What do you need, to be a great coach?
Here are my opinions on what is required to be the best you can be, at coaching in sport.
‘Most kids would rather play on a losing team than sit on the bench of a winning one. That doesn’t mean that kids don’t value winning, just that they prefer playing’
Why do kids Play?
- To have fun;
- To be with their friends;
- To learn about the sport & improve their game related skills;
- To compete;
- To work on their fitness;
- To do something I’m good at.
And not having fun is one of the major reasons 70 percent of kids quit playing sports by the time they’re 13.
‘A good coach supports, rewards, teaches, and makes a sport fun’
The Basics
- Having a qualification doesn’t make you a great coach but continuous improvement could. To become a great coach you must be prepared to learn & develop.
- Developing your coaching knowledge comes from being involved, practicing your methods and having the desire to go and attend courses- opening up your mind by reading and studying different methods.
- Be organised, be on time, be prepared, be presentable, be approachable, be Enthusiastic and be Fair.
- Teach your players to respect each other & don’t use foul language.
- Communicate, demonstrate & take up a good position so everyone can hear and see you.
- Get inspiration for other coaches, ask questions and share your ideas.
- The more you coach the more you will learn – Coach all ages.
- Start a blog; bank your ideas.
- Devise a core set of values, beliefs and a philosophy and tell your players about them.
- Subscribe to coaching websites. I recommend InsideSoccer.com
- Read the best coaching books and explore new methods. (Get drunk on good books)
- Watch other coaches in action, ask questions and attend workshops regularly.
- Keep things simple and try to do something different at every session. Keep it fun.
- Ball Mastery should be part of every session.
- You want to create an environment within which every player has the best opportunity to flourish.
- Always focus on the positives. Negativity will be bookmarked in a player’s head.
- Always compliment your players at least a couple of times in a session.
- Be in control of the sideline and most importantly let the parents know, that the only one who should be directing is the coaching staff and even at that, we want minimal instruction.
- Watch and observe you team play. Take notes on team play and use this information in your next training session. The best coaches are highly skilled in observation.
Ask yourself, what does it feel like to be coached by me?
Download To be a Coach
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You can download from my previous post ‘A Player’s Message to Parents’ here → A Players Message To Parents
I always like to hear your opinions. Please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. Thanks for reading. I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary