Coaching a foundation phase team can be a thankless task. As much fun as being on the field running a session, coaching a game and seeing a kid progress can be, a lot happens behind the scenes that most are oblivious to. Early mornings, miles of travel, field setup, disagreements, chasing payments…the list is endless.
Of course, we put up with these as the enjoyable moments far outweigh the slog. That is not to say the enjoyable moments do not have challenges of there own. Players not turning up to practice, poor bahaviour and sportsmanship to name a few. The good thing is that there are tactics we can use to minimise the negative impact that these challenges pose.
The following 6 challenges have been commonplace with the 20+ teams that I have coached in a 13 year career. The strategies given have been used with successful outcomes for all.
Non Attendance
During my last year in the US, I coached a U12 boys team whose average practice attendance was 7 players. For 9v9 soccer, this was not ideal to say the least. Game day meant that at least 4 players did what they had always done, rather than making the same improvements that others were. In order to manage this, I had to consider the following
Setting Rules – Players were guaranteed a minimum of 50% game time over the course of the season. Players who missed any practice in the build up to a game would not be considered for a start. With this team, 2 had to, which I based on previous performance.
Communication – A start of season meeting was held with the parents to explain the rules. With parents paying $1,000 a year for their children to play, the least I could do was give them all of the information prior to making the decision to sign a cheque. Similarly, parents were as forthright with me in letting me know ahead of time if their son was going to be unavailable.
Showing Empathy – Some families have more than one child to consider. Single parent families are a norm. Family emergencies happen. Friends who haven’t been seen in years may be in town just for that day. For my U12’s, 2 were playing school soccer (which due to nationwide rules, takes precedence over the grassroots game). 1 missed half a session a week due to being in scouts, equally important in their development into becoming a man. Another had a parent who would not respond to any kind of message – text, email, voicemail. Utimately, who are any of us to say that an 11 year old can’t experience as much as they want in life? Or that they must sort their parent out?
Behavioural Issues
Before children come to soccer practice, they spend 6/7 hours of their day at school. That’s 6/7 hours of being told what to do by an adult. After that, they then head to soccer practice…to be told what to do by an adult! Is it any wonder that children may misbehave at your session? I know that I could not handle going through that all day, every day. Expecting nazi-like obedience is unrealistic. It can be minimised however.
Set your standards – Have some basic standards that are to be adhered to every week. My personal standards are that cones and bibs are to be placed in colour coordinated piles at the end of practice. Bibs must also be laid ut flat. Players cannot sit on their balls and all coaches hands must be shook at the end of the session. This does not change and there are no extenuating circumstances.
Be consistent – My background as a teacher has allowed me to see that kids appreciate routine. With low level autism being diagnosed more and more, a step away from this consistency can play havoc with a kids mental state. Though you cannot control how a kid may act, you can control your own mood and behaviour. Keep that as consistent as possible, along with the rules you set.
Time on Task – Keep track of how long the players are active and standing still. Some coaches are not aware that they may keep players standing still for 40-50% of a session. Players have energy to burn, use it to your advantage.
Poor Sportsmanship
Ever throw a tantrum because a game didn’t go your way? Me too. As young children our experience of setbacks is limited. Things not going our own way can lead to irrational behaviour. This is not limited to the youth game. We’ve seen pro’s have a decision go against them and make a 2-footed challenge in reaction. Young players are learning to control their emotions, and we as coaches can help them.
Leave it – Talking to a child in the aftermath of poor sportsmanship is like having a chat with a brick wall. You’ll get nothing back. Emotions are high and the blame game is likely to come out. Leave it until the next practice, when you are both thinking at a more logical level.
Ask – Why did they react in that way? Getting them to talk about the root cause by answering questions will be far more beneficial to their growth than simply telling them. Some of them may not understand why the behaviour of retaliating to a tackle is unacceptable.
Don’t turn it into a group thing – Show the players some respect and talk about it 1 to 1, rather than in front of everyone. They may already feel embarrassed and will appreciate not being made to feel more so.
Players Leaving
They are not YOUR team. You are THEIR coach.
I was once told that by a former colleague of mine. It changed my viewpoint on coaching a team massively. Rather than being precious about “my” group, I started looking at the players I could help, regardless of who they were.
They are not YOUR team. You are THEIR coach.
Feel proud – Some players have the opportunity to play at a higher level. That speaks volumes about the impact that you have had on their development as a soccer player. Instead of feeling upset that they have gone, feel proud of a job well done.
Opportunities for others – A player leaving means that you now get to help someone else. I had a couple of girls join an FA funded Centre of Excellence back in 2012. That meant I brought in some players, one of which wrote me a letter at the end of the season saying how accepted she felt, the wonders it had done for her confidence and how she had fallen in love with the game. That was as satisfying to me as the players who were grateful for the chance to play at a higher level.
Acccept reality – People leave in all walks of life. Employment, residence, relationships. Youth football is no different. Adopt the above mindset and be at peace with it.
Non-Passers
“My players are 7 years old and won’t pass the ball…WHAT CAN I DO?!” is a common theme among the message boards on social media. It’s also understandable. After all, adults would pass, so why don’t kids?! There are a number of considerations we have to take in order to manage this situation
Understand the mindset of a child – The social mindset of children is a lot different to that of adults. Where as adults are comfortable in bouncing between different social circles, foundation age children generally have a steady build up of how many people they feel comfortable. For U8 players, it’s their best friend. U10 children are comfortable in small groups (3/4) and U12 will have a larger group of friends (6/8). Tailoring passing practice around this mindset will help encourage players to understand when to pass in a game.
Give them a reason – Lesser experienced coaches will often tell players to pass without giving them a reason why. They will also not show them why it is beneficial. Players need a reason. Instead of telling players “pass to little Jimmy” try “look up next time little Freddie. Jimmy was wide open and in a better position to score.” Similarly, demonstrating why it is beneficial in practice allows visual learners to gain a greater understanding.
Problem Parents
The bane of any youth coach! As it stands, I’ve not long got back from a grassroots game from a former team I coached where numerous parents were happy to tell me their pointers on the game, yet none were willing to ask mine. Except the coach of course…I’m glad to see that team have a humble one.
Problem parents will be around as long as youth football is a thing. We just have to know how to manage them
Start of season meeting – Like it or not, unless you are at a fully funded academy, parents are paying money for their kids to play soccer. Therefore, they will feel as though they should have a say in what goes on. A start of season meeting allows you to cover everything. Your experience, your plans, playing time, attendance expectations, punctuality – whatever you feel may come up throughout the season. This way, parents know what they are getting into and cannot argue a point with you. Providing you are being consistent of course!
Emails – Keep them up to date with plans for the game, what practice will consist of and a review of the game performance. This is well received and will help comments from the side fall in line with what you are saying.
Acceptance – There will always be problem parents. Some are just disagreeable in all areas of life. Combine this with the concoction of emotions that soccer and chlidren creates, it’s not worth taking it personally.