Coaching the Details of The Process

After conducting a recent training session I found myself approximately 15 minutes away from a high school scrimmage featuring 3 time defending Division II State Champion Dayton Carroll against Sidney so naturally that is where I headed next. I was not disappointed in Carroll's performance. A week into practice and they looked as if they were in mid-season form.  Skill, size, speed, strength and tactical understanding were all in Carroll's favor, but that is not what really caught my eye.

Five minutes into the game I noticed how quiet the Dayton Carroll bench was. If I recall correctly there were 7 players and 3 coaches sitting on the benches and no one was talking.  It looked like they were watching a professional golf match or perhaps a tennis match as they sat quietly observing the action.

At the 25 minute mark Carroll went up 2 - 0 and things remained pretty much the same on their bench. That was about to change.  As the kickoff to restart the game was about to take place the Carroll head coach arose from his seat on the bench and began stalking the touchline.  Not understanding what had him so agitated I found myself watching him as much as I was watching the game.  I soon learned he was coaching the details of the process.  He did not want his team to lose focus or let up. Yes, they had controlled run of play and were leading 2-0, but there was still over a half to play.  I, myself, have often cautioned teams that the most dangerous score in soccer is 2-0.  The message behind this is to not allow yourself to believe you have the game won.  The team needs to keep doing what they have been doing in gaining the 2-0 advantage. Now, I witnessed that concept actually being coached to its fullest.

Carroll won possession soon after the kickoff to restart play and immediately began to switch the ball through their backs. The right center back (RCB) received the ball, looked up and played a ball diagonally forward into space down the right flank. Absolutely the correct read as the Sidney defense was slow in shifting over. They were moving on the completed pass as opposed to moving with the pass. The ball ended up being played too long and rolled out of bounds before the right wing midfielder (wing) could catch up with it.  I am thinking "good read, but poor execution" in regards to the RCB and his pass. The Dayton Carroll coach saw it a bit differently.  He admonished the wing for not having started wide enough.  "If you had been heels to the touch line when the pass was made, you would have gotten to the ball!"

A simply brilliant observation. 

Mind you. the wing was only 5 yards off the touch line when the pass was played, but the coach was 100% spot on in his observation and coaching point. If the wing had been on the touchline he would have had a much better / wider angle of pursuit to the ball. Great coaching point! 

The head coach continued to make this type of observation and coaching point for the next 10 minutes until his team scored again to go up 3-0.  He then spent the rest of the game on the bench watching his team play. I believe the final score was 6-1 in favor of Carroll with the result never in doubt. Many coaches would dismiss this scrimmage as being so lopsided neither team could learn much from it, but they would be dead wrong in this instance.  At least as it concerns the Dayton Carroll team, their coach and ... me.

Carroll's coached actively "coached" for 10 minutes of an 80 minute match and his team came away with a lopsided win. Quality over quantity. I found myself thinking how well he had handled keeping his team focused on the details when they went up 2-0.  I also found myself thinking how well he had used the scrimmage to prepare himself for the regular season. He was very cognizant of the game situation and on guard for the tiniest sign his players were not focused on the details of the process.  The coaching points he made were outstanding. Even more impressive was the teaching manner he used in addressing and correcting the slips he saw.  An outstanding job of  in-the-game coaching that was even more impressive than his teams performance in a 6-1 win.