Freedom within Structure

I recently interviewed for a coaching position and was asked to describe my coaching philosophy. 

I like to promote individual freedom within a team structure. 

That's the short answer minus all the details that go into making the process work successfully.  To list and define all the details of the process would be a daunting task.  So, of course, I will try to do just that. lol



Team bonding away from the pitch is really important.  It's not necessary for  everyone to be best friends. It is necessary to build bonds of respect and trust among the ranks. In order to do this it can be most helpful for members of the team to get to know one another outside of organized team activities (or school). This, team bonding, is about appreciation of and for one another. Everyone needs to feel accepted and wanted by the group.

A buzz phrase in the world of athletics today is "buy-in."  It may sound cliché, but this is of critical importance to team success.  I believe the quickest and surest way to achieve buy-in amongst the ranks is to play to individual strengths.  In my opinion, one of the biggest mistakes a coach can make is attempting to force a player to conform to an ideal they will struggle to fit into or fulfill.  Placing players in positions and defining their roles to play to their strengths is paramount to having any athlete's initial buy-in.

Don't coach mistakes. Every player (and coach) will make multiple mistakes each time they take the pitch. Mistakes only become important if they are not learned from.  However, stopping practice each time a mistake occurs is not realistic nor is it functional training.  Players usually know when they have made a mistake and do not need that fact pointed out to them.  What is important is recognition of why the mistake occurred. Where in the decision-making process did the breakdown occur.  When a pattern of mistakes develops it is time to address the matter, but do so by helping players understand why the mistakes are happening.  What are the technical and tactical issues that lead to the mistake. It is even better if done through guided discovery - help the players identify the issues. Help them without actually doing it for them. 

Teach from mistakes ... and allow the mistakes themselves to be teachers. The ability to move from recognition of in-game mistakes to in-game analysis and self-correction is a skill dulled by coaches over coaching via dwelling on and lamenting the mistake instead of concentrating on why the mistake occurred and tweaking the decision making process to prevent it from occurring again.

There is a big difference between playing with someone on the same team and teammates who play for one another.  We are back to respect and trust.  How is it a left back can be one of the most potent attacking weapons a team has?  Freedom within the team structure backed by the respect and trust of teammates. The allegiance is to the team structure.  Freedom within the team structure simply means the teams structure will be adhered to - a specific defensive shape will be maintained when the team is defending.  The particulars of how that structure / shape is filled out are of secondary importance. This is the freedom with the structure.

The strengths of the dynamic left back who is such a potent attacking weapon cannot be played to if he is held rigidly by the customary responsibilities of the left back position. The team that respects the left back playing to his attacking strengths is only rewarded if the left back trusts someone will have his back in terms of filling his position if a need arises to do so while he is advanced.

Teammates must be confident in exploring the game in its entirety while trusting and having confidence in their teammates that the team will find its defensive shape when called upon to do so.  Again, the allegiance is to the team structure / shape and not rigidly assigned individual positions.