Well this is one we’ve all come across in the past. Indeed, many people will struggle to remember the name of a person they’ve just been introduced to, and that’s because our brains are too occupied with presenting ourselves in a likeable way that we therefore switch off from importing information as we normally would. So when it comes to an entire soccer team, you’d imagine the problem to be 10 or 15 times worse. Well the good news is it isn’t! Given the wider and more obvious need to remember a host of names, our brains will switch on to individuals more readily. Your sense will be that you still have lots of players whose names you don’t know, but the brain is actually fixing and picking up other names and faces very quickly. Of course, there are a few things you can do to help your memory along the way. For a start, always repeat someone’s name back to them. Then, try to pick out a characteristic that can link appearance to a name. For instance, ‘Hair that’s red = Fred’. Work your way around the group so everyone gets equal attention, and get into as many conversations as possible so you can begin building personalities as well as just faces. But ultimately, if you cannot remember someone’s name don’t skirt about and try to coax the name out. You need to invest your time in soccer coaching, so just come out and ask them to repeat their name. Easy!
Answered by Geoff Evans, a Memory Trainer and Cognitive Behaviour Therapist from Gorron, France
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THE BIG DEBATE
Would You Call Players In For Extra Training? THIS WEEK’S DEBATE: If you ever felt that your players weren’t maximising their full potential on the football pitch, would you call them back in for extra training sessions during the week to help them step up a gear?
NO, DON’T CALL THEM BACK IN
YES, CALL THEM BACK IN
Matt Dunn
Frankston Joeys, Australia
“
“Isn’t soccer coaching as much about teaching commitment to a cause as it is teaching the sport itself? If I felt my players weren’t giving due respect to that, I’d have to do something”
Sometimes a shock tactic is the best motivator. A coach can moan about something a team does or doesn’t do in a training session, but the players know that after an hour or so they’re free to leave with no other consequences. Now, if there was a threat of an extra training session, I’ve no doubt the lessons and skills being taught would be taken much more seriously. It might only be one extra session that’s needed – going forward players could well snap into shape as a result. And isn’t soccer coaching as much about teaching commitment as it is teaching the sport itself? If I felt my players weren’t giving due respect to that, I’d have to do something about it. We know soccer influences so many other parts of these kids’
lives, so letting them cheat their responsibilities on the training pitch may lead them to believe they can do similar with their schoolwork, or when helping around the house. Because of that, I feel it’s really important to lay down a marker. The end result will undoubtedly be what you set out to achieve, and that’s the sign of a good coach. The additional training session will give you plenty of time to focus minds and sharpen technique, so what have you got to lose? At the end of the day, you need everyone reaching for the same goal if you’re going to get the best out of individuals. A player who really wants to achieve something isn’t going to be able to do that if the team is carrying passengers and some players aren’t giving their all.
HAVE YOUR SAY
”
DO YOU CALL THE PLAYERS IN FOR EXTRA TRAINING? Visit our Facebook page and log your vote at www.facebook.com/SoccerCoachWeekly or email your thoughts to editor@soccercoachweekly.net
“ “
Jim Cohen Carshalton Robins
“Lettings kids learn at their own pace is the only way to achieve results. Kids don’t like to be pressured into behaving a certain way, so what will extra training actually achieve?”
This is soccer practice, not boot camp. Okay, so some of your kids maybe aren’t fulfilling their potential on the pitch, but since when did kids guarantee to do that anyway? If that were the case, every piece of schoolwork would hit a consistently high level without ever wavering. There’s no reason that soccer should treat children any differently to all of the other pursuits and pastimes that fill their lives. Very often, lettings kids learn at their own pace is the only way to achieve results. Kids don’t like to be pressured into acting or behaving a certain way, so what will extra training actually achieve? They are still discovering so much about life that you just have to let them work a way through things themselves at their own pace.
If kids aren’t responding the way you had hoped in training, can you say for certain that they are the ones to blame? Is it not just as likely that your coaching methods are failing to hold the players’ attention? Is the extracurricular work that needs to be done actually your own? Soccer is about enjoyment, and that’s the only type of fulfilment players should be looking to attain. Are they enjoying themselves? If the answer is ‘yes’, then you are doing your job as a coach perfectly well. For them, it’s about being with a team and sharing experiences with friends. And finally, the demands on parents are great enough at the best of times, so I can’t think that an extra midweek trip is going to put you in their good books.
HOW YOU VOTED
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Here are the results of a poll we ran in issue 300 of Soccer Coach Weekly, when we asked the question: Do you let a problem player join your team?
82% said yes 18% said no Issue 302
SOCCER COACH WEEKLY
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