Soccer Coaching Skills

Regardless of the level of coaching and the skill level of the players, Coaching skills come under 4 major headings.

1. Coaching style
2. Organization
3. Content
4. Personal growth

Coaching Style

A lot of issues fall under this heading.

1. What's the Goal for the team?
   Is it participation, with equal time by all regardless of skill levels? A winning record, with an emphasis on game results and a probable selection basis that will see core players play more than others? Is it fun? Or is is skills development? Does everyone on the team know what the criteria are? Parents, too? Club offices? Do the team players agree to this? Should there be a players contract and a parents contract to be sure?
2. Out of this will come other facets which, in combination with the coach's personality, should have been considered before the coach took on the responsibility.
   Is the coach to be authoritarian? A strong disciplinarian? In control? Or, giving a lot of control over to the players? Is motivation to be through criticism, or encouragement, or both? If someone is playing badly, do they understand up front they'll be substituted ... or is the reality that most players won't be playing great soccer? How will the coach deal with a poor attitude, in practice or in games? Will the coach praise effort, or results? (The answer should be "effort" ... it gets better results). Is the coach naturally calm, or volatile ... and should he/she adjust this a little?
3. How will the coach deal with people who miss practices, regardless of the reason? Does the "miss" automatically translate into not being on the starting line next game? Will this apply to "stars" as well as the others?
4. How will the coach deal with parents? Is the rule "encourage, cheer and applaud but do not criticize, do not yell instructions at the players" ... or a free for all? Will the coach take parents aside if they transgress?
5. How will the coach deal with the club officials?

Organization

A disorganized coach can have a detrimental affect on a team. No-one's sure where or when pracices are, or where the game is and what time to meet, whether a game is "on" or not in bad weather, who's in the starting line-up, who's bringing half-time refreshments, or ... etc. This can lead to poor practices, and poor game-time performance when a player arrives 30 seconds before kick-off in a state of high anxiety.

If a coach isn't naturally organized, then there needs to be an assistant of some kind who IS.

One of the biggest issues of organization is simply the procedure at practices. The single biggest constraint in most team's skill building is practice time, and in some clubs and cities practice fierlds are like gold ... yet it's not unusual to see a coach waste up to 50% of the on-field time thgrough poor orhanization. Ideally, warm-ups can be done off-field while another team is still working out, for example; when the field is available the coach should be able to have a useful exercise in play within 30 seconds. No drills should be going on where 90% of the players are stood waiting for their turn, 90% of the time.

Content

Over time, a coach needs to address 6 areas with the players.

1. Fitness ... without this, skills training is limited.
2. Soccer skills ... skills should improve week by week, measurably or noticeably.
   • Learning to kick - many players are NEVER taught this most basis soccer skill! Different kicking techniques for passing, shooting, taking corners, free kicks, etc.
   • Passing skills.
   • Receiving skills,
   • 1st Touch control.
   • Heading skills (when players are old enough).
   • Throw-ins.
   • Free kicks.
   • Tackling
   • Slide tackles.
3. Rules ... it's astonishing how manyplayers and even coaches do not have a good-enough understanding of the rules of the game. It's an essential foundation.
4. Strategy. Not just from the perspective of whether to play 4-4-2 or etc but ... how is a strategy chosen, when is it necessary for it to be changed, how should a player play with regard to different strategies, etc.
5. The mental game. more games are lost at the mental level than at the skills and fitness level.
6. Nutrition. Even though many players will not follow guidance, guidance is important. Even guidance for the eating plan of the day of a game can make a win or lose difference.

Personal Growth

Especially hen they use the right tools, correctly, soccer coaches become adept at identifying the personal growth of their players and to recoggnize those areas in a player's game where performance needs to be boosted. But what's equally important is to have both the self awareness, and appropriate tools, to identify the same issues on their (the coach's) own performance as a coach, too.